Fabric of Life: Mother/daughter duo stitch together a career, a future at Smile Spinners.

March 1, 2019 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

My mother was an expert seamstress.

I have a picture of her posing proudly for the local newspaper in an outfit she created at the age of 13. Why then am I all thumbs when it comes to sewing?

The mother/daughter team at Smile Spinners thinks they can help me out. And, if they can help me, they can help you, too. To them, there’s nothing that a few classes—and a few well-placed stitches—can’t fix.

A Crossroads

The desire to help people is just one of the reasons that Cathy Queitzsch and Jessica Bacon enjoy operating Smile Spinners Fabric and Sewing Boutique in Marysville.

“I was born with a needle in my hand and went to sewing classes with my mom when I was in my playpen,” said Queitzsch, with a chuckle.

This is the second career for both women.

Before opening the business 20 years ago, Queitzsch served as the director of respiratory care at the Polyclinic Hospital in Harrisburg and later accepted a position in the Middle East, where she set up respiratory therapy programs.

“It was a fabulous experience for me and my family, and Jessica went to school with children from 52 different countries,” Queitzsch said.

While working in the Middle East, she toyed with the idea of running her own business and thought it might be in the medical field—until she had that “aha” moment.

“I realized that sewing was always fun and relaxing for me, and I wanted to create a community of people who share something in common that they can all do together,” she said.

Meanwhile, daughter Jessica had left the nest, but was becoming more and more disenchanted with her own career in the fashion industry.

“I was at a crossroads in my career in New York,” said Bacon. “I didn’t get into fashion to call someone at midnight to tell them that they needed to make stuff faster so that people here could buy it on sale. My morals were challenged a lot knowing what goes into making a garment that is sold in America for very little, and that someone earns as little as 8 cents a month, in some cases.”

Eventually, Bacon decided that home was where the heart was, and so she joined her mother, who also had returned to the Harrisburg area, to do what she loves—teaching classes, helping with the shop and getting to know customers.

Peaceful Place

The shop, painted in cheery hues of yellow and purple, houses 5,000 fabrics, a selection of sewing machines (one costing upwards of $16,000), patterns, notions and more.

Janice Buchner, who has been a customer for almost five years, just purchased a top-of-the-line machine.

“Prior to coming to the shop, I never sewed garments,” said the Harrisburg resident. “Now, I dabble in it and find it wonderful. If I come across a problem, they help me smooth it out. This is my peaceful place.”

If you haven’t sewn in awhile, Bacon recommends giving a new machine, with new technology—ahem—a spin.

“You can set the speed control, and it alerts you if your bobbin is running low,” she said. “You can cut your threads with a scissor function, as well.”

If you visit the shop, you’re likely to meet intern Margaret Dolbin, who attends the University of Delaware. She was attracted to Smile Spinners because she shares the same ideals as Bacon and Queitzsch.

“Before I came here, I knew I wanted to study ethics and sustainability,” she said. “They were knowledgeable and passionate about it, and it tied into my mindset.”

The team also works with the public on community projects. For instance, Buchner helped sew bags for the YWCA over Thanksgiving.

“We gave them to the domestic violence and safe houses and filled them with toiletries and clothing and all kinds of things,” Buchner said. “Each one was unique.”

Trend Forward

In the lot next to the shop is a standalone building where classes are held. Colorful quilts festoon the walls, providing inspiration for those interested in honing their sewing skills.

Classes can range from quilt making to home décor to garment making and mending. Those who are interested in creating a garment can be assured that the word “matronly” will never come to mind.

“We’re very trend forward,” Bacon said. “Having worked in the garment industry for 10 years on the design side of things, I am able to keep pace with the latest fashions. If you’re making something, I don’t want you to look dowdy.”

The duo said that they’re often surprised at how far people travel to reach them.

“A lady comes from Arizona and brings a suitcase of projects that are in various stages,” Queitzsch said. “She finds what she needs, and then we ship the items to her.”

What the mother/daughter team enjoys most about the business is that the line between work and play is blurred.

“That’s how relaxing sewing is to me,” Queitzsch said.

Bacon agreed.

“That’s why I moved home,” she said. “I was unfulfilled before. I am fulfilled now. What we can do for people and the community is awesome. People say, ‘I had a bad day.’ Then they come here and automatically feel better.”

Smile Spinners is located at 1975 Valley Rd., Marysville. For more information, call 717-957-4225 or visit www.smilespinners.com.

February News Digest

March 1, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Delay in School Board Appointment

It may be months before Harrisburg residents learn who will be the newest member of the district’s school board, as a court hearing in the matter isn’t slated to take place until late April.

Court of Common Pleas Judge John McNally has scheduled an April 23 court date to hear a citizen’s group response to a petition supporting Ralph Rodriguez, a city resident who wants to fill the vacant seat.

The group known as Concerned about the Children of Harrisburg (CATCH) responded to the petition filed on Jan. 24 on behalf of Rodriguez. As part of its response, CATCH asked the court to appoint its own preferred candidate, Cornelius Chachere.

This petition response appears to have triggered a series of events that will take several months to resolve.

The parties now have until mid-March to finish their discovery processes, followed by the April 23 court hearing.

Jayne Buchwach, a member of CATCH, said that her group opted to respond to Rodriguez’s petition, as opposed to filing an original petition in support of Chachere, after they saw that Rodriguez’s supporters had filed first.

“The response states our objections,” she said. “It also tells the court—this is who we think should be on it.”

The response touts Chachere’s qualifications and, like an original petition would, asks the court to appoint him.

To add further complexity to this issue, former school board Director James Thompson also has filed a petition with the court for the seat. Technically, this makes four candidates for the seat: Rodriguez, Chachere, Thompson and Marva Brown. In their petition, Rodriguez’s supporters mention that appointing Brown also would be acceptable to them.

The board seat became empty following the Dec. 16 death of school board Director Melvin Wilson. The remaining board members, split between Rodriguez and Chachere, failed to muster a majority of five votes to replace Wilson within a 30-day time period, throwing the matter to the court.

Buchwach said that she wasn’t concerned about having only eight members on the board for an extended period.

“The board is contentious,” she said. “So, having eight there or nine there—it really doesn’t matter.”

Meanwhile, five of the nine school board seats will be up this election year. CATCH has vowed to put up its own slate of candidates for the board seats.

Fetterman Starts Listening Tour

A packed room and dozens of speakers greeted Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in Harrisburg last month, as he kicked off a statewide listening tour on the proposed legalization of recreational marijuana.

Some 300 people filed into the auditorium of the Harrisburg Jewish Community Center for the first of 67 such events, as Fetterman began to wind his way through every county in the commonwealth.

For about two hours, Fetterman listened patiently and respectfully as speaker after speaker rose either in support of or in opposition to the proposal, often sharing with him emotional stories from their lives.

One young man named Darryl said that he was arrested and jailed for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and now can’t find a full-time job because of those convictions.

“That’s why I’m struggling so badly, because of a stupid possession charge,” he said. “It’s time to end this.”

To that end, a few speakers recommended not only legalization but expungement of criminal records for those previously convicted.

Les Stark, executive director of Reading-based Keystone Cannabis Coalition, a pro-legalization advocacy group, said that, in Pennsylvania, about 25,000 people a year are arrested for marijuana possession.

“How many lives have been ruined in Harrisburg alone?” he asked. “Over the next 10 years, will we ruin the lives of 250,000 more Pennsylvania citizens?”

Several speakers identified themselves as users of medical marijuana, which is legal, and testified to the effectiveness of cannabis for treating their conditions.

While most attendees spoke in favor of legalization, some did not.

Several speakers said they feared that legalizing recreational marijuana would lead to greater threats to public safety—from the potential of more car accidents to the possible greater use of harsher drugs.

“My main concern is that I have a grandchild turning 16,” said one man. “My concern is that I believe recreational marijuana is a mind-controlling substance. I’m afraid for her to be driving out on the highway when some other driver’s mind is being controlled by marijuana.”

Other speakers accused the state of wanting to legalize recreational marijuana as a revenue-raising tool.

“I’m not against medical marijuana, but I am against use of recreational marijuana,” said one man. “I believe the administration just wants to create a new revenue source to tax and spend.”

Throughout the lengthy event, Fetterman said little from his seat on the stage, listening attentively as people spoke their minds.

At one point, he asked would-be speakers to allow a woman, who was holding an infant, to move to the front of the long line. The woman, who said she drove in from Hummelstown, offered a moving story about surviving AIDS then, relatively late in life, giving birth to her baby.

“Medical cannabis helped me survive by the skin of my teeth,” she said. “It can’t be denied to others.”

Illegal Guns Seized

Harrisburg police have seized hundreds of firearms over the past few years, following a department-wide push to take illegal guns off of city streets.

At a press conference last month, police lined three long tables with handguns, rifles and shotguns, which they said was a small sample of the 646 illegal weapons confiscated from 2016-18.

Capt. Gabriel Olivera said that, in 2016, city police Commissioner Thomas Carter instructed officers to focus on the epidemic of illegal weapons in the city.

“All these guns were seized mostly without officers engaging these individuals with gunfire,” Olivera said. “Our officers have shown great restraint.”

According to Olivera, 196 guns were seized in 2016, 252 in 2017, and 198 in 2018. The far majority of these weapons have been handguns.

Carter said that, even before 2016, his officers routinely seized illegal firearms. But he wanted them to be more mindful of illegally owned guns, most of which have been stolen, as they patrolled and made arrests.

“I work with these amazing men and women on a day-in and day-out basis, and I know their capabilities,” he said, referring to his officers. “It’s something the entire agency bought into.”

Olivera mentioned that, for 2018, Harrisburg had about a 10-percent drop in “Part 1” offenses, which include the most serious crimes like murder, robbery and aggravated assault, compared to 2017. He also cited a 5- to 6-percent reduction in “Part 2” crimes, such as simple assault, disorderly conduct and most drug possession offenses, which are generally considered to be less serious.

“I can’t tell you that the number of guns has reduced the homicide rate,” Carter said. “But I can tell you that it has reduced violent crime.”

Olivera said that, after police seize a stolen gun, officers try to determine the rightful owner, so it can be returned. If no owner is identified, the gun eventually is destroyed, he said.

ICA Board Complete

A Harrisburg resident and former media executive has secured the final seat on Harrisburg’s new financial oversight board.

David Schankweiler, former publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal, was appointed to the five-member Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) by state Senate Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati.

Schankweiler joins UPMC Pinnacle executive Tina Nixon, nonprofit professional Audry Carter, attorney Kathy Speaker-MacNett, and property developer Ralph Vartan on the newly created ICA, which will oversee Harrisburg’s finances for five years.

Until 2016, Schankweiler was the CEO and owner of Journal Multimedia, which published the Central Penn Business Journal and other publications. Since his retirement from the publishing industry, he has served on numerous nonprofit boards.

The board met for the first time last month for an organizational meeting.

New Police Gear

Harrisburg police last month showed off a pile of new protective gear, equipment it purchased with a grant from UPMC Pinnacle.

At a press conference, the city’s police bureau shared samples of new vests, helmets and steel plates, part of about 120 pieces of protective gear that will help protect officers from lethal, high-caliber weapons, according to police Commissioner Thomas Carter.

In total, UPMC Pinnacle donated more than $40,000 for the equipment purchase. That figure includes about $20,000 raised last June from the “3.2 to Protect the Blue” race, which was organized by UPMC Pinnacle emergency room nurses, with the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation donating much of the remainder.

“I had no idea of the dedication and love that these people showed our officers,” said Carter, flanked by UPMC nurses and Harrisburg police officers.

The new gear includes 60 helmets, 40 “body armor level 3 ballistic” protective vests with steel plates and 20 additional steel plates. The vendor, Royersford, Pa.-based Body Armor Megastore, contributed another 10 armor body vest sets.

Carter said that the need for the equipment arose last year following the death of U.S. Deputy Marshal Christopher Hill during a raid on a house in Allison Hill. The bureau realized that its helmets and vests were not adequate to protect against today’s powerful firearms, he said.

Deputy Police Chief Deric Moody said that his officers will not wear the equipment regularly, but will keep it nearby in case it’s needed.

After the press conference, Mayor Eric Papenfuse stressed that the equipment was not the full body armor “riot gear” that the bureau requested in 2017 after high-profile clashes throughout the city between “anti-Sharia” protestors and “antifa” counter-protestors. That gear was already purchased following a $68,000 allocation from City Council, he said.

Teachers Protest Pay

A sea of teachers dressed in red and carried homemade signs at a Harrisburg school board meeting last month, protesting what they perceive as unfair pay.

Hundreds of teachers flanked the standing-room-only gymnasium and wore “Red for Ed,” demanding to know why the school board denied a grievance settlement that would have raised the pay of veteran teachers.

In response, the district claimed that the pay raises would be prohibitively expensive for the struggling district, saying, in a prepared statement that “the settlement costs would run into the millions of dollars because of its continuing impact on salary costs in the district.”

At the heart of this fight is a set of intersecting problems: the Harrisburg school district’s budget issues, complaints of low pay and high teacher turnover rate. Veteran teachers demand that their pay reflect the time they’ve invested in Harrisburg schools, but the district asserts that veteran teachers are already being paid competitive wages.

“The more veteran the teacher is at Harrisburg, the more competitively they are paid under the negotiated salary schedule,” the statement read. “The board also believes that if the [Harrisburg Education] association was so concerned about the turnover problem in the district, it would have recommended that this be addressed in our ongoing labor contract negotiations where the teachers have refused to make a salary proposal after 14 months of negotiations.”

“We haven’t refused anything,” Barksdale responded. “We have to settle this before we agree on anything.”

The events culminating in the protest began in August when the Harrisburg Education Association filed a grievance against the board, claiming that veteran teachers were underpaid.

In it, they stated that the district had hired new teachers at rates higher than veteran teachers with equivalent experience, violating their contract. In January, the union reached a verbal agreement to raise the salaries of some of the lowest paid veteran teachers, but the board voted down that contract.

2019 Arts Awards Announced

Theatre Harrisburg has announced the recipients of the 2019 Awards for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region (“Arts Awards”).

Ronnie Waters, a jazz musician, arranger, composer and educator, will receive the “Award to an Individual,” and The State Museum of Pennsylvania will receive the “Award to an Organization, Company or Group.”

The awards will be presented on Sunday, June 2, in a theatrical gala at Whitaker Center in downtown Harrisburg. The event is open to the public, and proceeds benefit Theatre Harrisburg.

For more information about the awards, including banquet reservations, visit www.theatreharrisbug.com/artsawards.

Mural Fest Returns

The Harrisburg Mural Festival is returning for another round, as Sprocket Mural Works last month announced a 2019 festival.

Co-organizer Megan Caruso said that Sprocket will oversee the creation of 10 murals over 10 days, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 8. The purpose, she said, is to add density to Harrisburg’s existing “mural trail,” which runs mostly along 3rd Street in downtown and Midtown.

“We want Harrisburg to be a mural-dense city,” she said. “So, they have to be concentrated.”

Sprocket also plans to mount a mural in Allison Hill, Caruso said. The organization created 18 murals during its first mural festival, which was held in 2017.

Lobbying Contract on Hold

Maverick Strategies will need to wait until mid-month to find out if its lobbying contract with Harrisburg will be renewed.

City Council was expected to vote on a one-year, $60,000 contract with the city-based lobbying shop last month, but pulled the resolution at the start of a council legislative session.

Earlier, council had asked Maverick for detailed billing statements for their prior contract, which ended Dec. 31. That information was received just before February’s legislative session, and council needed time to review the bills, said President Wanda Williams.

“We need clarification on these invoices,” Williams said. “City Council has additional questions they want to ask.”

Williams said that they’ll request that Maverick appear at the next council work session, which is slated for March 5, with a contract vote likely at the following legislative session on March 12.

So Noted

Brooks R. Foland of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman and Goggin has been named president of the Dauphin County Bar Association for 2019. The rest of the 2019 executive committee includes Lisa M. Benzie of Navitsky, Olson & Wisneski LLP; Paula J. McDermott of Post & Shell P.C.; Scott B. Cooper of Schmidt Kramer Harrisburg; and Thomas P. Gacki of Eckert Seamans.

D&H Distributing plans to move its headquarters from Harrisburg to Lower Paxton Township later this year, it was announced last month. The century-old company will relocate from the 2500-block of N. 7th Street to a 50-acre campus near I-81.

Harrisburg University has named former professional player Alex Chu to coach its “League of Legends” e-sports team. Chu joined Giuseppe Gramano and Chad Smeltz to round out the e-sports coaching staff at the university.

Joyce Davis has left her position as Harrisburg’s communications director to take a post as the new opinion editor at PennLive. At press time, her replacement in the city had not been named.

National Association of Collegiate Esports last month announced that it had selected Harrisburg for its 2019 annual conference. The July 17-19 convention will attract 300 to 400 attendees, with most events taking place at Harrisburg University and Whitaker Center.

Wildheart Ministries is seeking skilled artists to do small art installations for its third annual Summer Project in Allison Hill, June 9 to Aug. 3. For more information, contact Serena Viera at [email protected].

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2156: M. & J. Rider to V. Marsico, $42,500

Bigelow Dr., 37: BSR Rental Trust to L. Pate, $67,500

Briggs St., 2018: D. Patterson to Cohen Altman Properties LLC, $40,000

Brookwood St., 2202: D. McCahan to Z. Hess, $80,000

Calder St., 517: R. Godshall to PA Deals LLC, $80,000

Crescent St., 332: Dynaspek Holdings to K. Stoute, $55,000

Croyden Rd., 2963: M. Thomas to D. Jamison, $49,900

Emerald Ct., 2450: S. Manly & J. Ebenezer to J. Gilliam, $80,000

Emerald St., 235: R. Valentine & C. Frater to R. Liddick, $35,000

Green St., 1022: Dilks Properaties of Harrisburg LLC to S. & J. Toole, $100,000

Green St., 1605: C. Frater to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $110,000

Green St., 1609: C. Frater to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $110,000

Green St., 2035: G. Neff & City Limits Realty to Heinly Homes LLC & W. Hoover, $55,000

Green St., 2037: WCI Partners LP to D. Ranson, $219,000

Green St., 3224: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB & Selene Finance LP to C. Wise, $51,500

Greenwood St., 2516: W. & C. Davenport to R9 Holdings LLC, $33,000

Hoffman St., 3010: Innovative Devices Inc. to R. Wiley, $122,000

Hummel St., 250: Y. Martinus to M. Fragoso, $150,000

Kensington St., 2135: A. Segin to L. Scott, $61,000

Lenox St., 2011: R. Volcy to N. Burrell, $162,000

Logan St., 2303: M. Arnold to S. & S. Stridiron, $30,000

North St., 251: Peleton Investments to Trip Aces 251 LLC, $135,000

N. 2^nd St., 719: J&S Estate LLC to Hasan Properties LLC, $265,000

N. 2^nd St., 1937: M. Horgan to B. & A. Klinger, $201,000

N. 2^nd St., 2449: L. Lee to J. Reed & M. DePhilip, $120,000

N. 2^nd St., 2739: S. Staub & E. Adler to K. Werner & D. Neyman, $242,000

N. 2^nd St., 2953: PI Capital LLC to V. Edwards, $272,000

N. 3^rd St., 1931 & 1933: C. Frater & R. Valentine to GMG Harrisburg A LLC, $350,000

N. 4^th St., 1729: J. & E. Lonon to C. & E. Little, $142,000

N. 4^th St., 1924: Equity Trust Co. Custodian Julie Burns IRA to C. Williams, $117,500

N. 4^th St., 2030: I. Alderton to B. Russ, $87,000

N. 4^th St., 2448: A. Barber to S. Lewis, $84,000

N. 6^th St., 1002: A. Antoun to N&R Group LLC, $31,000

N. 6^th St., 2933: C. Wise to J. Ryan, $134,900

N. 6^th St., 3105: M&T Bank to K. Kissam, $52,000

N. 18^th St., 59, 61& 63: MSP Associates Inc. to Shutter Real Estate LLC, $85,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 314: D. Forney to A. Winch, $90,000

Paxton St., 1626: S. Reed to D. & B. Chisolm, $55,000

Penn St., 1933: D. Ranson to J. Hunter, $149,900

Race St., 600: D. Korlewitz to K. Douglas, $135,000

Randolph St., 1416: A. Campbell to N. Tran, $74,000

Reel St., 2742: L. Polite to W. Edgerton, $58,900

S. 13^th St., 401: N. & A. James to C., A., F. & S. Weaver, $59,000

S. 17^th St., 1112: Wells Fargo National Association to HT Properties LLC, $35,920

S. 18^th St., 1039: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to T. Bilbo & J. Seay, $42,200

S. 19^th St., 1141: Z. Robinson to PA Deals LLC, $42,000

S. 20^th St., 512: GKT Enterprises LLC to Equity Trust Co., $34,000

S. 25^th St., 448: J. & J. Nuhfer to K. & M. Stone, $100,000

S. 26^th St., 737: S. Wedemeyer to W. Quezada, $33,000

S. 27^th St., 728: E. Patterson to H. Alcantara, $33,621

S. Front St., 577: M. Kuhns to E. Stover, $138,000

State St., 1816: M. Ochoa to H. Plaza, $50,000

State St., 1900 , 1902 & 1904: D. Kapp & W. Cupp to Cassiano Properties LLC, $175,000

Wiconisco St., 523: N. McCoy & M. Gordon to Equity Trust Co., $42,000

Wiconisco St., 623: V. Rivas to L. Cruz & I. Perez, $55,000

Wyeth St., 1405: J. & M. Reis to L. Stamm, $115,000

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

Promises Kept: Family Promise catches people before they fall.

March 1, 2019 | by Susan Ryder

Illustration by Stephen Haas.

“At any given day, any given moment, you could lose any and everything,” said Sandy Torres as she sat in the day center of Family Promise.

Her bright-eyed, 2-year-old daughter Sofia joined the conversation, insisting that her mom put a diaper on the pearl-wearing doll she toted.

As Torres helped her daughter, she explained how she, her partner and two children moved to Harrisburg from Massachusetts to be closer to extended family. The family moved in with Torres’s mother, but the landlord said that there were too many people living in the apartment, and Torres had to move out. They faced homelessness.

A Google search put her in contact with Family Promise.

Located on Erford Road in Camp Hill, Family Promise of Harrisburg Capital Region is a “community response to homelessness,” said Executive Director Lissette Gonzalez.

It catches families at the point of becoming homeless.

“That one little pebble throw into their life—that derails something, and ripples out into every other component of their lives,” Gonzalez said.

The organization consists of a day center that serves as “mission central” for intensive case management for families and 14 host congregations, which house and feed them. Families travel from the churches back to the day center to shower, get to school, leave for work, or meet with their social worker.

Family Promise works with families to “try to eliminate unnecessary barriers” to their self-sufficiency, Gonzalez said. Those barriers may include employment, transportation or childcare. The organization also provides an alternate perspective, talking through problems with families.

“Sometimes, you are so far in, you can’t see the outside,” Gonzalez said.

Other Plans

Charity Washington knows all about being so far in.

She left an abusive relationship, lost her job, and found herself and her three children teetering on homelessness.

“I felt like a total failure,” she said.

Washington stayed in hotels and with a relative, and then the cash got low. She called every help line she could find, and all the shelters were full. Like Torres, she found Family Promise through a Google search.

“God had other plans for me,” she said. “I’m so glad He put me in Family Promise.”

Family Promise offers relief from many of the everyday expenses of life like toiletries, diapers, food and rent, so that participants can focus on saving money. Participants must set aside 80 percent of their income while in the program.

Saving is important because most Family Promise families lack the support resources needed to get out of a financial jam.

“All it takes is for one thing to derail itself for everything else to spiral out of control,” Gonzalez said. “Then families find themselves using rent money for car repairs or deciding between food and bills.”

According to Gonzalez, Family Promise is beginning to expand to include diversion—reaching people before they become homeless, thus diverting them out of the system. Families receive the same assistance and support as families in the regular program, just earlier.

After two months, Washington is working and renting her own place.

“It’s a beautiful home,” she said. “Everybody’s happy.”

Your Bubble

On average, families spend 74 days in the program and, last year, 18 families, including 23 adults and 34 children, came through it. Gonzalez said that success is defined by participants finding safe and secure housing and remaining in a sustainable situation.

Local host congregations help support participants while they work towards the goal of self-sufficiency. Congregation volunteers drive families, in the Family Promise van, to and from the day center, provide meals and offer a place to stay each night.

In the fellowship hall at Mechanicsburg Brethren in Christ Church, Lauren Cook heated up broccoli and chicken that she prepared for Torres and her children, the only family in the program that week. Her children and Torres’s 6-year-old son ran through the hall laughing and plotting fun.

“What struck me is that it’s easy to live in your bubble—your own bills, your own little struggles,” Cook said.

Driving this home was the occasion when her son’s classmate was part of a family in the program.

She’s been serving with Family Promise for about three years and has always felt a pull to help those who are struggling. She said that she hoped that, if she and her family found themselves in a similar situation, there would be people willing to help.

“It’s an enjoyable way to serve,” she said. “It’s so nice to meet so many different people and hear their stories.”

While only Christian congregations currently host, Gonzalez said she would embrace other religious and nonreligious organizations as hosts.

“All they need to host is space and volunteers,” she said.

Back at the day center, Torres patiently finished showing her daughter how to diaper her doll. The child responded with an enthusiastic, “It’s pretty mommy!”

Asked what people should know about those who experience homelessness, Torres paused a moment before answering.

“That it could be anyone,” she said.

To learn more about or volunteer at Family Promise of Harrisburg Capital Region, call 717-737-1100 or visit www.familypromisehcr.org.

Names in this story have been changed to protect Family Promise participants’ anonymity.

Happenings: Our March Calendar of Events

March 1, 2019 | by Missy Smith

Museum & Art Spaces

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

“Dodge Brothers Vehicles from the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Dodge Brothers Club,” through April 28

“Post-World War II Luxury Convertibles,” through April 28

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

“Wanderlust,” a solo exhibition by William Hicks, through March 28

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

Members Show—“Purple POPS,” through March 9

“A Celebration of Student Art,” CALC’s annual collaboration with Carlisle Area School District showcases K-12 student artwork, March 14-April 6; reception: March 14, 5-6:30 p.m.

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

Artist of the Month: Alyssa Brown

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

“Art Through the Lens,” featuring photographs by members of the Millersburg Area Art Association, March 1-30.

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

“Sundays, Sun Days & Sundaes,” spring membership show, March 9-May 18; reception: March 17, 2-4 p.m.

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

“Additive Process—Art of Additive Manufacturing,” works by Taekyeom Lee, through March 14

“Shale Play—Poems and Photographs from the Fracking Fields,” works by Julia Kasdorf and Steven Rubin, through March 15

“Senior Show,” final works from senior students in the Studio Art program, March 30-April; reception: March 30, 6 p.m.

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

Works by Susan Bailey, Jonathan Bean, Ann Benton Yeager, Tami Bitner, Julie Iaria and Joan Maguire, through March 12

New works by Tara Chickey, Kelly Curran, Kristen Fava, Andrew Guth, Judy Kelly and Caleb Smith, March 13 to April 14

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

“Miniature to Monumental,” 3-dimensional works by Rick Summons, through April 1
New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org
Weaving tapestries and stuffed toys by Beth Rice, through March

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. 2nd St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Enhanced Thrift Art,” featuring visual art that began as thrift store or yard sale finds and received creative makers by each artist featured, through March 29

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

“Plastique,” an imaginative showing of art created with single-use plastics that will entertain, inspire and educate about plastic pollution, through March 30.

Rose Lehrman Art Gallery
One HACC Drive, Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

“Same River Twice,” glass sculptures by Marc Petrovic, through March 21; lecture: March 21, 5:30 p.m.

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

“Dressed for Service: Pennsylvanians in the Great War,” through May 5

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

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

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

“Overlapping Tension,” featuring the work of artists Yasmine Diaz, Vanessa German and Laura Tanner Graham, through May 5

“Visions of Place: Complex Geographies in Contemporary Israeli Art,” through May 19

“Cinema Drive,” a collection of photographs by artist and educator Michael Fickes, exploring the notion of permanence through the evolution of aesthetics and design, through March 24

“Studio Life,” the 2018 Fellows of Mt. Gretna’s Four Pillars Artist Residency, through April 28

“SAFSTOR,” an exhibition by Adam Diller consisting of photographic, video and audio ephemera from the partial meltdown of Three Mile Island in 1979, March 29-May 5

Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery
Lebanon Valley College
101 College Ave., Annville
717-233-8668; lvc.edu/gallery

“Dorothea’s Lange’s America,” featuring photography by Lange and 13 other artists, whose socially conscious work documented the Great Depression, through March 24

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

“MU Art Department—Faculty Exhibition,” March 1-29

Yellow Bird Café
1320 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-635-8991; yellowbird-cafe.com

Artist of the Month: Paul Vasiliades

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

Art gallery by Amanda Rife, through March 14

Art gallery by children of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, March 15-April 18

Read, Make, Learn

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

March 2-April 6: Photo Basics for Teens (ages 14-18), Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 9: Slab Built Animal Box
March 12, 19: Crash Course—Making Ceramic Sets, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
March 15: Edo Japan & the Samurai Kids Workshop
March 15: Weaving 101, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 15: Craft Beer & Clay, 7 p.m.
March 26: Intro To Metal Jewelry: Riveting & Texture, 6-8 p.m.
March 27: Zipper Brooch, 6-8 p.m.

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

March 7: All Aboard the Thai Train, 6-9 p.m.
March 8: All Aboard the Thai Train, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
March 15: Tuscan Dinner and Wine Pairing, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
March 28: Oh, the Pasta-bilities!, 6-9 p.m.
March 29: Tuscan Dinner and Wine Pairing, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

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

March 4: Diabetes 101, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 10: Essential Oils 101, 1-2 p.m.
March 14: Device Club, 1-2:30 p.m.
March 16: Hands on Tech, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 21: The Hospice Conversation, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 22: Microsoft Office Basics, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 23: Bee Friendly to Pollinators, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 23: Minecraft LAN Party, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
March 26: Friends of East Shore Area Library Meeting, 9:30-11:15 a.m.
March 27: Microsoft Office Basics, 6-7:30 p.m.
March 29: Fandom Friday, 6-8 p.m.

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

March 2, 16: Cards and Coffee, 10 a.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Cards and Coffee, 9:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19 26: Yoga for All, 7 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Baby Time, 9:15 a.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Toddler Time, 10:30 a.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Family Story Time, 10:30 a.m.
March 9: Lace Cottage, 10 a.m.
March 14, 28: Community Knitters, 6 p.m.
March 16: Book Discussion Group, 9:15 a.m.; 10 a.m.
March 16, 28: Community Knitters, 11 a.m.
March 16, 23: Family Lego Club, 11 a.m

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

March 1: Youth Chess Night, 6:30 p.m.
March 5: Curl Up with the Classics—“The Red Badge of Courage,” 10 a.m.
March 5: What You Missed in History—First Ladies, More Than Dress, 6:30 p.m.
March 6: Moving Forward Book Group w/Hospice of Central PA, 1 p.m.
March 7: Blood Pressure Screenings w/UPMC Pinnacle, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 8, 22: Indie Film Friday, 2 and 7 p.m.
March 8: Blood Drive w/Central PA Blood Bank, 4-7:30 p.m.
March 9: Book vs. Movie—“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” 1:30 p.m.
March 11: Philosopher’s Roundtable, 2 p.m.
March 11: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30 p.m.
March 12: Civilians of Gettysburg, 7 p.m.
March 14, 28: Plot Twisters Teen Writers Group, 6:30 p.m.
March 15: Family Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.
March 17: Game Day for All, 1:30 p.m.
March 18-April 26: Spring Story Times
March 21: READ to Dogs, 6:30 p.m.
March 23: One Book, One Community Book Discussion—“Killers of the Flower Moon,” 3 p.m.
March 25: Fredricksen Reads—“The Triumph of Seeds,” 7 p.m.

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

March 6: Fiber and Friends, 6 p.m.

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgimprov.com

March 2: Improv and the Present Moment, 2-5 p.m.
March 11-April 29: Improv Level 1, 7-10 p.m.

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

March 28-May 16: Painting Acrylics, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

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

March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Dungeons and Dragons, 3 p.m.
March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Chess Club, 1:30 p.m.
March 2: Adult Storytime, 2 p.m.
March 3: Memoirs Class (Snow Date), 2 p.m.
March 4, 11: Storytime for 3s & 4s, 10 a.m.
March 4, 11: Storytime for 4s & 5s, 1:30 p.m.
March 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27: 1, 2, Whee!, 10 a.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Girls Who Code, 5:45 p.m.
March 6: LEGO Club, 4 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Sensory 1, 2, Whee!, 11 a.m.
March 7, 21: Card Making Class, 6 p.m.
March 8, 22: Play Day for Families, 10 a.m.
March 9: Floral Arrangement Class, 10 a.m.
March 9, 30: Fused Glass Class, 1 p.m.
March 9: 2^nd Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
March 10: Friends’ Children’s Program: How to Build a Storm, 2 p.m.
March 10, 17, 24, 31: Creative Non-Fiction, 2 p.m.
March 13: In the Middle—Art, 3 p.m.
March 17: Splat Studio Adult Art Class, 3 p.m.
March 18, 25: Book Babies, 9:30 a.m.
March 20: In the Middle—Writing, 3 p.m.
March 23: Egg Decorating Class, 1 p.m.
March 24: A “Wilder” Garden (Friends Program), 2 p.m.
March 25: Central PA Blood Drive, 3 p.m.
March 26: Art in Science, 4 p.m.
March 27: In the Middle—Creativity, 3 p.m.
March 30: Spring Planter Class, 10 a.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St, Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

March 4: Brain Games for Adults, 10-11 a.m.
March 5: Tabletop Games, 6-8 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 7: Learn to Knit/Crochet, 7-8 p.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.
March 11: iPad/iPhone Beginners, 1-3 p.m.
March 11: English Conversation Group, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 12: Tax Help, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
March 13: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
March 16: BYOB Trivia, 6-8 p.m.
March 18: Brain Games for Adults, 10-11 a.m.
March 18: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
March 20: Spring Cleaning Hacks, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 20: SciFi Book Club, 7-9 p.m.
March 21: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10 a.m.–1 a.m.
March 25: English Conversation Group, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 26: Tea & Stitches Extended, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
March 27: Apple Users Group, 7-8 p.m.
March 27: Yoga for Beginners, 7-8 p.m.

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

March 6: Resume Writing Series, 1-2:30 p.m.
March 7: Diabetes 101, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 12: Hands on Tech, 6-7 p.m.
March 20: Device Club, 1-2:30 p.m.
March 21: Friends of Kline Library Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 27: Knit 1, Crochet Too!, 6-8 p.m.

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

March 2, 9, 16, 23: Passageways—Trans and Non-Binary Group, 2-4 p.m.
March 3, 10, 17, 24: Common Roads Young Adult, 4 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Common Roads Youth, 6 p.m.

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

March 25: Ballroom Dance Lessons, 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

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

March 6: Dungeons and Dragons, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
March 12: Mary Sachs Series—Fight Like a Girl, 6-7 p.m.
March 12, 26: Job Seekers Resources, 1-2:30 p.m.
March 18: Cookbook Book Club—Coffee, Tea and Cocoa, 6-7 p.m.

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

March 6, 13, 20, 27: Mid-Day Getaway, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
March 15: Mini Golf in the Library, 6-8 p.m.
March 26: Device Club, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

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

March 1, 8, 15, 22: Science Fiction Book Club (meets online)
March 4, 11, 18, 25: STEM Club, 5:30-7 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Storytime and Craft, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Tales with T.A.I.L.S., 6-7 p.m.
March 5, 19, 26: Evening Family Yoga, 6-7 p.m.
March 7: Book Club, 6-7 p.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: LEGO Junior Maker Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 18: Mystery Book Club, 6-7 p.m.

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

March 7: Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, 7-9 p.m.
March 9: An Evening w/Daniel Stone, 5-7 p.m.
March 16: An Evening w/Sarah St. Vincent and Kimi Grant, 5-7 p.m.
March 27: An Evening w/Richard Rothstein, 7-8 p.m.

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

March 9: March Fluid Art, 12-2:30 p.m.
March 16: Art As Sacred Process—Mandalas of Intention 1, 4:30 p.m.
March 2: LEGO Madness, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Preschool Storytime, 10:15 a.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: 1-2-3 Library! Family Storytime, 6:30 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Twos & Threes Storytime, 11 a.m.
March 4, 18: Monday Great Books Discussion, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 5: Tales for T.A.I.L.S., 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Preschool Storytime, 1 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Book Babies Storytime, 11:15 a.m.
March 7: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 8, 9: Family STEM Stations, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
March 9: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 12: Book Review, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 13, 27: Wednesday Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 16: Couponing for Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 16: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
March 27: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.
March 29, 30: Family Art—Creativity with Crayons, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

March 23: “The Whole Civil War in 45 Minutes,” 1-2 p.m.
March 24: Civil War Dance Classes, 2-4 p.m.

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org
March 2: Lego Madness, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 2, 16: Book Sales, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
March 4, 18: Monday Great Books Discussion Group, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 5: Tales for T.A.I.L.S., 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 7: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.
March 8 & 9: Family STEM Stations, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
March 9: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
March 10: “Native American Culture: Lower Susquehanna Valley,” 3-4 p.m.
March 12: Book Review Program, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 13, 27: Wednesday Great Books Discussion Group, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 16: Couponing for Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 16: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
March 27: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.
March 29 & 30: Family Art: Creativity w/Crayons, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

March 5: Smart Start Storytime, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Little Explorers Story Time, 10:30-11 a.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Little Explorers Story Time, 10:30-11 a.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Little Explorers Story Time, 1:30-2 p.m.
March 9: iPad for Seniors, 10-11:30 a.m.
March 19: Makerspace (for kids in grades 1-6), 3:30-5 p.m.

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

March 2: Drop-In Art, 1-4 p.m.
March 2-Nov. 2: Critique 101, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 23: Rug Hooking Workshop, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Pine Street Presbyterian Church
310 N. Third St., Harrisburg
717-238-9304; pinestreet.org

March 24: A Civil Rights Movement Lecture, 8:45 a.m.

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

March 1: Story Time—“The Street Beneath My Feet,” 10:30 a.m.
March 7: Nature Lab—Rocks, 11:30 a.m.
March 8: Learn at Lunchtime—1681 Pennsylvania Charter, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
March 13: HomeSchool Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
March 21: Curiosity Kids—Feed the Birds, 11:30 a.m.

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

March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Yoga + In The Lobby Gallery, 10-11 a.m.
March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Saturday Morning Art Club, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Young Artist Camp (ages 8-12), 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 20: Life Drawing Class, 6-9 p.m.

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

March 2: Photography Course 101, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
March 9: Boy and Girl Scouts—Leave No Trace, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
March 9: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 10: Wreath Workshop, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 13: Preschool Storytime—Spring at Wildwood, 10-10:45 a.m.
March 16: Bear Scout Program—Fur, Feathers and Ferns, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 17: Kids Discover Signs of Spring, 1-3 p.m.
March 23: Night Lights Hike, 7-9 p.m.
March 24: Flower Walk—Cold Tolerant Plants, 1:30-3 p.m.
March 27: Bird Walk—Waterfowl and Early Migrants, 8-10 a.m.
March 27: Dr. Seuss Science Series, 10-11 a.m.

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

March 5: Novel Thoughts Book Club, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 7: Teen Night—Mixed Media Art, 6-7 p.m.
March 13: 2nd Wednesday Cinema, 6-8 p.m.
March 14: Pi Day, 6-7 p.m.
March 14: Hands on Tech, 6-7 p.m.
March 19: Novel Thoughts Too Book Club, 1-3 p.m.

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

March 1: Story Hour, 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 1 p.m.
March 23: Heirloom Seed Swap, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Yoga at Simply Well
28 S. Pitt St., Carlisle
717-968-0167; yogaatsimplywell.com

March 4-April 29: Youth Mindfulness & Relaxation Group, Mondays, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
March 9: Family Yoga, 4-4:45 p.m.
March 9-30: Kids Yoga 4-Week Series (K-5), 12:30-1:30 p.m.
March 9-30: Beginner Yoga 4-Week Series, 2-3:30 p.m.
March 23: Yoga Nidra Guided Relaxation, 4-5 p.m.

Live Music

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

March 1: Fleetwood Mask (Fleetwood Mac tribute)
March 2: Ronnie Milsap & Lorrie Morgan
March 3: The Monkees
March 9: The Oak Ridge Boys
March 15: NeedToBreathe
March 16: Always Patsy Cline
March 22: Scotty McCreery
March 24: The Midtown Men
March 29: Diamond Rio and Restless Heart
March 30: In the Mood
March 31: The Music of Cream

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

March 1: Brad Parsons & Starbird
March 2: Box of Rain
March 9: Solar Federation (Rush tribute)
March 15: Willie Jack & the Northern Light
March 16: Steal Your Peach
March 22: Goose & Catullus

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

March 1: “Jazz in the City”
March 3: Susquehanna Valley Theatre Organ Society Concert—Ken Double
March 9: York Symphony Orchestra
March 20: Portland Cello Project
March 22: Richard Marx
March 22: Starting Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute)
March 28: Mountain Man
March 29: JD Souther
March 30: “Your Voice” competition

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

March 14: Shrimp Ryan’s Jig Band
March 28: Shawan and the Wonton

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

March 1, 5, 12, 15, 20, 22, 26, 29: Noel Gevers
March 2, 9, 14: Roy Lefevre
March 6: Andrea Britton
March 7, 28: Anthony Haubert
March 8: Corinna Joy, Noel Gevers
March 13, 19: Jessica Perla
March 16, 23: Ted Ansel
March 21: Corinna Joy
March 27: Chris Purcell
March 30: Andrea Britton, Noel Gevers

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

March 1: Carter Winter, nobigdyl.
March 2: The Road To Milestone, Saved by the 90’s
March 4: Oginalii, The Orderlies
March 5: Traitors
March 8: Radio Romance
March 9: Sink In, Fade to Black
March 10: Charly Bliss
March 11: Dropkick Murphys
March 15: BBTG, Murder Method, Cultic
March 16: Tim Barry
March 17: Entreband w/Souly Had
March 19: SHIM of Sick Puppies
March 20: His Dream of Lions
March 21: Weakend Friends
March 22: The Stonewall Vessels, Cold Spring Union
March 23: Deep Rest, Heroes 4 Ransom
March 28: Social Club Misfits
March 29: Calling All Captains, Makari, Ignite the Fire
March 30: Soul Kitchen, Red Sun Rising

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

March 1: D-Bo
March 2: Road Case
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Jazz Brunch w/Steve Rudolph
March 8: Mighty River Band
March 9: Sight Unseen
March 15: The Jacks
March 16: Forrest Brown’s Dirty Little Secret
March 22: Bubba
March 23: Blues & Brew
March 29: Flavor of the Week
March 30: Adrian Blizter w/Throwback 202

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

March 1: Caraby
March 2: The Crystal Method
March 8: Adrian Blitzer, Road Case, Jackyl
March 9: The Marcus King Band
March 14: Pink Talking Fish
March 15: Smooth Like Clyde
March 16: The Clock Reads, Gobbo, Yam Yam
March 23: Big Eyed Phish
March 29: Infinite
March 30: Appetite for Destruction (Guns N’Roses tribute)

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

March 1: Antonio Andrade
March 2: Dominick Cicco
March 3: David Fishel
March 8: Michael Arthur
March 9: Joe Cooney
March 10: Kevin Kline
March 15: Brandon Stoner
March 16: Doug Morris
March 17: Steve Gellman
March 22: Janie Womak & Jody Echterling
March 23: Hard Travelin’
March 24: Colette Eckhart
March 29: Paul Zavinsky
March 30: Dan Zukowski
March 31: Shawan & the Wonton

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

March 16: Seasons

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
The Forum at 5th and Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-545-5527; harrisburgsymphony.org

March 2, 3: Denzal Sinclair
March 16, 17: Masterworks

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

March 12: Joe Bonamassa
March 15: Michael Londra’s Celtic Fire
March 16: Hershey Symphony—“Jesus Superstar”
March 20: Penn State’s 13th Annual President’s Concert
March 29: Brit Floyd
March 30: Parkside Harmony

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

March 1: Lima Bean Riot
March 2: Sapphire
March 8: Uptown Band
March 9: Screamin Daisys
March 15: The Luv Gods
March 16: Separate Ways The Band, Radio Neon
March 22: The Josh Squared Band
March 23: Smooth Like Clyde
March 29: Big Bleu Band
March 30: Funktion

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

March 2: Black Coffee w/JJGunn
March 8: Illusions of Grandeur, Mutiny at Midnight, From Dawn Till Death
March 9: Jimmie’s Chicken Shack
March 16: Smile Empty Soul, September Mourning, Rise Among Rivals
March 23: Crush Pro Family Reunion

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

March 3: Tommy James & The Shondells w/The Buckinghams
March 8: The Irish Tenors
March 15: Blood, Sweat and Tears, War
March 21: The Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Majestic Theater
25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg
717-337-8200; gettysburgmajestic.org

March 1: The Flying Karamazov Brothers
March 14: Songs of Ireland
March 24: Lee Brice w/Morgan Evans

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

March 2: Amy Simpson Band
March 9: Twisted Bluez Band
March 16: Nate Myers & Aces
March 23: Miss Melanie and Valley Rats
March 30: Funktion Band
March 31: Jazz Brunch w/Laura Lizcano

Market Square Concerts
marketsquareconcerts.org

March 31: Arts on the Square—Vienna Boys Choir

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

March 1: Trio Atlantis and The Messiah College Symphony Orchestra
March 3: Kuhlman Competition
March 29: Chanticleer
March 30: Messiah College Percussion
March 31: Messiah College Concert Choir

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

March 9: Sarah Borges w/Happy Sally
March 15: The Jellybricks w/Radiator King

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

March 15: SR Frost

The Midtown Tavern
1101 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-236-5783; themidtowntavern.com

March 24: LOVELORN, Babel Map

Pine Street Presbyterian Church
310 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-238-9304; pinestreet.org

March 8: Jakub Józef Orliński
March 13: Christopher Earhart
March 20: Matthew Angelo, Christy Banks
March 27: Canticum Novum men’s chorale ensemble

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

March 2: Shine Delphi, The Vinegar Creek Constituency, Grace Mahar
March 18: River City Big Band

Rusty Rail Brewing Company
5 N. 8th North St., Mifflinburg
570-966-7878; rustyrailbrewing.com

March 8: Joe Louis Walker
March 15: Steve Forbert

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral
221 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-4059; musicbytheriver.org

March 10: Penn State University’s Essence of Joy

Stock’s on 2nd
211 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg
717-233-6699; stocksonsecond.com

March 1: Cruise Control Trio
March 2: Drew Adams
March 8: Kevin Koa
March 9: Natalie Ness
March 15: DJ Ray Rossi
March 16: Shea Quin and Friends
March 22: Acoustic Generations
March 23: Quintin Jones
March 29: Lucille and the Wolf
March 30: Visitors Duo

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

March 3: Bon Debarras
March 10: Jam Session
March 18: Zoe Conway and John McIntyre
March 23: The Jackob’s Ferry Stragglers

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; millersville.edu/muarts

March 1: “We the People”—Anomie Fatale
March 1: MU Orchestra
March 2: King Street Big Band
March 3: Allegro’s Overture Winter Concert, Allegretto Winter Conert
March 8: Back to the Garden
March 17: Goitse
March 23: Allegro’s Music in the Round, Allegro’s Lounge 42—Final Frontier
March 24: Allegro’s Core Concert—Final Frontier
March 29: Piano Battle
March 30: 14th Annual Single Reed Symposium

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

March 6: JJ Grey & Mofro
March 13: Graham Nash

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

March 15: Matt Tarka

The Stage Door

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

March 26: Nickelodeon’s “Double Dare Live”

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

March 8: Adam Dodd
March 23: “Cat & Nat: #MOMTRUTHS” Live

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

March 29-April 7: “Moon Over Buffalo”

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

March 4, 11, 18, 25: Open Mic Comedy Night

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

Through March 16: “Lucky Stiff”
March 21-May 4: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

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

March 1-3: “All The King’s Men”
March 8-10: “Voices of F.E.W.”
March 15-17: “Julius Caesar”
March 16-30: “The Frog Prince” (Popcorn Hat Players)
March 29: TMI Improv Show

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

March 15-17: “Murder at Crimson House”

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

March 1, 2: Coleman Green, Nick Cantone
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Open Mic
March 8, 9: Frankie Pauland, Paul Jensen
March 10: Oxymorons Improv Comedy
March 15, 16: Liz Russo, Pat House
March 22, 23: Rich Guzzi
March 29, 30: Zack Martina

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

March 8: Meow Meow Precious/Fred Majelly
March 8, 10: Character Level 1 Class Show
March 9, 10: Level 1 Class Show
March 10: Character Level 1 Class Show
March 15, 17: Game of the Scene Level 2 and Musical Level 1 Class Shows
March 16: Musical Level 1 Class Show
March 22: Meow Meow Precious/Mary Todd Lincoln
March 31: Magic Fairy Pirate Monkeys featuring Aesthetic Dying Duck

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

March 1-3: “Jersey Boys”
March 8: “Lewis Black”

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

March 23: Revolution Wrestling Federation

Lancaster Marionette Theatre
126 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-394-8389; lancastermarionette.org

Through March 9: “Sleeping Beauty”

Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg
915 S. York St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0535; ltmpa.com

March 1-17: “Black Comedy”

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

March 17: Gabriel Iglesias
March 23: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show”
March 31: “In The Mood”

Majestic Theater
25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg
717-337-8200; gettysburgmajestic.org

March 1: The Flying Karamazov Brothers

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

March 8-9: Spring Senior Series

Open Stage of Harrisburg
223 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-232-OPEN; openstagehbg.com

Through March 3: “The Wolves”
March 14-15: “The Diary of Anne Frank”

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

March 8-24: “Romance, Romance”

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

March 1: “Leading Ladies”
March 1-3: “It Shoulda Been You”
March 9-23: “The Emperor’s New Clothes”

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

March 31: “Risque Business”

Rose Lehrman Arts Center
One HACC Drive, Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

March 14: “VoicePlay”

Theatre Harrisburg
513 Hurlock St., Harrisburg
717-232-5501; theatreharrisburg.com

March 8-17: “Doubt, A Parable”

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; millersville.edu/muarts

March 13: “Randy Otto is Winston Churchill—The Blitz”
March 16: “Downtown Dances—Tipping Points”
March 21: “Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom”

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

March 8-17: “Doubt: A Parable” w/Theatre Harrisburg

March 16: Tig Notaro
March 21-23: “HAIR” w/CASA

Worth Your Time: The hours fly by at the nearby Watch and Clock Museum.

March 1, 2019 | by Don Helin

They say time is of the essence—but what about the essence of time?

That’s the purpose behind the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), the world’s largest museum, research library, educational institution and international community dedicated to clocks, watches, time and timekeeping.

“I like to say the goal of the NAWCC is to share stories about time,” said Executive Director Tom Wilcox. “Whether it’s researching the story about where grandpa’s gold watch came from or how people measured time 1,000 years ago or a desire to take a short course on clocks or pocket watches, we help build communities where these stories can be uncovered and told.”

Founded in 1943, the NAWCC continues a long horological tradition in Pennsylvania, which became known for producing high-quality clocks starting in colonial days. Columbia, Pa., may seem like a strange place for a time-oriented trade association, but there’s a reason for that.

“In the early years, officers of NAWCC conducted business from their homes, mostly in the Philadelphia area,” Wilcox said. “The organization had no official headquarters until 1962, when longtime association secretary Earl Strickler established offices at his home in Columbia.”

The National Watch and Clock Museum officially opened to the public in 1977 with fewer than 1,000 items. Since then, the collection has increased to more than 12,000 items, and the museum has undergone several expansions.

The collection is international in scope and covers a wide variety of clocks, watches, tools and other time-related items.

Visitors enter the museum through a “Portal in Time,” highlighting a chronology ranging from the early Egyptians to Stonehenge to Roman clocks to sand glasses. Visitors learn how the measurement of time has changed—from watching shadows move on a wall to examining the stars to today’s atomic clocks.

The museum houses the largest collection of 19th-century American clocks and watches. Additional collections include early English tallcase clocks, Asian timepieces from Japan and China and timekeeping devices from Germany, France, the Netherlands and Russia.

The collection ranges from the very large, including the towering Engle Monumental Clock, to the very small, such as a wide array of pocket and wristwatches. One of the newer exhibits is the Seiko-sponsored virtual reality, 3-D watch movement experience, a cutting-edge, watch designing software visual encounter.

If you’re fortunate, like I was, you may get to walk through the library and research center, the largest horological library in the world, cataloging more than 30,000 books and thousands of feet of archival material.

In 1995, the NAWCC established the School of Horology to offer a licensed and certified training program in traditional and modern watch and clock repair. While no longer providing a licensed program, the school has been modernized to offer short-term workshops to visiting students.

“Over the past decade, interest in collecting clocks and watches has waned,” Wilcox said. “However, renewed interest in wristwatches has created new opportunities for the NAWCC. We are also exploring partnerships with entities in the gear-oriented sciences, such as autonoma, musical contraptions, railroads and steam punk.”

Indeed, time marches on, so NAWCC must work to maintain interest in clocks and watches in a world of ubiquitous cell phones and computers, where, paradoxically, time is more evident than ever.

So, for example, on March 21, NAWCC will host “Clocktails,” an event in which visitors, cocktail in hand, can create a one-of-a-kind clock for themselves, with all supplies provided.

“We are constantly looking for new ways to demonstrate to our community the significance of interesting stories in time,” Wilcox said.

The National Watch and Clock Museum is located at 514 Poplar St., Columbia. For more information, visit www.nawcc.org.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

February 28, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

When it rains it pours around my social calendar. Last week, booming. This weekend — crickets. But hey, at least tonight we’re hosting friends for dinner, and then maybe I’ll get some popcorn and rest this weekend!

Meanwhile, you’ll want to check out the new Hops Vines & Spirits Tasting Room — that’s where Mulligan’s was — and don’t sleep on those meat and cheese boards made from R.G. Hummer goods. A board and the local libations of your choosing = an easy way to welcome the weekend.

What are you doing this weekend?

(more…)

Death Cab for Cutie to play in Harrisburg, marking return of major concerts to city waterfront

February 27, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Death Cab for Cutie

The Harrisburg waterfront boasts great scenery, a few historic bridges and now—Death Cab for Cutie.

Come June, the eight-time Grammy Award-nominated band will grace a stage in Riverfront Park, making the band perhaps the biggest national act to play in the park in years.

Death Cab for Cutie will perform as part of Harrisburg University’s HU Concert Series, which this year is also featuring such popular acts as The Record Company in April at Club XL and Joan Osborne in May at Whitaker Center.

“This came about because we were looking for a major name,” said Frank Schofield, HU’s director of Music & Media Services. “The band became available, and we got it done.”

Death Cab for Cutie will set up on a stage in the southern part of the park, across from UPMC Pinnacle. The June 19 concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. with one or more opening artists, according to Schofield.

All tickets for the general admission, standing-only concert are priced at $40. Gates will open at 6 p.m.

In addition to the music, patrons will have access to a beer garden and food trucks, Schofield said. He also expects downtown venues to benefit from the influx of concert-goers.

“It will be a major economic boon for the city,” he said.

According to Schofield, there’s more to come. He said that “another major upcoming show,” targeted for August, will be announced soon that will bring music back to City Island, which once hosted major touring bands.

Special parking rates will apply for the Death Cab for Cutie concert. Parking will be available both at the Market Square Garage and on City Island for $10 starting at 6 p.m. the night of the concert.

Tickets for Death Cab for Cutie will go on sale at 10 a.m. on March 2 at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information about the HU Concert Series, visit www.HUconcertseries.com.

Dozens of projects funded as Dauphin County announces 2019 gaming grants

February 27, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

This aerial view of Hamilton Health Center shows the adjacent site where contaminated soil is to be removed.

The Dauphin County commissioners today allotted $6.4 million to some 60 projects in its annual allocation of gaming funds.

Locally, Harrisburg city will receive $203,000 to upgrade its phone system and create an off-site backup storage facility for data such as crime, property, tax and codes information.

Elsewhere in Harrisburg, Hamilton Health Center will receive $115,000 to remove contaminated soil in an adjacent lot to prepare for a planned facility expansion.

“We’ve run out of exam room space, and we want to expand our medical and behavioral health services,” said Jeannine Peterson, Hamilton’s CEO.

Funding for the $6.4 million in projects comes from the county’s share of gaming revenue generated from Hollywood Casino at Penn National in East Hanover Township.

The Dauphin County Gaming Advisory Board reviews project requests before sending its recommendations to the commissioners for approval. While 62 projects were funded, another 37 were denied funding.

Other notable projects in the immediate Harrisburg area that were funded include:

D&H Distributing for a new and expanded training center: $160,000
Tri-County HDC to help fund a $1.4 million project to build 12 townhomes on Adams Street in Steelton: $125,000
Steelton Borough for Phase 2 of the Skate Park and Fire Department gear and equipment: $94,394
Jewish Home of Greater Harrisburg for generator purchase: $70,000
The Salvation Army for security system installation: $53,000
Camp Curtin YMCA for affordable housing construction project: $50,000
Dauphin County Library System for computer equipment: $50,000
Penbrook Borough for sewer interceptor replacement: $50,000
Harrisburg Scottish Rite Masonic Theatre for auditorium media upgrades: $47,780
Cameron Street Boxing Club for facility renovation and equipment: $35,000
Breaking the Chainz Inc. for a van: $29,411
Harrisburg University for HUE Festival security services: $25,000
Theatre Harrisburg for seating and platforms purchase: $25,000
Stephens Episcopal School for safety and security improvements: $8,230

Under state law, the county must use the grant funds for projects that help human services, improve local infrastructure, enhance transportation, address health and safety needs, assist with emergency services and further public interest initiatives.

A complete list of grants follows:

Host & Contiguous

East Hanover Township (Public Works Building debt reduction; Culvert replacement and various roads; and Fire engine debt) – $750,000
South Hanover Township ($100,000 Municipal Complex debt reduction; $107,000 New emergency response support vehicle; $26,000 Salt Storage expansion and miscellaneous improvements; and $10,000 AACA Museum HVAC system) – $243,000
Derry Township ($250,000 Fire Station construction debt reduction; and $38,000 Senior Citizens Council of Derry Township van) – $288,000
Middle Paxton Township ($124,000 Potato Valley Road Bridge; $100,000 Blue Mountain Parkway resurfacing; and $30,000 Dauphin Area Senior Transit van) – $254,000
West Hanover Township (Houck Manor/Holiday Park public sewer extension project) – $275,000

Other Awards

Dauphin Co. Parks & Recreation Department ($75,000 Fort Hunter Station adaptive reuse; $30,000 Wildwood Lake restoration design and permitting; and $25,000 Civil War Grave care) – $130,000
Penbrook Borough (Sewer Interceptor replacement) – $50,000
Swatara Township (Police Motor Carrier Safety Administration Program conditioned upon Township creating and maintaining a permanent officer MCSAP position) – $130,347
Heroes Fund, Inc. (Phase 3 improvements and playground renovation) – $45,000
Jackson Township/ Fisherville Vol. Fire Co. (Fire Station addition construction debt) – $37,000
Pillow Borough Authority (Install two generators and Cold Spring control system) – $50,000
Millersburg Borough (Center Street flood and erosion control measures conditioned upon obtaining Dauphin Co. Infrastructure Bank loan for $183,713) – $161,121
Millersburg Area School District (Security and accessibility upgrades at schools) – $51,000
Steelton Borough/Steelton Vol. Fire Dept. ($30,000 Phase II Skate Park; $64,394.43 Fire Department personal protective gear and mobile equipment and lighting) – $94,394
Cameron Street Boxing Club (Renovate and equip new facility) – $35,000
The Salvation Army (Security system installation) – $53,000
Dauphin Co. Library System (Public and staff computer replacements) – $50,000
Keystone Service Systems, Inc. (Purchase building to provide Pre-K services conditioned upon closing on property within one year) – $30,000
Londonderry Township (Replacement of Lauffer Road Bridge) – $150,000
Harrisburg Rugby Football Club (Design and construction of rugby fields with lights) – $25,000
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania (Infrastructure improvements and security upgrades at headquarters) – $44,823
D&H Distributing (Construction of new and expanded training center) – $160,000
Washington Township (Municipal building improvements, building addition and upgrades) – $100,000
Elizabethville Area Authority (Replacement of Smith Avenue Wastewater Pump Station) – $100,000
Elizabethville Area Community Alliance (Park and pool pump, filter, electrical and other repairs and improvements) – $40,000
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 143 (HVAC system revamp and classroom materials) – $100,000
Lower Paxton Township ($110,000 Rehabilitation of Friendship Center waterslide; $22,400 Koons Memorial Park Swim Club paint project; $15,750 Penn Colonial Swim Club pump and filter housing units) – $148,150
Dauphin County General Authority (Replace irrigation system and develop new water source at Dauphin Highlands) – $120,000
Cherry Orchard Place LLC (Construction of new 49-unit affordable housing for seniors) – $200,000
Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority (Demolition and clean-up of Old Lykens School site for future development) – $140,000
Lykens Borough ($80,000 Lykens Borough replacement of water distribution system; $19,479 Liberty Hose Co. mobile radio upgrades) – $99,479
Hamilton Health Center (Land acquisition and soil remediation of adjacent property) – $115,000
The Campus of the Jewish Home of Greater Harrisburg (Purchase generator for all-hazards emergency plan) – $70,000
Middletown Area Interfaith Housing (Commercial building repairs to generate funds to benefit youth programs and services) – $10,000
Lower Swatara Township (Debt service on bridge replacement projects and Act 537 sewage facilities plan updates) – $181,276
Tri-County HDC (Redevelopment of vacant and former blighted property) – $125,000
Susquehanna Township ($150,000 Debt service for uptown infrastructure improvements; $50,000 debt reduction on Squad 32 vehicle) – $200,000
Theatre Harrisburg (Theater seating and platforms purchase) – $25,000
Upper Paxton Township (Reconstruction and improvement of West Pearl Street conditioned upon receiving CDBG or raising full funding) – $100,000
Gratz Borough (Pump replacement and installation of generator and control system) – $36,200
Reed Township (Contribution to debt payment on aerial fire apparatus) – $40,000
Pop’s House (Reduction of debt incurred for acquisition of veterans center) – $30,000
The Vista School (Safety and security improvements) – $30,000
Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (Purchase mini-pumper for Harrisburg International Airport Fire Department) – $100,000
Middletown Volunteer Fire Department (Pumper Truck replacement project) – $125,000
Linden Centre, LLC (Curbing, paving, site utilities and storm water BMPS conditioned upon this being the last funding request for the project) – $125,000
City of Harrisburg (Redundant data center and telecommunications modernization) – $203,000
Camp Curtin YMCA (Affordable Housing construction project conditioned upon securing remaining funding within three years) – $50,000
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School (Safety and security improvements) – $8,230
Berrysburg Municipal Authority (Sewage Treatment Plant system replacement and clarifier conversion) – $40,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region (Conversion of IT operations) – $22,000
Capital Region Literacy Council (Purchase children’s books for reading program) – $17,875
Court Administration for Magisterial District Judges (Debt reduction on construction of new MDJ offices) – $200,000
Halifax Borough (Electrical, HVAC and accessibility renovations to Halifax Historical Society) – $50,000
Harrisburg Scottish Rite Masonic Theatre (Auditorium media upgrades) – $47,780
Harrisburg University (HUE Festival security services) – $25,000
Hummelstown Borough (Debt reduction on new municipal/public safety building) – $50,496
Loyal Order of the Moose Family Center #59 (Family Center ADA improvements) – $12,000
Oasis Community/Living Water Church (Park and playground project installation) – $30,000
The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (Dauphin County Court Appointed Special Advocate Program for youth conditioned upon the funds not being contributed to salary or other personnel costs) – $15,000
Wiconisco Fire Engine Co. (Debt reduction on new fire rescue and equipment) – $40,000
Wiconisco Township (Municipal building debt reduction) – $40,000
Breaking the Chainz, Inc. (Van for community restoration centers) – $29,411
Phase 4 Learning Center, Inc. (Curriculum and software for diploma retrieval, job training/preparation program) – $20,000
American Literacy Corp. (Dauphin Co. Reading Initiative promotion) – $4,500
Life Esteem (Holistic Health Wellness Center marketing and program materials) – $3,500
Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority (Administration) – $550,000

Harrisburg’s financial recovery board meets for first time to organize, set priorities.

February 26, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The state-created Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority met for the first time today in Harrisburg city hall.

Harrisburg took the next small step forward in its long fiscal recovery process today, as the state board tasked with overseeing a five-year financial plan met for the first time.

The five-member Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) held an organizational meeting in city hall, articulating its broad goals and appointing member David Schankweiler as chairman.

“I know we take our charge very seriously,” said Schankweiler, former CEO of Journal Multimedia, following the unanimous appointment.

Nonprofit consultant Audry Carter was appointed vice chair, and Tina Nixon, an executive with UPMC Pinnacle, was appointed secretary/treasurer. The authority’s other two members are Harrisburg attorney Kathy Speaker MacNett and Ralph Vartan, CEO of real estate company Vartan Group.

According to Schankweiler, the authority’s first job is to hire a part-time executive director. In addition to this position, the authority’s $100,000 annual budget must pay for legal assistance, an annual audit and website design, he said.

The state legislature created the ICA last year as part of legislation to allow Harrisburg to exit Act 47, the state’s program for financially distressed municipalities, yet retain certain elevated taxation levels for five years.

Now that it’s met for the first time, the ICA and the city have 90 days to adopt an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement and a five-year financial recovery plan. After this, the city can petition the state to exit Act 47, which should happen by this summer, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Papenfuse and other city officials attended today’s meeting, which was marked by supportive words from both sides.

“You did an excellent job of getting the city out of a dire situation from a few years ago,” Schankweiler told Papenfuse. “We look forward to working with you and your staff over the coming months.”

Papenfuse thanked the ICA members for committing time to work on the volunteer board and for acting as liaisons between the city and the legislature. He added that he didn’t anticipate any major problems going forward, as the city already expects to have balanced budgets for the five-year life of the authority.

“We are in a solid and sustainable place for the near future,” said Papenfuse. “So, we have some time to work through the long-term strategies.”

Early in the meeting, authority members introduced themselves, with each stating their dedication to the city’s welfare and progress. By terms of the legislation, ICA members had to either live in or own a business in the city—and some qualified on both counts.

“I live in the city, I work in the city, I worship in the city,” said Speaker MacNett, an attorney and managing member with the Harrisburg-based Skarlatos-Zonarich law firm. “I love this city.”

ICA members agreed to meet the fourth Tuesday of each month, scheduling their next meeting for March 26.

Taste of PA: New downtown concept to feature PA beer, wines, spirits, food.

February 26, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

In downtown Harrisburg, Mulligan’s is being reborn as a new tasting room.

It’s been said that that technology has turned us all into seekers of novelty.

If that’s true, a new concept in downtown Harrisburg should benefit from our constant desire for something new.

On Thursday, long-time Harrisburg club and restaurant owner Ron Kamionka plans to debut Hops, Vines & Spirits Tasting Room in the former home of Mulligan’s Courtyard & Café on N. 2nd Street.

The plan, said Kamionka, is to feature a rotating menu of beer, wine, spirits and food from Pennsylvania producers.

“We’re really excited for the opportunity to showcase Pennsylvania products—whether it’s a craft brewery or a local butcher shop or cheese maker—right in downtown Harrisburg,” Kamionka said.

Kamionka said that he expects to host two PA breweries, two wineries and one distillery per month.

The debut lineup this weekend includes beer from St. Boniface Brewing Co. (Ephrata), beer and cider from Wyndridge Farm (Dallastown), wine from Broad Mountain Vineyard (Halifax) and Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery (Wrightsville) and spirits from Tattered Flag Brewery & Distillery (Middletown).

Patrons will be able to order by the glass or for takeout, with a bottle shop on premises. Flights will also be available to allow customers to sample small quantities of both drink and food.

Kamionka plans to feature numerous Harrisburg-area craft food producers, including products from Knead Pizza, Urban Churn ice cream, Anna Rose Bakery and 717 Tacos.

The venue also will feature special events throughout the month, including live music and guided tasting nights, Kamionka said.

The tasting room concept increasingly has caught on statewide as Pennsylvania has liberalized its liquor laws, especially for products made in-state.

Just last week, sip@soma debuted on the 100-block of S. 3rd Street in Harrisburg, with plans to feature a rotating series of PA breweries and wineries. In contrast, the Harristown-sponsored venture plans to be more event-focused, opening during 3rd in the Burg evenings and during special events, such as Harrisburg Beer Week, and requiring reservations to attend.

At Hops, Vines & Spirits, each producer will have its own dedicated bar, where patrons can learn in detail about the offerings from the brewery, vineyard or distillery.

“We have a unique opportunity to share the stories of all of these producers with our guests, and we’re eager to host a full slate of events to complement the vendors,” Kamionka said.

Hops, Vines & Spirits Tasting Room is located at 17 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.hvstastingroom.com.

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