Editor’s Note: Muddling into May

April 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg, you made it.

Take a deep bow. You successfully muddled through April 2020, and, I hope, in reasonably good condition.

In this column, I usually strike an optimistic tone. But there’s simply no denying the gravity, anxiety and even dread of the past couple of months. So here’s to a much better May ahead. Things have to begin to improve, right?

Since the crisis struck, many people have asked me about TheBurg. They want to know how we’re faring. First of all, thank you so much for all the kind words and wishes from the community. Your support is greatly appreciated.

In general, we’re doing well. But, like all small businesses, we’re concerned about the future and, as a news publication, even more so. This industry, as you may know, is in dire shape, now made only more critical by the general economic collapse.

To help get us through this time, we decided to launch—a little earlier than we had expected—our new membership program, Friends of TheBurg.

We started this program for several reasons: to integrate further into the community, to offer a framework for more events, to meet our biggest fans.

We also hoped for a new source of revenue, as, over the years, many people have asked how they could help support us, since all of our products and services are free to readers.

We never expected to make much money from the program, but we thought, best case, it might pay part of the salary of a new reporter. Then, we could serve this community even better.

That financial component has now become more critical. Starting in mid-March, as businesses closed and events cancelled, our ad revenue cratered, which is why we launched the program early.

So, if you can, I hope you’ll consider becoming a “Friend of TheBurg.” There are some nice benefits, as well, including a tote bag, free and discounted tickets and your name listed as a supporter in every issue of TheBurg magazine.

Please visit our website today and sign up. It’s very affordable!

Lastly, I make you this promise. When this crisis is finally over, when we successfully come out the other end, we plan to throw one fantastic party for our members and supporters. It will be a celebration of perseverance, endurance and community. We will all deserve it!

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

Quarantine Cuisine: A simple meal, until we meet again.

April 30, 2020 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

This is a strange and dark time for all of us. I suspect we all have our own ways of coping with anxiety and fear during the long hours at home.

I once read a quote from someone who said that she “inherited worry along with the family silver.” Well, that is me. But I have found solace in my kitchen, the place I retreat to for most of my waking hours. I putter around, read favorite cookbooks over and over, and recall happy times with family and friends.

We have gotten some “takeout” from our favorite Harrisburg restaurants, hoping that it helps them just a little bit. We will continue to do so. But mostly I have been cooking, often with a combination of what I have stashed in the freezer and what I snatched off the shelves at the grocery store. We have also made brief trips to the farmers market late on Friday afternoons. But my obsessive-compulsive meal planning has gone out the window.

I have been looking for recipes that call for simple ingredients, fewer ingredients and those that result in leftovers for lunch. I found a pasta recipe from chef and cookbook author, Lidia Bastianich, that seemed perfect. It is called “farfalle della bisnonna” or bowties with cabbage and meat sauce.

I had most of the ingredients on hand but liked it because so many substitutions are possible. Any type of sausage or ground meat will work, as will dried thyme instead of fresh, and regular cabbage instead of Savoy cabbage, which the recipe calls for. It was delicious for dinner and for several lunches, as well.

Bowties with Cabbage and Meat Sauce

Ingredients

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casing
1 small onion, cut into chunks
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
½ head Savoy (or any) cabbage, cored and shredded
3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound bowtie pasta (farfalle)
½ cup grated Parmesan or grana Padano cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large deep skillet and heat gently over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon until browned, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, celery and thyme in a food processor and pulse to make a chunky paste. (You could use a blender or an immersion blender with the chopping attachment. Or you could even chop the vegetables finely by hand.)
Once the sausage is browned, add the vegetable paste to the skillet and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle with the dried pepper flakes. (Add a lot if you like it hot and spicy.)
Make an empty spot in the pan with a spoon and add the tomato paste. Let it “toast” for a minute or two and then stir it into the vegetables.
Pour in the white wine and let it simmer until almost reduced, about 3 minutes.
Add the shredded cabbage and the broth and cook, covered, until the cabbage is wilted, about 20 minutes.
Uncover to thicken the sauce until the cabbage is wilted, about 10 more minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
When the bowtie noodles are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon or “spider” and add them directly to the sausage mixture.
Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce, adding a little extra broth if necessary.
Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.

This is a healthy and comforting dish. You can use it as a “template” of sorts to change it, using cubed chicken or pork instead of sausage. If there is no cabbage stashed in the fridge, maybe you have some broccoli. The “process” will be the same.

I will continue to cook in these sad times. But many days I dream of our “date nights” in Harrisburg: dinner at Note Bistro and Wine Bar with Daniel making the most beautiful martinis in town; eating Qui Qui Musarra’s wonderful fish soup at Mangia Qui; and chatting with Tyler at Café Fresco’s crowded bar. I miss afternoon coffee at Little Amp’s outdoor tables at 2nd and State streets on warm days. These, and many others, are the places that make Harrisburg so special. I am praying for all of them that we see them “on the other side.”

The Online Life: Social distancing has created virtual communities, opportunities.

April 30, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Social distancing. It is a term we have become all too familiar with. Stay six feet apart, wash your hands, wear a mask if you go out, but don’t go out unless necessary.

While we are physically more isolated now than any of us probably have been before, what I’ve found is that we are hardly socially distant. Being told to stay away from people has made us crave human interaction so much more, and, the fact is, we need it. We can stay physically distant, but not socially.

As our virtual world swells during this crisis, growing to accommodate our communication needs, local organizations are figuring out how they fit.

Businesses are taking services like yoga and exercise classes online, and schools and churches are teaching through a screen. This is how some local organizations are doing it.

Well-Positioned

Downward-facing dog. Warrior II. Tree pose.

A Zoom screen full of about 20 people shift and move with each instruction. They aren’t physically together, but they are in sync—at least until the occasional dog or toddler photo-bombs in the background.

“It’s a sense of community,” said Brittany Holtz, owner of Studio B Power Yoga. “You can see everyone. It’s all the people you would see if you were coming into the studio. That’s been the bright light in all of this.”

All three of the studio’s locations—Hershey, Lebanon and Mechanicsburg—have merged into one online program in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Seven days a week, Studio B offers classes such as “Vinyasa Flow” and “Mindful Flow,” taught by a range of instructors.

Holtz explained the importance of yoga, especially in a time like this when stress and anxiety can be crippling. Through this experience, she said that she sees the studio continuing to offer online classes even when the crisis is over.

“Yoga teaches us to be in each moment as it comes,” she said. “That is such a tough lesson right now, but it has really helped strengthen that lesson.”

Hope, Community

“The church is not a building; it’s people,” said Executive Pastor Scott Ball of Christian Life Assembly. “Just because we can’t meet doesn’t mean we stop being the church.”

With around 2,500 people attending the Camp Hill campus each Sunday and about double as many calling CLA their home church, the leadership team needed to find creative ways to stay connected.

Despite not being able to meet physically, CLA has continued many of its regular services and programs. Sunday services are live-streamed, daily devotionals are posted, and Zoom has become a meeting place for Bible study groups.

“There is nothing that beats being face-to-face with people, but I feel like we are doing the next best thing,” Ball said.

In addition to resources for the congregation, CLA has volunteers distributing food to people in need in the community through a partnership with Cumberland County Food Bank.

“People need hope, people need community,” Ball said. “We have the greatest opportunity to share that.”

Outdoors Indoors

As a science- and technology-based school, Harrisburg University may have had a leg up when moving learning online. But for programs that require a lot of hands-on work, faculty members needed to find creative ways to adapt classroom material.

How do you hold a field trip when you can’t leave home? Professors in the environmental science and geospatial technology programs have found a way.

“The students don’t have to completely give up the experience of going out,” said Christine Proctor, assistant professor of biology and ecology.

Proctor’s “Ecosystem Restoration” class usually spends half of the semester conducting fieldwork, observing and exploring nature. When the university switched to all online courses, she decided not to cancel the fieldwork, but offer it virtually.

Michael Meyer, assistant professor of earth systems science, and Albert Sarvis, director of HU’s Geospatial Technology Center, had been working to find a way to use a 360-degree camera and an online virtual reality tool to bring outdoor scenes indoors to students. Now was the perfect time to test it out on a class.

The three professors travelled to Michaux State Forest to capture video and still images of a restored stream. Students now can view the content and get a glimpse of what the area looks like.

“Instead of me just describing it, they can be looking at it,” Proctor said. “It allows us to recreate the field trip.”

Safe Spaces

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it wasn’t a matter of if the YMCA would help, it was how.

The Harrisburg Area YMCA was used to serving community members in need, but, with the crisis hitting, they became among the most vulnerable. The Y needed to continue its programming, now more than ever.

“Our focus has been—how do we treat our employees fairly and ensure our members are treated fairly, as well,” said Rosie Turner, director of marketing and communications.

Many of the Y’s classes moved online, including the “Livestrong” class for cancer survivors, “Healthy Weight and Your Child,” and tobacco cessation and diabetes prevention programs. Turner explained how important this was to reduce feelings of isolation and continue promoting healthy lifestyles.

To make sure youth in the community stay connected, they moved their Camp Curtin mentoring programs online.

“A lot of kids would come every day, and it’s their safe space,” Turner said. “We are trying to bring that safe space to their home.”

Knowing that, for many, the Y is their community gym, they also started offering workout tutorial videos online for people of all ages.

“Letting people know we are here and we are thinking of them is important to us,” Turner said.

For more information on the organizations mentioned in this story, visit www.studiobpoweryoga.com, www.clacamphill.com, www.harrisburgu.edu, and www.ymcaharrisburg.org.

Silent City: A Photostory

April 30, 2020 | by Dani Fresh

This story feels like a melancholy flaneur.

I found myself photographing a lot of what’s not there—no people in the restaurants or coffee shops or churches. There are no politicians, staffers, state workers or tours at the Capitol building, no children on the playgrounds. There are no folks gathered at the market. The city is eerily quiet.

But we’re still here. We’re just tucked into our respective homes, trying to stay safe.

The rest of these images are portraits. They’re snippets of how our lives have changed over the last few weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. They display our resilience, our worries and anxiety, the ways in which we’re filling our time, trying to stay afloat, and the ways we’re attempting to check on and care for our neighbors and families in unprecedented times.

I hope you are being gentle with yourself. I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. And I hope to see you on the other side of these COVID-19 times, whenever that may be.

www.danifresh.com

——–

Qui Qui Musarra, chef and an owner at Rubicon, Mangia Qui, & Suba, was taking a quick break. It was almost a completely familiar scene, seeing Qui out in front of the restaurant with her chef coat and apron on, but today she is wearing a mask to prepare Easter dinner for about 200 take out covers.

The Broad Street Market on a Saturday afternoon is usually busy and filled with folks socializing with friends and neighbors, but today it’s silent.

Hair salons and barbershops are closed so Hanniel Sindelar gave their partner, Lindsay Kirkwood, a haircut on the back porch of their house in Midtown. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had to cut my hair. Makes me think of our first apartment together,” Lindsay says to them.

Amine “Mo” Amamli has been laid off from his position at Habitat for Humanity so he’s been spending his time doing a ton of yard work and helping out with deliveries at Rubicon where his partner, Ashlyn, works.

Lauren Duff & Lissa Richards make sure to sit at least six feet apart on Lissa’s front porch. They’re catching up and checking in with each other. It’s Lauren’s first time out of the house in a few weeks.

Signs in the windows of this Penn Street house read, “WE WILL GET THROUGH” with brightly colored hearts.

Bri Rhoad works at PHEAA and does some freelance marketing work for the Governor but she’s more worried about her mom who has asthma. Bri goes to the store for her so she doesn’t have to leave the house.

Playgrounds all over the city are vacant and quiet.

A rainbow displayed in the window of a house in Midtown is part of a scavenger hunt that has spread throughout multiple towns and cities. It’s an activity for parents and children that they can do outside while still maintaining social distancing guidelines. There’s also a sign that reads, “Be gentle with yourself. This is new to all of us. Smile.”

Pat & Alan Edwards are playing rummy and having beers outside their house in Midtown. “What else are we going to do?” Pat laughs. They’re doing fine but they’re especially worried about friends who work in the service industry. Pat works from home. Alan has had a busy couple of weeks traveling to take care of a family member and goes to work during the week. He has a manufacturing job that is considered essential.

Carey Campbell and Diane Farrell Walker are out walking their dogs along the riverfront. They just walked to a friend’s house to wave at them from the sidewalk for their birthday since they can’t spend time together.

Shatara Parsons and Madison Hatcher were out for a bike ride down at the riverfront. Madison works at Foose Elementary and Shatara is a teacher at the Nativity School in Harrisburg. She says she misses the kids, they’re usually the liveliest part of her days.

Leah Mull sips wine on her front stoop while her husband, Steve, draws decorative eggs on the sidewalk for a social distancing friendly kids’ Easter egg hunt the next day. He says a lot of folks decided to put them in their windows, but this seems like more fun.

Loretta Barbee-Dare already works from home, so the stay at home order hasn’t affected her work. She’s worried about her neighbors though, most of whom are older folks at higher risk. She took boxes of food to some of them a little over a week ago and tries to check in often. And she’s irritated that the liquor stores are closed.

The sign in the window of Christ Lutheran Church on 13th street says, “All church services & meetings canceled until further notice. May God bless you,” and “We’re sorry. No dental services until further notice. Lo sentimos. No hay servicios dentales.”

Rikkie Shellhamer came out on her balcony. It feels a little safer talking with folks down in the courtyard behind her apartment from up there. She is laid off, but says she’s doing okay–some good days and some bad. She’s doing a lot of reading and recording music with her partner, Andy.

Self portrait in the window by Harrisburg University. It was my first day out of the house in eleven days. I have one mask and two bandanas for the days I go out to shoot, taking care to wash them after each use and I have strange new rituals for when I get home from shooting. I keep tripping over my feet.

The only somewhat busy spot on Second Street is Hornungs True Value. They have shelves of spring flowers and hanging baskets lining the street along with the usual sidewalk wares. A man loads his vehicle with a box of purchases from the store.

Lewis Walker is getting fresh air outside where he lives at the Presbyterian Apartments on Second Street. His building is all older folks in closely adjacent apartments. They’re worried that if one person gets sick, it will spread easily to other residents in the building.

We, Together: Local children’s author tells story of friendship amidst hard times.

April 30, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Lauren Castillo. Photos courtesy of Justin Douglas.

Lauren Castillo always loved her home in New York City.

Her apartment in Brooklyn was small, but all her friends were nearby. It was where she had attended art school and her career as an illustrator and author had taken off.

But eventually the big city life began to wear her out more than it inspired her.

“I was burnt out from living in that city,” Castillo said. “It was hard because I had to leave friends behind.”

She headed west with her brother in search of a new start, but relocated soon after, when artist friend Jonathan Bean told her about an open apartment in Midtown Harrisburg.

With a new studio space, Castillo was ready to pick up her brushes and pencils to start a book that had already been swirling in her mind.

“Shortly after I moved to Harrisburg is when the story started unfolding,” she said.

Usually, when Castillo writes a book, she begins with a story idea and the rest unfolds from there. That’s what happened with her previous books like “Nana in the City,” which won her a Caldecott honor in 2015.

This time was different though.

Throughout her journey from New York to California to Harrisburg, a little hedgehog kept appearing in her doodles on napkins and corners of paper. She felt a connection with this character that journeyed with her through seasons of losing and making friends and feelings of isolation and uncertainty.

It was only fitting her next book, with the cute but prickly hero at the center, would follow a similar narrative.

“It paralleled losing my community of friends and having to find new community,” Castillo said.

The author’s new book, “Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us,” tells of Hedgehog’s journey to find her best friend, Mutty, the stuffed dog who was carried away by a storm. While looking for her friend, Hedgehog meets an array of friendly woodland creatures and a young girl, Annika May, who help her along the way.

“The story is about friendship, bravery and making our way,” Castillo said. “I hope [readers] can relate to what it’s like to really find those people that hold you up and sustain you.”

The story of Hedgehog is formatted in a chapter book style while still heavily incorporating Castillo’s playful illustrations, giving the story life.

She said this was her first time writing a chapter book, but hopes it serves at a gateway for children growing out of picture books and moving into chapter books.

“That was a piece of the book market that was missing,” Castillo said. “Illustration and picture books taught me how to read—picture books were really precious to me.”

With a story that anyone can relate to, Castillo hopes readers of all ages will find a way to identify with Hedgehog and his lesson in the value of friendships.

Although the COVID-19 crisis has forced the author to cancel book tours and rethink the book launch, she’s just happy to be putting out another story for children to enjoy.

“The themes in this book are really fitting for the situation right now,” she said.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore is hosting Lauren Castillo for a virtual reading on May 3. Visit https://www.midtownscholar.com/events for more information. To learn more about Castillo and her work, visit www.laurencastillo.com.

Town & Truck: Tuck into New Cumberland’s monthly food, art event.

April 30, 2020 | by Gina Napoli

If you’re a fan of 3rd in the Burg, you’ll soon be able to warm up on the west shore for Harrisburg’s big night.

Starting this month, New Cumberland will hold a food and arts-focused event in their downtown every second Thursday of the month, going through September.

The New Cumberland Food Truck and Restaurant Rally’s main attraction is a collection of food trucks in the parking lot of Baughman Church. Attendees then ripple through downtown to visit several surrounding restaurants and small businesses that feature their own special events.

Under the right weather conditions, the average food truck rally brings several hundred people to New Cumberland.

“Food trucks are a really big draw, very trendy,” said Carlee Seele, owner of the Moss Creek Art gallery. “The trucks that make a name for themselves get a really big following, especially with the younger crowd—Gen Xers and millennials.”

Plus, food trucks give people the chance to try new or unusual foods. With six to eight trucks at each rally, cuisines range from American fare and desserts to more exotic choices. Regular trucks include (but are certainly not limited to) Marsico’s Italian Food Cart, It’s All Greek to You, The Lucky Penny Burger Co., Mad Dash Grilled Cheese, FireBox Street Grill, Get Smoke’d BBQ and The Sweet Patch.

“Food trucks add variety and creativity to our downtown and help us get more feet on the street,” said Cindy Washburn, co-owner of Oxford Hall and a marketing committee member for the New Cumberland Business & Professional Group. “We don’t have a Cuban restaurant, but people will come downtown to try Cuban food out of the truck.”

Many shops stay open until 7 p.m. to offer visitors more reasons to drop in, such as free music, giveaways, happy hours, hors d’oeuvres and wine.

“Did you know that New Cumberland has an open container law?” Seele said. “Guests can treat New Cumberland like Mardi Gras, bringing your wine glass from place to place.”

Fortunately, a distillery is another popular stop on the self-guided walking tour.

The New Cumberland Business & Professional Group strives to position New Cumberland as a destination, to create an atmosphere that is “more artsy, eclectic and interesting,” said Washburn. In addition, artists will demonstrate how they create their wares, and there will be live music in the parking lot of Baughman Church.

The artsy event is enmeshed with a down-home spin, complete with picnic tables in the parking lot. It’s the kind of townie event where you bring your own lawn chair.

New Cumberland really is that kind of friendly place. According to event marketing Chair Gennifer Richie, the group timed the monthly event on second Thursdays so they wouldn’t detract from nearby towns that already hold their walkabouts on Fridays.

Their community’s bond and spirit of cooperation extends among local competitors.

“The food truck event plays right in with the efforts our community is working toward,” Richie said. “We’ve got businesses in town all working together, community members creating and doing more activities together. We’re promoting safe, healthy living activities, economic development and town revitalization.”

Washburn moved to New Cumberland from Carlisle 30 years ago to create her destination business, much in the same way she sees the food truck events as a destination.

“As small business owners, we’re always competing with the big guys,” she said. “We want people to discover our businesses. The food trucks were part of a strategic maneuver to bring attractive inventory downtown.”

In addition to presenting a compact, walkable downtown, New Cumberland is uniquely positioned due to its location and proximity to major highways, an airport and the train station, she said.

“This has done something to the dynamic of the diversity of the community,” Washburn said. “New Cumberland is accessible, like a cool truck stop on the way to bigger cities.”

At the same time, New Cumberland has head-turning historical buildings that are currently in the midst of being inventoried.

“The neighborhoods and homes here are beautiful, and they get snapped up quickly when they go on the market,” Washburn said. “It’s not unusual to talk to someone to find their families have been rooted here for 100 years or more.”

With the turnover of downtown business owners and some landmark business closures, Seele sees New Cumberland as an underdog of sorts.

“New Cumberland’s pent-up energy will hopefully get released, bringing some revitalization back into the town,” she said.

This will apply even more with the end of the quarantine.

“We want to bring the community back, revive the social part of New Cumberland, and bring back people hanging outside,” she said. “As people get more comfortable, we want to bring people back together again in a healthy way.”

For more information on the New Cumberland Food Truck and Restaurant Rally, visit NewCumberlandPA.org.

Artistic Vision: Emily Shifflet translates eye movements into paintings.

April 30, 2020 | by Susan Ryder

One of Emily’s paintings.

Emily Shifflet creates art with her eyes—literally.

She has Rett Syndrome, which prevents her from any useful movement of her body, except for her eye muscles.

According to the website Reverserett.org, “Rett Syndrome is like autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, epilepsy and anxiety disorder…all in one little girl.” (Girls are most often afflicted.)

“Add chronic lung disease and major digestive disorders, and you have a body that doesn’t allow her to live her life in this world,” added Jenny Murphy Shifflet, Emily’s mom.

Emily has, however, found a way to live, communicate and contribute greatly through the technology called Tobii Dynavox, which facilitates communication through eye movement. According to Emily’s behavioral consultant, Laura Myers, Dynavox is “like an iPad and computer combined.”

A black bar across the bottom of the device directs beams into Emily’s eyes and reads where they’re moving. With that action, she can choose from options programmed specifically for her—about how she’s feeling, what she wants to do, or activities she wants to interact with.

“The Tobii eye gaze has opened up lots of new opportunities to engage in different ways,” said mother Jenny.

That’s how Emily has emerged as an artist. Myers said that the art program was downloaded to give her a different outlet.

“It went from just something to do, to this is what I like to do, and [then] get the word out about Tobii and Rett Syndrome,” said Myers.

Sitting in her chair, with a blonde braid down her shoulder and sporting hoop earrings, Emily said, through her Tobii, “I like to do art.”

Specifically, she likes to paint, her works then transformed into cards. Jenny decided, in October, to form Eye Gaze Designs by Emily and offer her daughter’s art to the public. She said she created the business for three reasons.

“One, for an opportunity for Emily to create her art,” she said. “Two, for the public to see her ability and not just her disability, and, three, to raise money for research for Rett Syndrome.”

The idea arose when Jenny’s friends began saying of Emily’s art, “Put that on a note card, and I’ll buy them.”

The software allows Emily to choose background, color and a variety of brushes.

Jenny described her daughter’s art as abstract, feeling-based. Emily leans towards bright colors, and she mixes and layers hues. Since her mood influences her art, some pieces are darker, coinciding with less happy spirits. On occasion, the temperamental artist will show up, and she will erase pieces that her family finds exceptional.

Jenny said that art has “helped her self-esteem, given her a purpose.” Emily enjoys being called an artist, which was clear when speaking to her. A subtle, but distinct smile crossed her face when addressed by the label.

“Art has provided a chance to get out and socialize with people who don’t know that this kind of tech is out there, for people who are differently abled,” Myers said.

Emily loves giving cards to people. She smiles and moves her body in excitement. So far, Eye Gaze Designs by Emily has sold about 2,000 cards and offered calendars at Christmastime. Jenny said, with a laugh, that they are calling her present project the “Pandemic Painting Series.”

Kidding aside, the family has been in isolation since the end of February due to COVID-19, which poses a serious threat to Emily’s fragile health. Emily doesn’t like being stuck in the house. What 24-year-old would? Typically she would be at yoga, ice skating, seeing a movie, or attending an event to speak about Rett Syndrome.

For now, she has more time to paint—though using eye muscles in this way proves very tiring, and she can paint for no more than an hour at a time.

Emily’s artistic bent wasn’t evident before she began using the art program, though the spunkiness that shows up in her art has always been a part of her personality. Jenny described her as a “huge flirt and fighter,” a free spirit.

Emily chimed in, “Let’s go four-wheeling.”

Her dad at times carries her on the family’s four-wheel vehicle for rides in their backyard. Apparently, she’s also a joker, and Myers said that Emily likes to take selfies, catching people eating in the background unaware.

Emily had an art exhibit scheduled at the Cocoa Beanery in Hershey for April, but that was cancelled when the café had to close. This is not the first setback for the budding artist, and it certainly won’t be her last challenge. But Jenny said that her daughter is “helping people understand that there is ability within people with a disability.”

She’s using her eyes to help people see it.

To view Emily Shifflet’s art, visit www.eyegazedesignsbyemily.com.

Rebounding Your Business: After COVID-19, how will you get back up and running?

April 30, 2020 | by Jaime Novinger-Toigo and Siera Sambrosky

As numbers of those testing positive appear to be stabilizing, business owners are asking themselves, where do I start to make preparations to rebound from this pandemic?

While no one has a sure-fire answer to get everyone back on their projected paths for 2020, there are five things you can begin to do in order to steer your business in the right direction.

1. First and foremost, keep yourself healthy. Take the necessary precautions that have continually been stressed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and protect yourself by wearing a mask and gloves and washing your hands consistently. We all play a part to help keep each other safe—set the example and wear protective attire until the pandemic is under control. It is easy to take these suggested measures seriously when we are aware of how often we are in contact with surfaces that could have been affected by someone who has been exposed to COVID-19. Most importantly, try and stay mentally and physically strong. Stress increases your chance of illness, so avoid items that will add stress to your current situation.

2. Stay informed. Knowledge is power, and in an atmosphere where we are largely powerless over our circumstances and results, it’s imperative to continue to educate yourself on what is happening in your specific region, as well as the regions of your customers. As things continue to change daily, staying on top of the newest releases can be overwhelming, but, as a leader, it is necessary. Your team and clients may look to you for information on how they or their business can be supported. Reliable sources such as the CDC, the PA Department of Health, and the U.S. Small Business Administration are worth bookmarking.

3. Consider the safety of your environment that your team or clients will be returning to. Everyone, rightfully so, is going to want assurance that they will be working in a sterile environment. Consider how you will incorporate disinfecting measures prior to your team’s return and on a regular basis. All surfaces throughout your facility should be thoroughly disinfected to confirm COVID-19 does not exist. Incorporate continual risk mitigation techniques that will reduce exposure, including daily disinfecting throughout the day by all members of your team or designated personnel and having a contract to perform thorough disinfecting applications, in the event your space has become cross-contaminated. It could be as simple as someone coughing or sneezing that warrants your response to address the cleaning with a professional company.

The thorough disinfecting application should be completed by experienced professionals that perform bio-hazard treatment services. These professionals will approach the situation prepared to protect all personnel and are experienced with disinfecting infectious diseases. Unlike risk mitigation that you can incorporate during the workday, these treatments will cover all surfaces, of all material types, and be circulated through the air systems, typically through a fogging application.

This type of treatment needs to be thorough and beyond a regular janitorial cleaning. Inquire if the company performs regular bio-hazard cleanup services, also about the EPA listing of the product being used, the effectiveness rating, the type of product, and the dwell time. Confirm the disinfectant is safe for the contents within your space and that there will not be a residue left behind or harsh fumes that could cause respiratory issues.

Confirm the company will take ownership for the service they are providing. In times of widespread disaster and crisis, unfortunately, many opportunistic individuals and business owners see a chance to make a rapid shift or diversify their business services. Particularly in a time where health and safety are critical, it is important to use providers that have experience and training dealing with bio-hazard situations and infectious/communicable diseases.

4. Make sure you are maintaining communication with your employees and customers. Although we are not certain when normal operations will continue, your commitment to communicate is as important now as it was before. Continue to develop the relationships you have invested time building, prior to this pandemic. During these times, how we relate to each other and stay connected is fundamental. Everyone wants to know that they are not alone—offer support and be willing to share that they are being thought of. Regular communication doesn’t need to be anything specific but should be authentic.

5. Be mindful of how your business may be transformed or may need to transform. Uncertainty is an opportunity for you to be creative. Allow yourself to think outside of the box, or better yet, get rid of the box. Create a shift focusing on untraditional ways to operate and serve your clients. Maybe this is a great time to make changes? What processes and procedures do you currently have in place that may be outdated or that cannot co-exist with your new ideas?

Most importantly, take this time to really think about the end result you are working towards. Create a map that identifies your target. This doesn’t have to be a detailed plan. Obviously, we are not in complete control of everything, so focus on the direction you are going rather than the specific details. Seize this time to get clear on the results you will focus on. Your mindset matters—take care of yourself and don’t allow yourself to fall into a negative trap. We are made to thrive, not survive! Let’s commit to being a community that supports each other and helps one another. As community supporters of TheBurg, we have great hope that this state of affairs will help us build stronger connections, allowing us to grow personally and in business together.

Service1st Restoration is located at 330 East Park Dr., Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-232-5444 or contact President Jaime Novinger-Toigo at [email protected] or Siera Sambrosky, marketing director, at [email protected].

Service1st Restoration is a property disaster company serving the business community 24/7/365 with emergency services including: fire restoration, smoke and odor removal, water mitigation and remediation, commercial structural drying, structure and content cleaning, mold remediation, IAQ testing, bio-hazard cleanup services, virus decontamination and disinfecting services, including COVID-19.

Fire in the Belly: Dave Houseal’s passion for Harrisburg firefighting history cannot be extinguished.

April 30, 2020 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Dave Houseal as a Harrisburg firefighter, 1985.

David Houseal’s first memories of firefighting go back to when he was 5 or 6 years old in the mid-1950s, when his family lived in a house across the street from the old Progress firehouse in Susquehanna Township.

Whenever the wail of the station’s roof siren would pierce the air, young Houseal never failed to scramble up to his home’s top-floor attic for a bird’s eye view of the action.

As it turned out, that same little boy who hurried to watch the fire engines would grow up to become a Harrisburg firefighter and a noted curator of the city’s firefighting history.

“Firefighting is a very noble profession,” he said succinctly.

After a long career with the Harrisburg Fire Bureau, Houseal, now 69, retired as a chief in 2003.

Retirement, however, didn’t put a stop to Houseal. He’s since developed a second career as a book author and serves as historian of the Harrisburg bureau, a post he’s held since his appointment by former Mayor Stephen Reed.

Housel has authored several books about the Harrisburg area’s firefighting history and his own experience during his years of service. His first book, “We Can See It from the Bridge,” was published in 2010, titled after a phrase common to Harrisburg firefighters.

“I’ve always been a voracious reader, but there never really was anything to read about firefighting,” Houseal said. “A lot of people were craving books for firefighters written by firefighters. I draw a lot on my own stuff that I have and voluminous correspondence from others.”

Just Awesome

Today, Houseal is pounding the keyboard to finish a fifth book in his converted writer’s cottage outside his South Hanover Township home. At first, his work was published in conjunction with “Engine 82” author Dennis Smith, “a really good friend,” he said. After Smith died five years ago, Houseal began self-publishing his books in conjunction with David A. Smith Printing of Harrisburg.

Years ago, Houseal also was appointed as chairman of the steering committee that established the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum.

“Dave has been involved with the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum since its inception and continues to be a driving force in the museum,” said Jason Lloyd, Harrisburg Bureau of Fire battalion chief and owner of the Allison Hook & Ladder Co. #2 firehouse. “While he’s contributed in so many ways to the fire companies he’s been involved with, I believe his involvement with the history of the service is his greatest accomplishment.”

Since 2003, the museum has been based in an 1899-era firehouse that once was home to the Reily Hose Co. No. 10 of Harrisburg. From the beginning, Houseal has tackled the role of historian with profound enthusiasm.

“Dave literally digs through endless archives at the museum, online resources and his family’s personal records to post events daily,” Lloyd said.

Among his many source materials: newspaper articles, historical photos and turn-of-the-century Sanborn city directory maps, meticulously research and cross-referenced. Much of his research eventually appears on the very active PA Fire Museum Facebook page.

“It’s just awesome what he does,” Lloyd said.

Dynasty

Considering Houseal’s lineage, it’s little wonder that he sprouted an avid interest in firefighting.

His father, Robert M. Houseal Jr., grandfather, Robert Houseal Sr., and two great-uncles all served as firefighters in the Harrisburg area, with Robert Sr. and Robert Jr. each attaining the posts of fire chief.

Houseal began volunteering as a local firefighter as soon as he was old enough to do so.

After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he returned to Harrisburg to become the first graduate of HACC’s fire science program in 1974. A year later, he joined the ranks of the Harrisburg bureau, where he remained for nearly 30 years.

Nonetheless, Houseal said that he “never felt pressured” to continue the family’s firefighting dynasty. Instead, it was a passion he developed all on his own.

“I liked the people I worked with,” he said. “Being there was like a family.”

Firefighting research also is family tradition started by Houseal’s father.

“Grandpa always thought he was right about everything,” Houseal said. “So, that started dad to dig in and look for facts.”

Eventually, Houseal’s father compiled enough material during his long hours at the Pennsylvania State Library to fill four filing cabinets. After his father’s death in 1976, Dave became the obvious heir of these voluminous files, all of which provided a running start for his own recordkeeping.

“This is the kind of thing that makes Dave truly special,” Lloyd said. “He truly has a passion for both the fire service and the history.”

The Pennsylvania National Fire Museum is located at 1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.pnfm.org or call 717-232-8915.

Your House Is an Arthouse: Watch great movies, support Midtown Cinema, with video on demand.

April 30, 2020 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

The world has shut down.

Well, it’s not, really. But for a lot of businesses, it might as well be the case. Many are struggling to engage their customers from their homes, an act that proves difficult for businesses that promote a collective experience.

Take movie theaters, for example. As someone who has worked at one for over six years, I cannot tell you how many times we’ve had the conversation about competing with digital content. There’s certainly no shortage of movies to watch on TV or online. But movie theaters stay in business because they push the idea of movie-watching as an event.

There’s nothing quite like seeing a film projected on a screen several times the size of your TV screen or that moment when the lights go down and everything gets silent for just that one second. These are things you can’t experience in your own home. And not only is it the experience of choosing the perfect seat or enjoying your favorite concession, but it is an experience best shared with others—collectively with strangers, many worlds colliding together to take in one story. There’s an energy you feel in a crowded movie theater. Funny scenes become funnier when you have others to laugh with, and upsetting scenes hit closer to home when there are dozens of other people in the room amplifying that emotion.

But, unfortunately, being a part of a crowd right now is the last thing that people want to do. So. What will happen to the movie theaters?

Cinemas across the world are struggling with this same question. If people can’t go to the movies, then will cinemas be able to survive the temporary closure?

Well, bigger theaters had already sort of answered this question before COVID-19 even came into the picture. Some chains (e.g. AMC) have even made their own video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, simply to capitalize on more than one market. When communities began adhering to social distancing orders, many larger theaters had the luxury of closing down without worrying about breaking the bank. Sure, they wouldn’t make any money, but they wouldn’t go under either.

But for independent cinemas, the situation was more dire. In the beginning stages of social distancing, many cinemas, Midtown Cinema included, sent a message to their patrons: “We’re closing down. We’ll be back. We’re still selling gift cards and memberships that you can use when we do.” And that, initially, was all that independents put their hope in. There was a lot of speculation and a lot of finger-crossing.

Luckily, film distributors, especially the smaller companies, understood that, if these smaller, independent cinemas were to go out of business, they would lose a lot of the screens where their smaller films play. So, many distributors worked out a deal with the independents. Since most of the smaller films that were slated for release are instead going straight to VOD, independent cinemas now have the chance to provide their patrons with a link discrete to their own cinema, for which they get a portion of the proceeds every time the film is rented. This is not unlike the arrangement for a film that plays on the cinema screen—the distributor takes a good percentage of any ticket that is purchased. Except that, now, the cinemas get a cut instead of the distributors.

So why does this work? Like I said before, we may be small potatoes, but those potatoes add up in the end. Distributors need us. Or, at least, they want us, because a lot of indie film fans look to their cinema to guide what they watch. These films would go unnoticed if not for the cinemas.

Independents like Midtown Cinema know that they have a loyal fan base waiting for them to open up their doors, people who want to be supportive and keep the cinema alive. Really, right now, independent cinemas are receiving more support than they’ve ever received—from both distributors and patrons. And Midtown Cinema, for one, is very grateful.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

On Demand

Midtown Cinema currently has the following video-on-demand titles available through www.midtowncinema.com:

“And Then We Danced”
“Bacurau”
“Balloon”
“Beanpole”
“Best of CatVideoFest”
“The Booksellers”
“Colonel Redl”
“Confidence”
“Corpus Christi”
“Deerskin”
“Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy”
“Dona Flor And Her Two Husbands”
“Extra Ordinary”
“Fantastic Fungi”
“The Hottest August”
“Incitement”
“L’Innocente”
“Mephisto”
“Mossville”
“No Data Plan”
“Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band”
“Pahokee”
“The Perfect Nanny”
“The Roads Not Taken”
“Saint Frances”
“Slay The Dragon”
“Sorry We Missed You”
“The Times Of Bill Cunningham”
“The Traitor”
“Vitalina Varela”
“The Whistlers”
“The Wild Goose Lake”
“The Woman Who Loves Giraffes”
“Zombi Child”

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