Gov. Wolf orders PA schools closed for 2 weeks

March 13, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The Harrisburg school district’s Lincoln School

Pennsylvania schools will close for 10 business days in response to the coronavirus threat.

Gov. Tom Wolf made the announcement on Friday afternoon that he was ordering all K-12 schools to close for two weeks beginning on Monday.

“We understand that these are trying times and recognize the impact of the coronavirus on our students and communities,” he said, in a statement. “First and foremost, my top priority as governor—and that of our education leaders—must be to ensure the health and safety of our students and school communities. As such, I am ordering that all schools in the commonwealth close for the next two weeks.”

As a result, schools will not be penalized this year if they fail to meet the 180-day threshold, Wolf said.

Wolf added that the state received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow eligible schools to serve meals to low-income students in a “non-congregate setting,” such as a drive-through or grab-and-go, during this closure.

Later in the afternoon, the Harrisburg school district affirmed that it would be shut for two weeks, planning now to reopen on March 30.

“Working in collaboration with the governor’s office, we will do our part to ensure the health, well-being, and safety of our students and staff, and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout the Harrisburg School District and community,” said Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer, in a statement.

The district said that it was committed to continuing free meals for qualified students, but didn’t specify how that service would continue.

“In a district such as ours, we know that closing schools will impact families who depend on the free meals that we provide to students five days a week,” Celmer stated. “To help mitigate the impact on families, the administration will continue internal and external meetings and conversations with our food service department, vendors, and community partners to address this concern.”

In its daily update, the state Department of Health today said that four more residents from Montgomery County and two from Delaware County are presumed to have the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total to 28 cases. All are in the hospital or isolated at home, according to the department.

So far, all presumptive cases have been in eastern Pennsylvania. There have been no cases reported in the immediate Harrisburg area.

This story has been updated with information regarding and comments from the Harrisburg school district.

TheBurg Podcast: March 2020, The “Welcome Back” Edition

March 12, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

Meet some of the Harrisburg area’s most fascinating people, and hear their own authentic stories, straight from every month’s issue—with a different twist—on TheBurg Podcast. Because there’s always “more to the story.” Hosted by Karen Hendricks. TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Susan Ryder has written a series of stories about the homeless for TheBurg. In the March 2020 magazine (“Lend A Hand—A beginner’s guide to helping the homeless”), she compiles resources to guide the good intentions of donors. On the podcast, she talks about her personal connection to this issue, the evolution of her stories on the homeless, and some of the commonly held misconceptions people often have about the homeless.

Think about your favorite hometown pizza, and chances are, it’ll cook up a nostalgic memory. Jennie O’Neill of Knead Pizza hopes her pies have all the right ingredients to create those memories for current Harrisburg residents. She talks about her “recipe for success,” how the Broad Street Market is an incubator for businesses, and she reveals the craziest things she’s ever put on a pizza. More info: Knead More Pizza

Angie and Trevor Spencer might not be household names to you, but to thousands of listeners across the globe, they’re known as the personalities behind the Marathon Training Academy podcast. And who knew? They live and create their podcast right here in Central PA, in Carlisle. They share their thoughts on podcasting (10 years into their business!), how a “running community” is formed, and—now that they’ve moved here—their impressions of Harrisburg and Central PA. More info: Run Hear

TMHT: Plus Editor Larry Binda joins us to share “the most Harrisburg thing”—a recurring feature closing out each episode. Today’s TMHT focuses on community and collaboration.

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren Mills

Website: https://theburgnews.com

Karen Hendricks is a lifelong journalist; visit her website here.

Harrisburg St. Patrick’s Day parade, other events, cancelled due to coronavirus concerns

March 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s 2nd Street, where the St. Patrick’s Day parade was due to take place.

There will be no St. Patrick’s Day parade in Harrisburg this year, due to the nationwide coronavirus health crisis.

The Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District (HDID), which sponsors the event, made the decision on Thursday afternoon to scratch the March 21 parade, saying it was canceling the annual march “due to safety and health concerns related to COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus.”

Likewise, the Lucky Charm 5K/10K, which was to precede the race, has been cancelled, though runners are encouraged to complete a “virtual race” of equivalent distance to receive their medals.

In its press release, the HDID said that the 2020 St. Patrick’s Day parade would not be rescheduled, but that fees, sponsorships and donations would automatically be applied to next year’s parade. Alternatively, people can request a refund in writing by mail to HDID at 22 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg, 17101, or by email to [email protected].

The parade and race cancellations are arguably the most visible cancellations yet in the Harrisburg area due to coronavirus concerns. Other cancellations today included the Central PA Handbell Festival and Workshop for this weekend and VIBE, the largest annual event of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, which was slated for March 18 at Hershey Lodge.

“We understand the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus (COVID-19) for your business, your employees and your families,” said Harrisburg Chamber/CREDC president and CEO David Black, in a statement. “The health and safety of our community is our top priority.”

On the local stage, Gamut Theatre Group announced that it would cancel all public performances for the next three weeks, starting with its Friday performance of “An Enemy of the People.”

“This is a difficult decision and was not decided lightly,” said Will Mueller, Gamut spokesperson, in a statement. “This decision will cause financial hardship for our company, of which we will feel the ripple effects for some time. But nothing is more important than keeping our community safe and healthy.”

These cancellations came soon after Gov. Tom Wolf released a statement this afternoon urging the suspension of gatherings of more than 250 people, as well as discouraging travel to recreational activities such as gyms, movie theaters and shopping malls.

As of Thursday, the commonwealth has reported 22 suspected cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania, although none so far in the immediate Harrisburg area. Of these cases, 13 have been reported in Montgomery County.

“While people are free to travel, I ask that everyone refrain from non-essential travel,” Wolf said. “We all need to do our part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The time to do this is now. We cannot wait.”

For the latest information on the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health website.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

March 12, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

I think we could all use some downtime, no? If you’re thinking about city living, please join us this afternoon at The BenMar (124 Pine St., Harrisburg) — we’ll have refreshments, music, and free tours. Registration (FREE) required. On Saturday, we’re enjoying a special wine dinner that we purchased in a Très Bonne Année auction in October. Otherwise, the weekend is low-key, which is just fine with me. I’ve got popcorn on my mind.

What are you doing this weekend?

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Competition in a Cup: Little Amps to hold annual latte contest, fundraiser

March 11, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Which is which? Coffee cuppers makes their selections during last year’s “throw-down” at Little Amps. Photos: Aimee Nguyen

Most days, Little Amps is pretty chill—a good place to hang out, enjoy a cup, chat and work. But, for one night each year, the competition really heats up.

Little Amps Coffee Roasters is holding its annual latte art competition at its State Street location on March 20. Contestants will put their pouring skills to the test as they go head-to-head to win judges over with their coffee masterpieces. [Please note: this event has been postponed.]

“Every year, we do a throw-down,” Rik Shellhamer, marketing director for Little Amps, said. “The latte art is like a celebration. People get really excited.”

This year’s contest is called the “Spring Break Oatdown” because it is sponsored by Oatly, an oat milk company. All the milk used in the lattes will be oat milk. To match the theme, Little Amps is encouraging attendees to wear spring break attire.

Each barista or self-taught coffee connoisseur will enter a bracket of around 26 to 32 participants. The top three will win Little Amps swag and coffee-related items.

“It’s a party that anyone’s welcome to come to,” Shellhamer said.

Little Amps Barista Kaiti Pates learned the art of a beautiful latte through YouTube and competed in the showdown a couple times over the years.

“I like when other coffee houses come through,” Pates said. “I like that sort of community, and I like a competition.”

In addition to the latte art, there will be a cupping triangulation contest with people tasting three cups of coffee to determine which is different.

The event is open to the public and is free to watch and $5 to participate, Shellhamer said.

Throughout the night, there will be music, catering by Korealicious and beer from Troegs. Money from the signups and additional donations will go to Brigada Solidaria del Oeste, an earthquake disaster relief team in Puerto Rico.

While the competition may be hot, Shellhamer explained the event is all about having fun.

“It’s just to have a good time with our community,” she said. “It’s just to get out of the winter funk and get everyone together.”

Please note that, due to the coronavirus crisis, the Spring Break Oatdown, which was supposed to take place next week at Little Amps, 133 State St., Harrisburg, as been postponed. For more information, visit https://littleampscoffee.com/.

Harrisburg Planning Commission approves revised, 11-story design for HU academic building

March 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An aerial rendering of HU’s building following the redesign

The city got its first look on Tuesday night at a revised design for a planned academic building for downtown Harrisburg.

At a special meeting of the city Planning Commission, Harrisburg University presented its plan for an 11-story building at the corner of Chestnut and S. 3^rd streets.

“The revised design is very similar to what was approved (previously),” said David Alessi, senior associate at Stantec, the project’s design and engineering firm.

Last year, the commission approved plans for a 17-story building and a 10-story, 197-room hotel. However, HU’s hotel partner, Harrisburg-based HHM, was unable to secure financing for that portion of the project, said HU President Eric Darr.

“We worked with multiple finance partners, but we couldn’t wait any longer,” Darr told commission members.

The problem, he said, was comparative. He said that project analysis showed that the hotel would be profitable. Nonetheless, potential financiers felt that they could get an even better return by committing their money to projects in other cities, he said.

Darr said that HU’s analysis showed “a clear demand for a hotel in the city of Harrisburg.”

With the loss of the hotel, HU cut the project’s size by about one-third, proceeding solely with an educational building. The $100-million, 260,000-square-foot facility will house HU’s new Health Science Education Center.

Planning Commission members seemed satisfied with the design, complimenting HU for adding brick to the façade and for aligning the design with HU’s current tower on Market Street.

“I like how it blends in with HU’s tower,” said commissioner Zachary Monnier. “It’s matching up with the building.”

The new design also eliminates a planned curb cut along Chestnut Street, which some city officials had criticized.

Following HU’s presentation, the commission unanimously approved the new development plan, which now must be approved by City Council.

HU has already cleared the site at S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets, but hasn’t yet started to build the structure. Assuming the revised development plan passes muster with council, HU expects the building to begin to take shape this summer and be completed in late 2021.

Harrisburg Council overturns mayor’s veto following tense exchange over development strategy, policy

March 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council in session on Tuesday

Harrisburg City Council overturned a mayoral veto on Tuesday, though the two branches of government agreed to work towards a policy that could give the city more leverage over future development projects.

By a 5-2 vote, council rejected the action by Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who recently vetoed a resolution that would vacate several “paper” streets on a parcel of land where the new federal courthouse now is rising.

Before the meeting, Papenfuse said that he vetoed the resolution to make a point. He wants council members to create a policy that would require developers to conduct a “public benefit analysis” when requesting street vacations.

Such a policy, he said, would give the city leverage as developers continue to plan projects in Harrisburg. In exchange for the street vacation, the city could ask for certain benefits, such as offsetting city-borne costs, making streetscape improvements, utilizing local labor or including affordable housing.

“It could help us with affordable housing policy in the city,” he said. “In Seattle, and many cities, they require a public benefit proposal on the part of the developer.”

Last month, council approved a resolution that would vacate “various unnamed paper streets” on the 4.2-acre site at N. 6^th and Reily streets, where the federal government is building a 243,000-square-foot courthouse.

Usually, paper streets are narrow “baker’s” or “grocer’s” alleys that offer rear access to row houses. On the courthouse site, neither the houses nor the alleys exist any longer, but the public rights of way remain on paper.

On Tuesday, Papenfuse told council that, currently, the city holds little leverage over a developer outside of the normal planning and zoning process. Requiring an analysis for street vacations would give the city a tool to extract “public benefit” concessions for large projects, he said.

“It would be a power vested in City Council that is not granted through the land development process,” he said.

Papenfuse then summarized Seattle’s policy to council, using it as an example of an effective street vacation policy, saying that the process could be used to place leverage on developers to include affordable housing in their projects or to mandate the use of local labor.

“I know we have a lot of street vacations coming down the pike,” Papenfuse said. “I’m hopeful that we can develop a policy.”

Before casting her override vote, council President Wanda Williams criticized Papenfuse’s housing strategy, saying that he has supported past development proposals in the city that didn’t include an affordable housing element.

“I’m a little outraged by that veto,” she said. “I asked for an affordable housing component, and you sat there with your head down each and every time.”

Despite a lengthy, critical exchange with Papenfuse, Williams said that she would be interested in discussing a street vacation policy.

“I think we should work on this quickly,” agreed council member Dave Madsen, one of two votes, along with council member Westburn Majors, to uphold the veto.

Papenfuse admitted that his veto was unlikely to impact the federal courthouse project, which is well underway and slated for completion in spring 2022. But he said that he wanted to make a point that council should pass a street vacation policy.

“These are public streets,” he said. “Potentially, there are things that could be received in exchange, which goes well beyond the courthouse.”

This was Papenfuse’s second veto of a “street vacation” resolution. Early last year, he vetoed a street vacation resolution for the proposed site of an AutoZone store in Uptown Harrisburg, which council also overturned.

At that time, Papenfuse said he wanted to use the street vacation to pressure AutoZone to submit development plans that he considered to be more satisfactory. In fact, council just last month granted the AutoZone project two more street vacations, which should allow construction to begin soon on the project.

Members of the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA), along with Harrisburg City Council members, pose for a picture following the unanimous council vote to back legislation allowing all residents to secure driver’s licenses.

In other action on Tuesday, City Council:

Voted 6-1 to approve an agreement transferring the Strawberry Square Arcade to the Strawberry Square Condominium Association, with Williams voting no.
By a 5-2 vote, approved a resolution to hire Harrisburg-based Maverick Strategies to continue to provide consulting and lobbying for Harrisburg. The agreement for the $5,000 monthly retainer expires on Dec. 31.
Unanimously passed a resolution hiring Ecological Solutions to provide lake management services for Italian Lake at a cost of $9,125.
Unanimously passed a resolution backing state legislation that would allow Pennsylvania residents, regardless of immigration status, access to a valid driver’s license. Following the vote, about 40 members of the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA), who spearheaded the resolution and attended the meeting, cheered loudly, vocalizing their support for council’s action.

Harrisburg area home sales, prices rise in February

March 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A “for sale” sign outside a building in Harrisburg

Housing data continued to be strong in the Harrisburg area, with sales and prices both up in February.

For the three-county region, sales increased to 487 housing units last month, compared to 441 in February 2019 and 388 in February 2018, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR). The median sales price was $180,000 versus $168,000 in the year-ago period and $157,000 in February 2018, GHAR said.

In Dauphin County, 250 housing units sold in February, compared to 235 last year, while the median price rose to $164,900 versus $150,000 in February 2019, according to GHAR.

In Cumberland County, 214 homes sold compared to 191 a year ago, while the median sales price increased to $213,000 from $195,000 in February 2019. Perry County also showed a sales increase, to 23 units versus 15 last year, though the median price fell to $163,000 from $210,000 in February 2019, GHAR said.

Over the past year, both housing sales and prices have generally trended up in the Harrisburg area, according to GHAR.

Burg Review: “Curious Incident,” a puzzle beautifully solved at Theatre Harrisburg

March 8, 2020 | by Gina Napoli

A scene from “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” now playing at Theatre Harrisburg. Photo: Chris Guerrisi

This play should come with a warning: contains more math than is digestible on weekends. Though following number logic feels like work, it’s integral to understanding the main character.

In “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” Christopher Boone [Garrett Kinsley], a 15-year-old autistic boy, interprets the world through numbers, patterns, rituals and literal meanings. In a mind so concrete, pictorial and organized, abstract concepts like heaven, God and emotions do not compute.

It’s through this first-person lens that Kinsley skillfully takes us on Christopher’s journey. Imagine the stage as his mind. Props are arranged logically and linearly, with images inside cubed boxes, with trapdoors and ramps. Different scenes flash on the walls like a choppy projector. Each memory is compartmentalized into boxes.

Irregular transitions between each of the play’s 52 scenes reflect his abrupt nature. Voices in his head are personified. The chalkboard walls and flooring are symbolic of his black-and-white interpretations. In a way, the setting becomes a character, gliding us through Christopher’s mind seamlessly between past and present without chronology confusion.

We first meet Christopher in his neighbor Mrs. Shears’ [Andrea Stephenson] front yard. He rocks self-soothingly, petting her dog, which is pierced with a pitchfork. When a crowd gathers, escalating the situation, Christopher seems unaware that he looks guilty. What may have been easily clarified ends with Christopher at the police station and Dad [Anthony Leukus] rescuing him.

Christopher becomes fixated on finding the killer, despite his Dad forbidding it. Christopher’s search starts in the neighborhood, where a kindly grandmother [Lois Heagy] tries to befriend him. He rebuffs her friendship in the same way he avoids eye contact, human touch and foods that are yellow and brown. His teacher [Brenda C. Eppley] seems to be the only adult outside his family able to penetrate his shell.

In the same way Christopher unravels the mystery of who killed Mrs. Shears’ dog, his own life begins to spiral when his sleuthing uncovers family secrets. He chronicles his findings in a private book, turning this play into a story-within-a-story. Dad reacts violently when he finds the book, showcasing uncomfortable father-son stage combat.

Then the mood shifts. Act two finds Christopher running away to London. He mismanages through several train stations, endangering himself repeatedly. Then he painfully navigates interpersonal situations, past and present.

Although Dad usually handles Christopher well, Dad’s capacity is limited. Leukus balances the dark and light within Dad’s character to make him sympathetic, bringing forth the dichotomy in an unnervingly human way.

Also awkward to watch is Christopher’s mother [Callie Alvanitakis] trying to manage his public tantrums. Alvanitakis beautifully translates that discomfort to her unsettled relationships with the other characters.

Christopher uses his routines to push himself through a tired haze to focus on taking his high-level math exam, three years ahead of his current level. He cares enough about this exam to expend a whole stick of chalk explaining complex geometry/algebra to the audience. I won’t tell you which theorem; no spoilers here.

Theatre Harrisburg’s Executive Director Stosh Snyder said, “It’s hard to believe Garrett [Kinsley] is not on the spectrum himself. He really did his research to immerse himself in that role.”

To perfect his character, Kinsley drew on special needs kids his sister teaches. And he had help from the script. “That could have been more work for me, but the character was well defined in the blocking and the text,” he said.

Except for the math problem.

“That monologue was nearly the death of me. I kept blanking at rehearsal,” Kinsley said. “Having chalkboard walls helped, though.”

The walls and other inventive set elements sprang from Director Dave Olmstead’s imagination. He looked to the original novel for pictures, and he sought insights from his students with autism.

“Not having a multi-million-dollar budget allowed me to keep it simple, introducing symbolism, making bold choices, and taking risks,” he said.

Don’t let the scary math warning stop you. Watching this character-driven play was satisfying, like solving a tough riddle or a Sudoku puzzle.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” runs through March 15 at Theatre Harrisburg, Krevsky Center, 513 Hurlock St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.theatreharrisburg.com/.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

March 6, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

The Salvation Army building in Midtown Harrisburg

This past week, you may have been focused on the many important national new stories. Still, plenty was happening locally, too. If you missed some of our coverage, we have it all listed and linked below.

Arts blogger Bob took a trip out of town to see a stunning, sprawling exhibit in historic Milton, Pa. In his column, find out what’s hanging there, and he also has some ideas closer to home.

Gamut Theatre Co. has a new show this month, the classic drama, “An Enemy of the People.” Our theater reviewer attended opening night to take in the play’s timely, powerful message. Click here to read her review.

Harrisburg University is revising its plan for a new building in downtown Harrisburg, removing a 10-story hotel from the proposal. Find out why and what comes next by reading our online news story.

Harrisburg University recently debuted a testing lab, with ambitions to grow the facility to benefit both students and businesses. Check out our online story to find out more about the initiative and where you’ll soon find the testing center.

Music in the Harrisburg area has improved by leaps and bounds, says our music writer. Her magazine column reveals which shows are worth your time this month.

Sandwiches by ShakeDown has debuted in the Broad Street Market, with a new concept from the owners of the former barbecue favorite. Get a taste of what they’re up to in our online story, which also has an early (metaphorical) Easter egg for hungry fans.

Salvation Army Harrisburg has been trying to sell its Midtown building for five years, and an interested buyer has finally emerged. Find out what the proposed developer plans to do and how his concept has been greeted.

Sara Bozich always has something fun up her sleeve, and this weekend is no exception. Pick and choose from her long list of events, which contains something for every taste.

Steve Reed served as Harrisburg mayor for 28 years, leaving office as one of the most important, and controversial, figures in city history. Now that Reed has passed, our editor, in his monthly column, takes another look at his legacy.

The Painted Word is our quarterly review of the fine arts scene in and around Harrisburg. This month, our columnist went to school—literally—with a roundup of exhibits at area colleges.

Zeroday Brewing Co. has a lot on its plate—and in its taps. TheBurg broke the news last weekend of a major expansion for the Harrisburg-based company. Find out what’s brewing in one of our most-read online stories of the past year.

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

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