Artist in Focus: Elena Jasic

February 26, 2021 | by TheBurg Editor

When viewing Elena Jasic’s art, the word “striking” immediately comes to mind.

Her photography emphasizes bold colors, adornments and brash contrasts. The result is innovative, multi-faceted artwork that is complex, yet appears deceptively simple, and, ultimately, is better beheld than described.

On this page, we feature a collection of images from this Serbian-born artist. From these photos, you can see Elena’s unique artistic vision, as she threads together colors, textures and styles. To see more of her work, visit www.elenajasic.com.

Some Hip Hop Luv: Young Harrisburg area rapper Kierra Luv charts her future

February 26, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Kierra Luv

In 2018, Kierra Luv uploaded a video to her Instagram page, not thinking much of it. She was rapping freestyle to Cardi B’s track, “Money.” She captioned the video, “Only 16, but move like I’m grown.”

It was just a minute-long clip that she recorded in her attic, but it quickly became much more after Cardi B shared it to her own page. Suddenly, Luv had millions of views on her freestyle.

“It hit me by surprise,” she said. “It was a flip-switch moment.”

From then on, everything changed. Luv had people listening, and she had to keep their attention.

Reeling her audience in with her rhymes, Luv’s lyrics touch on her life experiences and the struggles she has gone through. It’s the maturity in her raps that she believes hooks her audience, despite her age. Being young and a female in a male-dominated genre aren’t disadvantages, but make her stand out, she said.

When she first started rapping in 2016, it was just a new hobby to try out. Luv was into music, but had no experience with writing her own lyrics. One of her favorite shows at the time was Lifetime’s “The Rap Game,” in which young artists battled to win a recording contract.

“I just wanted to see if I could do it,” Luv said.

She tried out for the show that year and, while she wasn’t chosen, the experience energized her to become more consistent with writing and recording content.

Luv began to develop as an artist, creating more freestyle videos for social media and then signing with a record label in 2019, which she has since parted ways with. From there, she started releasing singles like “Automatic” and “Don’t I.”

Her songs rely on themes of how Luv has gone through difficult times but is rising above them.

I remember days there was nothing left to eat/ So we only had one option we would starve ourselves to sleep, but I/ I make this thing look too easy, don’t I/ Make lookin’ good look great, don’t I

—From “Don’t I”

She also touches on her relationship experiences and heartbreaks. For only being 18, Luv doesn’t think her age shows in her lyrics.

“I’m talking about things they wouldn’t expect,” she said. “Everything I say in my songs is advice, and I just hope people apply it their lives in whatever way they can.”

In 2020, Luv’s mixtape, “Take It Or Leave It,” dropped with 10 songs, a few of them already released singles. Well-known Canadian hip hop artist Tory Lanez, rapper iann dior and rising R&B star Ray Moon made appearances on the mixtape, as well.

She sees the mixtape as her introduction into the music world.

“I wanted to plant the seeds, and right now is the time the seeds are sprouting,” Luv said. “People can look back and be like, this is where she started and this is how she grew.”

With her mixtape garnering over 4 million streams, it seems like the seeds are sprouting.

Luv remembers bumping into alternative singer-songwriter Billie Eilish in an airport. Luv’s cousin, who was with her, asked Eilish if she knew Luv’s music. Eilish said she did, and that stuck with Luv.

“It’s just crazy,” she said. “For her to even see what I got going on shows me, well I’ve got to be on the right path.”

Luv is now an independent artist, recording at a nearby studio in Lemoyne. However, she has plans to move to Atlanta in the near future.

Even though Luv was bummed she couldn’t hold concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s given her plenty of time to work on more projects. She said that she has a lot in the works, including many singles.

“I’m working on so many different things and so many different ways to explain the story,” she said.

You can listen to Kierra Luv’s music on all major streaming platforms. Find her on Instagram at @kierraluv.

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Toil & Service: On a search for the origins of the Irish in Harrisburg

February 26, 2021 | by M. Diane McCormick

Michael Burke. Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Dauphin County.

Dennis Dougherty. Tillie and Patrick Conway. Timothy P. O’Leary.

If you’re looking for Irish Harrisburg, look under your feet. Actually, look six feet under at Mount Calvary Cemetery. It’s the compact graveyard at 13th and Berryhill streets that you’ve probably passed without noticing (I know I have). The grounds are neat, but the last plot sold here was in 1920, making the cemetery feel—forgive me—not lived-in.

Harrisburg’s Irish history is well hidden, but you can find pieces of it here at Mount Cavalry, in stories of heroism, humanity and hope.

Forgotten Man

Lynch. O’Sullivan. Here’s a Reagan. There’s a Kennedy.

No doubt about it. Mount Calvary was the last stop for Harrisburg’s 19th- and early 20th-century Irish community. There are three bishops here, as well as an Irish-born physician buried under a grandiose Celtic cross and America’s first Irish-born Medal of Honor winner (more on him later). The Patriot-News once called the site a “who’s who of prominent Catholics of yesteryear.”

But I was there on a search for the forgotten man. Some of the bodies here made a second journey after their first burials. They were originally interred at the graveyard of the first St. Patrick’s Church on State Street. Many came from the Irish community nestled in the vicinity. During church rebuilds in 1902 and possibly earlier, around 1868 (there’s a bit of confusion here), the dead were reinterred in this little country graveyard high atop Allison Hill. More may have been moved in 1902, with construction of today’s St. Pat’s. Today, trucks rumble past on I-83.

Hard to say where these reinterments are, exactly. I couldn’t find anything like a mass reburial or ancient markers, so I spent my time communing with the Gilmers and Clancys and McGraths. And Hugo Schutzenbach and Joseph Aiello. No ethnic discrimination here, but non-Irish are definitely in the minority.

Michael Madden was not hard to find. Maybe 20 feet beyond the main entrance stands a stone—hefty but nothing elaborate, proclaiming, “MADDEN,” for eternity. A wreath obscured the name of beloved wife Annie, but there is Michael J. Madden, 1841-1920.

Born in Limerick, Ireland, Madden immigrated to the United States in 1855, hard up on the Great Famine that brought waves of Irish to this country. On Sept. 3, 1861, the strapping, blonde, hazel-eyed Madden was serving with the 42nd New York Infantry, known as the Tammany Regiment (“cannon fodder,” Ancient Order of Hibernians historian Michael Edmiston told me). On a reconnaissance mission, Madden and two comrades drew fire. One of them, John Coffey, was hit and couldn’t walk.

“If I left him lay,” Madden said for posterity, “he would have probably bled to death or starved in their Rebel dungeons.”

With bullets flying, Coffey rallied, and Madden walk-carried him to the water’s edge. From an island in the river, Madden’s company provided cover. The Confederates returned fire. Amid bullets zinging into the water, Madden put Coffey on his back and swam to safety.

The fresh wreath hanging on Madden’s Mount Calvary grave—honestly, one of the few signs of remembrance in these grounds that probably haven’t seen a burial in decades—is a “Wreaths Across America” recognition from the Cumberland County-based Ancient Order of Hibernians, Michael Collins Div. 1.

Madden would be wounded twice in 1862, at Glendale and at Antietam. In 1863, he fought at Gettysburg. In 1864, he was mustered out of the Union Army—and reenlisted.

“He didn’t get wounded enough,” surmised Edmiston.

Finally out with the war’s end, Madden came to the bustling railroad town of Harrisburg. While serving as a railcar inspector, he and his brother-in-law got a patent for a railcar brake. He was, said Edmiston, “a pretty interesting character.”

“If you have any doubt that there has been a substantial presence of Irish-born or Irish descent in this area, that cemetery is loaded with names that smack of the Old Sod,” Edmiston said.

First Cluster

In 1850 Harrisburg, the largest foreign-born group of residents was the Irish—421 people in a town of 7,834. Many didn’t stay long, perhaps moving north with railroad construction jobs.

But one group had been in Harrisburg and stayed, all the way to Mount Calvary. They were fairly well tolerated in the Know-Nothings age of rabid anti-immigration fervor. Funny little historical footnote: One exception to the area’s tolerance for Irish Catholics was a Harrisburg Telegraph and Morning Herald editor who relentlessly denounced the Irish as paupers filling the jails, living off taxpayers, and blindly obeying the pope. His name was Stephen Miller—just like former President Trump’s anti-immigrant immigration adviser.

Back to that first cluster of Harrisburg’s Irish. They came here in the 1820s to build the Pennsylvania Canal. The remnants of their labors are still visible in the filled-in canal beds behind the Glass Lounge and the Harris switch tower near the Forum, and in that watery trench fronting the Steelton steel plants.

A small Catholic mission had been located on Sylvan Heights since around 1810 but, according to Ken Frew’s “Building Harrisburg,” never got much traction. Canal construction provided a “ready congregation” of Irish Catholic immigrants, so the tiny church’s leaders moved to the riverfront where they lived. On a plot on State Street, the cornerstone for the first St. Patrick’s church was laid in 1826. Those canal workers built the church, named—it’s said—in honor of their national patron saint.

That humble building’s 1873 replacement gave way to the permanent St. Patrick’s Cathedral, dedicated in 1907. Tap on the floor somewhere in the St. Patrick’s sacristy, and the Irish-born canal and railroad contractor Michael Burke might tap back to say hello.

The entrepreneurial, civic-minded Burke made his way from Tipperary to Harrisburg. The outsider made his fortune working with the area’s native-born elites—many of them Scotch-Irish, which is a whole other story—to transform a sleepy community into a factory town, according to Gerald G. Eggert’s “Harrisburg Industrializes.”

Burke died in 1860 in a tale worthy of an Irish pub song, the victim of a freak accident involving a railway crossing, a carriage, a horse and a train cowcatcher. The horse was not injured. Burke was buried in the old St. Pat’s churchyard and, it appears, never re-interred to Mount Cavalry.

Burke is “buried under the floor under the present St. Patrick’s,” Frew told me. “The nearest we can figure, he’s still encapsulated there.”

Sisterhood

Around 1869, Harrisburg’s first bishop, Jeremiah Shanahan, wrote to his aunts, who were Sisters of Mercy in Chicago. Their order, founded in Dublin in 1831, had been sending women from Ireland to the United States since 1843 to serve the sick and the poor. Now, Shanahan needed nuns to serve his newly designated diocese.

On Sept. 1, 1869, six Sisters of Mercy boarded a train in Chicago and journeyed to Harrisburg, according to a 2020 story by Sister Regina Werntz in the newspaper, the Catholic Witness. For a time, their motherhouse was the Sylvan Heights home—later an orphanage that these sisters would run, and today, the landmark home of the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg.

The order’s Mother Clare bought a $10,000 property for the sisters on Maclay Street “with only $10 in the bank,” recalled one of the sisters. “There they prayed for coal and food, especially bread. The tombstones bearing the ages of young Sisters who died of tuberculosis . . . is proof of the poverty they suffered.”

The Sisters of Mercy went house to house, visiting the sick and braving open ridicule on the streets. They didn’t charge for their ministry, but lived on fees charged for music lessons and the tiny schools that they ran. Over the next decades, the sisters operated an infirmary in Harrisburg and a government school for Native Americans in Carlisle. They taught at Bishop McDevitt, Trinity and Delone high schools. In Lancaster in 1975, the order learned Spanish so that they could teach the children of Latino families. That same year, they aided refugees arriving at Indiantown Gap from Vietnam.

As I walked up the sloping hill of Mount Calvary Cemetery, I gasped at a striking sight—two long, back-to-back rows of tiny Celtic crosses. They are engraved only with names and dates. Sister Mary Francis Donovan, 1845-1918. Sister Agatha Horn, 1850-1921. Here is one who died young, Mother Carmalita Brady, 1884-1909. The Sisters of Mercy came to Harrisburg from Ireland to minister and educate. Here, they remain.

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West Shore Soul: Nyree’s bridges cultures—one oxtail at a time

February 26, 2021 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Joe Hobbs, center, with the staff of Nyree’s

Joe Hobbs opened a soul food restaurant on Sept. 11. During COVID. On the West Shore.

When asked if he felt like he was taking a gamble, the good-humored restaurateur let out a chuckle, but otherwise seemed unfazed. “I think so,” is all he said.

Hobbs operates the eatery, which is named after his daughter, Nyree, in the former Cru Pizza & Deli at the Cedar Cliff Plaza and comes by his cooking chops honestly. Not only did he grow up in Philly, which is arguably one of the best foodie areas in the state, but he also came from a big family, led by a Southern mom.

“She showed us how to make great food,” said Hobbs.

His wife Toni assists him in the kitchen.

“She does all the sides, and I do all the meats,” he said.

This isn’t his first foray into the restaurant business. Some may remember Nyree’s at the corner of Market and Cameron streets in Harrisburg, which operated from 2013-14.

If you ask him if he’s worried about soul food being popular on the West Shore, he’ll tell you that people of many different backgrounds are embracing him and his food.

“We’re used to this cuisine because we eat it every day,” he said. “There are no soul food restaurants on the West Shore. So, it’s all about bridging that gap.”

He said that, recently, an elderly white couple, an Asian couple and a Black couple all came in to dine, and he witnessed them jovially interacting with each other.

“I watched them talk about the food and the music,” he said. “If that was in the inner city, it may not have happened. That’s why we’re out here.”

When customers enter the roomy restaurant, they first encounter three big screens with the menu flanking a video, which is designed to make anyone standing in line salivate. The loop shows the staff peeling potatoes for fresh fries, mixing the creamy mac and cheese, and preparing the collards.

The manageable, meat-centric menu includes baked turkey wings, barbecue chicken and pork, both pulled and fried, as well as oxtail, the culinary term for the tail of a cow, which some argue is more flavorful and tender than a short rib.

Seafood options include butterfly shrimp and fried fish—flounder, catfish and whiting.

Customers can choose from a variety of sides like green beans, steamed corn, mashed potatoes, the aforementioned mac and cheese and collards, candied yams, black-eyed peas, cabbage, cornbread, potato salad and homemade sweet beans.

Those with a sweet tooth can end their meal with old-school desserts like peach cobbler, pineapple upside down cake, strawberry shortcake and the perennial favorite, sweet potato pie.

Customer Vance Hawkins took his mom’s recommendation to give the restaurant a try, and now the Harrisburg resident is hooked. He visits, he said, two to three times a week.

“The food is good—hot and fresh,” said Hawkins, whose favorite is the shrimp and chicken wing platter, although he also recommends the barbecue turkey wings. “They are fall-off-the-bone delicious.”

Hobbs said that helpings are huge and the turkey wings, in particular, fly out the door. He also encourages those who are unfamiliar with oxtail to give it a try.

“They may end up loving it,” he said. “The oxtail is one of those dishes that bridge cultures.”

The roomy restaurant features only about seven tables for the time being. When COVID regulations are lifted, Hobbs plans to add more seats and hopes that customers will come in and get to know each other and maybe even engage in a friendly game of pool.

When the weather warms, he has plans for outdoor seating and a barbecue pit.

You can tell that the passionate restaurateur can’t wait to open up his place to full capacity in the future.

“You can feel the energy right now, and, if I could do this for free, I would,” Hobbs said. “I love to see people’s faces when they are enjoying my food and, judging by our reviews online, they are loving it.”

Nyree’s A Taste of Comfort is located in the Cedar Cliff Plaza at 1104 Carlisle Rd., Camp Hill. For more information, call 717-433-5627 or visit www.eat365.us/nyrees or their Facebook page.

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Vision, Provisions: Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania celebrates 100th anniversary

February 26, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

Vision Rehab Center doctor, Dr. Bourdeau, with a low vision client, with a new technology device mounted to his glasses allowing him greater quality of vision.

At the age of 67, Dr. Wesley Britton of Harrisburg is grateful for his “Get Off the Couch Club.”

The former English professor, retired from HACC, enjoys the club’s walks and dinners—plus more adventurous outings like kayaking.

Does it change your perception of Britton or club members, to learn that they’re visually impaired—or in Britton’s case, blind?

“The number-one thing for a lot of people when they see a disability, they zoom in on that—you’re instantly defined by that disability,” Britton said. “And everybody seems to be amazed that you can accomplish day-to-day things like doing the laundry or dishes… we’re not superheroes.”

Britton has indeed accomplished a lot, including a PhD, teaching in college classrooms for 33 years and writing numerous books. But he admits he spent several years of his life “ticked off,” going in and out of “rages and self-pity.” A genetic condition caused him to gradually lose his vision through his 20s.

Although he lost his eyesight, he gained insights to share—that’s why he served on Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania’s (VROCP) board for 14 years, including two as president.

Their “Get Off the Couch Club” helps him get out the door, but it’s another VROCP service that dramatically impacts his time at home: computer access technology.

“Without any question, it’s the most incredible advancement I’ve experienced,” Britton said. “Speech software in computers allows me to email, be online, do anything on the computer—that technology has opened up everything.”

Century of Service

Perceptions and technology have come a long way since VROCP was founded exactly 100 years ago in March of 1921.

“Our organization has been through World War II, helping take beggars off the streets of downtown Harrisburg—that’s how the blind were living back then. Our organization provided jobs so they didn’t have to beg,” said Danette Blank, executive director.

To this day, VROCP not only provides services through caseworkers and ever-improving technology, but business—via employment—as well.

“I love the combination—providing employment for people with disabilities, which provides 80% of our income,” said Blank.

An annual budget of $4 million relies on very little government funding—only a small amount of state money. Grants and donations add to the coffers. Blank is proud of the fact that 91 cents of every dollar the nonprofit takes in goes toward services.

VROCP began as a member agency of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind for Dauphin County, and over the years, it expanded to a 2,400-square-mile service area encompassing Cumberland, Perry and Franklin counties. In addition to serving the blind, VROCP assists people affected by four major eye diseases: macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma.

“We touch the lives of about 14,000 people annually,” said Blank. “We believe about 1% of the population is blind and visually impaired—but it’s very hard to find those statistics. A lot of people don’t want to be categorized as blind or visually impaired.”

Celebrations amid COVID

Blank and her colleagues acknowledge that it’s been difficult to plan a yearlong, 100th anniversary celebration amid COVID-19, but it kicks off this month.

“Not many businesses or organizations make it to the 100-year mark,” said Blank. “We want to celebrate 100 years of being in the community, to share successes and history.”

One of the highlights is a May 19 gala planned for Harmony Hall, a spacious venue that allows the flexibility of either indoor or outdoor gatherings.

“We’re hoping, by then, to be one of the first activities people would like to share in,” Blank said.

During her 20 years with the organization, she’s seen the impact that VROCP’s services have on clients’ lives. She witnessed a woman crying because technology allowed her to see a photo of her grandchildren—a sight she never thought possible. A Harrisburg-area attorney with sudden vision loss was able to continue his career through VROCP’s emergency services.

“Even small impacts are very rewarding—like helping people receive a new pair of glasses at our eye clinic,” said Blank. “Those are the little things that get you up in the morning.”

Eye on the Future

Prevention of vision loss, through regular eye exams, is just as important as treatment. VROCP’s on-site clinic provides exams to the under- and uninsured. Their low vision rehab center treats those battling eye diseases. And during the last fiscal year, VROCP provided more than 4,000 free eye screenings for preschoolers.

“As we move into our next century of service, we’re trying to set ourselves up for the funding and needs we’re going to have,” said Paul Zavinsky, VROCP’s development director. “People are living longer, so the elderly population is growing, and that is when most people deal with vision problems.”

Audio services are one of the longest continuous services available through VROCP.

“Back in the ‘20s when radios were expensive, donations were made to the blind association so that we could purchase radios for the blind, so they could listen to the news,” Zavinsky said. “That evolved into reading services… reel-to-reel tape recorders… then low-power radio in the Harrisburg area in 1984.”

That service continues today—except it’s grown from a 30-mile radio tower radius to a worldwide audience, via digital streaming services on VROCPs website.

During the last fiscal year, 123 volunteers donated more than 3,200 hours to the nonprofit. About 40 of those volunteers spent more than 2,000 hours reading all types of news, online.

Glancing through the schedule, listeners can hear books, grocery store ads, health and local news. And if you tune in on Fridays, between noon and 12:30 p.m., you’ll even hear stories from the pages of TheBurg.

Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania is located just off Paxton Street, at 1130 S. 19th St., Harrisburg. To learn more about the services offered through VROCP, as well as the organization’s anniversary events, see vrocp.org.

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Sharp Dressed Men: Local fashion influencers raise the bar on style

February 26, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Mohammed Al Nazal: Blue and burgundy (in my opinion) is one of the most elegant color combinations that works great on anyone regardless of their skin tone. The patterns in the shirt and tie are giving the look an extra edge and challenging the mainstream solid colors. Micro check and small medallion prints have nothing in common between them, which help add extra contrast—the goal of all formal looks. Here, I am wearing a Brooks Brothers suit with a Ralph Lauren shirt and coat.

“Technically, I’ve been into fashion since I opened my eyes,” Mohammed Al Nazal told me during our interview.

There was never a fashion awakening for him; it had just always been there.

Growing up in Iraq, Al Nazal remembers his father “fully suited” for as long as he knew him. He was classy. He had suits made from British wool and other fine materials from the 1970s to ‘90s.

When his father passed away in 1997, Al Nazal inherited his suit collection, only fueling his fashion love affair. At the time, he was a teenager, and the suits were too big for him. When he finally grew into them, they were out of style.

“And then they came back into style, and I outgrew them,” Al Nazal said with a laugh.

But his father’s style stuck with him, influencing his own look.

Al Nazal considers himself a suit-and-tie guy. He’s drawn to the 1940s through ‘60s style—a “classic narrow tie with a slim suit.”

Al Nazal works an I.T. position at Select Medical. When he’s in the office, he’s wearing a suit, or at least a tie, and is typically the most dressed up in the room.

“I think real men wear suits and ties…at least suits…at least a jacket,” he said. “I’m not a big fan of what menswear is now in general.”

Al Nazal is one of a small pool of men’s fashion social media influencers in the Harrisburg area. He’s been posting pictures of his outfits for around five years, filling a gap that he sees.

There’s no shortage of fashion on Instagram, his platform of choice, but there is a shortage of male influencers, especially in the central PA area. According to Al Nazal, the majority of fashion influencers on social media are women. He hopes his account will help men find their style, and, at least, put on a jacket.

Layton Lamell: Here, I’m in East Harlem during New York City Fashion week wearing a Welthe NYC Jameson green tweed three-piece suit. To relax the suit, I chose to rock a gray turtleneck. I added a red-and-white polka dot pocket square that complements the red band watch from ToyWatch. I like to have a strong sock game, so I put on purple and grey striped dress socks. Lastly, I wore Welthe NYC brown tassel loafers to top off the outfit.

Superman Cape

Layton Lamell won the superlative of “best dressed” basically every year in high school. He remembers someone saying, “Layton I’ve never seen you wear sweatpants yet!”

He began perfecting his look at about 6 years old. As a kid, he wore suits and long coats, just like his stepfather—his fashion icon from an early age.

“He taught me how to wear a suit, be a gentleman and tie a tie,” Lamell said.

He also attributes aspects of his style and his “swagger walk” to his grandfather and brother.

When his senior prom rolled around in 2019, it was no shocker that Lamell showed up dressed like he had just stepped off the red carpet. He wore a black suit, lapel pin brooch, bowtie and even a studded mask, ahead of the times that COVID would soon bring.

His look earned him a cover photo on Krave Magazine, a publication that highlights fashion and entertainment for men of color, and national attention.

“That’s when I was like—I should take this seriously,” Lamell said.

After talking with his mom, he decided to shift his direction, letting go of sports and diving into the world of fashion.

Now Lamell has gained a following on his Instagram page and has taken up modeling.

“When I put on clothes, it’s like putting on that Superman cape, ready to just be confident,” he said.

Josh Maugans, another fashion influencer from Harrisburg, can identify with that sentiment.

You may catch him around Harrisburg rocking crop pants, a tracksuit or a wide brim hat.

In his pictures, he looks confident, but he said it hasn’t always been that way.

“I hated getting my picture taken,” he said. “I was really hesitant.”

But when he started two years ago, he quickly realized he couldn’t keep taking pictures of his neatly folded outfits to show his style, that would get boring. He needed to model them himself.

Maugans took a chance in front of the camera and got great feedback. His account grew in popularity quickly, and he found a hobby he loved.

In 2020, he decided to step up his game and post more frequently on his page. He wanted to create higher quality content and increase his audience.

Today, he regularly poses with Harrisburg as his backdrop. Several Sprocket Mural Works murals make an appearance on his page, as well as Little Amps coffee shops, the Broad Street Market and Riverfront Park.

While Maugans wears a suit for his job at a menswear store and occasionally in pictures he posts to Instagram, off the clock, his signature look is modern street style.

Contrary to Al Nazal’s classic style, Maugans likes to push the envelope on modern men’s fashion.

“I wear stuff that’s a little out of the ordinary,” he said.

Josh Maugans: Here, I am wearing a black and brown combination, which is something that is often seen as a no-go. I paired this suede field jacket with a black turtleneck, black distressed jeans, a black hat and bold, checker-print Vans shoes. The hat and shoes both add a pop of fun to the look that makes it stand out. The pattern on the shoes contrasts against the dark-toned outfit, and the hat adds something unique.

That’s Cool

Al Nazal loves fashion influencing, but it’s a side gig. He has, though, gained opportunities to work with big name brands like Brooks Brothers and Express. While he isn’t waiting for social influencing to become his full-time job, he does hope to expand to work with more brands.

Al Nazal doesn’t have tens of thousands of followers, but he believes that those he has are people who are genuinely interested in what he does. As a Middle Eastern man, he has occasionally received negative comments, but he said that most of his followers are very supportive and kind.

He regularly interacts with them, answering their questions on where his clothes are from. Al Nazal especially wants to reach a younger audience with a style that they might not have experienced before.

“I really hope young men start looking at suits and saying, ‘that’s cool, it’s not just an old man style,’” he said.

Lamell also hopes to inspire people’s creativity, as well as give advice and show others how to feel confident.

And while in most of his pictures, he looks serious, posing straight-faced, Lamell was all smiles during our interview. He doesn’t know what exactly his future holds in terms of influencing and fashion, but his overall goal is simple.

“My legacy is being a kind person,” he said. “Being a kind person with humility.”

Mohammed Al Nazal can be found on Instagram at @mohammedalnazal.

Layton Lamell can be found on Instagram at @laytonlamell.

Josh Maugans can be found on Instagram at @jm_fashion12.

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From Paris, with Crêpe: A European trip inspired one of the area’s newest eateries

February 26, 2021 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Tony Cheverez and his daughter Rosina Marie had one very memorable family vacation.

Following an overseas excursion, they were so wowed by Paris that they wanted to bring a taste of the City of Light back to Mechanicsburg.

“We were inspired to open Chef de Crêpe after a family trip to France,” explained Rosina Marie.

The eatery, located in a former Subway restaurant on the corner of West Main and Railroad streets, opened in December, just as another lockdown order went into effect. However, the community was welcoming, she said, and they did a brisk takeout business until mandates were lifted.

This isn’t the family’s first foray into the food world. They also run a catering business and a food truck and have appeared as a pop-up business at various events. The new store is just another way for them to serve the public, said Rosina Marie.

When customers enter the snug eatery, they see attractive chandeliers, white tablecloths, Paris scenes and family photos festooning the walls as they are greeted by the staff with a cheery, “Bonjour!”

Patrons place their order at a serving station at the front of the restaurant where their food is prepared before them. The handheld crepes can be eaten as a meal or a dessert.

According to Rosina Marie, one of the most popular choices is the “Mexi-Steak,” which is comprised of steak, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sautéed onions, red peppers, cheddar cheese and cilantro. A selection of breakfast crepes is served all day, with ingredients like eggs, bacon, cheddar and ham.

Those who like sweets have been known to enjoy a popular crepe called, “The New Yorker’s Gift,” comprised of cheesecake, strawberries, banana, Nutella and whipped cream.

“Many of our customers pair that with a cup of coffee, which we source from Lonely Monk Coffee Roasting in Lemoyne, which is fantastic,” said Rosina Marie, who also owns a bakery by the name of Frosting & Co., where she makes custom cakes and croissants for the eatery.

Those seeking out more traditional fare have their choice of soups, sandwiches and salads.

Janet Close travels from Hummelstown to dine at the restaurant and calls it a “breath of fresh air.”

“The interior has been transformed into a scene right out of Paris,” she said. “Not only is the décor exquisite, but the ambiance is warm and inviting.”

Her favorite savory crepe is the chicken Florentine, with chicken, sautéed mushrooms, red onions, cream cheese, garlic and bechamel sauce. Her favorite dessert crepe, “La Parisienne,” is made with Grand Marnier, raspberries and chocolate sauce.

“I’d recommend the restaurant for a quiet business meeting or a girls’ brunch—just remember to bring your own mimosas,” she said.

Mike Hetrick of Enola first tasted the Cheverez family’s fare when their food truck came to his Westbury neighborhood.

“We ordered several different crepes,” he said. “My wife and I enjoyed the cheesesteak crepe, and my girls liked the honey mustard chicken, and we all enjoyed the Nutella and crème crepe.”

Rosina Marie said that they have been overwhelmed at the outpouring of support, which inspires them to do their best to continue to make their customers happy.

“We will continue to strive to be a family friendly and culturally distinguished French crêperie and café for all to enjoy,” she said, with a smile.

Chef de Crêpe is located at 20 W. Main St. in Mechanicsburg. For more information, call 717-603-3821 or visit www.chefdecrepes.com or their Facebook page.

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For Your Lenten Table: Rosemary suggests a seared tuna dish from Sicily

February 26, 2021 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

The trip my husband and I made to Sicily in 2010 is such a beautiful memory.

The island’s stunning landscape and unique culture held special meaning for me as my mother was Sicilian. Her family emigrated from Palermo, which is both a region and the capital city of Sicily. We don’t know if they were city dwellers or farmers who lived in the surrounding countryside. I thought of them often during our brief visit to this Italian island paradise and wished there had been time to explore the family’s history.

But it is the food of Sicily that fascinates me, a cuisine influenced by the area’s volcanic soil, abundant sunshine and blue ocean waters. But, in no small measure, also by the many nationalities that invaded the island over many centuries. The soul of Sicilian cooking revolves around citrus fruits, which grow in abundance there, fish like tuna and swordfish, capers and other fresh herbs, pine nuts and olives and the unique dishes that are known as agrodolce or “sweet and sour.”

Lent is here, and I’m always looking for seafood recipes for those traditional Catholic meatless Fridays. I found a recipe by renowned French chef, Jacques Pepin, who prepared this tuna dish for a group of tourists on a culinary tour in the town of Messina, Sicily. It’s unusual in that he uses red wine in the preparation rather than white and accompanies it with olive oil-dressed arugula. I served it with broccoli and whipped yellow gold potatoes and omitted the arugula, which seemed more like a summer meal.

As a matter of full disclosure, my family accused me of overcooking the tuna. I’m good at that. Unlike me, they prefer tuna rare. So, if you are one of those as well, watch your cooking times very carefully. The flavors in this dish are complex and involve three main steps: making the relish, making the red wine sauce, and searing the tuna. But it’s not a hard dish to make.

PAN SEARED TUNA STEAKS WITH CAPERS AND OREGANO

Ingredients

¼ cup capers, drained
2 tablespoons chopped oregano (1 tablespoon dried if fresh not available)
1 small shallot or very small red onion, finely minced
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 6-ounce fresh tuna steaks about ¾-inch thick
4 anchovies, chopped or a couple squirts anchovy paste
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the capers, oregano and minced shallot or onion with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. (Remember, capers are salty.)
In a skillet (NOT non-stick if possible), heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Season the tuna steaks lightly with salt and pepper and add to the skillet.
Cook over medium high heat about 4 minutes total, turning once. (You want a nice sear to the steaks without overcooking them!) Transfer the steaks to a platter and keep them warm.
Add the anchovies or anchovy paste to the skillet, swirling it until it “dissolves.” Add the wine and boil until reduced to about half (about 4 minutes).
Remove the skillet from the heat and swirl in the butter one piece at a time, until blended and smooth. Season the red wine sauce with a little salt and pepper.

When you are ready to serve, place the tuna on a serving platter or on individual plates. Put a small mound of the caper relish on each piece and drizzle with some of the red wine sauce. Partner the tuna with sides of your choice.

This is an elegant Lenten meal or great for any season. The tuna could be grilled in the summer, and then Chef Pepin’s arugula salad would be a perfect accompaniment. I also was thinking you could substitute swordfish for the tuna and perhaps make a white wine sauce instead.

The list of classic Sicilian dishes is long—Italian, but uniquely Italian. I hope you enjoy this one!

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A Wish, a Journey: Harrisburg-area family ventures across country to seek disease cure

February 26, 2021 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Gunther family in front of their RV.

It was a diagnosis that “just hit us out of nowhere,” Vanessa Gunther recalled recently.

It was the day, two years ago, that her family’s life changed forever.

Vanessa and husband Steve, of Linglestown, had noticed that their 7-year-old son Drew moved slowly but thought, “He was a little bit uncoordinated,” Steve said.

However, Penn State pediatrician Jessica F. Butts suspected otherwise when observing Drew struggle onto an exam table during his regular wellness check, and she ordered further blood tests.

As it was, the test results would confirm exactly what the doctor suspected.

Drew was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder found primarily in boys and that affects about 1 of every 3,500 children. The disease is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness caused by alterations of the body’s dystrophin proteins. Drew’s diagnosis is 100% fatal, according to his father.

“The dystrophin gene is the largest in the body and responsible for maintaining muscle,” Steve explained. “Without proper dystrophin production, the muscles waste away, and you cannot build and maintain new muscle.”

This disorder affects every muscle in the body, usually starting with the legs and hip, but eventually reaching the heart and lungs, which is typically the cause of death in the late teens or early 20s, he said.

Most youngsters lose the ability to remain mobile without the use of a wheelchair by 10 to 12 years old, although some may take longer, Steve added.

The family learned of Drew’s diagnosis on Valentine’s Day 2019.

“It punched me in the stomach,” Vanessa recalled. “Everything I knew disappeared then.”

However, no one in the family was ready to give up, least of all Drew.

“Drew’s a champ,” Steve said. “He’s probably better with this than most adults.”

Drew soon began a regimen of specialized treatments through a clinical division of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

“Almost all of Drew’s treatment at HMC has been covered until recently when we got our first small bill,” Steve stated.

Meanwhile, Steve and Vanessa stayed busy scouring the internet for research taking place elsewhere. Various experimental treatments for the disease were underway at a handful of far-flung facilities across the country. But fresh hope came with a catch.

Experimental treatments, not yet certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, didn’t qualify for payment by the Gunthers’ insurance. If Drew accepted experimental treatment without FDA approval, his family would face unreimbursed medical expenses. For stem cell treatment available in California, the Gunthers would have to pay around $50,000 per year out of pocket, Steve said.

So, in 2019, the family initiated “Wishes For Drew” as a series of fun local events raising funds for their son to pursue treatment in California. Throughout 2019 and 2020, the family hosted live fundraisers throughout the area, which included several “Pint Nights” sponsored by local breweries.

In early 2020, Wishes For Drew was formally established as a nonprofit entity. Sadly, live fundraiser events were placed on an abrupt hold around that time due to the pandemic, leaving the Gunthers to devise safer fundraising methods. Vanessa began selling her crafts, and the family established a second GoFundMe page. Still, they lost tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of donations since the onset of the pandemic, Steve estimated.

The Gunthers’ biggest act, however, was still to follow.

Last October, the Gunthers set out on the road in a 1996 Georgie Boy Pursuit Class AV destined for an experimental treatment for Drew in Irvine, Calif. It would take five days of driving to get there.

To fund the trip, Steve and Vanessa sold their three-story townhouse in Linglestown and purchased a 32-foot RV. The townhouse had become burdensome for the family to live in, anyway, because Drew could no longer climb steps.

In California, Steve continued to work remotely as an attorney while Drew and sister Brea, 12, took online studies through Reach Charter School. Meanwhile, Vanessa continued taking care of everyone.

“The biggest challenge for us is probably the lack of space and privacy,” Steve said.

Steve and Vanessa decided not to make the return trip to Pennsylvania until this spring, as Drew’s muscles feel better in West Coast warmth during the winter.

As an added bonus, the ongoing stem cell therapy that Drew receives in Irvine every eight weeks appears to have alleviated DMD symptoms between treatments.

“Drew feels better now,” Steve said. “He has a lot fewer falls, he breathes easier, and his overall mood’s been better. Before, he couldn’t even pump a hand soap dispenser. If he didn’t have treatment, he couldn’t pull himself up steps.”

Nonetheless, Drew remains limited in his day-to-day activities. In his spare time, he sticks to hand-controlled play that doesn’t hurt his muscles, such as running remote-operated cars and of course, video-gaming. According to Drew, Minecraft and Fortnite games are his favorites.

In the meantime, Steve and Vanessa serve as founding ambassadors for Cure Rare Disease, a nonprofit biotechnology company based in Boston.

“Cure Rare Disease focuses on fixing the genetic mutation and inserting the fix through CRISPR,” Steve explained, citing the promising gene-editing technology. “Their approach will be for any rare genetic disease and not just DMD.”

In retrospect, Steve and Vanessa acknowledge that, some days, it’s harder to stay positive than others. All in all, however, the couple agrees that all their effort feels worth it when they “see Drew and how much it benefits him,” Steve said.

To learn more about or donate to Wishes for Drew, visit www.wishesfordrew.org or their Facebook page.

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What’s the Story?: Central PA authors share advice for all you aspiring novelists

February 26, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

During our year of pandemic, many people, it seems, have turned to writing during their long days at home.

Here at TheBurg, we’ve never before received so many pitches about new books and authors.

Therefore, we decided to ask a few local novelists about their craft and process. All of these writers recently have had books published, so their words are especially timely.

If this story piques your interest, please consider buying and reading their novels. You will get a good read, I’m sure, but also will help support the local writing community here in central PA.

Author: Joel Burcat
Location: Harrisburg
Recent Novel: “Amid Rage,” published February 2021
Website: www.JoelBurcat.com

Describe what you write about and why you write about that subject area.

I write environmental legal thrillers because I know about environmental and legal issues, and I care about the environment. I have also written about many other subjects because they interest me. Mostly, I write to describe people who make a difference and issues that matter.

Tell us how you generate ideas for your novels.

Some of my ideas come from my 40 years of experience as an environmental lawyer. I try to read a wide variety of news stories, and some ideas are “ripped from the headlines” as the cliché goes. Other ideas come from my observations, fears and concerns in life

Give us some insight into your writing process.

I start writing by around 8 a.m., six days a week, and write until lunchtime (whenever it is that I get hungry). Sometimes, I write an outline, but most often I do not. I devote the afternoon to the “business of books.” As I write, there are things I want to write and things I must write. Often, I will let my characters dictate their words (truth). I will also try to imagine a scene (e.g. a country bar) and picture what and who is there. What is the bartender like? What is on the walls? How does it smell? I’ll write down what I imagine. Often, I will dictate a chapter using Dragon dictation software.

What advice would you give to an aspiring novelist?

Two things must be at the top of your to-do list:

Read. It is one of the best pieces of advice I can give. Reading a good book is a master class in writing. Reading a not-so-good book is also a lesson in writing. I read in a four-book cycle. (1) A book by a debut author or new author. (2) A book by a tried-and-true thriller writer. (3) Non-fiction. (4) Whatever the hell I want to read. Then I start over.

Write. This is also advice given by every writer, and it is true. I’ve met quite a few aspiring writers who have confessed they are ashamed of their first drafts, so they hesitate to put their words onto paper. The great writer and teacher Anne Lamott in “Bird By Bird” (a terrific writing book) said:

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper.”

Just write, people.

Author: Don Helin
Location: Lancaster
Recent Novel: “Missing,” published September 2020
Website: www.donhelin.com

Describe what you write about and why you write about that subject area.

I enjoy reading thrillers, so when I began to write novels, I chose thrillers. With a career in the army and three tours (almost 10 years) in the Pentagon, writing political/military thrillers seemed a natural. My hero is an army colonel who works for the president’s national security advisor. My military background helped me develop realistic plot lines and characters.

Tell us how you generate ideas for your novels.

Ideas are all around us. My first novel is about white supremacists in central Pennsylvania. This is a reality in the rural county where I lived, so I began to research white supremacist groups and decided that was an interesting topic for a thriller.

I’ve always enjoyed traveling to Gettysburg and, on one trip, took a ghost tour. That seemed interesting, so it became the basis for “Devil’s Den.” Once I decide on the topic, I begin research to make sure I can find relevant material.

Give us some insight into your writing process.

I usually begin by developing a premise for the novel. Many of my friends develop an outline, but I’d rather spend time developing the story itself. Once in awhile, I need to go back, but normally I keep moving forward.

I usually develop at least two plot lines so I can switch back and forth between them. When my hero gets in trouble in one plot line, I can switch to another. For example, in “Missing,” I had four plot lines: a high school reunion, a presidential election, abuse in memory units and artificial intelligence. These four plot lines were a lot to research, but I believe the result is more interesting.

What advice would you give to an aspiring novelist?

First: You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Check and recheck your work before you send it to your publisher.

Second: Writing is an art, but publishing is a business. A novelist must learn how to write a quality novel. The successful novelist must then understand how to work with a publisher to improve and market the novel. If your first novel doesn’t sell, the chances of a second novel being published are slim.

Author: Maria V. Snyder
Location: Elizabethtown
Recent Novel: “The Eyes of Tamburah,” published February 2021
Website: www.MariaVSnyder.com

Describe what you write about and why you write about that subject area.

I write mostly fantasy and science fiction for young adults and adults. These two genres appeal to me because my stories don’t have to be limited by real life. My characters can use magic or travel throughout the galaxy as they overcome the various obstacles—both real and fantastical—to achieve their goals. It’s a great deal of fun.

Tell us how you generate ideas for your novels.

I love to travel, and I frequently spark on story ideas while I’m visiting other countries. For example, “The Eyes of Tamburah” is a fantasy set in a desert world that is so hot on the surface the inhabitants have to live in vast underground cities. Where water—not money—equals power. That was inspired by my trip to the Australian Outback. “For Navigating the Stars,” I sparked on the idea of the discovery that Terracotta Warriors had been buried on other planets when I was in China. Terracotta Warriors in space! How could I not write that?

Give us some insight into your writing process.

When I get an idea for a novel, I immediately think about the characters. To me, they are the most important part of a story. Without them, there is no story. I formulate a general idea of their goals and obstacles and begin writing. I don’t outline, but rather discover the story as I go and often am surprised by my characters’ actions. I love it when that happens!

What advice would you give to an aspiring novelist?

Persistence! It’s key for all aspects of writing. You need it to finish a novel, for all the rounds of editing, for finding an agent and publisher, and for marketing and promotion. Even if you publish your book independently, you need persistence to produce the best book possible and to do all the hard work to reach readers. I also teach in Seton Hill University’s MFA program and have plenty more advice about writing and publishing that can be found on my website for free. Here’s a link: www.mariavsnyder.com/advice.php.

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