Band Bond: In Olde Uptown, everyone’s jamming.

December 28, 2018 | by Kait Gibboney

Burg in Focus: Yam Yam from GK Visual on Vimeo.

A “musical conversation.”

That’s how one member of Harrisburg-based band Yam Yam describes their sound, which is based on interaction and play between band members.

Specializing in funk, soul and jazz, the band gets its influences from many sources to form a uniquely vibrant, multi-layered sound. Over the years, Yam Yam has made a name for itself in and out of the city, performing at various venues with shows ranging from the weirdest to the wildest.

Following the recent release of their first album, which debuted at the Abbey Bar, band members sat down for a chat at their rehearsal space/house in Olde Uptown.

Yam Yam consists of Mike Dempsey on keys, Tom Fuller on guitar, Tyler Fuller on drums, Jason Mescia on saxophone and Xander Moppin on bass. Their current lineup has been together for two years, but some have been together longer. Tom and Tyler are brothers who grew up with an appreciation of music.

“We learned how to play instruments together,” Tyler said. “We’ve played together for probably 15 years now.”

Mescia said that the band “just kind of happened.”

“Serendipitous, that’s the word for it,” he said.

Tyler took it up a notch.

“It was actually super-serendipitous,” he said. “I had just moved in to this apartment, and those two were jamming next door.”

They all started to get to know each other and then met up to jam. Next thing they knew, Yam Yam was born.

“There’s a lots of cool music happening in this house,” Tom said. “The Flower Garden boys live over there [next door], we ‘Yam’ it up in here, and the Gobbo boys live upstairs. Everyone’s jamming!”

Flower Garden and Gobbo are two other groups you’ll often find on the local scene.

“We all play with each other all of the time,” Moppin said.

Special Sound

It’s clear, when listening to the new album, that Yam Yam is passionate about music and the power of improvisation. Their style relies on members creating unique sounds and then playing off of each other.

“I think improvising is kind of our biggest inspiration,” Dempsey said. “We like bands that make stuff up on the spot. That’s what we like to do.”

When writing music, band members tackle songwriting and rehearsal together as a team effort. Someone comes up with part of a song, and the others find ways to play off of it. Each member has his own specialty and unique sound to offer, and it’s the group’s task to find their part to accompany the sound.

Tom Fuller described the process as a “musical conversation.”

“The collective aspect of writing, I think, is what gives us our strength in the music,” Dempsey said. “Any individual can write a song, but writing it as a band is hard.”

Mescia believes this is where the band thrives.

“It gives us a special sound,” he said. “Everybody in the band is really good with having their own sound and personality within the band, but then they’re able to come together and work democratically, as well.”

Yam Yam started recording their album in 2017, and it’s been quite the growing process since. They spent hours recording overdubs in living rooms and basements and more hours at Rock Mill Studios in Mechanicsburg, working with Logan Summey. Aaron Miller, a friend of the band, attended a show and offered guidance on how to grow.

“He just gave us a direction and pushed us to be more professional,” Tyler said.

With Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys as inspiration, the band set out to taking full advantage of what the studio had to offer.

“Wilson was notorious for making the studio his instrument,” Moppin said. “It takes a really talented producer to make the studio your instrument so that you can play what you want.”

“We had some fun in the studio experimenting with our own sound,” Dempsey said. “It’s our first album, so we didn’t really know what it was going to sound like starting out. It really turned into something bigger than I ever dreamed of.”

Aside from their talent with music, the boys of Yam Yam are strong in their friendships and brotherly bond.

“I’d say that’s one thing that makes us special,” Mescia said. “Our drama isn’t that drama-y. We’re all just great friends.”

Yam Yam, along with friends Ex Mag, plays New Year’s Eve at Club XL, 801 S. 10th St., Harrisburg. For more information about the band, visit www.yamyamband.com or their Facebook page.

Taste Times Two: Koda, Newfangled offer a flavorsome collaboration.

December 28, 2018 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Photo by Dani Fresh.

Those of us who grew up with Italian grandmothers know what it’s like to live in an environment where food is an expression of love.

We’ve seen firsthand the smiles a good meal elicits. So, it’s no surprise that, as adults, we, too, are interested in creating a similar mood.

As a child, Christian DeLutis observed his grandmother creating praiseworthy meals from simple ingredients and soon learned that he was happiest behind a stove. His passion led him to the Pittsburgh Culinary Institute and, upon completion of the program, to top kitchens in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Ireland.

After spending years away from home, DeLutis decided that it was time to return to the area.

“Family is here,” he said. “I missed home, and I wanted to bring here what I learned over the years.”

Arriving back in central PA, he soon went to work with Tröegs Brewery in Hershey to develop their “snack bar.” The project was so successful that it created a national buzz, with magazines like “All About Beer” singing its praises, using words like “adventurous, forward thinking and experimental.” After five years at Tröegs, DeLutis decided that it was time to move on, to take his career to the next level and become his own boss.

Shared & Loved

Owning his own restaurant was a long-held dream for DeLutis, and he felt that the best way to execute his vision was to start from scratch.

He worked with locally based Yingst Homes to build his restaurant in an emerging planned community located just off Nyes Road between Locust Lane and Union Deposit Road in the Union Station development.

“We chose this area because it is not as tucked away as some planned communities,” he said. “We are convenient to most locations on the East Shore, and there is a parking lot out back that accommodates 100 cars.”

In a nod to his mother’s pet name for him, DeLutis chose the Native American word, “Koda,” for his eatery, which means ‘little bear.’

Upon walking into Koda, the dining room immediately stands out or, in current parlance, is “Instagram worthy.”

An enormous, blue neon sign hangs over the open kitchen spelling out the restaurant name and its founding year in Roman numerals. The space, with its high ceiling and unfinished wainscoting, has an industrial vibe, with elements of Americana pulled from various decades.

Hobnail drinking glasses hail from the 1930s, and tufted booths evoke the steakhouses of the 1950s. One can almost picture the British model Twiggy perched on any one of the mod, white plastic chairs that complement rectangular tables of the same color.

As for the food, DeLutis describes it as “nostalgic” and explains that he considers it “vintage cuisine viewed beneath a modern lens.” The made-from-scratch, Americana-inspired dishes include creative takes on comfort foods like Swedish meatballs (venison, currants, egg noodles, gravy), gnocchi (scallop, lobster, fennel cream) and crispy duck leg (baked beans, barley, bacon, molasses).

Last month, Brenden Orth was one of the first customers to visit the restaurant, just days after it opened. He left praising the homemade pretzel rolls that arrived hot at the table topped with honey butter and the pork tenderloin served with bacon, red cabbage and dumplings.

“Everything was delicious and seasoned perfectly, and my wife thought her salmon was the best she’s ever had,” he said.

The couple made a point to save room for dessert, ordering apple pie and baked Alaska.

“We shared and loved both,” Orth said.

DeLutis attributes the early praise to a well-choreographed team.

“I make no decision without the other three chefs: the chef de cuisine, the pastry chef and the lead cook,” he said. “We all have to nod in agreement when making decisions.”

Through experience, he’s learned that a positive, supportive work environment is key to maintaining top-notch employees.

“I believe that will result in good food and good service,” he said. “We’re not trying to be pretentious here.”

Fun, Approachable

But good food isn’t the only reason to venture out to Koda. In a trend that’s becoming increasingly popular, the restaurant is partnering with a new brewery, which is located under the same roof.

Newfangled Brew Works opened just before Koda, but the timing worked out well. The two operations share about 12,000 square feet of space, but they’re technically separate. So, you can enjoy a craft beer in the casual brewery or slip into Koda for a great meal and cocktail.

Run by brew master Adam Cole, Newfangled prides itself on serving crisp, American-style beers. So, while you’ll find a solid IPA and wheat beer, you probably won’t be faced with anything on the bleeding edge of hoppy or sour.

Cole earned his beer bona fides at well-known breweries like Harrisburg-based Appalachian Brewing Co. and Victory Brewing Co. in Downingtown. He said that his degree in biotechnology has translated well into brewing, too. Then there was his experience as a bomb technician in the Air Force, which, he said, has helped him enter the tough world of business ownership.

“I learned not to sweat the small stuff,” he said, with a laugh.

For now, Cole anticipates turning out between 700 and 1,000 barrels annually, offering four standard beers, along with seasonal brews. Wines and spirits will also be available, as will casual fare like tacos, chicharrones and pork carnitas served from an on-site taco truck.

The brewery, which accommodates about 100 patrons, is meant to be an easygoing, fun experience, marked by live music and even party games like Jenga, Connect4 and Ping Pong.

The partnership between Koda and Newfangled enables patrons to enjoy a beer, cocktail or glass of wine at either one place or the other, or both. Even though Cole and DeLutis are running each business separately, both are united in one goal: to foster socialization by creating a fun, approachable destination where everyone feels welcome.

Koda and Newfangled Brew Works are located at 8001 Union Station Blvd., Harrisburg (Lower Paxton Township). For more information, visit www.kodahbg.com and www.newfangledbrew.com.

To Survive, to Thrive: Sickle Cell Council supports patients living with the debilitating illness.

December 28, 2018 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Gwendolyn Poles

For Ronald Johnson and Dr. Gwendolyn Poles, the pain of sickle cell disease never really goes away. In fact, they’ve dealt with it for as long as either can remember.

“I have very few good days without pain,” said Johnson, of Harrisburg. “On my worst days, I can’t move. I thank God every morning for being in the land of the living.”

For Dr. Poles, most days range somewhere between “mild pain” to “10-out-of-10, emergency room pain.” Days without pain for the Lower Paxton Township resident are few and far between.

“I’ve been sick as long as I can remember,” said Poles. “I was diagnosed at 18 months old. My mother noticed that I had swelling of the feet.”

Poles, though, is not just a sickle cell sufferer—she’s also an activist. She is president of the South Central PA Sickle Cell Council, a Susquehanna Township-based organization that helps and supports those who live with this painful inherited blood disorder.

No Cure

The council offers clients and their families disease testing and consultation, psychosocial assessment, social work case management, individual counseling, advocacy and educational resources. Support groups are available for youth, adults and families.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. Patients with the disease have red blood cells comprised mostly of the abnormal hemoglobin “S.” At times, some cells convert into a sickle shape that can cause great pain when passing through small blood vessels. Patients often experience chronic or acute pain of crippling proportions.

“I’ve heard some people say it’s like having a baby,” Johnson noted of the disease’s highest pain levels.

Sickle cell is relatively common within numerous ethnic groups, particularly those of African and Middle Eastern origin. In the United States, 1 to 3 million African Americans carry the trait.

“It’s important for communities of color to know their sickle cell status,” said Debra Bizzard, case manager and social worker for the South Central PA Sickle Cell Council. “Sometimes, two carriers find out their status only when they have a child with full-blown sickle cell.”

Joseph Robinson, Jr., the council’s executive director, doesn’t have the disease, but he knows well how it affects the lives of patients and their families.

“The marker for sickle cell is pain,” Robinson said. “Many have to go to the emergency room and wind up staying in the hospital for six to eight days. A family who has to endure this often misses school or work, as well.”

As the council’s case manager/social worker, Bizzard provides support services for 148 clients.

“They call sickle cell ‘the invisible disease,’” she said. “There is no general cure for it at all. We just try to manage the illness.”

More Stigma

Upon intake, potential clients are given a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Depression and anxiety are common for patients who try managing their lives around the disease.

“I’m totally disabled,” Johnson said. “I have no control over this disease. I never know when it’s going to hit.”

Median life expectancy for people with sickle cell is only 45 years, which tends to discourage some from pursuing higher education or careers.

“Some young people figure they’ve already lived half of their lives,” Bizzard said.

Poles and Johnson, however, have well exceeded this statistic.

Dr. Poles, 65, retired in 2013 as a physician with PinnacleHealth. She led a long and successful medical career in the area after earning a doctorate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Johnson, 55, said that he tried holding jobs in the past but was derailed by a sickle cell crisis that required lengthy hospitalization. He tried to hide his illness from others while working because of the stigma it would entail, he said.

“Many (patients) have to go to the emergency room for morphine and stay for three to eight days,” he said. “That makes it difficult to hold a job. A boss may not be down with it. Others may not understand what’s going on because the person looks healthy to them.”

Bizzard added that sometimes hospital staff members don’t understand patients’ extreme pain due to a lack of knowledge about the disease. Sickle cell patients also tend to request high levels of narcotics to combat the pain, which can create even more stigma.

“We educate everyone about sickle cell disease: lawyers, physicians, nursing classes at Harrisburg Area Community College,” Robinson said. “Our function is to spread awareness and help anyway we can psychologically.”

The South Central PA Sickle Cell Council is located at 2000 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-234-3358 or visit www.scpascc.org. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Flip the Calendar, Turn the Page: A selection of buzzy books for 2019.

December 28, 2018 | by Alex Brubaker

Another year, another stack of books to add to the “to-be-read” list.

At Midtown Scholar, we’re always on the lookout for the next great read, so we’ve dug up some of the most anticipated books expected to hit our shelves this year. Ranging from poetry and literary fiction to science fiction, fantasy and history, the year promises to deliver entertaining, thoughtful and educational reads from authors at the top of their game. Let us know what we missed and make sure to check out these books when they drop at the Scholar.

“Oculus” by Sally Wen Mao (Graywolf Press, Jan. 15)
Booksellers have learned to pay close attention to Graywolf Press. The indie darling of small publishers, Graywolf’s acclaim is starting to add up. Poetry lovers have a lot to look forward to in 2019, and that includes Sally Wen Mao’s second collection, “Oculus.” With poems that probe the violence of the spectacle—through technology, science, and film—Mao has crafted a collection that is unique and widely imaginative. With opening lines like, “Before everything was stolen, our lives were ours,” Wen, according to the publisher, “confronts the paradoxes of seeing and being seen, the intimacies made possible and ruined by the screen, and the many roles and representations that women of color are made to endure in order to survive a culture that seeks to consume them.” Sign us up.

“Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land (Hachette Books, Jan. 22)
For readers of “Evicted” and “Educated,” Stephanie Land’s eye-opening memoir details her years working as a maid, probing the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it’s like to be in service to them. “I’d become a nameless ghost,” Land writes, offering an insightful look at the stories of overworked and underpaid Americans. This one’s been on our radar for months now, and booksellers across the country are eager to get it on the shelves. American essayist Roxane Gay highly recommends Land’s memoir, writing that she delivers on “the ways in which our society is systemically designed to keep impoverished people mired in poverty, the indignity of poverty by way of unmovable bureaucracy, and people’s lousy attitudes toward poor people.”

“Black Leopard Red Wolf” by Marlon James (Riverhead Books, Feb. 5)
Here it is, readers—the must-read novel of the year. The first book in the Dark Star trilogy from Man Booker Prize winning author Marlon James, “Black Leopard, Red Wolf” draws from African mythology, fantasy and history to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. Breathtaking in scope and ambition, James delivers a world that will satisfy the most ardent fantasy readers. But don’t take my word for it. Acclaimed British author Neil Gaiman boldly claims that James has created “a fantasy world as well-realized as anything Tolkien made.” Mic, drop.

“On the Come Up” by Angie Thomas (Blazer & Bray, Feb. 5)
It’s finally here—the highly anticipated second novel from the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, Angie Thomas. If you enjoyed The “Hate U Give,” odds are you’ll fall in love with Thomas’s equally delightful YA novel, “On the Come Up.” The story follows a 16-year-old who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all-time—against some pretty tough odds. Thomas has established herself as one of her generation’s most influential literary voices. So, if you’re a fan, don’t walk—run—to your nearest independent bookstore when this one drops in February.

“The City in the Middle of the Night” by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Books, Feb. 12)
She’s already been called this generation’s Ursula K. Le Guin with notes of Philip Pullman. That’s high praise for Charlie Jane Anders, who has developed a following with her speculative fiction short stories and novels. In her new novel, “The City in the Middle of the Night,” Anders doesn’t disappoint. Set on a dying planet divided between a permanently frozen darkness on one side and blazing endless sunshine on the other, humanity clings to life. But life inside the cities is just as dangerous as the wastelands outside. Anders is writing science fiction at the top her game—readers should take note.

“The Other Americans” by Laila Lalami (Pantheon, March 26)
A Moroccan immigrant falls victim to a hit-and-run accident in California. With only one witness—whose fear of deportation prevents him from coming forward—the tragedy sparks a narrative “informed by the treacherous fault lines of American culture,” according to the publisher. Told through multiple points of view from a cast of several different characters, Laila Lalami’s “The Other Americans” is a timely, heart-rending novel that illuminates the Muslim-American experience in the 21st century. Her first book since the critically acclaimed novel, “The Moor’s Account”—a Pulitzer Prize finalist—Lalami is likely back with another hit.

“Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow” by Henry Louis Gates (Penguin Press, April 2)
When Henry Louis Gates writes a book, you pay attention. From one of our foremost scholars on American history, “Stony the Road” chronicles the African-American experience from the abolition of slavery and reconstruction to the rise of Jim Crow and the Harlem Renaissance. With appearances from historical figures like Frederick Douglass and W.E.B Dubois, Gates paints a vivid historical picture of one of America’s greatest tragedies.

“Naamah” by Sarah Blake (Riverhead Books, April 9)
Told from the perspective of Noah’s wife Naamah, Sarah Blake’s debut novel is a meditative re-telling of the flood from the reluctant heroine who rescued life on earth. With poignant and spare prose, “Naamah” captures the doubt, the resilience and the bravery of the woman at the heart of the great flood in Genesis. Riverhead Books continues to churn out hit after hit (and with the best book covers in the business, hands down), so it’s easy to get excited about this one. While different in style, “Naamah” is a thoughtful, complementary read to Madeline Miller’s “Circe.”

“Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming” by Laszlo Krasznahorkai (New Directions, May 28)
Susan Sontag has called him the “Hungarian master of the apocalypse,” and noted critic James Wood once described the experience of reading his prose as “profoundly unsettling.” If that doesn’t sell you, Laszlo Krasznahorkai himself explained his last work was about “drawing our attention away from this world, speeding our body toward annihilation.” Krasznahorkai is a rare writer—eschewing traditional forms of plot, character and narrative. His sentences can go on for pages at a time, digressing into a stream of thought that might even make James Joyce roll his eyes. Kafka, Dostoevsky, Beckett and Nietzsche come to mind as philosophical and literary influences, and while this novel won’t hit the shelves until May, it will be worth the wait.

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press, June 4)
Poet Ocean Vuong made shockwaves in the literary world back in 2016 with his acclaimed debut poetry collection, “Night Sky With Exit Wounds.” Now, Vuong is back with another debut—this time a novel (and just as delightfully titled)—“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” Written as a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read, Vuong’s powerful debut is as much about the power of telling one’s own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard. Writing with raw honesty, compassion and grace, Vuong proves to be a literary force in whichever form he chooses to write.

Alex Brubaker is manager of Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

Decade of Service: Diversity, education in focus for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

December 28, 2018 | by Maddie Crocenzi

Mike Walsh’s journey with Martin Luther King Jr. Day began before it was ever connected to an idea of service in central Pennsylvania.

In college, he interned with U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford, who was an advisor to Dr. King in the 1960s. Wofford helped to pass a piece of legislation that President Bill Clinton signed into law, making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national day of service in 1994.

Walsh later co-founded the Central PA MLK Committee and serves as the vice chair today. In January, the committee will celebrate 10 years of service throughout our region.

“Ten years ago, we thought about doing something here in central Pennsylvania,” Walsh said. “There were projects already taking place. We sort of organized this under an umbrella group.”

For several years, the group held its signature events inside a Harrisburg public school. For the past three years, state Rep. Patty Kim has taken the lead as the committee’s chair and expanded signature sites to other places, including the Hadee Mosque on Division Street and Beth El Temple on Front Street.

“I feel like my job as chair is to bring all of these different communities under one roof and to really come together,” Kim said.

The Hadee Mosque was selected as the main organizing site after Steelton’s Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg received a hate letter. Kim said it was “therapeutic” to go there and heal together. It’s one of the highlights for Kim — getting to lock arms with people and find strength in the community’s diversity.

Although many of the projects take place in Harrisburg and Dauphin County, anyone can register their projects with the organization through its website. Walsh said that, in the past, they’ve had projects in York, Cumberland, Lancaster and Lebanon counties, too.

Kim presides over the signature site, where there is always an opening ceremony. The project there is typically family-focused, so that even kids can come participate. This year, the theme is “education,” and the day will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Susquehanna Township High School.

“There’s a lot of activities that are going to take place where volunteers are going to put together anti-bullying kits within Susquehanna Township school district schools,” Walsh said.

It’s all connected to King’s message that intelligence and character are goals of education. In addition to the anti-bullying kits, Kim said there will be crafts, artistic projects for children and opportunities for kids to read books about King and his message.

There also will be cultural tables at the high school with resources to connect different communities, something that Kim is passionate about.

“In the past couple years, the president has said some things that were very hurtful and divisive, and having our sites at a synagogue and a mosque were extra meaningful to me,” Kim said. “Being able to support these religious groups and learn more about them is pretty powerful”

Walsh said that the group of core volunteers comes from all walks of life and backgrounds, and the number grows every year. If you add up all the sites in the region, he expects the volunteers to number about 1,000. Last year alone, they had 300 people helping at the signature site at the temple, Kim said.

The projects range in terms of time and activity. Volunteers can check the committee’s website for information and background on the project and then register. That way, they know how many hours they’ll be there and what exactly they’ll do.

Organizations can also register their own events on the committee’s website, whether it’s for families or people with a specific skill.

Kim said she was “hooked” since her first day of service.

“It’s just a couple of hours, but you really leave feeling like you did something special for your community,” she said.

Due to inclement weather, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service events have been postponed. They will now take place on Sunday, Feb. 24. For more information, to register a project or to sign up for a project, visit www.centralpamlkday.org.

Om for All: You can’t spell commUNITY without unity.

December 28, 2018 | by Norah Griffiths Johnson

“All you have to do is lie down and not fall asleep,” said Erika Malorzo, founder of the commUNITY Yoga Space.

Malorzo was explaining yoga nidra, a form of guided meditation she offers that aims to help restore the body and mind.

In September, Malorzo opened commUNITY Yoga, which is located on the first floor of a snug row house in the heart of Midtown Harrisburg. When you enter the space, it feels cozy and welcoming. Natural light bathes the room via the large picture window in the front, and the scent of incense floats gently in the air.

commUNITY Yoga’s central location is by design, as are many other components of the studio.

“The reason I’m here is to give back to the community,” explained Malorzo, herself a Midtown resident. “I’m here to serve the community and to show them some ways to take care of themselves.”

To further this, every class at commUNITY Yoga is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to have a safe space to breathe, to let go, be a little healthier, to stretch, strengthen their body and mind, and to meet their neighbors,” she said.

Malorzo has long been intentional in her desire to connect people with yoga. She earned her 200-hour teaching certification in kripalu yoga years ago, but is also certified in yoga nidra, laughter yoga and yoga for children.

Kripalu, which centers around compassion for oneself and others, underscores Malorzo’s interest in providing classes for everyone. With modifications and tailoring based on the participants, she stresses that the classes are for all abilities.

“These classes center around gentle strengthening and stretching, but also fun,” she said. “Whatever works for your body, because everybody’s body is different.”

Another unique characteristic of commUNITY Yoga is its lack of a digital presence, beyond a phone number and address on Google. This is also by design, Malorzo explained, saying that she wants people to discover the studio organically.

If you’re interested in trying out a class, simply call the studio or stop by. A blackboard sits out front, decorated with friendly-looking script and a detailed class schedule. (The January to March schedule is now available.)

So far, Malorzo said, the community response has been heartwarming and positive.

Nicole, a Harrisburg resident, talked about discovering the studio while out walking her dog one day. She’s now a regular attendee at the morning classes, as well as yoga nidra.

“I really do appreciate it, and my body appreciates it,” she said.

The pay-what-you-can structure was a game changer for Amy, another studio attendee. She shared an anecdote about taking an introductory power yoga session and loving it, but soon discovering that the associated cost at many studios priced her out of attending.

“Even working a full-time job, there was just no way I could fit it into my budget,” she said.

Then her co-worker (also a studio attendee) mentioned commUNITY Yoga.

“It came at the right time,” she said. “I think it’s really sad that something like this usually costs so much and that it’s not accessible to more people. I really appreciate what Erika is doing here.”

For Mark, a studio regular, commUNITY Yoga has helped him turn over a new leaf in terms of self care.

“One of the things that makes this place special is the yoga nidra classes,” he said. “They give you clarity and space in your mind. They’re restful and rejuvenating all at once.“

Heather has experimented with almost all of the classes, but likes the laughter yoga classes best of all.

“It always puts me in a good mood, and it gives me a lot of energy,” she said.

Curious about laughter yoga? Laughter, Malorzo explained, has a host of benefits, including increased blood oxygen levels, more positive feelings and higher energy levels.

To experience this firsthand, I participated in a laughter yoga introduction. Malorzo had us stand in a circle as she briefly oriented us to the practice.

“Imagine you’re putting on your bathrobe, and you realize there’s a praying mantis inside,” she said.

She then briefly and wholeheartedly acted this out, laughing joyfully as she hopped and danced around the room.

Then it was our turn.

It was an atypical experience, but Malorzo made us feel comfortable. We wriggled, jumped and laughed around the room in our own interpretations of the prompt. It was endearing and silly and life affirming.

“Laughter is good for you,” she reminded us. “Laughter is good for your body, and you can feel its effect on you.”

With the new year upon us—a natural time for self-reflection—commUNITY Yoga offered the perfect setting to begin a new chapter, complete with rejuvenation and even some laughs.

commUNITY Yoga Space is located at 1417½ N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-856-0263 or see the blackboard outside the space, which lists the class schedule.

Here Comes the Fuzz: It’s a no-shave zone for Harrisburg police.

December 28, 2018 | by Diane McNaughton

If you happen to see a Harrisburg police officer on the evening news or out on the street, you may notice that he seems a little—well—hairier than usual.

There’s a good reason why members of the force are giving their razors a rest and turning their faces into blankets of fur.

About 40 of the bureau’s 135 officers have given up shaving for more than two months to raise money for—and boost awareness of—the city’s hungry and homeless, according to Blake Lynch, the department’s community policing coordinator.

By paying $30 each, male officers are permitted to defy traditional orders and grow their beards for November, December and the first week of January. Participating female officers are allowed to color their hair and wear make-up and colored nail polish.

Money raised is donated to Downtown Daily Bread, the mission associated with the Pine Street Presbyterian Church, which has cared for the hungry and homeless since 1983.

Cpl. Josh Hammer, sporting a sandy blonde, Bradley Cooper-esque beard, said that his sons don’t seem to notice the extra facial fuzz, but his wife Angie, a West Shore salon owner, sure does. City residents do, too, since they’re accustomed to their officers being clean-shaven.

Hammer said the beards have boosted morale and provoked a healthy dose of light-hearted male ribbing and bonding on the force. But they also have raised awareness of a more sobering message.

“Going into so many houses, we see it all,” he said. “We see people who are really struggling.”

Hammer and Lynch reflected somberly on several recent tragic events, such as the young teen killed in a car crash at 25th and Brookwood streets on the Swatara Township-Harrisburg city line. Lynch helped plan a funeral, connected the family with grief counselors, communicated with another mom staying 24-7 in the hospital with her critically wounded son, crafted public statements on their behalf, and helped keep food on the table when the families could not work due to the incident.

Over the years, police officers have also assembled and delivered baskets of fresh food at Thanksgiving. They have helped job-seekers tie their neckties before job interviews, bought food anonymously for needy families, hosted National Night Out events and stopped at child care centers to let the little ones push the buttons inside the police cars to activate the lights and sirens.

“Our goal is to protect and serve,” Lynch said. “This is just one more opportunity to serve.”

The beard-growing venture is more than a fundraiser for the church-based charity located in the shadow of the expansive marble-floored and mahogany-walled Capitol. It’s a spirited competition among colleagues. The winner of “Best Beard” wins a plaque, a trimmer, and, of course, bragging rights.

Contestants must take a photograph of their beard only—no dazzling white smiles or distinctive facial features to skew the results. Last year’s winner, Officer Bath, is participating again, so he is clearly the beard to beat.

With the start of the new year, the beards may be unceremoniously washed down the sink, but the spirit of giving will not. Officers must show up clean-shaven on Jan. 7 or the disciplinary write-ups for facial hair will fly anew.

But until then, the force will continue to channel their inner lumberjack, hipster or Jason Kelce and compare their beards to each other’s as a true measure of machismo.

“This is an opportunity for people to really be part of something bigger than themselves,” Lynch said. “Our officers do that every single day. We are not just collecting a paycheck. We do it because we care.”

Poetry & Pipes: Annual “Burns Supper” celebrates all things Scottish.

December 28, 2018 | by Gina Napoli

Scotland is known for many bold things: The Loch Ness Monster, Scotch whisky, “Braveheart.”

The Scottish culture was once even the subject of a rousing “Saturday Night Live” skit in which cast member Mike Myers coined the catchphrase, “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap!”

The Scottish are also known for an 18th-century Romantic poet named Robert Burns, hailed as the “Scots’ Bard.” The majority of Burns’ poems and songs celebrate Scottish culture, farm life, religion, politics and equality for all. In the United States, his most popular and recognizable work is “Auld Lang Syne.”

In 1801, five years after Burns died, his friends gathered together for the first “Burns Supper” to celebrate his birthday. Though he lived only 37 years, Burns inspired a Scottish tradition that has lasted more than two centuries.

Here in central PA, the Scottish Society of Central PA has held a Burns Supper every January since 1955.

“The whole evening is a night of tradition and ceremony,” said President Ken Millage. “It’s a celebration of Burns’ life. We always try to make it fun.”

The itinerary follows a standard order.

To start, the officers and board of directors enter the room accompanied by bagpipers from their society. The host then gives opening remarks, during which all of the guests recite Burns’ poem “Selkirk Grace” to bless the food. Given that it’s a January event, the local host recites a poem on winter weather in Scotland.

Next comes the food, which begins with the soup course—cock-a-leekie soup—consisting of chicken and leeks, plus rice and julienned prunes. The pinnacle of the evening is next: the presentation of the haggis by the hotel chef. The celebrated haggis is organ meat from sheep ground up with suet and boiled in a sheep’s stomach.

“This is a processional ceremony with crossed swords and one of the members giving the ‘Address to a Haggis’ poem from memory,” Millage said. “It’s a long poem.”

For those who find the idea of haggis and julienned prunes in soup less than appetizing, there are many other culinary offerings, such as pecan-encrusted salmon, braised beef, grilled vegetables and trifle for dessert. Armed with their favorite beverages, everyone at the party gives a series of toasts to national leaders of the United States and Scotland, followed by humorous, roast-type toasts to lads and lassies.

“The toasts poke good-natured fun at how men and women see each other,” Millage said.

Next, one of the members gives an oration of all things Burns, whether serious or funny. This is followed by a short toast to the “Immortal Memory of Robert Burns,” then more poetry and music.

“Burns wrote in a dialect unique to him,” Millage said. “Some in the society can recite all evening long. They have great knowledge of the poetry. I have to look for an English translation to make sure I understand what he is saying.”

This year’s music itinerary holds a fresh lineup of bagpipers, Scottish country dancers, Celtic musicians and Jacobite reenactors. (Jacobite uprisings were a series of rebellions and wars between 1688 and 1746.)

Entertainer Charlie Zahm will present “a new story on the history of the Jacobite uprisings in history and song,” Millage said. “Some people come [to the event] just to hear the music.”

Singing “Auld Lang Syne” means the evening has come to an end, with attendees forming a big circle around the room.

Although the event may stand on ceremony, unabashed dancing is encouraged as a form of music appreciation.

“One great way to meet new friends is to dance in the aisles,” Millage said. “We have people who remind us of [our daughter] Mary dancing in the aisles when she was younger.”

To pull the event together, the Scottish Society relies on a core group of volunteers. Then there are the helpers who “bake shortbread and tie bouquets of heather,” Millage said of the Scottish party favors.

The Burns Supper is open to the community, attracting people who have an interest in Scottish things, people who come to hear the music, and people wondering if they are Scottish. Each year, more than 100 people attend.

“We could hold even more,” Millage said, dropping a sly hint.

The Burns Supper takes place Jan. 26 at the Radisson Penn Harris, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill. For more information about the Scottish Society of Central PA and to make reservations for the event, visit www.pennscots.org.

A Tour and a Pour: Are you a history nerd AND a beer nerd? Consider yourself served.

December 28, 2018 | by Gina Napoli

Photo by Dani Fresh.

It’s not exactly “Drunk History,” that long-running Comedy Central program that melds, well, drinking and history.

Nonetheless, that show kept running through my mind as several friends and I ventured forth with Eugene Showers, the amiable, knowledgeable owner of The Lost Pint.

Through his tours, Showers offers a unique, fun type of interactive education, as he puts brewing in context with local history, agriculture, geology, transportation—even the migratory patterns of animals. With a few tasting stops woven in.

The tour’s surplus of obscure trivia hints at a Harrisburg that once was, while the behind-the-scenes stops infuse a mix of modern and museum.

Showers is uniquely qualified for this job, as he has worked both as a teacher and at various distilleries and breweries. He also brews beer at home.

“I’m not looking for people who just want to drink and not learn anything,” Showers said. “I appreciate smart and cultured people on my tours. This tour is an interactive conversation, and we all learn from each other.”

Showers started The Lost Pint after sharing the region’s history with a group of visiting Europeans.

“I felt certain that others would appreciate the Susquehanna River and Harrisburg if they could see it the way I do, from a different perspective,” he said. “Visitors always enjoy stopping to grab a pint. So, conversations always include beer styles, beer tastings and beer-making education.”

Tastes Amazing

The Lost Pint offers a step-on tour. You bring the vehicle. The tour guide rides shotgun, navigating and narrating.

You have your choice of tours lasting from two to six hours, whether you want to learn about the Underground Railroad, local historic ruins or historic and modern brewing venues.

I arranged a tour for a random Saturday, bringing along five readers of TheBurg who are interested in local history and have toured breweries and distilleries. The guest list included Harrisburg residents Lora Ball, Greg Follett, Sara Sitz and Robyn Sitz and Mechanicsburg resident Marcia Peterman.

Showers recommended to us his popular, four-hour “Susquehanna River Valley Tour” and “Harrisburg Tour.”

Although the website offers standard tour packages, Showers can customize an itinerary, adding a vineyard here and a brewery there. And he can easily change it on the fly. Even before our group assembled, he showcased his flexibility. Our tour date overlapped with a downtown parade, closing off several streets on our original itinerary.

The first stop on our improvised agenda turned out to be a crowd favorite.

Because Showers is tapped in (pun intended) with local brewers and historians, he offers a glimpse behind the barrels. At The Millworks, master brewer Jeff Musselman took us into the brewery he designed from scratch. The tour’s brewing process explanation threw us back to chemistry class, but in a much better way.

Unlike my chemistry teachers, Musselman provided samples. First, we tasted one of the raw ingredients, barley malt that smacked of crackers from a hippie bakery. Then he tapped a new barrel to allow us a rare sample of his black raspberry imperial stout.

“That never, ever happens,” said Robyn Sitz, who has toured numerous breweries and distilleries worldwide.

Showers agreed.

“For a brewer to tap his barrel is a rare happening,” he said. “But where do you go to get a beer like this? Just imagine 150 pounds of black raspberries being incorporated in that barrel. It tastes amazing.”

Like Friends

En route to our next stop, Showers pointed out historic landmarks that we all drive past daily, but never before stopped to truly consider.

Highlights included the ruins of a speakeasy entrance, the chronicles of Charles Dickens’ visit through Harrisburg, and the pillars at the Market Street Bridge entrance, complete with fascinating stories behind them.

Another trivia opportunity awaited us at our next tour stop.

Pre-prohibition, Highspire was home to Highspire Distillery, manufacturer of Highspire Rye Whiskey. The unassuming, 7-foot, brick warehouse, with “H. A. Hartman & Son” painted on the side, sits tucked on a back road along the main drag. You have to squint in the sunlight to see “Highspire Distillery” blacked out and painted over.

The young owner, Rich Lawson, runs a storage facility in one section of the warehouse and showcases relics from the distillery’s heyday in another part. He proudly claims to “resurrect legacies.” The distillery’s most remarkable legacy, Highspire Rye Whiskey, is now produced out of state (this forgotten rye goes down smooth, by the way).

“That kid was cool, and the warehouse was amazing,” Follett said.

Ball enjoyed this part of the tour most.

“I must have driven past this building a thousand times,” she said. “But I didn’t realize what it was.”

The next stop took us along the Susquehanna River, past TMI, to canal ruins at Collins Lock. Showers made history come alive, putting the canal ruins in context with historic trade and topography.

Looking at locks and history about the canal proved to be a favorite for Follett.

“I’m still unclear about how it all fits together, but it will give me something to Google later,” he said.

Our last stop, Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works in Middletown, provided a self-guided tour, appetizers and unusual brews—plus edifying conversation about the local, hidden gems uncovered throughout the tour.

“I’ve lived here for 20 years, and I didn’t know most of the stuff I learned on this tour,” Peterman said.

Follett may have summarized our Lost Pint tour best.

“The owner gave us a personal tour,” he said. “And he treated us like friends.”

For more information about The Lost Pint, visit www.thelostpint.com or the Facebook page.

Supremely Satisfying: Standout performances elevate “On the Basis of Sex.”

December 28, 2018 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

“Changing the culture means nothing if the law doesn’t change.”

So says Ruth Bader Ginsburg, played by Felicity Jones, in director Mimi Leder’s latest film, “On The Basis Of Sex,” based on the 1972 case, Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which was vital to overturning more than 100 years of gender discrimination.

To set the stage, Leder thrusts us into 1950s America, where women are allowed to study law at Harvard—but not without some residual resistance and with little-to-no luck finding a firm to welcome them after they receive their degree.

Bader Ginsburg rises to the top of her class, even taking on the workload of two students while her husband, Martin (Armie Hammer), battles cancer (the two of them are raising a child, to boot) and then steps out into the real world—to become a professor. Firm after firm denies her a position because she is a woman.

Fast forward to the 1970s. Now, with two children, the family carries on. Bader Ginsburg is still a professor, embittered by society’s mishandling of gender discrimination and teaching that very subject to young minds. Meanwhile, her daughter (Cailee Spaeny) has also blossomed into a feminist, even challenging Bader Ginsburg about her role in society.

And then a case appears that could change everything.

It centers around tax law, which is more Martin Ginsburg’s field, but he points the case out to Bader Ginsburg because it involves a man who is unable to receive tax deductions as a caretaker for his invalid mother. Here, we see gender discrimination from another perspective. Normally, the cases involve discrimination against women due to gender norms, but this one wrestles with the opposite, something that the Ginsburgs believe may interest the Supreme Court and help them win their case.

And so continues Bader Ginsburg’s fight for civil liberties and equality for men and women alike, a fight that even the ACLU at first is not on board with. Justin Theroux plays a friend in the ACLU who is unable to look past ingrained prejudice to risk standing by the defendant in such an uncertain case.

Jones brings a shrewd, confident energy to the role as Bader Ginsburg, and Hammer complements her perfectly. We see excellent supporting performances from Theroux (though he plays a friend, he is, at times, the emotional foe in the story) and Spaeny, who ignites the screen in her scenes with Jones. There’s even a fun walk-on from Kathy Bates as Dorothy Kenyon, a famous lawyer in support of civil liberties.

Leder has given us a fantastic depiction of society’s slow-but-steady cultural shift through this case. And while there is still so far to go, we can feel the effects of the work that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has had with this victory and with her work on the Supreme Court.

“On the Basis of Sex” plays this month at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

Midtown Cinema
January Events

National Theatre Live presents
“Antony & Cleopatra”
Monday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.

3rd in the Burg $3 Movie
“Clue” (1985)
Friday, Jan. 18 at 9:30 p.m.

Down in Front!
Comedy improv riffs on
“Future War”
Friday, Jan. 25 at 9:30ish

Moviate presents
“The Public Image is Rotten”
Documentary event
Sunday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.

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