Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market Named “Great Public Space”

July 31, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Broad Street Market in Harrisburg

The Broad Street Market has been named a “2019 Great Public Space,” joining two other places statewide in receiving the designation.

Harrisburg’s historic, 19^th-century market was one of three places statewide honored this year by the PA chapter of the American Planning Association as part of its “Great Places” program.

The association cited the market’s “unique mix of vendors,” “diverse array of ethnic cuisine” and its history of acting as a business incubator as among its strengths. It also lauded the market, which consists of two market buildings, for its important role in fostering community and for participating in community events, such as 3^rd in the Burg, the city’s monthly arts and nightlife event.

“With its unique characteristics, diversity of vendors, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, and community engagement this ‘Great Public Space’ is a treasure that contributes to the increasing vitality of the Midtown neighborhood,” the association said in a statement.

In addition to the Broad Street Market, the association named Ligonier Diamond Park in Ligonier (Westmoreland County) and Main Street Bethlehem as “Great Public Spaces.” It also named the South Bethlehem Greenway in Bethlehem for its “Great Transformation.”

Each year, the association honors places in Pennsylvania that it says have a “sustainable vision for the future and serve as a model for other communities.” Last year, it cited Buhl Park in Hermitage, Central Park in Doylestown Township, Emmaus Triangle Park in Emmaus, the Susquehanna Riverfront in Lock Haven and the Village of Boiling Springs as “Great Public Spaces.”

For more information on the “Great Places” program, visit www.planningpa.org.

Student Harvest: At CCA–it’s a school, it’s a farm.

July 31, 2019 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Joshua Cincotta, an incoming senior at Commonwealth Charter Academy, doesn’t seem to mind spending part of his summer tending to plants at school.

Then again, the Midtown Harrisburg teen isn’t dealing with your typical potted seedlings found on classroom windowsills.

Cincotta, 17, is one of many CCA students in grades K-12 pitching in to run AgWorks at CCA, the largest public educational aquaponics facility in the United States, located right at CCA’s Capital Campus in Harrisburg.

This state-of-the-art learning laboratory provides students at all grade levels with hands-on experience in aquaponics, a form of hydroponics—growing and sustaining plants in water—that utilizes aquatic life waste as fertilizer.

In total, AgWorks comprises 3,000 plants and 400 fish, with plans for further expansion. The facility also includes several student research labs funded through various grants.

“Every student has to clean, harvest and plant,” said CCA’s Samantha Johnson. “Some require teamwork, some work alone. It’s very important that students run this facility. They need to make mistakes and learn from that.”

Since CCA operates as a cyberschool, most of its full-time students access AgWorks during the school year on a remote basis. These students obtain virtual learning experiences through live cameras, high-tech water monitoring sensors and an online digital dashboard that processes real-time data.

Students like Cincotta who live near the school often pop in to do lab tasks in person. Earlier this year, he and lab partner Kenya Mitchell, an incoming CCA senior from Steelton, began designing an AgWorks fish autofeeder as an independent study project under the tutelage of math tutor Daniel Friess. The project remains ongoing, Cincotta said.

CCA also has developed a fully functional, smaller-scale mobile version of AgWorks that travels throughout the state to provide remote students with the same hands-on opportunities as pupils living near the campus.

For now, the sprawling, 6,100-square-foot AgWorks facility, designed by Harrisburg-based INTAG Systems, grows everything from banana trees to butter lettuce to palm trees and a cornstalk patch meticulously hand-pollinated by a student.

Overhead lights throughout the lab are set to just about every color of the rainbow to meet the needs of varying plant species. Plants are fertilized with processed waste derived from the hundreds of colorful fish seen darting through the lab’s three towering, 690-gallon tanks. Raw fish waste is processed by nearby clarifying tanks before being piped into plant waters.

“The students test the waters here every week with meters. It’s the same as the state Department of Environmental Protection,” said Johnson, AgWorks’ director of the aquaponics program. “Our students come out career-ready. They test for nitrates, ammonia, pH and alkalinity.”

AgWorks also is noted as a sustainable, zero-waste ecosystem. Its plants are fertilized by fish, resulting in higher yields than traditional agriculture. In addition, bio-controls are used in place of pesticides, ensuring that the GMO-free produce is free of contaminants. Solar panels located on the roof of CCA’s Capital Campus supply 100 percent of the energy needed to power the overall facility.

Produce harvested at AgWorks at CCA is donated to community food banks or is sold to local retailers and restaurants, including the Hilton Harrisburg and Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar. AgWorks directors also plan to sell the facility’s harvested tilapia, koi and prawn but first must obtain a processing license from the USDA, Johnson said.

For Dave Magrogan, Harvest’s CEO and founder, food freshness is “a big deal.” Thanks to AgWorks, Magrogan doesn’t question the freshness of the micro-greens it supplies to his farm-to-table restaurant at The Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace. In fact, customers have complimented the freshness and taste of AgWorks produce, he said.

“The big thing about Harvest is serving our customers the best produce at the best time of year,” said Magrogan, who said he’s considering adding AgWorks as a supplier to other Harvest Grill locations.

Most importantly, the controlled environment agriculture center gives CCA students first-hand experience.

Cincotta said that he enjoys learning about all of the different plant systems—hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics.

“I like working in the lab,” he said. “I’m working on Mondays (this summer) to dose the plants. It’s challenging to have the patience for this because dosing isn’t the most entertaining thing to do. But all in all, aquaponics is super awesome.”

AgWorks at CCA is located at 1 Innovation Way, Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.agworks.ccaeducate.me.

The Generous Life: We have nice things, thanks to you.

July 31, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

This summer, as you gaze out across the Susquehanna River, you might see a familiar sight.

There she is, the iconic, red-and-white Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat, chugging upstream, then circling around and heading back to her home base on City Island.

Harrisburg, give yourself a hand, pour yourself something nice. You made this happen.

Last year, after three decades afloat, the Pride almost had her final sail. As the weather warmed, the teeming rains came, raising the waters, flooding the dock and making operations impossible. The Pride lost one-third of her sailing days, putting the boat in financial straits.

The Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society put out the call for help, and the community responded, in force, donating nearly $90,000 over just a few months.

“People stepped up to the plate and made a difference,” Jason Meckes, executive director of the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society, told me. “A lot of people love this riverboat and wanted it to return. It means a lot to a lot of people.”

And, today, you can see the evidence with your own eyes—it’s right there on the water.

This kind of public generosity is hardly an exception.

At a recent City Council meeting, Scott Dunwoody, executive director of Bethesda Mission, beamed as he told me how people had donated, to date, $2.3 million so the social service group could build a new community center in North Allison Hill.

At the time, the project’s first phase was wrapping up, and plans were afoot for phase two, which will require another $700,000 to $1 million in fundraising, giving Bethesda Mission 20,000 square feet of new space for children and families to gather, play, learn and just be together.

He didn’t think he’d have any problem meeting that goal.

“We do believe in the next year, we’ll be able to accomplish that,” he said.

Harrisburg, take another bow.

I could go on and on. The Salvation Army of Harrisburg is building an entirely new facility after raising $12 million; Gamut Theatre raised $2.2 million (and counting) to create its permanent home from the vacant, historic First Church of God; Urban Churn crowd-sourced $10,000 to renovate an old, rundown storefront for its new retail location.

Indeed, without the incredible generosity of we, the people, there may be no riverboat, no scoop shop, no Bethesda Mission community center, no amazing new home (and second stage!) for Gamut Theatre.

Likewise, TheBurg would not exist without this community digging deep, since community journalism—always a tough slog—gets harder to pay for all the time.

At the end of this month, Sprocket Mural Works will kick off the second Harrisburg Mural Festival, a 10-day celebration that will raise some 15 new murals throughout the city.

As you watch the amazing artists at work, pause for a moment and think about what it costs to make that happen.

There are the artist fees (yes, they get paid), transportation and lodging (Sprocket brings in world-class artists to Harrisburg), the high cost of the special paint that’s used, the lifts, the various events, etc., etc.

Have you ever wondered how that’s paid for?

Sprocket has been raising money for nearly a year to make it all happen. It has received substantial donations from everyone from a brewer (Tröegs) to a solid waste company (LCSWMA) to an eye care company (Premier Eye Care Group), as well as many other organizations, foundations and individuals.

These folks regard murals as a public good—just like the riverboat, the community center, the theater, TheBurg—and are willing to donate to make Harrisburg a more beautiful, engaging and livable place.

I realize that, to an outsider, this all just seems to magically happen. Suddenly, the city is bedecked with a dozen stunning paintings, the kids of Allison Hill get a new place to study and play, and a wonderful, free magazine falls from the sky.

But, of course, that’s not what happens. Profound community generosity underlies (and underwrites) it all.

So, yes, Harrisburg, pat yourself on the back. You deserve a huge thank -you for making your city a better place.

But while you’re writing that love note to yourself, perhaps you can also write a check? There’s always another worthy local cause to support.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

The Trainer Is In: Punching through life at the Cameron Street Boxing Club.

July 31, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Ricky Clark tried to retire once, but that didn’t work.

For 12 years he worked overtime practically every day. That’s if you can even call it overtime when a 13-hour day is the norm. When he was gone, people would call wondering if he was OK. Although he dreamt about moving down to Florida, he just couldn’t leave.

You would think Clark is some sort of doctor, transplanting hearts or probing brain matter. He must be saving lives with those long hours and that high demand.

Well, those who know him may say he’s doing just that. Not through transplants or surgeries, but through punching bags and boxing gloves.

“Some would say boxing is their therapy,” said Clark, owner of Cameron Street Boxing Club in Harrisburg.

Clark starting boxing when he was 11 years old and a student at Benjamin Franklin School on N. 6th Street.

“This girl kept beatin’ me up in school,” Clark said. “So, my mom put me in boxing. She didn’t know the girl was boxing too.”

He fought until he was 50, when he decided to open his own gym and train up-and-coming boxers.

Beginning in an old warehouse and jumping “basically all over the city,” Clark explained, the boxing gym moved in May to the skeleton of an old Goodwill store. You can still make out the thrift store’s faded blue name on the sign above the two large glass windows. Driving by, you wouldn’t even know what was going on inside. But if you happened to walk up, having heard of the gym or thinking you were still going to go get some bargain clothes, you may be met with a surprise.

If not training in the ring, Clark (most likely the one in the bandana) will greet you from his white folding table situated under a framed, black-and-white photo of Muhammad Ali in the ring. You will get a big smile and a “how you doin,” putting your nerves about entering a facility that trains people to beat you up at ease.

Respect, acceptance and camaraderie are the primary values Clark works to instill in fighters. He wants his gym to be unique.

“When you walk into another gym, people barely speak to you. They got this persona, they gotta be tough,” Clark said. “But not these guys. These guys will greet you at the door.”

Cameron Street Gym is home to boxers from all walks of life, Clark explained. You may find a kid swinging at a bag or senior fighting in the ring. There are 89 members from a range of demographics and even countries. Italy, Jamaica, Morocco and the Dominican Republic are a few of the flags waving from the ceiling around the ring. Boxers at Cameron Street are all at different levels as athletes, some boxing for recreation, others for sport—most boxing to fulfill a passion.

“I would say for about 90 percent of the boxers here, it’s a dream,” Clark said.

Hardest Sport

Cory Dandy, a 22-year-old from Harrisburg, has been involved in martial arts since he was 12, when he wanted to become some hybrid of a Power Ranger and a Ninja Turtle. It was only 1½ years ago that he made the switch from kung fu to boxing.

“Fighting always intrigued me,” Dandy said. “I thought it was cool to be able to use my skills—the skills I learned in kung fu—well. It’s the ultimate form of competition.”

Just eight months after picking up the gloves at Cameron Street Boxing, Dandy decided he was ready to pursue his dream—winning the PA Golden Gloves.

At his first fight in Scranton in March, Dandy stood in front of a crowd of 250 people, a majority of them wearing shirts with his opponent’s name on the front, cheering for the Marine that Dandy was about to face.

“That fight was probably the worst I ever felt fighting,” Dandy said. “I think it was just like the nerves of my first amateur boxing bout.”

But he won and traveled to Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena for the championship fight in April. In a second round TKO, Dandy claimed his shiny gold trophy and title as 2019 PA Golden Gloves Eastern Region heavyweight champ.

Although Dandy may have made his win look easy, the athletes at Cameron Street Gym were quick to explain that boxing is no game.

“My first week in the gym, I walked in like I can fight anyone—boy, was I wrong,” said boxer Hanif Johnson. “Three minutes in the ring is a very long time. It’s the hardest sport I ever did.”

New to the gym, Johnson needed to earn his reputation. He quickly made a name for himself once he started sparring with other boxers.

Johnson remembers one of his first times sparring. Walking up the stairs before ducking under the ropes of the ring, he began yelling ‘Hanif Bomaye’—a reference to the chant fans used to hype up boxer Muhammad Ali.

“Since then, everyone calls me Bomaye,” Johnson said.

A Rarity

For others, making a name isn’t as easy. You can chant all you want and come up with the cleverest fighting name. But if you’re a woman, you’re going to be at a disadvantage.

Twenty-five-year-old Da’sha Ragland has been fighting since she was 13.

“It’s kind of crazy to say you like a sport you get beat up in, but I don’t feel like I get beat up,” Ragland said with a smirk.

According to New York Public Radio, female boxers didn’t begin to gain recognition until the 1970s. It wasn’t until then that women were finally issued boxing licenses, but they were limited in the number of rounds they could fight and even the clothes they could wear while fighting. Women began to fight professionally only in 1996.

Ragland is a rarity at Cameron Street Boxing and in the sport as a whole. She’s often stuck sparring with male boxers at the gym because there aren’t other women to fight. She gestured to her cheekbone and up to her eye, explaining how she will sometimes go home “all busted up” from training with men.

“I wish they would remember they’re fighting a female,” she said.

While training with the guys hasn’t always been easy, Ragland admitted it has paid off, helping her win fights and advance.

On June 1, she got her first pro fight. But that was just a few months ago. She’s been at the gym for years.

“She’s one of the best fighters we have in here, but she’s a female so she can’t get fights,” Clark explained.

But Clark doesn’t give up on her—even though there are not always other women for her to fight and she’s pressured to balance her time between her job and boxing.

“He [Clark] will stay here until I get here after work,” Ragland said.

Ring & Bags

Coming in usually at 11 a.m., Clark rarely heads home before midnight. Through Harrisburg’s ups and downs, he’s been in that gym training fighters.

He recalled tragedies that the gym has faced over the years. For instance, boxer Johnisha Wright was shot in 2009, leaving her unable to walk to this day.

“Our city has been through a lot, but boxing has remained constant,” Clark said.

Over the years, Cameron Street Club has maintained the feel of a traditional gym. There are five trainers at the gym, but Clark and Felix Pacheco are the main coaches—the ones usually wearing the boxing pads and calling punches in the ring. They are old-school trainers, slightly different from their more modern counterpart, Capital Punishment Boxing Club down the street.

“All you need is a ring and some bags,” Clark explained.

Nonetheless, Clark believes this is the best shape the gym has ever been in. They’ve got the essentials: a new ring to fight in, bags to punch and a fresh coat of paint. Not to mention local, state and national champs in their midst.

But it’s not the trophies or awards keeping Clark around all these years—it’s the people.

“Probably about half of the gym has been here over 10 years,” Clark said. “I’ve pretty much watched them grow up.”

In the ring, Clark, Dandy, Johnson and Ragland all seem the same—tough, aggressive, even violent. They’re fighters, the perfect image of what a boxer is supposed to be. But take off the gloves and you have Clark, the man who fought cancer, Dandy the up-and-coming music artist, Johnson, the youngest elected magisterial district judge in Pennsylvania, and Ragland, the single mom. They’ve all had their uphill fights, ones they couldn’t punch their way through.

“These guys come from all different walks of life, but boxing is their thing,” Clark said.

You never know who you’re going to meet when you step into Cameron Street Boxing Club. It could be a doctor, a judge, a lawyer or a teacher. It may be a group of people who don’t have much in common besides boxing.

But that’s what has kept coaches and boxers around for so long. It’s a community and a family, but also a melting pot—an example of what can happen, if instead of seeing differences, we find one thing in common. Who knew fighting people could unite people?

Cameron Street Boxing Club is located at 627 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Now You See Them: The making of central PA’s own ninja warriors.

July 31, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Aaron Lucas

Aaron Lucas thought back to when the floor in his childhood house in Etters was covered in lava.

At least that’s what he and his siblings pretended it was. They would jump around from bed to couch to chair, making sure not even the smallest pinky toe touched the ground—it could be fatal!

He wasn’t necessarily known as a sporty kid, at least not in the mainstream football or baseball way. But that didn’t matter to Lucas, who was dodging lava left and right. How many other kids could move with the same precision and strength that he did?

But Lucas was just 4-foot-8 and 68 pounds when he started high school. He was discouraged from many traditional sports because he was always known as “the small kid.”

“People didn’t give me the time of day,” he said. “I had coaches that would sit me on the sidelines and basically tell me I would never be good. It was a reoccurring theme—people just doubting me.”

Instead, he took up sports like pole vaulting, ultimate Frisbee, diving and golf.

“People telling me I was too small my entire life was just motivation for me to succeed,” he said.

Never being the traditional athlete, as Lucas got older, it just made sense for him to try out the sport of his TV idols. It was time to become a ninja.

Fit for a Ninja

Soon after the NBC TV show “American Ninja Warrior” first aired in 2009, it became a hit.

If you haven’t seen it, people from all over the country swing, jump and climb their way through a course that only those in tip-top shape can tackle. They compete to make it to the red buzzer at the end and continue on to the finals in Las Vegas for a chance of winning up to $1 million.

But the show has done more than just provide millions with entertainment and award prizes to reigning ninja warrior winners—it has created a sport of its own. Small ninja gyms have popped up all over the country, and regular fitness gyms are installing ninja obstacles. A National Ninja League (NNL) was even created to give a place for worldwide competition.

Tim Dexter watched “American Ninja Warrior” when it was still the Japanese TV show “Sasuke.” He began building his own obstacles in his backyard—replicas of ones from the show. He caught the bug and, in August 2018, competed on season 10 of “Ninja Warrior.” But he had a bigger goal in mind—to open his own ninja gym.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was in high school,” Dexter said.

With a little alliteration and the perfect-sized space in Camp Hill, Dexterity Depot became the first gym in central Pennsylvania dedicated solely to ninja and parkour training. Dexter paired up with co-owner Tara Brown and, on March 22, Dexterity Depot held its first open gym, and ninja classes followed in the beginning of April.

The gym features endless numbers of obstacles, as many of them can be moved around or reconfigured to create a new challenge. The salmon ladder, unstable bridge and floating doors are just a few. There’s also a foam pit with a trampoline at one end and a hanging rope at the other—a challenge for any Tarzan willing to try.

Lucas started volunteering with Dexter by helping build obstacles and painting.

“I was like, ‘I would love a place to be able to train. I would love to be able to help get this up and running,’” Lucas said. “In return, I got to train for free and, eventually, he ended up hiring me as the assistant instructor.”

Dark Horse

While working on the gym, Lucas kept training and eventually started competing in NNL competitions. However, he had bigger plans.

“I started watching the show when I was young, and I had always wanted to be on it, but you had to be 21,” Lucas explained. “In the back of my mind I was like, ‘I’d love to do it—but is the show even going to be around when I’m 21?’”

His dream got closer when “American Ninja Warrior” lowered its qualifying age to 19 this past year. Now, he could apply. But with 70,000 applicants and only 600 callbacks, Lucas still faced slim chances.

It took almost four months from his Jan. 1 application date until he heard back from the show in April that he would be competing on season 11 in Tacoma, Wash.

Lucas flew out on May 9 and competed the next day.

“It was pretty surreal, to be honest,” Lucas said. “The fact that, the year before, I was sitting on the couch watching the show thinking, ‘That would be cool.’”

The episode was packed full of ninja superstars who were not at all new to the show. Lucas was ready—this was what he had been training for. But he couldn’t escape his nerves.

“To be idolizing certain ninjas and then to be competing next to then, and not just competing, but contending with them, was just so crazy to me,” he said.

Lucas made it to the fifth obstacle before losing his grip and falling into the pool below.

He knew that only the top 30 ninjas out of 100 would move on to the finals in Las Vegas. In the end, Lucas came out 31st. He was just two seconds short of qualifying.

Even as he watched his name crossed off the list of qualifiers, he was still proud of what he had accomplished.

He called himself the dark horse.

“No one thought I could do well, but I surprised them,” he said.

Lucas plans on reapplying this January. Until he gets that shot at his second chance, he will be training even harder than before.

Obstacles

Ninja training isn’t just about the sport for Lucas. It has helped him emotionally by building his confidence—a similar story to Dexter’s.

“Parkour and ninja saved me from depression and anxiety,” Dexter said. “I want to inspire others to overcome obstacles in their lives, too.”

Both Lucas and Dexter love coaching young ninjas—being by their side when they take that first leap, hop or swing out of their comfort zone.

Dexterity Depot holds classes for anyone ages 6 and up, as well as open gyms, private events and summer camps. They also host competitions in their gym.

According to both Lucas and Dexter, having an open mind is the number-one thing it takes to be a ninja.

“Anyone can do it,” Lucas said. “It just takes that first step and being willing to fail.”

Dexterity Depot is located at 75 Utley Dr., Suite 102, Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.dexteritydepot.com.

Artist in Focus: Sprocket Mural Works

July 31, 2019 | by Admin

Two summers ago, Sprocket Mural Works painted 18 murals over the course of 10 days.

Those murals are now part of our landscape, as much a part of Harrisburg as some of the city’s most famous buildings and monuments.

Late this month, Sprocket will be at it again, giving us the second Harrisburg Mural Festival, with plans to mount more than a dozen works of art. In anticipation, we thought we’d share some works from the previous mural festival.

According to co-organizer Megan Caruso, the ultimate goal is to create a mural walking trail that begins at the train station and extends up the 3rd Street corridor. So, visitors can hop off the train and make a day of it.

Sprocket, though, isn’t limiting itself to downtown and Midtown. Murals also are planned for Allison Hill and even along the Capital Area Greenbelt.

So, over 10 days, check out the gifted painters creating amazing art, then join Sprocket for one of their numerous community events and parties. After all, it’s not just about art. It’s also a celebration of Harrisburg.

The Harrisburg Mural Festival runs Aug. 30 through Sept. 8 in many locations around Harrisburg, wrapping up with a block party on State Street near the Capitol building. For more information, visit www.sprocketmuralworks.com.

Art, Under the Trees: Over 45 years, Mount Gretna Art Show has grown in stature, attendance.

July 31, 2019 | by Hanna Martin

In 1974, three artists were searching for a place to exhibit their latest creations.

After some thought, they decided to display their work in their local, fairytale-like Mount Gretna forest. They shared the news about the exhibit with friends and family members, so, when the show date finally came, they only expected a few familiar faces. The artists were shocked to see hundreds of people show up to the serene borough in Lebanon County.

“It sounds just like Woodstock—they had no idea that so many people would show up,” said Linda Bell, the previous director of the show. “Then the Pennsylvania Chautauqua, which is a cultural organization, took over the art show, and it has grown.”

Today, the 45th annual Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show, held each August, has grown to host 260 artists from around the state and the country. The show also now includes live entertainment, gourmet food vendors and a kids’ art show.

“It is a national show tucked into our little mountain community,” said current director Kerry Royer.

Artists will display and sell handmade artwork in 16 categories, including two- and three-dimensional forms such as pottery, printmaking, wood and painting. As part of the juried show, judges will rank the art within the various categories. However, it’s not easy to snag a spot, as the judges select only a handful of applicants to participate.

Potter Pam Cummings, who will participate for her 21st straight year, said that Mount Gretna is one of her favorite shows and that she’s grateful and surprised that she’s gotten a spot for the past two decades.

“It’s put on by a group of volunteers who really appreciate and support the arts,” Cummings said. “They’re really friendly to us during the show, but they also promote the arts throughout the year and in doing that, they really reach a wide audience of craft and art appreciators.”

One of the original artists, Frederick Swarr, has participated consecutively for the past 14 years. He does acrylic mixed media pieces, painting famous musicians over their sheet music. Swarr, a retired art teacher and designer, said that the show has grown significantly since its 1974 debut.

“The first year, they had a couple pieces of snow fence that they put in the ground, and you pulled up with your stuff in your car and hung your artwork on the snow fence,” he said. “It’s really evolved nicely over the years.”

This year’s food lineup includes six gourmet food vendors and local restaurants, including the Hershey Pantry, Porch and Pantry and the Jigger Shop. New this year in the Hall of Philosophy is Mount Gretna Craft Brewery, which will provide a glimpse into the artistry of food with demonstrations on the making of craft beer, and Red Canoe General Store coffee.

Seven bands and artists will hold stage performances. New this year is the Mountain Road Band, which will perform in the Mount Gretna Playhouse. Other performers include Don Johnson, the Carmitchell Sisters and the Jayplayers.

Additionally, two street performers will be at the show, including Trist’N Shout Balloons, a mother-daughter balloon-artist duo that has performed at the White House three times.

The Kids’ Art Show will be held both days of the show on the Chautauqua playground. It will include face painters, a magician, caricature artists and a craft stand. Joyful Vibrations of York will lead drum circles for the kids.

“We’re really proud of the Kids’ Art Show,” Royer said. “The purpose of the Chautauqua is to promote the arts, and so this is an opportunity for children to get involved. They can create their art and sell it at their own vendor stand.”

The show also features an emerging artists section, in which the judges select 10 applicants to receive a space in the show free of charge.

“These artists range from somebody just out of art school who’s thinking about being an exhibiting artist to a senior citizen who’s now retired, and they would like to get into art,” Bell said.

Proceeds from admissions will be used to fund other Mount Gretna community programs and cultural events, many of which are free of charge.

In addition to the art and entertainment, attendees also come to the show to enjoy the scenery.

“It’s a beautiful setting,” Cummings said. “A lot of it is under trees, and it’s really a magical little gem of a place. So, people get inspired.”

Bell, who was the director of the show for 20 years before Royer took over, said that she is excited to see the show grow each year.

“It’s a way for us to promote the arts,” she said. “We’ve changed by getting food that’s actually worth coming here for, more entertainment, more things for children. We’ve just expanded everything.”

The 45th annual Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show runs Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18, at the Chautauqua section of Mount Gretna. Admission is $12 for adults and free of charge for children under 12. There’s a $2 discount with an Art Show postcard. For more information, visit www.mtgretnaarts.com.

Cheer Up! Dynasty Harrisburg gives city youth a place to dance, learn, grow.

July 31, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

“How are you wearing your crown today?”

Qwan McIntyre asks his kids this each day.

This is the Dynasty family. More than 40 girls and boys ages 4 to 18 come each week to the warehouse tucked in between a bingo hall and boxing gym. They come to cheer, dance and learn valuable skills for life.

McIntyre is the owner and head coach of Dynasty Harrisburg Cheer and Dance on N. 10th Street in Harrisburg. Beginning in rented spaces in Hershey and Middletown and even holding classes outside, McIntyre started his cheerleading and dance company in 2015 under the name PA Dynasty.

He has been cheering since he was 4 years old, when he would use school recesses to persuade his friends to join him in cheer jumps and tumbles on the playground. But McIntyre was a boy in a girl’s world, and it wasn’t always easy.

“It was hard to protect myself from the stereotype, but, with the help of my family, coaches, friends and teammates, I was able to build tough skin while growing into the coach I am today,” he said. “I would say the older I got, the more I used the stereotype to my advantage.”

Since those days in elementary school, McIntyre worked his way up to a bigger audience than his playground peers. He is now in his second season cheering for the Baltimore Ravens.

Nonetheless, his real passion is found in a hot and sweaty gym surrounded by kids up on the big blue tumbling mat.

“I give this my all, I give it 2,000 percent,” McIntyre said smiling. “This is my baby. They’re my babies.”

Dynasty Harrisburg offers “tiny classes” for cheerleaders around 3 years old as well as hip-hop classes, open gyms and cheer teams. McIntyre stressed that there is no experience necessary, and there’s a team for everyone.

New Additions

McIntyre kept in touch with childhood cheer friend, Daquan Johnson-Thompson regularly. They had a lot to talk about—Thompson owned a cheer gym in Philadelphia and McIntyre had his in Harrisburg. Realizing how similar their gyms were, they came to a conclusion—it was time for a partnership.

On May 1, PA Dynasty became Dynasty Harrisburg, joining the Dynasty Spirit Elite All-Stars franchise, which is 11 years old and based in Philadelphia. In July, a Maryland location was added to the franchise.

“I can’t wait to see the growth,” said Thompson.

Twice a week, Thompson travels more than two hours from his home gym in Philly to coach in Harrisburg, alongside their staff. That requires more than a passion for cheer, but for the athletes themselves.

“We [Thompson and McIntyre] are like the dads, and the coaches are the uncles and aunts,” he said.

Coming under the Dynasty franchise is a huge deal for Harrisburg’s gym, given the Philly gym’s success. Dynasty All Star Spirit Elite won the Varsity All Star Triple Crown Championship in 2018, making them the first champs to win two years in a row.

Under the new franchise, Dynasty Harrisburg will now offer new programs such as Dynasty Motivated—a community outreach program. Coaches and staff will take the kids into the community to participate in activities such as cleanups, breast cancer awareness walks and food drives.

There will also be life skills classes offered for the athletes themselves. McIntyre listed off cooking and art classes as potential offerings.

“I want to help children learn those life skills,” McIntyre said. “At school, you do learn your biologys and your maths and your world history and all that, but I feel like they miss out on teaching how to do checkbooks and budget for our bills.”

The gym will also follow Dynasty Philadelphia’s cyber school program, where they open up their space for athletes enrolled online to work and study in. McIntyre hopes to have teachers onsite that can help them where needed. He expects all of this to begin in the next year or two.

“You don’t see lots of cheerleading programs doing things like this, so that is a big barrier breaker for us,” McIntyre said.

Like a Family

Not only is Dynasty breaking barriers with its upcoming programs, but also with the atmosphere they work to create.

Sixteen-year-old Annessa Augustine loves to cheer for the adrenaline rush.

“I didn’t really think I could do it, but I always push myself to learn new skills,” she said.

Struggling with being more reserved, Augustine found growth at the gym. She explained how everyone at Dynasty is like a family, which was comforting and created a space for her to come out of her shell.

“It helps me communicate,” she said. “I’m antisocial, so this changed that for me.”

McIntyre exaggerated how the coaches and staff work to foster that familial atmosphere, one where they teach kindness through leading by example.

That’s what stood out to An’jaleeha “Leelee” Goodman when she switched from her previous gym to Dynasty Harrisburg. The atmosphere was completely different, which helped boost her confidence.

“This gym is about making sure you feel comfortable,” Goodman said. “It’s helped me with anxiety. It helps me all the way around.”

McIntyre also stressed that Dynasty is built on the idea of celebrating diversity in competitive cheerleading. Dynasty’s social media posts often include #blackgirlscheer or #blackfranchise.

“We are trying to show everyone that, no matter who you are and what background you come from, that you can do this and you have what it takes and not to second guess who you are or the way you look,” McIntyre said.

Dynasty Harrisburg is a small gym. It’s easy to miss driving by, and it’s quiet during the daytime. But around 6 p.m., it comes alive and fills up fast. Dancers and cheerleaders take their places on the mat, and McIntyre reminds them to think about “what can you do to uplift yourself and the person next to you.”

Kids come for the sport, but receive more than just athletic training—they gain a family, a support system.

“We are building dream chasers,” McIntyre said. “We are building young men and women who will conquer everything that they put out to do in the world and not just in cheerleading.”

Dynasty Harrisburg is located at 125 N. 10th St. Harrisburg, PA. For more information visit their Facebook page: Dynasty Harrisburg Cheer and Dance.

As in Life, As in School: A new book details the promise, the practice of democratic education.

July 31, 2019 | by Norah Griffiths Johnson

“Let’s make schools look like the world.”

So stated Jim Rietmulder as we sat down to talk about his new book, “When Kids Rule the School: The Power and Promise of Democratic Education.”

In it, he succinctly explains exactly what he means by this, as well as the many whys and hows behind democratic education.

“We want to give kids the freedom, responsibility and authority to come to school and practice life, to figure out and develop ways that are effective for them to participate in community and society,” he said. “We want them to have the space to develop introspective skills and patterns that lead to a fulfilling life for them.”

As one of the founders of the 35-year-old Circle School—itself a democratic school located in Susquehanna Township—Rietmulder is well qualified to tell this story. The Circle School is actually the second oldest democratic school in the country, fully accredited by the state Department of Education.

Unlike conventional schools that operate within a top-down hierarchy, Rietmulder’s approach, as explained in the book, enlists involvement by all students and staff to help students develop attributes and skills such as empathy, independence, self-determination, introspection, time management and critical thinking.

“Conventional education is undermined by its coercive curriculum and one-size-fits-all methods,” Rietmulder notes in his book. “Democratic schooling overcomes both limitations by aligning school with society. Students are citizens in a scaled-down version of the world beyond school, practicing agency in community.”

Real World

To better understand the foundations of democratic schooling, it’s helpful to contrast it to mass education (conventional K-12 schooling), which grew out of societal needs of the, first, agrarian, and, second, industrial eras.

Conventional education still trains students to listen to adults and, for the most part, fall in line rather than make decisions for themselves or consider their own interests and curiosities. Rietmulder contends that, because this happens all the way up through 12th grade, it’s no wonder that many young adults experience challenges navigating the transition to college and the working world.

In contrast, a signature of the democratic model is a lack of formal curriculum, grading or class years. Instead, students are empowered to learn about the world at a pace and in a way that naturally suits each person. Staff is there to support and assist students as needed, and students tend to interact with each other based on interests and developmental ability.

Importantly, students and staff work together to run the school, upholding the school’s laws, setting budget and programmatic priorities, and taking on responsibilities ranging from daily chores to the establishment of special corporations to provide for a broad variety of initiatives and interests. All students—as young as 4 to as old as 19—are integrally involved in this process.

Numerous questions arise when people first learn about democratic education. Chief of among these is whether democratic education prepares children for college.

“The conventional system really drives home this myth that you can only get into college if you’ve gone through a traditional, academic curriculum,” Rietmulder explained. “But this is just not true.”

As means of example, the Circle School has an 84-percent college attendance rate for students who spend their last four years at the school. This number increases to 91 percent for those who attend for eight or more years.

Rietmulder, however, is reticent to focus too much on these numbers, as he firmly believes college isn’t for everyone.

“First and foremost, democratic education aims to prepare all students for life rather than for just this one particular track,” he said.

On You

To get a taste of the student perspective, I spoke with Johanna Bodnyk, a Circle School graduate who attended for the majority of her K-12 schooling. Bodnyk went on to attend Bard College in upstate New York, graduating with a literature degree.

As we spoke, she disputed the common assumption that students at democratic schools mostly hang out all day.

“Actually, everything is on you at a democratic school,” she said. “So, it’s more work than in a traditional school, in a way.”

Bodnyk’s comparative lens came after she attended public school for eighth, ninth and half of 10th grade then returned to the Circle School.

As an illustration of the self-direction and self-initiation that democratic schooling strives to instill, in recent years, Bodnyk decided to navigate a significant career pivot after finding herself dissatisfied with her existing track. Rather than simply resign herself to dissatisfaction, she began taking classes at Harvard’s Extension School and now works as a software engineer in Boston.

“Coming back to work at the Circle School briefly after college really cemented by belief in the approach,” she said. “It wasn’t just something I had experienced, but I was able to see it through other students’ eyes and see their joy and excitement.”

“When Kids Rule the School: The Power and Promise of Democratic Education,” by Jim Rietmulder, is available in local bookstores and online. For more information about the Circle School, visit www.circleschool.org.

Youth in Gear: New cycling league gains momentum across PA.

July 31, 2019 | by Karen Hendricks

The number of American kids riding bicycles dropped precipitously between 2000 and 2010.

Alarms sounded within many circles, resulting in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), which was founded in 2009. Nearly 10 years later, there are cycling leagues in 25 states, and Pennsylvania is one of the states leading the pack.

“We were the second-largest state in terms of student athlete sign-ups in year one [2016],” said Mike Kuhn, executive director of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League (PICL). “We had the best-ever growth rate of a program from year one to year two, and we were the first league to fully integrate trail stewardship [students volunteering to maintain trails].”

NICA’s goal, #morekidsonbikes, has created a network of state leagues that rely on volunteer coaches heading up teams based upon school districts. Most teams begin as composites, combining student athletes across neighboring school districts. As composite teams grow, school districts spin off into standalone teams.

Kuhn knows firsthand how cycling can transform a teen’s life. A former road racer and semi-pro mountain bike racer, he “fell in love with the sport” during his teen years at Susquenita High School. Today, he oversees the state league from his hometown of Marysville in Perry County.

“The competitive experience was formative for me, but it doesn’t matter if students pursue that,” Kuhn said. “We just want them to experience the power of bikes to have a positive impact on their lives. That bike is not just about sport. It’s freedom, exploration, adventure.”

Heading into Pennsylvania’s fourth season this fall, Kuhn said that about 1,000 teens are pedaling for 50 teams across the state. He predicts continued momentum with at least one team in every county by 2025.

Part of the appeal is that kids of all abilities are welcome, from middle- to high-school age. And kids can decide if they want to compete during race weekends or simply ride for fun.

Harrisburg area teams include Adams County Composite, Carlisle Area Composite, Chambersburg, Elizabethtown, West Shore Composite and York Area Composite. Kuhn says three new teams are launching this fall—Ephrata, Hershey and Lancaster Mennonite.

Breakout Year

Lee Gonder, owner of Camp Hill’s World Cup Ski & Cycle, coaches West Shore Composite, comprised of 25 students from Camp Hill, Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Northern and West Shore School districts, plus those home-schooled and enrolled in private and parochial schools.

He formed the team during PICA’s first year with three athletes—two were his own sons and the third participant was his fellow coach’s son. He said the team has “grown organically,” but last year was “a breakout year.”

“The Mechanicsburg School District created a mountain bike course on campus, a .6-mile loop, and phys. ed. teacher Jason Minnich started a mountain bike unit as part of phys. ed. classes,” Gonder said.

The team also hits area trails—Lebanon County’s Swatara State Park, York’s Rocky Ridge County Park and Harrisburg’s Capital Area Greenbelt.

“The idea behind #morekidsonbikes is, ‘How do we get kids away from screen time, lift their heads up and look around?’” Gonder said. “We took the team to the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake over the summer. There were wildflowers, and it was beautiful.”

The sport comes with a price tag. Beyond the cost of a mountain bike and helmet, the annual state league fee is $300, which covers all bike races. West Shore’s team fee is $125, which includes a jersey and tech tee.

“Versus soccer or ski racing, it’s cheap, but it’s still $400,” Gonder said. “If kids want to be involved, between coaches, businesses and contacts, we can help kids who want to try it out. We don’t want the cost of a bike to be a barrier.”

Into Their DNA

Fundraising and corporate sponsorships have helped Adams County Composite Mountain Bike Team defray costs.

The team formed in the fall of 2017 with students from Adams County’s districts. Coach Michael Connelly said that biking has always been part of his life whether he was competing in Texas cycling leagues or commuting via bike in Washington, D.C.

Now, he transfers that love of biking into coaching.

Practice sessions, on the slopes of Liberty Mountain Ski Resort, teach kids core mountain biking skills— the mechanics of biking uphill versus downhill, braking and how to get off the bike. The team also visits Michaux State Forest trails. The fall 2019 season includes five races, three to five miles each.

“After the first couple of practices, kids are dead so to speak—they’re not used to exercising that hard. But biking gets into their DNA, and they start looking forward to riding as a team,” Connelly said. “They also realize that everyone can be an athlete even if they don’t have the traditional look of an athlete.”

Kerry Urcuyo of Gettysburg has two children on Adams County’s team for the second year, a 13-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son.

“My goal is to make bike-riding more of a lifestyle for them,” she said. “As adults, they’ll be more comfortable riding bikes on errands for example.”

Her son Breslin is one of the oldest team members.

“I like that it’s not that competitive—you’re really racing the clock and not other people,” said Breslin. “I’m a tech person, and I’ve come to realize it’s healthier to get outside.”

Connelly said one of the most rewarding aspects of NICA and PICL is being able to reach kids who likely wouldn’t compete in traditional high school sports.

“Biking is reaching and resonating with kids who don’t identify with being jocks,” he said. “It’s giving them an outlet, an identity and an activity to call their own.”

For more information, see the NICA website at www.nationalmtb.org and the PICL website at www.pamtb.org.

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