Business parking program proposed for Harrisburg, meets resistance from City Council

October 30, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Cars parked along Reily Street in Harrisburg, near the future federal courthouse.

Which comes first: the parking chicken or the parking egg?

On Tuesday night, Harrisburg City Council and the administration debated this question as they discussed whether to establish a business parking permit program in the city.

The idea would be similar to the current program for residential parking permits, said Richard Kotz, the city’s parking administrator. For a fee, city businesses could purchase annual permits for street parking in designated zones, which would be outside of residential parking zones and outside of any metered area controlled by Park Harrisburg/SP+.

The proposal is meant to be an economic development driver for the city, Kotz said. It might also reduce the need for surface parking lots for businesses, while raising some money for the city, he said.

“These districts would provide another economic tool that would attract new businesses into the city as well as retain existing ones that may be expanding,” Kotz said.

Almost immediately, council members pushed back on the proposal. They asked for greater detail, such as how many districts the administration would propose and where it would locate them.

“First, do you know how districts we’d be looking to see in the city initially?” asked council member Ausha Green, the chair of the public safety committee.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the first step would be to establish the program, setting up its general structure. Specifics, such as where they districts would be established, would come after and would be subject to approval by council, just like residential districts currently are.

“Whatever proposals we have would come before council,” he said. “There would be a process where they would be vetted and discussed. This is merely allowing us to establish a business parking permit concept similar as what we have with the residential parking now.”

City Solicitor Neil Grover explained that Harrisburg’s residential parking zones have been established incrementally, over a series of many years.

“First, you create a program,” he said. “We’re really at a threshold question of should the city have a business parking permit program. It’s a long-term process.”

If established, the program would be a pioneer, the first such business parking permit program in the state, he said.

Several council members kept pressing the administration for additional detail. Council President Wanda Williams seemed skeptical that the administration didn’t have certain areas or businesses in mind.

“You must have an idea where you want to put particular districts,” she said. “I’m asking you: Where is that information?”

Council member Ben Allatt voiced concern that business districts could encroach on residential areas, creating more difficult parking for residents. He said that he’d like to see a “multi-pronged solution” that addressed both residential and business parking.

“We have multiple issues, and we’re only addressing part of that by this,” he said. “I’d like to see a comprehensive look at how we’re looking at parking also from a residential aspect.”

Papenfuse said that Kotz is “actively working with residents” to improve and change residential parking districts.

“That is going on simultaneously,” he said.

Several council members referred specifically to areas of Midtown, where parking is already difficult due to state workers parking on the street, with the possibility of even tougher parking after completion of the federal courthouse and the new state archives, both on N. 6^th Street.

“It’s possible we need a new residential district,” Papenfuse said. “We could expand the existing one.”

Council member Westburn Majors said that he thought that the idea had merit and that the city should consider establishing the program on a trial basis.

“Usually, when you have an idea like this, there’s a pilot of a section or two,” he said. “In my mind, there are one or two areas of the city where an initial pilot like this would work well.”

Williams pushed back repeatedly on the proposal, insisting that she needed more information before casting a vote.

“Obviously, you were sitting around thinking about this,” she said. “Where is the map? Where is the zoning that you’re considering?”

She said she wanted “something on paper” that showed that some businesses needed permit parking, as well as where in the city that would be. She also said that, before acting on the proposal, she would like to hear from Park Harrisburg/SP+, which manages the city’s parking garages and metered parking, to see if they believed the proposal would impact their business.

Grover again insisted that the program had to be set up before any parking districts could be created, including for a pilot.

“You have to create standards,” he said. “There’s nothing there yet. Right now, the answer is you can’t put a business parking permit program in the city of Harrisburg. You just can’t do it, anywhere in the city. If you want to make that an option, you start with this and then you go to the next step.”

In the end, Green agreed with Williams that members should have more information before acting on the proposed ordinance to set up a business parking permit program and that they should hear from Park Harrisburg/SP+.

“I can see how this could really be beneficial to businesses that need that extra parking,” Green said. “But I think there are also concerns brought up by council tonight.”

Sandwich & Sounds: Whitaker Center composes live music series for the lunchtime crowd

October 30, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Your lunch comes with a soundtrack

Whitaker Center is dusting off its Steinway piano and opening the doors to local lunch-breakers next week for the first program in its “Thursday Afternoon” series.

Initially to be held twice each month, the series asks community members to step out of their offices and into an experience with the arts during lunch hour, free of charge.

“You will get more exposure to the local music scene,” said Whitaker Center CEO Ted Black. “It’s a nice relaxing break from your day.”

Attendees are invited to bring something as simple as a bag lunch to enjoy during the performances or something more sumptuous like a bottle of Prosecco, added Thursday Afternoon Curator Jeff Lynch.

The event is sponsored by a long-time supporter of Whitaker Center, the Lois Lehrman Grass Foundation.

The first performance, on Nov. 7, will be an afternoon of jazz in the Kunkel Gallery by the Paul Jost Quartet. Jost is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger whose voice Lynch described as a mix of Tony Bennett and Sting.

“You could go see Paul in Paris for $50 a head or you could go see him at the Whitaker Center for free,” Lynch said.

Another musical artist appearing in November will be inspirational singer Emmanuel Nsingani, who brings African flair to his jazz, which centers around lyrics of humanitarian concerns and hope. He will perform in the AMP Lobby.

In the following weeks, Bobby Gentilo will provide Mississippi blues to the community and the Jonathan Ragonese and Steve Rudolph duo continue the jazz theme with saxophone and keyboard performances.

“We are blessed to have some extraordinarily talented people nearby,” Lynch said.

Lynch recognized that, for many people, concerts and art events can seem inaccessible due to costs or time commitments, but the “Thursday Afternoon” series it trying to change that.

“This requires minimal investment,” he said. “It’s a free gig.”

Not only was the series created to engage the community in the arts, but to get people interested in Whitaker Center as a whole.

“We want to look forward to attracting the next generation,” Black said. “It’s an opportunity to reintroduce people to all that is happening.”

He mentioned that, during the same week as the launch of the music series, Whitaker Center will host the grand re-opening of the Harsco Science Center, which includes a renovated KidsPlace and new STEM Design Studios.

The Thursday Afternoon series will be held on Nov. 7 and 14 and Dec. 5 and 26. More may be scheduled in the future depending on how these are received.

“My hope is they go out and support performing arts,” Lynch said. “I just want the scene to be cool here.”

The Thursday Afternoon series runs 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., starting on Nov. 7, at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://www.whitakercenter.org/events/detail/thursday-afternoon.

Proposed Allison Hill dispensary under scrutiny at Harrisburg Council session

October 29, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Hamilton Health CEO Jeannine Peterson speaks at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Harrisburg City Council took a lengthy look on Tuesday night at a plan to build a medical marijuana dispensary in the heart of Allison Hill.

Over the course of two hours, council members peppered officials with Coopersburg-based WH RE LLC with questions regarding issues as varied as community outreach, tax abatement and job opportunities.

“Why do you choose to locate in the Harrisburg area and why in an urban area?” asked council President Wanda Williams.

CEO Peter Bio responded that his company selected Harrisburg because of the population density and because, when they applied, no other dispensary was located in the city limits.

“I think the goal of DOH (PA Department of Health) is to have dispensaries located throughout the state,” he said.

Last December, the department awarded two dispensary licenses in Harrisburg: one to Local Dispensaries, a related company to WH RE LLC, and another to Harvest of South Central PA, which plans to open in the former Camp Curtin BBQ building on N. 6th Street.

WH RE LLC wants to build a 3,000-square-foot dispensary at 137 S. 17^th St., directly across the street from Hamilton Health Center.

Council must approve the facility’s land use plan before the company can break ground, which it expects to do in late spring, followed by a four-month construction period. The project already has received the approval of the city’s Planning Commission.

The current empty lot, left, and a rendering of the proposed dispensary, right

Several council members questioned the company’s decision to locate in the heart of South Allison Hill.

“A perception out there is that, in five to 10 years, marijuana will get legalized and, because this is a low income community, there will be customers there,” said Councilman Dave Madsen.

In response, Bio stated that a dispensary is a medical facility licensed and regulated by the state Department of Health, that the average patient is in their mid-60s and that there’s no connection between medical cannabis and the possible legalization of recreational marijuana.

He said the site was selected for a number of attributes, including access to public transportation, proximity to I-83, access to a potential patient population and enough empty land to build a retail store with parking.

Repeatedly, council members and several residents criticized the company for a perceived lack of public outreach in the area around the proposed dispensary.

“I think outreach needs to be done,” said council member Ausha Green.

In the public comment period, Jeannine Peterson, CEO of Hamilton Health, said that she was surprised to learn that the company scored high in its state Department of Health application for community outreach.

“My understanding is that this organization received a high score for community involvement,” she said. “They have not had community involvement until recently, when they came up to City Council review. I want to know what community involvement occurred.”

Bio admitted that the company has not done extensive outreach on a house-by-house basis, but pledged that he would accelerate that effort. He also said that his company would employ as many as 30 people with 24 months, including many Harrisburg residents.

Bio also said that he had no intention to apply for a tax abatement. The city has a property tax abatement program for new construction, if a builder meets certain conditions.

At the meeting, the company also came under criticism for choosing a location within 1,000 feet of two daycare centers, for which they had to receive a waiver from the state.

“You have to convince us that this is good thing for our community,” said Shirley Blanton, president of the South Allison Hill Homeowners and Residents Association. “Everything that we’ve done, we’ve done for the benefit of our community, and I’m not sure this is a good idea for us.”

One Harrisburg resident, Darryl Hickey, spoke strongly in favor of the dispensary.

“You’re welcome here,” he said. “Bring it in. Bring it all in.”

In the end, council decided to hold another work session hearing on the issue once the developer had done more extensive community outreach. This likely will delay a vote on the company’s land development plan into December.

A Kilt & a Cause: If you see a marathoner in a skirt, it’s probably Camp Hill’s Donald Harper

October 29, 2019 | by Marirose Monaghan

Many spectators at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., last weekend saw an unusual sight: Donald Harper of Camp Hill running in a kilt.

According to Harper, it started as a bit of a joke.

“Then my wife actually got me a kilt, and it was easier for her to find me at the finish line because there’s not a lot of people wearing one,” he said.

Wearing a kilt isn’t only original, but it draws attention to Homes for Our Troops, the charity Harper runs for.

“I usually win the kilted division because it’s a kilted division of one,” he joked.

Homes for Our Troops is a nonprofit organization providing modified homes for injured veterans. More than 500 runners join their running team yearly to raise money—and awareness—to their cause. Harper has been a part of their running team since 2013. He wore their emblem at the Marine Corps Marathon, though the charity did not directly participate in this year’s event.

Through the charity, Harper met Cara Yanosick, who managed internal events and community fundraising for the charity, including their running team. Harper’s passion for running inspired her to join the team.

“I turned to him for advice about running and what races to do,” Yanosick said.

This year, she ran the marathon with a veteran who received a home from the charity.

“It really does make a difference knowing that you’re running for more than yourself,” she said.

Harper’s job as an allergy and immunology specialist for Carlisle-based Medical Arts Allergy and UPMC Pinnacle consumes 60 to 80 hours of the week, but he also knows that balance is essential. Even though running is important to him, he makes more time to be with patients and family.

“If everything goes well, I run four days a week, however work, weather and boys’ soccer factors into that,” Harper said. “I’m not going to run to win anything, but I do it for people who can’t run marathons.”

Once an airman himself, Harper knows how important it is to step up to the challenge.

“One year, when the course used to run through Georgetown, I was going up the big hill and I saw a woman wearing a T-shirt that said, ‘1 IED, 17 surgeries, 428 days in the hospital and rehab, now let’s talk about your pain.’ It absolutely puts it into perspective,” he said.

Harper has had many running partners, including Geoff Towers, a friend from when he served in the Air Force. Towers ran the marathon once in 2016, the year he retired from active duty.

“I ran it that year because I knew I’d get the guaranteed entry,” Towers recalled.

Active duty military are guaranteed a running spot in the marathon, and many take advantage of that every year. The pair attended medical school at the University of Utah together, completed residency at Keesler Medical Center in Mississippi, and were stationed in England together.

Towers and Harper have also run the Air Force Marathon and Disney’s Dopey Challenge together, where Harper marked his 2000^th marathon mile in January 2018.

Towers didn’t run the Marine Corps Marathon with Harper this year, but recalled it as a great race, especially the blue mile, a mile-long tribute at the marathon to fallen Marines and their families. To Towers, it was “a very poignant reminder of a sacrifice a lot of people have made to preserve liberty and freedom.”

Harper, interviewed before the race, said he was looking forward to the 2019 marathon.

“I run a bunch of them, but Marine Corps is at the top of my list for a lot of reasons,” Harper said.

This year’s race also marked Harper’s first 50k.

“We’ll see how it goes,” he joked. “It may be ugly, but it’s important to stand up to the challenge.”

To learn more about Homes for Our Troops, visit their website.

Pictured above: Donald Harper at a previous Marine Corps Marathon.

It’s Elementary: Harrisburg roaster debuts coffee shop, remarkable renovation in Capitol district

October 28, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Andrea Grove, owner of Elementary Coffee Co., in her new shop in downtown Harrisburg.

When are you going to open?

Over the past year, Andrea Grove has been asked that question over and over, ever since word got out that Elementary Coffee Co. planned to open a standalone shop in a newly renovated building in Harrisburg’s Capitol district.

She finally has a definitive answer: today.

This morning, a steady line of customers streamed into the storefront at North and Susquehanna streets—many of whom had become friends with Grove and fans of her small-batch coffee over the past five years, since she opened a stand in the Broad Street Market.

“I’m so relieved,” Grove said, as she sat at the long counter that dominates the seating area. “It’s nice to finally be able to present something that we’re passionate about to the city of Harrisburg. It feels great.”

The exterior of the new shop.

Elementary sits at the seam of residential and official Harrisburg, and Grove expects to draw from both types of customers—neighborhood denizens and office workers.

She had been looking for a location in the area south of Forster Street for some time when, last year, two of the owners of Mangia Qui/Rubicon—Qui Qui Musarra and Elide Hower, drinking coffee at her market stand—told her that she should look into the building that was being renovated right by their restaurants.

“They were whispering to each other,” Grove said. “Then they said, ‘Andrea have you considered the space near us?’”

In early 2018, Harrisburg attorney Matt Krupp and a partner bought the tumbledown building that once had housed a French restaurant called the Coventry. It had been vacant for 25 years, its roof had caved in, and most people had long ago marked it for the wrecking ball.

Krupp, though, had other ideas, buying the building from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority and mounting a 1½-year rebuilding project that yielded two upstairs apartments and the downstairs retail area now occupied by Elementary Coffee.

Grove loved the location, and soon the build-out began, led by architect Chris Dawson, contractor Misha Kaschock and a team of local craftspeople.

“Misha nailed it,” Grove said. “I think this space is such a testament to what he can do.”

Elementary’s Ryan Spahr takes an order from customer Jeff Johnson.

While Grove began serving coffee today, she has yet to begin roasting in the space, which should start soon. Until then, she’ll continue roasting at the Broad Street Market, and, market patrons–don’t fear–she is retaining her stand there, as well.

Otherwise, Grove wants to shape the new location into a true community space. From time to time, she will feature local music, local artists (first up, Katiie Reynolds) and participate in 3^rd in the Burg. In fact, her “grand opening” will be during the next 3^rd in the Burg on Nov. 15 and will feature cider from Gardners-based Big Hill Ciderworks and beer from Harrisburg’s Zeroday Brewing Co., which also is brewing a collaboration coffee beer with Elementary.

Soon, customers will have some delicious food options to go along with their coffee, including pastries from Harrisburg’s Raising the Bar and bagels from Lancaster-based Harvest Moon Bagel Co.

Due to its location, the shop is likely to become a popular place for meetings, and the folks at StartUp Harrisburg already were huddled around a table this morning, marking perhaps the first business meeting there.

“We’re thrilled to see Andrea’s hard work pay off in this beautiful space,” said StartUp co-owner Adam Porter. “Her focus has always been on serving others, and she can do that seven days a week now.”

In her new shop, Grove watched in real time as her long-held vision came true: people at tables sipping her coffee, patrons lined up at the counter, the Elementary team taking orders and her roasting equipment in back, waiting to get switched on.

“For us, this seemed like a very safe, secure and manageable location,” Grove said. “It is allowing us to realize our potential and hopes and dreams.”

Elementary Coffee Co. is located at 256 North St., Harrisburg. Hours are Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Elementary is also located in the brick building of the Broad Street Market during market hours. For more information, visit their website.

Bob’s Art Blog: Powerful Art Association exhibits spotlight LGBTQ history, opioid crisis

October 28, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

“Growth,” acrylic on paper, at the Art Association of Harrisburg

The summer of 1969, now half a century past, was one for the annals of time.

Revolutionary on many fronts, the year included the celebration of “peace, music and love” at Woodstock and the first men to land on the moon. In New York’s Greenwich Village, three days of violent riots took place to protest police harassment in a raid at the Stonewall Inn. The latter proved to be a watershed moment for advancing LGBT rights, pushing that movement to the foreground in a battle for equality and gay liberation.

The Art Association of Harrisburg, in conjunction with the LGBT Center of Central Pennsylvania and the Dickinson College archives, has mounted the exhibit, “Hope, Memory & Pride: Artists View Equality,” curated by AAH’s wunderkind, Rachel O’Connor. It showcases the event in picture and prose across varied mediums.

The juried exhibit is part of a dual show featuring the work of award-winning artist, Maria Maneos, and her “Brush With the Law” initiative. That exhibit deals directly with the opioid epidemic. Maneos won a juried award for her entry in Pennsylvania’s “Art of the State” in 2018. Since then, she has become even more of an agent of change, bringing the opioid crisis front and center through her art.

The exhibit that became “Hope, Memory and Pride” was the brainchild of Barry Loveland, chair of the LGBT Center’s History Project, who brought the idea to AAH to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots.

Given free reign and the LGBT Center’s blessing, curator O’Connor sought artists to view the History Project’s collection, stored at Dickinson, and create art inspired by items from its trove of materials. In addition, O’Connor asked the artists “to write a statement of accompaniment as to why LGBTQ visibility/equality is meaningful, what transpired at Stonewall meant to them or their thoughts on being an ally for the cause.”

In emphasizing the struggle the LGBT community faced back in 1969 and that continues today, O’Connor drew on the properties of vinyl when illustrating the artists’ viewpoints. Vinyl represents durability, resistance to abrasion and, in a metaphorical sense, is often used in fencing.

With Stonewall, the gay community took a stand tearing down the fences, the barriers of society represented by the police raid, stating that no more would they be put in a box as outcasts. It became the battle cry then and for generations to come. Representative of the individualistic interpretations are artist Robert McCormick’s, “Trans-American Gothic,” (pictured) a riff on Grant Wood’s iconic 1930 painting of a Midwestern couple posed outside their house. McCormick’s assemblage, incorporating true blue denim, patchwork fabric, paint, metal, wood and paper, puts a 21^st-century spin on the American classic. In another, an acrylic by STEN features a “Dude in Blue T-shirt” through a heavily textured painting rich in colors and tone. The painting lends credence to its insight that “there is courage and a knowing that makes coming out the ultimate choice.”

No matter gender, color or sexual orientation, we are human beings and should be given equal rights by law. With “Hope, Memory & Pride,” the LGBTQ community’s just cause is given their due historically and fundamentally.

The Second Floor Gallery is devoted to the second exhibit, “Bits & Pieces of the Past,” which reflects the efforts of one person to promote radical change toward reversing a trend that has reached epidemic proportions. The ever-growing numbers of opioid overdoses and deaths has hit critical mass.

Artist Maria Maneos and her program, “Brush With the Law,” takes the purposeful and restorative nature of art therapy to the prisons, teaching inmates like her son the power of creating a personal statement of reflection and growth out of their pain of addiction. Maneos’ art pulls no punches in its stark portrayal. Her award-winning “Art of the State” work, titled “5535-2017,” referenced the staggering number of lives lost to opioid overdoses in 2017. One of her timely works from this exhibit is “Power,” an outsized oil on canvas of a woman dressed only in her undergarments draped over a commode, making the power of drugs palpable (pictured). Another work by an inmate, entitled “Growth,” acrylic on paper, may be a unique take on personal reflection as a vine wraps around the figure, extending upward beyond her pain.

The connection between the two exhibits hinges on the word “Hope.” Society’s narrow view of what lies outside the norm often loses sight of the universal need that we all share regardless of our own walk. Hope can overcome all obstacles in our journey, for, with hope, obstacles can become opportunities and agency for change. Hope for tolerance and acceptance. Hope for a brighter tomorrow in which we all respect one another no matter race, religion, color, creed, gender or sexual orientation.

“Hope, Memory & Pride: Artists View Equality” and “Bits & Pieces of the Past” run through Nov. 21 at the Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

The Week that Was: News and events around Harrisburg

October 25, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council

Both the school board and the City Council met, yet the news coming out of Harrisburg was on the slow side this past week. We still found plenty to cover and so offer this recap in case you missed any of our stories.

3^rd Street was in focus during October’s 3^rd in the Burg, as our fine arts writer visited a cluster of shops last weekend to see what was hanging. To learn what he found, read his blog post from the past week.

Autos & Ales returns soon for another year of fine beer and even finer cars. It’s the perfect combination for any lover of suds and sedans, in the perfect setting: the AACA Museum. Read all about this event in our feature story.

Cold Springs Inn & Brewing Co. is one of the Harrisburg area’s newest spots to grab a craft beer. Its location is also unique, as it literally hangs over the Yellow Breeches Creek. For more, read our feature story from the current issue.

Fort Hunter is the place to be this weekend—especially if you’re a dog and you’re wearing a costume. Howl-O’Ween returns on Sunday and hundreds of pooches and owners, many in creative garb, are expected to make a show of it. Learn more from our feature story.

Harrisburg City Council took preliminary action on two land-use issues, moving them into committee for further discussion. On deck is the land development plan for a proposed marijuana dispensary on Allison Hill, as well as a proposed zoning change for a swath of Midtown Harrisburg. Read the details here.

Harrisburg School District announced a new after-school program for 3^rdand 4^th-grade students. The program, funded with a federal grant, will offer enhanced academic and life skills education. Read more from the recent district business meeting.

Harrisburg University Concert Series is at it again, this time bringing the Revivalists into town. This alt-rock band is a critic’s choice, and you’ll get to see them live in early March. Find out the details here.

Open Stage cut the ribbon on its rebuilt and expanded theater space in downtown Harrisburg. The new space includes numerous amenities and additions that will allow the professional theater company to offer more shows and other events. Our online story offers all the details.

Sara Bozich has Halloween in mind as she links to over 130 things to do this weekend. You might find something fun to do even if you’re not fond of costumes, candy and spooky stories.

Spotlight PA has launched in Harrisburg, promising greater, more in-depth coverage of state lawmakers and government. The 10-person newsroom is stocked with reporting talent, staffed by journalists recruited from throughout the state and the nation. Read our online feature story from the past week.

The summer mission trip is a rite of passage for many area youth, as well as some adults, who board buses and help out on projects throughout the country. Read the first-person account of one such trip, penned by a rookie home renovator.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily roundup of news and events? If not, subscribe here!

Second Act: Open Stage cuts the ribbon on its reimagined, rebuilt space

October 24, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Producing Artistic Director Stuart Landon and Mayor Eric Papenfuse (center) led the ribbon-cutting today for Open Stage’s newly renovated space in downtown Harrisburg.

Previously, you may have found the Open Stage Theatre while trying to get to the parking garage above it, or you may have been coming for a show and accidentally wound up in the garage.

With a bright new entrance featuring murals and a neon sign, there’s no way you can miss it now.

Open Stage cut the ribbon today on its newly renovated Court Street space, which maintained their main stage while adding a blackbox theatre, lobby, full bar, library, new lighting and sound system and a revamped backstage.

Producing Artistic Director Stuart Landon dedicated the $1 million upgrade to the theater’s audiences, students and artists, who, he said, “honestly do take center stage at Open Stage.”

“It’s such a different experience from the old theater,” said board President Chris Baldrige. “It’s just mind-boggling to see how this space is now.”

In the lobby, across from the bar, is a stage for small performances like open mic nights or cabarets. The new blackbox theatre, which holds about 60 people, will function as space for rehearsals and performances.

A new performance space at Open Stage

However, Landon explained it primarily serves as space for the kids in the Alsedek Theatre School—started by founders Don and Anne Alsedek. The first two productions will be “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach.”

“Our educational programs are very powerful, and we have some wonderful family programming as well,” Landon said.

The first show in the blackbox theatre, “Who’s Holiday,” will open on Nov. 16.

With expanded facilities, programming is increasing as well.

There will be live performances six nights a week in the form of plays and musicals, concerts, drag shows and other performances. Landon is especially excited for the Court Street Series in the new bar area, which includes readings, improv and unique entertainment experiences.

The backstage area has been updated for performers and features a modern greenroom, a 24-person dressing room and a wardrobe room to hold costumes.

There’s no need to drive to New York or to Broadway,” Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said at the ribbon-cutting. “We’ve got a little bit of Broadway right here.”

Funds for the project came through donors giving to Open Stage’s 30/30 campaign, named in honor of the 34 years they’ve been open, and the 30 more years they hope to continue to grow. According to Landon, this was the largest fundraising project they’ve ever had.

“All we had to do was ask, and they said yes,” Landon said, regarding the theater’s community of supporters.

Not only did the re-opening celebrate the renovations, but Landon brought to attention the 20^th anniversaries of their productions of “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “A Christmas Carol.”

He mentioned that Open Stage is the only theater company in the world that has produced “The Diary of Anne Frank” consistently for so long. Appropriately, the long-running “A Christmas Carol” will be the first show on the mainstage, beginning on Nov. 23.

“We are proud to hit this new milestone,” Landon said.

Open Stage is located at 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit their website.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

October 24, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Besides one work event (hosting some lovely ladies at Sassy Jeans & More on Saturday morning!), I literally have no plans, and the Steelers play Monday.

I’d love to swing by Boneshire at some point for their weekend-long 3rd Anniversary Celebration — or even catch a Halloween flick at Midtown Cinema.

If you’re digging that spooky vibe, Stash x Midtown Dandy are hosting a Horror Circus Halloween event at Maennerchor on Saturday night.

Tattered Flag also hosts its Halloween party on Saturday, and there is live music at the new Ploughman Cider Taproom in Gettysburg all weekend, too.

What are you doing this weekend?

(more…)

Dispensary resolution, zoning change introduced by Harrisburg City Council

October 22, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday night

Two significant land use issues—one for a medical marijuana dispensary and another for a Midtown zoning change—were introduced on Tuesday night, as Harrisburg City Council held a brief legislative session.

For the former, a company called WH RE LLC wants to build a 3,000-square-foot medical marijuana facility on an empty lot at 137 S. 17^th St., on Allison Hill.

Last December, the PA Department of Health awarded a dispensary license to a company called Local Dispensaries LLC, though PennLive later gave the name of the recipient as Standard Farms. All three of these entities are registered with the state at the same address in Center Valley, Pa.

Earlier this month , the city Planning Commission gave its approval to the $1.6 million construction project by a 5-1 vote, with Commissioner Ausha Green, who also is a city council member, dissenting.

The resolution for the land use plan was forwarded to council’s Administration Committee for further discussion at a forthcoming workshop session.

Council also forwarded into committee a proposed ordinance that would change zoning for a swath of Midtown Harrisburg.

Harrisburg-based Seven Bridges Development is asking the city to rezone 14 blocks in the “Marketplace” neighborhood just north of the Broad Street Market.

In April, the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority designated the company as the potential developer of 60 lots in the neighborhood, which the authority later bought back from State College-based S&A Homes.

In early October, a split Planning Commission approved the change in zoning from “residential medium neighborhood” to “commercial neighborhood,” which Seven Bridges officials say is necessary before they will agree to build in the neighborhood.

Lastly, council approved a resolution that offers short-term dumpster rentals to property owners and contractors for building projects in the city.

Under the resolution, builders now can contact the city Public Works Department to have dumpsters delivered and picked up and construction waste hauled away. Ten-day rentals run $500 to $600, plus delivery/pickup and disposal fees.

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