Over 600 kids will receive free Christmas gifts, thanks to Harrisburg-based nonprofit

December 7, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Ralph Rodriguez (right) at last year’s Holiday Donation Drive.

With the way 2020 has gone, some of us may be expecting nothing more than coal in our stocking to top off this unconventional holiday season.

But Ralph Rodriguez of the nonprofit All You Can Inc. is determined to spread holiday cheer to Harrisburg families through gift giving.

“It’s a different Christmas, but it’s still Christmas,” Rodriguez said. “We still must show our children hope is still here.”

On Dec. 19, Rodriguez and his team plan to distribute toys and hot meals to over 600 children and their families.

This will be the 8^th year of their “Holiday Donation Drive” and it will be held at The Neighborhood Center of the United Method Church in Harrisburg. However, this year will look different than others, as Rodriguez said that the event will be grab-and-go style due to COVID-19. Families will stay in their vehicles and volunteers will load the food and gifts into the cars.

Each child will receive two presents, stuffed animals and stocking stuffers, along with a meal for their family.

“As a child, I faced neglect. I know how it feels to go without,” Rodriguez said. “If we can prevent a child from feeling this way, it’s worth it.”

Sponsors for the event include Boost Mobile, VILLA, Outback Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse on Union Deposit Road, among others.

Registration for the event has closed, but Rodriquez said that community members may still sign up to help at the event and make donations.

All You Can Inc. has been around since 2012, providing resources to at-risk families in central PA. In addition to their Holiday Donation Drive, they hold a winter coat drive, Thanksgiving community dinner, an Easter event and Father’s Day cookout, among other events.

For more information on All You Can Inc. or to get involved in the Holiday Donation Drive, visit their website.

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More grant money available for small businesses, nonprofits hurt by the pandemic

December 7, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The Dauphin County administration building in downtown Harrisburg

If you have a small business or nonprofit in Dauphin County, you may be eligible for another round of grant money.

The county commissioners have announced that another $1.15 million is available through the Dauphin County COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Grant Program.

Through the program, funded with federal dollars, applicants are eligible for up to $20,000 or three months of operating expenses, whichever is less.

“We are thankful that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided the second round of grants to help small businesses and nonprofits, who are still struggling,’’ said Commissioner Mike Pries.

The application deadline is Dec. 31.

Eligible businesses or nonprofits must be located in the county and have 100 or fewer employees. Applicants must also serve a low-to-moderate income area or employ 51 percent or more low-to-moderate income workers.

While applicants that received previous coronavirus-related assistance can still apply, the amount of funding previously received will be considered in awarding grants, according to the commissioners.

“The pandemic continues to be a hardship, especially for smaller businesses and charities,’’ said board Chairman Jeff Haste. “We appreciate how important their services and jobs are to our community and want to do what we can to help them keep the doors open.’’

In the spring, the commissioners awarded $10,000 and $20,000 grants to more than 70 businesses through an initial HUD funding round. Additionally, in October and November, the commissioners presented $17 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants to 20 municipalities, 190 small businesses, and 71 nonprofits.

“We especially encourage those businesses and nonprofits that have not already received some assistance to apply,’’ said Commissioner George P. Hartwick, III. “While we cannot replace all the losses and expenses caused by the pandemic, we hope the relief we provide can keep them going until everything is at least somewhat back to normal.’’

Click this link to view online application for the Dauphin County COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Grant Program.

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Burg Review: A tradition goes virtual with Open Stage’s inventive, offbeat “A Christmas Carol”

December 5, 2020 | by Gina Napoli

One of my family’s holiday traditions is to watch all 19 movie and television versions of “A Christmas Carol” we have recorded on CDs and VHS tapes. These include the versions featuring Henry Winkler, Mr. Magoo, and Rich Little. And we try to catch a stage show when we can all get together.

So it was a real treat to finally see a version of our favorite go-to Christmas movie staged as a radio show. This year’s Open Stage’s “A Christmas Carol” felt like infiltrating the backstage of a sound and visual effects studio, with just a splash of Monty Python. All that was missing was an oversized microphone, a blinking “Applause” sign, and a sponsored message from unfiltered Lucky Strikes.

With most of our modern familiar holiday traditions on hiatus stemming from COVID-19, the austerity of 2020 could have been penned by Charles Dickens himself. Just as 2020 threw some new things at the world that left us all improvising, Rachel Landon’s adaptation breaks tradition in a few different ways. In the spirit of the poverty-addled Cratchits assembling what they could afford, the troupe of Open Stage cobbled together pieces and parts for props, flotsam and jetsam, from different cultures and time periods, to put together a performance that mixed things up while simultaneously pacing along with the traditional Dickens classic.

Not far from the Rich Little version, Open Stage players Benny Benamati, Chris Gibson, and Rachel Landon traded off alternately on playing each character, carefully synching sound effects with each other’s actions. If you look closely, you may even spot a few crinkly dog toys used to simulate a crackling fire.

Landon’s offbeat adaptation did keep some elements of the traditional story, most notably a narrator in front of a hearth interloping once in a while in his British accent to further the plot. Both the narrative and the dialogue closely resemble the novel.

The supernatural elements of the show rate as avant-garde performance art, with a spectacular amount of spook factor introduced by those creepy Japanese bunraku puppets alone.

Although empty theaters are only a temporary break in this year’s holiday tradition, you can watch Open Stage’s rendition through a modern media YouTube paradigm. Rule-breaker that I am, I sort of enjoyed forging a new tradition of watching the Open Stage troupe air-playing Dickens to my hand-held tablet while I sat in my bean-bag chair.

Oh, and there’s bonus video material. You can spend your intermission listening to interviews from the actors from previous years—ghosts of “A Christmas Carol” past.

As an important thread running through our lives, Open Stage has kept this play as a holiday tradition for 21 years and counting. Player Chris Gibson feels “connected to past performances, as well as the lessons of Dickens’s ghosts.” He said, “Be aware of your own ghosts. They connect you to your past.”

The family-friendly “A Christmas Carol” runs Dec. 4 to 29 on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. Access the show through the Open Stage YouTube page and on Facebook Live. For more information, visit www.openstagehbg.com.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

December 4, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

A rendering of the exterior of proposed condominiums in Midtown.

Our December issue of the magazine came out this week. If the cover isn’t enough to get you in the holiday spirit, our stories certainly will. Pick up a copy at one of our distribution locations or read online. In the meantime, catch up on this past week’s news, linked below.

CheerNotes is a greeting card company that specializes in representation for underrepresented communities, our online story reported. Founder Asha Banks, of Harrisburg, assures their website has something for everyone.

New condominiums may be headed for Midtown, our online story reported. A Harrisburg-area developer has proposed over a dozen units for the former Salvation Army building.

COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth have reached a new weekly high, our reporting found. The average new case count neared 8,000 per day this past week.

Our editor reflects on this month’s holiday in his December “Editor’s Note”. While many of the stories have a COVID angle, Lawrance highlights the signs of hope they point to.

The Harrisburg School District is educating its students 100% virtually. Our magazine story discusses how students, families and educators are handling it.

Local nonprofits are learning to adapt this holiday season as COVID changes plans. Our magazine story spotlights a few organizations and how they’re keeping the spirit.

McNees law firm will provide free legal services to five Black-owned businesses in south-central Pennsylvania. Businesses that are over 50% Black-owned can apply before Dec. 11, our online story reported.

A medical marijuana dispensary opened this week in Allison Hill, our online story reported. Zen Leaf opened at 137 S. 17^th St., across from Hamilton Health Center, the first of three retail locations that the company plans for Pennsylvania.

New Year’s Eve celebrations in Harrisburg will be virtual this year due to the pandemic, our online story reported. There will be a video countdown to midnight featuring local organizations and businesses.

A rent relief program will be available to tenants in debt, come mid-December, our reporting found. Residents behind on rent payments due to the COVID-19 crisis can apply for up to $5,000.

Sara Bozich has your weekly list of fun activities! Her Weekend Roundup has events to put you in the holiday spirit.

Small businesses’ creativity during COVID was the topic of our editor’s column in this month’s magazine. Inspired by a scene from the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Lawrance compares the passionate businessman, George Bailey, to the many hard-working entrepreneurs in Harrisburg.

News around the state fiscal code bill has our editor feeling grateful. He thanks everyone who worked to allow Harrisburg to retain its current earned income and local services tax rates, which should help the city greatly over the long run.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily digest of news and events delivered right to your email inbox? If not, sign up here!

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New COVID-19 cases accelerate again in PA, reach new weekly high

December 4, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

COVID-19 cases and tests, over time. Source: PA Department of Health

COVID-19 infection rates continued to surge over the past week in PA, with the average new case count now nearing 8,000 per day.

Since last Friday, the commonwealth recorded an average of 7,855 newly diagnosed cases per day, according to the state Department of Health.

This compares to an average of 6,429 new daily cases last week and 5,914, 4,348, 2,633 and 2,134 new cases per day for the prior four weeks, respectively. This week’s totals are the highest new-case counts in PA since the pandemic began in March.

The department also reports that testing has increased substantially over this time (see chart).

Locally, diagnosed cases are now as follows since the pandemic began:

Adams County: 2,292 cases (prior Friday, 1,908)
Cumberland County: 5,973 cases (prior Friday, 4,831)
Dauphin County: 8,618 cases (prior Friday, 7,481)
Franklin County: 5,232 cases (prior Friday, 4,262)
Lancaster County: 18,478 cases (prior Friday, 15,890)
Lebanon County: 5,891 cases (prior Friday, 5,105)
Perry County: 778 cases (prior Friday, 649)
York County: 12,777 cases (prior Friday, 10,604)

Today, the department reported 11,763 newly positive cases throughout Pennsylvania for the past 24 hours ending at midnight. The positivity rate statewide now stands at 11.7%.

With today’s update, 398,600 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, an increase of 54,986 over the past week, according to the health department. Active cases number 163,446. Currently, 5,071 people are hospitalized in PA with coronavirus, compared to 4,087 last Friday, and 1,065 are in intensive care.

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 66,215 total cases. Allegheny County ranks second with 31,454 cases, and Montgomery County is third statewide with 23,916 cases.

The health department also reported an additional 879 deaths since last Friday, meaning that 11,113 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Fatalities totaled 595, 465, 249 and 191 over the prior four weeks, respectively.

Around central PA, COVID-19 fatalities now stand as follows since the pandemic began:

Adams County: 49 deaths (prior Friday, 46)
Cumberland County: 161 deaths (prior Friday, 130)
Dauphin County: 224 deaths (prior Friday, 214)
Franklin County: 128 deaths (prior Friday, 104)
Lancaster County: 545 deaths (prior Friday, 513)
Lebanon County: 119 deaths (prior Friday, 106)
Perry County: 14 deaths (prior Friday, 9)
York County: 260 deaths (prior Friday, 241)

PA nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 6,900, or 62.1 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there have been 37,946 resident cases of COVID-19, and 7,124 cases among employees, for a total of 45,070 at 1,316 distinct facilities in 65 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 15,269 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 3,291,921 individuals have had coronavirus tests, with 2,893,321 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Last Friday, the state reported that 3,129,689 people had been tested for the virus.

The state reports a total of 5,782,706 PCR tests, which includes many people, such as health care workers, who have been tested more than once.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

About 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 3 percent are aged 5-12
About 5 percent are aged 13-18
About 12 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
Nearly 22 percent are aged 50-64
Nearly 20 percent are aged 65 or older

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. However, the health department has emphasized that, increasingly, younger people are being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The health department continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
Wear a mask whenever out of your house.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Currently, we are providing a COVID-19 update weekly, each Friday, or as breaking news warrants.

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Burg View: Debt of Gratitude

December 3, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s MLK Jr. City Government Center

I invariably get mail from some upset readers when TheBurg writes on two issues.

The first is when we mention “Vision Zero,” Harrisburg’s plan to make its streets more walkable and eliminate pedestrian fatalities.

The second is when we report on the city’s “extraordinary” taxing ability. That’s the subject of this editorial, so, I suppose, let ‘er rip.

Recently, the state legislature passed, and Gov. Tom Wolf signed, a fiscal code bill that allows Harrisburg to retain its current earned income and local services tax rates, which are above those typically permitted for a third-class city in Pennsylvania.

Combined, these taxes give the city $12.4 million more in annual revenue than it would have otherwise, money that city officials regard as essential to paying down debt while continuing to provide basic services to residents, workers and visitors.

Without these funds, Harrisburg faced the prospect of falling off the “fiscal cliff” in a few years, when this extraordinary taxing ability would have expired. The city now has extra time and extra money to exit Act 47 and build from there.

For this, many people deserve credit, starting with the mayor and City Council, continuing to the city’s lobbying firm, Maverick Strategies, and ending with the governor and legislature. Kudos to all involved—it was an outcome that I regarded as highly unlikely until it happened.

Having said this—I actually sympathize with commuters who may feel that they shouldn’t have to pay extra to help the city balance its books.

Harrisburg’s fiscal calamity originated decades ago with the profligate Reed administration, which never met borrowed money it didn’t like. And then, instead of repairing the city’s obsolete sewer system, it bought museum artifacts. Instead of fixing roads, it built a stadium.

Ultimately, however, I’m a pragmatist, and I realize that there were no good options outside of extending the city’s taxing authority. Most of the extra tax actually hits Harrisburg residents, especially those like me who both live and work in the city. But, yes, commuters will have to continue to pay an extra $104 a year for the next decade and another $52 a year for five years after that.

I’ve asked myself how I’d feel if the shoe were on the other foot. What if I worked in, say, Camp Hill, and had to fork over an extra $2 a week to that borough? For me, the answer is easy—I’d be fine with it. A total of $156 a year to support the services I consume or might need—roads, police, fire, health inspections, etc.—over some 2,000 annual working hours seems like a fair price to pay.

But, in Harrisburg, the situation is much more pressing. First, there’s the fact that the city’s main employer, the state government, pays no property tax. That leaves a small, poor city in the bizarre position of needing to support its humongous, well-resourced occupant.

The larger issue, though, is that the extra taxing authority truly is essential. It’s the difference between a reviving capital city and a suffering one, a promising future and a bleak one. The city now can feel confident that, at the very least, it can retain its current service levels as it continues to pay down debt. At the best, it can refinance its debt, pay it off quicker and spend more money on today’s needs, not those from 1997.

I was actually floored that a majority of the Republican-controlled legislature voted in favor of helping Harrisburg, but it did. As someone who cares deeply about the city’s future, I am grateful to those who engineered and passed this vital financial resolution.

Lawrance Binda is co-publisher and editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

December 3, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

If for some reason you need things to do this weekend around Harrisburg and central PA, we have some below. Recommended: virtual or outdoor events only.

Things on my agenda this weekend: virtual cocktails, holiday decorating, and gift wrapping.

For your weekend planning:

#ShopLocal Gift Guide is here
Upgrade your mise en place (get it FREE)
The perfect gift for your favorite home cook.
Plan your holiday feast now (FREE)
Gifts for everyone (plus dinner)
Give the gift of the great outdoors
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are ample options for your weekend.

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Top Weekend Recs

Plan your holiday feast with RG Hummer
Upgrade your mise en place with Mangia Qui Pantry Pick-up
Drink PA cider! Ploughman Cider delivers to your door.
Binge Poured in PA: The Series (new ep dropped last week!)
Shop online with Meeka Fine Jewelry.

COVID-19 Disclaimer: As always, please click through the links or call ahead to get the most up-to-date information about venues and/or events below. It should also go without saying, but I’ll say it — Mask up, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

What are you doing this weekend around Harrisburg? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Condo building envisioned for former Salvation Army building in Midtown Harrisburg

December 2, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A rendering of the exterior of “The Lofts”

New condominiums appear headed for Midtown, as a Harrisburg-area developer is proposing over a dozen market-rate units in the former Salvation Army building.

Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners has plans to construct 16 efficiency, one-bedroom and two-bedroom condo units in the mid-century brick building located at Cumberland and Green streets, said Jonathan Bowser, a managing partner. The building would be renamed “The Lofts” due to the high ceilings in several of the units, he said.

“It’s a nice building in a nice, historic neighborhood,” Bowser said, when reached by phone. “For us, it’s critically important to keep the character of the building, which maintains the character of the neighborhood.”

The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region left its long-time home in late 2019 after moving into a new, larger facility on S. 29^th Street. The 18,500-square-foot building has been on the market for many years and includes a small parking lot that fronts Penn Street and another, larger parking lot across on Green Street.

Earlier this year, another developer, Michael Lam, proposed a 25-unit apartment building for the space. However, he bowed out as the coronavirus pandemic hit. His proposal also received substantial pushback from the community, with some residents asserting that his plan was too dense.

Bowser, a former chair of the Broad Street Market board, said that his company pursued the building after Lam dropped out.

“There’s the new courthouse and other plans that I believe are boosting the demand—the need—for housing,” he said. “So, we decided to look into that opportunity.”

In addition, the market for housing in Midtown has improved immensely for both rentals and sales, driven in part by the relocation of people to Harrisburg from larger cities, Bowser said.

The front of the Salvation Army building on Green Street

Right now, the plan, Bowser said, is to build for-sale, market-rate condo units, ranging in size from about 650 square feet to about 1,200 square feet. However, that plan is fluid and could change if the company deemed rental apartments to be a better option, he said.

“There isn’t enough condo product in the walkable downtown or Midtown,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of vacancies there.”

He declined to provide a potential range of sales prices.

The project would retain the parking lot across the street, which includes 32 secure parking spaces for residents. A brick building on that lot probably will be converted to storage units or maybe a gym for residents, he said.

The parking lot for the building

Bowser said that he expects to begin the city approval process in January and hopes to begin construction in the summertime, for delivery in early 2022. His company has a contract on the building pending site plan approval from the city.

Bowser and his partners founded Integrated Development Partners in 2018 after he left as CEO of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., where he served for over six years.

Since then, the company has undertaken numerous new construction and historic conversion projects, including the mixed-used Steel Works revitalization project in Steelton.

“We really like adaptive reuse,” Bowser said. “We (he and his partners) are all born and raised here and want to see our community do well.”

McNees law firm offers year of free legal services to local Black-owned businesses

December 2, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

McNees law firm on Pine Street in Harrisburg.

When attorneys at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC saw the events around the death of George Floyd unfold in Minneapolis, they knew they needed to do something.

“The firm was thinking about what we could do to bridge the gap and address systemic racism in our country,” said Adeolu Bakare, an attorney at McNees, a law firm based in Harrisburg.

This past summer, they created their Legal Equity Advancement Program (LEAP) to provide pro bono services to local Black-owned businesses.

Small businesses in south-central Pennsylvania that are more than 50% Black-owned and could not otherwise afford legal services are eligible to apply. McNees will choose five clients to take on.

McNees will provide a year’s worth of free legal assistance for anything from tax work to setting up entities or for insurance or real estate needs, said attorney Esch McCombie, who leads the LEAP program with Bakare. Each client will have a $50,000 retainer for services.

McCombie expects a wide range of businesses to apply. So far, he said that applications have come in from places like an auto repair shop, a nail salon and a mentoring organization. Each would have very different needs, he said.

Bakare said that they spoke with community groups such as the African American Chamber of Commerce and the Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg when designing this program. Local professionals such as a realtor and civil engineer also offered their assistance to businesses chosen for the program, McCombie added.

“As attorneys, we have a moral obligation to do what we can to make sure everyone is provided with legal representation,” Bakare said.

Giving back to the community through pro bono work is a big part of McNees’ mission. Attorneys are allowed 50 of their work hours per year for pro bono work.

Bakare also explained a partnership the company has with the Dauphin County Bar Association to invite minority first-year law students to their summer internship program. This gives them a leg up, considering most law students don’t complete internships until their second year. The program, Bakare said, has been very successful.

Considering the work that McNees was already doing for local minority and low-income communities, the LEAP initiative was “a no brainer,” McCombie said.

Applications for the Leap initiative are open through Dec. 11 and Black-owned businesses are encouraged to apply.

“Our hope is that the program takes off and we can do this again next year,” McCombie said.

For more information about the Legal Equity Advancement Program or to apply, visit McNees’ website.

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Medical marijuana dispensary slated to open in Allison Hill

December 1, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The new dispensary on S. 17th Street

Harrisburg’s second medical marijuana dispensary is slated to open on Wednesday, this one in the heart of Allison Hill.

Zen Leaf will open for business at 137 S. 17^th St., across from Hamilton Health Center, the first of three retail locations that the company plans for Pennsylvania.

“We’re excited about our Pennsylvania debut, bringing the Zen Leaf dispensary experience to a new and thriving medical market,” said George Archos, founder and CEO of Chicago-based cannabis operator Verano, in a statement.

The new dispensary offers a range of cannabis products, including concentrates, infused products, vaporizers and flower, according to the company.

In December 2019, a Lehigh Valley-based company called Local Dispensaries LLC received city approval to build the 3,000-square-foot dispensary, about a year after the state granted it a permit.

At the time, City Council expressed dissatisfaction with the location of the facility, but voted 4-3 to approve the project as it conformed with city building requirements.

Reached by phone, representatives of Verano could not immediately state why their company, not Local Dispensaries, now is operating the facility. Verano operates 18 retail locations across 12 U.S. states.

This is the second dispensary located in the city. The first, Harvest of Harrisburg, opened last year on N. 6^th Street in the former home of Camp Curtin Bar-B-Que. There are several other state-licensed dispensaries elsewhere in central PA.

For more information about Verano, visit their website.

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