Bob’s Art Blog: “Icons” during 3rd in the Burg

September 23, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

What do you get when you combine an “Iconic” art exhibit on a grand scale?

In bygone days, pilgrimages were made as a way of life, generally of a religious nature in their origin and purpose. Two landmark exhibits, mere miles apart, share that commonality.

One exhibit, “Icons in Transformation” currently resides at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral as part of an ongoing world tour, while the other, “Mamacha Carmen: The Festival of the Lady of Mount Carmel,” is opening for its first public exhibition at the Paper Lion Gallery in Lemoyne.

Both are blockbusters in the sense of the power of art. “Icons” was the focus of Fridays’ 3rd in the Burg, and that exhibit continues through Nov. 3. “Mamacha Carmen” opens at the Paper Gallery in Lemoyne this Saturday, Sept. 28.

There is no more powerful emotion than grief. Love may come close, and there will be those who argue that love is the most all-encompassing emotion. Grief often consumes love in its wake. As it is because of love, grief is so overwhelmingly powerful.

Ludmila Pawlowska worked through her grief after the untimely loss of her mother. She embraced painting contemporary icons, which became a cathartic experience, lifting her out of loss and filling her with a purpose for the rest of her life. Pawlowska, through that grief, found a clarity of vision. The passion for her art transcended her grief, and this passion is her gift to the people far and wide who have experienced “Icons.”

For now, the collection at the Riverfront Gallery (St. Stephen’s) completely envelops the sanctuary as paintings permeate the cathedral’s walls, are prayerfully placed on pedestals, and hang suspended in silence from the ceiling. Surrounded in serenity, the exhibit’s icons inhabit a realm somewhere between Earth and heaven, both of this world and the next.

There is something ever so humbling about entering a place of worship. The experience puts one in touch with the spirituality of life and its greater meeting. Perhaps it’s that presence of place and how we fit into the meaning of the cosmos. It is in realizing that what we do that connects us as vital to the world around us. The sheer size and scope of the works are breathtaking, and the subject matter is inspiring.

Pawlowska’s works of contemporary religious icons focus on the eyes, riveting and revealing both at the same time.

William Shakespeare wrote, “The eyes are the windows of the soul.” The paintings are radiantly revelatory in their range as timeless questions take on a deeper meaning and, within the context of the setting, posit life as a theme of transformation. Born in Russia and a child of the gulag, she was discovered in her youth as a prodigy in art. She advanced through the art schools and ended her studies with advanced classes in Moscow. As an adult today, she lives in Sweden, albeit when she is able to stay in one place as her exhibit travels the world.

The collection has been viewed across European museums as well as cathedrals in the United States. It has played to over 100,000 visitors in Brussels and 70,000 in Dublin, Ireland.

Pawlowska’s style is sweeping at times in its bold use of color incorporating vibrant blue and gilt resplendent in producing pronounced poetry with paint. Her art is a love letter to the past and tradition rendered in a modern 21st century take on 16th century Old World style. Her exhibit entails 136 works, 17 of which cling to the traditional representation of egg tempera technique. Pawlowska’s works use disproportionate measures in their focus as, time and again, the eyes are accentuated, becoming the main focal point. Her interpretations incorporate varied materials (burlap, metal, stone, copper and granite on wood panels). Her color palette reveals that “blue is the color of the sky, red is the symbol of life, gold is the divine light…the light eternal. No matter what technique and colors I use, I still want to go after the eternal, meaningful aspects of painting.”

If paintings could talk, hers would be listening instead to the world around them. The artist stated, “The people do not choose the icons, the icons choose them.”

Placed behind a pedestal is a multimedia collage of fabric folded in such a way that it looks like vines reaching up to the eyes, separated by a metal hasp—in this representation all attention is drawn to the eyes of the portrait. The color red is used effectively in a minimalistic way, as is a vibrant blue giving the effect of a blood spatter reaching to the eyes.

Pawlowska’s works at times focus on the atrocities of war, featuring spent bullet casings that stand out in bas relief, making a two-dimensional work not only thought-provoking but chilling, with a broken cross at the center and the title, “I Hate War.” As a whole, Pawlowska’s “Icons” puts a modern spin on an ancient form of art. They are transcendent as they provide a tether to mankind’s temporal state here on Earth. Connections to beyond the here and now are solely individualistic and carried within the viewers framework of reference.

Pawlowska’s paintings speak to the silent communique between a daughter and her mother, and that may well be her greatest work of all. Through her reverie, a greater hand came into play, guiding her every step of the way, lighting the path not only for herself but for all those that would see her works of art.

Art can sustain us in time of sorrow. Art can lift us out of the darkness and towards the light. Art can give us hope and imbue us with a sense of peace. Art has the power to transform lives. Amen.

“Icons in Transformation” runs through Nov. 3 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral, 221 N. Front St., Harrisburg. Click this link for more information. Pictured above: “Your Face I Am Looking For” and “I Hate War”

“Mamacha Carmen” opens on Sept. 28 at the Paper Lion Gallery, 1217 Hummel Ave., Lemoyne. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

More disruptions ahead as 3rd Street project concludes in Midtown Harrisburg

September 23, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Construction work continued around the Broad Street Market today.

Harrisburg residents should brace themselves for one more round of disruptions in the heart of Midtown, as the 3^rd Street corridor project comes to an end in the area.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said today that the street will be milled and paved during a one-week period starting this Thursday, Sept. 26. This work will result in temporary, rolling road closures, as well as substantial parking restrictions.

“This last part will be disruptive since they have to shut down the street to mill and pave,” he said.

According to the construction schedule, milling will begin on Thursday at Boyd Street, an alley between Reily and Harris streets. It will continue south through Friday along the corridor to Forster Street.

Paving is slated to start on Monday, Sept. 30, and conclude on Thursday, Oct. 3. This schedule is dependent upon favorable, dry weather, said city Engineer Wayne Martin.

Martin said that motorists still can park overnight on the street once work has concluded for the day. However, all cars must be removed from the corridor by early in the morning, when work re-starts.

“If there’s no work, you can park there as long as you’re gone by 6:30 a.m.,” Martin said.

Cars that remain in the work area will be towed, he said.

The milling and paving affects not only N. 3^rd Street, but adjacent side streets near the intersections, including portions of Reily, Basin, Calder, Sayford, Verbeke, Cumberland, Herr, Boas and Union streets.

Notably, this work will affect the area around the Broad Street Market during market hours this week. Milling is expected to take place in front of the market on Thursday, Martin said. No work will take place on Saturday or Sunday.

The affected streets will not be closed the entire time, but only when work is taking place. Once milling has occurred, the streets will reopen to traffic until they are paved. Newly paved streets will take about three hours to dry and cure before reopening, Martin said.

The streets also will be lined and painted, but that work is slated for later in October.

This milling and paving work will mark the end of the 3^rd Street corridor project for Midtown Harrisburg. In Uptown Harrisburg, the project has already concluded.

Last week, Papenfuse said that the project would continue into next year for the downtown area south of Forster Street because of work at the Harrisburg University building site at S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets and because the city has received a grant to install electric vehicle charging stations in front of the State Museum. The city also plans to complete the sidewalk-widening project around the state Capitol on N. 3rd Street from North to State streets.

This work will have to be completed before 3^rd Street can be milled and paved in the downtown area.

3rd Street Paving Plan Timeline, Midtown

Sept. 26: Milling operations starting north (at Boyd Street) and moving south
Sept. 27: Continue milling operations
Sept. 30: Pave tie-ins (intersecting side streets) at Reily, Basin, Calder, Sayford, Verbeke, Cumberland, Herr, Boas and Union streets
Oct. 1: Scratch coarse (first paving layer) Boyd to Forster
Oct. 2: Pave wearing coarse (second paving layer) north to south
Oct. 3: Finish wearing coarse (completion expected around noon)

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg.

September 20, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Stop signs were back in the news this week in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg City Council held its first legislative session of the season, which offered a healthy chunk of city news this week. Find out what’s happening around town both inside and outside of city hall with our weekly news recap.

Artsfest will go on next year, as Harrisburg plans to take the three-day, arts-focused celebration in-house. The city plans to run the event after the former organizer, Jump Street, ceased operations. Check out how the city plans to make this happen.

CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer is stressing Capital Region Water’s commitment to environmental action and progress. In a letter to the editor, she addresses criticisms leveled by an environmental nonprofit and defends a proposed stormwater fee. Read her entire letter here.

Harrisburg will interview at least two companies that may be interested in acquiring the city’s water/sewer system. Mayor Eric Papenfuse stressed that this was a preliminary step and did not mean that the city will definitely sell the asset. Read the story here.

Harrisburg Area Roller Derby (HARD) is more than a sports team. Sure, these women love the sport, but they also have forged close personal connections that belie the stereotype of roller derby. Our feature story offers insight into the team and some of the players.

Harrisburg University this weekend hosts the HUE Invitational, its second annual e-sports tournament. Teams from around the country will compete for cash prizes and honors in three video games. Learn what this is all about.

Harrisburg’s Urban Meadow may get extended, as the city has applied for a state grant to fund the project. If built, the walkway extension would run to N. 6^th Street, near the new federal courthouse. Read the details here.

Julissa Morales is just 16 years old, but already a veteran activist, especially in defense of immigrant issues and rights. Our feature story tells you about this impressive young Harrisburg resident.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that his administration would retain two of the four stop signs along N. 3^rd Street that had been targeted for removal. Eventually, Harrisburg City Council will make the final decision on whether to retain or remove the signs. Find out more about the decision here.

Nate Foster is likely a familiar face if you’ve attended a class at the Art Association of Harrisburg in recent years. He teaches illustration, and our fine arts writer offers a short profile of the man beneath the cap.

Rodrigo y Gabriela, a world-renowned acoustic duo, is making a stop in town as part of Harrisburg University’s music series. Find out how to attend the show here.

Sara Bozich has the cure for the boring blues, with more than 100 things to do this weekend. See what’s on her agenda by visiting her weekly blog of events in and around Harrisburg.

Simplicity is the theme of month for our food columnist, Rosemary. That philosophy has taken her to dishes that are short on time, but big on flavor. Read what’s cooking in Rosemary’s kitchen.

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

Letter to the Editor: Capital Region Water is committed to addressing environmental threats, concerns

September 19, 2019 | by Charlotte Katzenmoyer

The Susquehanna River in Harrisburg

Capital Region Water has put in place a comprehensive work plan to improve the health of local waterways; repair aging infrastructure and reduce combined sewer overflows; address localized flooding and stormwater runoff; revitalize neighborhoods through community greening; and meet mandatory state and federal clean water requirements.

Several measures of success already have been attained. Since 2013, Capital Region Water has invested $110.7 million on capital improvement projects, tackling critical water and wastewater needs while addressing years of deferred maintenance. A total of $315 million in investments are planned over the next 20 years as part of the City Beautiful H2O Program.

No one denies the challenges of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure that is more than a century old in some places, or in finding ways to pay for the work in a city where nearly one of every three residents lives below the poverty line. The affordability to residents needs to be part of the equation, and it has been with the plan Capital Region Water proposed.

Despite this success and these planned investments, the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) on Aug. 22 issued a report that challenges the work of Capital Region Water and questions the innovative measures being adopted to clean up local waterways. The report contains serious flaws that make its findings deficient. Several claims need to be addressed to set the record straight:

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water is to blame for high bacteria levels and problems at City Island.

FACT: There is little correlation between bacteria concentrations at City Island, rainfall events, and combined sewer overflow (CSO) activity within Capital Region Water’s service territory. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) assessment of Susquehanna River water quality, summarized in the 2016 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report, concludes that the shallow and wide physical characteristics of the Susquehanna River in the vicinity of Harrisburg limit mixing across the river. These characteristics create five parallel flow streams, where the center 80 percent of the river width is dominated by three upstream flow streams (the Susquehanna main stem, the Susquehanna West Branch, and the Juniata River). Local discharges hug the east and west banks (each approximately 10 percent of the River width). The DEP study makes clear that the river currents closest to the eastern shore do not mix with the currents along City Island. This same conclusion was reached through water quality sampling and modeling conducted in 2005 for the previous Harrisburg CSO Long-Term Control Plan. Because of these flow patterns, which are demonstrated through monitoring, bacteria concentrations near City Island often are higher than near-shore bacteria concentrations, indicating bacteria sources that affect the City Island beach, and keep it closed, are coming from upstream and not from CSO events. Interestingly, the EIP report contains no upstream or baseline water quality testing to establish the background bacteria concentrations coming from upstream.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water actively chooses to discharge sewage vs. choosing treatment.

FACT: In a permitted combined sewer system (CSS), the same pipes that carry away sanitary sewage or wastewater from household use (such as toilet flushing and bathing) also carry stormwater from rooftops and pavement. During dry weather or light rainfall events, both stormwater and wastewater are carried to Capital Region Water’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF) for treatment before clean water is then released back into the Susquehanna River downstream of the City of Harrisburg. During moderate to heavy rainfall events, the combined system reaches volume capacity and a mixture of very dilute sewage and stormwater overflows into the Susquehanna River and/or Paxton Creek, as was intended by the system’s designer years ago. This is called a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event. Capital Region Water is responsible for 59 CSO structures in Harrisburg. Overflow events are a symptom of a 100-year-old designed combined system and not an operational choice. Capital Region Water’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility is capable of treating up to 80 million gallons of wastewater each day and average flows are just above 20 million gallons each day. By rehabilitating the systems that collect and convey wastewater to resolve issues related to deferred maintenance and structural and/or maintenance deficiencies, as well as developing a Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) to resolve capacity constraints and control the frequency, duration, and the volume of CSOs, Capital Region Water is and will continue to maximize capture and treatment at the AWTF and therefore limit the associated pollution into the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water is not doing enough to address the issues.

FACT: No one denies the challenges of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure that is more than a century old. These problems didn’t surface overnight; they won’t be fixed overnight. To address these challenges, Capital Region Water has employed a parallel plan. One, rehabilitate the sewer system in order to catch up on decades of deferred operation and maintenance needs, including implementation of a comprehensive asset management system to ensure the sewer system continues to provide reliable service to customers. Two, implement wet weather controls to reduce combined and sanitary sewer overflows, including unauthorized releases, MS4 discharges, and eliminate backups onto streets and into basements. This includes both gray and green infrastructure. No one denies more must be done. But there is no easy solution and there is no cheap fix.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water’s plan doesn’t spend enough to fix the problem.

FACT: Capital Region Water can only spend what its customers can afford. We have proposed $315 million in investments over the next 20 years as part of the City Beautiful H2O Program to repair aging infrastructure, address runoff and clean up waterways. A $40 million upgrade to our Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, finished in 2016, made it one of the most cutting-edge treatment facilities in the region, with improved operations to better protect the Susquehanna River. We’re also in the process of rehabilitating our large combined sewer interceptors and our primary pumping station to increase the volume of flow that reaches our AWTF. These are just a few examples of how far we have gone. But with all of these projects, affordability matters. Capital Region Water’s plan has defined implementation phases, with anticipated levels of CSO volume control achieved, and the estimated available level of expenditure within each phase so the authority can maintain wastewater rates at not more than 2 percent of the median annual household income within the city.

A financial capability assessment was completed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements in order to assess the financial capability of Capital Region Water and its customers within the City of Harrisburg to pay for the plan. A high financial burden level, according to federal affordability guidelines, is expected to occur in Harrisburg when the anticipated additional capital costs are incurred by Capital Region Water over the next 10 years. However, some customers in Harrisburg are already experiencing economic hardship and affordability issues, and these conditions may worsen as capital spending continues, and rates increase in the future to support the $315 million level of spending.

The following key customer statistics highlight the limited financial capability:

Unemployment has ranged between 14 percent and 17 percent in recent years, which has averaged approximately 10 percentage points higher than national, state, and county levels.
Approximately 32 percent of the population is living below the poverty level, which is more than double the national, state, and county poverty levels.
The median household income of $33,289 (in 2015) is more than $20,000 lower than that of the national, state, and county, and is only approximately $8,000 higher than the poverty threshold for a family of four.
An estimated 25 percent of the households within the City of Harrisburg currently pay a wastewater bill that is more than 2 percent of their income, and approximately 30 percent of households have a combined water and sewer bill that exceeds 4 percent of income. Federal affordability guidelines state that there is a high financial burden when the total residential wastewater and stormwater costs reach 2 percent of the median household income (MHI).

All of these elements must be factored into Capital Region Water’s plan.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water has avoided paying penalties or fines for CSO or other violations.

FACT: That’s not true. Capital Region Water has been assessed fines and has paid those fines in full. In lieu of more punitive fines that drain already limited resources, Capital Region Water supports investing the money back into the system to fix problems, modernize infrastructure, and hasten compliance. It is better to spend customer fees on improvements rather than penalties.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water’s plan targets 60 percent capture.

FACT: Capital Region Water’s plan targets approximately 80 percent of CSO volume captured over the 20-year plan horizon. (In fact, the chart on Page 33 of the Overview of the full plan shows the 80 percent attainment, and that document is publicly available in Capital Region Water’s City Beautiful H2O Program Plan.) A plan that focuses on Susquehanna River water quality attainment is unaffordable over the planning horizon, estimated to cost approximately $530 million (2017 $), and would force residents out of their homes because of rates they could not afford.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water’s plan relies too heavily on green stormwater infrastructure.

FACT: Capital Region Water evaluated the full range of CSO control alternatives, both centralized and decentralized (i.e. green infrastructure) stormwater control strategies, including deep tunnels, parallel interceptors with increased pumping and treatment capacity, an end-of-pipe satellite control strategy (i.e. large storage facilities), and a complete sewer system separation. The estimated cost of implementing these strategies approaches or exceeds $1 Billion. Decentralized strategies combining green and gray infrastructure within each of the program planning areas helps to solve existing problems regarding uncontrolled CSO discharges, significant structural deterioration, and hydraulic pinch-points presenting a heightened risk of unauthorized discharges (e.g., localized flooding and basement backups) in addition to achieving the larger goal of reducing CSO activity. Decentralized strategies such as satellite storage/treatment and green/gray water projects within neighborhoods maximize triple-bottom-line benefits and leverage non-traditional funding sources; and is the most cost-effective strategy.

Systemwide or centralized strategies do not assist in addressing collection system rehabilitation or neighborhood concerns such as basement backups or street flooding and they have the higher cost of treating the combined sewage when the treatment plant has the capacity to treat after the storm.

A decentralized (green and gray) control strategy, which is widely recognized as an effective approach, is preferred for the following major reasons:

It is affordable and cost-effective, meeting wet weather control objectives and supporting a multitude of multi-objective benefits, with significant opportunity for public-private partnerships to share implementation costs with CRW ratepayers.
It is flexible, installed in small, incremental investments throughout the system, using technologies that can be designed to also address unauthorized releases and integrate with sewer rehabilitation projects, and suitable for integration with a broad range of redevelopment and public works projects. Indeed, with the limited financial capabilities of CRW and the remaining uncertainty in the magnitude of collection system renewal needs, it may represent the only viable strategy to begin meaningful wet weather control.
It is balanced, providing CRW the opportunity to invest throughout the community as well as avoid areas of excessive community impacts. It does not favor or place undue burden on any part of the community and, in fact, is designed to “lift up” the community through strategic investments that benefit water quality, public health and safety, and promote re-investment in the community.
It builds upon the baseline level of control, with its initial focus on the rehabilitation and enhanced reliability of CRW’s AWTF and conveyance system, anticipated to provide significant wet weather control benefits within the first 10 years of program implementation, with deployment of decentralized controls in priority areas to “fill gaps” in existing system performance.
It has community support, consistently demonstrated through public engagement opportunities, and representing the only strategy that “gives back” to the community, potentially providing ancillary economic benefits that enhance the financial capabilities of CRW and its ratepayers.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water is not doing enough to plan for higher rainfall amounts and more significant storms resulting from climate change.

FACT: Capital Region Water continually monitors rainfall and system performance, including CSO activity. The program will adapt to the reality of climactic conditions. Planning has been prepared using the historic data that is available and will continue to adapt as trends and regulations evolve.

Charlotte Katzenmoyer is CEO of Capital Region Water.

Walk This Way: Harrisburg hopes to extend “urban meadow” to new courthouse area

September 19, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The urban meadow in Midtown Harrisburg

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 program of the state Department of Health, to extend the “urban meadow” to N. 6^th 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. 3^rd 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.

Harrisburg wants to extend the urban meadow from its current terminus at Fulton Street (seen here) up Boyd Street to N. 6th Street, where a construction crane for the new federal courthouse can be seen in the background.

If received, the grant would pay for design work for the two-block extension up Boyd Street to N. 6^th 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.

HUE Invitational bringing dozens of e-sports teams to Harrisburg

September 19, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The crowd at last year’s HUE Invitational final

This weekend, Harrisburg will become a center of e-sports, as Harrisburg University hosts its second annual invitational tournament.

In all, 64 teams from more than 30 schools will gather at HU and Whitaker Center to compete for a $55,000 cash prize pool and the HUE Invitational trophy.

Teams will compete in three games: League of Legends, Hearthstone and Overwatch.

Competing teams include several nearby schools, such as Lebanon Valley College and Penn State, as well as numerous college teams, including those from powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan State, that are traveling hundreds and thousands of miles to attend.

This year, the tournament has grown both in the number of games and in the number of competing teams. The inaugural event last year included just two games and 32 teams in all.

HU itself has made a mark this year in the quickly growing field of e-sports, capturing the ESPN Collegiate Esports Championship for Overwatch last May. Recently, HU was named “Best Esports Program” at the 2019 Tempest Awards, which recognizes the business of e-sports.

The Harrisburg University E-Sports (HUE) Invitational takes place Friday and Saturday at Harrisburg University and Whitaker Center. Tickets are free. For more information and a schedule of play, visit www.hueinvitational.com.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

September 19, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

GOOD MORNING. WE’VE GOT A BIG WEEKEND FOR YOU. Levante Brewing Co. is here! [APPLAUSE] They’re at sip @ soma today through Saturday. [Insider tip: You can swing by to grab to-go 4-packs between 1-5 p.m. today and tomorrow!] Tomorrow is 3rd in the Burg, and be sure to get your PUNCHCARD for the #HBGWalkabout. All this means is hitting up 3 of the participating venues (get that card stamped/marked/whatever) and you can WIN amazing prizes on top of having a great night. PLUS: I’m taking over the 3rd in the Burg IG for the night!!! Follow along. On Saturday don’t forget to Blast September On The 21st Night Of September. I’ll cap my weekend with the GK Visual crew at the Lititz Craft Beer Fest for Poured in PA (and football at home after that).

What are you doing this weekend?

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Harrisburg plans to organize, run Artsfest for 2020 event

September 18, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A colorful scene at Artsfest this past May

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 on Tuesday night that, if approved, would pay Snyder $10,000 to help transition the event from Jump Street to the city. That amount breaks down to $50 per hour for an expected 200 hours of work.

“It’s a small consulting contract so that we have the institutional knowledge we need,” Papenfuse said.

Council is expected to discuss the resolution at a future work session before voting on the contract.

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.

Harrisburg mayor says at least 2 companies express interest in water/sewer system

September 17, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Susquehanna River at Harrisburg

Harrisburg has received interest from at least two companies that have responded to a request for information, as the city ponders privatizing its water and sewer system.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse on Tuesday night said that, as of last week, two companies, which he declined to name, had responded to the city’s notice, meant to gauge possible interest in purchasing the system.

Interviews with those companies—and any others that met the Sept. 16 deadline—now will be scheduled, he said.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Papenfuse reiterated that this step was preliminary and that no decision had been reached on whether to privatize the system, which serves 20,300 water customers and a 17,000-connection wastewater system.

“We’re just in information-gathering, due diligence mode,” he said. “We’re not recommending or even close to recommending that we should explore the path to a sale. If that’s the path we go on, we would have many public meetings. It’s not even close to that time.”

Papenfuse added that he invited officials with the city’s current municipal utility, Capital Region Water, to sit in on the interviews. He said he wasn’t certain if they had decided to attend.

As in other recent meetings, several council members reacted skeptically to the possibility of privatizing the water/sewer system.

“I still have a lot of faith in the job that Capital Region Water is doing and concerns over a sale,” said Councilman Westburn Majors.

Recently, Harrisburg and CRW have taken heat over a report by a Washington, D.C.-based organization called the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), which said it measured E.coli bacteria levels in the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg that exceeded the level believed to be safe by as much as 10 times.

The likely culprit, it said, is the city’s combined sewer system, which often exceeds capacity and dumps raw sewage into the river during rainstorms.

“I’m committed to getting us a plan that works for cleaning up the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay,” Papenfuse said.

For its part, CRW today stated that some of the elevated levels measured by EIP are unlikely to originate from its sewage system, especially the reading at City Island. EIP recorded the highest E.coli levels at City Island beach, which, CRW said, is out of reach of the wastewater that flows from its Harrisburg pipes.

“There is little correlation between bacteria concentrations at City Island, rainfall events, and combined sewer overflow (CSO) activity within Capital Region Water’s service territory,” according to CRW. “The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) assessment of Susquehanna River water quality, summarized in the 2016 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report, concludes that the shallow and wide physical characteristics of the Susquehanna River in the vicinity of Harrisburg limit mixing across the river.”

CRW is currently under a partial consent decree with the federal Environmental Protection Agency to fix the combined flow problem, which is common in cities with old sewer infrastructure. CRW expects to spend some $315 million over the next two decades to address it.

“As we all know, this is [the result of] decades of neglect to the infrastructure,” Majors said.

Papenfuse also has been critical of CRW for its proposed stormwater fee, which would pay for some of the infrastructure fixes, and other issues, such as the long-delayed Front Street interceptor project.

These issues, in part, led to the exploration of a sale, he said.

Papenfuse added that he would hold public meetings if the city continues to consider selling the system. He also said that he’d like to hold a public meeting on the proposed stormwater fee, which CRW wants to implement beginning Jan.1.

“I would strongly support a public meeting to discuss the stormwater fee and other issues,” Papenfuse said. “I think it would be appropriate for council to organize one. It’s a very important and complicated conversation. I’m all for it.”

CRW today said it “is receptive” to a city-arranged meeting on the wastewater fee. It already has been holding numerous meetings around Harrisburg to explain its position to residents.

Click here to read the report, “Sewage Overflows in Pennsylvania’s Capital,” from the Environmental Integrity Project.

This story has been updated to include responses from Capital Region Water.

Harrisburg to retain 2 of 4 threatened stop signs until council can act

September 17, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The stop sign at 3rd and Kelker streets last month

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

Mayor Eric Papenfuse on Tuesday night said 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 3^rd 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 the meantime, I will make [this] recommendation.”

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

Residents claimed removing the signs would lead to a more dangerous street, though city Engineer Wayne Martin said that, under state and federal guidelines, stop signs at those intersections were not warranted. Stop signs would remain on the side streets leading to 3^rd Street.

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 reiterated that council would be able to reverse this action when it reconsiders its traffic control map next year.

“You’ll have the final say,” he said. “It’s a recommendation on how to proceed in the short term.”

Papenfuse also offered an update on the 3^rd Street corridor project. He said that road milling and paving would begin soon between Reily and Forster streets, with completion expected by mid-October.

He added that the 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. 3^rd 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 recently learned that it 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. 3^rd 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, completing the walkway.

Papenfuse said the 3rd Street corridor project would extend “at least” into next summer south of Forster Street. Several council members urged the city to hold at least one public hearing to update residents on the project.

“We’re certainly open to scheduling and advertising so people can talk just about that project,” Papenfuse said.

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