Bonding Over Beans: Thanks to a reader, we have a new recipe to enjoy.

September 28, 2018 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

One of the best things about writing this column for TheBurg is getting to meet so many nice people who love cooking and good food.

Recently, a reader approached me and asked if I had ever cooked or eaten “Marcella beans.” I told him I had not. I had never heard of “Marcella beans,” although I assumed they likely had some relationship to the queen of Italian cooking, Marcella Hazan.

His friend found me one early Saturday morning, shopping basket in hand, at the farmers market, and handed me a pound of beautiful, creamy, white cannellini beans, the famous Marcella beans! I promised to try them.

Well, a little research was first in order. What exactly are Marcella beans and how did they come to be? This is what I learned.

Steve Sando is a food lover and cookbook author from Napa Valley in California, who began growing heirloom beans and offering them through an online company called Rancho Gordo. One day, he received an order for several pounds of beans, as well as a copy of one of his cookbooks. He eventually learned that the person placing the order was none other than Marcella Hazan, author of the famous cookbook, “Classic Italian Cooking.” Hazan and Sando became online “friends,” sharing their thoughts about food, Italian music and, of course, beans!

Marcella loved warm beans with good olive oil and told Sando her favorite was Sorana beans, a white cannellini variety grown near the Italian town of Sorana. She said they were hard to find even in Tuscany but impossible to find in the United States.

Sando spent many months searching for Sorana seeds and eventually was able to purchase a small amount. The first harvest was small, but produced enough beans to send a small bag to Marcella. He was saddened to learn that, before the little bag of beans could reach her, she had passed away. But her husband, Victor, was happy to receive the gift and kindly gave Sando permission to name the beans after Marcella.

So that is the story of how the Marcella bean came to be. I was eager to try cooking them. These beans require a little more care than the more commonly available dried beans. They do best with slow, gentle heat and can’t be stirred too much. I followed the recipe below, which my readers later sent to me. I also had to inform my long-suffering spouse that he was getting beans for dinner.

Simple Beans on Toast
(From the New York Times cooking website)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
1 pound dried heirloom beans, picked over and rinsed
2 teaspoons kosher salt

And if serving on toast:

8 large slices crusty Italian bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft and fragrant but not browned. Stir frequently.
Add the beans and enough water to cover by 2 inches.
Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, partly cover, and cook about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary to keep the beans fully submerged. (I followed this cooking time exactly.)
Gently stir in kosher salt and continue to cook until the beans are creamy in texture but not bursting, about 10 to 45 minutes more. (I cooked the longer time.)
Drain the beans and save the cooking liquid if you wish to use as a base for soup.

If you are serving the beans on toast:

Toast the bread slices and butter each piece.
Spoon about ½ cup beans onto each bread slice and crush slightly with a fork.
Divide the remaining beans among the toast (about ¼ cup per toast).
Drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

I tossed the cooked beans with lots of olive oil and served in bowls. I topped the creamy beans with chunks of jarred Italian tuna and several tablespoons of capers and served crusty Italian rolls and a salad alongside. They were wonderful. I plan to try the toast variation as a hearty appetizer for a Sunday dinner. The leftovers were great for lunch.

I want to thank my gentlemen readers for introducing me to Marcella beans. This has been a cooking adventure!

Wines in the Balance: South African quaffs emerge on the scene.

September 28, 2018 | by Steve Juliana

Of the top-10 wine producing countries today, South Africa may be among the least familiar.

This land, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans collide, has a history of viniculture going back to 1659, when grapes were planted to help ward off scurvy during the voyages along the SpiceRoute. At one time, Muscat from the Constantia vineyards was famous throughout Europe. Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte asked for a glass on his deathbed.

Today, if you ask someone to name a favorite South African wine, a blank stare will most likely greet you.

South Africa did not have the great influx of grape-growing immigrants the way that Chile and Argentina did. Most land was used to produce food for the population and to support the ostrich feather industry, with a small percentage allocated for vineyards. And, instead of bottling wine, distilling brandy was the first priority. Transporting wine to world markets presented another problem, as did the phylloxera aphid, which arrived in the late 1880s and devastated the grapes, requiring all vines to be grafted

As recently as 1990, only about 30 percent of fermented wine was bottled, with 70 percent made into brandy. However, by 2003, the trend had completely reversed.

Today, South African wines have gained an international reputation for quality, with new regions developing to complement the newest techniques in enology. French grapes take center stage with Syrah, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet Franc for red wines and Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and Chenin blanc for whites.

In South Africa, Chenin blanc, locally known as “steen,” has been one of the greatest success stories. Grown throughout the different regions and made in a variety of styles, it should be on every wine drinkers list.

South Africa has its own indigenous grape known as “pinotage,” a cross produced from pinot noir, the great black fruit of Burgundy, and cinsault, a red blending grape from the Rhone valley. Some drinkers express an aversion to pinotage, especially in the nose, but others enjoy it, enough to keep demand high.

Take a walk through a Fine Wine and Good Spirits store, and the number and variety of South African offerings deserve recognition and tasting. Syrah is bottled alone, blended with pinotage or, in the classic style of the Rhone Valley, with Mourvèdre and grenache.

Cabernet sauvignon is available as a solo offering, as a rosè or in Bordeaux blends. Chardonnay and pinot noir are blended to make sparklers that rival those of France.

The amazing thing is that all these wines are distinct from any others I have tried. This land on the tip of Africa has a terroir that produces quaffs that are too easily overlooked in our modern markets. The wines possess a certain tautness and balance that I find intriguing in a world of overly fruity blends.

Keep sipping,
Steve

Veteran superintendent appointed as Chief Recovery Officer for Harrisburg schools.

September 28, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

A retired Philadelphia-area superintendent will serve as the new state oversight officer for the Harrisburg School District.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has appointed Dr. Janet Samuels as the district’s new chief recovery officer, spokesperson Eric Levis confirmed on Friday. She will oversee the implementation of a new, long-term recovery plan aimed at raising the district’s academic performance and financial health.

PDE put the school district under a financial recovery designation in 2012. State law requires every district in recovery to have a state-appointed recovery officer.

Samuels replaces Audrey Utley, who retired in June after serving as Harrisburg’s CRO for three years.

Her salary is capped at $144,000 annually and will be paid by PDE.

This June, Samuels retired as the superintendent of Norristown Area School District, where she oversaw a $150 million annual budget and nine schools enrolling 7,400 students. She previously served as a regional superintendent for the Philadelphia Area School District. Her career in public education spans 35 years, according to Levis, and includes experience as a principal and classroom teacher.

Samuels has been a member of the National Staff Development Council, where she served as National Conference Co-Chair, Levis said. She holds degrees from Millersville University, the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.

October Crossword, Sudoku Puzzle Answer Keys

September 28, 2018 | by Admin

Community Corner: Notable October Events

September 28, 2018 | by Missy Smith

October Community Corner

Archaeology at Fort Hunter
Oct. 1-5: The State Museum of Pennsylvania Section of Archaeology will conduct its annual excavation at Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg. The public is welcome to visit. Archaeologists will be on site weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

Fall Story Times
Oct. 1-26: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, in the Pollock Children’s Library for young children’s programs that promote literacy and provide a fun library experience. Age groups range from babies to kindergarten students. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

Food Preservation
Oct. 4: Penn State Extension in Cumberland County hosts “Home Food Preservation: Tomatoes & Salsa,” 1 to 3 p.m., at Cumberland County Service Center, 310 Allen Rd., Carlisle. This workshop will explain the scientific reasoning behind today’s recommended methods for making and processing tomatoes and salsa. Registration is $15. Visit extension.psu.edu.

Open House
Oct. 4: The Circle School of Harrisburg will hold an open house so students and parents can learn about self-directed, democratic education. The event runs 6 to 8 p.m. at the school, located at 727 Wilhelm Rd., Susquehanna Township. To register, visit circleschool.org or call 717-564-6700.

Business & Industry Night
Oct. 4: West Shore Chamber of Commerce hosts its 68th annual Business and Industry Night, 2 to 6 p.m., at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, Camp Hill, showcasing members’ products and services. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, prizes, giveaways and networking. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 after noon on Oct. 2. Visit wschamber.org.

Brewology
Oct. 5: Join Harrisburg Young Professionals at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg, for “Brewology Happy Hour, the Social Science Experiment,” 5 to 7:30 p.m. Explore the science behind beer and enjoy light appetizers and beer samples from local breweries. Tickets are $12. Visit hyp.org.

Coin Show
Oct. 6: The Harrisburg Coin Club will host the 56th Annual Coin Show at Robert H. Hoke American Legion Post 272, 505 N. Mountain Rd., Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Collectors can get a look at rare money, medals, tokens and more. Admission and parking are free. Visit harrisburgcoinclub.com.

HBG Flea
Oct. 6: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures and curated curios at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more details and a lineup of artists and makers, visit hbgflea.com.

Symphony Party
Oct. 6: Join the Harrisburg Symphony Society for “Paint the Town: Opening Night,” in the atrium at Strawberry Square, 320 Market St., Harrisburg, to celebrate HSO’s 89th season opening, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and include hors d’oeuvres, wine and live music. Email [email protected] or call 717-763-4616.

FAB 2018
Oct. 6: LGBT Center of Central PA is “Bringing Back the Glitz” to Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, 25 S. Queen St., Lancaster, at FAB 2018, 6 to 10 p.m. Celebrate the accomplishments of the past year, honor those who have made an impact, connect with old and new friends and support the LGBT Center. Visit centralpalgbtcenter.org.

Teen Read Week
Oct. 7-13: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, for a celebration of teens and teen literature with this year’s “Teen Read Week—It’s Written in the Stars.” Visit the library for a teen book giveaway contest, daily trivia contests and sneak peaks at what’s coming. No Registration necessary. For teens ages 12-18. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

Ned Smith Celebration
Oct. 9: Head to Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, 6 to 8 p.m., on what would be the artist’s 99th birthday, to celebrate his life and legacy. Hear stories from people who knew him and watch the recent WITF-produced documentary. Visit nedsmithcenter.org.

Fall Meet Week
Oct. 10-13: High-performance cars are in focus during the Eastern Regional Fall Meet, Hershey’s annual antique car show and festival. View period automobiles, see racecar demonstrations and visit the flea market. On Oct. 10, attend the annual “Night at the Museum” dinner and reception, 5 to 9 p.m. Details are at aacamuseum.org.

Chamber Luncheon
Oct. 11: West Shore Chamber of Commerce, 4211 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill, will host a Member Benefits Luncheon, 12 to 1:30 p.m. Chamber members and non-members are invited for a complimentary lunch to learn more about the chamber and network with members. Visit wschamber.org.

Book Festival
Oct. 11-14:Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, hosts the sixth annual 2018 Harrisburg Book Festival. With more than 12 visiting authors, the festival will showcase a diverse, award-winning lineup with panel discussions, keynote presentations, book signings, blind-date-with-a-book, story times, arts and crafts and more. Visit hbgbookfest.com.

Foreign Film
Oct. 12, 26: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, for “A Fantastic Woman,” a film from Chile, on Oct. 12, and “Jasper Jones,” a film from Australia, on Oct. 26. Showings are at 2 and 7 p.m. For descriptions, visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

Volunteer Work Day
Oct. 13: Head to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to help with continuing park and habitat enhancement projects, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snacks, tools and work gloves will be provided. Bring a water bottle. Refreshments available. Learn more at wildwoodlake.org.

Family Fun Day
Oct. 13: Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, hosts a Fall Family Fun Day, 12 to 4 p.m. Kids can enjoy crafts and activities that teach how animals prepare for winter. Take a ZooAmerica wagon ride and attend a dedication of the Nature’s Discovery play area. Details are at nedsmithcenter.org.

UPNEXT Fest
Oct. 13-20: UPNEXT Fest is eight days of celebrating Central PA tech companies and the organizations and meetups that support them. Attend morning coffees, conferences, meetups, happy hours and more. Visit upnextfest.com for a lineup of events.

TEDx Harrisburg
Oct. 14: The third annual TEDx Harrisburg will be held at the House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC), 1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, 1 to 4 p.m. Take in a day of dialogue centered on the theme “Innovators,” featuring a diverse lineup of speakers presenting a wide range of topics. Visit tedxharrisburg.com.

New Member Social
Oct. 16: Join Harrisburg Young Professionals for its new member social at Café 1500, 1500 N. 6th St., Harrisburg, 6 to 8 p.m. This event is for new and prospective members who would like to learn more about HYP. Please RSVP to attend. A cash bar and full menu will be available. Visit hyp.org.

National Fossil Day
Oct. 17: Enjoy National Fossil Day with “Giants of the Late Cretaceous” in the Paleontology Gallery at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, with general admission, 12:15 p.m. National Fossil Day is hosted by the National Park Service and the American Geosciences Institute. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

Business After Hours
Oct. 18: Mingle with business professionals at Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC’s free networking event at PSECU, 1500 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, 5 to 7 p.m. Check out the details at harrisburgregionalchamber.org.

Happy Campers
Oct. 18: Appalachian Audubon Society will host summer camp scholarship winners in a presentation to share their favorite experiences and what they learned, at Christ Presbyterian Church, 421 Deerfield Rd., Camp Hill. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m., and the program starts at 7 p.m. Visit appalachianaudubon.org.

3rd in The Burg
Oct. 19: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event at galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. Find out what’s happening at thirdintheburg.org.

Anniversary Party
Oct. 20: St. Barnabas Center for Ministry celebrates 25 years of serving Harrisburg-area children in its summer camp at its anniversary party, 1 to 4 p.m., at the Goodwin Life Center, 2430 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Enjoy a program of song, dance and poetic storytelling presented by children and community leaders, followed by refreshments. Visit stbarnabascenterforministry.org.

Kids Yoga
Oct. 20: Join Yoga at Simply Well, 28 S. Pitt St., Carlisle, for a night out with a creative and engaging approach to kids’ yoga, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Celebrate fall with relaxing yoga and activities, breathing exercises, cooperative games, art activity, snacks, guided relaxation and more. Cost is $20 per child; $15 for each additional child. Pre-registration is required. Visit yogaatsimplywell.com.

Trunk or Treat
Oct. 20-21: The AACA Museum, 161 Museum Dr., Hershey, will host “Trunk or Treat,” 12 to 3 p.m. Kids can decorate their own goodie bags and hunt for Hershey treats at various spots in the museum. Watch Halloween-themed videos in the indoor drive-in theater and see a hearse vehicle display. Admission is $9.50. Visit aacamuseum.org.

Halloween Party
Oct. 21: Adults and children are invited to “Night of the Great Pumpkin” at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 12:30 to 3 p.m. Try your hand at holiday games, make a craft, grab a snack, and participate in the Cupcake Walk and Costume Parade. Tickets are $5 and parking is free for the day. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

Fall Storytime
Oct. 24: Kids ages 2 to 5 are invited to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, for a fun story session with a Dauphin County Library System librarian and Wildwood Environmental Educator, 10 to 10:45 a.m. Stories, songs, rhymes, play and a take-home craft will introduce children to the joy of books and language. Register at wildwoodlake.org.

Curiosity Kids
Oct. 25: Young visitors, ages 3 to 6, and families can enjoy “Curiosity Kids—Dinosaurs!” at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. The event will feature hands-on experiments in science and art. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

U.S-Mexico Relations
Oct. 25: The Foreign Policy Association hosts a free talk at the West Shore Country Club, 100 Brentwater Rd., Camp Hill, with Alicia Kerber, head of the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia, about current relations between Mexico and the United States, 7:30 p.m. A dinner precedes the talk. Learn more at fpa-harrisburg.org.

Nature at Night
Oct. 27: Take an after-hours walk in the Olewine Nature Center at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg. Tour times are 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. Then make s’mores around a campfire and sip apple cider. Kids can dress as their favorite animal or in a costume. Bring a trick-or-treat bag. Cost is $5. Details are at wildwoodlake.org.

Rocky Horror
Oct. 27: Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, will show “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets include a prop bag. Head to Zeroday Brewing Co., 250 Reily St., for a pregame party starting at 6 p.m. Compete in a costume contest and enjoy a special beer infusion and cocktails. Visit midtowncinema.com and zerodaybrewing.com.

Halloween Fundraiser
Oct. 27: Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus presents its annual Halloween POP fundraising cabaret dance party at Lounge 704, 704 N. 3rd St, Harrisburg, 8 to 11 p.m., featuring local drag personalities. Wear a costume to enter to win a cash prize. Admission is $10. Visit harrisburggaymenschorus.org.

Howl-O’Ween
Oct. 28: Celebrate pets at “Howl-O’Ween: Pets at Fort Hunter,” 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 12 to 4 p.m. The event includes small dog races, pet and owner costume parade, photo ops, kids’ activities, product vendors, a Humane Society appearance, and hot dogs and beverages for sale. Get more details at forthunter.org.

Spooky STEM
Oct. 29, 30: Children ages 6 to 10 are invited to the Kunkel Creation Station at Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, to celebrate the seasons by participating in Halloween and fall-themed STEM activities, 5 to 6 p.m. Registration begins on Oct. 8. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

HBG FAQ: Welcome to Harrisburg. Now read this.

September 28, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

Recently, I got an early tour of Harrisburg’s newest boutique apartment building.

At the Bogg on Cranberry, the units are fresh and beautiful, but, sure, I understand the kneejerk response among locals when you mention the location—the heart of downtown’s entertainment district.

Who would want to live there, with a birds-eye view of whatever’s going down along 2nd Street late on a Saturday night?

It turns out—a lot of people.

When I was there, the place was buzzing with construction, swarms of workers measuring, hammering and sawing throughout the building’s 11,000 square feet of space. The 12 units had already been leased, well before the building was done. The first tenants were just weeks away from moving in, so the rush was on.

But who were these people and where were they coming from?

“From outside Harrisburg mostly,” said tour guide Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Development, which owns the Bogg. “They’re newcomers.”

And, after this apartment building was done, Harristown had two more in the pipeline, larger projects on Pine Street, which will add another 69 units to the neighborhood.

That’s great, I thought—new blood, new spending money, a few extra bucks in the city’s pockets. But then I had another reaction, one that can best be described as, “Uh-oh.”

It was a selfish thought, but one born of experience. More new people meant more questions—or, actually, the same questions asked over and over and over again: What is this? Why is this? How do I?

Indeed, Harrisburg is a quirky place with numerous rules and customs you likely have never encountered coming from, say, D.C. or Pittsburgh or another similarly civilized city.

So, as a public service, I thought I’d dedicate this column to answering some of the questions that I’m most frequently asked. And welcome, newcomers, to the often endearing, sometimes perplexing little city that is now your home.

Why is the city called Harrisburg?
The Harris family, natch. You can visit where they lived, then, risking your life, cross the street and see where they’re dead. If you’re new to town, a visit to the Harris Mansion is a must.

Why is such a tiny city the capital of such a large state?
Geography, politics, free land. But buck up. I’ve been to Jefferson City, Mo.

Is Harvey Taylor more than a bridge?
Back in the 1940s and ‘50s, Harvey Taylor was a powerful state lawmaker and powerbroker. But, today, yes, he’s basically a bridge.

So, what, um, happened to Harrisburg?
Depression, deindustrialization, suburbanization, flood, flood, flood. Every city has an off century now and again. So, yes, Harrisburg remains a work in progress. But, trust me, it’s a zillion times better than a decade or two ago.

Who’s this Steve Reed guy I keep hearing about?
Steve Reed was Harrisburg’s mayor for 28 years and, to mangle a phrase from Homer J. Simpson, he was either the cause of—or the solution to—all of Harrisburg’s problems.

I hear that Harrisburg went through some kind of financial crisis. How’d that happen?
Do you know that old cliché about your eyes being bigger than your belly? It’s like that, but, instead of food, the city ate an incinerator, a bunch of museums, parking garages, a university, a baseball stadium and a hundred other things. Essentially, one little city ordered everything on the menu then couldn’t pay its bill.

Is Harrisburg now out of the woods financially?
Maybe.

Why is there a Civil War museum in Harrisburg?
The phony answer is because the war almost reached the city. The real answer is because Steve Reed wanted one here. Just be glad that you’re not asking, “Why is there a Wild West museum in Harrisburg?”

OMG, I heard a gun battle at 7 o’clock this morning!
Those are just duck hunters, because that’s allowed in the middle of a densely populated city, for some reason. Unless it was a gun battle. But it probably was duck hunters.

OMG, I heard explosions at 10 o’clock tonight!
Those were just fireworks. Unless they were explosions. But they probably were just fireworks, to the great distress of every dog in the city.

Speaking of dogs, is it true that Harrisburg is about to get its first public dog park?
It is true, thanks to the good people at Friends of Midtown. For such a small city, Harrisburg is full of wonderful civic and church groups trying to move us in the right direction. Find one that interests you. Become part of the solution.

Will the 3rd Street repaving project ever get done?
That’s what they tell me. Ditto the two-way 2nd Street conversion and the river walk rehab.

Dammit, I’m really mad about schools, parking and street cleaning. I’m gonna give the city a piece of my mind!
You’re not actually mad at the city government, but you are mad at the Harrisburg school district, Park Harrisburg and Capital Region Water, respectively. You’ll need to go complain to them.

I almost got hit crossing Front/Forster/State streets. I’m gonna march right down to city hall . . .
Stop. Also not controlled by the city. They’re state roads. So, you’re gonna have to march right down to PennDOT for satisfaction. And good luck with that. I’ve been trying for years.

What’s the deal with all the bugs?
Yes, the annual outbreak of mayflies is pretty gross, but that’s the small price you pay for living along a wide, gorgeous river.

What’s the deal with all the spiders?
When you have billions of mayflies, you get millions of spiders.

Why does this tiny city have so many fantastic restaurants?
Lawmakers, lawyers and lobbyists like to eat, and we’re the lucky beneficiaries. So, we can all eat and drink ourselves silly thinking about all the land we can’t tax.

What, pray tell, is the Harrisburg beaver?
My new friend, the elusive Harrisburg beaver is a mysterious beast, as deep as the river, as fleet as the freeway and as pleasant as a mid-February day.

Harrisburg’s a weird little place, isn’t it?
Yup. How great is that?

One Bad Party: Neighbors come together to handle a very unpleasant surprise.

September 28, 2018 | by M. Diane McCormick

Cate Rowe was doing yardwork when something in the ground came a-bubblin’ up, and it sure wasn’t Texas tea.

“I pulled out a weed that made the entire brickwork in the backyard collapse in on itself, and I just had standing water underneath a layer of bricks,” she recalled.

That was Rowe’s introduction to the sewer party line. If you don’t know what that is, you’re not alone, even though your home could be affected. If you do know, it’s probably because you shelled out thousands of dollars for a fix, or, perhaps, have gone to war with a neighbor.

In Rowe’s case, the sewer party line actually helped promote neighborhood unity, but it still cost thousands of dollars to fix.

Sewer party lines are shared lines hooking two or more homes to sewer mains. Nineteenth- and early 20th-century builders dug single trenches to contain sewer, gas and water lines. They plied to “no rhyme or reason,” although are most common in the row homes of Allison Hill and Midtown, said Harrisburg Codes Enforcement Director David Patton.

Sewer party lines are “problematic,” he said. “The lion’s share of party lines go out the back and collect from home to home to home and go out an alley or street. Anywhere we see common walkways that go into the back, you always have to be suspect.”

Very Tough

Rowe loves her circa-1861 row home in lower Midtown, the one with the gasp-worthy curving staircase.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said, “but it’s home.”

She bought the house in December 2015, blissfully unaware of the sewer lines shared with the conjoined homes on the block and with the 2nd Street-facing converted apartments to the rear. The problem manifested itself when a backup created pressure that pushed her home’s connection off the party line. While an adjoining neighbor got raw sewage in his basement, Rowe was getting backup pushed from other houses into her backyard.

“Great tomatoes last summer, but disgusting,” she joked.

Capital Region Water was “fantastic in getting me information,” but as many have discovered to their consternation, the sewer hookups known as laterals are the homeowner’s responsibility.

“They are private lines built by private entities, and they’ve been private ever since,” explained CRW Community Outreach Manager Andrew Bliss.

The city can declare a house uninhabitable due to raw sewage infiltration and, in those cases, try to force replacement of a party line with individual laterals.

“But there’s really not a lot we can do because they’re considered private,” said Patton. “It’s based on the owners coming together to figure it out.”

CRW helped Rowe find her “sewer card”—“like old-school, hand-drawn cards,” Bliss said—in the Harrisburg City Codes office, available for some homes where known sewer work has been conducted.

“Once we get that information, it’s pretty much up to the customer, if they’re on a party line, to work with their neighbors to resolve the issue,” said Bliss. “As you can expect, it can be very tough, especially if you have neighbors that aren’t willing to cooperate, or if the house is vacant.”

Common Interests

In an ideal world, neighbors cooperate and share costs.

Rowe paid for her repairs. A neighbor hired the same plumber to install an access point in his yard, allowing easy access to flush or scope a line. When a problem threatened this summer, all agreed to split the cost of a flushing, but the blockage cleared on its own.

In fact, Rowe said that the problem, however unpleasant and unwelcome, actually drew her and her immediate neighbors closer together. Dealing with the sewer party line has kept them attuned to their common interests, she said.

“The four of us on this block, we have great communication,” she said. “There’s no issue.”

That doesn’t mean that everything went smoothly.

One landlord to the rear “was swearing to me up and down that there was no problem,” Rowe said. But she knew that a neighboring apartment house was having problems, and she believes that tenants are reluctant to report problems. If someone doesn’t want to pitch in $20 to help pay for a line cleaning, she knows there’s nothing she can do.

“That’s part of living in the city,” she said. “You deal with the neighbors.”

In some cases, neighbors don’t cooperate, refusing to share costs or take responsibility, said several sources.

“I’ve seen people move because they didn’t want to deal with it anymore,” said Brian Wizzard of Wizzard Drain Cleaning, based in Lower Paxton Township.

He is Rowe’s plumber, “kind of on call,” she said.

Some neighbors simply can’t afford the drill-clean via auger or the high-pressure “sewer jet” needed to clear a line, Wizzard said.

“I try to do it as price-friendly as I can, because there’s a lot of people in the city who just can’t afford to do a lot of things,” he said.

Property owners with sewer mains running in front of their homes can reroute their lateral lines.

“But it’s not always that easy,” said Bliss. “If you don’t have a sewer main in front of your house, it’s more expensive to run it to the main.”

How expensive? Repairs can cost $5,000 to $10,000, and direct-line construction can be “in that ballpark but slightly more,” depending on the variables, said Bliss.

Patton noted that switching lines to the front also requires rerouting the interior plumbing, adding to the cost. And, making the process even more fun, augers meant to clean party lines often can’t navigate the curving, whole-house traps in many old-home basements.

Wizzard doesn’t know of any insurance company willing to cover party lines. If one neighbor treats the plumbing responsibly but the family next door is “flushing diapers and all kinds of crazy stuff, the insurance will be paying to fix somebody else’s problem,” he said.

Rowe spent nearly $3,000 to reconnect her line and basically evacuated her home for a week.

“I was lucky,” she said. “Three thousand dollars didn’t break me, but for a lot of people, it does. You can’t live in your home. You can’t use the water. You can’t shower. You can’t wash dishes. You can’t do laundry. It is a fundamental need. I can only imagine there are a number of neighborhoods where this is going unchecked, and it’s waiting to be a real emergency.”

Rowe sees a public health matter deserving city education efforts about potential problems and warning signs. She would also like to see “some sort of subsidy for people to get off the party line.”

“The infrastructure is old,” she said. “It’s not reliable. It’s unpleasant.”

The “two worst enemies” of sewer party lines are so-called “flushable” wipes—they’re not really flushable—and tampons, Wizzard said.

“Most people just don’t know they shouldn’t do it,” he said. “They do it anyway, and they find out once it causes a problem, and then it’s too late.”

Bliss also pointed an accusatory finger at grease poured into drains, trapping foreign objects as it cools. Rowe grew up with well water, so she’s “never been reckless” about flushing forbidden objects, she said.

“Everyone is guilty of flushing something that shouldn’t go down there at some point in their lives,” she said “If you have someone who doesn’t know, how are they going to know any better?”

If the party line is working well, “life goes on,” Patton said. But a sure sign of trouble is a backed-up washing machine, suddenly incapable of pumping out large amounts of water in a short time.

Homeowners can find that sewer party lines are “a little bit of a pain, but there’s a lot of them out there,” said Wizzard.

“You have to hope you have a decent neighbor, and you don’t have somebody causing you major, major grief, that’s all,” he said.

In that, blessed with good neighbors, Rowe was lucky indeed.

Heart & Hill: On Allison Hill, hard work, happiness and hope.

September 28, 2018 | by Susan Ryder

Burg in Focus: Wild Heart Ministries from GK Visual on Vimeo.

On a cool Saturday, Ben Countz, Serena Viera and Joanna Yoder prepared to battle trash.

They loaded themselves into a van and trailer and ventured to Nectarine Street on Allison Hill to collect two couches and a dresser.

Countz and Yoder manhandled the couch into the trailer then Countz navigated the narrow streets on the way to the incinerator. Back on 13th Street, Christina Herman wheeled her two daughters, ages 2 and 3, down the street, picking up trash as she went.

You might call this a typical day in the life of Wildheart Ministries, a youthful Christian group that operates out of the historic A. Carson Stamm Mansion on S. 13th Street.

Christina and her husband Tannon arrived in Harrisburg five years ago, joining a group of young missionaries who had settled into the mansion, calling themselves Burn 24-7. When that group relocated to California, the Hermans stayed behind, purchasing the mansion and starting their own organization.

“We felt called to stay here in Harrisburg, specifically Allison Hill,” said Christina. “We have a heart to see it transformed.”

The first transformation involved their own building, a stately, 109-year-old Georgian Revival built originally for a prominent Harrisburg attorney. The house—20 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms spread across 11,000 square feet—was in a state of disrepair.

“When we moved into the mansion, it was not a very pretty place,” Tannon Herman said.

Years of painting, fixing and rebuilding followed, repairing and wiping away decades of neglect. Today, Wildheart consists of four staff members, who can best be described as full-time community organizers, and three other mission-minded folks, who live in the house.

As a key part of its ministry, Wildheart began “Love the Hill,” an ambitious, five-year project to clean up Allison Hill.

In the summer of 2017, they took to the alley behind the mansion and started digging into the abandoned garages, filled with garbage from floor to ceiling. At first, the group used their own money to dump the trash.

“Our thought was we have a little bit of money,” said Christina. “All the bulk items, we just started taking in our trailers and dumping it ourselves and paying for it.”

The city Department of Public Works dropped in one day to see the goings-on and decided to haul the trash for free, as long as it was easily accessible for the employees and equipment.

So far, the group, with some 400 volunteers including many Allison Hill neighbors, has removed more than 1 million pounds of trash from the streets.

“We couldn’t do this without our neighbors being on board,” Countz said. “It’s not like we started this. I mean we are a part of it, but there have been so many people who have been doing this [in the city] and getting no credit.”

Tannon Herman said that their neighbors all find a way to contribute.

“When we go out on the street, the neighbors say, ‘Sweet, what are we doing today?’” he said.

If folks can’t help haul trash, they provide water, encouragement and, on sweltering summer days, popsicles.

Bit Different

Wildheart made the decision to remove trash based on Tri-County Community Action’s 2015 “Heart of the Hill” report, which noted that residents felt besieged by dumping and blighted, vacant buildings.

Blighted buildings not only held tons of trash, they provided a place for dealing and using drugs. So Wildheart has been boarding them up.

So, how does the group pay for all this? Donations primarily, along with its newest venture—Pure Bean coffee roastery, run out of the mansion’s low-ceilinged cellar. Like most of what Wildheart does, it’s a bit different.

The beans are air roasted, a technique rarely used, according to Countz, who does the roasting.

“We are in the minority of how coffee roasting is mostly done,” he said.

Unlike drum roasting, the chaff isn’t burned but blown away as the bean expands and releases it. The process creates a smoother, less bitter, less acidic coffee, he said. The ethically sourced, small-batch coffee can be purchased online or at the mansion.

As a shout-out to the neighborhood, 10 percent of all sales of their Love the Hill blend go to support their work.

Coffee and cleanups represent only parts of Wildheart’s ministry.

Quarterly block parties, Mondays at the Mansion worship and food distribution round out the group’s efforts. In addition, other organizations use the property for their events.

“We are increasingly getting more involved in collaborative efforts,” Tannon Herman said. “Part of the struggle of the neighborhood is there’s a lot of people doing good things, but not too many people doing good things together.”

Shirley Blanton, who’s resided in Allison Hill for 25 years, agrees that collaboration is necessary.

“You can’t do anything by yourself,” she said. “You need connection.”

One neighborhood resident thought so highly of Wildheart’s mission that he joined the house.

Quamell Durden discovered Wildheart through its outdoor worship. Curious, he ventured over, eventually joined the work crews, and, in June, entered the house to participate in its vision.

“It helped me to gain, basically, my happiness back,” he said.

Wildheart’s mission is to bring some happiness and hope to its neighborhood of Allison Hill.

Standing on the stoop of her home on the corner of Swatara and Nectarine streets, Leslie Defrank had only good words to say about the young people living in the mansion.

“Tannon and his family have been great to us and the neighborhood,” she said.

Wildheart Ministries is located at 333 S. 13th St., Harrisburg. They will hold their annual Neighborhood Harvest Party on Oct. 27. For more information, to volunteer or donate, visit www.wildheartministries.net.

Food + Family: A dining dynasty returns with Valley Bistro.

September 28, 2018 | by Maddie Crocenzi

Jacquie Ferentinos has deep roots in the Harrisburg restaurant business. So deep, in fact, that she says it runs in her blood.

It started when her grandparents opened the Keystone Restaurant on N. 3rd Street, a six-decade-old diner now run by her father. Jacquie remembers sleeping on the bench and taking baths in the three-compartment sink.

“My grandparents have been a huge inspiration for hard work,” Ferentinos said. “I mean they’re in their 80s and still there every day.”

Her love for serving food continued when she and her husband Steve opened Brick City Bar & Grille on N. 2nd Street, which they operated for three years. More recently, they owned a restaurant in Baltimore.

But Ferentinos just can’t stay away from the business. This time, her passion has extended to Valley Bistro, a casual eatery focused on fresh ingredients, located just outside of Enola.

This & That

Ferentinos completely re-did the space, which some may remember as the original location of Al’s of Hampden. She created a modern and urban atmosphere that feels like a restaurant you’d find in a bigger city.

Valley Bistro opens at 7 a.m. each day, serving breakfast and lunch. It’s a quick-service concept similar to Panera, and the menu caters to everyone from business people working nearby to families with little kids who want a sugar rush for breakfast with the Fruity Pebbles French toast.

For her part, Ferentinos loves the cannoli-stuffed French toast, the authentic gyros and all of the gluten-free options, including the cauliflower pizza.

The gyros are shaved off the cone and stuffed with French fries, and the machine is featured in the window so people can see the process. In fact, Valley Bistro is so focused on fresh ingredients that there’s no microwave or freezer.

Ferentinos said the restaurant offers catering and take-out, as well. Plus, the space is available to rent out for things such as birthday parties or work events after 2 p.m.

The early closing time is just one way that Valley Bistro caters to family, an intentional choice for Jacquie and Steve, who have three children.

Their previous restaurant ventures were tough because of the late nights, she said. But as their kids grow up, they wanted back in the business. Jacquie even helped out at the Keystone on weekends because she missed the industry so much.

“My biggest concern was the kids and how they would feel,” she said about starting a new restaurant.

With her youngest son heading to pre-school and a whole family on her side, she decided to take the leap. She said her kids were both patient and excited. While renovating the building, they would come in at night and answer the phones.

“Hi, thanks for calling Valley Bistro,” they’d chime.

The restaurant closes after lunch so the Ferentinos family can go home to their kids. There are even items on the menu named after their children, including “Stella’s Grilled Romaine Chicken Caesar Salad,” the “Maximus Burger” and “Gianna’s This & That.”

As Ferentinos goes back to work, she wants her children to learn the value of working hard to realize their dreams, as she did.

“I hope that they go to school, and they become doctors and lawyers,” she said. “But whatever it is, they will learn their roots from here, from us,” she said.

Good Party

Valley Bistro also draws on aspects of Brick City. Ferentinos said Brick City regulars loved the food, especially the burgers, so she brought much of that menu over to the new space.

She even faced some of the same pushback that she felt when opening Brick City. Valley Bistro sits in the same place where Al’s of Hampden was for over a decade, followed by Philly Steak & Shake.

People told her not to open the restaurant because of the turn into the building and because of the layout. But Ferentinos saw what it could be.

It was much the same at Brick City, she said. The previous two places in that location had failed, and people claimed it was a bad spot with no parking. Still, she and her husband gambled and succeeded.

“We did it financially on our own, and I remember on the opening night, we were so busy, and we just kind of looked at each other like, ‘Wow, we did this,’” she said.

Although Brick City closed in 2013, selling the space to Ted’s Bar and Grill, Ferentinos kept the Facebook page because it’s “kind of like a piece of her.”

“I always had the hope that I would be able to post on there again like, ‘Hey we’re opening a new place,’” she said. “And I did.”

Ferentinos has come a long way from the high school girl who couldn’t go to a football game because she was working at the Keystone. While some people dread the restaurant business, she loves getting to serve great food to great customers.

She thinks that good times around the table create memories that last a lifetime and, at the end of the day, she relishes interacting with customers and hearing how much they enjoyed the food.

“If you have good food then it’s a good party,” she said.

Valley Bistro is located at 4520 Valley Rd., Enola. For more information, call 717-695-7673 or visit www.valleybistroenola.com or the Facebook page.

ABC’s of PT: For Physical Therapy Month, a doctor addresses the whys, the hows.

September 28, 2018 | by Dr. Andrew Zang

Every day millions of people wake up seeking an answer to their pain (neck, back, knee, etc.).

But more than that, it is what the pain prevents them from doing. They are looking for a way to get back to playing with kids or grandkids, taking that family vacation, and working without hurting so much.

Most want to do this without having to rely upon pain medication or consider surgery. People want a more natural solution, which is great because the human body is resilient and often can heal itself with a little TLC. This is the role and place for a physical therapist, and, each October, this educational message is emphasized during National Physical Therapy Month.

Many people do not make the choice to see a physical therapist because, first, they do not know what we do and how we can help them. Secondly, they do not realize how easy it is to see a physical therapist and, third, they are fearful of making the wrong decision for their ache/pain/issue.

So, let’s address these issues.

What is a physical therapist and what does one do?

Physical therapists are neuromusculoskeletal experts, meaning we help people with any problem that impacts muscles, joints or the neurological system (think stroke or MS, among many more), preventing a person from enjoying daily life and recreation. The issue could be new or old, after surgery, after an accident, or just because something hurts or prevents you from doing something you want to do.

We help people with problems such as trouble walking up steps, getting up from a chair, reaching into a cabinet or bending over to pick up a bag of groceries. Some people contact us because they just feel stiff or cannot move like they want or they hurt when they do. If you are looking to prevent worsening of some condition or just want your body to feel younger—a physical therapist can help.

How easy is it to see a physical therapist?

It’s very easy. In most instances in Pennsylvania, you can have immediate access to physical therapy services without a doctor’s referral. Technically, even Medicare patients can be seen for an evaluation without a doctor’s script but may not be able to be treated based on the provider they choose. In almost all instances, a doctor’s referral will be necessary for Medicare patients to get treatment and after 30 days for everyone else.

Why do people struggle to make the decision to get help?

Because many are fearful of making the wrong decision, that the choice they make will not lead them to the solution they want. They are nervous that the person or type of treatment they choose will not be the right one for them. Or they even feel let down by some provider or the medical system as a whole to the point they don’t know what to do—so they choose nothing. These feelings are understandable. But just because one treatment or one provider did not work does not mean the next won’t be able to help. Treating the human body is an inexact science—sometimes trial and error is necessary—and other times those other false starts leads to the right answer.

In the end, it comes down to what a person is willing to live with. Many people live with pain unnecessarily, unaware that physical therapy can help them live normal, active lives again.

Dr. Andrew Zang is board certified in orthopedics and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapists. For more information, call 717-440-6197 or visit www.zangpt.com.

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