With funding secured, West Shore Theatre moves towards restoration, re-opening

January 13, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

West Shore Theatre on Bridge Street in New Cumberland

Dan Burke remembers going to the West Shore Theatre as a kid to see his first movie, “Bambi,” with his mom. In his teenage years, it was where he took the cute girl in class on a date.

Now, decades later, he’s working to restore the landmark theater in New Cumberland to its glory days.

On Wednesday, Burke and other members of the Friends of the West Shore Theatre gathered under the building’s signature marquee to celebrate significant progress in fundraising.

“We realized the value of trying to restore and keep this theater here in New Cumberland,” borough Mayor Doug Morrow said. “The funding is in place. We are moving forward.”

The West Shore Theatre opened in 1940 with 25-cent tickets. It remained a beloved, small-town theater for years before its doors closed in 2015. Friends of the West Shore Theatre eventually acquired it and began planning to bring it back to life.

Morrow announced that, with several new grants, the board has raised $1.4 million of the $2 million needed for the renovation.

The most significant chunk of funds was $650,000 from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). The PA Department of Community and Economic Development also awarded the board a $250,000 grant. Other local foundations provided grants, as well.

Friends of the West Shore Theatre launched a capital campaign with hopes of receiving the remaining $600,000 for the project from the community.

The money will go towards the renovation, which includes adding seating and a standing lounge area, stage improvements, purchasing equipment and other upgrades.

Inside the theater

Additions to the back of the theater, such as green rooms and classrooms, will likely happen a year after it opens to the public, Burke said.

Morrow said that they intend to use the theater for showing movies, live performances, theater classes and for community group meetings.

“This is just a little theater in a little downtown area,” said state Sen. Mike Regan (R-31). “But to rally this many people to care about this project […] to restore the grandeur of the centerpiece of this community is something very special.”

Renovations have not yet begun, but The West Shore Theatre will likely be up and running by the end of the year for holiday movies and events, Morrow said. He projected that, in early 2022, the facility would have a full schedule of movies and events.

“It’s not just about nostalgia,” Regan said. “It’s about economics, it’s about growth. We need things like this to bring people to the downtown.”

For more information, visit the Friends of the West Shore Theatre’s website.

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Harrisburg University sells $100 million in bonds to finance new downtown building

January 13, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg University has completed the sale of $100 million in revenue bonds to finance construction of its 11-story academic building in downtown Harrisburg.

HU President Eric Darr announced on Wednesday the successful sale of the tax-exempt bonds, which were issued through the Dauphin County General Authority and marketed and sold to institutional investors by RBC Capital markets.

“This is positive economic news for central Pennsylvania,” Darr said, in a statement. “HU was founded to prepare people for family-sustaining careers in technology and science fields. The bond sale is a major step forward in meeting that mission.”

The building, under construction at S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets, is slated for completion in 2023 (rendering pictured).

When finished, the building will have nearly 170,000 square feet of finished educational space and another 40,000 square feet of unfinished shell space. The facility will include student service offices and spaces, advanced manufacturing educational and experiential learning spaces, health sciences educational and experiential spaces, interactive media educational and production spaces, as well as general purpose education offices and facilities.

The project is expected to support more than 150 construction jobs over the next two years. Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. is the construction manager, and Stantec, based in Butler County, is the architect and engineer.

“This investment represents confidence not just in Harrisburg University but in the city and the region’s future,” Darr said.

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Harrisburg mayor requires COVID vaccine for city employees

January 12, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Harrisburg’s MLK City Government Center

Harrisburg is taking a shot at decreasing the spread of the coronavirus in the city.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse signed an executive order on Tuesday that requires all city employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

“It’s crucial that all city staff become vaccinated for COVID-19,” Papenfuse said in a statement. “We need to do whatever is possible to curb the spread of the virus, and the vaccine is the best protection against this disease.”

According to the order, employees must receive and show proof of receiving the vaccine as quickly as they can, in accordance with their phase as designated by the state. Phases are determined by age, profession and pre-existing conditions.

“Widespread infection of COVID-19 amongst management and non-management municipal employees will curtail and cripple the city’s ability to effectively respond to threats of public safety and public health and to provide city services to the residents of the city of Harrisburg,” a section of the order reads.

In the order, the mayor stated that the vaccine is safe and the best way to protect people from the spread of the coronavirus, as stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the state is currently in the first phase of the vaccine rollout, which includes long-term care facility residents and health care personnel. The city’s first responders, such as members of the police and fire bureaus, will get their vaccines in the next phase. Other employees will likely fall under the last two phases.

For more information, visit Harrisburg’s website.

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Harrisburg, state officials prepare for possible armed protests this weekend

January 12, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

A pro-Trump rally at the PA Capitol in November.

Last week, the nation witnessed protesters, supporters of President Donald Trump, storm the U.S. Capitol building.

This week, Harrisburg braces for what could be marching into town this weekend, after talk of armed protests at state capitals surfaced online.

“We are coordinating with the Capitol police and police in the surrounding municipalities and will be ready for whatever comes our way this weekend,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Blake Lynch, director of community relations and engagement for the Harrisburg Police Bureau, said they have heard talk of possible activity in the city. A memo from the FBI confirmed there are plans in all 50 states, reported the Washington Post, which also said that there was information suggesting people may storm government offices.

Lynch said that police at the local, county, state and federal levels are in communication.

“We are experienced with demonstrations and protests, including armed protests,” Lynch said. “The mayor and commissioner are taking it extremely seriously.”

Troy Thompson, a spokesperson for the PA Department of General Services said that special response team members from the Capitol police have been patrolling the building.

“We have raised the visibility of the Capitol police,” Thompson said. “We will monitor the situation and make sure the appropriate resources are on hand.”

There have been frequent protests and marches in Harrisburg over the last nine months. Most have been peaceful, though several have had tense moments, including an April “Reopen PA” protest that gridlocked city streets, a Black Lives Matter march in late May that saw conflict between some protesters and police and a November post-election protest, during which Capitol police separated and stood between opposing sides.

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Bob’s Art Blog: “Observations & Experiences” at AAH

January 12, 2021 | by Bob MacGinnes

The Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH) wishes everyone a Happy New Year with an after-holiday gift of a brand-new art exhibit that opened last week.

For those of you experiencing cabin fever lockdown, this is an exhibit well worth venturing out for—visual and valuable with the volume set to “imagine.” It’s not by accident that the show is titled “Observations & Experiences.” For must we not first observe, which leads to experience? For the artists and individuals, the two-part postulation will be different for each and everyone.

Carrie Wissler-Thomas, CEO of the AAH, could barely contain herself in announcing the first invitational exhibition in over eight months. This exhibit is a cohesive commentary “on life and its celebration of,” as seen and experienced by a quartet of female artists all well versed in the discipline of art.

Peg Belcastro “drew” on her 10-year sojourn in the wilds of Alaska as the experience of a lifetime. Belcastro’s palette is a result of diffused color, as if the paint were stretched across the canvas. Imagine a sunset with a surreal sky of pink and a touch of blue appearing as a new hue. Painting gives her joy, brought to the canvas and a sense of adventure in everything and everyone she paints. For viewers, the experience may well transcend its vicarious nature when that joy captures colors of celebration, which portray poetry in paint. With her adept brushstrokes, the canvas comes alive, revealing a humanness in the “acceptance of ourselves.”

Carden Holland, once an art teacher in secondary education in Connecticut, now resides in Lewisberry. Personal experiences over the years inform her mixed media works with a certain unpredictability often providing the backstory. With a highly unusual painting process, using India ink, the works take on a life of their own, creating a well-defined graphic look. For a deeper appreciation of her method to the madness, one must solve the underlying mystery in person, up close, seeing the details come alive.

Maureen Joyce employs a personal style that is recognizable as hers alone in her sculptured pieces. Often, the face is cherubic in nature, offering a joyful countenance. Joyce draws on her visual experiences as a child inspired by beatific sculptures seen in churches. In that regard, the human figure becomes a crucial element as she desires her work to invite interpretation. The artist states, “In making my art, I see character, not perfection. It is life experiences that provoke the representations I make.” Curator Rachel O’Connor adds, “There is a certain conceptuality of conversation in the way Joyce arranges her finished busts.” They allude to dialogues unspoken yet meaningful in mannerisms.

Julie Riker, an award-winning plein air painter, rounds out the quartet. Featured in a number of national art magazines, Riker is now focusing her attention on the human figure. Self described as an “observational painter,” the current world situation has entailed painting live figures to now working from photos instead. However, in keeping with an on-location approach to this, she keeps the paint fresh and loose. She shares, “I like to look for interesting compositions, and often it is a light effectual that draws me to a particular idea, not the subject matter.”

A painting by Julie Riker

In the end, “Observations and Experiences” delivers on its promise to inform and allow for personal investigation and illumination. Seeing is believing at the AAH through Feb. 18. A special word of thanks to gallery assistant Nate Foster for sending exhibit photos. The exhibit is a featured attraction for January’s 3^rd in the Burg, which arrives early this month on Jan. 15. For those desirous of avoiding any chance of a crowd, feel free to take advantage of the association’s open door Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.

The Art Association of Harrisburg is located at 21 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

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Harrisburg area home sales, prices remain strong in December

January 11, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

A house under contract in Harrisburg

Harrisburg-area home sales rose considerably last month, capping off a strong year for the local real estate market.

For December, home sales totaled 744 units compared to 611 units in December 2019 for the three-county region, while the median price rose to $217,750 versus $187,500 in the year-ago period, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

Dauphin County had 348 sales compared to 279 the previous December, as the median price rose by $20,000 to $185,000, GHAR said.

In Cumberland County, 353 homes sold versus 287 a year ago as the median price increased to $244,820 versus $215,000 the prior December.

Perry County saw monthly sales of 40 units compared to 22 units in December 2019, as the median price dropped a bit to $179,900 from $182,500, GHAR said.

Houses were also selling quickly. The average days on the market plummeted to just 26 days compared to 46 days in December 2019, according to GHAR.

The Harrisburg-area real estate market was strong throughout 2020, especially after pandemic-related restrictions were lifted in May.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 8, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

The historic Jackson Hotel was demolished on Thursday.

Welcome to 2021, Harrisburg! The year has already kicked off with plenty of news–national and local. If you’re tired of the first type, check out this week’s local stories (which don’t include D.C. at all), listed and linked below.

Bob’s Art Blog, “A Year in Art,” showcases the creativity of local artists during 2020. From nature sculptures to paintings to interactive displays, a little bit of everything is highlighted here.

TheBurg Podcast was released today, featuring guests Andrea Karns of Karns Foods, our food writer Stephanie Kalina-Metzger and Harrisburg Bicycle Club’s Cindy Gorski. Our first podcast of the year warmly welcomes you to 2021.

Denim Coffee Company is coming to downtown Harrisburg, our online story reported. Founder Matt Ramsay said that they are excited for their third location and will likely open in February.

Farm Show milkshakes are on the move! The PA Dairymen’s Association rolled out a new food truck that they will use to serve their shakes from, since the Farm Show went virtual this year, our online story reported.

The historic Jackson Hotel in Harrisburg partially collapsed on Thursday after years of deterioration, our reporting found. The owners decided to demolish what was left for safety reasons. In its heyday, the hotel was known for catering to African American travelers who were not permitted to stay at white-only hotels.

Household organization is the subject of a Facebook accountability group, Project 10, started by Stacy Schroeder. Over the past two years, the group has grown to include over 150 people from central PA and beyond who encourage each other in their home projects. Read our story in the January magazine for more.

Lentil and rice soup is on our food columnist Rosemary’s menu this month. The Italian classic, but often overlooked, dish is sure to warm you up this winter.

Local grocers faced unprecedented challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our magazine story reported. Some stores had to adjust to provide online shopping. Others dealt with supply chain issues, but all learned lessons in flexibility.

The national eviction crisis, due to the pandemic, hits home in our magazine story about Harrisburg residents struggling to pay rent. Hear from a resident who fell behind on payments and from local organizations offering assistance.

Retirement communities and group homes have had to get very creative over the course of the pandemic, our magazine story reported. Without family visitors, entertainers or volunteers, staff have found ways to keep residents entertained and fight off isolation.

Sara Bozich has a busy weekend ahead and plenty of ways for you to fill your time, as well. Take a look at her list of weekend recommendations, here.

“The Scarf Bombardiers” exploded through Harrisburg last weekend with scarves for those in need, our online story reported. Each year, they hang them in the downtown area of the city, on railings, bike racks and cow and duck statues.

Winter sports in the Harrisburg School District are back on, Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer announced. Student-athletes were originally benched, due to COVID concerns, but Celmer said they will now play with new mitigation efforts in place, our online story reported.

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The Farm Show may be virtual, but the milkshakes sure aren’t

January 8, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

The PA Dairymen’s Association unveiled their new food truck on Friday.

With the PA Farm Show going virtual this year, due to the pandemic, people were left wondering—what about the food?

On Friday, the PA Dairymen’s Association rolled out a new way to taste a farm show favorite—their milkshakes. Making their first stop at Karns Foods Store in Mechanicsburg, the crew showed off their “Milkshakes on the Moo-ve” food truck.

“Our goal is to serve customers even though the farm show is virtual,” said Dave Smith, executive director of the PA Dairymen’s.

They kicked off the virtual Farm Show by giving free milkshakes to healthcare workers and providing milkshakes for purchase to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The truck will make stops at Karns stores in Paxton Square and Carlisle on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Smith said.

Other Farm Show favorites, potato donuts and COWABUNGA ice cream are available at Karns.

Smith said that they are still planning where they will travel after this weekend’s stops, but he has already gotten many requests.

“This will allow us to go to remote locations to serve milkshakes to people that never had a chance to try one,” he said.

The PA Dairymen’s Association is a nonprofit that raises money for agricultural scholarships, youth programs and educational programs across the state. This is their 65^th year serving milkshakes for the Farm Show.

Fae Snyder has been there since the very first year. Although this year is her first on wheels.

“I think it’s a great thing,” Snyder said. “I still get to taste the milkshakes!”

The Dairymen’s Association survives through selling milkshakes, so when the Farm Show went virtual, they had to get creative, Smith said.

However, he already sees the “Milkshakes on the Moo-ve” extending beyond the pandemic.

For more information on the PA Dairymen’s Association and the “Milkshakes on the Moo-ve” food truck or to request a pop-up event, visit their website.

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Burg Review: Step into the surreal, the strange with Open Stage’s “Kafka’s Shorts”

January 8, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Fewer bodies of work offer such a frightening peek behind the Iron Curtain in the early 20th century than the works of Franz Kafka. Kafka’s stories typically feature internal monologues of tortured, unhealthy protagonists in bizarre and surreal circumstances, usually on an allegorical quest.

Armchair psychologists have speculated which neuroses and personality disorders feed in to Kafka’s story elements, with themes of anxiety, depression, brutality and abandonment dominating his writings. Critics of his work have drawn allegories between the political (totalitarian) and social unrest indicative of Kafka’s time and place, as well as growing up in a patriarchal household.

Open Stage’s austere settings, costumes and ominous carnival music lend to the severity, drama and dark humor of each sketch. Squinting through the metaphorical keyhole of Kafka’s nightmarish brain, it looks like a distorted reality, mostly monochromatic, rife with yellow and red color splashes to symbolize sickness and death. I never imagined his characters wearing masks, but they certainly feed into the mood of dank disease.

The play features six of Kafka’s short stories, three of which you may miss if you blink, but all powerful in the telling.

“Do Not Even Listen” is an internal monologue about meditating, ironically referencing unmasking. In this opening sketch, when I saw the severe, unsmiling features of You [Hanniel Sindelar], it felt creepy, like looking through the keyhole of a political prisoner’s bedroom during my trip to Dachau.

In “An Imperial Message,” an emperor [Sindelar] on their deathbed sends a message through you, the messenger. “The Next Village and the Trees” concentrates on mortality, comparing humanity to snow, here one moment and gone the next.

The three other sketches are longer and more complex.

“A Report to the Academy” is told from the point of view of an aged ape telling his life story from the time he was a young, caged ape. Dressed in a tuxedo, Old Rotpeter [Chris Gibson] orates to his audience from a stage, telling about his expedition to get out of his confines, and how human he needed to become to find his way out. We also learn a little something about the men who guarded him, who perhaps underestimated him. Kudos to Gibson for summoning a “Twilight Zone” look and feel to this segment.

“The Hunger Artist” chronicles the struggles of a sideshow act behind the scenes of a traveling carnival. The “Hunger Artist” [Sindelar] finds audiences are less and less interested in the strange art of weeks-long starvation, pitching ambitious suggestions for how to increase attendance and popularity.

“A Country Doctor” was the creepiest sketch of all, evoking an Edgar Allan Poe-type plot and atmosphere. A doctor [Chris Ellis] travels by horse and carriage through a spooky, wintry town to treat a patient’s gaping wound. After a rude reception by the patient [Matt Golden] and his parents [Nick and Stacey Werner], the doctor goes on a quest to escape and regain his dignity and status in a town that refuses to cherish him.

Director Chris Gibson called Open Stage’s “Kafka’s Shorts,” “a love letter to 2020—a year of dark days.”

“Seeing and living in this dark and dreamy world for 90 minutes will help people leave 2020 behind [for] a year of new opportunities, healing and growth,” he said.

If you relish the avant-garde and the macabre, and sometimes desolation of the human experience, then try the existential “Kafka’s Shorts” for your next night in. (For all of us doom and gloomers, that’s every night until further notice.)

“Kafka’s Shorts” runs Jan. 8 to 24, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through Open Stage’s online streaming program on YouTube and Facebook. Visit www.openstagehbg.com for details about tickets and watch parties.

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A Warm Welcome to 2021: TheBurg Podcast, Jan 2021

January 7, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

We’ve cooked up a podcast lineup filled to the brim with warm topics.

From the surprising trends in Harrisburg’s pandemic purchases, to her own go-to meals at home, Andrea Karns of Karns Quality Foods explains how grocery stores have shelved their traditional operations and how shoppers are setting some hot, and sometimes spicy, trends.

Not only is food writing Stephanie Kalina Metzger’s bread and butter, but she’s an expert at making bread and butter pickles. Meet one of TheBurg’s foodie writers and hear her recommendations for local pandemic takeout.

Harrisburg Bicycle Club member Cindy Gorski explains why she prefers wintertime bike riding over summer spins. And she shares her inspirational story of how she logged 100,000 miles.

Plus TheBurg’s editor Lawrance Binda shares warm thoughts about 2021, in his Most Harrisburg Thing for January.

All three guests expand upon January magazine stories:

Crisis in Aisle 12 / Grains of Taste / Snowball Effect

TheBurg Podcast is hosted and produced by Karen Hendricks, a lifelong journalist who also dabbles in PR/Marketing. Visit her website here.

TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren ([email protected])

Meet some of the Harrisburg area’s most fascinating people, and hear their own authentic stories, expanded from every month’s magazine, on TheBurg Podcast—because there’s always “more to the story.”

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