Sketching Harrisburg: Italian artist opens city-centric exhibit at Art Association.

July 31, 2018 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Guglielmo Botter may be Italian-born in and living in Treviso, a small city near Venice. But he is also an American, thanks to his late mother’s family, with dual citizenship.

Someday, Botter would like to relocate to the United States, but for now, he spends a great deal of time making sketches of landmarks in numerous American towns and cities—finishing the drawings back in Italy and exhibiting them in their home locations.

Among the cities whose landmarks he has drawn are Harrisburg and Lancaster, where his work will be shown in two separate exhibits beginning in August.

“My great-grandfather Francesco left the Italian Alps in 1892 at the age of 16 to find a better life in the United States, and, after landing at Ellis Island, he decided to settle in the Pittsburgh area,” Botter said. “He worked hard as a miner for many years until 1900, when he finally got his U.S. citizenship. That same year, he was joined by his young Italian girlfriend, whom he married on Christmas Eve 1900.”

Botter’s grandmother was born in West Lebanon, Pa., holding American citizenship.

“She grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and soon distinguished herself for her artistic talents, so much so that she got a scholarship from Penn State University,” Botter said. “However, she preferred to return to Italy to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where she fell in love with an Italian fresco artist who taught there.”

But Botter’s mother retained a “longing for America,” he said. “Always in my youth, she advised me to try my professional way overseas.”

Botter completed studies as an architect in 1997, but after several years, had to close his office because of the serious economic crisis that hit Italy in 2010. In agreement with his wife and two young daughters, he decided to listen to his mother’s advice and crossed the ocean again—this time as a fine artist.

Botter and family arrived in Pittsburgh in 2012 to a warm welcome. His drawings of the city constituted his first exhibit in the States and received publicity in the press.

He branched out over the coming years to make drawings of other cities in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

He’d like to add Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Williamsburg, Va., to his list.

This August, Botter also will exhibit in New Kensington, Pa., at the Penn State University Campus Art Gallery. There, he will hang his drawings alongside some of his mother’s paintings.

“My goal is to cover the country, from the East Coast to the West,” Botter said.

He comes back every summer for two-and-a-half months and, sometimes, for an additional short trip in the fall to sketch the cities that strike his fancy. He plans new exhibits every year, using the winter to seek connections through the Web.

While he continues to live in Italy, Botter said he’s looking for the right opportunity to move to Pittsburgh, following in his family’s footsteps.

“I am very sorry my parents can’t enjoy my success in the ‘land of opportunity’—both have passed away—but I feel their presence every time I get something good there,” he said.

His exhibits in Harrisburg and Lancaster will feature 16 drawings each.

“I have a special relationship with the cities I have designed in the past,” said Botter. “Before starting to sketch, I need to visit the place, walking around for a couple of days. I need to understand the shape of the city and to find the best views for my work.”

In addition to his drawings, Botter will often sell such merchandise as postcards, note cards, calendars, tote bags and even ceramic items at his exhibits.

What attracted the Art Association of Harrisburg to his work?

“They’re quality drawings, which, technically speaking, are rendered well,” said Rachel O’Connor, AAH’s curator. “There’s a nice push and pull between relaxed and precise line work. They’re also visually interesting, in that they’re reminiscent of looking at an artist’s sketchbook and seeing quick but accurate studies of a city.”

The viewer, she said, gets to see Harrisburg through the artist’s eyes.

“They show buildings and streets that he thinks are important, or at least noteworthy,” she said. “One of the many missions of the visual arts (and all art) is to widen people’s perspectives. Exhibiting Guglielmo’s work does that quite literally.”

The Art Association staff was also struck by Botter’s personality, O’Connor said.

“He is very tenacious when it comes to his art, which is a quality that I consistently see (and greatly admire) in artists,” she said. “He feels a special connection to Pennsylvania through his family history, and he’s determined to make a name for himself here.”

“From Italy to Harrisburg: Street Drawings by Guglielmo Botter” runs Aug. 4 to Oct. 22 at the Art Association of Harrisburg Gallery, 21 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

Botter’s exhibit in Lancaster runs Aug. 3 to Sept. 30 at the City Hall Gallery, 120 N. Duke St., Lancaster. Visit www.lancasterpublicart.com/city-hall-gallery.

Walk This Way: Harrisburg’s streets are unusually dangerous for pedestrians. What can be done?

July 31, 2018 | by M. Diane McCormick

Illustration by Jonathan Bean.

Evelyn Hunt pointed to the street map sprawling across long tables.

Post-it notes in pink or blue were scrawled with such phrases as “Heavy foot traffic” and “Raised intersection?” Hunt put her finger on the north side of 19th and State streets.

“For some reason, more of the accidents happen on this side versus the other,” she said.

Immediately, a consultant slid a pack of pink Post-its toward her. Wordlessly, he was inviting her to add her observation to the comments accumulating on the map.

In an effort impressive for its swiftness, a phalanx of municipal, regional and state officials is examining how to make Harrisburg-area roads safe for all users. Starting with a particularly deadly stretch from Camp Hill to Harrisburg, the push is on to help motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists move in harmony.

To Zero

The cliché about dangerous roadways is that somebody has to die before government finally steps in.

Maybe five deaths since 2017 along one speedway of a Harrisburg road inspired a shared epiphany. Maybe the senseless death of Cynthia Wilson, apparently crossing State Street for a quick trip to the store, was the last straw. Amid the outcry, the city turned to a Vision Zero Action Plan, vowing for zero roadway fatalities by 2030.

Traditional transportation planning incorporates the three elements of mobility, accessibility and safety, said Harrisburg’s city Engineer Wayne Martin. But safety has taken the proverbial back seat.

“There’s now a national and international shift toward safety being the number-one priority,” he said.

Which explains the sudden elevation of State Street, and hazards citywide, in the public policy agenda.

“Believe me when I say the statistics on State Street should be enough to get past any concerns for travel-time delays and things like that,” Martin said.

Process & Plan

Urban traffic deaths might seem anomalous—after all, city streets aren’t beltways—but the killer component is speed differential, said Martin. Today’s cars are increasingly safe for occupants, but the more drivers exceed speed limits—which peaks on State Street at the close of the work day, according to a Vision Zero finding—the higher the speed difference between the vehicle and the unfortunate walker or bicyclist.

“We know that the auto industry is going to be more advanced,” Martin said. “So, we need to focus on these other road users, because they’re more susceptible.”

Enter Vision Zero. It’s a process and action plan in one. Officials scrutinize crash data and anecdotal evidence to uncover the problem spots. Vision Zero task force meetings attract the full array of agencies responsible for and using city streets: city administration, police, engineering, Capital Area Transit, Harrisburg school district. Because the state owns many of the roadways under scrutiny, including State Street and Front Street, PennDOT is at the table.

“The challenge is, we’re trying to move large volumes of traffic, especially the commuters coming in during the morning,” said PennDOT spokesperson Greg Penny. “How do you balance the interest of moving large volumes of traffic with the interest of providing safety to bicyclists and pedestrians?”

Vision Zero’s rapid response component targets the most troublesome areas first. Road data provide hard evidence, while input from residents, motorists and pedestrians offers real-life perspective. Hence, surveys conducted during rush hours, and community input meetings with maps and Post-it notes, like the one attended by Evelyn Hunt.

“We can look at all the statistics we want about crashes and timing of signals and vehicle volumes and speeds, but that’s not going to pick up a near-miss,” said Martin. “That’s not going to pick up aggressive behaviors. You’re really going to get that from community members.”

Initial solutions are inexpensive and quick to implement, especially compared to pricey, drawn-out construction projects. Upgrades such as line painting “can be done cheaply,” Martin said. State Street’s center lane is a legacy of streetcar days, and its luxurious, 12-foot lanes inspire drivers to put pedal to metal.

“Those lanes don’t have to be 12 feet,” said Martin. “We can definitely get away with 11 or 10. You start narrowing those lanes, it’s a shorter distance for pedestrians to cross, and it slows vehicles down.”

For pedestrians, quick fixes can include uniform lighting to eliminate dark spots, crossing signals flashing countdowns instead of those ambiguous hands and time-delayed signals that provide pedestrians a few seconds to step into crosswalks and be visible to left-turning motorists.

And because pedestrians sometimes—make that often—need encouragement to use crosswalks instead of jaywalking their way through live-action Frogger games, medians can be planted with prickly rose bushes.

Camp to Allison Hill

When it comes to traffic corridors, motorists and pedestrians don’t care who’s responsible for maintenance and safety. The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is a regional coordinator dispersing federal transportation dollars, and its Harrisburg Area Transportation Study, or HATS, formulates transportation plans for Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties.

A HATS study that now includes Forster Street through State and 15th streets actually started life as a look at the Camp Hill bypass—officially, Cumberland Boulevard. Residents unnerved by the December 2016 death of their friend Diana Davidson, killed by a speeding drunken driver, discovered an alarming string of crash data and asked HATS for a review.

“There are not sidewalks the entire length of our walking community,” said Brett Miller, a Camp Hill resident who, with resident Sherry Bowman, created the Camp Hill Cumberland Boulevard Task Force. With Davidson in mind, the group vows to “make sure this never, ever happens to anybody else,” Miller said.

Harrisburg then asked that the study extend through Forster Street and State Street, with an eye on projects that could alter traffic patterns and deter collisions, whether car-on-car or car-on-pedestrian.

Expected to wrap up in late 2018, the study “will include some medium- and longer-term things to be looking at,” including the “road diets” that slim down wide lanes, said TCRPC Executive Director Steve Deck.

“Some of the ideas we’re proposing are things tried out in other areas and found to be effective. Not perfect, but effective,” he said. “I think people will see some significant improvements even with some short-term stuff that’s happening this year.”

The study earmarks about $300,000 for traffic safety improvements, Deck said. Collaboration among municipalities and agencies is inspired by safety concerns—a “no brainer,” he said. “While there’s some competition in what to do next, typically these organizations want to work together to improve safety.”

Miller speaks highly of the local, regional and state officials involved.

“I applaud the officials who stood up and took notice and did something, because they’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive,” she said. “We’ve talked to people in this field who say they’ve never seen anything move so quickly.”

Enforcement & Education

Nationwide, 49 states allow local police to enforce speed limits using radar. The outlier? Pennsylvania. A bill to put Pennsylvania in step with the other 49 passed the state Senate in November 2017 but, so far, has stalled in the House of Representatives.

Its passage into law is a Vision Zero goal. The topic is “a sore subject with most municipal police offices,” said Harrisburg Police Bureau spokesperson Capt. Gabriel Olivera. The department uses other enforcement methods, including timing devices and speedometers, but personnel shortages mean that officers are stretched too thinly for regular traffic stops.

“We are responding to many, many calls throughout the day,” said Olivera. “Because we’re responding to all the calls, it doesn’t allow us the ability to stay in one location to enforce traffic.”

Miller would appreciate a stronger dose of education about motorist, pedestrian and bicyclist safety—in homes, schools and municipalities. Common sense helps, too, she said.

“Until the experts figure out exactly what can be done to make the road and safety better, please adhere to the crossing signals, the crosswalks and the underpasses because it really does make a difference,” she said.

Indeed, both motorists and pedestrians would do well to reacquaint themselves with the rules of the road, according to numerous people interviewed for this story. After all, anyone who’s spent time in Harrisburg likely has noticed infractions by all parties, with epidemics of both speeding and jaywalking.

Front Street has become a particular focus of concern since PennDOT made changes to that state-owned road a couple of years ago. Crosswalks were added at more intersections, but that seems to have caused greater confusion than actual safety improvements. After all, what happens when you add multiple crossing points to a street that many drivers still treat as a high-speed corridor—a highway—into the city?

To wit, a few months back, a security video went viral that showed a woman being hit and thrown by an SUV at Front and Herr streets as one lane of traffic stopped to allow her to cross at an intersection, but the other lane did not.

Lower Paxton Township resident John Norton has been on the other side of that problem.

He got caught in a five-car pileup this spring, caused by a motorist stopping to allow a pedestrian to cross Front Street. He has also seen near-misses, whether between cars and pedestrians or fender-benders. Few people, he said, understand that state law requires pedestrians to actually occupy a crosswalk before motorists must yield.

“All we did back in the day was pretty simple,” said Norton, who long lived in a Front Street apartment and walked his dog in Riverfront Park nearly every day. “We stood by the side of the road until it was safe to cross, and then we’d cross. During rush hour, we sometimes had to wait five or 10 minutes. What’s the tragedy in that?”

Arm Candy: Cuff Links–the strongest link in your look.

July 31, 2018 | by Dave Marcheskie

While chatting between bites of a bagel at a recent conference, my boss, Judy Rader (Exelon Generation VP of communications) commented on my cufflinks—light bulbs. The energy company brass suggested I write about them for my next column.

Kissing-up aside, she has a point. I’ve never broached the topic here. They’re not exactly a new trend. Nonetheless, I do have an affinity for this contraption that conjoins my cotton-covered wrists. So, I present—an ode to cufflinks.

I vividly remember my grandfather plopping a Ziploc baggie in my hand with a bunch of tarnished thingies. I had no idea what they were. My dad showed me what they were from a Sinatra album cover. I figured out I had inherited a collection of art deco cufflinks.

I didn’t go through some awkward teenage Rat Pack phase. Problem was—department stores didn’t sell French-cuff shirts. Not until a slick Don Draper stepped on screen, wearing those same art deco cufflinks, did retailers reinvent our mainstream again.

Throughout history, simple versions of the cufflink held sleeve cuffs together. Usually ties, clasps or ribbons were used to tunnel the cuffs. European aristocrats of the 1800s changed formalwear forever, which included ornate and gemstone cufflinks to complete starched cuffs and collars.

Towards the 20th century, Paris shirt-maker Charvet offered buttonless barrel cuffs that used affordable silk knots. This is how the “French cuff” became widely available to the common man. The fashion infiltrated American culture, but again, mostly for the wealthy. The Great Depression and WWII followed. Excess wasn’t largely celebrated until the 1950s and ‘60s, when prosperity, futurism and guys like Sinatra became icons of cool. Art Nouveau worn on wrists.

I used those ol’ Nouveau cufflinks during proms in high school, when I wore tuxes. I once splurged on a French cuff shirt at a hometown men’s store for college formals and job interviews. Still, these shirts were expensive and hard to find. When I began my TV news career, I could order the shirts online. As my time on the tube increased, so did my cufflink repertoire. It was my way to add creativity and a detail that other guys weren’t doing. People noticed.

While covering the 2008 presidential campaign, future Veep Joe Biden chuckled at a pair of bananas peeking through my outstretched arm holding a microphone. They matched my yellow tie that day. Cufflinks became an icebreaker during interviews. Harrisburg mayors Linda Thompson and Eric Papenfuse would take lighthearted inventory, asking, “What are you wearing today?” I put the fun in functional (ba-dum-tis).

Cufflinks are now easy to find. Cuffdaddy.com, Etsy and Amazon seem to have endless variations for any profession or hobby. Scour antique stores, and you’ll score ones like my grandfather gave me. Boardrooms don’t have to be boring! Even off-air, I still wear them and people still notice. Between the gifts, gotta-haves and souvenirs over the years, I enlisted the assistance of a vintage chocolate mold to house each pair of memories.

No creative cocktail recipe this time around. Instead, in honor of my late grandfather and dad, just grab a glass of Jack and wear cufflinks while you sip. Nothing is cooler than that.

Dave Marcheskie, a former reporter and anchor for abc27 News, is our Sharp Press Man.

Cost of Doing Business: For many Harrisburg businesses, the BPT is a tough tax to swallow.

July 31, 2018 | by Ashleigh Pollart

Ryan Colquhoun, a broker and partner of Harrisburg Property Management Group, dreamt of a view of the Susquehanna River from his office.

Logistical factors, such as ease of access to his Harrisburg properties and anticipated taxes, were also under consideration during his real estate search. Colquhoun and his team manage 700 to 800 units in the city alone, and that number is growing, with additional properties in the surrounding suburbs.

“We wanted to be on Front Street,” he said. “We loved being along the river, but the property and real estate taxes in Harrisburg are very, very high.”

Eventually, they decided to locate upriver in Susquehanna Township. But that didn’t free them of all Harrisburg taxes. Because they still did business in the city, they remained subject to another tax, one that many new companies are surprised to learn about—the business privilege tax (BPT).

Back in 1965, Pennsylvania passed the Local Tax Enabling Act (LTEA) to raise additional revenue for local government services. This granted second- and third-class cities, boroughs and other municipalities the power to tax for general revenue purposes, including levying taxes on gross receipts for the “privilege” of doing business within a locality—making Pennsylvania one of only a handful of states to have such a tax.

Out of about 2,900 entities that have the power to tax in Pennsylvania, only about 350 levy a mercantile tax or a BPT. Historically, a mercantile tax has been levied on retailers and wholesalers, while businesses that provide services, such as consulting, are responsible for the BPT. Colquhoun happens to do business in two of the municipalities (Harrisburg and Swatara Township) in central Pennsylvania that levy such a tax. Others locally include Paxtang, Penbrook and jurisdictions within York and Adams counties.

“Primarily, it’s a lot of the old third-class cities that still retain a BPT—obviously because we’re all hurting for different revenue sources,” said Michael Hughes, tax and enforcement administrator for Harrisburg. “We’re in a worse spot than a lot of municipalities because the Capitol is here—they don’t pay property taxes on those properties. And we have an array of nonprofits based here because it is the capital city. We have to try and maintain every revenue source we can.”\

In 2018, the BPT is projected to account for 10 percent of the city’s general fund revenue, about the same amount as last year.

“For every new business coming in, another one probably had left,” Hughes said. “There’s really a balance. The market is only going to bear so many restaurants downtown.”

For those providing a service in Harrisburg, the total rate imposed by the BPT is 3 mills or $3 per $1,000 of gross volume of business, up to gross receipts of $3.3 million. For gross receipts in excess of that, the rate imposed is 1 mill or $1 per $1,000.

For retailers, the rate of the similar mercantile tax is 1½ mills or $1.50 per $1,000, up to gross receipts of $3.3 million. For gross receipts above that, the rate is ¼-mill, or 25 cents per $1,000.

“It is a nefarious tax because townships are very aggressive,” said Vito Cosmo, managing director of state and local taxes at accounting firm Grant Thornton in Philadelphia. “The bedroom communities of the 1960s and 1970s are now thriving mini-metropolises of their own.”

Cosmo estimates that, in the past few years, one-third of his clients have sought help due to confusion around LTEA taxes.

Since 1965, the guidelines around the tax have been adjusted multiple times. Some of these adjustments have clarified the law, while others have caused further ambiguity.

“I think smaller- and medium-sized companies get very surprised,” Cosmo said. “Companies are getting whipsawed all over the place.”

For instance, each jurisdiction has its own rules.

“It’s not homogenous,” he said. “Businesses, unless they have a really good CPA, or a large accounting firm like Grant Thornton, they’re going to have a lot of difficulty handling this.”

Additional Cost

Hughes and his team realize that the BPT, and taxes in general, can be confusing.

He said that they welcome the opportunity to educate business owners, event organizers and residents on the tax code and do so frequently. He suggests calling the municipality before starting a business, hosting an event, or doing business within that municipality to ensure compliance.

For businesses that operate in more than one of these localities, things can get complicated—and expensive.

For instance, Colquhoun doesn’t pay a BPT in Susquehanna Township, as it doesn’t levy the tax, but he is liable for paying it in Harrisburg and Swatara Township.

“I understand taxes and fees have a purpose,” Colquhoun said. “If the municipality needs funding, they need to get it from somewhere, and businesses are a way to move on that. When you look at it, it can become quite substantial when you’re doing any volume of business. I talk to other business owners, and taxes in the city are certainly something that should be looked at when determining a location.”

Businesses that rely on foot traffic have a different perspective. They need to be where the action is.

Timishia Goodson, co-owner of Raising the Bar in the Broad Street Market, does not find such taxes to be burdensome, viewing them as necessary for calling Harrisburg home for her full-service bakery.

“It’s just a cost of doing business in Harrisburg,” she said. “Anytime in the market, there are probably 300 or 400 people roaming around. So, we definitely rely on foot traffic.”

For professional services that do not rely on foot traffic, is the cost of doing business in Harrisburg too high?

“I definitely think it’s discouraging for businesses, and it’s certainly regressive for those that are purchasing the services of those businesses,” Colquhoun said. “If there’s an additional tax that’s on the business, that’s an additional cost to the end user or consumer.”

Bottom Line

Brittany Holtz, founder of Studio B Power Yoga, owns three studios—in Lower Paxton, Derry and Annville townships. These studios are not in places that levy a mercantile or business privilege tax.

She has dreams of one day opening a studio in Harrisburg proper, but said that taxes would need to be taken into consideration. She also questioned if such taxes discourage businesses from setting up in Harrisburg.

“I’m born and raised in this area, and I always found it interesting that we don’t have more progressive businesses here,” she said. “We’re close to big cities, we have great restaurants, and we are the capital. But it seems like people and businesses are moving out of Harrisburg. I want to see them move in.”

Hughes said that he understands that large businesses with substantial gross receipts may need to take the tax and necessary business licenses into consideration.

“A $50 license fee and potentially a couple thousand dollars in taxes, it’s not putting people out of business,” Hughes said. “With a bigger company, sure, sometimes you need to make a financial decision.”

However, Hughes pointed out, moving out of the city may not mean complete alleviation of the BPT, as Harrisburg Property Management Group discovered. For example, attorneys or contractors who are based in the surrounding suburbs are still responsible for Harrisburg’s BPT when completing construction projects in the city or doing business within the city’s courthouses.

“It’s a very labor-intensive tax to collect,” Hughes said. “That’s why no one really wants it.”

Looking ahead, Hughes believes that, with large construction projects on deck, such as the new federal courthouse and Harrisburg University’s high-rise, the city may experience an uptick in BPT revenue.

As far as the future of the BPT itself, Hughes doesn’t see it being removed from the general fund revenue budget anytime soon.

“The legislature attempted to make changes, but got pushback from a lot of third-class cities,” Hughes said.

Without a replacement revenue source, municipalities that levy the tax were unhappy with the idea.

“We can’t afford to take a hit of 10 percent of the budget,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. I don’t see it going away.”

Bean Toss: Throw some garden goodness into your pasta.

July 31, 2018 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Those of you who have read this column in TheBurg for a while likely have heard about my husband’s picky ways when it comes to vegetables.

Corn on the cob, peas, mushy asparagus and zucchini, and, “Broccoli again?” are among the many undesirables on his list. But a special non-favorite is “beany beans,” those shipped green beans in the dead of winter with tough strings and a woody interior (you know the type).

But I am a green bean lover. My mother made big pots of ham, green beans and potatoes in the summer—not very summery maybe, but in those days, that’s when fresh string beans were available. She cooked green beans with her spaghetti sauce and added boiled potatoes. This was almost hearty enough to be a main dish. And, on warm summer nights, we often enjoyed a cold green bean salad with olive oil, vinegar and chopped fresh mint.

During a recent trip to my favorite farmers market, I found beans my mother could only dream of. There were the familiar green string beans, yellow wax beans, haricot verts (very thin beans also known as French beans), purple beans and the often-hard-to-find Roma beans. Roma beans are large, flat beans also grown in green, yellow and purple varieties. All were at their peak of freshness and ready to be taken home for some new recipes. No need for those watery frozen beans with little bits of almond we often find on the buffet circuit and at rubber-chicken dinners.

Our friends who lived in Italy for several years have often spoken of a classic dish called “Trenette al Pesto,” which originates in a beautiful region of Italy called Liguria. Liguria is a crescent-shaped region in northwestern Italy. Its Mediterranean coastline, bordering France, is often referred to as the “Italian Riviera.” “Trenette al Pesto,” as the name implies, is pesto-based pasta made with fresh green beans and “new” potatoes, the epitome of the summer harvest. Pasta with green beans? Who knew?

The recipe that follows includes making the pesto from scratch, which is not difficult. But if you are able to buy a good, ready-made pesto sauce, you can use that as well.

Ingredients for the Pesto

1½ cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts (can omit for a “nutless” version)
1 clove fresh garlic
Salt to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

Remaining Ingredients

½ lb. new potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
½ lb. thin green beans
1 lb. linguine

Directions

To make the pesto in a food processor or blender:

Combine the basil, pine nuts (if using), garlic and pinch of salt. Process until finely chopped.
With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil in a thin stream and process until smooth.
Add the cheese and butter and pulse a few times more.
Set the pesto aside.

To cook the potatoes, beans and pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the green beans and potatoes and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Use a skimmer to remove them when cooked and place them in a warm boil. (Do not overcook as the potatoes will fall apart.)
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.
When cooked, drain the pasta but save about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Assembly

Add the pasta and the pesto to the vegetables in the serving bowl and gently toss together. Add a little cooking water as needed to thin the sauce. Add a little extra grated cheese on top, if you prefer.

All you need is a plate of fresh, sliced summer tomatoes with oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper to complete your dinner.

This is ultimate summer eating for everyone who loves to eat seasonally, including even those who don’t like “beany beans.”

Critters & Crustaceans: A grown-up’s shore vacation awaits along the Chesapeake Bay.

July 31, 2018 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

As a kid, your idea of a great beach vacation may have meant playing in the sand and the ocean by day, on the boardwalk by night.

But you’re an adult now, so your tastes have matured, right?

Fortunately, you don’t have to abandon your love of sea and sun—you just need to make some adjustments. A short drive away from central PA, you’ll find dozens of quiet, quaint towns situated on beautiful waterways, many with a grown-up vibe.

Rock Hall, Md., is one of those.

The small, waterfront town on Maryland’s eastern shore offers visitors a respite from the hustle and bustle. Fishing, sailing, birding, hiking, swimming and biking are among the outdoor activities available in the area.

Those who visit early in the summer season may feel as if they have the entire town to themselves. When I arrived in early June, there wasn’t a soul in sight, not even a lifeguard. If you prefer a livelier atmosphere, mark your calendars for Aug. 10 when the town comes alive with the annual “Pirates and Wenches Fantasy Weekend.”

Whatever your scene, chances are that Rock Hall will fit the bill, just as long as you’re a fan of the great outdoors.

Wildlife Abounds

Upon arriving in Rock Hall, you’ll certainly notice the town’s charm.

Petite, candy-colored buildings dominate the town center, where shopkeepers sell a variety of items ranging from clothing to gifts, accessories, ice cream and confections. Additional shops and cafes are located just a few steps away on Main Street.

For a unique retail experience, check out Rock Hall Marine Consignment to get a glimpse into the world of boating. There, you’ll find an array of duck decoys, along with a multitude of boat accessories. I even saw a model of a miniature duck blind for sale.

Speaking of wildlife—about 10 miles from Rock Hall, near historic Chestertown, is the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, a 2,285-acre island that offers areas for fishing and trails for hiking and biking. The park headquarters operates out of a 1900s-era log cabin, where friendly volunteers are on hand to answer questions. Wildlife abounds in this unspoiled area, and you’ll likely to see kingfishers, ducks, turkeys, turtles, loons, wood ducks, songbirds, peregrines and more. Don’t leave before checking out the butterfly garden, which, along with the rest of the refuge, is open daily 7:30 a.m. to sunset.

Nature’s Show

If you’re like me, the only thing better than being near the water is being on the water.

So, I chatted with Capt. Andrew Seligman, who commandeers the Shardana, which sails from Rock Hall’s Osprey Point Marina. The boat accommodates up to six passengers and is equipped with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a full galley, where seasoned chefs prepare delicious dishes.

Groups are invited to create their own customized tours, which could include stopping for a swim, soaking in the sights of a spectacular sunset, or enjoying an onboard cookout. Overnight guests have the option of exploring towns like St. Michaels and Solomon’s Island or docking in cities like Annapolis, D.C., or Philadelphia.

“We made our decision from the very onset to build a sailboat that would provide memorable experiences for seasoned sailors, but also create a ‘magic carpet ride’ for those people new to sailing who want to enjoy the serenity and excitement of being on a sailboat, plying the waters of the Chesapeake Bay,” said the co-owner, Capt. Davis Jones.

Nature, of course, offers its own show along the way, with a variety of wildlife appearances—herons, osprey, cormorants and the occasional bald eagle.

For a different take of life on the sea, Rock Hall hosts the annual “Pirates and Wenches Fantasy Weekend,” occurring this year from Aug. 10 to 12. The waterfront-themed party includes live music, pirate performers, contests, rum tastings, sing-a-longs, a 5K run/walk, costume contests and the popular “decorated dinghy” contest. This is the 11th year for the event, which attracts both locals and out-of-towners.

Stay a Spell

You could do Rock Hall as a day trip, but you probably will want to make a weekend out of it, as there’s so much to do in the area.

Fortunately, the Inn at Haven Harbor offers comfortable rooms in five buildings scattered about town. Included in the room rate are amenities ranging from free bike and kayak rentals to pool access, free breakfast and Wi-Fi, a fitness room, laundry facilities, picnic pavilions, a children’s playground and a beach area with a fire pit. Guests who feel like engaging in a little competition can take part in anything from lawn chess to shuffleboard, croquet and bocce ball.

During my stay, I rented the Lazarette room. Clean, comfortable and pet-friendly, the attractively decorated, one-bedroom cottage allows a guest to live like a local, with all the amenities of home. The full-sized kitchen is especially convenient for those who prefer to prepare their own meals.

But, seriously, who wants to cook during a short jaunt out of town?

Situated along the water, the Waterman’s Crab House draws tourists for its ideal location. Enjoy a bite while sitting outside along the water and listening to live music.

In my opinion, the best crabs in the area can be found in a simple joint called Ford’s Seafood. This is where the locals go, which is enough of a recommendation right there. What Ford’s lacks in ambiance, it more than makes up for in quality.

For fine dining, visit the Osprey Point Restaurant, located along the Swan Creek Marina at the Osprey Point Inn, where the chef serves up American cuisine with a local focus, with dishes like scallops, duck, crab cakes and tuna. After dinner, enjoy a walk on the pier among the many boats docked at the marina.

After dinner, grab an ice cream and enjoy what Rock Hall is most known for—its beautiful sunsets. So, are you relaxed yet?

To learn more about Rock Hall, Md., visit www.rockhallmd.com.

Summer Hits a High Note: After a long hiatus, outdoor opera returns this month to Harrisburg.

July 31, 2018 | by Gina Napoli

The notes of tenors, baritones and mezzo-sopranos once rang out each summer through the trees and fields of one of Harrisburg’s beautiful parks.

Long-time residents may remember the Harrisburg Opera Association’s free outdoor concerts in Reservoir and Riverfront parks, now some 20 years past.

This month, the tradition returns as a revived HOA ventures uptown to Italian Lake Park for “Looking Forward,” a concert featuring a wide range of musical genres, including classic and contemporary opera, musical theater, cabaret and folk.

Italian Lake’s idyllic setting offers natural beauty to complement the 70-minute performance, an open-air venue that contrasts sharply with the typical ornate opera house, said HOA President and Treasurer Lee Swartz. In that spirit, performers are inviting their audience to clothe themselves in luau and picnic attire instead of tuxedoes and ball gowns, and to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

The return of outdoor opera marks the return of HOA itself, which has been on hiatus since 2010. Through the event, HOA will restore opera to Harrisburg with “well known, professional artists, including those who have sung at the highest levels of the art, including the Metropolitan Opera and European venues,” Swartz said.

Spearheading the revival is Tami Swartz, HOA’s recently appointed executive director and artistic director. It was, she said, the right time to bring regional, professional opera back to Harrisburg.

“While this city has many professional arts venues, we have not had a professional opera company in the higher regional category for the last eight years,” she said.

A Harrisburg native and Juilliard graduate, Tami Swartz has performed internationally, regionally and off-Broadway. Devoted, long-time opera fans in Harrisburg may remember her from roles such as Cho-Cho-san in “Madama Butterfly,” Gilda in “Rigoletto” (HOA) and Tuptim in “The King and I” (Allenberry Playhouse).

Swartz’s professional collaborators for this performance are Michael Gamon, Adam Klein, Hannah Shea, Greg Strohman and Timothy Lafontaine.

In addition to directing and producing, Klein has performed in notable opera houses all over the United States and parts of Canada since 1971. Baritone Lafontaine also has an impressive CV, performing throughout the country and internationally.

A resident of Susquehanna Township and 2014 graduate of the Harrisburg Academy International Baccalaureate Program, mezzo-soprano Shea has sung with the Harrisburg Singers and the Susquehanna Young Women’s Chorale.

“Having grown up as a young person interested in classical music, I would have loved to have seen concerts like this available and supported in the community,” Shea said. “It’s so exciting to see opera coming back to Harrisburg’s music scene. I can’t wait to share some beautiful music with my hometown.”

For this performance, Gamon, director of the Center for the Creative Arts at Harrisburg Academy, will talk about each selection before it is performed. While opera is known for Italian, French and German works, many of the “Looking Forward” selections will be in English.

“This event means I can give beautiful art back to the people and spread some much needed light to my fellow Harrisburgers,” Tami Swartz said. “I have always wanted to make this an opera company for all the people who live here.”

Strohman stressed that regional operas like HOA serve an immensely important role for developing artists and rising stars.

“We’re looking forward to many excellent productions from the Harrisburg Opera Association over the coming years,” he said.

“Looking Forward” takes place starting at 4 p.m. on Aug. 19 at Italian Lake Park, N. 3rd and Division streets, Harrisburg. For more information about the Harrisburg Opera Association, visit www.harrisburg-opera.org or their Facebook page.

Community Kitchen: At Right on Reily, your meal comes with a side of neighborhood.

July 31, 2018 | by Ann Beth Knaus

Dylan Simon

In a way, Dylan Simon is coming back home.

Ten years ago, Simon worked at the former Nonna’s Delicisio on Reily Street in Harrisburg. Then, last month, he opened his own restaurant, Right on Reily, in the exact same spot, bringing fresh ingredients and a new look to the Midtown location.

Simon moved with his mother from West Hanover to Harrisburg when he was a teenager. They settled on Green Street, which made for a short commute to his job at nearby Nonna’s. He immediately fell in love with the space and knew then that he eventually wanted to own his own business.

After high school, Simon pursued his dreams by studying education and small business management at HACC. But he’s also had real-world experience by working in the restaurant industry his entire professional life. His passion erupted while working at Rubicon, where he was a bartender for several years.

“I just learned so much from the people I worked with,” Simon said, crediting Rubicon manager Ashlyn Hawkins and fellow bartender and friend Valoree Skiles, both of whom played a role in helping Simon name Right on Reily.

He was closing at the end of the night with Hawkins and a few servers at Rubicon when they asked him if he had named his new venture. He had a couple of ideas but really wasn’t sold on any of them. He took out the trash and returned to his find co-workers still working on thinking up something appropriate.

“I feel like ‘right on’ should be in there somewhere,” Hawkins exclaimed, as Simon often uses that 1970s pop culture slang in conversation.

“Right on Reily just came to us,” Hawkins said. “Dylan was gone with the trash for all of three minutes and, when he came back, we said, ‘We got it.’ We told him, and he was sold.”

Right on Reily serves bistro-style food six days a week. The 45-seat, BYOB space boasts a post-modern décor with soft-colored walls that contrast with a bold painting of a rooster on the front counter, a mural created by local artist Katie Trainer. A large mirror flanks a pew that he acquired from a church in Maryland, with two five-foot tables for a unique seating experience. The restaurant is powered by wind and solar energy, making your visit not only delicious but environmentally friendly.

House-cured and smoked meat sandwiches, fresh salads and seasonal soups are just a few menu delights. At least a quarter of the menu features vegan and vegetarian dishes.

All of the dishes are inspired by Simon’s extensive knowledge of food products, something that always impressed Skiles.

“When I was first getting to know Dylan, I had just come from shopping at a local foods store that was selling Iranian saffron,” she said. “I brought up how exotic and expensive the saffron was, how these single threads sold in small glass jars had made their way around the world to end up here in Pennsylvania. Dylan then began to talk, in detail, about the Pennsylvania Dutch local cultivation of saffron. I was so impressed with his knowledge of food, and he has been impressing me ever since.”

Simon has partnered with Broad Street Market businesses Raising the Bar and Elementary Coffee for all of his baked goods and coffee selections and with local farmers and Lancaster Farm Fresh for many of his ingredients. Next year, he’ll work with Tri County Community Action to gather produce from Harrisburg-wide co-op community gardens.

On Reily Street, Simon is partnering with neighbors Zeroday Brewing Co. and the Midtown Cinema on specials and events. The restaurant will be available for private parties and catering, too.

Simon is offering takeout with Uber Eats and will serve brunch from noon to 4 p.m. every Sunday for late risers.

“We’ll be doing a bring-your-own bloody [Mary] brunch and mimosas,” he said. “I’ll have the mixers for each table, and customers can bring their own alcohol.”

Right on Reily will be working with the Harrisburg school district to offer mini-educational tours to students to provide them with the opportunity to learn what it takes to run a business and what it takes to prepare healthy and fresh food.

Simon is as excited about opening his own business as he is in making a difference.

“It’s all about synergy,” he said. “This is not just going to be some place to go to eat and drink. It’s about making a difference. It’s about community.”

Right on Reily is located at 263 Reily St., Harrisburg. To learn more, visit its website, its Facebook page or call 717-695-6296.

Decisions, Decisions: At Gamut Theatre, your fate is in your own hands.

July 31, 2018 | by Meghan Jones

Traditionally, a trip to the theater is an individual and private moment. A specific play is presented, and audience members create meaning through their own experiences and interpretations.

This is why live theater is so valuable—you are able to have a singular response to a play in the presence of many others who are doing the same. Yet, sometimes, there is a need to shake things up. Such is the aim of Gamut Theatre Group’s upcoming production of “Choose Your Own Play: Hijacked!” the second in a series of “choose your own” productions that the Harrisburg-based theater has adapted for the stage.

Philip Mann and David Zayas, the director and writer for “Hijacked!,” attempt to subvert this common experience of what a play should be by adapting a production that focuses attention on the audience as a group. As the first production going into the theater’s new Alexander Grass Second Stage, Mann and Zayas hope to convey a sense of family fun that will be central to the space as the newly renovated children’s theater.

The performance is an interactive experience in which audiences get the opportunity to engage not only with the performers but with each other as they make a variety of choices that will determine the trajectory of the unique play. More than just a play, the “Choose Your Own” series encourages community fun and the presentation of stories in new and exciting ways, which is a cornerstone of Gamut’s mission.

“Hijacked!” centers around three middle-school-aged children—the “you” character and her two best friends, who are headed home for Christmas break when their bus gets hijacked by a group of international criminals. The objective of the play is to stop the criminals, bring their organization to an end, and get home in time for Christmas. The audience goes through the narrative, but has choices along the way to reach the objective, which they make by voting on their phones during the performance. As the play continues, audiences will find out if their choices lead them through one of the three best endings—or to death.

Beginning with last year’s “Space Vampire,” the “Choose Your Own” series has become a passion project with a goal—to reach new audiences through play and community. Mann stated that this is his directorial approach.

“There is a lot of collaboration, and I’m really letting the actors have fun with developing their characters,” he said. “I’m encouraging that play as they mold their choices with those characters, since there aren’t many specifics in the actual book.”

Tonally, “Hijacked!” finds inspiration in iconic ‘80s action movies. The nostalgia that follows these films is ever-present in Mann and Zayas’ approach to the adaptation and how they intend to present the play to audiences.

“It felt right to use these movies as inspiration, like ‘Red Dawn’ and ‘The Goonies,’ because our story’s ‘you’ characters are children,” Zayas said. “And like the movies, you have these kids thrust into a situation that should really be beyond them, and yet they take it on.”

Zayas added that they never want to set up an audience for failure, which is why there are three lives. Splitting from a traditional play setting, the performance becomes a game in which the choices have an impact on the ultimate story. In fact, this fun game element is what brought the actors back for the second time.

“We have a lot of the same actors in ‘Hijacked!’ as we did ‘Space Vampire,’” Mann said. “I think they love the challenge.”

Because the play is unpredictable, the actors have to be on their toes during each performance. As the audience plays the game, the actors do, too, as they only have a few moments after a choice has been made to prepare the scene and get on stage.

“The actors have developed their own sort of shorthand to help each other back stage,” Mann said.

They have cheat sheets, stage diagrams and maps to help, but actors seem to agree that the experience is more thrilling than difficult.

“It’s really a fun time for everyone,” Zayas said. “And the audience’s involvement made it even better.”

Zayas described how some audiences last year were so lively that they were getting out of their seats and shouting, and he hopes to replicate that spirit, but even more so.

Both Mann and Zayas state that “Hijacked!” is going to be bigger in every way, compared with “Space Vampire.”

“We have new elements that we have incorporated, like live music and singers, and the choices are a bit more difficult,” Mann said.

These additions speak to the community fun in this kind of performance. Gamut sold out of every performance of “Space Vampire,” with expectations of the same for “Hijacked!”

“Ultimately, we just want everyone to have a great time and engage with each other,” Zayas said. “And that unique kind of engagement is what we love about doing this type of production.”

UPCOMING THEATER EVENTS
AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL
DOWNTOWN THEATERS

At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-4111

The Popcorn Hat Players Present
“Hansel and Gretel”
Through Aug. 18
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. available by request for groups of 20 or more.
Tickets are $8 and can be purchased online at gamuttheatre.org or at the door.

Choose Your Own Play
“Hijacked”
Aug. 9 to 19
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at gamuttheatre.org or at the door.

At Open Stage of Harrisburg
www.openstagehbg.com
717-232-6736

“Play in a Day”
Aug. 11
7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Teams are given 24 hours to write, cast, design and rehearse a 10-minute play.

Past Is Present: Preservation, education, events–all in a year’s work for Historic Harrisburg.

July 31, 2018 | by Mhelaney Noel

Each month, during 3rd in the Burg, a stream of people enter and exit an old bank building at the corner of Verbeke and N. 3rd streets in Harrisburg.

It’s the Historic Harrisburg Resource Center, a brownstone-faced building that monthly features art, often of a local historical nature.

For many people, that’s their sole exposure to the Historic Harrisburg Association. But HHA, as it’s known, does so much more than mount the occasional art exhibit. All year long, it focuses on preservation, education and programming.

According to Patricia Cameron, a preservation activist and founder of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, HHA was spearheaded by Harrisburg activist Marianne Faust in 1972.

“In the months after the June 1972 flood, she went around the devastated neighborhoods, particularly Shipoke and Midtown, identifying houses that should be saved,” Cameron said.

In the next year, Faust was named the president of the association.

“Two important things happened in Marianne’s presidency,” said Jeb Stuart, the association’s preservation advisor. “The Candlelight House Tour was initiated in December 1973 to showcase and promote city living in historic neighborhoods, just as it does 45 years later, and Harrisburg’s first historic district was established shortly thereafter by City Council.”

Since then, HHA has made it its mission to teach people about the history of Harrisburg. Members do this through their awards ceremonies, the annual Candlelight House Tour, the Elegant Progressions dinner and, more recently, a Speakeasy event.

The Candlelight House Tour, a walking tour of Harrisburg held each December, highlights residential and non-residential preserved buildings. The tour regularly features the best of the city’s preserved homes, all decked out for the holidays.

The Elegant Progressions dinner, another wintertime event, allows guests to visit some of the area’s most stylish homes, a different dinner course awaiting in each one.

The Speakeasy event arrives a few months later, in early springtime, and features Prohibition-era cocktails and dancers, with the circa-1920s HHA building adorned in period décor. It’s one of HHA’s newer events, organized by and tailored to a younger crowd.

“In doing [these events], the hope is to inspire others to take action to preserve, protect and to enhance historic resources,” said David Morrison, HHA’s executive director.

As a nonprofit, the association is nearly all volunteer. This diverse group ranges from high school students to retired Harrisburg residents. All proceeds that are donated help fund Historic Harrisburg and the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania.

“It’s more than saving old buildings,” said Chris Zyroll, the operations director. “It’s making sure neighborhoods keep their architectural history.”

To that important end, HHA hands out annual preservation awards.

This year’s ceremony, which took place in May, honored Donna and David Schankweiler for preserving the historic Stroh Mansion on N. Front Street and the Harrisburg Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society for creating the Harris Tower Railroad Museum on Walnut Street.

The award winners received a bronze plaque to showcase to their community.

“Since 1986, HHA has recognized excellence in historic preservation in our community,” said HHA President Tom Darr. “With the award of the bronze plaques, more than 130 can be seen around the city and the area on buildings of every description and in every neighborhood.”

At the ceremony, which this year took place in the Harrisburg Transporation Center, HHA also toasts a person or organization for their general preservation efforts. This year, Harristown Enterprises received that honor for work in renovating and repurposing several historic buildings in downtown Harrisburg.

HHA also awards preservation grants, which recently have gone to the Midland Cemetery, just outside Harrisburg, and Christ Lutheran Church in Allison Hill to help with their projects, Morrison said.

Friends of Midland Cemetery has been undertaking a multi-year effort to restore the historic African-American burial ground, which predates the Civil War and is the final resting place of slaves, of U.S. Colored Troops from the Civil War, of Buffalo Soldiers from World War I and of many prominent African-American community leaders from the Harrisburg area. The grant to Christ Lutheran Church helped finish interior plaster renovations to the 130-year-old, Gothic-style building, Morrison said.

Morrison has been with the group for decades, chronicling and facilitating the redevelopment of Harrisburg. Besides overseeing the organization’s day-to-day operations, he often can be found running events, moderating lectures and leading neighborhood tours. Together, these activities reflect his holistic view of historic preservation, which goes far beyond handing out an annual award or two.

“We not only care about preserving old buildings,” Morrison said. “We promote urban revitalization, economic development and smart growth.”

The Historic Harrisburg Resource Center is located 1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information on the organization or to see previous award winners, visit historicharrisburg.com.

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