The Painted Word: Fall into a new season of art

September 30, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

“Icons in Transformation” at the Riverfront Gallery of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg

Fall officially started a few days ago, and the bittersweet sentiment for the season is shared by many.

Nature’s handiwork in all its glorious array often leaves us breathless with wonder. The season’s glory is over within a mere passage of months, and without fail, the final leaves drop by Thanksgiving. There will be piles of leaves to rake, apple cider to drink and share, football and soccer games to cheer at and the list goes on. The greatest art exhibit of the season can be seen right outside your front door or from your back porch. Autumn art brings a kaleidoscope of color to exhibits near and far.

Here are a few of the highlights from Adams to York Counties and all in between. Mark your calendars and set the dates from the start of October through the end of the year of art you won’t want to miss.

Art Happenings Now: Just mere days left! Catch them before they are gone. Ceramic Works by Carolanne Currier and Jack Troy at the Rose Lehman Art Gallery through Oct. 3 at Harrisburg Area Community College. Be sure to see Evan Summer’s Remnants of the Future through Oct. 5 at the Trout Gallery of Dickinson College in Carlisle.

Mark the Calendar:

Oct. 5 is significant as its date speaks to a number of noteworthy art endeavors. “American Craft Week” kicks off with a celebration at the newly reopened One Good Woman at 1801 Market St., Camp Hill. Shop that Saturday in preparation for artisans’ arrival on Saturday, Oct. 12, crafting and selling their wares from 9 to 4. While over in Carlisle, how do you keep them down on the farm when art hath such charm? Join them together for Carlisle Art Learning Center’s (CALC) fundraiser to help Farmers On The Square at Roots Flower Farm. Locally sourced food and beverages with artists creating saleable art all for a great cause. And don’t forget Lancaster City’s Art Walk Weekend, Oct. 5 and 6.

Lancaster Fall Art Walk
And you thought Lancaster only had shoofly pie…Venture to Lancaster City to catch the Fall Art Walk the weekend of Oct. 4 to 6. First Friday, Oct. 4, provides the initial preview with nearly 40 galleries and museums opening their doors from 10 a.m. to closing time. Start on Gallery Row (Prince Street), host to more than a half-dozen venues in a three-block span. Highlights for the weekend include Saturday hours, 10 to 5, and Sunday, 12 to 4. Be sure to wish a happy 94th birthday to nonagenarian artist, Dr. Robert A. Nelson, who is presenting his famous collage drawings, as well as his customary art, “Release From the Vault” at CityFolk Gallery at 146 North Prince St. “Vault” issues include his works across varied mediums. While on Prince Street, be sure to visit neighbors Christiane David Gallery at 112, Artisans Gallery at 114, Red Raven Art Company at 138, Liz Hess Gallery at 140, Freiman Stolzfus Gallery at 142, and The Pennsylvania College of Art and Design at 204. Two outstanding art museums include Lancaster Museum of Art at 135 N. Lime St. and the Demuth Museum at 120 E. King St., which is located in modernist painter Charles Demuth’s former home and studio. Then venture further to all downtown galleries and artist studios for more excitement.

Museums
The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The “Picturing a More Perfect Union” exhibit opens Nov. 22 through April 26, featuring Violet Oakley’s studies of her work for the

Pennsylvania Senate chamber murals. This exhibit is mounted in commemoration of the centennial for the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM): Catch The Harrisburg Sketchers on location at SAM through Oct. 27 and “Hidden City,” a collection of plein air landscape paintings from artist, Valerie Larko through Nov. 17. A collection of photographs culled from 40 photographers creates “Wars Only Half the Story,” featured in SAM’s Main Gallery Oct. 12 to Jan. 19 from the groundbreaking, “The Aftermath Project.” Also featured in the main gallery, from Oct. 19 through Jan. 19, is artist Inka Essenhigh, whose mythological paintings come to life. In the DeSoto Family Vault, “Dreams” by Peter Ydeen, runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 12. Photosurrealist Ydeen captures the city of Easton in a series of photos that looks for a city gone missing. His series is hauntingly heightened by the cover of night.

The Lancaster Museum of Art: Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 40th “International Juried Exhibition” runs through Oct. 26.

Demuth Museum: Henry Libhart: “Ravishing Realism” runs through Nov 10. This exhibition explores the life and work of Lancaster County artist Henry Libhart. He is known for his trompe l’oeil still life paintings in oil and watercolor.

Art Associations

Adams County Art Council: But first a word from our sponsor. The apple of our eye…bushel baskets of red and gold, pumpkins by the pound and the best apple cider donuts can be found at Hollabaugh’s Farm Market on 545 Carlisle Rd. in Biglerville headed into Gettysburg. Stop on your way to “First Fridays” at the Adams County Art Council located at 125 S. Washington St. Nov. 1 opens the members only show, which runs to the end of November.

The Art Association of Harrisburg: “Hope, Memory and Pride” runs Oct. 18 to Nov. 21. LGBT exhibit, in which artists view equality in conjunction with Dickinson College archives chronicling the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, a watershed event in the LGBT Movement. In addition, an exhibit highlighting the opium crisis, “Bits & Pieces of the Past,” features the award winning art of Maria Maneos, pioneer of “Brush With the Law.” Also “Psychic Gallery” comes Nov. 9 with advance tickets for sale…but you already knew that.

Carlisle Art Learning Center (CALC): “People and Places” by Kim Stone and Pat Walach Keough features a collection of new works with candid observations of everyday scenes captured in plein air-inspired style. Main gallery Sept. 27 to Nov. 2. In the upper gallery through Oct. 25, “The Balkan Back Story,” photographs by Janet Powers, professor Emerita at Gettysburg College, who researched women’s recovery from the Bosnian War.

The Hershey Area Art Association: Weekend of Oct. 19 to 20 “Annual Members Show” of new art at The Hershey Historical Society Museum. Weekend of Dec. 5 to 8 in the Community Room at Spring Hill Suites on Rt. 39 next to the Antique Automobile Car Association Museum, features winter-themed member art.

Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts: All exhibits open “First Fridays” with musical performances afterwards at 7:30 p.m. The council’s building is located at 770 Cumberland St, Lebanon. On Oct. 4,York-based artist, John Terlazzo, who paints in the style of Fauves using bright colors that visually reference eastern cultures. Nov. 1, Jolene Windmiller of Mt. Gretna paints both real and imagined landscapes in addition to creating stain glass windows. Dec. 6, Elaine Martin, watercolorist, who paints what she views in her eastern county Lebanon neighborhood.

Millersburg Art Association (Gallery on the Square): “Something for Everyone” by artist Carrie Feidt. The show runs through Oct 12. The Art of PA Game News” by artist and Millersburg native, Dana Bellis, who illustrated for the Pennsylvania Game New Magazine from 2011 to 2018. He will be offering hand-signed and numbered giclee prints from his cover art. Show runs Oct 16 to Nov 16.

Perry County Council of the Arts: Oct 18 to Jan 11. Artisan marketplace at the PCCA Gallery, 1 S. Second St, Newport. Special holiday exhibition featuring locally made fine art and handcrafts by emerging and professional artists. Oct. 18 to Nov. 2, “Arts for All” exhibition at Landis House, 67 N. Fourth St. Explore an exhibition of art work created in the Arc of Cumberland and Perry Counties (CPARC) and PCCA six-week inclusive art classes for all ages and abilities led by Tom Oakes. Select pieces will be highlighted in this exhibition opened to the community. Nov. 15 to Jan. 17. Fifth Annual Juried Exhibition at Landis House. Original artwork in a variety of media will be on display during this annual exhibition.

The York County Art Association: Annual Fall Membership Show through Oct. 19. The 49th annual Juried Art Show runs Nov. 3 to Dec. 14 at 220 S. Marshall St.

Colleges and Universities – Go to the head of the class. Art class that is, as these institutions of higher learning are offering stellar shows this fall.

Dickinson College: The Trout Gallery: Through Oct.19, “Water,” artist Edward Burtynsky’s photographic plea to rethink our greatest yet shrinking natural resource before it’s gone. Burtynsky’s “Hope is that his pictures stimulate thinking about what can be done to save planet Earth’s supply before it’s too late.” “Water” is organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art. Beginning Oct. 11 to Feb. 1 is a collection of Buddhist sculpture in the exhibit Manifestation and Adaptation: Variations in Buddhist Sculpture Across Asia. Nov. 1 to Feb. 15 marks the collection of developments in Japanese printmaking in Abstract Traditions: Postwar Japanese Prints from the DePauw University.

Gettysburg College: “Schmucker Art Gallery” through Nov. 12. “Artful Nature and The Legacy of Maria Sibylla Merian,” which features 18^th-century prints by German naturalist and artist, Maria Sibylla Merian. “1647-1717” The exhibit is curated by Gettysburg college students. Emily Roush ’21 and Shannon Zeitman ’21 under the direction of professors Felicia Else and Kay Etheridge. Artists Susanne Slovick and Andrew Ellis Johnson’s exhibit running through Dec. 6, “Getting There,” posits the question that migrants and refugees face in the fear of the unknown and the stranger that reveals our own collective conscience.

Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC): Rose Lehrman Art Gallery hosts Brenton Good’s exhibit, “An Edge is First a Cut,” Oct. 14 to Nov. 7. The student honors photography exhibit runs from Nov. 18 to Dec. 5.

Lebanon Valley College: “Suzanne H Arnold Art Gallery” Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. “Insider/Outsider” Exhibit spans the development of social realism starting with the Ashcan School in the early 20th century. A cultural shock to many, social realist art turned it’s back on academic traditions instead, staging subjects from the working class population. Paintings, photographs and prints speak to furthering social activism.

Messiah College: “The Galleries at Messiah College,” Oct. 18 to Nov. 26. Two art exhibitions from the Bowden Collection: “Was God Dead?” Biblical imagination in German expressionist prints. Otto Dix: “Matthaus Evangelium” Oct. 18 to Nov. 26. Nora Sturges: “Postcards from the Unknown” Dec. 6 to Jan. 29. Artist Nora Sturges unearths mystery and more in her paintings at the Messiah College Aughinbaugh Art Gallery.

Millersville University: “Susan C. and Gerald C. Eckert Art Gallery” First Fridays at The Ware Center. “Diasphoric Musing” Oct. 23 to Dec. 6. Featured artists: Sharif Bey, Michael Clemmons, Mary Hakim Martin and Paul Andrew Wandless. Sykes Gallery, “Cowboys and Carpenters” artists Sutton Demlong and Alex Schecter runs Oct. 21 to Jan. 29 at 60 W. College Ave.

Shippensburg University: “Kauffman Gallery” at The Huber Art Center. “Fantastic Function” Sept. 30 to Oct. 23. Art students create unique clothing!

Harrisburg Churches

Riverfront Gallery: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral and School. 221 N. Front St. The gallery features regional artists that rotates artwork three times a year. Now showing through November 3rd is a touring exhibit of contemporary and traditional iconography entitled “Icons in Transformation” by artist Ludmila Pawlowska.

Zion Lutheran Church: 15 S. 4th St. On view is traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy by Diana Neng; paintings and drawings by Max Tillet; and additional artwork by friends of Zion. An extensive collection of original stencil prints by Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe will also be available thru Oct. 17.

Salem United Church of Christ: 231 Chestnut St. Barbara James features mixed-media works. Larry Lombardo, signature member of both the American and National Watercolor Societies, will be exhibiting watercolors as well as paintings thru Oct. 17.

Pine Street Presbyterian Church: 310 N. 3rd St. “The Finkle Family Fine Art” is featured with mixed-media paintings by Joanne, ink and pencil drawings by M. Lou Girard, wood/stone sculptures by Bob Finkle and John Hertzler, and wooden bowls by Lou Pulvino through Oct. 17.

Schools

Art Center School and Galleries: 18 Artcraft Dr., Mechanicsburg. The Red Barn hosts “The Seven Lively Artists Show” through Oct.18, has grown to 15 and includes William Anderson, Earl Blust, Domnick Brandt, Jim Bricker, Karl Foster, Jonathan Frazier, Paul Gallo, John Hassler, David Henry, Ralph Hocker, W. T. Kerman, Dave Leber, Don Lenker, John McNulty and Steve Wetzel. So get lively and grab your partner and do-si-do. After all, you are in a barn.

Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School (CASA): 150 Strawberry Square, 3rd and Walnut streets, Harrisburg. CASA Visual Art Student Exhibition, through Oct. 17.

Independents

Lebanon Picture Frame and Fine Art Gallery, LLC: 847 Cumberland St, Lebanon. Local collage artist, Tina Valgenti, will be exhibiting pieces of her most recent collage art for the month of October. Tina uses her discriminating eye to accumulate unique assemblages of individual items and forms them into a whole to create wonderful pieces of modern art. Oct. 4 to Oct. 26. Local abstract painter, Dennis Easter, will be exhibiting his most recent abstract paintings for the month of November. The exhibit will open on Friday, November 1st during the First Friday Art Walk thru November 30th. Dennis employs an “add and subtract” technique in which he stacks lays of colors and partially washes away some while building on others with an end goal of creating an atmosphere where the colors and shapes speak to each other. Two of the region’s most accomplished premier oil painters, Robert Heilman and Jean Zaun, will be jointly exhibiting their most recent oil paintings for the months of December and January.

Moss Creek Art: 315 Bridge St, New Cumberland. Guest gallerist from Lancaster, Liz Hess, whose art works will be featured during the holiday season.

Paper Lion Gallery: 1217 Hummel Ave, Lemoyne. “Mamacha Carmen” photographic series by Dilmar Mauricio Gamero Santos, celebrating the Peruvian Festival of the Virgin of Mount Carmel. Sept. 28 to Nov. 2.

HMAC House of Music Arts and Culture: 1110 N 3rd St. Fall 3rd in the BURG schedule. Oct 18, artist/author Bethany Nicolle, Nov. 15 Boxer Charles Feathers featuring bootleg and “R76” and Dec. 20 features pop culture artist/photographer/comic book writer, “Kevyn Knox”

The Millworks: 340 Verbeke St. Oct. 15 to Nov. 10, new works by Elaine Brady Smith, Christine Goldbeck, Andrew Guth, Judy Kelly, Yachiyo Beck and Lori Sweet. Nov. 12 to Jan. 12 is the all-inclusive artists show. Cash and carry exhibit for the holiday season. Nov. 30 the Odd Ones Holiday Bazaar featuring 37 in house artists plus over 20 outside vendors throughout the building will have for purchase locally sourced, unique hand crafted items for the holiday season. Event runs 11 a.m. to 5 pm.

Vivi on Verbeke: 3rd in the BURG’s place to be. Oct. 18, Nov. 15 and Dec. 20. “Our dedicated effort towards the strengthening and revitalization of a creative and inspiring Midtown Harrisburg” (Vivian Sterste). The gallery is open most Friday and Saturdays. Specializing in pottery with panache; photographs with patina; sculptures that sizzle and heedful herbal and natural crafts created. All to be seen and appreciated up close.

Conservationists Bloom: Young people take on environmental efforts and pursue change.

September 30, 2019 | by Rebecca Johnson

Zoe Roane-Hopkins

With rising concerns over climate change, leaders all over the country have begun to speak out about sustainability efforts and the environment.

Not all leaders are politicians or middle-aged folks dressed in suits, though. Several young people from central Pennsylvania area have taken action and shown commitment to environmental protection and advocacy.

We highlight several below, offering a glimpse into the next generation of environmental stewards.

Zoe Roane-Hopkins

Zoe Roane-Hopkins was just about to do some yardwork in her parents’ front lawn in Camp Hill as I arrived to meet her. She was ready to plant native coreopsis cultivars in the perfect spot she had picked out—just beneath another native species, a white oak tree.

Just graduated from Penn State with a degree in landscape architecture, Roane-Hopkins learned that a lawn is an “ecological desert,” an unnatural, manicured place where native plants and wildlife are not sustained.

She found this alarming as her parents—state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources employees—taught her to value natural ecosystems.

“It became a really important part of how I saw the world, and I want to make sure that doesn’t get taken away from people,” she said.

For her senior thesis project at Schreyer Honors College at Penn State, Roane-Hopkins created an educational guide called “Lawn Gone Native” for yard owners to plant native gardens that encourage ecological restoration, in place of barren lawns.

Though lawns sink some carbon and provide open spaces for gathering, they require much more maintenance than native gardens, consume more resources, and fail to provide habitat for wildlife.

“I learned how vital it is to have these natural areas that keep us alive by filtering air and water, and people just don’t understand how necessary it is,” she said. “The cool thing is, you can get people to change the way they see the lawn and to understand that they don’t have to compromise their lifestyle for ecologically supportive landscapes.”

Besides serving as a home for wildlife, native gardens provide food, support pollinators, filter and clean contaminated water, and maintain deeper root systems that reduce soil erosion and runoff. Roane-Hopkins explained that natural spaces are vital for our survival, and she wants to educate people about how they can help themselves and their environment, just by planting natives.

“People planting native plants in yards isn’t just that action,” she said. “It’s also them thinking about how they are actually able to influence something, and they get a deeper appreciation for their immediate surroundings.”

Roane-Hopkins attends the Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in industrial design.

Noah Yeich

Noah Yeich has always had an appreciation for the outdoors, something his mother cultivated in him when he was young. He put this appreciation into action in a recent project at an important bird habitat in Harrisburg.

Yeich was visiting a park near Pittsburgh when he saw a chimney swift tower and was inspired to build one himself. A recent graduate of Middletown Area High School, he thought it would be perfect for his Eagle Scout project.

“It combined my love for the outdoors with my love of carpentry,” he said.

Yeich took three months working every weekend to construct the tower at Wildwood Park near I-81 in Harrisburg. At 16 feet tall, the hollow wooden tower provides a site for chimney swifts to nest during their annual spring migration from South America to eastern North America. The bottom part of the structure is a kiosk hung with educational signs explaining the tower’s function and ecological contributions.

Yeich led friends and family members through the construction process, beginning with the logistical challenge of getting materials to the site and extending to laborious jobs like digging the foundation and mixing concrete. He unveiled the structure in April, accompanied by local licensed bird bander, Sandra Lockerman, who shared how Yeich’s project positively contributed to two decades of ongoing bird research.

Chimney swifts are known for their aerial demonstrations during migration, when enormous clouds of birds gather near a chimney and take off in an orchestrated flurry. These flurries consume millions of insects, which prune populations across their entire range. The bird naturally roosts in caves and hollowed out trees, constructing nests with its gluey saliva. When the human population expanded rapidly during colonization, the bird began to nest in chimneys, which is how it got its name. As chimneys across the continent have fallen into disuse, swift populations have suffered.

Yeich was glad to improve the bird’s habitat and thought the structure was well-placed at the park, adjacent to the Nature Center. He said that many people stopped to ask questions while he was building it, and he hopes the interest continues.

“I hope a pair of chimney swifts find it, and I hope it educates the people who see it when they visit the park.” Yeich said.

Noah Yeich attends Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, studying cabinet and furniture making.

Nick Silvis

I was lucky to get in touch with Nick Silvis for this story as he spends a lot of time outside, out of cell service area. Though just graduated from Hershey High School, he has been active in conservation for years.

“I’ve always been an outdoorsy kid, and I started learning about the environment when I was little,” he said. “I fell in love with the outdoors, and I never looked back.”

He enjoys hiking and kayaking, but his love for the environment culminates in the work he does to protect it.

Silvis has spent the last few summers in the Wildlife Leadership Academy’s field school, where students focus on a single species to learn about larger issues of the ecosystem and its conservation. As a conservation ambassador, he learned about the biology, ecology and management of the ruffed grouse—the Keystone state bird—and helped evaluate a local habitat for its livability.

He is also a long-time volunteer at Manada Conservancy in Hummelstown “just for fun,” where he helps facilitate their annual native plant sale and assisted in drafting an environmental impact statement for a local property they manage. Silvis was one of three recipients of the conservancy’s 2019 Environmental Achievement Award, which recognizes local high school seniors who have contributed to environmental stewardship and protection.

His passion for the outdoors also brings him out of the field and into government offices. Silvis sees many possibilities for bridging the gap between scientists and conservationists and government and business policy. He explained how this is vitally important if we are going to enact change.

“You can do all the science that you want, but without someone to interpret it or explain it, no change is ever going to occur,” he said.

Silvis has already been working to bridge that gap.

This past year, he was one of 20 student members of the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation. The council met to discuss environmental challenges in Pennsylvania counties. Members then traveled to Washington, D.C., twice to discuss actions to protect the state’s environment and wildlife with congressional representatives.

“I enjoy politics and the inner workings of the government, and I feel that’s where change can occur on a wide scale,” Silvis said. “It’s a cool avenue to explore.”

Nick Silvis is attending Gettysburg College, pursuing a double major in environmental studies and public policy.

Stories on environmental topics are proudly sponsored by LCSWMA.

The Mane Event: It’s time to saddle up for the annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

September 30, 2019 | by Ann Beth Knaus

Photo by Brittany Oliver.

Winston Churchill once said, “No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.”

Equestrians and horse lovers no doubt agree. Horses are mysterious and grand, yet fragile creatures that have captured hearts and imaginations for centuries. These natural athletes dazzle in the show ring and have a huge following worldwide among competitive circuits.

Among the stopping grounds for such major events is central Pennsylvania, which boasts an enthusiastic equestrian community. The Pennsylvania National Horse Show (PNHS), now in its 74th year, attracts some of the show-jumping world’s premier athletes while giving up-and-coming hunter/jumper riders the opportunity to compete with their peers as they try to rise up through the ranks of the sport.

Held every October at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, the show is one of the marquee events for riders and one of the largest indoor shows in the country. Riders come from all corners to compete for top prize money, ribbons and recognition. Attendees are treated to a show that features the best of the best in equestrianism.

Seventeen-year-old Paige Jones of Landenberg in southern Chester County will be among those competitors. She’s competing for the first time at PNHS in the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Dover Hunt Seat Medal final on her mount, AF Cassini.

“I’ve been competing since I was 5,” she said. “My mom used to train ponies, so that’s how I started riding and showing competitively. The show grounds here are really nice, and it’s fun showing against riders from all over the country.”

Jones wants to start competing with the medium and high amateur owner, or A/O, jumpers this winter and eventually move up to Grand Prix, the cream-of-the-crop class in jumping. And, as in any sport, there are role models to admire. Nayel Nassar is one of Jones’ favorite Grand Prix riders.

“He is very calm, consistent and successful,” she said.

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show is just the latest stop for Jones. She just committed to Oklahoma State University to ride on the Division 1 equestrian team and will be heading there next fall.

Beyond jumping, the show features dozens of events and activities for horsey and non-horsey folks alike, such as Family Fun Day on Oct. 12. Book readings by authors and wagon rides are among the activities. Noodles normally used to keep afloat in the pool will be part of a craft activity. Kids will learn how to form the noodles into—what else?—a pony that they can ride around the concourse.

The now-famous Libre, a Boston terrier who was discovered suffering from neglect and shed light on the plight of dogs in puppy mills, also will make an appearance that day. Hunt Night on Oct. 14 is another big feature at the show, as it is the only indoor hunt night in the country devoted to local clubs.

PNHS Executive Director Susie Webb, who has been with the show for four years, said the competition remains one of the premier national sporting events in the United States by remaining dedicated to horse enthusiasts, while engaging and educating the audience with unique features such as the therapeutic riding championships, which take place on Foundation Friday, Oct. 18.

Initiated in 2016, Foundation Friday is the setting for two riding championships—assisted and unassisted—and the presentation of the foundation’s “Therapy Horse of the Year Award.” Therapeutic riding is an equine-assisted activity that contributes to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social well being of people with special needs.

“Our ‘Therapy Horse of the Year’ two years ago became a Breyer horse,” Webb said, referring to the toy horses made by Breyer Animal Creations. “Zipped Black Magic, a 20-year-old appaloosa, is also special needs, as he is totally blind.”

Anyone who has collected the famous Breyer model horses knows that a horse has to be very special to be chosen for that honor.

Webb also emphasized how special the families of the children participating in the therapeutic riding event are.

“Thanks need to go to the families who participate,” she said. “They are always thanking us, but we thank them for their commitment and time.”

The event’s big night is the Grand Prix, when famed professional riders like McLain Ward, Beezie Madden and the Millar family from Canada come to compete in what look like impossibly insurmountable jumps. The Grand Prix wraps up the 10 days of competition.

“That’s what this sport is—families, young, old, dad, daughter, all competing on the same level.” Webb said. “It’s in another league from most other sports.

The PA National Horse Show takes place Oct. 10 to 19 at the PA Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.panational.org.

What’s Up with That? Piece by piece, a city rebuilds.

September 30, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

When I arrived in Harrisburg some 11 years ago, I had quite a few “what’s up with that?” moments.

For instance, a large, boarded-up stone building at 3rd and Boas streets that clearly had once been a stunner—what’s up with that? Ditto, the tall, majestic building a few blocks away, blighted and deteriorating, and the abandoned brick pile on Verbeke Street that had a few fading Art Deco flourishes.

What was up with all of these—and many others?

As a new resident, I wanted to know how they had reached their lowly states, especially since they all were located so close to the Capitol complex, home to thousands of state workers daily.

Perhaps my greatest “what’s up with that?” came the first time that I saw the 1000-block of N. 6th Street. Here was an entire block of blight, with one major exception, the popular lunchtime spot, the Jackson House.

Every day, hundreds of state employees breezed right by these ruins to grab a legendary Jackson House burger or sub. Logically, you’d think that someone would see a business opportunity to re-develop this area. But no.

So, how did this happen?

It’s actually a complex story and one that, in the ensuing years, TheBurg would return to again and again. I can’t tell it all in this space, but it shares two elements common to most blight stories in Harrisburg—and in other once-thriving industrial cities across the United States.

Element #1: Flight. Starting in the 1950s, industry closed, and people began leaving the city for the suburbs, commuting in for, increasingly, service-sector jobs, which, in Harrisburg’s case, mostly meant state government. The 1972 flood was the nail in the coffin here, as residents took their federal flood money—and the few pennies that opportunistic slumlords gave them for the properties—and fled in a second huge wave.

Element #2: Disinvestment. Property owners stopped maintaining their buildings. Typically, they rented them out, for increasingly less money, until they became utterly uninhabitable. Then, instead of fixing them up, they boarded them up, and the dilapidation continued. Some fell apart slowly, others collapsed suddenly. Some sold for taxes, some landed with the Redevelopment Authority, others were flipped to speculators who let them rot further.

All of this happened to the 1000-block of N. 6th Street.

Of the six properties on the west side of the street, one caught fire, one collapsed in a

storm, one pancaked in, one was boarded up and the other should have been. Only the Jackson House, smack-dab in the middle of the street, remained truly sound.

And that, in a nutshell, was what was up with that.

Also, the blight fed on itself so that, for more than 50 years, few imagined that any of the old commercial streets of Midtown Harrisburg could be any different.

But then they were.

Fortunately, it turned out that the opposite also could happen. Just as blight can spread, so can redevelopment, and that’s where we are now in this story.

Over the past decade, nearly every one of the blighted, boarded-up buildings I saw on my first walk through Midtown has been renovated and redeveloped.

One is now StartUp. One is H*MAC. One is the Millworks, and another is the Coba apartment building. There’s Midtown Scholar and the Susquehanna Art Museum and ModernRugs and Campus Square and numerous smaller shops and restaurants like Yellow Bird Café, Pastorante and Urban Churn. One is even TheBurg.

Redevelopment has become such a powerful force that it’s now rolled over even the most desperate of streets—the 1000-block of N. 6th.

Currently, three of the buildings are being redeveloped as a mix of apartments and retail. Brothers LeSean and LeRon McCoy, Harrisburg natives and professional football players, are investing in the block, undertaking two cellar-to-roof renovations. They also hope to buy and build new on the vacant corner parcel, where the former Bethel AME Church burned down in 1995.

This street has a great deal of meaning to Harrisburg. It is one of notable history, the last remaining block of what was once an extensive African-American commercial enclave—a street of barbers, rooming houses, hotels, groceries and other businesses that catered largely to a black clientele in segregated Harrisburg, and it was almost lost. Well, unfortunately, some of it indeed was lost, but some now will be saved, so that life will return again to the street—that is, for more than a quick bite at lunchtime.

I find that, in Harrisburg (maybe everywhere), there are the glass-half-full and the glass-half-empty people. The latter might say—well, that’s fine for Midtown, but what about the rest of the city?

I try to be an optimist, but understand their point, too. Heck, on my block, two small apartment buildings have been condemned this year alone. There are still far too many old-time property owners who regard Harrisburg as only a place to extract money from, not invest in, seemingly believing that even simple building maintenance is a dollar out of their pocket.

But I’m not going to begrudge redevelopment where it happens. A revived 6th Street is good for the city, especially because it links up with other progress nearby, creating a critical mass to attract people and motivate further investment. It’s gotten to the point that, walking around the city, I still have my “what’s up with that?” moments. However, when I do, it’s because I see the boards coming off and construction signs going up.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Poured in Perry: “Hop” over to River Bend–the oldest, um, only–brewery in the county.

September 30, 2019 | by Don Helin

Just a short spin down a tree-lined lane from Newport, situated along the Juniata River, you will find the oldest brewery in Perry County— River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery.

“Since we own the only brewery in Perry County, we enjoy claiming the title of the oldest brewery in Perry County, even though it only opened two years ago,” quipped co-owner Tom Beers.

River Bend boasts an “ever-changing” beer menu featuring sour, dark, hoppy, sweet and light flavors, including house-made sodas.

“I prefer the dark beer and Denny the IPA,” Beers said. “Our customers have shown a preference for a German wheat beer we call hefeweizen.”

In addition to the 13 beers on tap, River Bend offers food such as burgers and pulled pork sandwiches—popular complements to their beer. With a farm-to-table restaurant, they grow their own vegetables and many fruits such as blueberries and blackberries.

Ground Up

In 2014, Denny and Wendy Browne bought a 22-acre farm.

Denny had grown up on a farm, so it wasn’t a far stretch from his childhood. While attending an organic farming conference in Pittsburgh, the Brownes sat in on a seminar about growing hops.

Afterwards, they decided they wanted in on this cash crop, considering the rapid growth in craft beer production. While at the conference, they bought the equipment needed to raise hops on their new farm. Three days later, they asked a group of friends if they would be willing to help them plant the hops. Tom and Melissa Beers were on board.

“When we began planting hops, we never really intended to start a brewery,” Beers said. “We just evolved into it.”

In the fall of 2014, Beers and the Brownes erected a trellis system that was needed to support the hops. As winter intervened, their work was postponed.

The next spring, they put up 25,000 feet of cables to support the strings on their 1,000 plants, hand-wrapping each of the 22- to 24-foot plants around the strings. The group finished the planting in early May 2015, soon harvesting a small crop.

The next step was renovating the barn for use as the restaurant.

“We needed to gut it and start from scratch by putting in new floors and closing in one end,” Beers explained.

He added that there were production specifications for firewalls, electricity and plumbing that they needed to follow. Lastly, they had to add a new bathroom for customers, as well as the bars on each of the two floors.

An Evolution

Not being experienced brewers, the group’s initial efforts, by their own admission, did not turn out well. So, they decided it was best to hire a professional brewer. They have now hired a second brewer so that Beers and Browne can focus on marketing and managing a staff of four full-time and 30 part-time employees.

River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery officially opened in September 2017.

“We were all thrilled when we opened,” Beers said. “Initially, we started with six beers. After six months, we graduated to 12 beers, and now we brew a total of 13, one of which is a sour.”

Looking to expand further, the owners pondered the possibility of adding a stand in Cumberland County. However, they faced resistance.

“We were told we would never be able to sell craft beer in the county since the locals are domestic beer drinkers,” Beers said. “Happily, after partnering with a number of nonprofits at festivals, we have discovered that is not the case at all. Our experience has far exceeded our expectations.”

In March 2019, River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery opened a stand at the West Shore Farmers Market with six beers on tap to go.

“Our growth has really been an evolution, one step at a time,” Beers said.

River Bend Hop Farm and Brewery is located at 1800 Lower Bailey Rd., Newport, and also has a stand in the West Shore Farmers Market in Lemoyne. For more information, call 717-315-6764 or visit www.riverbendhopfarmandbrewery.com.

Dog Days of Autumn: Unleash family fun at Fort Hunter’s Howl-O’Ween.

September 30, 2019 | by Diane McNaughton

If you find dogs in costumes to be more appealing than all those Reese’s and Hershey’s bars combined, Dauphin County’s Fort Hunter Park has a sweet treat for you.

On Oct. 27, Fort Hunter hosts its second annual Howl-O’Ween, which will attract all kinds of doggies in disguise—and other sociable pets are invited, as well.

You are encouraged to dress for the weather, and if you are really in the spirit of the season, dress to complement your costumed canine.

Last year’s head-turners included two white dogs dressed as Oreos (they were the creamy centers, of course), a Rhodesian ridgeback that was a dead-ringer for a lion, a “Superdog” with an entourage of superheroes, a skunk, a lumberjack and Eeyore joined by the entire Winnie-the-Pooh crew.

All of those costumes were showcased in the parade.

Because a handful of the more “free-spirited” dogs decided to stray from the neat procession line, the parade will be replaced this year by individual appearances. Every furry friend will have their day as they walk across a stage on the lawn by the barn for their five minutes of fame and can enter to win a prize as the funniest, scariest, most creative or other contest superlative.

Last year, the free event surprised even the organizers by attracting a crowd of some 500 animal-lovers and their beloved pooches—along with one old goat (who just came as he was), said Julia Hair, park manager.

Besides the always-irresistible dogs in dresses, the famous rescue dog, Libre of Speranza, will be on hand.

Also on tap will be an obedience demonstration by Mia Sumata, an agility demonstration by the Dauphin Training Club, Steppin’ Woofs dancing dogs demonstrations, and sheep herding demonstrations by Marianne Walters.

Guests can also dress up their pets in mustaches, hats and other hilarious props in the photo booth, sniff their way past pet-themed vendors, have their kids’ faces painted, and decorate pumpkins. Organizations like the Humane Society, Castaway Critters, Furry Friends Network, Honey’s RAID, Speranza and Phoenix Assistance Dogs of Central PA all will be on hand. Pet-themed snacks, hot dogs and beverages will be for sale.

You can bring your cat or any other type of pet, but Hair said that dogs seem to be the best fit.

“This is the perfect time when dog owners and dogs have a place to come to mingle,” Hair said. “There are no expectations—just to be dog owners and get together.”

And if you are not yet a dog owner but want to be, many of the pet rescues will bring animals eligible for adoption with them.

“Last year, it was a lovely, sweet time for people with dogs to enjoy being with their dogs and other dogs, and this gave them the opportunity to do just that,” Hair said.

Hair gave credit to Fort Hunter board President Allen Lengle for the canine inspiration, after he saw a similar idea at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

Hair also thinks it’s a match made in heaven because the original owners of Fort Hunter—the Reily family—owned a parrot and a monkey.

She said that some costumes are store-bought and some are homemade, but they are all highly creative.

“This is just a sweet, simple festival on a Sunday afternoon,” she said.

Dauphin County Board of Commissioners’ Chairman Jeff Haste, who oversees the county Parks and Recreation Department, called it a “fun event for families and their pets.”

“On most days, the news can be awful, and this little thing, you come away feeling like hope is not lost. There’s good in the world,” Hair said. “Here, we have happy people and happy animals, and all we needed was a place to hold it.”

So, grab some pumpkin spice coffee, don your creepiest or most comical Halloween outfit, dress the dog, and immerse yourself in some paws-itively adorable puppy love.

Howl-O’Ween takes place Sunday, Oct. 27, noon to 4 p.m., at Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.forthunter.org.

Mission Accomplished: Each year, packed buses leave central PA and head out of town on the summer mission trip.

September 30, 2019 | by Susan Ryder

Arthur Susan Ryder (center) with fellow members of the LutheranHANDS mission trip.

“Nana, papa, what happened to your house?” asked Kelli Williams’ grandson, when he saw the devastation Hurricane Florence had unleashed on her North Carolina home.

Williams recounted this story to me as we stood in her kitchen amidst the sound of impact drivers, the smell of spackle, and the chatter of 20 people working to restore her home. I thought to myself, “This is why people go on mission trips!”

Service isn’t new to me, but I’ve never experienced the “summer mission trip.” Loosely defined, a mission trip involves a group of people leaving home with a common goal of positively impacting those on the receiving end.

I served with LutheranHANDS, a Harrisburg-based organization co-founded and run by Jesse Woodrow and his five-member board of directors.

A small organization, LutheranHANDS takes about two mission trips a year and was birthed out of devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when Woodrow, his now-wife and a bunch of their 20-something friends headed to New Orleans. Woodrow said that LutheranHands wasn’t created in one moment, but the idea began with a group of people saying, “Let’s do this.”

Now, it was my turn to do this.

The parking lot was full of luggage, adult leaders, young people and their parents, in various degrees of good-byes, anxious to get going.

I asked Luke Foery, a recent high school graduate from York, why he was going on the trip.

“Why not?” he said. “Work hard, get sweaty, help people out.”

Semper Gumby

In North Carolina, we arrived at a facility run by Baptists on Mission. The organization had recently renovated an old middle school and transformed it into the mission control of relief work.

The well-appointed dorm sleeping area harkened back to summer camp, with cubbies to hold our belongings. We had on-site showers (a luxury!), common areas for socializing and a large cafeteria.

I would act as an adult leader on team six, keeping track of youth, assigning tasks to the team, and, perhaps most importantly, making sure the crew drank enough water. The weather for this trip would be square—90 degrees, 90 percent humidity.

After a 7 a.m. proper Southern breakfast, including biscuits and grits (I could get used to that), we headed to our worksite. A double-wide trailer with a cinder block foundation, the house had been gutted to the studs and floor joists. Like many houses in Duplin County, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer, where the owner now resided, sat in the backyard. Nine months out from Florence, most people were not yet back in their homes.

Supplies for our site had been ordered, but had not yet arrived. Our work crew leader, Kevin Kincaid, announced our working motto, “Semper Gumby” (“Always Flexible”), as we were moved to another worksite until our supplies arrived—two days later.

Mission trips always involve flexibility. Coordinating worksites and large groups takes time. Supplies and tools frequently aren’t available when needed.

Look at That

Arianna Heidingsfelder was especially adaptable, spending her 16th birthday in North Carolina. Fingers and elbows dappled with paint and decorated with her a birthday sash, she was all smiles enjoying a birthday cake.

I asked her about missing her birthday at home.

“At first, I was kind of disappointed because, two years ago in New Orleans [another LutheranHANDS trip], I had my 14th birthday there,” she said. “But I come to help people and make new relationships and make some stronger.”

Her birthday gift? On this trip, she was painting rather than mudding drywall.

Not only young people joined LutheranHANDS. Kathy Panther, 67, looking for more to do during her retirement, was on her first mission trip.

“It reminds me of camp as a kid and the feeling of getting together and working on a team,” she said.

Crews worked on houses in various stages of repair.

Penn State sophomore Matt Little served as a work leader at a demolition site. He led his group with the battle cry, “We have two hammers. Let’s get to work!” The team tore out drywall and insulation and loaded a monstrous pile of debris into a dumpster under the shade-free, blazing North Carolina sun.

The Williams’ home was further along than many. Veronica Angus, using previous mission trip experience and some extra guidance, taped and spackled a 12-foot drywall seam. We celebrated as she announced, “Look at that sexy seam!”

The crew spent much time talking with Williams and her husband. Woodrow stressed that the purpose of this trip was not only to “get stuff done,” but also to create relationships with our homeowners and one another. We were encouraged to listen to their stories.

Williams said that, when the Cape Fear River began rising, they “grabbed totes of pictures and cards, four or five outfits,” and left. They returned later by kayak to see three feet of water in their home.

Now, Williams was buoyant as she saw all the work being done, assisting in every way possible.

“If I would have done all this myself, it wouldn’t have been as special,” she said. “This is the good you don’t get to hear about.”

The group’s goals also involved pushing themselves, teaching and learning new skills.

Team six’s new skill was insulation installation. Everyone learned the proper technique for cutting, folding over the paper tabs, and using a staple hammer to attach the insulation to the studs. At first, we worked clumsily. But as time went on, we mastered the stapler and cut insulation like butter. I nicknamed one team member “the hammer” because of her staple hammer wielding skills.

Most impressive was the participants’ willingness to do really hard, really hot, really dirty, and sometimes scary work, like entering the 18-inch crawl space under the house. Peering under the floor into the confined space, I nearly panicked. But like many of our team, I awkwardly slithered underneath, laid on my back and pushed eight-foot sections of insulation into the joists, affixing it with pieces of wire called tiger teeth.

One team witnessed a snake enter the space ahead of them. Daunted but determined, they scrambled in anyway, finished the work, and emerged with a sense of accomplishment, like slaying a dragon.

Exhilarated, yet tired, we boarded buses to head home, knowing we wouldn’t see the end of the work we’d begun. We left with the relationships we built and the satisfaction that Williams’ grandson is now making decorating plans for his new bedroom at nana and papa’s house.

For more information about the LutheranHANDS Foundation, visit www.lutheranhands.org.

Pearly Whites, Pastes & Pitfalls: How to whiten and not weaken.

September 30, 2019 | by Dr. Josh Capozzi

Dressed to kill for that first date, a make or break interview for your dream job, a long overdue night out, and the last thing you want is a dingy, yellow smile. Years of coffee, tea and food stains vanish in seconds as you rinse free the black, sticky mess from your teeth revealing underneath a dazzling, bright, shiny set of pearly whites.

This is the illusion that charcoal toothpaste companies try to sell you, which isn’t much different than the whitening toothpaste propaganda you see on a daily basis. A whiter and brighter smile is the most coveted outcome of dental treatment, and it’s no surprise that whitening toothpaste is the No.1-selling and sought-after type of toothpaste when it comes to the American consumer.

Whitening pastes can be a powerful and cost-effective ally in restoring that dull smile, but like most things that seem too good to be true, caution is advised.

Most whitening pastes act as abrasives, which remove stains from the outer layer of your tooth called enamel. It may take months before you achieve a noticeable result. Enamel is exceptionally hard, but it is still susceptible to wear from over-brushing and, once removed, it will never grow back.

The American Dental Association has developed a scale known as “Relative Dentin Abrasivity” (RDA), which we use to score toothpastes and determine if they are helpful or harmful. Surprisingly, there are quite a few toothpastes that are harmful, dangerous or damaging for your teeth, and most of those are promoted as whitening pastes. If you are going to be using a whitening paste, do some research before buying and compare the following information to make a healthy choice for your teeth.

0-70: Low abrasive and safe
70-100: Medium abrasive—safe for enamel but dangerous if you have gum recession
100-150: High abrasive—can be dangerous for your teeth
150-250: Very high abrasive—harmful limit, damaging for teeth
250 and above: Not recommended

Since not all pastes are created equal, here are some tips on what to look for and what to avoid when perusing your store’s dental aisle.

Pastes promoted as sensitive tend to have some of the lowest RDA values available and tend to whiten using a detergent action. This detergent action helps to gently lift stains from your teeth just like your laundry detergent does for your clothes. Sensodyne True White works through detergent action and scores an RDA less than 15 compared to Crest 3D White Vivid, which scores a whopping 205 RDA.

Charcoal toothpastes are becoming more popular as many seek to move towards simpler and less engineered options. Many charcoal toothpastes have been formulated to provide a safe RDA. However, self-mixed charcoal powders may not have the same consistency. These can be dangerous as their RDA values vary and may be damaging for your teeth, especially if you have gum recession.

Whatever choice you make, be sure to update your dentist and hygienist so they can help you avoid any issues with your specific situation.

Keep Smiling,
Dr. Sleuth

Our Tooth Sleuth, Dr. Josh Capozzi, does most of his sleuthing at Capozzi Dental in Etters.

Visit Dr. C’s Facebook and comment with questions for Dr. C to answer in his next article. www.facebook.com/capozzidental.

Fill ‘Er Up: Classic cars, tasty brews on tap at annual Autos & Ales.

September 30, 2019 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

It’s probably not often that a brewer is asked to match the color of an automobile, but that’s exactly what Mad Chef Craft Brewing did when creating the featured brew of the AACA Museum’s 2019 Autos & Ales event.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the classic auto museum’s popular fundraiser, with participation by some 35 of the state’s best breweries.

“We’ve been doing this for 10 years, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Jeffrey Bliemeister, the museum’s executive director. “It’s our staff’s favorite event.”

This year’s featured brew by Mad Chef matches the 1969 Big Bad Orange AMX two-seat muscle car that’s in the museum’s permanent collection. The eight-cylinder sports coupe, of which only 284 were made, runs on 102-octane fuel, so Mad Chef’s custom brew is made with 102 bittering units to match.

Each year, Autos & Ales is held entirely inside the three floors of the 70,000-square-foot museum just outside Hershey, which doesn’t make it “weather dependent” like many other local events, said Nancy Gates, the museum’s director of marketing and communications. While there, attendees are welcome to explore the Smithsonian-affiliated museum, which includes a wide range of cars, buses, motorcycles and other automobiles from the 1890s through the 1980s.

“When we first started this event 10 years ago, we only had a couple of hundred people,” Gates said. “For the last few years, we’ve sold out. We find that 800 to 900 people is a good number because we don’t want long lines.”

The Nov. 1 event kicks off at 6 p.m. with a VIP happy hour, with guests receiving an exclusive tasting of Big Bad Orange, the limited edition, double IPA customized for the event by Mad Chef. Regular admission begins an hour later.

“We are honored and very happy to be invited to get to be a part of this event,” said Francisco Ramirez, who co-owns the East Petersburg, Pa.-based brewery along with Greg Kendig.

Although Big Bad Orange was created as a “high octane” brew with an alcohol content of around 8 percent, Ramirez described it as “very smooth,” saying that it tastes like an IPA with a lower alcohol content.

Gates views Autos & Ales as an “interesting marriage” between the museum and craft breweries. Ticket proceeds help the museum, while an onsite auction benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. All Autos & Ale brewers are required to donate a sale item for the auction.

In the mood for food? Autos & Ales is rolling out expanded food offerings this year, included in the price of admission, Gates said. The menu includes ham and sirloin sliders, a pasta station, meatballs, walking tacos and veggies/fruits with dips, all by C&J Catering of Lower Swatara Township.

A best-tasting wings competition featuring local restaurants also is on tap for the evening. Although the Penn Hotel has taken the prize for the past two years, around a half-dozen area eateries are expected to compete for this year’s title.

Live entertainment will be courtesy of Smooth Like Clyde, a five-piece band from Harrisburg, and Mixed-Up Productions, a local DJ company.

Tröegs Independent Brewing of Hershey is the largest participating brewery this year, while Howling Henry’s of Palmyra is the smallest. Participants include a who’s who of central PA breweries, including such popular local names as the Millworks (Harrisburg), Tattered Flag (Middletown) and Newfangled (Lower Paxton Township), as well as more distant breweries like Free Will Brewing (Perkasie), Boom City (Williamsport) and Pilger Ruh (Pottsville).

For guests not favoring beer, J&P Winery of Grantville will be on hand with wine slushies. In all, around 35 brewers are expected to participate in this year’s event, and designated driver tickets are also available at a lower price.

“People like variety and like to see something new every year,” Bliemeister noted. “So, we keep that in mind when planning this popular event.”

Autos & Ales takes place Nov. 1 at the AACA Museum, 161 Museum Dr., Hershey. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.aacamuseum.org.

A Journey, a Cause: A personal crisis sparked a movement to battle breast cancer.

September 30, 2019 | by Susan Ryder

In 1993, Pat Halpin-Murphy beat breast cancer.

She could have simply returned to her daily routine, but she felt called to do something more.

“After I got over the shock of the diagnosis and finished treatment, I really felt that I was spared, and something of a miracle, and I wanted to give something back,” she said.

She soon founded The PA Breast Cancer Coalition. Its goal—“to help find a cure for breast cancer so that our daughters don’t have to,” she said.

The Lebanon-based organization aims to tackle breast cancer through legislative advocacy, education and research funding.

Dressed in a pink blazer, adorned with a shiny, faceted gemstone breast cancer awareness pin, Halpin-Murphy explained its first focus: to force insurance companies to provide mammograms at no cost (no copay, no coinsurance or deductible) for women beginning in their 40s.

At the time, many insurance companies didn’t pay for them, and those that did often didn’t cover women under 50. Halpin-Murphy’s cancer was discovered when she was in her 40s.

“People all over the state rose up to get the legislation through,” she said.

And, in 1994, it passed. Halpin-Murphy noted that this law didn’t pass federally until 2010.

Since then, the PBCC has successfully championed legislation that requires mammography centers to notify women of their breast density, that removed a time limit for insurance companies to cover breast reconstructive surgery and that extended Medicaid coverage for breast cancer treatment, among other victories.

A Bonfire

Personal advocacy and education are also important to the PBCC. One way the group accomplishes this is through the traveling photo exhibit, “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in PA.”

“At that time [1993] not everyone was comfortable saying, ‘I’m a breast cancer survivor,’” said Halpin-Murphy. “Some women were and some women weren’t, and that’s still true. And we wanted to make a comfortable, safe space for women with breast cancer to do that.”

In the end, hundreds of women applied to be in the exhibit.

“I feel like we started a bonfire,” she said. “People had just been waiting for a way to acknowledge what they’d been through in their treatment and survivorship.”

One of those women was Joyce Ashe of Steelton. In a booth at Panera Bread, sporting white and pink, custom-made breast cancer sneakers, given to her by her son, she talked about her breast cancer journey.

She was diagnosed in 2010 and discovered the PBCC through a friend at church.

That same friend had the PBCC send Ashe a “Friends Like Me” care package. That free package included information, a personal note of encouragement, books and other items.

“The note inside said, ‘This box has been put together by people who’ve been through what you are going through, and you’re not in this journey alone,’” she said. “That meant so much to me. I was so overwhelmed.”

Ashe has taken her experience and used it to help others.

She hums with enthusiasm for the work and described herself as a “mammo nag,” encouraging women, especially in the African American community, to get mammograms and to reach out to others if diagnosed.

“It’s a journey not to be taken alone,” she said. “Why shed a tear and use a tissue when you can have a hug?”

Current Focus

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and, with the diagnosis, comes the “what ifs.” PBCC helps people with these concerns through its full-time Director of Patient Advocacy Dolores Magro.

“You get diagnosed one day, and the next day you are in the world of things you don’t know,” Magro said.

Callers to the hotline have access to Magro’s 24 years of gathering resources for women and men diagnosed with breast cancer. She connects them with financial assistance, prosthetics, employment solutions, free mammograms, treatment for those without insurance and much more.

What makes the PBCC special is that “you get a person not a phone tree,” Magro said.

PBCC has awarded 98 peer-reviewed research grants, totally $3 million. Money from that research has assisted in developing a new element to help in the treatment of inflammatory breast cancer, an especially aggressive form, giving women longer periods of wellness.

Halpin-Murphy said that a current focus is on women with recurring breast cancer.

“We have more survivors than ever, but we can’t forget our sisters with metastatic breast cancer,” she said.

Funding for this research and advocacy comes from grassroots partners, “mostly through private individuals and organizations,” said Halpin-Murphy. Groups hold dress-down days, golf outings and events such as the “Drive Out Breast Cancer Campaign” held at major car dealerships in the area.

The PA Dairymen’s Association supports the PBCC by offering free Farm Show milkshakes on Oct. 1 at the state Capitol, when the fountain begins running pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Another important event is the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference, held at the Hilton Harrisburg on Oct. 18. This event brings survivors and those coping with cancer together for networking, workshops and fun.

“We don’t do depressing,” said Halpin-Murphy

Her own breast cancer experience birthed an organization that’s been fighting for and alongside women for 26 years. It’s moved closer to its goal.

“Treatment for breast cancer has improved immensely over the last several decades, and women are living longer and longer after diagnosis,” she said.

To learn more about the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, send a “Friends Like Me” box, or register for the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference, visit www.pabreastcancer.org. Patient advocate Dolores Magro can be reached at 610-622-3390.

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