Holy Troll-y: “Troll” fans feast this month at Midtown Cinema.

September 30, 2019 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

There are no trolls in “Troll 2.”

There are goblins. In fact, the film’s working title was “Goblin,” but the film’s distributors rebranded the film in hopes that it would get more clout as a sequel to “Troll.” This was a strange decision given that “Troll 2” didn’t even have the same filmmakers as its predecessor.

It starts to make a little bit more sense when you pull back the layers and realize that “Troll 2” was a terrible, terrible movie—so much so that people began referring to it as the “best worst movie” (a term coined by a documentary about the production). The low budget, painfully awkward deliveries and laughable scenarios garnered a cult following for the film. So, while “Troll 2” had nothing to do with “Troll,” the torch of Trolldom had been lit nonetheless.

Since then, other filmmakers have made sequels—“Quest for the Mighty Sword” and “The Crawlers,” which have both confusingly been referred to as “Troll 3.” And now there’s “Under ConTROLL,” which has its PA premiere on Oct. 19 at Midtown Cinema. Each film has carried that torch, creating a strange, beloved fanbase of people who indulge in the ridiculousness of it all. None of these films had any actual connection—different production team, different storylines, etc.—except for the title of “Troll.”

But “Under ConTROLL” has a trick up its sleeve. It does manage to unite at least two of the films in its makeshift past. This time, the story is about trolls, adhering more to the world of the original “Troll,” while also borrowing one of the starring characters from “Troll 2”: George Hardy’s Michael Waits.

In anticipation of the PA premiere, I interviewed Hardy to fill in the blanks about this strange, beloved series. Hardy plans to be at the double feature—yes, that’s right, both “Troll 2” and “Under ConTROLL” will be playing that night—for a Q&A after the premiere.

What does Hardy think of the two films?

“We just wanted to make a fun little film,” he said.

Hardy had been new to his acting career for his performance in “Troll 2,” being a dentist by trade, and what an experience for his first production. The director, Claudio Fragasso, is Italian and had a difficult time explaining his vision to his English-speaking cast.

“There was a language barrier,” Hardy explained, which made most of the lines come across as stilted and strange.

In contrast, German filmmakers made “Under ConTROLL” with a mostly German cast (except for Hardy, of course, whose lines were dubbed over in English, creating a wonky, disconnected effect in the process). But, at least this time, there was much more communication between the cast and crew.

“Under ConTROLL” is much more self-aware than the other films, even making several references to its infamous predecessor. “That sounds like a really, really bad movie,” one character drawls after Michael Waits explains the nightmare he went through previously.

It is a story of a troll who disguises himself as a beautiful woman in order to collect the things he needs—a magician, a book of magic and a male virgin—to free his fellow trolls from a magical prison. At times, the film feels like a low-budget version of “Labyrinth,” playing up the fantastical, ridiculous costumes and leaning into its personal history of low-production value. Hardy praises the crew as “efficient and hardworking individuals, and it really shows—that they were able to do so much with such a small budget.”

While the film definitely plays up its B-movie qualities, it accomplishes just what Hardy and the rest of the cast and crew hoped—it’s a fun movie to watch. The tried-and-true fans of this series will love the new addition, that’s for sure, and the film even leaves room for more sequels to come. Whether you’re a fan or a “Troll” virgin (watch out—the trolls can smell you out if you are), you will want to check out this double feature.

“Troll 2” and “Under ConTROLL” play Oct. 19, starting at 7 p.m., at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. A Q&A with actor George Hardy follows the double feature. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

OCTOBER SPECIAL EVENTS
AT MIDTOWN CINEMA

Central PA Open Screen
Thursday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)
Friday, Oct. 4, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live
“One Man, Two Guvnors”
Sunday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m.

“Frankenstein”
Sunday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 27, 4 p.m.

Down in Front! presents
“The Crawling Eye” (1958)
Friday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m.

Vidjam of Horror screening
Sunday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

3^rd in the Burg $3 Movie:
“Hocus Pocus” (1993)
Friday, Oct. 18, 9:30 p.m.

“Troll 2”/”UnderConTROLL” Double Feature
With George Hardy Q&A
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.

“Nosferatu” (1922)
with improvised rock score by The New Mutants
Monday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920)
with improvised score by jazz trio, including pianist Anthony Haubert
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.

“Carnival of Souls” (1962)
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 9:30 p.m.

“Practical Magic” (1998)
Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.

“VHS Trick or Treat”
Friday, Oct. 25, 9:30 p.m.

“The Witches” (1990)
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2 p.m.

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)
Saturday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.

Moviate Presents
“Freaks” on 16mm
Sunday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.

“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
Monday, Oct. 28, 9:30 p.m.

“Re-Animator” (1985)
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 9:30 p.m.

“The Exorcist” (1973)
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m.

“Halloween” (1978)
Thursday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

September News Digest

September 30, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Stop Signs, Charging Stations for 3rd Street

Harrisburg will retain two of four stop signs on N. 3rd Street that were threatened with removal until City Council can make a final decision on their fate.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said last month that his administration has decided to retain the stop signs at Emerald and Kelker streets, but remove them at Harris and Boyd streets.

These are temporary measures until the 3rd Street corridor project is complete, Papenfuse said. At that time, council will have the option of making a final decision on the signs by changing the city’s traffic control map.

“The traffic control map will come to City Council for approval once the project is done,” Papenfuse said.

In early August, residents along the corridor were surprised to learn that the city planned to remove stop signs on N. 3rd Street at those four intersections. Soon after, numerous residents appeared at a council meeting to protest the removal.

At the Harris and Boyd street intersections, the stop signs will be replaced with yield signs. A pedestrian crosswalk also will be added at Harris Street.

“I agree with Boyd,” said Councilman Westburn Majors. “I’m concerned about Harris Street because there’s the senior living building there.”

Papenfuse added that the 3rd Street project unexpectedly will extend into next year for the downtown area south of Forster Street for two principal reasons.

First, Harrisburg University has requested a work stoppage at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets until it removes its heavy equipment from the immediate area as part of the construction of its 17-story academic tower and hotel.

Secondly, the city has received a $40,000 state Department of Environmental Protection grant to install eight electric vehicle charging stations in front of the State Museum. The installation of the electrical infrastructure will delay completion of the project in that area, Papenfuse said.

Moreover, the city plans to complete the sidewalk-widening project around the state Capitol. About eight years ago, the sidewalk around the Capitol on Walnut Street and most of N. 3rd Street was widened. However, the project wasn’t completed, leaving the original, narrow concrete strip in place from North to State streets. That sidewalk now will be widened, as well, finishing the walkway.

Harrisburg Adopts Artsfest

When Jump Street announced it was shutting down, many Harrisburg residents wondered who would run the city’s beloved Artsfest celebration.

Now we know, as the city has opted to take the event in-house.

For 2020, Megan Roby, the city’s director of special events, will take the lead in organizing Artsfest, the long-running, three-day, arts-focused celebration along the city waterfront, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

“The city is taking on Artsfest for next year because no one else has stepped up,” he said.

Artsfest takes place in Riverfront Park each Memorial Day weekend, attracting more than 200 art exhibitors and vendors, as well as thousands of visitors. Several years ago, the nonprofit arts group, Jump Street, took over the event from long-time organizer, the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council. However, Jump Street now is dissolving.

Papenfuse said that adopting Artsfest, in its 53rd year, wasn’t his preferred option, but that he feared that the event wouldn’t happen otherwise.

“We can’t let Artsfest disappear,” he said. “It’s too valuable to the city.”

For one year, the city hopes to hire Melissa Snyder, the long-time executive director of Jump Street, as a consultant. To that end, City Council introduced a resolution last month that, if approved, would pay Snyder $10,000 to help transition the event from Jump Street to the city.

Papenfuse estimates the total cost of Artsfest to be about $100,000. In the end, he expects the city to break even from sponsorships and other event revenue.

The city already organizes the two other big summer events in Riverfront Park—the July 4 Food Truck Festival & Fireworks and the three-day Kipona festival over Labor Day. It also puts on such events as the Fire & Ice Festival in March, the holiday parade in November and the downtown New Year’s Eve celebration.

Ribbon Cut on River Walk

Harrisburg’s deteriorating river walk has been repaved, as the city last month unveiled a ribbon of new concrete running about two miles.

The $1.6 million project laid new concrete along much of the 10,275-linear-foot walk from Shipoke to Maclay Street, though, in a few places, old walk was repaired, not replaced, due to funding restrictions.

The project only replaced the river walk itself, not the stairs leading to the Susquehanna River. Fixing the steps, city Engineer Wayne Martin said, is a massively expensive project, though the city might be able to patch some areas.

The work was funded by a $1.5 million federal Transportation Alternative Program grant, with the city kicking in about $160,000.

At the ribbon-cutting, city officials were joined by a group of bicyclists who took a ceremonial first ride on the newly laid white concrete.

Bike Harrisburg’s Dick Norford explained that the river walk and steps were part of Harrisburg’s City Beautiful movement of the early 20th century, which gave the city numerous parks, as well as paved roads and a functioning sewer system.

In fact, the walk itself came into existence to shield a sewer interceptor, which runs beneath it.

“This is such a vital link because the Greenbelt is not just a beautiful recreational trail,” Norford said. “When a city is more inviting to walking and biking, it’s a better place to work, a better place to live and a better place to play.”

The project actually began several years ago, when the walk along the Shipoke waterfront—badly damaged from the 2011 flood—was replaced. Work kicked in again last fall, took a break for the winter, and started up again in spring.

Superintendent Condemns Voucher Proposal

A top official of the Harrisburg school district has come out strongly against a proposal that would allow city students to use public money to attend private schools.

Last month, the district’s acting superintendent, Dr. John George, called a proposed bill by House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) “ill-timed” and said it would “harm the majority of children in the Harrisburg school district.”

Turzai currently is seeking co-sponsors for a proposed bill that would establish a “pilot voucher program” specifically targeted at the Harrisburg school district. It would award “scholarships” of $4,100, which city children could use to attend private or other public schools.

The proposal also calls on the state to contribute another $3,000 in a “tuition grant,” bringing the total to $7,100 per student.

“Speaker Turzai’s proposal is ill-timed and undermines the Financial Recovery Act of 2012, the very legislation for which he advocated,” George said, in a statement. “By removing additional monies from the school district that is already financially distressed, the proposal seriously disrupts the recovery process and wrecks additional havoc, virtually guaranteeing that the district will forever remain in financial distress.”

George further stated that Turzai’s proposal “requires parents to pay a portion of the tuition,” which “may help a few, but it comes at the expense of harming the vast majority.”

“It also only further widens the economic disparity between those who can afford to pay tuition and the poorest of the poor,” he stated.

Turzai began circulating his proposal among lawmakers soon after the school year began in the 6,700-student district. He said that such action was needed given the poor performance among students on state test scores and the fourth-lowest high school graduation rate in the state.

“By allowing Harrisburg families to choose the right education environment for each student, we can finally resolve the decades-long failure to provide an adequate education to Harrisburg children,” Turzai wrote in his memorandum to House members seeking co-sponsors.

Sewer Project Resumes

Capital Region Water is giving its Front Street interceptor project another go, closing a part of Riverfront Park in Uptown Harrisburg until early November.

CRW last month closed the park between Shamokin and Emerald streets until Nov. 9 to install 1,765 feet of new pipe liner, called “cured in place” pipe, which helps prevent failure, sinkholes and leakage.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience during construction as we address our critical and aging infrastructure,” said CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer in a statement.

The park needs to be shut down in the area due to construction and because aboveground pipes have been installed in the park to bypass water flows during the installation, CRW said.

Last year, CRW closed down the park for several months as it attempted the same project. However, the city utility authority was unable to complete it due to worse-than-expected deterioration of the 105-year-old Front Street interceptor, as well as unexpected utility conflicts, CRW has said.

The 30-inch diameter interceptor carries about 2.3 million gallons of wastewater every day from Harrisburg and Susquehanna Township to the Front Street pump station.

The project will not lead to full road closures on Front Street, but park pedestrians will be detoured across the street until completion.

Commonwealth to Build on D&H Site

When D&H Distributing announced its departure from Harrisburg, many city residents wondered what would replace the company at its longstanding Uptown headquarters.

Now we know.

Last month, the state Department of General Services announced that the commonwealth plans to build a three-story, 120,000-square-foot building to house hundreds of workers displaced from the former Harrisburg State Hospital grounds in Susquehanna Township.

“We are glad to be able to announce the award of this lease that will put nearly 900 employees into a physically and technologically advanced workspace,” said DGS Secretary Curt Topper, in a statement.

In January, D&H announced that it would move to a new office campus in Lower Paxton Township after almost seven decades on the 2500-block of N. 7th Street.

DGS said that the new office building will house employees from the Office of Administration’s Office of Information Technology and the Department of Human Services, including staff from offices of its medical assistance programs, income maintenance, administration, youth and families and its 24/7 ChildLine operations.

Most workers will be relocated from buildings at the former State Hospital, which the state is trying to sell. Some also will relocate from an office building on Herr Street and the Office of Medical Assistance Programs space in Camp Hill.

According to DGS, the state is entering into a build-to-suit lease with Hudson Asset Advisors, which will demolish the low-slung, sprawling D&H building. On the site, it then will build a 120,000-square-foot building with 1,000 parking spaces.

DGS expects to break ground in early 2020, with the first workers moving in during the first quarter of 2021.

DGS did not reveal financial terms, but said that it would once the pricing and terms of the lease are finalized.

Library Buys Historic House, Will Expand

For many years, two prominent parcels on N. Front Street in Harrisburg had common ownership and a shared history.

More than a century ago, those parcels separated, and the building’s side yard became the site of the McCormick Riverfront Library.

Now, those two properties are linked again.

In a recent ceremony, Dauphin County Library System (DCLS) officials announced that they had purchased the original, two-century-old house next door to the McCormick Library, with plans to renovate and turn it into administrative offices.

“This project lets us restore and preserve this historic structure,” said DCLS Executive Director Karen Cullings. “It is one of the oldest buildings in the city.”

Ken Frew, the long-time librarian for the Dauphin County Historical Society, affirmed the historic credentials of the building at 27 N. Front St.

Frew said that Stephen Hills, who came to Harrisburg to construct the original state Capitol, built the Georgian-style house for his own home around 1812. He owned the building for many years, eventually renting it out to Gov. John Schulze, one of a group of houses now known as “Governor’s Row.”

“If I had to compile a list of the top-10 most-historic houses in Harrisburg, this house would be in the top five,” Frew said.

In July, DCLS bought the 5,458-square-foot house for $295,000 from long-time owner, attorney William Balaban.

The library itself sits on land that originally was the side yard to the building, bequeathed by a later owner, Sara Haldeman Haly, who had a garden on the property.

“I am truly honored that we were able to acquire the property that was Sara’s home,” Cullings said.

Cullings said that DCLS was “in the formative stages of the project,” as it still needs to raise money for the substantial renovation.

Once the renovation is done, DCLS plans to move its administrative staff into the house. That will free up space in the library for more family and children’s activities, including STEM and arts-related programming, Cullings said.

Next door, DCLS plans to renovate the house’s first floor for community meetings and events and also will allow public access to the courtyard in the back, she said.

DCLS board President Andrew Enders wrapped up the brief ceremony with a pitch to the community to help the project come to fruition.

“It’s time for the Dauphin County Library System to continue to make our mark on this community,” he said. “But we need your support. Whether it’s your time or your money, we’ll take it.”

Urban Meadow Extension Proposed

Harrisburg hopes to extend an existing walkway by two blocks, offering a landscaped pedestrian link between the new federal courthouse and the heart of Midtown Harrisburg.

The city has applied for a $75,430 grant to PA WalkWorks, a state Department of Health program, to extend the “urban meadow” to N. 6th Street from its current terminus at Fulton Street.

“With the courthouse being built, we would like to see this extension,” confirmed Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

About a decade ago, three blocks of Boyd Street, from N. 3rd to Fulton streets, were transformed from a street alley into a pleasant walkway and bike path with the installation of pavers and native plants.

The project was part of a larger master plan to revitalize the area. In the early 2000s, the city acquired and cleared several blocks of blighted houses and commercial buildings along the 300- and 400-blocks of Reily Street.

The Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority eventually sold these blocks to GreenWorks Development and HACC, and they’re now surface parking lots. Recently, GreenWorks received a $2 million state grant to help fund a $26 million, 135-unit apartment and retail building planned for the 300-block of Reily.

The current urban meadow runs in back of these parcels.

If received, the grant would pay for design work for the two-block extension up Boyd Street to N. 6th Street, making the walkway nearly ¼-mile in total. Papenfuse said the city also is applying for a Dauphin County gaming grant, which would help fund the remainder of the project, including construction.

City Council must ratify the application to PA WalkWorks, though the city has already submitted the application in order to meet an Aug. 30 deadline.

Home Sales, Prices Climb

Both home sales and prices swung up in August in the Harrisburg area, largely due to falling interest rates.

The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors credited declining mortgage rates for sales that rose 5.3 percent to 720 units compared to the year-ago period. Median sales prices increased by 10.5 percent to $199,500 over the same period, GHAR said.

In Dauphin County, sales totaled 346 units, an increase of 16 units, while the median sales price rose 12.1 percent to $184,900 compared to August 2018, according to GHAR. Cumberland County saw sales go up by 9.7 percent to 350 units, with the median price up by 9.3 percent to $218,500.

Perry County had a decrease in volume, with sales down by 11 units to 24 units compared to the year-ago period, GHAR said. The median sales price also dropped, down 9.5 percent to $153,750.

So Noted

Jason Isbell has put Harrisburg on his upcoming concert tour, scoring a date at the Forum. The Grammy Award-winning Americana/roots icon will play on Dec. 20 as part of the Harrisburg University concert series.

Open Stage of Harrisburg announced last month that it was rebranding simply as “Open Stage” and changed its logo. The changes were made in anticipation of opening its expanded and renovated theater in downtown Harrisburg.

Recycle Bicycle last month moved out of its home of the last four years, the Atlas Street Warehouse in Uptown Harrisburg. The nonprofit wants to purchase a new, permanent home, preferably on Allison Hill, and hopes to make an announcement soon.

Salman Rushdie is returning to Harrisburg in December, with an appearance at Midtown Scholar Bookstore. The world-famous author will speak and sign books to promote his newest novel, “Quichotte.”

Shady McGrady’s is up for sale, joining a number of other long-established bars and restaurants to hit the market in the Harrisburg area. The owners are asking $650,000 for two buildings, plus the liquor license and fixtures. In recent months, several other local institutions have been listed for sale, including the FireHouse Restaurant in Harrisburg and the Glass Lounge in Susquehanna Township.

Two Poodles debuted in the Broad Street Market, selling scratch-made bagels from its stand in the brick building. Owners Bill Weber and Shea Mascia, who reside in Elizabethtown, also sell bagels in York Central Market.

Whitaker Center is turning 20-year-old classroom space into a new, 3,000-square-foot STEM Design Studios in the Harsco Science Center. Très Bonne Année, an annual, wine-focused fundraiser, is underwriting much of the $450,000 cost of the new STEM center.

Changing Hands

Benton St., 512: J. Eldred to V. Doan, $103,000

Briggs St., 1836: BSR Rental Trust to J. Cruz & C. Soto, $69,000

Chestnut St., 2123: T. Barton to T. Allen, $200,000

Cumberland St., 119: S. Pritchard to J. & L. Weigle, $129,000

Delaware St., 262: WCI Partners to A. Hanlon, $114,000

Derry St., 2414: U.S. Bank NA to HT Properties LLC, $36,400

Green St., 1100: B. Smith to D. & K. Rosemarino, $169,900

Green St., 1430: B. Rice to K. Roberts, $148,000

Green St., 1612: B. Brubaker to G. Hoffner, $150,000

Green St., 1710: Federal National Mortgage Association to M. Della Porta, $120,000

Green St., 1920: WCI Partners LP to A. Hanlon, $123,000

Green St., 1935: R. Holder to T. Holder, $200,000

Green St., 2320: M. Chajai to M. Sadi, $31,000

Hale Ave., 444: P. Huynh to MRG Homes LLC, $55,000

Harris St., 414: J. Underhill to Z. Jackson, $107,000

Herr St., 415 & 426 Snipe Al.: J. Foreman to K. Baran & R. Gillis, $62,500

Holly St., 1937: T. Hardison to CR Property LLC, $30,000

Hudson St., 1131: T. Smarsh to M. Hester, $104,000

Hudson St., 1257: R. Madara to R. & N. Purdy, $125,000

Hummel St., 210: Justgeoff Partners LLC to Ice Properties LLC, $51,000

Kensington St., 2142: C. Smith to D. Anderson, $75,000

Lexington St., 2615: A. Oglesby to S. Das, $59,900

N. 2nd St., 402: North Front Associates to N&R Group, $200,000

N. 2nd St., 509: 509 Partners LLC to Pennsylvania School Boards Association Insurance, $335,000

N. 2nd St., 1519: H. Task to T. Kunkle, $224,900

N. 2nd St., 1821: W&P Real Estate Investments to R. Rammouni, $56,000

N. 2nd St., 3115: G. Fiaschetti to C. & C. Harris, $77,900

N. 3rd St., 2331: F. Laoukili & M. Mtere to S. Morton & R. Bushner, $970,000

N. 4th St., 2434: PA Deals to L. & C. Lautsbaugh, $70,000

N. 4th St., 3309: D. Wright to K. Dierolf, $121,000

N. 5th St., 2326: L. Palmer to S. Wolfe, $87,000

N. 5th St., 2558: V. Rivas to R. Morel, $65,000

N. 5th St., 2731: PA Deals LLC to R. Narinesingh, $79,900

N. 6th St., 2646: Preferred Trust Company Custodian & D. Clements to Builders Property Management & Marketing Group LLC, $42,000

N. 12th St., 1002: Cameron St. Body Shop Inc. & Aumiller’s Auto Parts Inc. to DF Herr LP, $750,000

N. 15th St., 1419: 1900 Capital Trust II to S. Jumaevo & A. Ruziev, $33,000

N. 16th St., 716: H. Lowery to J. Vazquez, $135,000

N. 16th St., 1223: KDR Investments LLP to W. West, $79,000

N., 17th St., 117: Justgeoff Partners LLC to Ice Properties LLC, $40,000

N. 18th St., 706: C. Harper to T. Mulally, $55,550

N. Cameron St., 33: Musalair Trust to 27 33 N. Cameron St. LLC, $5,264,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 303: A. Cahall & M. Brenner to R. & S. Cuyjet, $127,000

Peffer St., 329: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development information Systems & Networks to J. Secrest, $34,500

Penn St., 1931: R. & B. Precourt to Z. Ashley & A. Garman, $150,000

Pennwood Rd., 3127: J. Bell to N. Lilla, $125,000

Rolleston St., 1411 & 1315: Keystone RH LLC to JWM Associates, $1,360,000

Rumson Dr., 331: D. Burns to T. Ait, $85,000

S. 14th St., 47: Redevelopment Authority City of Harrisburg to Capital Region Economic Development Corporation, $115,000

State St., 131: Grandtree Farms Incorporated to WCI Partners LP, $150,000

State St., 1406: JRC Properties LLC to AISH Partners LLC, $80,500

State St., 1726: K. Fearnbaugh to Three Bridges Holdings LLC, $69,500

Verbeke St., 222: E. Dean to S. Price & D. Lyons Jr., $157,500

Walnut St., 1818: J. Monroe Trust to F. Counts, $33,000

Woodlawn St., 2259: D. Enders to HL Bowman Building LLC, $199,963

Woodlawn St., 2323: Brothers & Sister Food Service Inc. to Indigo Foods USA, $680,000

Harrisburg property sales for August 2019, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Just Like Abuela Used to Make: El Rancho brings family favorites from Central America to Harrisburg.

September 30, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

El Salvadoran pupusas.

A glass mug the size of my head filled with a cool Guatemalan horchata sat in front of me as Mexican music brought life to the already vivid orange room.

A waitress asked me if I had tasted the sweet, milky drink before. I told her that this was my first time, though a quarter of the mug already sat empty. I kept sipping until owners Manuel Ambrocio and Maria Ramirez greeted me.

Little did I know I should’ve saved room for the food to come.

The husband and wife duo opened El Rancho Restaurante y Pupuseria in August on N. 3rd Street in downtown Harrisburg. The couple has compiled a menu with dishes hailing from El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala.

While there are other Mexican restaurants in the area, none fit the authenticity that Ambrocio and Ramirez were looking for. Even fewer incorporated food from multiple Central American countries.

“We wanted something real home-style,” Ramirez said. “Now, we won’t have to go to Maryland to get the food we like.”

Most popular on the menu are the El Salvadoran pupusas—corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese or vegetables and fried until golden.

If you’re stopping in for lunch or a light dinner, tostadas, tamales, burritos and tortas are a few of El Rancho’s other offerings. The less adventurous have options like burgers and salads.

When dinner comes around, there is a full list of entrees featuring fajitas and chicken, steak and rice plates.

How will you decide what to order? Well, maybe you’re better off doing what one customer did and ordering one of each. Even the owners find it hard to pick a favorite.

“Everything we put in here is something we like,” Ambrocio said.

Both Ambrocio and Ramirez have always loved to cook.

When Ambrocio moved to the United States from Guatemala, he embedded himself in the food service industry, working at different restaurants and grills. Ramirez, having learned her way around the kitchen from her grandmother, loved to bake and even started making cakes for friends and family.

They both had a dream of opening their own restaurant where they could make and sell food that did more than satisfy appetites, but spark memories.

“We want to give them the experience of going back to your grandma’s house,” Ramirez said. “Obviously, it won’t compare to what your grandma makes, but we try to make it as comparable as we can.”

Ambrocio remembers eating pupusas prepared by his mom. During recess at school, he would go to the store with $2 in hand to buy tostadas for a midday snack.

Now, he’s selling them, and so far, people can’t get enough.

“This is my first time trying them,” said customer Champa Dulal. “I don’t even know the name of it, but it’s good.”

Harrisburg resident Cachet Adams hadn’t even finished her pupusas before describing them as “bangin’” and “slappin’.” It was her first time trying them, as well.

Besides enjoying the food, Ambrocio and Ramirez hope to create a culture where everyone feels welcome and at home whether they’re a newcomer or not.

“We want everybody to smile in here,” Ramirez said. “I don’t want to look at it as a business, but as a family. We treat people that come as family.”

El Rancho Restaurante y Pupuseria is located at 210 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.el-rancho-restaurante-y-pupuseria.business.site.

Art in Focus: Murals Among Us

September 30, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

By now, you surely have noticed them.

They’re large, colorful and, until a few weeks ago, didn’t exist at all. They’re Harrisburg’s newest murals.

The 2019 Harrisburg Mural Festival wrapped up last month with 14 new murals adorning public spaces in downtown and Midtown Harrisburg, Allison Hill and a section of the Capital Area Greenbelt.

Sprocket Mural Works brought world-class muralists to Harrisburg for the 10-day festival, which included such events as an artist Q&A, a community paint day and, greatest of all, a huge block party in front of the state Capitol.

But maybe you haven’t seen all of the murals—or would just like to see them all in one place. So, we proudly present the newest kids on the block, stunning works of art that will be with us for decades to come.

To learn more about Sprocket Mural Works, visit www.sprocketmuralworks.com.

The Wright Site: At Polymath Park, you’ll find a cluster of work from America’s most famous architect.

September 30, 2019 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Autumn is the perfect time to take a road trip to the Laurel Highlands, where the journey is almost as interesting as the destination.

The winding roads, tidy farms and sun-dappled woodlands resplendent with fall colors are a wonderful reminder of the beauty of our state.

For Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts, the end of the road trip is no less inspiring. The labor of love known as Polymath Park in Acme, Pa., beckons visitors to learn more about the famous architect and his simple, stylish houses, deemed “Usonian.” These houses, unlike some of Wright’s better-known creations, such as the nearby Fallingwater, were designed especially for the American middle class.

Tom and Heather Papinchak are the husband-and-wife team behind Polymath Park. The couple moved into a home on the property in 2000 and lived there until 2008, when they decided to transform the structure into a full-service restaurant called Treetops for guests of Polymath Park.

In 2003, the Papinchaks had the opportunity to purchase two nearby homes and the 130 acres surrounding them. The dwellings were in danger of demolition, and the land eyed for development.

The couple jumped at the chance to save the houses that belonged to the Balter and Blum families of Pittsburgh, especially when they learned that they were designed by Wright protégé Peter Berndston. It didn’t hurt that Tom had a background in design and construction, which came into play as a hobby blossomed into a major project.

In 2006, the couple decided to move a Frank Lloyd Wright original onto the property. The Papinchaks learned that the Duncan House had been moved from Lisle, Ill., to Johnstown, Pa., by a group of investors who intended to rebuild it and develop a botanical garden. When the deal fell through, the structure made its way to the Papinchak’s Polymath Park.

A decade later, the couple embarked upon another ambitious endeavor, moving another Wright original that was in danger of demolition due to encroaching development. The structure, known as Mantyla, Finnish for “among the pines,” was built in the 1950s in Cloquet, Minn., for Ray and Emmy Lindholm. The house was listed for sale for almost a decade and sat empty for two years before Peter and Julene McKinney donated the structure to Usonian Preservation, Inc., the nonprofit group associated with Polymath Park. Everything was numbered and disassembled except for the concrete block, floor slab and roof rafters. The project was no small feat and clocked in at about 9,000 hours.

Peter McKinney, grandson to the Lindholms, said that he is pleased that the public will be able to enjoy the structure, and both he and his wife attended the grand opening in Acme last April.

“Without passion, we would not have been able to complete the job,” Papinchak said. “There were many people involved.”

Inspiration

Guests who visit Polymath Park can take a tour of three houses—the Duncan House, Mantyla and the Balter House. The hour-long tour takes visitors through the homes while a guide explains Wright’s vision and how the structures were saved from demolition.

Guests also can enjoy lunch or dinner at Treetops, the onsite restaurant nestled among the trees at Polymath. If the weather is nice, the outside deck is a lovely place to enjoy skillfully prepared and creatively plated dishes crafted with locally sourced ingredients. Those who crave a more immersive Wright experience can opt to stay overnight at any of the four houses.

The Wright immersion needn’t stop there.

Two other Wright properties—Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob—are located less than 30 miles away.

“Nature is my manifestation of God,” Wright once said. “I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work.”

He said that he found inspiration in the landscape of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands and, after visiting the area, it’s certainly clear why.

Polymath Park is located at 187 Evergreen Lane, Acme, Pa. Reservations for Treetops dining, tours and overnight accommodations can be made at www.franklloydwrightovernight.net.

A Brew with a View: Hit the deck for a unique, scenic dining experience at Cold Springs.

September 30, 2019 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

On a crisp autumn day, it’s tough to beat a fine craft beer sipped out on the deck.

And few decks in the region can compare with the one at the new Cold Springs Inn & Brewing Co., located directly above the Yellow Breaches Creek, about halfway between Dillsburg and Mechanicsburg.

Partners Chris Crowley and Dennis Mulroy may not have opened the business if it weren’t for the permission to add the two-story deck.

“The fact that they allowed us to build it over the creek is what sealed the deal,” said Crowley, explaining that the structure needed approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection. “The place ran as an inn during the early 1900s and, years ago, there was a lower deck, so the piers already existed, and we were grandfathered in.”

He added that workers first had to put up netting to ensure that nothing fell into the creek.

“That is sacred ground there,” he said, with a grin.

During the warmer months, the business attracts kayakers, so special accommodations have been made for them.

“We offer changing rooms, dryers and lockers where they can store their stuff,” he said.

The Yellow Breaches is also famous for its fishing, and Crowley is hoping that families will come out to take advantage of it.

“The kids can fish from the lower deck, as long as they are supervised,” he said.

Mulroy said he learned of the availability of the inn after bumping into the former owners, Brad and Barb Maxwell, who informed him that they would be selling the establishment.

“After 28 years, they were ready to retire,” Crowley said.

After purchasing what some have referred to as a “dive bar,” the two set to work.

In addition to building an upper and lower deck, the partners went to work renovating the interior. Among their many changes were ripping out a drop ceiling and adding wood floors, low- and high-top seating, a new bar, attractive lighting fixtures, flat-screen televisions and windows to transform what was once dark and gloomy to a space filled with natural light.

“There was not a window in the place,” Crowley said.

The extensive work took about two years to complete.

“It took 12 months to rip it apart and another 12 to build it before we were ready to open in June of this year,” Crowley said.

On the Menu

The pair has been ramping up the food side of the business slowly, Crowley said.

Among the choices are pulled pork and pit beef sandwiches, along with a small selection of salads and finger foods like fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, tortilla chips and salsa and chicken fingers.

The greatest attraction, though, may be the inn’s own craft beer.

The Maxwells sold their liquor license separately, so Cold Springs Inn now operates under a brewery license.

“Mom-and-pop joints are affected by the cost of liquor licenses, and they are being bought up by the supermarkets,” said Crowley. “So, we decided to operate under a brewery license, which allows us to sell Pennsylvania beer, wine, cider and spirits.”

The owners tapped award-winning brewers Kristen Richards and Steve Nott to take on the challenge. Nott had experience in home brewing and competing against others to hone his skills.

“I enter competitions primarily for the feedback,” said Nott, who also worked at Bube’s Brewery in Mount Joy.

Richards has also been active on the home-brew circuit, winning numerous awards over the years. She credits a friend for getting her started by buying her a home brew kit.

“It’s how I got bit by the bug,” she said.

The pair brews twice a week using a three-barrel system to keep up with demand.

“We have over nine beers on tap, including a stout on nitro, which helps to soften the beer on the palate, making it a little softer and creamier,” Richards said.

Additional beers include an IPA, a hefeweizen, a pale ale, a Belgian saison and an interesting sounding habanero-based smoked wheat called an “endorphin enhancer.”

Richards said that, when she started, she was relegated to learning by reading books.

“What’s changed over the years is that more people are doing it,” she said. “Now, I can have conversations with other brewers and get information from them on tips and tricks of the trade.”

Both brewers like that their beers are being well received, even if it does mean maxing out the three-barrel system.

“We fill them as much as we can,” Richards said.

Thus far, Crowley has hired some 40 people, mostly part-time, to keep things running smoothly. He added that business is brisk enough to rely on word-of-mouth advertising for now. As far as changes are concerned, he may tinker around the edges of the menu as the weather cools.

When asked what he enjoys most, Crowley said the answer is easy.

“It’s the people,” he said. “I just enjoy meeting new people and interacting with them.”

Cold Springs Inn & Brewing Co. is located at 993 Park Pl., Mechanicsburg. For more information, call 717-790-9395 or visit www.coldspringsinn.com.

Musical Notes: October Ambiance

September 30, 2019 | by Kait Gibboney

Ah, what a festive fall month we have ahead. It seems like there’s no shortage of good entertainment in and around Harrisburg this time of year, and, as usual, we’ve got a lot of shows to choose from.

This month, Whitaker Center will show two special cinema features that double as live concerts. First up is the iconic Roger Waters on Oct. 2, a one-night-only showing of footage from his solo touring in Amsterdam, titled “Roger Waters Us + Them.” Featuring music from his Pink Floyd days and solo work, the show is coupled by some sick audio-visual effects for a vibrant soundscape of a live performance.

The second show is S&M², the second incarnation of Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony. This special screening will be a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the original S&M concerts and albums performed together under conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. If you’re less of a cinema-goer and here to read up on some in-the-flesh live bands, we’ve got plenty to satisfy whatever musical mood you might be in.

XIU XIU, 10/3, 8PM, THE ABBEY BAR, $12
Back in April 2017, Xiu Xiu graced the stage at Der Maennerchor, and now they’re back for more, this time at the Abbey Bar. This underground indie band has been busy since then, featuring a fresh lineup, including two members of the band SWANS, and releasing a new album this year, “Girl with Basket of Fruit.” I recommend their track “Pumpkin Attack on Mommy and Daddy” for its strange samples woven into an intense sound tapestry. Their earlier stuff is pretty good, too, especially their famed alt rock album “Forget.” If you like “Twin Peaks,” they’ve done a spectacular album homage that I’m very fond of, “Plays the Music of Twin Peaks.” Sharing the stage, Baltic Noise, an ambient group from Lancaster, is set to open on what is sure to be one knockout of a show.

LAKE STREET DIVE, 10/15, 7:30PM, WHITAKER CENTER, $36.95-59.95
Indie pop? Folk rock? Alt jazz? Whatever this multi-genre group goes by, Lake Street Dive is undeniably unique to themselves. They formed in 2004 while studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and worked their way up to a record deal with Nonesuch Records in 2013. Their debut album on their new label, “Side Pony,” was a smash hit, earning praise from Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe. “Free Yourself Up” is the band’s latest album, featuring rock that’s soulful swagger. Appearing with Lake Street Dive for the show is singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham, a 22-year-old musical prodigy with a debut album coming out this year. Two cool things about their tour is that they’ve teamed up with Mission Impact Partners and Cool Effect. These organizations will help to connect the band with local nonprofits along their tour and fund environmental projects to offset their carbon emissions generated along the trip. If it wasn’t already a good idea to buy a ticket, Lake Street Dive’s positive tour projects make this show even sweeter.

AQUEOUS, 10/30, 8PM, XL LIVE, $12
First off, it’s pronounced “ay-kwee-us.” Second off, these jammy dudes from Buffalo really know how to rock. Specializing in improvisational styles and creating some truly groovy sounds, their tunes’ tempo can range from laid-back to the heavier, intense side. Like any good improv group, guitarist Mike Gantzer, guitarist and keyboardist David Loss, bassist Evan McPhaden and drummer Rob Houk have developed their own understanding of each other and their sound. Playing together since 2006, they seem to have an almost psychic musical sense that comes in handy when creating intricate music together. Aqueous makes its way to XL’s impressive stage the night before Halloween, resulting in a great musical way to kick off your Hallow’s Eve activities.

Mentionables

Black Dahlia Murder, Oct. 3, H*MAC Capitol Room;
Uncle Kracker, Oct. 4, XL Live;
Rivers, Oct. 4, The Abbey Bar;
Solar Federation, Oct. 5, The Abbey Bar;
Shawan & The Wonton, Oct. 10, JB Lovedraft’s;
Marc Cohn, Oct. 18, Whitaker Center;
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Oct. 28, H*MAC Capitol Room

Little Town, Big Flavor: Whip up one of Rosemary’s favorites–bucatini all’Amatriciana.

September 30, 2019 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

In August 2016, a deadly earthquake shook central Italy. Devastation was widespread, and several small towns were reduced to rubble.

One of these was Amatrice, which is located in a region of Italy called Lazio. Today, many of Amatrice’s historic structures, including beautiful churches and basilicas, as well as homes and even the town square, have not yet been rebuilt. As is often the case with natural disasters, those who remain struggle with a lack of resources to restore their town.

At the time, when news outlets reported the earthquake, they were quick to provide viewers with a map of Italy pinpointing where the tiny village of Amatrice is located. But, almost as quickly, they emphasized that this was the home of the famous pasta dish known as bucatini all’ Amatriciana.

Despite the fury of nature, bucatini all’ Amatriciana endures in Amatrice, in the city of Rome and in America. A recent article in the New York Times by Stephen S. Hall recounted a visit to Amatrice. While saddened by the earthquake destruction that remained, Hall wrote that he enjoyed several variations of this famous pasta and that each chef he encountered insisted their recipe was the best.

The key ingredients of bucatini all’ Amatriciana typically are:

Guanciale—unsmoked pork cheek (really!) that is cured with salt, sugar and sometimes pepper. Guanciale is very hard to find, so cooks usually substitute pancetta, which is also an uncured pork product but taken from the belly of the pig.
Tomatoes, garlic and red chili or chili pepper flakes.
Pecorino cheese—a sharp sheep’s milk cheese from southern Italy.
Bucatini pasta—a long pasta that is thicker than spaghetti and has a hole in the center.

Some recipe variations call for butter instead of olive oil, some chopped onion and a bit of Parmesan Reggiano cheese added to the pecorino. What follows is how I make it. The source is “Savoring Italy,” a favorite cookbook of mine from Williams and Sonoma. It is the classic version from Lazio, Italy.

Bucatini all’ Amatriciana

Ingredients

¼ pound pancetta or unsmoked bacon, chopped (let me know if you can find guanciale)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
A pinch of dried red chili flakes
2½ cups crushed or chopped tomatoes (good imported canned tomatoes work very well and are actually better than fresh tomatoes that aren’t beautifully red and ripe)
Pinch of salt with extra added to taste
1 pound bucatini pasta
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for passing at the table

Directions

In a saucepan or deep sauté pan that is large enough to hold the cooked pasta and sauce, cook the pancetta or unsmoked bacon in the olive oil over medium heat until golden and soft (about 10 minutes).
Add the chopped onion and sauté about 5 minutes more.
Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for just 1 minute. (Be careful not to overcook or use too high heat. Burnt garlic will ruin the dish.)
Add the tomatoes and salt, bring to a simmer, and cook about 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens. (Best to lower the heat here and be very careful with the salt if the tomatoes you are using already are salted.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it is al dente. When the pasta is cooked, remove and save about a cup of the pasta cooking water.
Drain the pasta, pour it into the deep pan with the sauce, and toss well. Add a little of the cooking water to thin the sauce if needed.
Sprinkle the pasta with the grated cheese and toss again. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and serve. (A little sprig of fresh basil on top adds a lovely touch.)

This dish is robust enough to stand up to a good Italian red wine, although it is noted that the Lazian natives prefer to serve it with a full-bodied white like frascati.

I love this dish. If the only bacon I have in the fridge is ordinary smoked bacon, I’ll even make it with that. (I know this is culinary heresy.)

However you might prepare bucatini all’ Amatriciana, toast the little town of Amatrice with the hope that it may thrive again.

Lititz Rocks: Music, meadows and a good meal, in the heart of Lancaster County.

September 30, 2019 | by Amy Black

Scene from “Shock the Block.”

Amidst the farms and pastures in Lancaster County sits Rock Lititz, a popular hub for A-list musicians. The 96-acre campus was designed to be a “one-stop shop” for artists preparing to head out on tour.

Rock Lititz Studio opened five years ago and is the heart of the sprawling complex, drawing in musicians like Taylor Swift, Usher and Ariana Grande. Rock Lititz is also a local destination for those drawn to the businesses on campus open to the public, with plans for further growth.

“The idea behind the campus grew from a community of live event companies that had already established themselves in Lititz,” said General Manager Andrea Shirk.

The Clair Brothers (audio enterprises) and TAIT (stage and lighting designers and builders) were the two original companies. ATOMIC Design (soft goods set design and production) and Pyrotek Special Effects have since opened on site. The Rock Lititz campus now employs 405 workers.

Shirk described the Rock Lititz Studio in “POD 2” as a place “where touring concerts can install, test and rehearse their productions before opening night, in a location close to key vendors.” In all, there are 30 companies in POD 2, a 250,000-square-foot collaborative community.

Many of these businesses participate in Rock Lititz’s signature community event, which is centered around Halloween. The 3rd annual “Shock the Block” is expected to again draw thousands this month during a night of “treats and family-friendly Halloween thrills,” said Jill Brown, media relations.

Brown described the event as a time when the entertainment industry companies “combine their creativity and special effects to create an indoor array of activities.”

Shock the Block features attractions like hayrides, a children’s dance party, indoor trick or treating, fall-themed crafts, a donut eating contest and a “Shock Zone” for older kids. The haunted house features concert-quality special effects, including lasers, smoke, fire and water. Admission to the ticketed event benefits the Warwick Education Foundation.

Other businesses in POD 2 include the Tone Tailors guitar studio, Evolution Power Yoga and Fetish Brewing Co. POD 2 is also home to CM Entertainment Training Center and recROC, a recreational area with a rock-climbing wall and ninja warrior obstacle course.

Lots of Creativity

The most recent major addition to Rock Lititz is the Rock Lititz Hotel, which opened last year to accommodate musicians and their road crews, as well as wedding guests, event patrons and just visitors. While the hotel keeps to the music theme, Brown said they “didn’t want to be like a Hard Rock” and looked to local craftsmen, including Amish carpenters, for a custom build and boutique feel.

Erica Dabose is sales coordinator at the 139-room hotel, which includes two luxury penthouses that offer musicians a private elevator. Rooms feature custom-made wallpaper that uses backstage passes from concerts over the past 40 years. Common areas throughout the hotel incorporate items from actual concert sets and aim for what Dabose called “backstage vibes and Lancaster charm.” She added that guests can even request a barn view room, because “part of Lititz’s charm are the views, the cornfields and barns.”

Deborah Erb is owner and lead planner of Simply Events at Rock Lititz, which launched less than a year ago. She said that her company offers “a unique atmosphere and fun space” in central PA.

“There is a lot of creativity that can happen here that can’t happen at a regular hotel and event space,” Erb said.

All food service on campus is handled by TFB Hospitality. This includes the Per Diem restaurant in the hotel, which features farm-to-table seasonal fare and craft cocktails, the catering business that services the Rock Lititz Studio, and the casual eatery Gravie Kitchen Commons in POD 2.

TFB President and CEO Joshua Funk explained that the restaurant’s name ties to the campus theme because a “per diem” is the daily expense allowance given to those touring with a band. Besides catering to musicians, Funk estimates that 75 to 80 percent of the restaurant’s customers are local.

“From our perspective, we’ve seen people travel down that interstate and 283 corridor from Reading, Ephrata, Manheim, Hershey, Harrisburg and York,” Funk said. “We’d like the word about all that Rock Lititz has to offer to spread organically, if we’re doing our job.”

Funk said that Per Diem’s menu will change up for the fall/winter, when they bring back last year’s Smokey Old Fashioned drink. In addition, many products are from local producers, including Fox Meadows Creamery, Caputo Brothers, Kegel’s Produce and several local farms like Village Crest, Field’s Edge and Barr’s Farms.

This fall, Per Diem will also offer a “fire pit package” with a s’mores-making kit and blanket for those who want to use the outside fire pit.

While POD 1 is still on the horizon, Client and Community Development Manager Rachel Hales said that Rock Lititz “will definitely have future buildings.”

“That was always the vision,” she said. “It’s been fluid based on demands.”

Rock Lititz is located at 100 Rock Lititz Blvd., Lititz. For more information, call 717-626-0338 or visit www.rocklititz.com.

Hotel Rock Lititz is located at 50 Rock Lititz Blvd., Lititz. For more information, call 717-925-7625 or visit www.hotelrocklititz.com.

Shock the Block takes place Thursday, Oct. 24, 5:30 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit the Facebook page: Shock the Block at Rock Lititz.

Style and Substance: YWCA’s “Power of Style” fashion show is designed to raise awareness of domestic violence.

September 30, 2019 | by Karen Hendricks

The day that her husband pushed her into a wall was the day that Cherie Faus-Smith left.

“It was a feeling of shock and fear,” she said. “The back of my head hit the wall, and two things ran through my mind—my son was in the house, and I was afraid of what Phil* might do next.”

Leading up to that moment, Phil, her husband of six years, often threatened and intimidated her—by slamming knives onto a table in front of her or by accelerating to high rates of speed on the highway, with their young son also in the car. More than once, he threatened to commit suicide.

“When our son Michael* was born, his abuse increased because our child was getting my attention, and he was angry and resentful,” Faus-Smith said.

She considers herself lucky to have had an escape route. She moved into her parents’ Lancaster County home with her son, filed a protection from abuse order, and began the healing process.

“Sometimes, people think women who are abused deserve it, but there are reasons why they stay—financial, emotional, because of the children or because they don’t have resources, but it’s also because there’s a lot of shame,” said Faus-Smith. “It’s a silent epidemic. We’re often afraid to talk about it.”

That’s why October is designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month—to bring the subject into the spotlight and into conversations. Faus-Smith is the keynote speaker at the Oct. 10 “Power of Style Fashion Show: An Evening of Empowerment,” hosted by the YWCA Greater Harrisburg.

She recently authored a book describing her experiences as a domestic violence survivor. Faus-Smith writes about a repeating cycle of abuse—a pattern first set by a teenaged boyfriend, followed by two abusive husbands. Today, at age 50, she is happily married to her third husband of 18 years. They reside in Dauphin County.

“You can succeed and thrive in a relationship even though you suffered before,” Faus-Smith said. “I want to be proof that women can break the cycle of violence.”

Domestic violence, defined by the YWCA, includes physical, verbal, emotional, economic, psychological or sexual abuse such as hitting, name-calling, withholding money or employment, intimidation, harassment and rape.

The single most important fact about domestic violence, according to Mary Quinn, CEO of YWCA Greater Harrisburg, is “that it doesn’t discriminate. A lot of people believe it doesn’t exist in their community or with their coworkers, but it affects all segments of society.”

The YWCA provided services to nearly 3,000 domestic violence victims during the past fiscal year. During that time, 276 women and children used their shelter and 1,300 hotline calls were answered to help victims assess and develop strategies for safety.

Overall, one in three women experience severe physical violence by a partner. Last year, 122 people died as a result of domestic violence in Pennsylvania.

“A lot of people with a superficial understanding of domestic violence say, ‘Why doesn’t she just leave him?’” Quinn said. “But domestic violence isn’t just about violence. It’s about power and control, and it happens gradually over time to a typical victim.”

Last year, the fashion show raised $50,000 for the YWCA’s Violence Intervention and Prevention programs, which offer free medical, legal, housing, employment and counseling services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Dauphin and Perry counties.

That $50,000 is the equivalent of one week of safe shelter for more than 100 women. Organizers hope to increase both attendance and profits at this year’s 15th annual event.

“It’s a fun evening, but the main driver of the event is domestic violence awareness,” said Pina McCarthy, event co-chair. “It’s an opportunity for women in the area and women-owned businesses to come together.”

The evening’s couture, jewelry, hair and makeup—provided by local, female-owned boutiques and salons—are coordinated into a true runway experience. About 30 volunteers organize the event. Vendors, drinks and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and a raffle of custom jewelry by local designers all add to the evening’s glitz and glam, with a message underneath.

While the focus of fashion is to transform participants in fun, creative ways, the event’s overarching focus goes much deeper—toward the goal of transforming lives.

“This event is about domestic violence, but, as a YWCA, we are really looking to transform lives and create a peaceful, just community for all,” said Quinn. “We aren’t just looking to house someone for a night. We’re looking at helping them break the cycle of violence.”

Looking at the big picture—the prevalence of domestic violence—how does Quinn think we as a society can tackle this issue?

“We should be raising people not to be violent in any way,” she said. “It’s not just about getting services for victims or survivors. It’s about us as a society saying this is unacceptable, speaking up when we see something. It takes someone a minute to ask if they’re safe at home. And it can result in a lot more awareness and people held accountable.”

“The Power of Style Fashion Show: An Evening of Empowerment,” hosted by the YWCA Greater Harrisburg, is set for Thursday, Oct. 10, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ywcahbg.org or at the door.

*Names have been changed

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