Talent festival, Superhero Day arriving soon, courtesy of Capital Rebirth

August 8, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

You may remember seeing a bunch of superheroes on City Island last October and wondering, “Is there a villain in town that needs defeating?”

It may have looked like the Avengers assembled here in Harrisburg, but that wasn’t quite the case. This anti-bullying community event was sponsored by Capital Rebirth, which has more events coming soon.

“We like to find solutions to all of the issues that are happening in our community,” said Madeline Williams the marketing and media relations director at Capital Rebirth.

The organization, which is made up of seven members, seeks to educate and be a resource for families in Harrisburg, with a focus on kids. Founder and CEO Mikell Simpson explained how their focus is on unifying Harrisburg residents, rather than on one specific issue.

However, this month, Capital Rebirth is hosting a “Stop the Violence & Drug Abuse” talent festival in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. They plan to have local vendors, poetry readings, musical performances, a fashion show and food. All of the performances will be free of references to violence, drugs and profanity—creating a positive atmosphere is important to Simpson.

“It’s entertainment with a mission behind it,” Simpson explained.

In addition to the performances, the line-up includes guest speakers from City Council, the Police Bureau and others who will talk about their personal experiences with violence prevention and the opioid epidemic.

“This isn’t the Harrisburg I grew up in” Williams said. “It’s not just a Harrisburg or central PA issue. It’s a national issue. It’s become too normal for us.”

There will also be onsite resources provided by local businesses and organizations to connect people to services that can help them with an array of issues related to substance abuse and health.

The event is free and hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided to kids.

That is a main focus of Simpson’s—serving Harrisburg kids struggling financially. This is why Capital Rebirth holds free sports camps and children’s events, so that no kid is excluded.

“These kids get left behind, because most things deal with money,” Simpson said.

Funding for all of their events comes directly from the seven members’ pockets. Since they are not yet a nonprofit—but are looking to become one soon—they don’t typically raise money for their events.

All of the members are from Harrisburg, attending Harrisburg or Susquehanna high schools. They hope to serve as role models and mentors to kids growing up similarly to the way they did.

“Many people who are fortunate to go to college or are successful from here, they up and they move,” Simpson said. “There’s not a lot of success left for the youth here to see. We want to stay here. Our whole team is living proof.”

Simpson mentioned that once they become a nonprofit, they will be able to do more of this through after-school programs, summer programs and career path coaching.

“It all goes back to our name,” Williams said. “It’s all about capital rebirth. It’s all about revitalization. We are trying to bring our area back to a place where it was before, where we felt like it was prospering and thriving.”

Capital Rebirth’s “Stop the Violence & Drug Abuse” talent festival will be held on Aug. 24, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Reservoir Park, Harrisburg. Their second annual Anti-Bullying Superhero Day is Sept. 14, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information visit https://www.capitalrebirth.com.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

August 8, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

I’m starting my weekend off with a 100-min massage in the name of #selfcare.

From there, a trip to the Market (and pick up my new Friends of the Market tote!). Andy doesn’t know it yet, but I’m definitely making lamb chops this weekend with a cucumber sauce and other fresh veggies.

On Sunday, we’re getting together with friends for an afternoon que — otherwise just soaking in the last warm and sunny days of the season!

What are you doing this weekend?

(more…)

Music, community, education take the stage during 4-day Weekender festival

August 6, 2019 | by Yaasmeen Piper

One of many performers during last year’s Weekender festival. Photo credit: Harrisburg Housing Authority

For a second straight year, the Harrisburg Housing Authority (HHA) is bringing its resources and music to the community with its Weekender festival, a four-day celebration designed to educate, entertain and uplift.

The multi-faceted event will be packed with live performances, food and educational resources for residents.

“This was a great opportunity for us to hold a cross-venue celebration where we take our residents out into the general community and invite everyone else onto our property as well,” said Casey “Oche” Bridgeford, HHA’s director of communications and compliance.

HHA is kicking off the event with a “NetWorth” summit at the Hilton Harrisburg. The summit provides attendees with the “ins and outs of entrepreneurship and wealth-building,” according to its website. Speakers from 100 Percent Financed, Black upStart, BB&T and Penn State will host sessions on starting your own business, credit management and more.

“This is a great opportunity for them to come out and learn the nuts and bolts of getting started,” Bridgeford said. “We want to put all those resources in one place.”

Friday, the second day of the Weekender, is “Community Day,” hosted in Hall Manor. Along with music by DJ Beauty and The Beatz and Johnny Bliss, HHA will have kids’ activities, health screenings and a school supply giveaway.

The last two days are the Weekender’s “Music in the Park” in Reservoir Park. Performers include international jazz artist Laurin Talese, two-time Grammy-nominated singer Case, as well as local artists such as Lady Shakespere, Maschine Life, The Singer’s Lounge and more.

HHA started its Weekender events last year with the goal of bringing the community together and highlighting some of the programs and services that HHA offers. According to Bridgeford, HHA houses more than 5,000 residents, which amounts to about 10 percent of Harrisburg’s population. Some of the programs offered include a Summer Team Program that pays youth to work in the community doing beautification, a food pantry and a free clinic.

“It’s really an enriching experience. From the beginning to the end, [the event] is packed full of resources for attendees to enrich their lives,” Bridgeford said. “That’s what we want to do at the end of the day.”

The Weekender event runs Thursday, Aug. 15 to Sunday, Aug, 18. For more information visit www.weekenderhbg.com.

2019 HBG Mural Fest Brochure

August 5, 2019 | by Admin

Sprocket Mural Works

Thank you to the Sponsors:

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

August 2, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A trio of newly built houses on Swatara Street.

The past week has been packed with breaking news and feature stories. If you missed any, you’ve come to the right place.

Art Association of Harrisburg opened its latest exhibit, “Energized,” last weekend. Find our what TheBurg’s art columnist had to say about this eclectic assembly of artists.

Broad Street Market was named a “Great Public Space” by the PA chapter of the American Planning Association. Harrisburg’s historic market was only one of three places statewide to receive the honor. Click here for the story.

GreenWorks Development is the recipient of a $2 million state redevelopment grant, which will go towards a major proposed apartment and commercial project in Midtown Harrisburg. The National Civil War Museum and Tri-County Housing Development Corp. also received grants. Find out the details here.

Guglielmo Botter, an Italian-American artist, has returned to central PA to exhibit his illustrations of local landmarks. This time, he’s focused on Lancaster, with a show at the Visitor’s Center.

Habitat for Humanity and Tri-County HDC unveiled three new houses on Swatara Street that resulted from a “building blitz” last summer. The affordable houses are now on the market for sale. Read all the details here.

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC) unveiled the details of its next phase of construction, which will add a dance club and other amenities to the mixed-used venue. H*MAC also plans to change up and rebrand its restaurant. Click here for all the details.

Harrisburg’s music scene is hot for the summertime. Read the recommendations for this month from TheBurg’s music columnist.

Jelani Splawn is young photographer with a lens focused on the urban environment. Find out what he’s eyeing in our feature story.

Nikolaos Hatziefstathiou has been arrested in Delaware County on multiple charges due to alleged “fake news” schemes, according to the county district attorney. Hatziefstathiou is a key defendant in a defamation suit filed by the previous owners of the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. Click here for the story.

R.O. Kwon drops into Harrisburg this weekend for a reading and some conversation at Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Learn about this acclaimed writer and her debut novel, “The Incendiaries.”

Sara Bozich has all your leads for a fun summer weekend. Find out what’s going on around town.

Susquehanna Art Museum will help turn a Subaru into a Picasso this weekend, with a public painting event. A Midtown Harrisburg couple generously donated the car/canvas. Read the painterly details.

TheBurg dropped our August issue, which is focused on youth and education in our area. If you ever had doubts about the next generation, you’ll want to pick up a copy or read a few stories online.

Urban Snob has rebooted, so to speak, reopening its boutique with a new look and business model. Read what the Midtown shop has in store.

Vintage Vault held the grand opening of its newest store in downtown New Cumberland. This shop is focused on mid-century pieces for all your “Mad Men” décor needs. Check out the offerings here.

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

Major Midtown Harrisburg project, Civil War Museum to receive state redevelopment funds

August 1, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

GreenWorks Development plans to develop this site on the 300-block of Reily Street in Harrisburg into a major residential and commercial project.

State grants for several area projects were announced late Thursday afternoon, including for a major mixed-use development in Midtown Harrisburg.

In a news release, Sen. John DiSanto announced the distribution of $7.2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants for Dauphin County and another $1 million for Perry County.

The Dauphin County grants include $2 million in funding for a proposed GreenWorks Development project that would construct 135 market-rate apartments, along with street-level retail, on the 300-block of Reily Street.

Reached by telephone, GreenWorks CEO Doug Neidich said he was delighted by news of the grant.

“I’ve been talking about creating a learn, live, play environment in this area,” he said. “We haven’t been able to do the live portion, but this is the live portion.”

Neidich declined further immediate comment about the project, such as the timeframe, other than to say that the total price tag is expected to be about $26 million.

The property is now a large surface parking lot supporting HACC’s Midtown campus. HACC, though, is significantly reducing its presence in Midtown, returning operations to its main campus at Wildwood.

According to the state RACP website, GreenWorks had requested $4 million for the project, which includes a 135,000-square-foot building for 135 apartments and 10,000-square-feet of “neighborhood-oriented” retail at 320 Reily St. The building is just down the block from the new federal courthouse under construction at N. 6^th and Reily streets.

Another $2 million RACP grant was awarded to the National Civil War Museum to acquire its museum artifacts from the city of Harrisburg and to help fund capital improvements to its building and grounds in Reservoir Park.

Nearly two years ago, Harrisburg and the museum agreed to settle a longstanding dispute over funding for the museum and ownership of the artifacts. Under the agreement, the city agreed to sell the museum the permanent collection of artifacts for $5.25 million if the museum could raise the money within five years. The museum had requested a $5 million RACP grant.

Other RACP awards in Dauphin County include:

$2 million to Derry Township for the Hershey Community Center. The township had requested $2.77 million.
$700,000 to Insulators Local Union 33 to convert the recently acquired VFW Post 9639 in East Hanover Township to a training and business center.
$500,000 to Tri-County Housing Development Corp. to remove blighted properties, construct new homes and make streetscape improvements as part of the Hummel Street redevelopment project. Tri-County had requested $1 million.

The state also awarded $1 million to the Perry County Economic Development Corp. for the Perry Innovation Park Cogeneration Power project in Penn Township.

In Cumberland County, REC LMS LLC received a full grant of $1 million to help redevelop the former Lemoyne Middle School for a mixed-use development of 17,500 square feet of commercial space and 30 townhomes.

RACP grants are awarded annually, meant to go to projects that are deemed economically, culturally or historically important.

Read more about the RACP program and recipients.

Urban Snob reboots, with a new look, personalized service

August 1, 2019 | by Yaasmeen Piper

Dimitra Diggs and Johnathan Branch inside the reopened Urban Snob.

Before opening the doors to her revamped Urban Snob showroom, Dimitra Diggs believed the shop was going to close.

“This was my hardest year,” she said. “I was struggling personally, financially, and was frustrated with Urban Snob’s current business model.”

Tired and weary of where her store was going, Diggs planned to close her shop the same day it was scheduled to reopen. However, she kept getting signs that told her otherwise.

She was honored at a minority business conference hosted by a state legislator for her shop and for creating a space for other black-owned businesses.

The following day, another business owner came into her shop and spent $400.

“She texted me the next day, and she’s like, ‘I want you to know there is a demographic here for you,’” Diggs said. “She didn’t even know where I was at mentally. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, but I felt like those were the signs that God told me to just stay open.”

And that’s what she did.

Diggs and her team transformed the 3rd Street boutique into a showroom where guests can book an appointment and have a personalized shopping experience. She also renovated the space to match the new business model.

“I really wanted to change the business dynamic which started with changing the space,” Diggs said. “After seven years, I was tired of looking at that hot pink wall. I wanted something a little more sophisticated just to match where I was at personally.”

Urban Snob owner Dimitra Diggs looks through a clothing display.

The upgrades include outdoor seating with pink and black benches, new lighting topped with a Chanel-inspired chandelier, blush pink walls, hardwood floors and more.

According to Diggs, the new Urban Snob showroom allows customers to get more exclusivity when they are shopping and a celebrity-like experience. As her friend MaDonna Awotwi, owner of Sankofa Concepts would say: “You may not be Beyoncé, but you can shut down the store like you’re her.”

Guests can book their showroom free of charge through Facebook, Instagram or their website. All you have to do is pick a time you are available, put in your personal information and any additional notes the staff should know, such as the event type. Diggs then makes sure her shop is staffed appropriately and provides snacks, water and, of course, wine.

Urban Snob also creates profiles of the customers to store their shopping preferences.

“It allows me to know how to shop better for our customers. There’s a lot of women who just don’t like to shop,” Diggs said. “So, we can pick out curated pieces for you and relieve that burden and anxiety off of trying to find something to wear.”

Diggs started renovations in May and finished in late June. They had a soft opening, until their “kickback” in July.

Diggs and her team are currently working on expanding Urban Snob’s online presence to become a national brand.

“Between MaDonna and Dimitra, this baby is amazing,” said Johnathan Branch, an Urban Snob employee since 2014. “Anyone that shops here will always tell you that the experience is something that’s different. I can’t wait to see what we do in another five to 10 years.”

Urban Snob is located at 1006 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. To book your appointment visit www.theurbansnob.com.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

August 1, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Andy and I have a mini-date night tonight — we’re taking dinner recs over on IG. The weekend is low-key for us otherwise.

What are you doing this weekend?

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Old is new again as Vintage Vault opens New Cumberland shop

July 31, 2019 | by Hanna Martin

Vintage Vault Gallery in Cumberland has numerous rooms of vintage and used items, displayed here and below.

Vintage Vault Gallery has provided customers with vintage finds without the prices of big city vintage shops for the last several years.

Now, the Middletown-based store is serving even more customers with the opening of its second location in New Cumberland.

“I don’t want to just be a single-generational store,” said David Morrison, co-owner of Vintage Vault Gallery. “This store is diverse. There’s a little bit for everybody.”

Morrison originally started the shop when he realized he had an overflow of vintage objects. After outgrowing his original, Mechanicsburg location, Morrison moved his store to Middletown.

“I was collecting stuff that just sat in my house, and so everybody told me to open up a store,” he said. “I think it becomes an addiction when you start collecting stuff.”

The multi-room New Cumberland location mostly holds items from the mid-20th century, differentiating it from the more antique-centered Middletown store. Morrison sells a wide assortment of objects, including furniture, clothing, dishware, décor and collectable items, for affordable prices. The store also offers delivery.

Morrison says that he finds items from real estate clean-outs, auctions and out-of-state businesses. Although he runs a car dealership full-time, he said that, as soon as he’s out of work for the weekend, he’s on the road searching for new finds.

“I love the thrill of the chase, and it’s fun finding really cool stuff that other people don’t have,” he said.

According to JoLynn Weist, chair of the New Cumberland Business and Professional Group and the owner of Weist Hardware, small businesses like Vintage Vault Gallery are revitalizing New Cumberland, filling abandoned properties with galleries, restaurants and other businesses.

“I think this store has a great potential to bring in a lot of different people, and younger people,” Weist said. “People who maybe might not have been to New Cumberland before might come into this store, and it’s part of a unique mixture of stores that we have in town right now.”

Currently, Morrison has a Carlisle Vintage Vault Gallery in the works, but he said that he someday hopes to expand his business to about seven or eight stores.

“Obviously, I’m a local business,” Morrison said. “Small businesses are making a comeback. The small guy who doesn’t have a big overhead like me can run a big space like this, and the real estate prices are going down because so many big-box stores are going out of business. I encourage everybody to support small businesses.”

Vintage Vault Gallery is located at 300 Bridge St., New Cumberland. The Middletown store is located at 17 S. Union St., Middletown. For more information, visit https://vintagevaultgallery.net/.

Car as Canvas: So, what if Picasso had owned a 1999 Subaru Impreza?

July 31, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Thanks to SAM and Midtown resident Kurt Knaus, this car is about to become a work of art, in the style of the Picasso painting below.

This Saturday, the Susquehanna Art Museum is taking art to the outdoors–and to the car doors.

The museum recently opened its new exhibit “Picasso: A Life in Print” and celebrated with a gala in June. There, attendees assisted in painting a large canvas with a Picasso-inspired image. This got Chris Carvell, the general sales manager for Faulkner Subaru, thinking creatively, and he came up with the idea to have Faulkner sponsor a family event.

Soon after, Carvell found the perfect canvas—one of their brand new white cars.

“Guess what guys, we are going to paint a big white Subaru,” Alice Anne Schwab, executive director of SAM, remembers saying to her co-workers.

However, since it was a brand new car, Schwab had some concerns, like how the paint would come off when they were finished.

Luckily, longtime SAM member Kurt Knaus was looking to make a donation to the museum—one in the form of a 20-year-old Subaru Impreza.

“I was like, ‘If you need a Subaru, why don’t you just take mine?’” said the Midtown Harrisburg resident. “I’m so excited that my car is, in a way, going to be part of the exhibit.”

As chance would have it, Knaus had actually purchased the car from Faulkner Subaru in 1999, from a woman who still works there today.

Now, the old Subaru will serve as a free community art project.

“Families can come out and pick up a paint brush and paint,” Schwab said.

Board member Nancy Mendes will be painting a guide on the car to help give the art direction. Schwab related it to a paint-by-number project. The car will be parked in the garden just north of SAM’s building (3rd street between Calder and Reily streets), and painting will begin at noon on Saturday.

While the museum always has exhibits and showings, community involvement activities like these are a special treat.

“Anytime you can have a hands-on experience with an artist […] that’s positive,” Schwab said.

Schwab is not sure what is going to happen with the car after it has been painted, but Knaus jokingly mentioned that maybe he’ll buy it back.

“When this is all said and done, people will recognize my car as I always have seen it—as a piece of art,” Knaus said.

The Susquehanna Art Museum is located at 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. The car-painting project begins at noon on Saturday, Aug. 3. For more information, call 717-233-8668 or visit www.susquehannaartmuseum.org.

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