No Money, Big Problems: Newspapers don’t need more readers. They need cold, hard cash.

June 29, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

“What are you doing about readership?”

Recently, I spoke at the annual meeting of the Harrisburg chapter of the League of Women Voters, a great group of people who asked me to share my thoughts on the future of our fair city.

During a Q&A afterwards, one gentleman asked me that question, one I’ve heard countless times before. It comes in various forms, but can be summarized thusly: “How are you managing to survive the collapse of the newspaper industry?”

People have read the stories. They know that journalism is in a world of hurt. However, I find that they often don’t quite understand the problem.

It’s not readership.

TheBurg’s print run has doubled over the past five years, and we probably could double it again and still find a reader for every copy in our six-county distribution area. There are a few locations I refer to as “black holes”—places where I could throw Burgs in all day long, and they’d disappear just as fast.

People love our print edition—yes, even phone-distracted youth. But our digital readership is also way up, doubling in just the past year.

So readers? TheBurg has no problem finding readers. In fact, I’d venture to say that most local newspapers, when you combine print and digital formats, have more readers than ever before.

So then what’s the problem?

The problem, in a word, is this: money.

The newspaper industry has become impoverished. The ad-based revenue model has broken down, which I’ll now attempt to explain as simply as I can. But please bear with me. There’s a lot to unpack here.

First, when you talk about newspapers, you have to make distinctions. You can’t compare TheBurg to, say, the Wall Street Journal.

Each “property” has its own story, but I would say that there are three big buckets: a few national newspapers (New York Times, Washington Post, the Journal), a ton of chain-owned legacy papers (locally, the Patriot-News/PennLive, York Daily Record, Lebanon Daily News) and a smattering of independently owned papers (locally, LNP, the Sun, the Press and Journal).

In general, the middle category—the old, chain-owned papers—is in the worst shape, and, when we discuss the failing newspaper industry, that’s often what we’re talking about.

Historically, nearly all newspapers shared one main business model: advertising. Sure, a newspaper company might make some money elsewhere (subscriptions, outside printing, events), but the bulk came from classified and display print ads. By the 1970s, most U.S. cities were one-newspaper towns, and the lucky survivor often was wildly profitable. Newsrooms were stacked with reporters, editors and designers; papers were thick with ads, stories, columns, puzzles and comics.

Then came the internet.

Beginning in the late 1990s, print newspapers faced a new technology—the digital distribution and consumption of news—and they didn’t know what to do.

Now, no one can predict the future, so I don’t want to seem too harsh on these chain-owned legacy papers. I realize that they’ve been trying to survive in a time when Google and Facebook vacuum up the ad dollars that used to be spent with the local paper.

However, 20 years of hindsight shows that, as they responded, they made a cascading series of blunders—killing their own highly profitable newspapers by posting the same content online for free; swapping high-margin print advertising for (very) low-margin online advertising; angering long-loyal print subscribers; degrading their own product; embracing the worst practices and gimmicks of online news.

On top of this, many newspapers lost local control. The distantly located corporate parent, which long had allowed their properties to operate mostly independently, began to impose top-down solutions, limiting the papers’ ability to respond tactically to the local market.

Now, contrast this situation with the other two “buckets.” The few national newspapers are doing pretty well. They stumbled around awhile before finding their footing again, experimenting with new products and instituting online subscription models (aka paywalls).

Locally owned newspapers—the third bucket—fall somewhere in the middle. Some are doing reasonably well, others less so. The most successful ones have stayed close to their communities and didn’t lose their heads, doing their best to integrate the new digital format into their existing print model.

I’m happy to report that TheBurg is faring well—and not just in terms of readership. I would credit that to maintaining focus, retaining quality and remaining deeply embedded within our community. I think we share these traits with most hyper-local papers that have shown growth during these profoundly difficult times. In addition, we control our own fate, which means that we’re able to make the best decisions for ourselves in our local market.

Having said that—we’re not immune from the existential crisis facing the industry. So, if you like TheBurg, I hope you’ll encourage a company or organization you’re affiliated with to support us as a community partner. There’s nothing I’d like more than to add a few reporters, so that we could give this community the depth and quality of coverage that it needs and deserves.

As an individual, you also might think twice before sending your money to Silicon Valley and Seattle (i.e. Google, Facebook and Amazon). Advertise locally. Shop locally.

Lastly, you can support us by visiting our website (www.theburgnews.com) and signing up for TheBurg Daily. That way, we’ll continue to grow our online numbers. Meanwhile, you’ll benefit by receiving direct links to our original reporting, the news we break nearly every day, apart from the monthly magazine.

Despite what I said above, TheBurg truly can never have enough readers.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Hooray for Harrisburg: Filmmaker Adrian Selkowitz brings a touch of Tinseltown to the banks of the Susquehanna.

June 29, 2018 | by Norah Griffiths Johnson

Adrian Selkowitz. Photo by Anela Bence Selkowitz

Harrisburg boasts a number of highly talented people who could be living practically anywhere but have intentionally chosen the city as their home.

Cue city resident Adrian Selkowitz, an Emmy-award winning filmmaker, with close to 20 years of experience in film and television.

Okay, so how did he end up here? Like his résumé, it’s an interesting story.

Really Lovely

Back in 2001, Selkowitz graduated from NYU’s film school with a solid foundation in indie filmmaking. To gain experience with big-budget, studio films, he headed to the West Coast to try his chops in Hollywood.

After working in the development office at Sony Pictures, he took a job with the producer Barry Poltermann, who helped him learn the business of large-scale indie filmmaking. Together, they produced “The Life of Reilly,” about the actor Charles Nelson Reilly.

Eventually, Selkowitz created his first feature film, “Sex Drugs Guns,” which went on to win “Best Feature Film” at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and to be acquired there.

As it was for many, the Great Recession proved a crystallizing time. Selkowitz described a confluence of factors, including an absence of paying projects and a general burnout on Hollywood.

About then, he attended a film writers’ panel where each panelist shared a piece of advice for the audience. One recommended leaving Los Angeles.

“He said, ‘If you’re going to be a writer or creator, there are no stories here to tell that aren’t Hollywood,’” Selkowitz recounted. “That really resonated with me.”

Not long after, Selkowitz and his wife Anela (a professional photographer and wardrobe production expert) decided to move to the East Coast to hit reset for a bit.

When asked if they intentionally landed in Harrisburg, he chuckled.

“This is up for debate,” he said. “After school, I told my roommates, ‘I’m going out to L.A. for two years. I’ll be back. Keep my spot.’”

He grinned.

“Ten years later, we moved back toward New York, but we stopped in Harrisburg because my family is here,” he said.

The couple discovered that they really liked Harrisburg. Selkowitz cited the open space and people as just two of the selling points.

“It was really lovely,” he said. “We were kind of taken with it. And it’s still a growing town, so there’s an opportunity to really contribute—to do what we want, and the impact is really felt. We love that.”

So, he said, they decided to stay for a while.

“And a little while turned into a long while, and we’ve been here for eight years now,” he said. “And we have no plans on leaving.”

A Better Place

But what about the burgeoning film career?

Back on the East Coast, Selkowitz and some of his buddies from film school started a production company called Cowboy Bear Ninja (if the name confounds you, just Google it), with the principles of being honest and telling meaningful stories for their clients. While Selkowitz lives here, the company is headquartered in Manhattan.

The first opportunity they were offered was a project for a hydrofracking company.

“It would’ve been a ton of money, but we said no because it didn’t align with our beliefs,” he said. “We were super broke, but then, a month later, Greenpeace called.”

Cowboy Bear Ninja has since made branded content and short films for a variety of non-governmental organizations and agencies for social good, including the U.N. Foundation. Gradually, as their experience broadened, they expanded into entertainment, but vowed to continue to be guided by their values.

“How can our work make the world a better place?” Selkowitz said. “And how can we contribute through media or television?”

“Liquid Science” is one such endeavor, a show that explores a range of scientific topics, including global warming, virtual reality and the quest for immortality. Selkowitz managed to snag the show’s host, GZA (of Wu-Tang Clan fame), whom he enticed to hop on board, knowing his reputation as a literal genius and lover of science.

“It was kismet,” he recounted. “We found someone who’s genuinely interested in the subject matter.”

Another example—a recent project with truTV and their collaborator, Michael Torpey, which developed into a show called “Paid off with Michael Torpey.” The show uses humor and a game show format to bring attention to the egregious student loan crisis. Comedy, coupled with social good.

People Around You

While much of the company’s work is filmed in other cities or at multiple locations across the country, Selkowitz has pointedly shot several projects in Harrisburg. Among these are six episodes of a show called “Blank Meets Blank.”

“I love bringing production here,” he said. “We have really wonderful people to work with here.”

Also, a film means jobs.

“When you shoot something somewhere, you eat there, you hire people there, it brings work,” he said. “And it’s good work, it’s paying work. And it’s fun.”

To that end, UPMC Pinnacle, Theatre Harrisburg, the Capital Area Greenbelt, friends’ houses and the Susquehanna River have all made appearances in Cowboy Bear Ninja productions. Plus, the city and surrounding area, he explained, can double as pretty much anywhere on the East Coast.

Looking ahead, Selkowitz talked about creating his own scripted series and just being a good parent.

“I understand that it takes complete focus and dedication and long hours to become really, really successful in an industry,” he said. “But I don’t want that to come at the sacrifice of getting to experience all the moments of my son’s childhood.”

He credited his wife with helping him appreciate that life is a journey to be appreciated, rather than one measured in discrete achievements.

Is he surprised by his own affection for Harrisburg?

“I never in a million years thought I would settle here,” he said. “But after you’ve lived enough places, you realize that everywhere you go is basically the same. It’s all about the people you have around you. Some of the nicest people I’ve had the opportunity to meet and know live here.”

For more information on Cowboy Bear Ninja, visit www.cowboybearninja.com.

“Paid Off with Michael Torpey” begins airing on truTV at 10 p.m. on July 10. “Liquid Science” is available to stream on Netflix, and “Blank Meets Blank” is available on truTV’s “Late Night Snack.”

Under a Cider Spell: Grand Illusion will dazzle you with what’s on tap.

June 29, 2018 | by Cathy Jordan

Photo by Casey Martin.

Abracadabra.

There’s a whimsical, magical draft venue in central PA.

Grand Illusion Hard Cider opened in February in historic downtown Carlisle. Over the years a bookbindery, music store, pharmacy, hat store and law office, the site is now a draft bar. Beer, wine, cider and soda are all on tap.

“Taps rotate, new cider makers come onto the scene, and we love to showcase the best in Pennsylvania,” said owner Chad Kimmel.

That’s Dr. Chad Kimmel, a sociology professor at Shippensburg University. He said he conjured up the idea to open a wine tasting bar in 2009 and signed up for the (sadly now defunct) enology and viticulture program the following year at HACC.

“I was on sabbatical and decided to take two classes—one on wine appreciation, the other on chemistry,” he said. “I learned that my focus on wine was too narrow. Still, a market was there.”

Then, around 2013, cider exploded on the scene with the national brand, Angry Orchard.

“So I explored cider,” he said. “It’s more user-friendly, and in some ways, more forgiving. A product made like wine, but riding the back of craft beer. A gluten-free drink that appeals to men and women, with hops and fruit. We modeled ourselves on Portland Cider—I love how they’re making cider.”

No, he didn’t name his urban cidery after “The Grand Illusion,” an album from the 1970s art-rock band, Styx. He toyed with the name Illusion Cider, but his attorney said there might be too many bumps in the road with that choice.

Cool, Healthy

Grand Illusion Hard Cider features an owl on the storefront sign and throughout the bar.

“I always loved turn-of-the-century, big theater magic,” Kimmel said. “The props, the grand shows and the color image posters. Back then, spiritualism as a movement was big in America.”

One poster in particular captured Kimmel’s interest—Thurston the Great Magician—currently displayed on the wall inside the cidery.

“It was my inspiration,” he said. “Often, there’s an owl in those mid-century posters, and I always loved owls.”

There was no surprise in Kimmel choosing Carlisle for his bar’s location.

He had studied Carlisle as a Main Street program aimed at community revitalization, a cool, healthy place with tourism.

“And Cumberland County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state,” he said. “I wanted to make people feel like they were walking into the big city with the details and aesthetics.”

Trick to Success

As you enter the 1840s-era building, note the Gothic preacher pulpit at the hostess station. The Gothic archway in the entry. Magician hat lights over the bar. Infinity mirrors on the staircase. A hidden bathroom on the second floor. The steampunk-style chandeliers. The eye-catching theater magic posters. An old clock enthusiast, Kimmel has placed clocks throughout the establishment.

“I just like to hear them chime,” he said.

The grand room on the second floor offers a view of High Street, along with low-top tables for larger groups, private parties or events.

Chef Paul Francis helped plan the kitchen and the menu.

“All of our food is well plated,” Kimmel said.

The biggest seller is the salted, spicy Cajun and Italian herb-rubbed pretzel flight. As far as flights are concerned, cider and wine are listed along with a sweetness scale on the menu.

“All servers are training to a level-one cider certification,” said Kimmel, referring to a national certification on how to pronounce, describe, analyze and educate the consumer.

The Pennsylvania craft beers hail from Slippery Rock, Mifflinburg and State College.

“These are beers you can’t find anywhere else [nearby],” he said.

PA wines are brought in from Pinnacle Ridge Winery and Karamoor Winery. And they’re kegged.

“I wanted a really good wine,” Kimmel said. “A keg is a system to provide people with the best wine possible in the best vehicle. It’s just a very big bottle under pressure that never allows in light, and the first glass tastes just as good as the last.”

The sodas are from Reading Soda Works, a small, family-owned company. Kimmel’s cider variations, which he claims to be the largest on the East Coast, are described as New York wine meets West Coast beer.

I can attest to that. The sparkling flavor of Kimmel’s Blue Illusion Cider, a blueberry puree with English lavender, left the impression of a rosé and a light, fruity beer—with a kick.

The trick to success, according to Kimmel?

“Exhaust number one before moving on to number two.”

In other words, he plans to focus on the bar and restaurant to maintain growth. He’s currently looking for a cider-maker with commercial experience to help him expand his offerings.

Kimmel is considering a “meet the cider makers” series, along with cheese and food pairings. He layers on events like cider and yoga classes, live music and custom flights. And then there’s “Magic Mondays,” when house magician Kyle Purnell performs magic at your table, right before your very eyes.

“I wanted to capture mystery and intrigue,” Kimmel said.

Now you see it, now you don’t.

Grand Illusion Hard Cider is located at 26 W. High St., Carlisle. For more information, visit www.grandillusioncider.com.

Happenings: Our July Calendar of Events

June 29, 2018 | by Missy Smith

Museum & Art Spaces

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

International Thunderbird Club Exhibit, through Oct. 14.

“Mustangs: Six Generations of America’s Favorite Pony Car,” through Oct. 14.

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

“Free For All,” artwork by AAH students and members, through July 19.

“Plein Air Invitational Show,” featuring David Henry, Steve Wetzel, Jonathan Frazier, Paul Gallo, Paul Flury, John McNulty, Brian Eppley, Robert Hughes, July 27-Aug. 30; reception: July 27, 5-8 p.m.

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

“Inventing History: Richard Chandler Hoff” graphite drawings, with a vintage, yet dream-like feel, through July 21.

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

Artist of the Month: Diana Hoffman

Gallery@Second
608 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
galleryatsecond.com

Works by Jason Orr and Holly Angelique, through Aug. 4.

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

“Membership & Gallery Student Show,” July 5-Aug. 18; reception: July 5, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Harrisburg Area Art Association Member Art Exhibition, through Dec. 31.

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

“Downtown Details,” a photographic look at Newport’s historic buildings and architectural details, through the lens of photographer Irene VanBuskirk, through July 7.

Metropolis Collective
17 W. Main St., Mechanicsburg
717-458-8245; Facebook: Metropolis Collective

“Who’s Your Dada: A Group Tribute to an Art Movement,” through Aug. 20.

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

New works by Tina Berrier, Yachiyo Beck, John Davis, Julie Iaria, Joan Maguire and Bob McCloskey, through July 15.

New works by Erin Buckwalter, Christine Goldbeck, Judy Kelly, P.D. Murray, Linda McCloskey, July 27-Aug. 2.

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

“The Photo Ark” by Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer and fellow, through September.

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

Landscape and wildlife oil paintings by Patricia Koscienski, through July.

PCCA Gallery
Perry County Council of the Arts
1 S. 2nd St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Art of Social Healing,” a group show of local art, showcasing how artists process social issues, July 6-Aug. 18; reception: July 6, 6-8:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history.

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

“Art of the State—Pennsylvania 2018,” the official, statewide juried competition for PA artists, through Sept. 9; “Sip and See” the exhibit: July 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

“Pennsylvania at War,” highlighting World War I posters from the Pennsylvania State Archives and The Saga of the US Pennsylvania, through Dec. 30.

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

“Identity Spectrum,” a juried exhibit that examines one of the fundamental aspect of personal identity, gender, through Aug. 5.

“Perceptions,” a curated show by Lower Dauphin High School graduating senior Emalee Douglass, through Aug. 5.

“Romare Bearden: Vision & Activism,” through Sept. 23.

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

“Art in the Wild,” Wildwood Park’s annual outdoor environmental art exhibit, through Oct. 31.

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

Works by Tristan Bond, through July 9.

Works by New City School students, July 20-Aug. 13.

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

“ReBoard,” works by Nate Demuro and Jay Bowser, through July 16.

New art by Ted Lines, July 20-Aug. 17

Read, Make, Learn

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

July 5-Aug. 9: Funky Mosaics, Thursdays, 6-8 p.m.
July 7: Dyeing with Fresh Leaf Indigo, 10 a.m-1 p.m.
July 9-13: Collage & Assemblage Art Camp, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
July 9-13: Art & Adventure Camp, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 11-Aug. 15: Wheel 102, Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
July 13: Craft Beer & Clay, 7 p.m.
July 16-20: Nature Art Camp, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
July 18: Cut-It-Out Ceramics, 6-8 p.m.
July 23-27: Cartooning & Character Design Camp, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
July 30-Aug. 3: Hope Station Summer Camp, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 30-Aug. 3: Paint, Print or Photograph Camp, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

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

July 18: Magic Main Course Salads, 6-9 p.m.

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

July 2, 16, 23, 30: Paws 2 Read, 6-8 p.m.
July 11: Ryan the Bug Man, 6-6:45 p.m.
July 12: Bank On Your Success—Family Budgeting, 4-6 p.m.
July 14: Mindful and Intuitive Eating, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 19: Device Club, 1-2:30 p.m.
July 20: The Healing Power of Drumming, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 24: Friends of East Shore Area Library Meeting, 9:30-11 a.m.
July 24: Rainforests w/ National Aquarium, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 25: Dancing Drum, 6-7 p.m.
July 26: Mindful Snack, 7-8 p.m.

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

July 3: Curl Up with the Classics—“The Picture of Dorian Gray,” 10 a.m.
July 6: Youth Chess Night, 6:30 p.m.
July 6: All Ages Movie Sing Along! The Wizard of Oz, 6:30 p.m.
July 9: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30 p.m.
July 10: Canning Veggies & Meats with Penn State Master Gardeners, 7 p.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Teen Movie Matinees, 2 p.m.
July 13, 27: Foreign Film Friday, 2 and 7 p.m.
July 14: BYOB Trivia After Hours—90s music, 7 p.m.
July 17: Fredricksen Reads—“The Nightingale,” 7 p.m.
July 17: Gardening with Nature with Penn State Master Gardeners, 7 p.m.
July 19: Let’s Talk Comics! Book Club (ages 10-13), 4:30 p.m.
July 19: Teen Blues Riffs Guitar Workshop, 6 p.m.
July 20: Family Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.
July 24: Dancing Drum—Drumming up World Music, 10 a.m.
July 31: The Science of Sound, 10:15 a.m.
July 31: Harry Potter Interactive Movie, 2 p.m.
July 31: Wizarding World Teen Trivia, 6 p.m.

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

July 9-12: Kids Art Camp (ages 4-7), 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 16-19: Kids Art Camp (ages 8-13), 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

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

July 3-19: Sketch for Video, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.
July 11-Aug. 29: Improv Level 1, Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

July 18-20: Watercolor Workshop

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

July 3: Tabletop Games, 6-8 p.m.
July 3. 10, 17, 24: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 9: iPad/iPhone Beginners, 1-3 p.m.
July 9, 23: English Conversation Group, 6:30-8 p.m.
July 11: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
July 12, 26: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 16: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
July 18: Climate Change—Why We Disagree, 7-8 p.m.
July 19: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10-11 a.m.
July 20: Summer Scrapbooking, 1-3 p.m.
July 24: Tea & Stitches Extended, 10-5 p.m.
July 25: Apple Users Group, 1-3 p.m.
July 25: Yoga for Beginners, 7-8 p.m.

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

July 5, 19, 26: LEGO Robotics, 6-7 p.m.
July 10: Rockin’ Reptiles, 6-7 p.m.
July 12: Guitar Pick Art, 6-7 p.m.
July 17: Family DIY w/ Home Depot, 6-7 p.m.
July 24: Rainforests w/ National Aquarium, 6-7 p.m.
July 25: It Was a Book First, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

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

July 7: Drop-in Art, 1-4 p.m.
July 14: A Novel Idea, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 16-Aug. 20: Youth Painting & Drawing
July 18: Market Tote Sewing Workshop, 6-8 p.m.

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

July 1, 8, 15, 23, 30: Common Roads Young Adults, 4 p.m.
July 4, 11, 18, 25: Common Roads Youth, 6 p.m.
July 7, 14, 21, 28: Passage Ways—Trans & Non-Binary Group, 2 p.m.
July 12: Aging with Pride Lunchtime, 12-2 p.m.

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

July 2, 16, 23, 30: Video Game Club, 4-5 p.m.
July 3: Magical Nick, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 10: Rockin’ Reptiles, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 10: Bank on Your Success—Family Budgeting, 2-4 p.m.
July 11: Dungeons and Dragons, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
July 16: Cookbook Book Club, 6 p.m.
July 17: The Healing Power of Drumming, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
July 18, 25: Afternoon Hangout, 3-4 p.m.

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

July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Mid-day Getaway, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

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

July 3, 10, 17, 24: Coffee, Cake, and True Islam, 5 p.m.
July 5, 12, 19, 26: Almost Uptown Poetry, Cartel, 7 p.m.
July 6, 13, 27: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café, 7 p.m.
July 12: Camp Curtin Toastmasters, 6:30 p.m.
July 15: Midtown Writers Group, 1 p.m.
July 15: LGBT Book Club, 4:30 p.m.
July 18: Sci Fi & Fantasy Book Club, 7 p.m.
July 21: An Evening with Beck Dorey-Stein, 6-8 p.m.
July 29: Harrisburg Young Professionals Book Club, 3- 5 p.m.

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

July 7: Fluid Art Class, 12-2:30 p.m.
July 14, 28: Kids Art Class on the Roof, 11:30-1:30 p.m.

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

July 18-19: Junior Naturalist Camp, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Summer Storytime Series, 10:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m.
July 3, 10, 16, 21, 31: Summer Book Babies, 11:15 a.m.
July 5, 12, 19, 26: Thursday Family Entertainment, 10:30 a.m.
July 6, 20: Fun Fridays at the Library, 3-5 p.m.
July 6, 20: Library After Hours (teens entering grades 6-10), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
July 10, 24: Family Fun Night, 5:30 p.m.
July 14: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 17, 31: Teen Tuesdays, 3-4 p.m.
July 17, 31: Tales for T.A.I.L.S., 6:30-7:30 p.m.
July 21: Couponing for Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 21: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
July 25: PennWriters Writing Group, 5:30-7:45 p.m.
July 26: Teen Book Club, 7-8 p.m.

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

July 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 26: Nature Lab, 11:30 a.m.
July 6, 13, 20, 27: Learn at Lunchtime, 12:15 p.m.
July 18: Nature Labs—Maps, 11:30 a.m.

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

July 7, 14, 28: Saturday Morning Art Club, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 7, 14, 28: Young Artist Camp (ages 8-12), 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Yoga in the Galleries, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 21: Yoga & Art Summer Saturdays (kids, ages 6-11), 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

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

July 8: Flower Walk, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 14: Stress Relief Walk, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
July 14: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 19: Get in Shape Walk, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
July 21: Detweiler Park Hike, 10-11 a.m.
July 26: Educator Workshop—Wet on the River
July 30-Aug. 3: Fundamentals of Photography I, Boot Camp

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

July 3: Novel Thoughts Book Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
July 5: Magical Nick, 6-7 p.m.
July 5: Teen Night, 6-7 p.m.
July 5, 19, 26: Afternoon Hangout, 3-4 p.m.
July 10: Friends of the Alexander Family Library Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
July 11: 2^nd Wednesday Cinema, 6-8 p.m.
July 12: Rockin’ Reptiles, 6-7 p.m.
July 25: It Was a Book First, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
July 26: Dancing Drum, 6-7 p.m.

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

July 4, 11, 28, 25: Spinning wheel lessons for adults, schedule private lesson: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 5, 12, 19, 26: Craft Classes (ages 7-12), 1-2:30 p.m.
July 28: Arts and Crafts Weekend, (ages 12-18)

Live Music Around Harrisburg

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

July 11: Home Free
July 13: The Texas Tenors
July 15: Roger Hodgson
July 21: Rock at the Park
July 29: Dion

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

July 14: Black Masala
July 20: High Tied Sideshow

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

July 21: Killer Queen, Tribute to Queen

Central PA Friends of Jazz
friendsofjazz.org

June 15: Rodney Whitaker

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

July 5: Theory Of A Deadman
July 6: The Stonewall Vessels, Flapjack Jones and the Bender Brohs
July 12: Broccoli Samurai, Badflower
July 13: The Ghost of Paul Revere
July 14: Black Letter Days, None Given
July 20: Fade to Black—A Tribute to Metallica, If Not For Me
July 22: Chris Webby
July 25: Super Bob, Sparrows
July 27: He is We
July 28: Yonder Mountain, Blind/Bird

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

July 6: Rob Base
July 14: The Stranger, A Tribute to Billy Joel

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

July 6: Antonio Andrade
July 7: Janie Womack & Jody Echterling
July 8: Colette Eckert
July 13: Emily Wilkins
July 14: Doug Morris
July 15: Shelba Purtle
July 17: Jamie O’Brien
July 20: Jim Steele
July 22: Dominick Cicco
July 27: Kevin Kline
July 28: Michael Arthur

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

July 8: Gus Person
July 9: Gladius

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

July 12: Ernie Fields Motown Band
July 24: Shea Quinn & Friends

Greater Harrisburg Concert Band
717-576-758; ghcb.org

July 1: Concert at Hampden Park & Pool
July 12: Concert at Messiah College
July 20: Concert at Bethany Village, Mechanicsburg
July 22: Concert at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mechanicsburg
July 27: Concert at Cumberland Crossings, Carlisle
July 29: Concert at Messiah Village

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

July 1: Summer Concert at Dickinson College
July 2: Summer Concert at Lebanon Valley College
July 3: Summer Concert at Millerstown Park
July 4: Summer Concert at Reservoir Park

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

July 6: Funktion
July 7: DJ Dave Styles, The Luv Gods
July 13: LCD Band
July 14: Just One Look—Linda Ronstadt Tribute Band, DJ Ray Rossi, Restless
July 20: Sapphire
July 21: DJ Magic, Smooth Like Clyde
July 27: Uptown Band
July 28: DJ Dave Styles, Emily’s Toybox

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

July 1: Southern Culture On The Skids w/God Bless Our Mobile Home
July 5: Project Pat, Mazon, Ridicule
July 13: Gobbo, Black Pussy, Paradei, Ajay
July 15: Honeysuckle w/The Flat Wheels
July 17: Electric Six
July 20: Hometime, Club 27, Grapefruit Cannonball
July 28: Palisades, Letters from the Fire, Savage Hands, Imbued

Johnny Joe’s Sports Bar & Grill
5327 E. Trindle Rd., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2254; johnnyjoesbar.com

July 4, 11, 18, 25: Open Mic, Water DeWall
July 5, 12, 29, 26: DJ Eric B
July 6, 13, 20, 27: DJ Joe Hertz
July 7: End of Silence
July 14: Nothing Men
July 21: Can’t B Saved
July 28: From Dawn Til Death

Keystone Concert Band
145 E. Main St., First Floor, Mechanicsburg
717-421-1512; keystoneconcertband.com

July 14: Concert at Camp Hill Presbyterian Church

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Downtown
133 State St., Harrisburg
717-635-9870; littleampscoffee.com

July 12: David Attias, NOWNS, Howzit
July 14: Dezorah, Qwark, Ugly Songs
July 27: Youthfool

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Uptown
1836 Green St., Harrisburg littleampscoffee.com
717-695-4882; littleampscoffee.com

July 10: Patriots, Dark Soft, Sleeping Pill
July 16: Erica Russo

The Lodge at Liberty Forge
3804 Lisburn Rd., Mechanicsburg
717-691-5335; lodgeatlibertyforge.com

July 5: Half a Band
July 12: Shea & Len
July 19: Indian Summer Jars
July 26: Rigo

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

July 8-15: Shippensburg Symphony Festival Series

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

July 4: Fourth of July Gala Pops Concert

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

July 14: No Last Call, Cruise Control

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

July 20: Tommy D Trio

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

July 13: Anthony Gomes

St. Thomas Roasters
5951 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg
717-526-4171; stthomasroasters.com

July 12: Ashley
July 13: Cotolo
July 14: Amber Nadine, Channalia
July 20: Joe Conney
July 21: Craig Bonner & Steve Geib
July 26: Sofeya and The Puffins
July 27: Rhoads & Putt Trio
July 28: Relics of Medievalism

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

July 28-29: Susquehanna Folk Festival

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

July 13-21: Lancaster International Piano Festival

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

July 17: Joe Jackson

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

July 9: Gladius

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

July 20: Herb & Hanson

The Stage Door

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

Through Aug. 4: “The Wizard of Oz”

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

July 10: The Grins and Grins Comedy Show
July 11: Cabaret Open Mic Night
July 17: ScienceTellers Present “The Mystery of the Golden Piano”

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

July 12-Aug. 18: “Hansel and Gretel” (Popcorn Hat Players)
July 14: “Once Upon a Time: 25 Years of Popcorn Hat Celebration,” a one-night-only tribute to central PA’s premier children’s theater

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

July 20-22: “We Will Rock You: School Edition”

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

July 5, 12, 19, 26: Open Mic
July 6: Diva’s Down Under, The Stratton Invasion Drag Spectacular
July 8: Oxymorons Improv Comedy

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

July 1: Level 1 Class Show
July 6: This Mortal Coil/JohNathan, Hawkward, Tiny Town
July 7, 14, 21, 28: Free Improv Mixer
July 7: Rabid Dabblers/Bandito, Love Triangle/Wild Goose Chaise, Images
July 13: The Fourest/Midnight Library, Tony Stanza, Tanks, Buddy/The Harvey Taylor Gang
July 14: Barely Adulting/Kidprov Team, Hardly Working, Monotone
July 20: Ferd Majelly/Mary Todd Lincoln—The Real BabeRaham Lincoln, Spacework, The Happy Beautiful Goodnight Show
July 21: Rabid Dabblers/Critical HIT, Elderprov/Closed Casket, Name That Tune/Pillow Talk
July 27: Midnight Library/Fours Company 2—In Addition Too, This Show Will Self Destruct/Ferret Prom, HIT Bits
July 28: Barely Adulting/Solo Sleepover, Introduce A Self, Band Job/Without A Tres
July 29: Magic Fairy Pirate Monkeys

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

July 28-Nov. 17: “The Death & Life of Sherlock”
Through Aug. 19: “The Wizard of Oz”
Through Nov. 10: “Treasure Island”

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

July 20-21: “Shakespeare in the Woods”

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

July 6-22: “Flowers for Algernon & The Insanity of Mary Girard”

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

Through July 8: “Anything Goes”
July 20-Aug. 5: “The Little Mermaid”

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

July 6-8: “Ben Franklin—An Ingenious Life”

Untitled: A Storytelling Project
untitledhbg.com

July 12: “Boundaries” at Zeroday Brewing Co.

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

July 6: “We the People”—Storyteller Richard Humphreys

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

July 11: Story Slam

Eat Like a Little Bird: Craft food AND craft beer? Yes, please.

June 29, 2018 | by Alexandra Jones

Venison meatballs. Vegan hot dogs topped with kimchi and cheese. Mussels served in a pomegranate-lemon broth.

These are just a few dishes in a long, ever-changing list of adventurous cuisine combinations on the menu at the Little Bird Craft Kitchen, Ever Grain Brewing Co.’s new culinary counterpart.

With high-quality, flavorful craft beers, Ever Grain has quickly developed a reputation as a haven for beer-lovers within the Harrisburg area. Now, it’s looking to do the same with food. Little Bird’s menu gives the customer casual and fine dining options with modernist plating, high-end ingredients and flavors from across the world in a laidback brewery environment.

It was designed by the kitchen’s head chef Kurt Wewer, who earned a reputation regionally at the New Cumberland restaurants, the Garlic Poet and Grain + Verse.

When these restaurants closed in 2017, Ever Grain owners Norm Fromm and Larry Dolan approached Wewer with the idea of opening a kitchen alongside the brewery.

“It was the perfect timing,” Fromm said. “Larry and I knew the stuff that he did and the direction that he was going, and we were big fans of it.”

Their idea came to fruition earlier this year.

Ever Grain and Little Bird now sit side by side, located in the former Sun Motor Cars dealership along the Carlisle Pike. The kitchen and brewery are connected by what used to be a Sun Motors customer service window, which allows customers to order food inside the brewery.

The name “Little Bird” was inspired by Wewer’s now 4-year-old daughter who, when she was too young to talk, would tilt her head up like a baby bird as a way of asking her dad to try the food he was making. She seemed like the most adventurous eater, Wewer said, confidant that whatever her chef-father was making, it would be something good.

His goal with Little Bird is to make diners feel that courageous, too.

“We really like the idea of people coming and trusting that they’re going to like what they get, which makes them comfortable and willing to try something that they may have never tried before,” said Wewer.

He’s proud of the fact that his kitchen uses a network of local purveyors for many of its ingredients and works with condiments and spices not often seen at other modern American-style restaurants, regularly incorporating Asian, Middle Eastern and Caribbean flavors.

This is because Wewer revels in working with unusual ingredients—things diners won’t easily find at other gastropubs in central PA. In May, he spent five hours sous-viding octopus (a precise technique used to cook food evenly), and he’s excited for his August delivery of a native North American fruit called paw-paws.

The kitchen also has a bar, stocked with local wine and spirits. Wewer has created a wine and cocktail list with the help of Aaron Cheney, a mixologist friend he previously worked with at the Garlic Poet.

Little Bird’s menu has convenient beer, wine and cocktail pairing suggestions listed under every dish. With its help, one might order Ever Grain’s Udder One with the fried green tomatoes or a Camp Pils to go alongside the kitchen’s calamari.

Business-wise, Wewer said, being able to pair his food with original drinks like this was one of the reasons he jumped at the opportunity to create Little Bird—and one of the reasons Fromm and Dolan offered him the chance in the first place.

“That’s why they came to me,” he said. “They wanted me to come in and create food that was of the quality of their beer. Both ways, we both thought it was a perfect fit.”

Ever Grain Brewing Co.’s Little Bird Craft Kitchen is located at 4444 Carlisle Pike, Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.evergrainbrewing.com/content/our-food.

Community Corner: Notable July Events

June 29, 2018 | by Missy Smith

July Community Corner

July 4 Celebration
July 4: Join Friends of the New Cumberland Public Library for its annual Independence Day Celebration, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy patriotic marches and show tunes by the New Cumberland Town Band at 10:30 a.m., purchase picnic foods and baked goods and shop a book and vintage jewelry sale. Visit newcumberlandlibrary.org for more details.

Declaration of Independence
July 4: The Historical Society of Dauphin County will present its annual public reading of the Declaration of Independence from the porch of the John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion at 219 S. Front St., Harrisburg, with readings at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. Visit dauphincountyhistory.org for more details.

Taste of Independence
July 4: Harrisburg toasts the nation’s birth with a “Taste of Independence” food truck festival with more than 30 food trucks, live music, kids’ activities and more in Riverfront Park, 3 to 9 p.m. The annual fireworks display follows at dark. Visit harrisburgpa.gov for more information.

Jazz Festival
July 5-8: Central PA Friends of Jazz will host the 38th Annual Central PA Jazz Festival, featuring concerts, a riverboat cruise on the Pride of the Susquehanna, a jam session, a jazz party, picnic and more. For a complete listing, visit friendsofjazz.org.

Outdoor Movies
July 6 & 27: Friends of Midtown and Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, present two free outdoor movies: “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” on July 6 and “Ghostbusters” on July 27. Both films begin at dusk and, in case of rain, will be delayed until Saturday. Visit friendsofmidtown.org.

Discover Newport
July 7: Explore downtown Newport at the 2nd annual Food Truck Festival, Community Yard Sale and Sidewalk Sale, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take a wagon tour to see Newport architecture and a historical marker walking tour. Enjoy live music and a beer garden with River Bend Hop Farm & Brewery, The Winery at Hunter’s Valley and Hazard’s Distillery. Visit “Discover Newport, PA” on Facebook.

HBG Flea
July 7: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures and curated curios in the parking lot of Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit hbgflea.com for more details.

Voiceover Workshop
July 7-8: Leonard Dozier, leading voice actor and coach, will host a voiceover workshop at the Green Room Studio, 2833 N. Front St., Harrisburg. Students will get a close look at the voiceover business and will have a chance to put their voice and skills to the test. Cost of the two-day workshop is $300 and $150 for either day alone. Visit leonarddozier.com for more details.

Concert Series
July 8, 22: Harrisburg Young Professionals continues its free Italian Lake Concert series at Italian Lake, N. 3rd and Division streets, Harrisburg, with Sub-Radio on July 8 and Run the Willow on July 22. Concerts run 6 to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, some picnic blankets and snacks. Visit hyp.org for more details.

Golf Tournament
July 9: Bethesda Mission will host its 28th Annual Mission Open Golf Tournament at Colonial Golf & Tennis Club, 4901 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, to raise funds for its long-term recovery program. Light refreshments will be available at 7 a.m., and the four-ball scramble starts at 8 a.m. A luncheon and awards ceremony will conclude the day. Visit bethesdamission.org.

Community Carnival
July 10-14: The Middle Paxton Lions Club will hold its annual carnival at the Lions Club Carnival Grounds on Allegheny Street, Dauphin Borough, beginning 6:30 p.m. each night. Enjoy live music, children’s rides, games and a variety of carnival foods. Visit Middle Paxton Lions Club on Facebook.

Family Fun
July 10, 24: Over the summer, the New Cumberland Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, will host free picnic dinners followed by family movies in Foundation Hall on select Tuesday evenings beginning at 5:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 6:30 p.m. Movie titles are available in the library or by calling the children’s desk at 717-774-7822. Visit newcumberlandlibrary.org.

Women’s Social
July 11: The Chamber Business Women’s Summer Social will be held 8 to 10 a.m. at Athleta, 2563 Brindle Dr., Harrisburg, with a restorative yoga class, followed by a light breakfast and networking. Athletic clothing suggested; changing rooms available. The event is free and open to chamber members, $20 for non-members. Get more details at wschamber.org.

Networking Social
July 11: Join Harrisburg Young Professionals for a networking social at the rooftop biergarten at The Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and enjoy food and drink from a happy hour menu. HYP members receive a complimentary drink ticket. Non-members are welcome to join. Visit hyp.org.

Dessert Tea
July 11: Historical Society of Dauphin County and Lavender Ladies Herb Society will host a Mid-Summer’s Eve Dessert Tea at John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20, and doors open at 5:45 p.m. Enjoy herbal desserts and teas, learn about flowers and herbs, see floral design demos, win door prizes and shop for herbal products. Visit dauphincountyhistory.org.

Summer Social
July 12: Friends of Midtown will host its summer social at Startup Harrisburg, 922 N. 3rd St., 6 to 8 p.m. Mingle with neighbors, meet the Friends of Midtown board and learn about opportunities to get involved in your community. Refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to all. Visit friendsofmidtown.org.

Volunteer Work Day
July 14: 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 along a water bottle. Refreshments will be available. Visit wildwoodlake.org.

Pump Primers
July 14: PA Pump Primers’ 43rd Annual Antique Fire Apparatus Show and Muster returns to Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A parade of antique fire trucks will leave the PA Farm Show Building and travel to Riverfront Park, where they will be on view all day. Speak to owners, play games, grab food and listen to music. Learn more at papumpprimers.org.

Kids Club Event
July 14: Take the kids to Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., for a frolic through dinosaur history with “Mr. Mike” Sgrignoli. Kids Club events are free and are held on the second Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Visit shopharrisburgmall.com.

Mural Unveiling
July 14: Cupboard Maker Books, 157 N. Enola Rd., will host an unveiling of its completed book spine mural, painted by artist Kristian Beverly and featuring local authors’ books, 1 to 3 p.m. Each of the 46 spines is nearly 18 feet tall and includes various books genres. Meet and celebrate with some of the authors whose books will decorate the building. Visit cupboardmaker.com.

Art Soirees
July 14: Art Association of Harrisburg will host a summer soiree at the home of Audry and Andy Carter in Harrisburg, 5 to 8 p.m. Artists featured will include Pennsylvania College of Art & Design graduates Karin Wengenroth, Seth Crider and Eddie Berkoski; watercolorist Bob McCormick; and abstract painter Linda Sommer. Cost is $45 in advance, $50 at the door. Visit artassocofhbg.org.

Kid Art
July 14, 28: Take the family to The Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, for a free kids’ art workshop on the roof, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Enjoy lunch while some of The Millworks artists teach children about different art techniques. Details are at millworksharrisburg.com.

Book Sale
July 14-19: Palmyra Public Library will hold its annual used book sale at Palmyra First United Methodist Church, 520 E. Birch St. The sale will open with an early bird preview, 7:30 to 9 a.m., on July 14. Customers should bring boxes or bags for purchases. For details, visit palmyra.lclibs.org.

Art & Brew Crawl
July 18: Enjoy the outdoors on the rooftop biergarten at The Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., at its Rooftop Mini Art & Brew Crawl, 5 to 8 p.m. Taste three Millworks craft beers and make three pieces of art with in-house artists Rexmake, Susan Bailey and Three Ring Circus. Cost is $20 per person. Get the details at millworksharrisburg.com.

NCPC Meet
July 19-21: The National Chrysler Products Club will host its 40th annual national meet at the Holiday Inn, 604 Station Rd., Grantville. The three-day meet will include activities like driving tours, a judged car show and a banquet. Call 717-545-9574 or visit nationalchryslerproductsclub.org.

3rd in The Burg
July 20: 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, organized by TheBurg. Check out all the action at thirdintheburg.org.

Exhibit Reception
July 20: The State Museum of Pennsylvania will host an evening of refreshments and a tour of the 51st annual “Art of the State” exhibition, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

Brewfest
July 21: Taste more than 30 craft brews while listening to music and sampling food from area restaurants at the 7th Annual Dauphin County Brewfest on the front lawn of Fort Hunter Mansion, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 3 to 7 p.m. Cost is $35 advance, $50 door, $15 designated drivers. Visit forthunter.org for all the details.

Hamm Camp
July 23-27 & July 30-Aug. 3: Hamm Camp, 2451 Market St., Harrisburg, offers a free, weeklong camp for girls and boys that combines high-level, on-the-court skills instruction with a daily workshop focusing on essential life skills. The camp’s goal is to build higher expectations for achievement among inner city youth. Get more information at hammcamp.com.

Built in the Burg
July 25: Harrisburg Young Professionals hosts “How It’s Built in the ‘Burg” at Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron St., 6 to 8 p.m. Lawrance Binda, TheBurg’s editor-in-chief, will interview Adam Porter, co-founder of Startup Harrisburg and Provisions. Guests can enjoy a cash bar, appetizers and networking starting at 6 p.m. RSVP is required. HYP Members are free with promo code HYPMem; general admission is $20. Visit hyp.org.

Hiking Weekend
July 27-29: Keystone Trails Association hosts the 15th annual “Prowl The Sproul” hiking weekend in Sproul State Forest, Clinton County. Experienced leaders from DCNR and KTA will guide hikes on their favorite trails. Other activities include swimming, building campfires , picnicking and more. Find the full activity schedule at kta-hike.org.

Nature & Art Fest
July 28: Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, will host the 25th Annual Nature and Art Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free festival includes food and craft vendors, education and art presentations, make-it-yourself bluebird boxes, live animal demonstrations and fish print T-shirts. A concert will be held at 5:30 p.m. Visit nedsmithcenter.org.

Pride Festival
July 28: The Foundation for Enhancing Communities hosts the 26th annual Pride Festival of Central PA in Riverfront Park, Harrisburg, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Attend the annual “Voices United” concert with Central PA Womyn’s Chorus, Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus and Voices of the Spirit at Market Square Presbyterian Church on July 27 at 8 p.m. For event details, visit centralpapridefestival.com.

Folk Fest
July 28-29: Susquehanna Folk Music Society hosts the Susquehanna Folk Festival at Roundtop Mountain Resort, 925 Roundtop Rd., Lewisberry. Enjoy live music, dancing, workshops, storytelling, crafts, kids’ activities, food and more. Get more information and tickets at julyfolkfest.org.

Waste Not: A Q&A with LCSWMA CEO Jim Warner.

June 29, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Jim Warner

In 2013, Jim Warner saw a big opportunity—one that required a big risk.

He led his organization, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, in making a major acquisition—the financially distressed Harrisburg incinerator. Since then, LCSWMA has invested millions to upgrade the plant and the property, transforming it into the Susquehanna Resource Management Complex, a state-of-the-art waste-to-energy complex.

At year-end, Warner plans to retire as LCSWMA’s long-serving CEO. So, we asked him to reflect on his past and on the career-defining decision to acquire the debt-ridden Harrisburg facility. This interview has been edited for clarity and space.

TheBurg: How did you get into this industry?

Warner: I got out of graduate school in 1984 from Ship [Shippensburg University] with a degree in environmental science. I got a job in Gloucester County (N.J.) as one of the first county recycling coordinators in America.

TheBurg: What year was that?

Warner: That was 1985, when the “garbage crisis” first manifested itself, in New Jersey. So, government responded by saying, “Well, maybe we should recycle part of the waste stream, and we wouldn’t have as big of a problem.” So, counties in the mid-‘80s began hiring . . . professionals to manage and implement recycling programs in a region or a county. Then Lancaster became the first county [in Pennsylvania] to write a comprehensive waste management plan, in 1986.

TheBurg: Where were you from originally?

Warner: I grew up in Lebanon, Pa.

TheBurg: So, you were coming back home?

Warner: Not only that. I went to Millersville for my undergrad and, actually, most of my best friends were from Lancaster. My senior year, I lived in downtown Lancaster. So, yeah, I was coming back. I’ve been here for basically 31 years.
TheBurg: So you became Lancaster County’s recycling coordinator?

Warner: I did. I was like the third or fourth employee in the office. And, during that time, we borrowed a lot of money and built a waste-to-energy plant, built the first double-lined landfill in 1988 and then implemented a recycling program. That year, July 1988, is when Pennsylvania passed their mandatory recycling law under Bob Casey’s administration.

So, I set up the recycling and hired an assistant or two. And my desire was to really get into the business component more. So, then, as we grew, I had a series of promotions and more responsibility until about 1994 or ‘95, when I was sort of the general manager. Then our executive director at the time made a pretty quick exit, and the board of directors decided that I was capable enough to manage the system as it was then, which was not nearly as complicated as it is now. So, as a young 38-year-old, I became executive director and, eventually, my title changed to CEO. The organization went from about $35 [million] to—I wouldn’t doubt if we did $90 million this year and 350,000 tons to 1 million. Some of that was organic, but a lot of it was strategic. Probably the biggest piece ever in that evolution was the acquisition of Harrisburg [incinerator], as far as a big chunk of business.

TheBurg: Let’s talk about Harrisburg then. Take me through the process of how you ended up buying the incinerator here.

Warner: It’s really interesting. As we had a growth spurt from the mid-‘90s to about 2005, we were growing at about 3½ percent per year. So, as we projected that out, it looked like we were going to run out of processing capacity in the Lancaster plant somewhere around 2010.

So, then a couple of things happened. That growth stopped suddenly in about 2007, with the recession. We started evaluating—how would we expand the Lancaster facility?

We started looking at—what would be the cost of doing that expansion? And we had a good model, in that two very similar plants in Florida—one in Hillsborough County and one Lee County—had just gone through that process, where they built a fourth unit. Each one added a 600-ton unit, and their plants went from 1,200 to 1,800 tons per day. And each of the projects cost about $135 million. So, we started modeling about $150 million, figuring we would come a decade after them.

When you do that, there’s sort of a Catch-22. If you put in a 600-ton-per-day unit, that’s 180,000 tons per year of waste going through that unit. The problem is that, when you build a unit, you don’t necessarily have 180,000 tons of waste coming in the day you open it because, if you had, you would have been landfilling all that waste until the day you open the unit. And we never wanted to get into that, where we grew so much but we waited until we could fill the unit with Lancaster County waste. The price to pay would have been too much landfilling of waste. It would have eaten up years of landfill capacity.

So, the other option is, maybe wait until you have 20,000 or 30,000 tons, and then you go and get the other 150,000. And getting the other 150,000 and bringing it in, would have been very difficult to do. And the price we would have gotten for what we call spot trash in the industry wouldn’t have supported the cost of adding a unit like that. We bought some time then because of the Great Recession, and, meanwhile, the timing of Harrisburg’s distress was progressing.

Now, at the time, the [Harrisburg] receiver [William Lynch]—he’s trying to get the highest price possible because there’s $370 million of indebtedness on the plant. [He] wanted an inflated price for the asset, which would be supported by guaranteed waste streams at above-market rates for 20 years, with put-or-pays—guaranteed amount to LCSWMA every year—in exchange for an over-inflated price for the asset. He needed $130 million because they could only value the parking [asset] at $240 million. So, those were the two assets they had: 130 for this, 240 for that.

So, all along, we had asked them—what do you want paid? Because we could make it $100 million, we could make it $80 million, we could make it $130 million. But then here’s what your tipping fees are going to be over 20 years, and the guarantee levels change the valuation. What were they willing to accept as their tipping fee? So, Dauphin County, I think we started at $85, and the city started at $190. But the market is $50, $60. And there was a lot of push/pull there between the city and the county. If you had a blended rate, the city and the county would both be paying $120 or something like that. But that wasn’t going to happen because the county didn’t feel they had as much responsibility for the mess as the city did.

But we tried to stay out of that. We were just coming in and trying to make the asset work for us and, if we could help solve this neighboring problem, that would be good, too.

TheBurg: It seemed to me, at the time, that everything seemed to align together in a serendipitous way.

Warner: If we hadn’t come in, I don’t know how the city would have avoided bankruptcy.

I think the first number we gave them was like $47 million, and people had the impression we were low-balling, but we were giving an at-market price without the guarantees. But, when all of a sudden, they wanted $130 million, then the tipping fees were going to go way up, and the guarantees had to be made on the revenue because we’re paying 20 years forward. We gave them $130 million one Monday morning—Dec. 23, 2013—on the guarantee that they’re going to be paying us some rate times some amount of tons every year for 20 years. And we can never bring that risk to our doorstep, because they got their over-inflated price that morning.

Our risk was that we had to continue to make the asset function for those 20 years. For that, we were relying on our own expertise and know-how of being in the business, and that was a risk we were willing to take on.

TheBurg: So, you bought this thing. What came next?

Warner: I think we’ve put about $22 million in, in the first four years. We added some things that we didn’t think we were going to—we could get by. And there are other things that we didn’t do that don’t need done. This building we’re sitting in, we call it the TMA building, which stands for Transfer, Maintenance and Administration. So, we built this bigger than we had thought. We built 23,000 square feet. We have two transfer bays.

And the reason we made it much more robust than we originally thought was because, the more we thought about it—our arrangement with the city of Harrisburg and Dauphin County is that we’re going to take your waste for the next 20 years. What happens if the main asset doesn’t function? Believe it or not, just in March, we went four days without a unit working because, well, everything seemed to go wrong for four consecutive days. But all the waste came here, the trucks dumped in the transfer building, and we transferred it all to our Lancaster waste facility.

When THA (the Harrisburg Authority) had the plant come down, they would just say, “Take your waste elsewhere. We’re not open.” We, first of all, can’t do that. But, secondly, we don’t want to do that because we want that revenue. With our assets, we can manage it, so that’s why we can do that.

So, this building was $5 million. We just finished a $4 million cooling tower. We thought we could put a Band-Aid on the old tower every five years. But we just decided to abandon the cooling tower. The cooling tower here was built for like a shopping center, not a power plant. So, we put in a real cooling tower. So, now we don’t have to worry about whether, over the next 20 years, it’s going to work. Then we’ve done all this site work. We changed the entrance from Cameron Street to 19th Street. We put in a new scale house. We paved the roads, new fencing, landscaping. All that was a couple million dollars. Then, inside the plant itself, we’ve upgraded, done things to the boilers and the grates, and we’re continuing to do that. So, we’ve invested about $5 million more than we thought we would during the first four years. But now we’ve made the big investments, unless something drastic would go wrong.

TheBurg: What does your future hold?

Warner: Getting back to here [the Harrisburg facility]—I could not be more pleased. This was not easy. This challenged our staff. Our board took a leap of faith with me driving this. I think it’s proved out.

The first four years, I think, will be the hardest. That’s when we had to do the most overhaul, prove ourselves in the community. People drive in here and drive out in 12 minutes. They use to have to wait in line for an hour and a half. So, the customer service has increased. We’ve taken this facility, which was substandard, and we’ve taken it—and I knew we could do this—we’ve put it to our standard, LCSWMA’s standard—and our standards are the best in the industry. So, we had a long way to go there. I think we’ve done well. The mayor, I think, is pretty pleased. I know that Public Works loves the service they get here. We don’t have any griping. When you get no griping, you know you’re doing things right.

With me—our board, my departure has been well planned. For years, I’ve been working with the board with timing. I think the board has made a wise move to promote from within, just like they took a little chance with me. They hired our current chief operating officer, Bob Zorbaugh. It’s his group that runs this and makes it function. We have an extremely strong executive team of six that Bob’s coming out of. He knows the business inside and out. It will take some time for people to get to know Bob, but he’ll do an excellent job. He knows what it is to make facilities function successfully.

To learn more about the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, visit www.lcswma.org.

Lessons in Blue: What I learned at the Harrisburg Citizen’s Police Academy.

June 29, 2018 | by Joanne Kaldy

If you grew up watching “Starsky and Hutch,” “Die Hard,” “Beverly Hill Cop,” “Law & Order” or “CSI,” you probably think law enforcement looks pretty cool—dangerous at times, but glamorous and exciting.

Now, thanks to the Harrisburg Bureau of Police Citizen’s Police Academy, a group of city residents knows the truth. Law enforcement isn’t like the movies or TV, but it’s still pretty cool.

The academy was established to build stronger community bonds between the Harrisburg Bureau of Police and the people who live here. Led by Capt. Gabriel Olivera and Cpl. Joshua Hammer, the 10- week course covers topics such as traffic stops, the history of policing, crime scene investigation, the coroner’s office and the legal system. The program is free to applicants who are Harrisburg residents and can pass a background check.

I met both of those criteria, so became one of about 20 students in the 2018 class.

Over 2½ months, we heard from leaders and key players in law enforcement, and we were treated to tours—the Dauphin County Prison, the coroner’s office, the county call center and the courthouse. The class was enlightening, and we all learned a great deal about our police and the legal system.

Here are the top 10 things I learned as a student of the Citizen’s Police Academy.

1. Law enforcement isn’t very glamorous. More often, it’s grueling, stressful and, yes, even boring. For example, TV makes 9-11 call centers look like exciting hubs of drama and action. In truth, the operators sit in cubicles for hours, often answering calls that are non-emergency complaints, false alarms or even bids for attention by lonely people. Nonetheless, their training and knowledge prepare them for when there is a real emergency or disaster.

2. I have a morbid curiosity…about the morbid. I especially enjoyed visiting the coroner’s office. While we didn’t see an autopsy, we did see some death scene photos and learned about how the team performs investigations. It’s fascinating how much they can tell about things like time and cause of death before the autopsy even starts. Speaking of which, we got a tour of an autopsy room, where we saw cabinets filled with containers of eyeballs, brains and other evidence to be used in ongoing and unsolved cases.

3. Not all prison inmates wear orange jumpsuits. In fact, at the Dauphin County Prison, inmates don’t wear jumpsuits at all. Their attire is more like hospital scrubs, and they are color-coded—orange for male general population, green for male trustees who have jobs in the prison, red for male treatment inmates and so on. Female inmates in the general population wear beige “scrubs.” As someone who loves fashion and color, that would be punishment enough for me.

4. Prison inmates can be incredibly creative and resourceful. We were treated to a display of “contraband,” forbidden items that have been confiscated from inmates. There were drawings on both paper and cloth (mostly pillowcases) that could pass for professional illustrations and artwork. There was a Monopoly-type game (“Jailopoly”) someone had made out of paper and cardboard, compete with play money and dice (likely made from water-soaked paper pressed into squares and inked with pens or pencils). Perhaps most inventive was a small cage—designed to catch rats or mice—made from plastic cutlery that was crudely fused together. MacGyver would be proud. I went to summer camp when I was a teenager, and all I ever made was a birdhouse out of popsicle sticks.

5. Police have to know math and physics. There is a whole team of specially trained police officers whose job it is to analyze and determine the cause of traffic accidents. They use algorithms that involve both math and physics to assess things such as how fast the cars involved were going, the precise point of impact, and whether the driver attempted to slow down or stop before the collision. The discussion about this was very technical and complex, but it did make me want to slow down and be extra careful on the road.

6. Not all police dogs (K-9 officers) look alike. Whenever you see police dogs on TV, it seems like they’re always German shepherds. I guess this dates back to the 1950s and the TV show, “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.” However, the Harrisburg K-9 unit includes other breeds of herding dogs, including the Dutch shepherd and the Belgian malinois, known for their protective instincts, high intelligence, eagerness to serve/work and endurance. We met with Officer Don Bender and his dog, Zoe, a Dutch shepherd. She demonstrated her ability as a substance-sniffing dog, and it was clear that she enjoyed showing off. The dogs, which are considered officers and have actual badges with official badge numbers, live with their human partners and their families. As a dog lover, I had to resist the urge to hug Zoe and smother her with kisses and baby talk. I suspect she was grateful for that.

7. I have some mad acting skills. We role-played police officers delivering bad news to a family, and I got volunteered to play the mother of a young woman who died from a drug overdose. Police Chaplin Gary Lathrop played my husband. He instructed me to react how someone might do so in such a situation. So, I started with denial (“No, you’ve made a mistake. We just had dinner with her. She is at work.”), then moved to anger and sorrow. I really got into the part and went full DeNiro (never go full DeNiro) and let loose with some R-rated language. Nonetheless, everyone said how convincing I was in the role. I’m thinking of having head shots made up and getting an agent.

8. Courtroom legal cases aren’t nearly as exciting as on “Perry Mason.” The judges and lawyers are simply capable, knowledgeable and hardworking professionals who work together to carry out the law, not colorful personalities verbally sparring and in constant conflict. While every good TV/movie courtroom drama features a jury, the vast majority of cases in Dauphin County are resolved without 12 angry (or not-so-angry) men (and women). The judges have sentencing guidelines they use to ensure a fair and reasonable sentence for offenses and offenders, and they seldom bang the gavel and scream, “Order in the court.”

9. Police are people. I’ve always been a little intimidated by the police—the spotless uniforms, the business-like attitudes. But all of the officers we interacted with were nice, courteous and enthusiastic. They answered even our stupidest questions without judgment. They laughed and chatted with us and shared their stories with candor. I felt like I came away with some new friends who love the city like I do. However, I was a bit disappointed that none of the officers was a dead ringer for Chris Pine or Idris Elba. Clearly, I need to watch less Netflix.

10. I made the right career choice. I admit that, when I was a kid, I thought it would be fun to be one of Charlie’s angels or like Heather Locklear on “T.J. Hooker.” But the crazy hours, the uniforms (I really like my heels and matching purse), the stress of knowing that your work often is a matter of life and death, and the discipline and rigorous training just aren’t for me. I’m better off writing. In the meantime, it’s nice to know that there are people like Capt. Olivera and Cpl. Hammer to do the job others won’t or can’t.

The Harrisburg police are planning to offer another Citizen’s Police Academy program in September. Watch for an announcement at www.hbgpd.com.

Book Plot: The heist movie visits the library in “American Animals.”

June 29, 2018 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Photograph courtesy of Film4 Productions.

We already know it’ll end badly.

Maybe we’ve heard the story before, or we’ve seen the trailer. Hell, even the first five minutes of the film tells us. So then why do we watch “American Animals?”

Writer/director Bart Layton quickly captivates his audience with a fascinating true story of four college boys who try to pull off the most ridiculous heist, and it’s all thanks to perspective.

It starts with a visit to the on-campus library at Transylvania University, Kentucky. Spencer (Barry Keoghan), an artist, notes that the rare books section is only guarded by one librarian and a locked door and tells his friend, Warren (Evan Peters), this information. Warren, the “ring leader” in this scenario, immediately convinces Spencer to plan a heist with him in order to profit from the near-$12 million value of the books within.

But the boys need help. They rope in Eric (Jared Abrahamson) as the “brains” of the operation, smoothing out the details of the plan, and Chas (Blake Jenner) as the getaway driver. And the rest goes down in history.

The film expertly laces together interviews of the four real-life protagonists and their families with dramatized scenes acted out by Keoghan, Peters, Abrahamson and Jenner. This docudrama structure often plays out unevenly, feeling more like a History Channel or Hallmark special, but, recently, we’ve seen an uptick in films that are getting the hang of it—films like “Touching the Void,” “Jeremiah Tower” and the most recent, “I, Tonya,” which even dramatized the interviews.

What makes these films so much more engaging than the typical docudrama? Filmmakers are beginning to learn how to play with perspective, telling the story not exactly as it occurred, but how the interviewees say it occurred (contradictions and all).

“American Animals” goes even one step further, at times even inserting the real people into the dramatizations like mirages. And while the film could have held its own without the interviews, that extra bit of reality stirs some energy into the story. The juxtaposition of the interviews with the dramatization is at times startling, comical and even sobering.

There are particularly good performances for Keoghan and Peters, who, hand in hand, nail the well-meaning stupidity of youth. And that’s the story that is really being told. It’s a tale of a bunch of kids who were too eager, too greedy and too naive to understand what they were really getting into.

Now, nearly 15 years later, not only can these young men see through a new perspective but so can we. This is a film you won’t want to miss.

“American Animals” comes to Midtown Cinema this July.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

July Special Events
At Midtown Cinema

Central PA Open Screen
Thursday, July 5, 9 p.m.

Beatles Tribute Series
“Yellow Submarine” (1968)
Friday, July 20, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25, 7:30 p.m.

“I Wanna Hold Your Hand” (1978)
Sunday, July 22, 2 p.m.

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1978)
Tuesday, July 24, 7:30 p.m.

“A Hard Day’s Night” (1964)
Sunday, July 29, 7 p.m.

Outdoor Film Series
Movies start at dusk, rain date is following day

“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
Friday, July 6

“Ghostbusters” (1984)
Friday, July 27

“Toy Story” (1995)
Friday, Aug. 24

June News Digest

June 29, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

HUD Grants Proposed

The annual process of disbursing federal housing funds began last month, as Harrisburg City Council introduced an ordinance that would provide money to nearly a dozen nonprofit groups.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city used the same process in selecting award recipients as last year, using a point-based merit system to judge applications.

“It’s a number of small grants,” Papenfuse said. “It’s not as much as anyone wanted.”

In all, the city will distribute $2.04 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money, a program of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. This amount includes almost $1.9 million from the 2018 allocation, plus a small supplemental amount tied to unallocated funds from a prior year.

Like last year, the greatest single amount of money, $593,423, will go to repay federal loans the city backed during the Reed administration for several development projects, including the disastrous Capitol View Commerce Center project, which went bankrupt before being completed years later by a new owner.

“If we didn’t have an exorbitant debt service, we’d have a lot more money for housing,” Papenfuse said.

Most of the nonprofits proposed to receive funds have gotten some money from previous CDBG allocations. The proposed recipients include:

TriCounty HDC: $250,000
Habitat for Humanity: $100,000
A Miracle 4 Sure: $50,000
TLC Work Based Training: $45,000
Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministries (C.R.A.M.): $40,000
Latino Hispanic Community Center: $25,000
Heinz-Menaker Senior Center: $25,000
Fair Housing Council: $25,000
PPL/IN HOUSE: $20,000
Shades of Greatness: $15,000
Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $5,000

Like last year, Tina Nixon, an executive with UPMC Pinnacle, scored the applications, Papenfuse said. While most nonprofits that applied received some funding, several did not make the cut, he said.

In addition, the city is proposing to allocate $321,642 for its housing rehabilitation programs and another $408,765 to CDBG administration.

QOZ Tracts Approved

The federal government last month approved all of the census tracts nominated for a new program aimed at spurring development in low-income communities.

Six of those tracts are in Harrisburg.

“Approval of our nominated tracts is an important step in the process of bringing critical investment and development to these areas,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “Designation as an opportunity zone is one piece of the puzzle that can help many of our distressed communities across the commonwealth.”

In April, Wolf nominated 300 low-income census tracts across the state as Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ), a status created under the 2017 federal tax reform bill. All were accepted.

Six of Harrisburg’s 14 census tracts were included in Wolf’s submission. The potential investment zones encompass the city’s downtown area south of Forster Street, South Harrisburg, South and Central Allison Hill and the neighborhoods along the city’s Cameron Street industrial corridor.

The QOZ program aims to stimulate investment in low-income communities by providing tax breaks to private investors. It’s expected to defer or reduce capital gains taxes to anyone who invests in funds supporting businesses, real estate and other ventures in the zones.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is still in the process of developing the program, and the IRS is expected to provide further information regarding opportunities for investment in zones in the coming months, according to Wolf’s office.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse has said that the recommended zones aligned with the city’s current development efforts, including the MulDer Square revitalization project and the Paxton Creek reclamation in the industrial corridor.

To qualify for QOZ status, a census tract had to have at least a 20-percent poverty rate or a median family income less than 80 percent of the statewide or regional median income.

State Urges Changes to School District

Soon after wrapping up a protracted battle over its superintendent, the Harrisburg school district may find itself in another personnel battle.

The state Department of Education is asking the district to search for new leadership for its business office, which oversees budgets and financial management.

In a letter to the district last month, department Secretary Pedro Rivera said that the district’s chief financial officer and business manager do not meet the criteria set forth in its five-year recovery plan, which calls for full-time, permanent, highly qualified employees to fill both positions.

The school board has final say on all district personnel actions. But board members, who diverged for the past six months over whether to replace or retain Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney, once again disagree on the need to seek new hires.

Board President Judd Pittman interprets the letter as a directive from the state, giving the district no choice but to replace interim, part-time CFO James Snell and acting Business Manager Bilal Hasan. But board Vice President Danielle Robinson thinks the district should keep the current team.

“It’s not a directive, it’s a suggestion,” Robinson said. “The team we have in place is giving us what we need.”

The business manager and CFO are responsible for developing and managing the district’s $156 million budget. This year, the district faces a shortfall of almost $9 million. The business office has proposed bridging it with a $5 million transfer from its fund balance, $4 million in staff cuts, and a 3.6 percent tax hike.

New Monument to Honor Prominent African Americans

Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park is dotted with historical monuments, but none of them honor African Americans.

A group of citizens hopes to change that.

Members of the Peace Promenade Project are asking city hall to green-light Harrisburg’s first monument to African Americans, which they hope to erect near the corner of Forster and Front Streets by June 2019.

Their proposal calls for a life-size tableau of four Pennsylvania abolitionists and voting-rights advocates: Thomas Chester, a Harrisburg-born journalist and attorney; William Howard Day, the first black school board director in Pennsylvania; Jacob Compton, a pastor who drove Abraham Lincoln’s carriage during his visit to Harrisburg; and Frances Harper, a poet and women’s rights activist.

All except Harper lived in Harrisburg and are buried in Lincoln Cemetery in Penbrook.

“This is an American monument that represents the continuing struggle for the full fulfillment of the 15^th amendment,” said Lenwood Sloan, leader of the Peace Promenade Project, which aims to rededicate Harrisburg’s public monuments through a yearlong event series.

Kelly Summerford, another project leader, said that the monument would also offer local students an opportunity to learn about abolition and voting rights.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said he met with the project leaders and enthusiastically supports the project. He also offered to help the group pursue a gaming grant from Dauphin County.

The Peace Promenade group, which counts more than 200 members and 40 supporting organizations, plans to fund the monument through public support, corporate donations and individual giving. They did not announce an anticipated budget.

According to Summerford, the group plans to follow a process used by the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts to commission an artist and develop a design.

They hope to install the monument by “Juneteenth” 2019—the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the official announcement of the end of slavery in the former Confederacy.

At press time, council had not yet affirmed the final allocations.

Harristown Eyes Another Project

Chalk up another apartment conversion for Harristown Enterprises.

The Harrisburg-based company already has converted several rundown office buildings downtown to higher-end apartment buildings. Last month, it announced another—this one at 116 Pine St.

“We feel very good about the rental market,” said Harristown CEO Brad Jones. “We’re trying to create more of a neighborhood downtown.”

The bank-owned, 54,600-square-foot building is on the market for $1.3 million. If Harristown completes the purchase, it plans to convert the circa-1946 building to 44 apartment units, its largest residential project to date.

The five-story building currently houses several different entities, which would be relocated. The longstanding first-floor tenant, Alicia’s Deli, is likely to remain in the building, Jones said.

The building is directly next door to another office building at 124 Pine St. that Harristown currently has under contract from seller Keystone Human Services. City Council approved that project, which includes 25 apartment units and 19 parking spaces, in April.

“Our intent is to build them together and have economies of scale,” Jones said, adding that Harristown expects to invest some $12 million in the projects.

Harristown has long been known as a commercial developer. However, it began to move into the multi-family residential market several years ago, focusing on rehabilitating old, often dilapidated and vacant office buildings, converting them to apartments.

New Owner for Old Waterworks

A Harrisburg-based design and engineering company has purchased the historic Old Waterworks building on the Susquehanna River, with plans to turn it into its new headquarters.

Andculture will relocate from its downtown offices following the full renovation of the 22,000-square-foot building, said co-owner David Hickethier.

The Waterworks is one of only two structures remaining within the confines of Riverfront Park. Portions of the Front Street building date to 1841.

The building served as a pumping station for Harrisburg until 1972, when that use ended following severe flooding caused by Tropical Storm Agnes. The city later converted it into an office building.

In 2002, Mann Realty, a real estate firm, bought the building. Andculture acquired the property from Mann Realty, which is in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, for $1.25 million, according to the Dauphin County property database.

“It’s a very unique building,” Hickethier said. “There are only two on that side of Front Street, right on the river.”

Hickethier expects Andculture, a company he co-owns with partners Josh Benton and Evan Keller, to occupy the majority of the building for its main offices and for its business accelerator, Catamaran.

The company may lease out some of the remaining space, especially to complementary businesses, and would like to reserve a portion for public use, possibly for meetings and receptions, Hickethier said.

Since the major city renovation 30 years ago, the building has suffered a few floods and has not undergone a major update. So, Hickethier and his partners plan to mount a complete restoration. The work includes removing drop ceilings, restoring floors, opening up spaces and making substantial repairs.

New Sanitation App

Sanitation and recycling services in Harrisburg are about to get a little more user-friendly.

The city last month announced a new app called Recycle Coach, which allows residents to get the latest information on sanitation services, schedules, what and where to recycle, collection requirements and more.

“[The app provides] details people need to understand, like the way food could potentially contaminate recyclables,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “The app addresses all this, and it’s really interesting, easy to use and fun.”

Already used in other states and countries, Recycle Coach is now available for Harrisburg residents. The app is personalized via language, building type (apartment or home) and address. Using that information, six tabs on the home screen offer users various types of functionality, information and additional options.

John Rarig, Harrisburg’s recycling coordinator, said that the Recycle Coach app will help the city get sanitation information out to the public quicker.

“This app will allow us to update information as things change [such as] weather problems and things that we can notify the populous about,” he said. “[Recycle Coach] is very easy to work with, and we think this is a great thing for Harrisburg.”

Harrisburg residents can access Recycle Coach not only from their smartphones, but also via computers and voice assistants such as Alexa.

So Noted

Harrisburg Beer Week last month presented a check for $40,000 to Harrisburg River Rescue and Emergency Services, the beneficiary of the 10-day-long celebration of local craft beer. For the past several years, the River Rescue has used the funds to continue the renovation of its headquarters.

Homeland Center last month dedicated its 6th Street entrance in memory of the late John Crain Kunkel, a U.S. congressman, and his wife Katherine, who served on the board of managers and established what is believed to be the first-ever beauty shop in a long-term care facility, according to the Harrisburg-based care facility. More recently, the Kunkel family made possible Homeland’s 71-bed skilled care nursing pavilion, and their foundation sponsored Homeland’s 150th Gala, said Homeland.

Percel Eiland resigned last month as a member of the Harrisburg school board, having only served about six months. The board will now take steps to find a candidate to fill the remainder of Eiland’s term, which runs until the end of next year.

In Memoriam

Nick Laus, renowned Harrisburg restaurateur, died last month at age 59. Laus founded many restaurants in the area, including Café Fresco, Cork & Fork, Home 231 and Burger Yum, as well as the nightclub, Level 2.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2441: G. & T. Spiese to H. Le, $64,000

Bartine St., 1323: E. & G. Solomon to J. Herr, $82,000

Bellevue Rd., 1963: M. Mack to R. Lewis, $54,900

Berryhill St., 2034: D. Smith to S. Griffin, $33,000

Berryhill St., 2400: L. Rich to E. Alcantra, $40,001

Boas St., 304: Calder Street Development LLC to RC Herr, $35,000

Calder St., 264: J. Hummel to L. Boenzli, $127,000

Capitol St., 1218: M. Wickwire to K. Knapp, $118,000

Chestnut St., 2032: W. Noss & R. Maynard to M. Jackson & J. Fulton, $124,900

Delaware St., 259: K. Dyrli to R. Goodfriend, $142,500

Delaware St., 261: C. Hartman to T. Harris & B. Barto, $117,500

Green St., 918: S. Brennan & L. Sterkenberg to S. Lacey, $144,900

Green St., 1328: D. Misner to A. Koser, $116,540

Green St., 1412: J. Kibler to J. Ehring, $70,000

Green St., 1612: H. Task to B. Brubaker, $149,900

Green St., 1946: C. Smith & T. Chickey to P. Sosik, $174,900

Green St., 2321: Willowscott Investment LLC to J. Hofman, $80,000

Green St., 2412: R. Lawson to B. Vargas, $219,500

Hillside Rd., 214: R. & T. Winder to R. Bateman & C. McDonough, $164,900

Hoffman St., 3010: Duetsche Bank National Trust Co. Trustee to Innovative Devices Inc., $41,300

Hoffman St., 3229: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to B. Foor, $59,000

Industrial Rd., 3900: Supervalue Penn LLC to CF Grocery Distribution & Propco LLC, $85,535,256

Jefferson St., 2645: M. Watson to D. Solomon, $60,400

Kensington St., 2004: JCB Associates & State House Group to A. Ryabukha, $39,000

Kensington St., 2324: A. & M. Oliphant to C. Austin, $59,900

Market St., 1713: LAGR Properties LLC to J. & L. Hendricks, $65,000

Mercer St., 2470: A. Hankerson to A. & M. Allen, $49,137

Muench St., 429: Dobson Family Partnership to Y. & K. Han, $50,000

N. 2^nd St., 1521: W. Glover to E&S Properties, $107,000

N. 2^nd St., 1803: S. & S. Cooper to Z. Gause, $122,500

N. 2^nd St., 1916: C. Bashore to G. Crone, $155,000

N. 2^nd St., 2602: K. & K. Fischer to K. Kennedy, $105,000

N. 2^nd St., 2953: D. Alvey to PI Capital LLC, $144,401

N. 2^nd St., 3209: S. Kumarasingam to Benchmarq Holdings LLC, $65,361

N. 3^rd St., 1004, 1006, 1008 & 1010 Susquehanna St.: T. & E. Buda to Maki Developments LLC, $695,000

N. 3^rd St., 1010: T. Buda to Maki Developments LLC, $225,000

N. 3^rd St., 1725: K. & L. Helm to I. Kazar, $81,000

N. 3^rd St., 3004: N. Ernst to K. & A. Brady, $77,000

N. 4^th St., 2143: 690 Market Street LLC to R. Joline, $33,000

N. 4^th St., 2641: Y. Borras to J. Santiago, $59,000

N. 4^th St., 2731: R. Rickabaugh to M. Martinez & M. Price, $111,700

N. 6^th St., 1346: J. MacDonald to A. Blank & A. Edwards, $114,900

N. 6^th St., 2212: L. Ware Jr. to J. Strain, $60,000

N. 7^th St., 1501: AT&T Communications to 1501 Harrisburg Partners LLC, $425,000

N. 15^th St., 1431: M. Clark & J. Payton to X. Nguyen, $55,000

N. Front St., 614: Mann Realty Associates Inc. to Granma LLC, $1,250,000

Norwood St., 914: A. Wilhelm to I. Rodriguez, $35,000

Penn St., 1614: M. Smith to J. Napora & S. Bassler, $144,900

Penn St., 1809: K. Hyp to J. Francescangeli & D. Rocklein, $165,000

Penn St., 1931: WCI Partners LP to R. & B. Precourt, $134,900

Penn St., 2327: A. & D. Wilhelm to I. Rodriguez, $35,000

Pennwood Rd., 3139: T. Bendrick to L. Ciambotti, $40,000

Sassafras St., 269: Major League Properties LLC to J. Wenger & J. Noel, $130,000

Shamokin St., 110: M. & K. Patterson to E. & L. Match, $165,000

Showers St., 589: T. Fullam & J. Nugent to M. Albizu, $116,000

S. 13^th St., 1510: New Heights South LLC to W. Powell Sr., $49,000

S. 14^th St., 1437: W. & G. Powell to City of Harrisburg, $50,000

S. 24^th St., 535: S. Leibich to PA Double Dels LLC, $178,500

S. Cameron St., 50, 90 & 112: PA Self Storage One LLC to Amerco Real Estate Co., $1,450,000

S. Cameron St., 1058: M. Tice & APR Supply Co. to JWM Associates LP, $343,700

State St., 120: C. & K. Kokoski to O’Hagan Philadelphia LLC, $190,000

State St., 231, Unit 206: LUX 1 LP to F. Clark, $65,000

State St., 1414: G. Dutan to A. & M. Collins, $113,000

Susquehanna St., 3117: J. Fustine to K. O’Neill & M. Delucia, $197,500

Swatara St., 1517: Tri County HDC Ltd. to V. Miller, $99,000

Wendy St., 1126: 147 N. Cameron Partners LP to Keystone K9 LLC, $415,000

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