Thrill of the Show: Harrisburg Sketchers make their debut as exhibiting artists.

July 31, 2019 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Creating art is fulfilling. Showing one’s art is more fulfilling still.

The Harrisburg Sketchers are about to discover the thrill of the show as they prepare for their first exhibit, which starts this month in the DeSoto Vault of the Susquehanna Art Museum.

Not that they haven’t been busy with their art before.

“Harrisburg Sketchers is a group of local artists drawing the city environment we live in, on location, in any medium, one sketch at a time,” said Brian Zeiders, co-founder of the group, along with Ben Cohen. “We meet monthly to sketch and socialize, to learn from one another, and to bolster the local artist community.”

People around Harrisburg already may have seen the Sketchers at public events, at the Broad Street Market, at ArtsFest or just sketching on a street corner. In fact, they’ve become known for taking their creating on the road.

Appropriately, then, the exhibit title is “On Location Harrisburg Sketchers.”

“Now, [visitors] will get a chance to share in the perspectives of the artists,” said Lauren Nye, SAM’s director of exhibitions. “Each artist works in a different style, but often the sketches depict the same location or event. Visitors will be able to compare and contrast them, seeing the city from new vantage points.”

Inspiration for the Harrisburg group came from the Urban Sketchers, founded in Seattle 10 years ago. Since then, similar groups have mushroomed in many major cities, but not in Pennsylvania’s capital until 2012, Zeiders said.

Since the group’s inception, interest in the Sketchers has grown quickly.

“We’ve gained momentum in terms of the number of people who are part of us,” Cohen said.

Harrisburg Sketchers meets every third weekend, usually on a Saturday morning, with the simple mission of sketching what they see. They have sketched on the Capitol steps and in the Capitol itself, the Broad Street Market, the Market Street Bridge, Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Wildwood, Italian Lake and Negley Park, among other venues.

Taking a cue from the plein air movement in art, the Sketchers often work outdoors—weather permitting. During winter months, they can be found in restaurants or coffee shops.

The Harrisburg Sketchers have diverse backgrounds, but they converge in their love of drawing and their pursuit of it in a social context.

Julie Dlugolecki, who uses her design skills in the auditor general’s office, has a bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting and has taught figure drawing at the Art Association of Harrisburg.

“I love the city, the people and sketching as a group again,” she said. “I hadn’t drawn in a very long time.”

She also enjoys the social aspect, chatting with her fellow Sketchers as they make art.

For John Davis, teacher and coordinator of art at the Milton Hershey School, joining the Sketchers had several motivations.

“I wanted to stretch myself with my own sketching abilities and be accountable to myself,” he said. “And I definitely enjoy networking with other artists, whether amateurs or professional—with like-minded, creative people.”

There are no rules about media to use or styles, which gives the Sketchers a sense of freedom. And traveling doesn’t mean missing out, since a Google search helps members locate similar groups in many locations.

Because a museum is hosting the Harrisburg Sketchers’ first exhibit, there will be no selling of members’ works.

“But that’s something to think about in the future,” said Cohen. “Meanwhile, our artists can benefit from contacts they make with visitors to the exhibit. Since this is our first exhibit anywhere, I’m really glad to see it in the heart of Harrisburg.”

Harrisburg Sketchers’ exhibit runs Aug. 23 to Oct. 27 in the DeSoto Family Vault of Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Special events connected with the exhibit are 3rd in the Burg (free admission) on Fridays, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, and Oct. 18. For more information, call 717-233-8668 or visit www.sqart.com.

Musical Notes: Hot Town

July 31, 2019 | by Kait Gibboney

As much as we want to enjoy the warmth and sunshine forever, summer eventually has to come to an end. What you might not know is that, even though you might be returning from vacations and getting back in the swing of work, there’s still plenty of entertainment to unwind with in Harrisburg this month. There are lots of fests, shows and parties to close out the summer in style.

On Aug. 2, Dauphin County hosts its Cultural Fest on the corner of 2nd and Market streets downtown for a free night of dance, musical and cultural performances, headlined by Sheila E. After that, SoMa has its summer block party on Aug. 29 at Blackberry Tech behind the International House. Expect a chill evening in one of Harrisburg’s coolest neighborhoods, complemented by local food and beverages and featuring a performance by DJ Cashmere. Next up, XL Live hosts its End of Summer 90s Jam on Aug. 30. Prepare to dance your face off to the tunes of DJ Sizzors, back again after his hot DJ set for Vanilla Ice.

To round it all out, don’t miss a true a Harrisburg tradition with the 103rd annual Kipona Fest from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, taking place on the riverfront and at City Island. If you haven’t been before, check out the food, live bands, canoe races, festival of colors, powow and even an annual “Duck Derby” rubber duck race in our own Susquehanna River to benefit Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Whew, there’s still lots to do!

THE SOUL REBELS, 8/16, 8PM, XL LIVE, $15
When they’re not on tour, the Soul Rebels can be found every Thursday night in their favorite hometown venue: Le Bon Temps Roule. Luckily for us, they’re coming to XL Live for quite an unforgettable performance. Since 2009, this musical tour de force of New Orleans has made an international name for themselves as an eight-piece, genre-bending brass group. Starting out sans name, “Soul Rebels” stuck thanks to Cyril Neville, who bestowed it on them when they opened for his performance at the well-known Nola venue Tipitina’s. Since their start, they’ve rocked many solo shows, collaborated with famous artists like Marilyn Manson, Metallica and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, opened for Lauryn Hill, Cee Lo Green, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg, just to name a few, and they’ve also performed on several television networks like CBS, HBO and NBC. Come on out to appreciate their musical energy and a soulful style that just won’t quit.

FINDING FREEDOM FESTIVAL, 8/17, 11AM, FNB FIELD $10-20
City Island is a staple for summer fun in Harrisburg, so it’s the logical place for the ultimate local band festival of the season. Featuring 10 bands, the Finding Freedom Festival at FNB Field starts at noon with the M80s and ends at 9 p.m. with Maiden America. It’s organized by Just for Today Recovery, a local nonprofit from Lemoyne that aids local recovery communities and veterans, with proceeds from this all-day concert going towards purchasing instruments and other musical accessories for their Recovery Through Music program. If you’d like to help those suffering from addiction or just want to sample some local talent, this show’s the one for you. Be sure to hit the concessions stand throughout the day for optimal festival food.

JAY PHARAOH, 10/23, 7PM, THE FORUM, $25 FOR PUBLIC, FREE FOR HU STUDENTS*
This is another one of my “not quite a musician but still quite noteworthy” shoutouts. Thanks to Harrisburg University’s concert series, the triple-threat actor, rapper and comedian Jay Pharoah is coming to the city. Best known for his work on NBC’s comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” he’s famous for his impressions of former President Barack Obama, Kanye West, Jay Z and countless others. He got his start with stand-up comedy and was a regular cast member on SNL from 2010 to 2016. Since then, he’s appeared in some films like “Lola Versus” and “Ride Along” and is even in the works of his first album alongside record producer Myles William. Since this is HU’s “Welcome Back Show” for the fall semester, tickets are free for students. You don’t want to miss a night of delightful laughs and impressive impressions with this iconic SNL alum.

*Editor’s Note: the Jay Pharaoh show, originally scheduled for Aug. 28, has been changed to Oct. 23.

Mentionables:

Exmag, Aug. 3, XL Live;
Joe Olnick Band, Aug. 3, River City Blues Club;
Sean Rowe, Aug. 9, Greystone Public House;
Liliac, Aug. 9, H*MAC Capitol Room;
Shrimp Ryan’s Jig Band, Aug. 9, The Millworks rooftop;
Blues Cruise on the Riverboat, Aug. 11, Pride of the Susquehanna;
Opera in the Park, Aug. 11, Italian Lake;
The Queers, Aug. 17, H*MAC Stage on Herr;
Tommy D. Trio, Aug. 24, River City

Community Corner: Notable August Events

July 31, 2019 | by Missy Smith

August Community Corner

Friday Social
Aug. 2: Harrisburg Young Professionals will host its First Friday Social on the Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat, 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are available for $15 and seating is limited. No tickets will be sold the day of the event. www.hyp.org

Mushroom Fest
Aug. 2-4: Enjoy a weekend full of mushroom and plant identification, cultivation, herbalism, live music and more at the Mushroom + Art Festival at Camp Reily in Susquehanna Township. On-site camping and meals included in a single price. www.mycofest.net

Collector Con
Aug. 2-4: Central Pennsylvania Collector Con will be held at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill, to meet fellow collectors, talk with manufacturers and designers and learn the value of collecting toys. www.cpccon.com

Book Sale
Aug. 2-8: Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Ave., will host its Friends Annual Book Sale. On Aug. 2, library members can shop during the preview night, 6 to 8 p.m. www.hersheylibrary.org

Lunch at the Library
Aug. 2-15: Dauphin County Library System invites children 18 years or younger to lunch at William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, East Shore Area Library, Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, Kline Library and McCormick Riverfront Library. Lunches are free and provided by Dauphin County Technical School. www.dcls.org

Summer Fridays
Aug. 2-23: Summer Fridays at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, are “Pay as you wish” for general admission on “Learn at Lunchtime” Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art docents available for tours of “Art of the State,” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. www.statemuseumpa.org

Island Hopper
Aug. 3: Susquehanna Greenway Partnership and Susquehanna River Trail Association host the Susquehanna Island Hopper to discover the islands of the Middle Susquehanna River Water Trail, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adults are $25; youth 12 and under are $15. www.susquehannagreenway.org

Summer Flea
Aug. 3: Browse the HBG Flea summer market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. Shop for local art, handmade gifts and vintage wares from local artists and curators. www.hbgflea.com

Home Tour
Aug. 3: Explore Mt. Gretna’s iconic homes at the 35th annual Mt. Gretna Tour of Homes and Gardens, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See how people have transformed cottages for modern life while keeping the Mt. Gretna charm. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the tour. www.gretnamusic.org

Book Sales
Aug. 3, 17: Friends of the New Cumberland Public Library will host pre-owned book sales, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Foundation House, across the shared parking lot from the library, 1 Benjamin Plaza. Shop for fiction and nonfiction hardback and paperback books, vintage and new jewelry, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, kids’ books, vinyl records, tote bags and more. www.newcumberlandlibrary.org

Artist Conversations
Aug. 4: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Executive Director Andrea Lowery joins artist Amy LeFever for a tour of “Art of the State” juried competition, at 2 p.m. LeFever’s piece won first prize in the craft category. www.statemuseumpa.org

Art Soiree
Aug. 4: Art Association of Harrisburg hosts a “Culinary Kitchen” Soiree at Cornerstone Coffeehouse, 2133 Market St., Camp Hill, 5 to 8 p.m., with featured artist Julie Riker. Cost is $45 in advance, $50 at the door. www.artassocofhbg.org

Concert Series
Aug. 4: Harrisburg Young Professionals hosts a free Italian Lake concert at Italian Lake, N. 3rd and Division streets, Harrisburg, with Carly Clark, 6 to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, picnic blankets and snacks. www.hyp.org

National Night Out
Aug. 6: Neighbors meet neighbors at National Night Out, with events throughout the greater Harrisburg area. Locally, the fun includes a city-sponsored event, 5 to 9 p.m., at Camp Curtin Academy, 2900 N. 6th St., with the members of the Harrisburg Police Bureau. www.harrisburgpa.gov

Stress Relief Walk
Aug. 7: Release the stress of the workday with a Stress Relief Walk, a three-mile stroll around Wildwood Park. Meet at the Nature Center at 6 p.m. Bring water and sturdy shoes. www.wildwoodlake.org

Festival Fun
Aug. 7-10: Lisburn Community Fire Co., 1800 Main St., hosts the 66th Annual Olde Time Festival. Enjoy rides and games, live entertainment, pony rides, a tractor parade, festival foods and more. www.lisburnfire.com

Happy Hours
Aug. 8, 22, 29: LGBT Center of Harrisburg hosts summer happy hours for LGBTQ+ neighbors and allies to have fun while supporting local businesses and the LGBT Center. Happy hours will be held on Aug. 8, 4 to 6 p.m., at Midstate Distillery; Aug. 22, 5 p.m., at Mellow Mink Brewing; and Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., at JB Lovedrafts. www.centralpalgbtcenter.org

Music & Movie
Aug. 9: Lower Paxton Township’s “Free Summer Concert and Movie” series features Mr. Music and Lil’ Brother Band and the movie “The Greatest Showman” at Heroes Grove Amphitheatre, 5010 Commons Dr., 7 p.m. www.lowerpaxton-pa.gov

Outdoor Movies
Aug. 9, 30: Friends of Midtown and Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, present a free showing of “Coco” on Aug. 9 and “Paddington 2” on Aug. 30. The films begin at dusk and, in the case of rain, will be moved to Saturday. www.friendsofmidtown.org

Kids Club Event
Aug. 10: Take the kids to Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., for Kids Club, which is free and held on the second Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. www.shopharrisburgmall.com

Volunteer Work Day
Aug. 10: Head to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to help with continuing park and habitat enhancement projects, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snacks, tools and work gloves will be provided. Bring along a water bottle. Refreshments available. www.wildwoodlake.org

Outdoor Fest
Aug. 10, 11: Allenberry Resort, TCO Outdoors and Troegs Independent Brewing Co. host the inaugural Cumberland Valley Fly Fishing & Outdoor Festival at Allenberry Resort, 1559 Boiling Springs Rd., Boiling Springs. The two-day event includes fishing and outdoor vendors, classes, food trucks, beer and live music. www.allenberry.com

Opera in the Park
Aug. 11: Join Harrisburg Opera Association for “Opera in the Park” at Italian Lake Park, 2960 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, 4 p.m. Bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets and blankets. Aloha attire is welcome. www.harrisburg-opera.org

Get in Shape
Aug. 15: Enjoy a self-guided, 3-mile walk at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, on level trails. The walk starts at the Nature Center. Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes. www.wildwoodlake.org

Music Festival
Aug. 15-18: Enjoy a weekend of live music at The Weekender Music Festival, with local, regional, national and international award-winning artists, food and kids’ activities. The Weekender is a collaboration of the Harrisburg Housing Authority, the city of Harrisburg, Levels Ready Entertainment and The Singer’s Lounge. www.weekenderhbg.com

Golf Open
Aug. 16: The Education Foundation of Central Penn College hosts the 48th Golf Open, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Rich Valley Golf, 227 Rich Valley Rd., Mechanicsburg. All proceeds benefit emergency scholarship funds. www.centralpenn.edu

Golf Scramble
Aug. 16: The 8th Annual Harrisburg Young Professionals Golf Scramble will be held at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, 650 S. Harrisburg St., 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Teams of four golfers are invited to register online. www.hyp.org

Art in the Garden
Aug. 16: Explore “Meet Me in the Garden: An Art Exhibit of Faith and Flowers” at Bachman Center at Homestead Village, 633 Community Way, Lancaster, 5 to 9 p.m., featuring the art of Isabell Clark, Jeremy Miller and Gretchen Stahlman. At 7 p.m., the artists will share their thoughts and creative processes. www.artbyjeremymiller.com

3rd in The Burg
Aug. 16: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event at galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Summer Switch
Aug. 16: The 2nd annual “Great Summer Switch” will feature Tina Sell, Susquehanna Art Museum’s director of education, conducting a 6 p.m. tour of “Art of the State” at the State Museum. Visitors then walk to the Susquehanna Art Museum for a tour with PHMC commissioner and artist Ophelia Chambliss of “Picasso: A Life in Print,” 7:30 p.m. www.statemuseum.org, www.sqart.org

Finding Freedom
Aug. 17: Take in a day of music at the Finding Freedom Festival, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., on City Island. Numerous bands will play, with proceeds benefitting Just for Today Recovery & Veteran’s Services. www.milb.com/harrisburg/fans/festival

Mantra Practice
Aug. 18: Eckankar of PA hosts “Chant HU: the Sound of Soul,” a workshop focusing on the sacred sound and ancient mantra, at Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, 2 to 3 p.m. Free and open to people of all beliefs. www.eckankarofpa.org

Farm to River
Aug. 18: Fort Hunter will host its farm-to-river fundraiser at the mansion, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 6 to 8 p.m., with locally sourced, homemade dinner offerings, local brews and wines and live acoustic music, and more. Attendees can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and signature drinks beginning at 4:30 p.m. www.fort-hunter.org

Explore Color
Aug. 22: Kids ages 3 to 6 are invited to have fun with finger paints to explore primary and secondary colors at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. This Curiosity Kids event is included with general admission, but space is limited. www.statemuseumpa.org

Reptiles
Aug. 24: ZooAmerica will provide an indoor live animal show on Pennsylvania’s native reptiles (plus an alligator), 10 to 11 a.m., at Wildwood Park’s Olewine Nature Center, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg. Pre-registration is required and is $5 per person. www.wildwoodlake.org

Opera Night
Aug. 24: Harrisburg Opera Association presents “An Artists’ Journey,” a theatrically staged, orchestrated song cycle with multiple genres like classical art song, musical theater, jazz, pop, cabaret and rock by Adam C.J. Klein and Tami Swartz, 7:30 p.m. The work depicts Swartz’s experiences as a mixed-race person growing up in Harrisburg. www.messiah.edu

Art Soiree
Aug. 25: Art Association of Harrisburg hosts the last Summer Soiree of the summer at the King Mansion, 2201 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 5 to 8 p.m., with featured artists Allison Juliana, Linda Benton McCloskey, Ann Benton Yeager and Katharine Maylone. Cost is $45 in advance, $50 at the door. www.artassocofhbg.org

Luminary Awards
Aug. 28: The West Shore Chamber of Commerce will honor two female business professionals at the annual Luminary Awards Luncheon at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, Camp Hill, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. www.wschamber.org

Books on Tap
Aug. 29: Dauphin County Library System hosts “Books on Tap” book club at Bacco Pizzeria and Wine Bar, 20 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg, 5 to 6 p.m. Dive into new genres and forms while getting to know other readers in a social setting. The club will discuss Robin Sloan’s “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.” www.dcls.org

Business After Hours
Aug. 29: Mingle with other business professionals over food and drinks at Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC’s free networking event, hosted by Penn National Insurance, 2 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg, 5 to 7 p.m. www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org

Mixer
Aug. 29: Build new relationships with local business professionals at the West Shore Chamber of Commerce’s August Evening Networking Mixer, 5 to 7 p.m. at Mid South Building Supply, 3451 Simpson Ferry Rd., Camp Hill. The event is free and open to chamber members. www.wschamber.org

The “Future” of Wine: Wine is for enjoying–and now also for speculating.

July 31, 2019 | by Steve Juliana

Of all the world’s wine regions, Bordeaux may be the most intriguing—and perhaps the most confusing.

Located in southwest France where the Rivers Dordogne and Garonne come together, Bordeaux is divided into the right bank and left bank. Each has its own definition of what makes a typical Bordeaux blend.

All red wine from this region is blended from six grapes allowed under law. They include the two noble grapes of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, as well as the minor fruit of cabernet Franc, malbec, petit verdot and carménère.

Typically, the left bank wines are blended with 70 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent cabernet Franc and 15 percent merlot. Those on the right bank are 70 percent merlot, 15 percent cabernet Franc and 15 percent merlot. The other grapes are used to help maintain the personality and style of each chateaux and are blended in very small amounts.

This most famous of Gallic regions has shipped wine to the British Isles under the name of “claret” since Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine and introduced high-quality red wine to English palates.

Bordeaux wine has always had a following among oenophiles all over the world. Its greatest decade was arguably from 1981 to 1990, with eight amazing vintages in terms of quality and quantity. To maintain such high standards as costs for producing these legendary quaffs have increased, the chateaux have turned to offering wine futures.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in the stock market may be familiar with the concept. In France, the wines are offered at a price that is usually lower than when they are released for sale to the general public. Futures pricing can be complex, as ratings are assigned to the vintage, to each of the 54 appellations and to individual chateaux. Professional wine critics taste barrel samples for first impressions and then later when the wines are bottled. The results and personal reactions are printed in magazines, newspapers and blogs.

I’m writing about this topic this month because Fine Wine and Good Spirits now offers Bordeaux futures for the wine-lovers (and speculators) of Pennsylvania. There’s a list of the 2017 and 2018 vintages at www.finewineandgoodspirits.com with prices, code numbers and bottle sizes. Read over the terms and conditions carefully. To find the ratings, check with wine publications, websites and blogs by people dedicated to giving their opinions in a zero to 100-point format. In addition, Decanter, a British magazine, has excellent articles and contributors.

Some people think that there is money to be made in wine purchases for reselling at a profit, which takes many years and much patience. For the average wine-drinker, however, my advice is to buy for your own pleasure and drink up as it matures.

Keep sipping,
Steve

Inspiration & Injustice: Midtown Cinema kicks off its classic film series with “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

July 31, 2019 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

There are some films that stick in the minds of moviegoers everywhere, even decades after they’ve left the silver screen. Midtown Cinema has created a series devoted to the appreciation of those films—the ones we find ourselves going back to over and over, the ones that make us think, make us feel, that keep the allure of the cinema alive.

And what better way to start off this series than with the film, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” An adaptation of Harper Lee’s beloved book of the same name, Robert Mulligan’s film gives us a glimpse into the South in the time of the Great Depression and delves into racism and injustice in the judicial system in a way that remains relevant today.

The film follows two main threads, each predominantly seen from the perspective of 6-year-old Scout (Mary Badham). Scout is the avid tagalong in the antics of her older brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), who is a bit obsessed with Boo Radley, the purportedly mad son of a man who lives down the street. And though their father (Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck) tells them to leave the family alone, the children can’t help but pry.

But the most important thread in the film is Atticus’ story. Atticus Finch is a lawyer and happens to be presiding over a very difficult case—he is defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. As Atticus fights the injustice of the man’s plight, he strives to raise his children to see that injustice. Scout’s 6-year-old perspective—still absorbing her surroundings and crafting her worldview—makes for a very interesting window through which to see the case.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” remains a powerful story, speaking not only to the racism and prejudice of its time but to what remains under the surface (or not-so-under the surface) of today’s society. While the book will always be this reviewer’s choice—the movie adheres pretty closely to the book, but for length’s purposes has to leave a lot of nuance out—the film does give us fantastic performances by Peck, Badham and Alford.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” plays Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

AUGUST EVENTS

3^rd in the Burg $3 Movie
“The Toxic Avenger” (1986)
Friday, Aug. 16, 9:30 p.m.

“A Boy Named Charlie Brown” (1969)
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2 p.m.

Down in Front! Presents
“Jaws: The Revenge” (1987)
Friday, Aug. 23, 9:30 p.m.

Film Appreciation Series
“To Kill A Mockingbird” (1962)
Sunday, Aug. 25, 2 p.m. (with post-screening discussion)
Monday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m.

Outdoor Films
“Coco” (2017)
Friday, Aug. 9

“Paddington 2” (2017)
Friday, Aug. 30

All outdoor films start at dusk.

Happenings: Our August Calendar of Events

July 31, 2019 | by Missy Smith

Museum & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Studebaker Cool: 114 Years of Innovation,” exploring South Bend, Indiana’s contribution to wheeled transportation,” through Oct. 20

“Harley-Davidson: History, Mythology and Perceptions of America’s Motorcycle,” through Oct. 20

“Raymond Loewy: A Retrospective,” an exhibit on the American industrial designer, who achieved fame for his design efforts, through Oct. 20

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

“Energized,” featuring works by Andrew Brodisch, Mitchel Coffman and Rone Galeone, through Aug. 29

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

“This Place I Call Home,” photography by Lori Snyder and pottery by Kurt Brantner, Aug. 9-Sept. 21

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Artist of the Month: Mary Leone

Fort Hunter
5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-599-5751; forthunter.org

“Leisure Time Exhibit,” highlighting what the Reily family did for fun in their spare time as previous owners and residents of Fort Hunter, through December

Gallery on the Square
Millersburg Area Art Association
226 Union St., Millersburg
Facebook: Gallery on the Square

“Membership Show & Gallery Student Show,” highlighting the art and craftwork of Millersburg Area Art Association class and workshop participants and association members, through Aug. 3

“Observations Absorbed by Patricia Marshall,” Aug. 7-Sept. 7; reception: Aug. 11, 3-5 p.m.

Harris Tower Railroad Museum
637 Walnut St., Harrisburg
www.harristower.org

A fully restored switch tower and interactive museum dedicated to Harrisburg rail history. Open Saturdays through October and select Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyareaartassociation.com

“2019 Blooming Art Show,” Aug. 24-25, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Hershey Gardens

Messiah College School of Arts
One College Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

“Department of Art and Design Annual Juried Show 2018-2019,” through Sept. 6

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

New works by Joan Maguire, Tami Bitner, Marsha Souders, Julie Iaria and Tina Berrier, through Aug. 11

New works by Caleb Smith, P.D. Murray, Tara Chickey, Joelle & Justin Arawjo, Ann Benton Yeager and Tina Berrier, Aug. 13-Sept. 15

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts
Landis House, 67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Class Reunion,” a showing of artwork by PCCA student award winners, interns and staff members of years past, and a special exhibit by Wanda Pines, through Aug. 3

“Up Close,” a group exhibition of artwork in a variety of media that explores small worlds or highlights a portion of a larger whole, Aug. 9-Oct. 4; reception: Aug. 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Perry County Council of the Arts
PCCA Gallery, 1 S. Second St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Homegrown,” a group exhibit of works in a variety of media by Perry County artists, through Aug. 3

“Felting Iki,” an exhibition of whimsical felted art pieces by Crissy Miyake, Aug. 9-Oct. 5; reception: Aug. 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

“Art of the State,” the 52nd annual juried exhibition featuring Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople, through Sept. 8

“Pennsylvania at War: World War I Posters from the Pennsylvania State Archives,” through Dec. 29

“Pennsylvania at War: The Saga of the USS Pennsylvania,” through Dec. 29

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; sqart.org

“Explore: Archives & Collections,” an investigation of archives and collections in the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Education Center Gallery, through Aug. 11

“Inspired: Contemporary Responses to a Legacy of Courage,” through Aug. 18

“On Location: Harrisburg Sketchers,” featuring sketches from the past six years from a rotating cast of artists, Aug. 23-Oct. 27

“Hidden City,” the plein air landscape paintings of Valeri Larko, Aug. 23-Nov. 17

“Picasso: A Life in Print,” highlighting 1904-1970 works of Pablo Picasso from the collection of the John Szoke Gallery, NYC, through Sept. 22

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

“Art In The Wild,” naturally inspired trailside creations along Wildwood Park’s wandering trails and wetlands, through Oct. 31

Winters Heritage House Museum
41-47 E. High St., Elizabethtown
717-367-4672; elizabethtownhistory.org

“Elizabethtown During the Great Depression,” Aug. 30-Sept. 20

Zeroday Brewing Co.
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

Art gallery by Eric Brown, through Aug. 15

Art gallery by Darrienne Coffen, Aug. 16-Sept. 19

Read, Make, Learn

BrainVessel Gallery
4707 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg
717-350-2306; bvcargo.com

Aug. 6: Developing Artists Camp, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 14: Steampunk Art, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Aug. 14: Functional Art 420, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 24: Rustic Mica Journal, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Carlisle Arts Learning Center
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

Aug. 3: Plein Air Drawing, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 5-9: Nifty Knitters (ages 5-12), 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 5-9: Art and Adventure Camp, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 5-9: Save Our Seas (ages 5-12), 1-4 p.m.
Aug. 9: Craft Beer & Clay, 7 p.m.
Aug. 10: Alternative Firing Techniques, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 12-16: Muddy Buddies, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 24: Bundle Dye with Flowers and Herbs, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 28: Cut-It-Out! Ceramics, 6-8 p.m.

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Aug. 9: Cruising the Caribbean, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Aug. 16: Cooking with Crab, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Aug. 28: Sandwich & Beer Pairing, 6-9 p.m.

East Shore Area Library
4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg
717-652-9380; dcls.org

Aug. 3: Astronomy for Everyone—Size & Scale of the Universe, 7-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 7: Andrew’s Big Show, 10:30-11:15 a.m., 6-6:45 p.m.
Aug. 9: Let’s Play Resonator Bells—Beatles Classics, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 14: Ryan the Bug Man, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Aug. 14: Mission—Outer Space, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 16: Device Club, 1-2:30 p.m.
Aug. 21: Summer Reading Club Ice Cream Social, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 25: Galaxy Twist T-shirt, 1-3 p.m.
Aug. 27: Friends of East Shore Area Library Meeting, 9:30-11:15 a.m.

Elizabethtown Public Library
10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown
717-367-7467; etownpubliclibrary.org

Aug. 1, 8: Recipe Scramble, 2-7 p.m.
Aug. 2: STEM Crew, 12-1 p.m.
Aug. 3: Constellation Décor (ages13-19), 11 a.m.
Aug. 3, 17: Cards & Coffee, 10:15-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 5: Midday Getaway, 1-3 p.m.
Aug. 6: Chess Club, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 6: Family Story Time, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 6: Crafternoon, 2-3 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13: Touch a Truck, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Cards & Coffee, 9:15-10:30 a.m.
Aug. 7: Baby Time & Toddler Time, 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 8: Story Time with Hank the Health Hero, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 8, 22: Community Knitters, 6 p.m.
Aug. 3, 10: Sing-a-longs, 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.
Aug. 10: Lace Cottage, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 10: Dog Tales, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 10: Family LEGO Club, 11 a.m.
Aug. 14: Teen Book Club—“The Hunger Games,” 7 p.m.
Aug. 14, 28: Anime Club, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 17: Book Discussion Group—“Little Paris Bookshop,” 9:15 a.m.
Aug. 17: Community Knitters, 11 a.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

Aug. 1, 15: Blood Pressure Screenings with UPMC Pinnacle, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 1, 15, 22: The Plot Twisters (ages 15-18), 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 2: Youth Chess Night, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 5: Teen Summer Movies, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 6: Curl Up with the Classics—“The Hobbit,” 10 a.m.
Aug. 6: Penn State Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, 6-7:30 p.m.4-6 p.m.
Aug. 7: Moving Forward Book Group with Hospice of Central PA, 1 p.m.
Aug. 8: Final Summer Fling, 4-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 9: Indie Film Friday, 2 and 7 p.m.
Aug. 12: Teen Makerspace Drop-In (ages 12-18), 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 12: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 16: Family Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 23: Foreign Film Friday—“Moka,” 2 and 7 p.m.
Aug. 26: Fredricksen Reads—“A Piece of the World,” 7 p.m.

Gallery on the Square
Millersburg Area Art Association
226 Union St., Millersburg
Facebook: Gallery on the Square

Aug. 3: Bike Helmet Decorating for kids, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug. 14: Folk Art “One Stroke,” 6-8 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
40 Northeast Dr., Hershey
hersheyart.org

Aug. 7-8: Simple Steps to Watercolor Realism workshop, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Aug. 22-Sept. 26: Drawing with Paul Gallo class, Thursdays, 1-4 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

Aug. 1, 8, 15: CS50 Computer Class, 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 8: Card Making Class, 6 p.m.
Aug. 9: Play Day for Families, 10 a.m.
Aug. 9, 16, 23, 30: Dungeons and Dragons, 2 p.m.
Aug. 10: Meet us @ the Market on Chocolate, 11 a.m.
Aug. 10: 2nd Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Aug. 10, 17, 24, 31: Chess Club, 1:30 p.m.
Aug. 15, 16, 19, 20: Space Camp with Friends, 10 a.m.
Aug. 12: XC Booster Meeting, 6:15 p.m.
Aug. 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29: Penn State Hershey—Mothers & Babies Together, 10 a.m.
Aug. 14: Shank Park HersheyQuest Celebration, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 23: Play Day for Families, 10 a.m.
Aug. 24: Space Forts for Families, 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 26: Central PA Blood Drive, 3 p.m.

Historic Harrisburg Resource Center
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.com

Aug. 26: Lectures & Libations—The Green Book, How Black America Used to Travel

Kline Library
530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg
717-234-3934; dcls.org

Aug. 1: Art & Bubbles with VanGo and MARCO, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug. 6: Andrew’s Big Show, 6-6:45 p.m.
Aug. 7: Resume Writing Series, 3-4:30 p.m.
Aug. 13: Marshmallows from Space, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 15: Friends of Kline Library Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 20: Summer Reading Club Ice Cream Social, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 28: Knit 1, Crochet Too!, 6-8 p.m.

The LGBT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Passageways—Trans and Non-Binary Group, 2-4 p.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Common Roads Young Adult, 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Common Roads Youth, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 10: Queer & Trans People of Color Advisory, 6-8 p.m.

Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library
2410 North 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-232-7286; dcls.org

Aug. 5, 12: Video Game Club, 4-5 p.m.
Aug. 6: Andrew’s Big Show, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Aug. 6: Bank on Your Success—Becoming a Homeowner, 4-6 p.m.
Aug. 13: Marshmallows from Space, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 19: Cookbook Book Club—National Sandwich Month, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 21: Summer Reading Club Ice Cream Social, 4-6 p.m.

McCormick Riverfront Library
101 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-234-4976; dcls.org

Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Mid-day Getaway, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Aug. 16: Space Prom, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 22: Summer Reading Club Ice Cream Social, 12-2 p.m.
Aug. 27: Device Club, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Middletown Public Library
20 N. Catherine St., Middletown
717-944-6412; middletownpubliclib.org

Aug. 1: Summer Book Club, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: LEGO Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Science Fiction Book Club (meets online)
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: STEM Club, 5:30-7 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Storytime and Craft, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Tales with T.A.I.L.S., 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 6, 20, 27: Family Yoga, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 7: Other Worlds Wednesdays, 1-2 p.m.
Aug. 10: Oreo Taste Test, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 24: Stories and Sidewalk Chalk, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Café
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, 7 p.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 23, 30: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café, 7 p.m.
Aug. 3: An Evening with R.O. Kwan, 6 p.m.
Aug. 13: An Evening with Charles King, 7 p.m.
Aug. 18: Midtown Writers Group, 1 p.m.
Aug. 18: LGBT Book Club, 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 24: An Evening with P.E. Moskowitz, 6 p.m.
Aug. 31: An Evening with Michele Gelfand, 6 p.m.

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

Aug. 3: Mug Making Class, 12-2 p.m.
Aug. 4: Kids Art Class, 12-1 p.m.
Aug. 10: Kids Art Class on the Roof, 12-2p.m.
Aug. 10: Fluid Art Class, 12-2:30 p.m.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Aug. 6: Light and Rainbows Summer Camp, 1:30-4 p.m.
Aug. 7, 8: Light and Rainbows Summer Camp, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

Aug. 1: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 5: Summer Storytime (ages 2-5), 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19: 123 Library (ages 2-6), 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 6: Summer Book Babies Storytime, 11:15 a.m.
Aug. 8: Teen Gaming Hour (ages 12-17), 3-4 p.m.
Aug. 10: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Aug. 12: Block Party (ages 2.5-5), 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 13: Baby Water Play, 11:15 a.m.
Aug. 14: All Day LEGO Play, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Aug. 15: Team Puzzle Contest, 1-3 p.m.
Aug. 17: Couponing For Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 17: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
Aug. 19: PlayDoh Palooza (ages 2-6), 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 20: Baby Open Play, 11:15 a.m.
Aug. 28: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.

Perry County Council of the Arts
Landis House, 67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

Aug. 13-17: Drop-In Art at the Perry County Fair
Aug. 17: Teaching Artist Toolbox—The Basics, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

Aug. 2: StoryTime—“Mix it Up!,” 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 4: Artist Conversations, 2 p.m.
Aug. 22: Curiosity Kids—Color, 11:30 a.m.

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; sqart.org

Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Yoga in the Galleries, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 21: Life Drawing Class, 6-9 p.m.

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

Aug. 7: Stress Relief Walk, 5:45-7:15 p.m.
Aug. 8: Educator Workshop—Wild on the River II, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Aug. 10: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 11: Flower Walk—Heat Tolerant Plants, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 15: Get in Shape Walk, 5:45-7:15 p.m.
Aug. 17: Run Wild for Wildwood 5K!, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 21: Preschool Storytime—Summer at Wildwood!, 10-10:45 a.m.
Aug. 24: Reptiles!, 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 25: Natural Tie-Dye, 1-3 p.m.
Aug. 31: Kids Discover—Insects, 10-11:30 a.m.

William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library
200 W. Second St., Hummelstown
717-566-0949; dcls.org

Aug. 1: Teen Night—Mystery Box Challenge, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 5: Galaxy Twist T-shirt, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 6: Novel Thoughts Book Club, 6:30-8 p.m.
Aug. 7: Climate Up Close, 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 8: Andrew’s Big Show, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Aug. 14: 2^nd Wednesday Cinema, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 15: Alien Dance Party, 6-6:45 p.m.
Aug. 20: Novel Thoughts Too Book Club, 1-3 p.m.
Aug. 22: Summer Reading Club Ice Cream Social, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Live Music

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Aug. 3: Josh Turner
Aug. 5: Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot! and James Hunter
Aug. 10: Aaron Lewis
Aug. 11: Charley Pride
Aug. 18: Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell
Aug. 19: Dwight Yoakam
Aug. 23: The Beach Boys
Aug. 24: The Gatlin Brothers
Aug. 25: Sara Evans

Appalachian Brewing Co./Abbey Bar
50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg
717-221-1083; abcbrew.com

Aug. 10: Andy Mowatt’s Frequency Movement

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

Aug. 1: Gavin DeGraw
Aug. 2: The New Power Generation, Tribute to Prince
Aug. 8: Stephen Kellogg and Tyrone Wells
Aug. 23: Donavon Frankenreiter

Boneshire Brew Works
7462 Derry St., Harrisburg
717-469-5007; boneshire.com

Aug. 8: Ed Varner
Aug. 22: Dave Gates

Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
204 Locust St., Harrisburg
717-909-9191; carleysristorante.com

Aug. 1, 14: Andrea Britton
Aug. 2, 6, 8, 13, 16, 21, 23, 27, 30: Noel Gevers
Aug. 3, 20: Mike Dempsey
Aug. 7, 17, 31: Roy Lefevre
Aug. 9: Corinna Joy and Noel Gevers
Aug. 10, 24: Ted Ansel
Aug. 15, 25, 29: Anthony Haubert
Aug. 22: Corinna Joy
Aug. 28: Chris Purcell

Carlisle Theatre
44 West High St., Carlisle
717-258-0666; carlisletheatre.org

Aug. 4: 32nd Annual Sousa Concert w/Greater Harrisburg Concert Band
Aug. 17: Cash Unchained, Johnny Cash Tribute

Chameleon Club
223 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-299-9684; chameleonclub.net

Aug. 1: The Faint, The Pink Spiders & The Dollyrots
Aug. 3: Wifisfuneral
Aug. 8: Michael Ray
Aug. 9: Murphys Law, Hank Von Hell
Aug. 10: The Crystal Method
Aug. 12: The Obsessed
Aug. 14: Skillet & Sevendust
Aug. 20: Off With Their Heads
Aug. 23: The Color Fred

Cliff’s Tavern
1104 Carlisle Rd., Camp Hill
717-412-7323; cliffstavern.com

Aug. 4: Ryan Kauffman Duo
Aug. 7: Gavin Horning
Aug. 11: Steve Rudolph & Steve Meashey
Aug. 14: Steve Rudolph Duo
Aug. 18: Tom Strohman & Steve Rudolph
Aug. 21: Friends of Jazz Jam Session

Club XL
801 S. 10th St., Harrisburg
717-409-8975; xlhbg.com

Aug. 2: DJ Caraby
Aug. 3: Exmag
Aug. 9: The Nappy Roots
Aug. 10: Marchfourth
Aug. 16: The Soul Rebels
Aug. 17: Kick—The INXS Experiences with Bridges and a Bottle
Aug. 24: Billy Price & The Charm City Rhythm Band
Aug. 30: DJ Sizzors

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Aug. 2: Antonio Andrade
Aug. 3: Dominick Cicco
Aug. 4: Alex McQuade
Aug. 9: Steven Gellman
Aug. 10: Joe Cooney
Aug. 11: Margaret Rainey
Aug. 14: Open Mic Night with Jonathan Frazier
Aug. 16: Kevin Koa
Aug. 17: Doug Morris
Aug. 18: GRIT
Aug. 23: Janie Womack and Jody Echterling
Aug. 24: Hard Travelin’
Aug. 25: The Austens
Aug. 30: Sinclair Soul
Aug. 31: Jeanine & Friends

Greater Harrisburg Concert Band
717-576-758; ghcb.org

Aug. 4: 32nd Annual Sousa Concert at Carlisle Theatre

Gretna Music
gretnamusic.org

Aug. 10: GM4K Akropolis Reed Quintet, James “Blood” Ulmer
Aug. 11: Akropolis Reed Quintet
Aug. 25: Song of the Earth

Hollywood Casino
777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville
717-469-2211; hollywoodpnrc.com

Aug. 2: Hooligan
Aug. 3: DJ Jayson Matrix, Downtown Sound Band
Aug. 9: Soul Solution
Aug. 10: DJ Ray Rossi, Dean Ford & The Beautiful Ones Prince Tribute Band, Honeypump
Aug. 16: The Luv Gods
Aug. 17: DJ Magic, Sapphire
Aug. 23: Smooth Like Clyde
Aug. 24: DJ Heidi Linn, Into the Spin
Aug. 30: Funktion
Aug. 31: DJ Ray Rossi, U2 Decades U2 Tribute Band, Restless

House of Music, Arts & Culture (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

Aug. 3: Green Jelly, Defiant, Dawns Divide, Felipe Pupo
Aug. 9: Liliac, Kiss Kiss Bang, Sinful Lilly
Aug. 10: !!!
Aug. 17: The Queers

Johnny Joe’s Sports Bar & Grill
5327 E. Trindle Rd., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2254; johnnyjoesbar.com

Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: DJ Eric B
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: DJ Joe Hertz
Aug. 3: MNDWRX
Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Open Mic
Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Walter DeWall
Aug. 10: Nevermind
Aug. 17: Fell From Zero
Aug. 24: Nimrod
Aug. 31: Disorderly Conduct

Keystone Concert Band
717-421-1512; keystoneconcertband.com

Aug. 10: Concert at New Cumberland Ice Cream Festival
Aug. 24: Concert at Essex House, Lemoyne

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Downtown
133 State St., Harrisburg
717-635-9870; littleampscoffee.com

Aug. 26: Good in the Dark

The Lodge at Liberty Forge
3804 Lisburn Rd., Mechanicsburg
717-756-5032; lodgeatlibertyforge.com

Aug. 1: LeBlanc & Messano
Aug. 8: Jim Jackson
Aug. 15: Rick and Juliette
Aug. 22: Nate Myers Trio
Aug. 29: John Chapman with Amy

Market Cross Pub & Brewery
113 N. Hanover St., Carlisle
717-258-1234; marketcrosspub.com

Aug. 1: Captain Marvel
Aug. 17: Michelle Canning
Aug. 25: Jane Ramsey
Aug. 31: Visitors Duo

Metropolis Collective
17 W. Main St., Mechanicsburg
717-458-8245; metropoliscollective.com

Aug. 10: The Bo Deadlys, OAF
Aug. 15: Tuff Sunshine, The Jellybricks
Aug. 24: Eric Vermillion & The Full Counts, Bog Creeper

The Mill in Hershey
810 Old W. Chocolate Ave., Hershey
717-256-9965; themillinhershey.com

Aug. 3: Funktion
Aug. 10: Laredo
Aug. 17: Curtis Smith
Aug. 24: The Jayplayers
Aug. 31: Hank Imhof

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Aug. 3: JJ Rupp Band
Aug. 9: Shotgunn!

River City Blues Club & Dart Room
819 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg
717-525-8926; rivercityhbg.com

Aug. 3: Joe Olnick Band
Aug. 19: River City Big Band

Susquehanna Chorale
One College Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-533-7859; susquehannachorale.org

Aug. 18: Concert at Mt. Gretna’s open-air Tabernacle

The Susquehanna Folk Music Society
717-745-6577; sfmsfolk.org

Aug. 14: Justin Angelo Band

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

Aug. 16: Whitaker Unplugged

Zeroday Brewing Co.
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

Aug. 16: Jelli

The Stage Door

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

Aug. 9: Hank Denson

The Belmont Theatre
27 S. Belmont St., York
717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

Aug. 9-18: “My Fair Lady”

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

Aug. 1-10: “Annie”
Aug. 16-Sept. 21: “Finding Neverland”

Gamut Theatre Group
15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-238-4111; gamuttheatre.org

Aug. 3-17: “Beauty and the Beast” (Popcorn Hat Players)
Aug. 15-18: Stage Door Series—“Symposium”

Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center
1000 S. Eisenhower Blvd., Middletown
717-939-9333; hbg-cpac.org

Aug. 9-11: “Freaky Friday”

Harrisburg Comedy Zone
110 Limekiln Rd., New Cumberland
717-920-5653; harrisburgcomedyzone.com

Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Open Mic

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-798-6973; hbgimprov.com

Aug. 2, 4: Character Level 2 Class Show
Aug. 9, 11: Intro to Improv Class Show
Aug. 23, 25: Game of the Scene Level 1 Class Show

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

Aug. 20-25: “Cats”

Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Rd., Camp Hill
717-737-6768; oystermill.com

Aug. 16-Sept. 1: “Jeeves Takes a Bow”

The Playhouse at Allenberry
1559 Boiling Springs Rd., Boiling Springs
717-258-3211; allenberry.com

Aug. 2-4: “Mary Poppins”

River City Blues Club & Dart Room
819 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg
717-525-8926; rivercityhbg.com

Aug. 25: Risque Business

July News Digest

July 31, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

2-Way 2nd Street Designs Unveiled

Do you prefer a bike lane or a center lane?

That was the big decision last month for Harrisburg residents, who attended the final community meeting for the planned conversion of N. 2nd Street to two-way traffic.

At the meeting, the city unveiled its two final design concepts for the street.

The first design features a left-hand-turn lane, along with partial median strips, along the two-mile stretch of N. 2nd from Forster to Division streets. The second includes a dedicated, “parking protected” bike lane, meaning it would be protected from traffic.

“That’s the main difference,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “Do you want a center lane with medians, or do you want a bike lane? We can’t accommodate both.”

A 40-minute presentation kicked off the meeting. Afterwards, attendees broke off into groups to study the concepts in detail, block by block, and offer input.

Both designs include roundabouts at certain busy intersections, such as at N. 2nd and Verbeke streets and N. 2nd and Reily streets.

Notably, most traffic signals would be removed under both concepts and, like with the current construction along the 3rd Street corridor, intersections would be improved to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Signals would remain at the busy intersections at Forster, Maclay and Division streets.

Papenfuse expects construction to begin next year, wrapping up at the end of 2021. The cost of the $5.6 million project is being split between the city, the state Department of Transportation and Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit set up in the wake of the city’s financial crisis.

Both concepts reduce the total amount of parking along 2nd Street, mostly because of the ADA-mandated intersection improvements.

Currently, there are 620 street parking spaces on N. 2nd from Forster to Division streets. Concept 1, which includes the turning lanes, would reduce parking to 550 spaces, while concept 2, which includes the bike lane, would reduce street parking to 537 spaces.

“It is genuine to say that I see the benefits of both,” Papenfuse said. “We could go with either and be very pleased as a city. They’re both transformative and safer and better for the neighborhood.”

AutoZone Passes Hurdle

The Harrisburg Planning Commission last month approved the land development plan for an Uptown auto parts store, despite a continuing disagreement over the design of the project.

By a 3-1 vote, the commission gave its OK to an AutoZone store on long-vacant land at the corner of Maclay and N. 7th streets, but the approval requires the company to tweak its design to address several city concerns.

Commission members agreed with the city’s planning bureau that AutoZone needed to make modifications to its plan—namely, reorienting the 6,816-square-foot building to bring it closer to Maclay Street and eliminating access from busy N. 7th Street.

“I don’t want to have people coming into the city greeted by a parking lot and a set-back building, just like you see in the surrounding suburbs,” said commissioner Zac Monnier.

City officials have long complained that the proposed AutoZone design was too generic and better suited for a suburban strip mall, not a city block. They have especially disliked that AutoZone’s original proposal set the store back from Maclay Street, with parking in the front.

David Tshudy of Pepper Hamilton, the law firm representing AutoZone, repeatedly pushed back on the requested changes to the company’s design, saying that city planners have no role in design decisions based on Harrisburg’s current land use ordinances.

“There’s nothing in the ordinance that requires the building to be situated any differently than what is shown on the plan,” Tshudy said. “The building is best where it is shown on the plan.”

The two sides also had a heated disagreement about AutoZone’s desire for a driveway to the site from N. 7th Street.

In April, the two sides held a meeting to iron out their differences. Tshudy said that he left that meeting believing they had agreed to retain the access point, but only for right turns in and out. City officials disagreed.

“At no time did we indicate that this was a design that the planning bureau would support or thought was a good design for this particular site,” said Geoffrey Knight, director of the city’s planning department.

Now that it’s passed the Planning Commission, the land development plan must be approved by City Council.

City Changes CDBG Process

Harrisburg plans to shake up the yearly process of doling out federal housing dollars under its “Annual Action Plan” unveiled last month.

Franchon Dickinson, director of the city’s Department of Building and Housing, told City Council that the administration wants to tighten requirements for Harrisburg-based social service agencies seeking funding under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

“If we want to effectuate change, we’re going to need to change the way we do business,” she said.

In recent years, council has doled out relatively small amounts of CDBG money to a dozen or so specific service agencies. HUD, however, recently has questioned the way Harrisburg has distributed some of those funds, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Therefore, the city needs to make certain it strictly follows HUD guidelines, he said.

Specifically, agencies must show that a service is new or must demonstrate a “quantifiable increase in the level of service in the last 12 months,” said Dickinson. In addition, she said that HUD prefers to fund “senior enrichment programs or special needs populations.”

Moreover, the administration wants to change the funding structure for CDBG, which, this year, will total nearly $1.94 million, down from last year’s $2 million.

Under the current proposal, just $100,000 will be set aside for social service programming, down from about $240,000 last year. However, for facilities projects, agencies will be able to apply for money from a second bucket, one reserved for “public improvement/public facilities,” which totals $407,261, Dickinson said.

Papenfuse said that HUD didn’t like that, in the past, Harrisburg permitted facility improvements with money meant for “public service activities,” funds that were supposed be reserved for programming and other service activities.

The application process also is changing.

This year, the city will not determine recipients before submitting its action plan to HUD in mid-August. Specific recipients will be determined later through a request for proposals (RFP) process, which will be issued in late August, and applications will be scored to make sure they meet HUD guidelines, Papenfuse said.

“It’s a change in procedure, but it’s a good one,” he said. “It makes sure that every dollar we spend will be spent wisely.”

Other proposed CDBG allotments include:

$593,423 for debt service, as the city continues to pay down a federal loan it guaranteed under former Mayor Steve Reed for the disastrous Capitol View Commerce Center project
$387,670 for grant administration
$250,000 for homeowner rehabilitation
$200,000 for emergency demolition

In addition to the CDBG ordinance, council introduced ordinances for the HUD Emergency Solutions Grant Program for $166,243, which mostly goes to the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness to fund emergency shelter and rehousing, and another for HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program for $432,187, which funds affordable housing solutions.

Council is expected to take a final vote on the ordinances on Aug. 13.

City Buys Back MarketPlace Lots

A stalled building project may have a new lease on life, as the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority has bought back dozens of undeveloped lots in the city’s MarketPlace Townhomes neighborhood.

In late June, the authority purchased 58 lots from S&A Homes, re-acquiring the Midtown properties it had given to the State College-based developer almost 14 years before.

“The Redevelopment Authority had to take back the properties because S&A was not going to develop them,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “The Redevelopment Authority is now looking for a [development] partner for those lots.”

In the 1970s, the authority began acquiring parcels just south of N. 6th and Reily streets, which eventually included the Zommit Cleaners site, an industrial property that required soil decontamination.

By 1998, 38 single-family homes had been built in the MarketPlace neighborhood, named for its proximity to the Broad Street Market. In late 2005, the authority sold most of its remaining inventory—71 lots—to S&A for $1 apiece in an area bounded by N. 6th, James, Reily and Sayford streets.

Over the next three years, S&A built 13 houses, but stopped when the financial crisis hit in 2008. No homes have been constructed since, leaving numerous grassy, overgrown lots.

Papenfuse said that he regards the re-acquisition as a first step in getting the project back on track. The authority is eager to receive proposals from qualified developers, he said.

“By taking them back, HRA can find a new development partner,” he said.

School Audit Called “Clear Indictment”

The state’s recently released financial audit of the Harrisburg school district is a “clear indictment” of the practices of the former school administration, according to the district’s receiver.

Receiver Janet Samuels released a statement last month declining comment on specific audit findings, but that acknowledged the report’s findings.

“In my capacity as the court appointed Receiver, I acknowledge receipt of the audit which is a clear indictment of the accounting and Human Resources practices of the former school district administration,” she said.

In March, the state Department of Education hired Johnstown-based Wessel & Co. to perform the audit following a series of costly errors by the district, including continuing to pay health benefits to former employees.

The report, released in early July, looked at a year-three period, July 2015 to June 2018, and discovered more than $3.8 million in unsupported and questionable costs, more than 100 ex-employees who continued to receive healthcare benefits and huge deficits in cafeteria operations that had to be covered by the general fund. Other shortcomings included personnel records rife with errors, a lack of financial oversight and controls and a profoundly unqualified business manager.

“I am not going to comment on any of the specifics of the audit findings other than the fact that the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit plans to fully analyze all of the issues raised in the audit and establish best practices for the school district. These audit findings further justify the necessity of my June 27, 2019 action partnering with the MCIU to operate the district and my personnel actions taken on that date,” Samuels concluded.

At the urging of the state Department of Education, a Dauphin County judge appointed Samuels as the district’s receiver on June. 17. She then dismissed most of the district’s leadership and contracted with MCIU to help lead the district for the next three years.

Churches Put on Market

If you’ve ever been in the market for an old, stately church in the Harrisburg area, your time has arrived.

The Susquehanna United Methodist Conference has listed six of its churches for sale, part of a plan to cut costs and consolidate congregations. The churches cover numerous neighborhoods around Harrisburg and range in price from $169,000 to $325,000.

“I’ve shown all of these churches a number of times already,” said realtor Bill Gladstone of the Bill Gladstone Group, part of Wormleysburg-based NAI CIR, which is listing the properties. “The demand for these churches has been very high.”

Late last year, the conference, facing dwindling membership in the immediate Harrisburg area, decided to dispose of 10 of its buildings, several dating back a century or more.

Since then, one of the churches, historic Grace United Methodist Church on State Street, voted to maintain its congregation, said Shawn Gilgore, the conference’s director of communications. Another church, Rockville UMC, has become affiliated with Linglestown UMC, with both buildings in use, he said.

Six of the remaining churches currently are for sale:

Camp Curtin Memorial Mitchell UMC, 2221 N. 6^th St.: $195,000
First United Methodist, 269 Boas St.: $169,000
Riverside Methodist Church, 3200 N. 3^rd St.: $325,000
St. Mark’s UMC, 3985 N. 2^nd St (Susquehanna Township): $325,000
Trinity Penbrook Church, 5 N. 25^th St.: $255,000
Grace Penbrook Church, 25 S. 28^th St.: $265,000

Another church, Derry Street UMC on Allison Hill in Harrisburg, soon will be listed for sale, Gladstone said.

The final church in the group, Twenty Ninth Street UMC in Harrisburg, is the new home of The Journey Church, a combined congregation of Twenty Ninth Street UMC and the former Riverside Methodist Church.

Exchange Student Families Needed

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is looking for local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18 from a variety of countries, including Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Japan.

Students are eager to practice their English and experience American culture, as well as share their own culture and language.

ASSE students are academically selected into the program, and host families can choose their student from a wide variety of backgrounds, countries and personal interests. ASSE students have full health, accident and liability insurance, as well as pocket money for personal expenses.

To become a host family or to find out how to become involved with ASSE in your community, call the ASSE Eastern Regional Office at 1-800-677-2773 or visit www.host.asse.com.

So Noted

Camp Curtin Community Preschool has relocated to Trinity Church in Midtown and changed its name to Trinity Preschool: Part of the Camp Curtin Learning Community. The preschool had to relocate following the closing of Camp Curtin Mitchell Memorial UMC, according to the school.

FireHouse Restaurant closed abruptly last month, and the property was later put on the market for $1.2 million, including the real estate, business and liquor license. The FireHouse, located in the historic Hope Fire Station building in downtown Harrisburg, was most recently co-owned by Dave Guy, who bought it from founder Donny Brown almost six years ago.

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra last month named Gloria Giambalvo as its new director of sales and marketing. She most recently served as HSO’s director of annual and corporate giving.

Harrisburg University last month promoted Duane Maun to chief operating officer. Maun will continue to hold his previous title, chief financial officer, as well, according to the university.

Harrisburg University last month broke ground on its new, 17-story mixed-use building at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets in downtown Harrisburg. The $135 million building will house academic space, a 197-room hotel and a restaurant. Construction is expected to take two years.

Home Slice Pizza will open at the Crossroads at Walden in September, according to developer Charter Homes & Neighborhoods. Home Slice, which replaces K. Marie & Co., is a venture by Matt Flinchbaugh, the owner of the longstanding Flinchy’s restaurant in Lower Allen Township.

Jump Street announced last month that it would cease operations after 40 years of operating as an arts-based nonprofit. Over the years, Jump Street organized many popular programs and fundraisers, including Derby Day and Artsfest. It originally formed in 1978 as the People’s Place before changing its name to Metro Arts and then Jump Street.

Orrstown Bank has named Thomas Brugger as its executive vice president and chief financial officer, according to the Swatara Township-based company. In this role, he will be responsible for Orrstown’s financial plans, policies and financial compliance. He last served as CFO of Sun National Bank.

Pavone Marketing Group last month announced that it had acquired two companies: Philadelphia-based Netplus and Mechanicsburg-based Phalanx Digital. Harrisburg-based Pavone said the acquisitions would help it expand its digital marketing capabilities.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2237: D. Rickard to M. Wise & C. Bowling, $68,500

Bellevue Rd., 1933: Federal National Mortgage Association to R. Grullon, $32,000

Berryhill St., 2038: O. Brown to Najia Bouslama Property LLC, $32,500

Briggs St., 219: D. Skerpon to P. Earl Jr. & S. Banks, $185,000

Buckthorn St., 319: W. Martin to KGD Holdings LLC, $30,000

Chestnut St., 2025: L. Profitt to L. Profitt, $63,000

Croyden Rd., 2981: Leonard J Dobson Family Limited Partnership to S. Washington, $99,900

Dauphin St., 646: H. Dobson to D. & S. White, $42,000

Derry St., 1200: R. Andrews to D. Mota & L. Rodriguez, $32,000

Derry St., 2129 & 2118 Shellis St.: D. Murphy to B. Smith, $34,000

Derry St., 2457: Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC to PA Deals LLC, $41,800

Derry St., 2532 & 2534: D. & L. Lentz to K. & R. Gupta, $135,000

Emerald St., 229: Federal National Mortgage Association to M. Temba, $71,500

Fulton St., 1710: W. Fletcher to R. Peacock, $130,000

Green St., 909: TKP Schoolhouse Associates LLC to Schoolhouse 1 Holdings LLC, $3,000,000

Green St., 1006: D. Theoifanis to C. Wehrman, $119,000

Green St., 1019: K. & J. Lowe to S. & S. Schalles, $209,900

Green St., 1532: M. Frater to C. Bashore, $120,000

Green St., 1834: WCI Partners LP to C. DeColongon & A. Batista, $120,000

Green St., 1924: G. O Loughlin to J. & C. Claybaugh, $225,000

Green St., 2034: D. & L. Riley to P. & P. Gellerman, $202,400

Harris St., 232: J. & M. Slaboda to K. & J. Gazsi, $171,500

Hamilton St., 214: M. & L. Zieger to S. McMinn & J. Emery, $173,500

Herr St., 317: R. & B. Gillette to S. Robinson & A. Berg, $159,500

Herr St., 1737: Lehman Investments LLC to CBS Property Holdings Company,
$121,000

Hoffman St., 3229: B. Foor to D & F Realty Holdings LP, $59,000

Holly St., 1823: D. & S. Fenton & Harrisburg Property MGMT Group to S. Cain, $43,000

Hunter St., 1537: P. & F. Kehler to D. Porter, $44,800

Jefferson St., 2922 & 2940: Richard Lutz Trust to 2940 Jefferson Street Associates LLC, $290,000

Kensington St., 2131: N. Clory to Y. Salifu, $67,000

Muench St., 238: WCI Partners LP to A. Fortune, $143,625

Muench St., 307: KDR Investments LLP to K. Boatman, $45,000

Muench St., 626: Sheaffer & Sheaffer Properties LLC to Buonarroti Trust, $35,000

N. 2nd St., 3217: N. & L. Swett to J. O Berry, $110,000

N. 3rd St., 910: Mussani and Company LP to Balfour Street Investments LLC, $150,000

N. 3rd St., 925: 921 Home LLC to WCI Partners LP, $1,025,000

N. 3rd St., 2311: T. & C. Rine to 1 Step at a Time Support Services, $124,900

N. 3rd St., 3113: J. & L. Kincaid to L. Ravenel, $135,000

N. 5th St., 1715: Kirsch & Burns LLC to M. Fuentes & R. Irizarry, $102,000

N. 5th St., 2424: A. Obrien to J. & P. Williams, $30,000

N. 5th St., 3141: Federal National Mortgage Association to R. & R. Villarreal, $83,000

N. 7th St., 2300: McNelis Gutter Cleaning Inc. to D & F Realty Holdings LP, $135,000

N. 17th St., 1206: J. & D. Wallace to Three Bridges Holdings LLC, $30,000

N. 18th St., 910: Members 1^st Federal Credit Union to Fowler Investments LLC, $60,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 214: A. Jain to M. Cheatum, $96,500

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 307: K. Russell to P. Gitnik & G. Svrcek, $115,000

N. Front St., 1601: North Front Associates LLC to BBHQ LLC, $420,000

N. Front St., 2405: Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers to A. Hartzler, $198,860

Paxton St., 1718: T. & L. Stuckley to Y. Bouchanyata, $33,100

Paxton St., 1728: S. Brown to F. Yanez, $45,000

Penn St., 1920: C. Clabaugh to T., M. & T. Sneidman, $174,900

Rolleston St., 1246: Bigfoot Properties LLC to M. Foreman, $36,900

S. 14th St., 1432: J. Tonsel to City of Harrisburg, $52,000

S. 18th St., 1213: L. Stewart to L. Whittaker, $113,000

S. 23rd St., 627: L. Vansickle & E. Klitch to E. Klitch, $30,000

S 24th St., 516: R. Carazas & H. Gonzalez to Y. Griffin, $80,000

S 27th St., 669: R. & T. Borne & E. Hower to D. Williams, $149,900

S. 27th St., 728: H. Alcantara to J. Martinez, $77,000

S. 27th St., 734: Seneca Leandro View LLC to B. McCann, $85,000

S. Front St., 625: Redheads Helping Property LLC to J. Chumley, $132,000

S. Front St., 707: A. Patton to C. & J. Pierre, $210,100

Swatara St., 2237: E & T Enterprises LLC to K. & A. Sawyers, $67,500

Sycamore St., 1831: C. Spickler to J. Spickler, $90,000

Verbeke St., 221: K. & J. Gazsi to A. Smoot & C. Hogue, $132,000

Walnut St., 1504: MKTK Properties to MA Ambashakti LLC, $30,000

Wayne St., 1413 & 1415 & 1410 Sycamore St.: H. Papandrea to R. & A. Ortiz, $65,000

Wayne St., 1516: V. White to H. Hargrove, $119,900

Woodbine St., 240: Summit & Vickroy Inc. to T. Evans, $38,500

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

A Child’s Advocate: CASA volunteers support, assist neglected, abused children.

July 31, 2019 | by Don Helin

Across the United States, more than 600,000 children are in foster care.

Jessica Laspino recited this figure to emphasize the overwhelming nature of the crisis in the United States.

“Most people believe governmental systems care for these children,” said Laspino, executive director of CASA of Lancaster County (Court Appointed Special Advocates). “But these programs are often overburdened, leaving many children from abusive homes or suffering the loss of parents getting bumped around the system.”

CASA consists of community volunteers who stand up and speak out for these children. About 1,000 CASA programs exist across the country to recruit, train and supervise volunteers to act as advocates and mentors for abused and neglected children and teens.

About 15 years ago, recognizing the extent of the problem locally and aware of other CASA programs, then-President Judge Louis J. Farina felt that a CASA program should be developed in Lancaster County.

Over the following years, a steering committee built the foundation by recruiting and bringing together CASA’s first board of directors.

“After much hard work and coordination between all of the necessary groups, the Lancaster County Dependency Court appointed CASA its first case in 2010,” Laspino said. “At the present time in Lancaster County, we have CASA volunteer advocates helping just under one-half of the nearly 500 children in foster care.”

Laspino has been executive director for nearly 10 years, previously working as a CASA case supervisor in two counties in New Jersey.

She introduced me to three CASA volunteers who had each attended 32 hours of training over a four-week program. To protect the identity of the children they help, only their first names will be used here.

These volunteers are appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of the children. They make recommendations to the Lancaster County dependency judges as to which permanent placement would be best for each child and what services the child would benefit most from.

All three volunteers agreed that one of the hardest aspects of the job is to leave their emotions behind, as the judge expects CASA volunteers to be impartial.

“I found CASA when I was looking for a place to volunteer which would help children,” Nicole said. “When I completed my training, I was assigned a case with three girls all under the age of 10. Gaining their confidence can be very difficult, as many of them have been bounced around to a number of homes or facilities.”

With tears in her eyes, she recalled attending a court session with her volunteer manager, a staff member of CASA. The judge was attempting to determine the appropriate home for an 11-year-old boy who sat in the back of the courtroom. The parents each had counsel, and neither wanted the child.

“Each case is different and may go on for years,” said Janice, who joined CASA four years ago. “The court is trying to determine if a home meets the necessary standard of care. This was hard for me to watch as the minimum standard of care in many cases was not one I would have initially considered acceptable.”

She cited a case of two sisters. One of the girls simply wanted to go back to her mom, but her mother was serving a two-year jail sentence.

Janice worked with the girl, who was frustrated waiting for her mom and kept acting out and getting in trouble. She kept communicating with the girl to help her understand that acting out was not going to help her reunify with her mother any quicker.

Eventually, her mother was released, and they were reunited.

“One day, I received a call from the girl,” Janice said. “She was having trouble in high school and might not graduate. She asked for my help, and I mentored her for a number of months. What happiness for me when she walked down that aisle and graduated!”

The girl now has a job and is on a better path.

“Her success makes all of the frustration and hard work worthwhile,” Janice said.

Victoria handles what she describes as the “really difficult cases,” some of which have so many variables they are hard to manage. She mentioned a recurring challenge—parents must go through a protocol in order to get their children back. This can take an extended period of time, particularly when there are limited options for the parents and a waiting list for various services.

“CASA’s impact has grown tremendously over the last few years,” Laspino said. “At the present time, there is a state CASA in Pennsylvania and approximately one-third of the counties have a CASA. I am so proud we have carved out a seat for CASA in the Lancaster legal system.”

CASA of Lancaster County is located at 35 E. Orange Street, No. 202, Lancaster. CASA is holding a fundraiser, a “Roaring Twenties Casino Night,” on Saturday, Sept. 7. For more information, call 717-208-3280 or visit www.casalancaster.org.

Defendant in H*MAC defamation suit arrested in alleged fake news scheme

July 30, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center

The subject of a defamation lawsuit filed by a Midtown Harrisburg business has been arrested in Delaware County in a bizarre case that involves allegedly impersonating professional journalists and sending racist emails in order to create a fake news narrative.

Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland last week announced the arrest of 25-year-old Nikolaos Hatziefstathiou, charging him with some 20 criminal counts, alleging that he assumed the identities of a “Good Morning America” producer and a New York Times reporter to obtain documents and that he falsified a government document to create racist email.

“Evidence shows that Nikolaos Hatziefstathiou will use any means to create his false narrative,” Copeland said during a press conference. “He will go to any length to do so, trading on the well-earned reputations of a national television producer and a print correspondent, forging government documents, paying to obtain statements from celebrities to create a story for his website and concocting a racially charged email.”

Locally, Hatziefstathiou is a principal defendant in a defamation suit filed in December by John Traynor, the former co-owner of the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC), and his former company, Bartlett, Traynor & London LLC.

Hatziefstathiou runs Philadelphia-based YC News, which, in July 2018, published a story alleging criminal conduct at H*MAC, under the headline, “Harrisburg club under fire after women allege security helped men who drugged and raped them.”

That story followed an allegation by a woman who claimed that H*MAC staff failed to recognize her as a victim of date rape drugs and asked her to exit the bar, leaving her vulnerable to a subsequent sexual assault. Harrisburg police later cleared H*MAC of any responsibility in the case.

Following the woman’s allegations, several social media sites erupted in charges against H*MAC and some re-posted the YC News story. According to Traynor, the negative publicity led to substantial loss of business and was partly responsible for H*MAC declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy shortly afterwards.

In December, Traynor filed a civil lawsuit against Hatziefstathiou and more than a dozen others, claiming defamation and tortious interference of business relationships.

“We went after YC News, the people who wrote the stories and the people who posted them on social media,” Traynor said, when reached by phone. “At a certain point, you have to stand up.”

Since then, a Dauphin County judge has issued a default judgment against YC News and Hatziefstathiou, who did not respond to the lawsuit. Damages have not yet been awarded but Traynor said that, in all, he expects total damages against all the defendants to exceed $1 million, adding that he doubts he’ll ever see any payment.

“It was never about the money,” he said. “I never expect to be able to collect.”

In the Delaware County case, district attorney Copeland said that Hatziefstathiou allegedly constructed an elaborate fake news narrative to create content for his YC News website. These alleged measures, according to Copeland, included:

Posing as a “Good Morning America” producer and New York Times reporter using false emails to obtain documents relating to an unidentified “decade-long scheme” involving several “Delaware County agencies.”
Forging government documents to obtain a PennDOT specialty plate identifying him as being employed full-time by a news agency.
Falsifying a government document to create a racist email claiming to be from a supervisor in the Delaware County Adult Probation and Parole Office, leading several politicians to condemn the office based on the YC News report.
Tampering with a video purchased online that made it seem that YC News had interviewed actors Ice-T and Snoop Dogg and that they endorsed YC News efforts regarding a case from the Delaware County D.A.’s office.

According to Copeland, Hatziefstathiou created the racist email by allegedly doctoring a legitimate email he had received from the probation office because he was on probation for past violations including several counts of false reports to law enforcement and harassment.

“Creating an article full of lies, Nikolaos Hatziefstathiou attempted to destroy the reputation of hard-working people who come to this courthouse every day to serve their community,” Copeland said. “Hatziefstathiou chose to falsely attribute horrific, racial slurs to good, hard-working probation officers, exploiting the real pain that minorities face every day, all in an effort to create racial discord.”

In late May, Traynor and his two business partners sold H*MAC to a new ownership group for $6 million. That group, H*MAC Venue LLC, yesterday announced a series of changes and construction projects to the 34,000-square-foot entertainment, arts and restaurant venue.

Read related stories from WHYY and PhillyVoice.

Burg Books: Novelist R.O. Kwon to make a stop in Harrisburg

July 29, 2019 | by Yaasmeen Piper

R.O. Kwon lost her religious faith at 17 years old.

There was no traumatic accident or death that contributed to the loss. Instead, it came in a series of moments and unanswered questions. Kwon quotes one of her characters who had a similar epiphany in “The Incendiaries” to explain what is was like losing her faith.

“Like bankruptcy, it happened gradually, then all at once.”

This is what makes Kwon’s freshman novel about a religious cult that more fascinating. This Saturday, Kwon will read from her debut novel, “The Incendiaries,”at Midtown Scholar Bookstore and talk about her own faith and the process leading up to her book.

“I was interested in exploring the extremes of things, when people believe so passionately about something,” she said.

The novel follows Will Kendall and Phoebe Lin. After transferring from Bible college, Will meets Phoebe at the prestigious Edwards University. Will is immediately drawn to Phoebe, the perceived glamorous girl. However, Phoebe has joined a religious group that turns out to be an extremist cult run by the “charming” John Leal.

Leal often asks the group to protest here and there in the name of faith, but, when the group bombs several buildings, killing five people, Phoebe disappears, and Will struggles to understand what happened to the girl he loved.

Growing up, Kwon was surrounded by people who ranged from moderately to passionately Christian. Before losing her faith, Kwon herself thought she was going to become a pastor or missionary.

Interestingly, it was reading that played a part in Kwon losing her faith.

“In reading, I was spending so much time in the mind of people who weren’t like me and believe differently than I do,” she said. “Increasingly, it became really hard to believe that so many people who believe differently than I do were going to go to hell because of their different beliefs.”

For Kwon, losing her faith felt like a tremendous loss because she also lost her community.

“I felt lonely all over again but from the other end, from where my loss wasn’t even thought of as a loss,” she said.

This feeling helped pushed her to write a book that is so focused on religion. In “The Incendiaries,” she was able to explore faith all over again through her characters.

Since her book’s release in July 2018, Kwon has shared her novel in bookstores across the country. The favorite reactions she’s received have come from readers, especially those who have their own complicated relationships with faith.

Along with reading from her novel, Kwon will be in conversation with Philadelphia-based writer Jessamine Chan.

“I’m excited to ask about her process,” Chan said. “I anticipate a lot of the people in the crowd will be writers so we’ll talk about how she’s able to preserve her art and her journey from writing to print. I was very struck by the style of her writing. It’s unlike any book I’ve read before.”

R.O. Kwon will be at Midtown Scholar Bookstore on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information visit www.midtownscholar.com/featured-events. For more information on Kwon visit www.ro-kwon.com/.

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