Harrisburg School Board hears charter application for midtown elementary school.

December 13, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Pennsylvania STEAM Academy has proposed opening a k-2 charter school in the HACC Midtown 2 building on N. 3rd Street in 2019, with plans to expand with k-8 offerings.

A new elementary charter school could open its doors in Midtown Harrisburg next year, if it gets the approval it seeks from the Harrisburg school board.

The Pennsylvania STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Academy tonight presented a charter application to the school board at a public hearing in the district’s Lincoln Administration Building.

Only three board members attended the hearing, which was recessed after 90 minutes and will reconvene in January.

The presentation was led by former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq, a founding board member of the PA STEAM Academy. Dumaresq explained that the school would offer small classes and a rigorous curriculum in STEM fields, as well as a deep emphasis on language arts and literacy.

If Harrisburg grants the five-year charter application, the STEAM Academy would open at the HACC Midtown 2 Academic Building, 1500 N. 3rd St., in fall 2019 for grades K-2. The school would add a grade of instruction every year, allowing the incoming cohort of 2nd-graders to progress through 6th grade by the time the charter expires in 2024.

HACC currently occupies Midtown 2, but the 15-year lease on the building expires in June 2022, and HACC announced in March that it would not renew it. The college plans to start moving some programs out of the building as early as next year.

As a public charter school, enrollment at PA STEAM Academy would be free, paid for by students’ school districts. Harrisburg students would have first priority for the 120 enrollment slots. If the school received applications for more students than it could serve, it would select students through a lottery system.

Enrollment would only be open to students from other districts if the school could not fill its seats from within Harrisburg.

The school would also have a research component, Dumaresq said, serving as a testing ground for innovative curriculum programs that could raise student achievement across all of the Harrisburg school district.

“We would be able to look at our programs, look at student achievement, and say ‘this works’ and take the model [to other schools],” Dumaresq said. “A school district the size of Harrisburg can’t implement things this big all at once.”

Dumaresq said that STEAM Academy would only implement curriculum programs that have already shown promise in other schools. The academy would also leverage partnerships with colleges and universities, nonprofits and local businesses and government agencies, she said.

Students would start their school day at 8:15 a.m. and dismiss at 3:45 p.m., according to a sample daily schedule provided during the presentation. They would receive 120 minutes of language arts instruction, one hour each for math, science and engineering instruction, and 40 minutes for creative arts.

Students would also take classes in computer science and coding, social studies and Spanish language, Dumaresq said.

Eventually, the school hopes to serve grades K-8. Dumaresq said that the board does not intend to offer high school instruction, since they envision the STEAM academy as a feeder into Harrisburg’s Sci-Tech High School.

The STEAM academy submitted its charter school application to the Harrisburg school board on Nov. 13. The board had 45 days to schedule a public hearing and now has 45 more days to hold a second hearing and a vote, according to Pennsylvania’s Act 14.

School board directors will be able to ask questions of the charter school board at the next hearing in January. Tonight’s hearing allowed the STEAM Academy board to present their application and field questions.

During a public comment session before the meeting, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse spoke strongly in favor of the charter application, citing pubic demand for quality schools and the “clear strength” of the application.

Harrisburg school board President Danielle Robinson said that scheduling conflicts prevented more of her colleagues from attending tonight’s hearing. They all have printed copies and PDFs of the charter application, she said, and will also receive transcripts from tonight’s hearing.

Since the board was only receiving information tonight, and not deliberating or voting, the lack of a quorum of members did not constitute a violation of the Sunshine Act, according to the hearing’s presiding officer Allison Peterson of the Levin Law Group.

The school board will vote on the STEAM Academy charter in February, Robinson said. If the board rejects it, Dumaresq said that she would appeal their decision to the Pennsylvania Charter School Appeal Board, which she chaired as state secretary of education.

Dumaresq has behind her a star-studded board of directors, whose members include lobbyists, developers, veteran educators and executives in the finance and nonprofit sectors. The following roster of board members, founding members and charter development consultants was provided at tonight’s presentation:

• Jenny Gallagher-Blom, director of operations at the Salvation Army of Harrisburg
• Kirk Hallet, founder and director of the Joshua School and the Joshua Center
• Susan Kegerise, former superintendent of Susquehanna Township School District
• Doug Neidich, CEO of GreenWorks Development, owner of the HACC Midtown 2 building
• Tina Nixon, an executive at UPMC Pinnacle
• Rocco Pugliese, president of Pugliese Associates
• David Skerpon of the Education Policy and Leadership Center
• Ron Tomalis, a former education advisor to Gov. Tom Corbett
• Michael Wilson
• Kathleen Blouch, a curriculum consultant
• Yvonne Hollins, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg
• Robert O’Donnell, senior fellow at the Commonwealth Foundation
• David Schmidt

The Harrisburg school district currently grants charters to three schools: Sylvan Heights Science Charter School, the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA) and Premier Arts and Science Charter School.

The board voted in August to revoke the charter of Premier Arts and Science after lawyers found the school had inflated its enrollment and overbilled the district.

The last new charter application before the board was for an arts-focused school that would have opened in the former Bishop McDevitt campus on Market Street. It failed 6-3 in a February 2017 board vote.

Tonight, Harrisburg Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney said she had not yet done an intensive reading of the STEAM Academy application, but said it looked “very promising.”

Pre-built police substation arrives in South Allison Hill.

December 13, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

The fully assembled Harrisburg Police Substation at 15th and Drummond Streets in South Allison Hill. Tractor trailers delivered the modular building in segments today, which where lifted on to the building foundation by a crane.

Four oversized-load tractor-trailers delivered the new Harrisburg police substation to its site in South Allison Hill this morning, where the prefabricated units will be assembled ahead of the station’s anticipated opening in early 2019.

The modular units began arriving at the site at S. 15th and Drummond streets at 10:30 a.m. and were assembled by early afternoon. Once the units are fully affixed to the foundation, crews will outfit the interior with plumbing and electricity.

Construction should be completed on Feb. 11, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

The new substation, built on the site of a long-shuttered police precinct that was demolished this summer, will house the city’s community policing unit during the day, as well as uniformed patrol officers assigned to South Allison Hill through the evening and early morning, Papenfuse said.

“This area has always been a hotspot for crime,” Papenfuse said, adding that the location would bolster the city’s economic development projects in the nearby MulDer Square neighborhood.

The $20 million MulDer Square project aims to revitalize a section of South Allison Hill near the Mulberry Street Bridge by rehabbing dilapidated housing into affordable homes and apartments.

The city hopes that a stronger police presence in the neighborhood will encourage more investment and home ownership, Papenfuse said.

The South Allison Hill substation has been in the works since 2016, when the police bureau first said they would re-open a defunct precinct on S. 15th Street. Since then, they scrapped plans to renovate the existing, long-shuttered precinct building and also scaled back a proposal to staff the precinct 24 hours a day.

City Council allocated almost $1 million in the 2018 budget for the construction of a modular substation building, which offered lower costs and faster turnaround than on-site construction, city Engineer Wayne Martin said. The steel-and-brick modules were built in New Holland, Pa., and have a 99-year lifespan.

Harrisburg police closed roads in Harrisburg and limited parking along Derry Street this morning to accommodate the four tractor-trailers hauling the modules to the substation site, where a concrete foundation was already laid. Crews then used a crane to lift the modules into place atop the foundation.

The city hopes to acquire an adjacent parcel for an additional surface parking lot, Papenfuse said today. He expects to make that proposal to council in the new year, once design work is complete.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

December 13, 2018 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

It’s been a week. Or two. Mercury is not in retrograde apparently, but *something* is going on. That said, I look forward to relaxing weekend. I’m gonna try anyway.

On Friday, we have the GK Visual Holiday Open House — we’re hosting a casual and fun open house starting at 2 p.m. tomorrow at our office in Midtown. Join us!

Saturday is Market Day, and lately I’ve been enjoying taking (rewarding) Bo to the Curiosity Connection at The State Museum of Pennsylvania afterwards, so we may do that. At some point I’ll have to try to start wrapping Christmas gifts. And that night, we’re headed to a holiday party!

What are you doing this weekend?

(more…)

December Puzzle Solution Keys

December 12, 2018 | by Admin

Burg Blog: On Average

December 12, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s historic Walnut Street Bridge

Are you feeling exceptionally average?

Ordinary? Middling? Nothing special?

If you live in and around Harrisburg, there’s a good reason for that today and, well, every day, according to a new study by Echelon Insights, an Alexandria, Va.-based research and data analytics firm.

The company just released the results of its “Middle America Project,” which ranked Dauphin County as, statistically, the most typical county in the United States.

“Dauphin County is home to Pennsylvania’s state capital of Harrisburg and is statistically the closest to resembling America as a whole,” states the report.

Echelon drilled down into a host of demographic and other data and gave each of America’s 3,000-plus counties (and similar jurisdictions) a “Middle America score” based upon how closely they compared to national averages.

According to the study, Dauphin County is 99.91 percent “more typical” than all other counties, making it the most-typical county in the country. It mirrors the nation’s averages on a wide range of comparative data—from median household income to median age to education levels.

Echelon said it used “more than a dozen measures” to arrive at its “Middle America score,” which, for Dauphin County, totaled 2,781 points, the most of any county. According to the report, Dauphin County:

Has a median income of $54,968 vs. the national median of $57,805
Has a college graduation rate of 29.3 percent vs. the national rate of 30.3 percent
Has church congregation membership of 47.8 percent vs. the national average of 48.8 percent
Voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election by a margin of 2.9 points versus the nationwide tally of 2.1 points.

Another Pennsylvania county—Lehigh—took second place, with a “Middle America score” of 2,772. Scott County, Iowa, Shawnee County, Kansas, and Peoria County, Ill., rounded out the top five spots.

Locally, Lancaster County was closest to Dauphin County on the “Middle America” ranking, coming in at No. 51. Cumberland County was ranked 109, York County 318, Lebanon County 533, Adams County 633 and Perry County 2,024.

What is the least average place in America? According to the study, that title goes to Webster County, W.Va., with a “Middle America score” (along with Hancock County, Tenn., and Douglas County, Mo.) below 400.

However, it wasn’t just poorer, more rural areas that had low scores and rankings.

The same was true on the higher end, with wealthy counties outside of Washington D.C., like Arlington County, Va., Falls Church, Va., and D.C. itself, ranking low, along with places like San Francisco County, Calif., and New York County, N.Y.

So, what does this mean for us—the terribly average residents of the Harrisburg area?

The study implies that we could become national lab rats, as researchers and reporters venture forth from their protected cloisters in D.C., New York, Boston and Chicago to study us in our natural habitat. Will they be shocked to discover we’re not all wearing beige, drinking Bud Lite and watching 3.5 hours of TV daily?

Perhaps, with a wink and nod, we should embrace our new status as the most average place in America.

Come study us. Eat in our way-above-average restaurants. Drink our way-above-average beer and coffee. Visit our way-above-average farmers market. Gaze upon our way-above-average architecture and river. Read our way-above-average community magazine.

As goes Harrisburg, so goes the nation!

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Harrisburg Police Bureau loses majority of new officers over four-year period, Mayor says.

December 11, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Mayor Eric Papenfuse swore in nine new police officers to the Harrisburg Police Bureau this January. He reported that 41 of the 71 officers who joined HPB since 2014 have left the force.

Harrisburg officials revealed tonight that low salaries and demanding work conditions have led to a “staggering” 58 percent attrition rate in the city’s police bureau over four years.

In a budget hearing at city hall tonight, Mayor Eric Papenfuse reported that of the 71 officers that Harrisburg Police Bureau hired since 2014, 41 have left the force.

The bureau’s current complement stands at 138 officers, according to chief information officer Gabriel Olivera.

Another 33 officers are eligible for retirement in 2020, which could leave the city with a staffing crisis if it can’t improve retention, Papenfuse said.

The bureau does conduct exit interviews with its outgoing officers. According to Deputy Chief Derric Moody, many of them are lured away from the city by the higher salaries and better benefits packages offered by neighboring townships.

Harrisburg’s police salaries start in the $40,000 range, he said, compared to $80,000 in townships on the West Shore.

Public safety Commissioner Thomas Carter said that the pace of police work in Harrisburg is demanding. The force fields 80,000 calls a year, he said, and low manpower across the department leaves little time between assignments.

Moody said most young officers who join the force are eager to learn valuable policing skills in an urban setting. But they also know they can command higher earnings in a different department.

“There’s a big difference between ‘What am I going to learn?’ and ‘What am I bringing home?’” Moody said. “For the size of our department, we can’t compete with smaller ones.”

City officials haven’t proposed increasing police salaries in the new budget cycle.

Moody said that the department does conduct local and regional recruitment efforts and is trying to bolster its ranks of minority officers. But he said that minority officers are in high demand in departments across the country, where leaders are also battling a growing lack of interest in the policing profession.

The bureau plans to host more events to drum up interest in policing careers among local youth, Moody said. He expects to see more officers in city schools in the new year, thanks to a growing community policing program led by community policing coordinator Blake Lynch and Corp. Josh Hammer.

“It’s still a fragile relationship, but these police are able to interact [with students],” Moody said. “It’s just one angle we’re looking at.”

Police leaders also hope that equipping their 90 uniformed patrol officers with body cameras in the new year will help improve public trust in the police force.

The 2019 budget includes a $150,000 allocation for body cameras and data storage equipment. That figure includes a $70,000 allocation in the 2018 budget that the department did not spend.

City officials hoped to launch the body camera program this year. Papenfuse reiterated tonight that the process of testing equipment and drafting a request for proposals (RFP) “took longer than we anticipated.”

The department is having its RFP reviewed by the city’s legal and IT departments, Papenfuse said, and will issue it to vendors by the end of the year.

The police bureau will also open its new substation in South Alison Hill in 2019. The modular station will be delivered to the station site on S. 15^th Street this Thursday.

The substation will house the community policing officer, Papenfuse said, as well as officers assigned to the Alison Hill neighborhood from the evening to early morning hours.

Harrisburg school board takes first steps to find new solicitor.

December 10, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg school board solicitor Samuel Cooper (far left) and board president Danielle Robinson (second from left) at a Nov. 2016 board meeting.

For the first time since 2015, the recently reorganized Harrisburg school board is fielding applicants for a new district solicitor.

A legal notice first published in the Patriot-News last week invites licensed attorneys to apply to represent the Harrisburg school district as general counsel, a job title used interchangeably with solicitor.

The district and the board currently receive legal guidance from Solicitor Samuel Cooper. Cooper was appointed as in-house legal counsel for the district and board in August 2015, after a motion to appoint former Harrisburg Authority board member James Ellison failed on a 4-4 vote, according to meeting minutes.

A review of public notice archives shows the district has not advertised for a new solicitor since then.

During his tenure with the district, Cooper has remained an employee of the Dilworth-Paxson legal firm and bills the district hourly for his services.

Board president Danielle Robinson said today that the board is not trying to oust Cooper, who is welcome to participate in the new bidding process. But she said that any new general counsel would ideally be hired as a district employee with a base salary.

Asked if Cooper would have to resign from Dilworth-Paxson to take a job with the district, Robinson said, “It would be up to him.”

Cooper did not respond to requests for comment today.

Robinson explained that since the solicitor is an appointed position, the board should issue a call for applicants every year. Board members have not done so in the past since they are satisfied with Cooper’s work, she said.

This year, however, the district is trying to find new cost-cutting measures after emerging from a difficult budget cycle, Robinson said. She hopes that hiring a salaried solicitor could reduce bills from out-sourced legal work.

“If we had an in-house solicitor with a base salary, we wouldn’t be putting out so much work [to outside firms],” Robinson said.

Robinson added that Cooper was trained as a bond lawyer before he joined the district. Though he’s learned about Pennsylvania school code on the job, Robinson also thinks the district could reduce its outsourced workload if it had an in-house expert in school law.

Robinson could not provide an approximate salary for the position, which would come out of the district’s existing legal budget.

Even though she does not expect the district to perform all of its legal work in-house, she estimates that hiring a salaried employee could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

The board approved payment of more than $31,000 in fees to Dilworth-Paxson in November, according to check resisters. While Cooper is the district’s primary counsel, old invoices show he is not the only attorney at his firm billing the district.

The board is not required to vote publicly to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ,) which must run in newspapers for three weeks. In an email dated Dec. 4, Robinson asked business manager Bilal Hasan to publicly post an RFQ that was sent to the board at a prior date.

Robinson’s request came just one day after a board reorganization meeting where she replaced Judd Pittman as board president. Board director Lola Lawson, who was appointed to the board in August, was named vice president.

The reshuffling was seen by some as a repudiation of Pittman, who has long called for the board to govern with more transparency and fidelity. Pittman also led the effort this spring to conduct a nationwide search for a new district superintendent, which was ultimately quashed by a 5-4 board vote in May.

In an email, Pittman told Robinson that the RFQ should move through the board’s human resources and budget and finance committees before being publicly posted.

“As with other important items over the last year and in consistency with goals established by the board, the RFQ for a solicitor should move through the committee structure,” Pittman said. “I am in full support of a competitive process but want to make sure we have all the data and evidence on services to have a clear understanding of the skills and services we would want in the in-house council.”

Pittman did not respond to requests for comment today.

Neither Pennsylvania school code nor Harrisburg school board policies say that advertisements for bids must move through board committees, though it is common practice for most board actions.

Robinson said today that the majority of the board agreed to issue the RFQ, even though they did formally vote on it.

Once the Dec. 21 deadline for bids passes, the board will review applicants and possibly issue a separate request for proposals (RFP) to those who meet their desired qualifications.

The board could also abandon the search process altogether, Robinson said.

“Right now, this is just a request for candidates,” Robinson said. “It’s not saying we’re replacing anyone.”

Burg Review: Romp around the Christmas tree at Gamut’s holiday frolic.

December 10, 2018 | by Amy Mastrangelo

Clark Nicholson, Melissa Nicholson and Thomas Weaver offer a night of holiday-themed laughs in Gamut’s “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some).”

It’s a Christmas miracle, of the theatrical kind.

Such was my thought as I watched “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some),” which debuted over the weekend at Gamut Theatre.

In this show, the audience experiences all of its favorite Christmas characters and themes in one, two-hour frenzy: the Grinch, Frosty, a certain green-nosed reindeer (yes, green not red), all in a delightful romp in a play by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald and John K. Alvarez.

The Gamut production features a cast of three players (core company members Clark Nicholson, Melissa Nicholson and Thomas Weaver), who bring to life everyone’s favorite Christmas stories, songs and traditions.

With minimal set pieces and few costume changes, the acting is what really shines. The facial expressions, postures, accents and voice inflections go a long way when switching between all of the many different characters. Comedic timing is key, and this trio nails it.

The play begins with the actors set to perform the classic Charles Dickens tale, “A Christmas Carol.” Poor Thomas is eager to give the performance everything he’s got, but Clark and Melissa are not having it. They eventually convince him to abandon all Dickens, which is when the real fun begins.

The enthusiasm and energy from the cast and audience will lift your spirits, leave a song in your heart, and melt away your stress. The contemporary jokes, fruitcake-themed game show, holiday spoofs and pop culture references offer consistent laughs.

One of my personal favorite “beloved holiday classics” (referred to as “BHCs” in the show) is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” So, I enjoyed watching Melissa and Thomas dance around the stage with alternating feet and arm motions just like Sally and Linus.

The costumes were delightfully appropriate, as Melissa wore an ugly Christmas vest with tinsel, and Clark was dressed to the nines in a Christmas tree suit jacket.

But the fun didn’t stop there. In between skits, the intrepid trio found time to read to the audience, providing insight into Christmas traditions around the world.

Despite everything going on, Thomas persists in his quest to perform his favorite BHC,“A Christmas Carol.” Does he get what he wants? A slight twist in his plan results in a mash-up of two Christmas classics, which is not to be missed.

Younger kids will enjoy the high-energy shenanigans but will not understand all of the references, which, like many holiday programs and shows, conceal winks and nods to adults.

As a special holiday treat, Gamut Theatre presents “Cabaret Carols,” which features a different talented singer each night before the show. Enjoy live music with a cup of Christmas cheer before the show. Then sit back, relax, and laugh the night away.

“Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)” runs through Dec. 23 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, call 717-238-4111 or visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

Report: Harrisburg’s IT system riddled with risks.

December 6, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

As cyber security experts put it, becoming the target of a cybercrime or data disaster isn’t a question of “if,” but “when.”

That was one of the messages for Harrisburg city officials in a new Harrisburg University report, which assessed the city government’s aging IT infrastructure and its ability to respond to cyber attacks, natural disasters and even simple records requests.

Researchers said that, while Harrisburg has taken important steps to modernize its IT resources in the past several years, there remain many risks and shortcomings in the city’s current systems.

“The current course is untenable,” researchers wrote. “It’s only a matter of time until some event causes a major impact to the city’s IT services.”

Without safeguards, that event could bring serious costs for the city and its taxpayers.

Most of Harrisburg’s applications run on an aging mainframe connected to an independent internet network. Any disruption could obstruct the city’s access to its insurance claims system, police field reports, billing systems for real estate taxes, and the software it uses to issue codes licenses, permits and health inspection records.

Harrisburg expects to modernize its mainframe in 2020—a project that could carry a $2 million price tag, according to 2017 budget documents.

But right now, scads of data are stored on a mainframe server at city hall. That leaves the city at huge risk in the event of a disaster, researchers said, since there’s no off-site backup.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that, without IT, lines of business across the city would grind to a halt,” the report reads. “Unfortunately, this potentially disastrous situation is a real risk.”

The report pointed out that the city’s mainframe server is located in a flood plain and connected to a 31-year-old power supply. Also, the onsite generator for the city government building isn’t tested on a regular basis.

Those factors alone could jeopardize the integrity of city applications and data in the event of a natural disaster. But since the city hasn’t adopted a disaster recovery plan, employees have no clear course of action in the aftermath of an emergency.

Harrisburg is also at risk for cyber attacks, which researchers say are affecting municipal governments with increasing frequency. TheBurg reported in April that Harrisburg does not have a formal cyber-security policy or a written strategy to recover from breaches.

Following publication of the HU report in November, Mayor Eric Papenfuse has proposed allocating $700,000 in the city’s 2019 capital improvement plan to fund IT upgrades—double the amount forecast in long-term projections included in last year’s budget.

That budget includes a $235,000 allocation for a data redundancy system, along with $15,000 to store a duplicate data system at a secure, off-site location.

Papenfuse is also following a recommendation to hire a new GIS administrator. Departments across city government, including public works, crime analysis and engineering and planning, rely on GIS programs to build maps and visualizations. None of these systems are integrated, and their data is stored in multiple locations.

Researchers implored the city to simplify its mapping technology by transitioning to a single software platform and a central repository database.

The IT bureau will also use its 2019 budget to evaluate records management systems.

HU researchers recommended that Harrisburg centralize its records, which are currently scattered across many electronic and physical filing systems.

Not all of the city’s records are indexed or properly categorized, making their retrieval a tedious chore.

“Staff need to go from building to building, closet to closet, and box to box searching for information which already may have been discarded,” the report reads. “[This] has resulted in staff spending hours tracking down records when they could be allocating their time more appropriately to serve the citizens of Harrisburg.”

The lack of a centralized records system is particularly problematic for the city’s law bureau, which administers the Right to Know law. City Solicitor Neil Grover told researchers that his staff spends valuable time tracking down non-indexed records.

Since state laws govern the retention of municipal records, failure to procure one for an audit or records request could subject Harrisburg to fines and legal penalties.

The 44-page IT assessment report was jointly sponsored by Harrisburg University and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Papenfuse said. It was compiled by IT professionals enrolled in an HU professional certificate program, including Harrisburg’s deputy director of IT, Eric Collins.

Papenfuse said that the city has commissioned other IT assessments in the past, which often recommended improving staff capacity. Since the city hired a deputy director last year, it’s now able to bolster its infrastructure with forward-thinking initiatives, he said.

City Council will hold public hearings on the 2019 proposed budget Dec. 11 and 12 at 5:30 p.m. in city hall.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

December 6, 2018 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

I’m ready for the weekend this time around, folks. It’s been a week. On Friday, a girlfriend and I are going to revisit an old haunt in Harrisburg. Saturday is for Market and hopefully finishing Christmas shopping. Sunday, the Steelers game is inconveniently blacked out, so guessing the guys will go to the bar.

Next week: Grab a FREE ticket to our Holiday Pop-Up Happy Hour at Strawberry Square. Includes a free drink, thanks to Harristown, plus food and good cheer (and more)!

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