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

Those Summer Nights: A complete bill of fare for your summer soiree.

June 29, 2018 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Have you been thinking about having a few friends over for a nice mid-summer evening dinner?

There is still time to enjoy the lingering daylight and hear the cicada’s humming in the trees. Light some candles on your porch_,gather some fresh flowers into a pretty vase and mix up some cold cocktails to start the evening.

But you’re not thinking of serving hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salad, are you? July is a perfect time to savor the many culinary gifts of summer. But there is no need to need to spend long hours in the kitchen or plan elaborate dishes for a little summer dinner party. I’d like to share a very easy but elegant menu that your guests will love. But you must use the very best ingredients that will shine in their simplicity. Here are a few notes on the menu.

Flank Steak (London Broil) on the Grill

Why use flank steak? Rib eyes are wonderful and so are New York strip steaks. But flank steak has marvelous flavor, is a bit leaner, and has the advantage of being less expensive. Flank steak is carved thinly across the grain of the meat and each person is served a few slices. It “goes farther,” as they say. Have your butcher slash the tip of the steak in a crosshatch pattern to better absorb your marinade. Or you can easily do this at home. A 2-pound piece of meat is perfect.

Caprese Salad (Tomato, Mozzarella and Fresh Basil

You likely have had this traditional summer salad that originated from Italy’s Isle of Capri. Make sure you use the ripest, most beautiful tomatoes you can find to make it. For a really striking presentation, I like to use tomatoes of different colors: red, yellow, orange or striped “zebra” heirloom varieties. You can even include some large cherry tomatoes. You need fresh mozzarella for this salad, which is now easily found at your local grocery store or farm market. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with a type of fresh mozzarella called burrata. It is fresh mozzarella with a center of fresh cream curds. It is a soft and rich cheese that will elevate your Caprese beyond the ordinary.

Roast Potatoes with Rosemary

This one is easy: Use beautiful yellow gold potatoes, chopped fresh rosemary, good olive oil and sea salt.

A Special Cocktail: The Negroni

The Negroni is a classic Italian cocktail that could give your gin and tonic a run for its money. All you need is Campari (Italian aperitif), gin and sweet vermouth.

Ingredients for the London broil

1 flank streak, about 2 pounds, hatch-scored (XXX) across the top
Low sodium soy sauce (about 2 cups), ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and ½ cup red wine vinegar, whisked together for your marinade

Ingredients for the roasted potatoes

4 or 5 large yellow/gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges (either peel them or leave the skin on according to how you like them)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Sea salt or kosher salt
Olive oil

Ingredients for the Caprese salad

2 or 3 large, ripe tomatoes
2 “balls” of burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese (drained well if packed in brine)
A bunch of fresh basil, stems removed
Olive oil
Vinegar (balsamic, white wine or red wine)

Ingredients for the Negroni cocktail

1 ounce gin (I like Tanqueray or Bombay)
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari
Ice
A fresh orange

Game Plan for Dinner

The morning of the dinner, place the flank steak in a foil or glass pan. Wisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the steak. Cover the pan with foil and place in the refrigerator. After several hours, turn the steak in the marinade.
A few hours before dinner, slice the tomatoes and place on a serving platter. I usually peel tomatoes, but again, this is your preference.
Drain the burrata or mozzarella on paper towels, slice into rounds, and tuck the slices among the tomatoes. Drizzle with good olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
About an hour before you are ready to roast the potatoes, scrub and peel them and cut into wedges. Place in a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat them. Place on an oiled baking sheet and sprinkle chopped, fresh rosemary over them. Do not salt until you are ready to pop them into the oven. The potatoes will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to roast at 400 degrees. You can keep them in a warm oven until the steak is finished, if needed.
30 minutes before dinnertime, remove the Caprese salad from the refrigerator and place several large basil leaves over and around the tomatoes and mozzarella (I like a lot of basil).
Remove the steak from the marinade, dry it with paper towels, and grill it until your desired degree of doneness: 145 degrees for medium rare and 160 degrees for medium (about 6 to 8 minutes on each side).
Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes on a cutting board. Then slice it thinly across the grain and place the slices on a pretty platter. Garnish with fresh parsley, rosemary or watercress.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and place in a serving bowl. You can garnish them with additional sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Cocktail time

When your guests arrive, greet them with a frosty Negroni. Mix all the ingredients listed above in a tall glass, fill the glass with ice cubes, and garnish with a slice of fresh orange.

I’m learning that entertaining can be easy. Just use simple, good and fresh ingredients.

Place a vase of sunflowers on your table along with a few white votive candles. Maybe your guests will think they are in Tuscany (I can hear my editor laughing!).

Mangia bene!

25 Years of Nature, Fun: Ned Smith Festival makes changes as it marks its silver anniversary.

June 29, 2018 | by Don Helin

In 1993, the Ned Smith Nature and Art Festival began with a small gathering at Seal Park next to the Millersburg High School, held in October to coincide with Ned Smith’s birthday.

This year, the festival turns 25, and organizers are celebrating by shaking things up a bit.

They’ve moved the date to the end of July, added more things to do and changed locations.

The festival, after that early start, had long been held at MYO Park along the Susquehanna River. But it now will take place at its namesake location.

“A new venue, the festival will be held at the Ned Smith Center to show off the center itself, its multitude of hiking trails, educational facilities, three beautiful galleries and state-of-the-art amphitheater,” said Executive Director John Booth.

The festival has grown into the center’s largest event, with an average of 4,000 attendees each year. This year’s celebration will feature numerous workshops, including favorites such as “Paws, Claws, Scales and Tails,” and a talk and demonstration by Zoo America, which will bring in a variety of animals and birds.

The children’s area is always well attended, featuring popular activities like face painting and fish-print T-shirts. Guides will take young nature-lovers out on Wiconisco Creek to search out aquatic organisms. Each year, the Ned Smith Center hosts a youth art contest, and winners will be announced at the festival.

For both kids and adults, the festival will have demonstrations on edible wild plants to teach which are safe to eat and how to properly prepare them. Another exhibit will showcase local trees and how to identify different species.

For dog-lovers, there will be demonstrations by retrievers, a program to show how service dogs are trained to help their partners, and what bloodhounds can do to find people, whether a lost child or an escaped convict.

If snakes are more your thing, representatives of the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center will stop by with a demonstration of Pennsylvania snakes. A snake handler will even be on hand to demonstrate live snakes. Perhaps less menacing, the center will feature an exhibit on honeybees and beekeeping.

New this year will be a visit by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. His life project, the “Photo Ark,” is an effort to document every species in captivity, ranging from the smallest insect to the largest mammal. Sartore will be at the Ned Smith Center the day of the festival to discuss his works, which are on display in the Olewine Gallery.

“We also will be hosting a number of talented vendors,” said Sadie Martin, the center’s marketing and program coordinator.

For instance, Carlee Seele is a glass artist from New Cumberland and the owner of Moss Creek Art. The Susquehanna Wood Turners Club will be turning bowls and other wooden items. And as always, the Pennsylvania Bluebird Society and Ned Smith Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will be busy building bluebird and wood duck boxes.

For hikers, there are 500 acres of mountains and meadows memorialized by Ned Smith in his “Gone for the Day” columns. These include 12 miles of trails, ranging from wheelchair accessible to rugged.

After the festival programs conclude, the semi-acoustic, classic rock band HIP 450 will perform. For this concert, the center will feature food by Gene Odato’s Artisan Pizza, and a local favorite, the Grill and Sports Bar.

“Don’t miss this opportunity to see our beautiful nature and arts center while enjoying a full day of food, education and fun entertainment in the great outdoors,” Booth said.

The Ned Smith Nature and Art Festival takes place July 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg. For more information, contact the center at www.nedsmithcenter.org or call 717-692-3699.

Musical Notes: Songs from the grill; sounds sizzle this summer.

June 29, 2018 | by Kait Gibboney

It’s the middle of summer and the living’s easy—and often outdoors, my friends. There’s plenty to do and see around the city this time of year, so you bet it’s a good time for some live music. This month, you can enjoy performances at outdoor events like the Taste of Independence Food Truck Festival & Fireworks along Harrisburg’s waterfront on July 4. And don’t miss Hydroponic Philharmonic for a night on the river on the Pride of the Susquehanna, as well as free performances twice this month at Italian Lake. Here are a few shows around town of the more traditional variety, ones that don’t require a blanket and insect repellent.

SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS, 7/1, 8PM, H*MAC STAGE ON HERR, $25
We’ve got some of that old-fashioned Americana coming your way with this act. Hailing from Chapel Hill, N.C., SCOTS is made up of guitarist/singer Rick Miller, drummer Dave Hartman and bassist/singer Mary Huff. They got their start in the early ‘80s, and they’ve been rocking together ever since. Their sound is a wild gumbo of genres such as psych, rockabilly, folk, R&B and surf, giving audiences what the Rolling Stone calls “a hell raising rock and roll party.” If you’re a fan of new-wave southern folk stylings, this band has got what you’re looking for. Check out their fifth studio album “The Electric Pinecones,” a 2016 release featuring some new hits alongside a remake of their classic song “Swamp Fox.” SCOTS’ shows are infamously rowdy, riotous and rockin’ in the best way, so catch these songwriting spitfires while ya can!

CHRIS RATTIE & THE NEW REBELS, 7/6, 9PM, RIVER CITY BLUES CLUB
Get ready to jam with Chris Rattie and his band the New Rebels at River City, a great place to catch the hottest indie roots acts in the city. In perfect harmony with his band, Rattie combines country influences with Americana sensibilities. Drawing from his central PA roots, he developed his sound as a drummer, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter throughout the years. From slow and sultry southern stylings to foot-stomping and energetic vibes, this band has an extensive playlist to accompany your night out in the Burg. Take a listen to their latest album, “Porch,” for an idea of their diverse and accessible sound. “A Little Shot Glass from Spain” really displays Rattie’s poignant storytelling style and is definitely worth a listen.

JOE JACKSON, 7/17, 8PM, WHITAKER CENTER, $50-80
Mark your calendars and get pumped for this prominent performer to show Harrisburg his years of entertainment experience. Joe Jackson is well-known as a multi-instrumentalist, long mixing new age, punk and jazz sensibilities in with folk and rock. Check out the 1979 release, “Look Sharp!” an album that earned Jackson acclaim as a Rolling Stones selection for “100 Best” debut albums. He recorded his first hit song in 1979 with the spicy single, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” and, in 1982, achieved top-10 status with “Steppin Out.” But he doesn’t stop there. With 15 recorded albums and five Grammy nominations, Jackson is not only talented but celebrated in the music industry with a lengthy career to match. If you’re looking for a unique night on the town with a true musical master, this performance might have what you need.

Mentionables:

Rob Base, July 6, Club XL;

Apes of the State, July 7, The Underground Bike Shop;

A Night of Doom, July 7, J.B. Lovedraft’s;

Sub-Radio, July 8, Italian Lake;

The Redacted, July 14, River City Blues Club;

Run the Willow, July 22, Italian Lake;

Soulsha, July 27, H*MAC Stage on Herr

Century of Change: As technology marches on, so does D&H Distributing

June 29, 2018 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

D&H executives in the 1950s gather around the hottest-selling new invention of the decade: television.

Most likely, Dan and Michael Schwab’s grandfather, the late David Schwab, would be proud to see all that D&H Distributing Company has become in its centennial year.

In 1918, David Schwab opened Economy Tire and Rubber with Harry Spector in Williamsport, a business that guaranteed its tire retreads before manufacturers guaranteed tires. David Schwab wasn’t the sort of person to sit on his laurels, however. In the 1920s, he noticed that a new technology was becoming more common in people’s homes and decided to take action.

“My grandfather saw radios come out and saw that as an opportunity,” noted Dan Schwab, who serves as the company’s co-chair with brother, Michael. “We saw a lot of the technological revolution.”

In 1929, Economy Tire and Rubber changed its name to D&H Distributing and began selling Philco radios, the first brand available on the consumer market. Then in 1938, D&H became an official dealer of RCA, soon a vanguard for another new technology. At the 1939 New York World’s Fair, RCA introduced the public to television.

In 1943, D&H sold off its auto parts business to finance an expansion in consumer electronics. It turned out to be a very wise move.

Today, D&H Distributing is a leading distributor of IT and electronics, serving as a major provider to the North American high-tech channel. The company moved to Harrisburg more than 60 years ago and now is headquartered Uptown on 7th Street, with major operations locally at the Union Square Industrial Park and in Illinois, California, Georgia and Canada.

Two-Way Street

A technology museum on the first floor of the Harrisburg headquarters pays testament to how D&H has kept itself going through the mindboggling chain of technological advances over the past century. Here, first-generation computers and video game systems sit amid old radios, color TVs and stereos in consoles.

Dan and Michael Schwab are the third generation of their family to lead D&H. Their father, Izzy Schwab, still serves as chairman/CEO after more than 60 years with the company.

“We think of it as a torch, that we have a responsibility to make sure our business thrives for future generations,” Michael explained. “Izzy put forth a family constitution for us.”

Michael’s son, Brandon, began working in D&H’s sales department two years ago, but this doesn’t necessary mean that the family’s fourth generation, most of whom are now in college, will wind up with the company.

“They haven’t decided yet,” Michael said. “We tell them that it’s an opportunity, not an obligation.”

Dan and Michael each worked their way up the ranks. Dan started there in 1995 in the education division, selling technology items to schools. Michael began his D&H career by working in outside sales, also in 1995. Both insist that nepotism plays no role in the family-run business.

“We have guidelines for family members to make sure it’s company first and that family doesn’t interfere with business,” Dan stressed.

“You don’t cause discord with family and business,” Michael agreed.

Around 1,200 employees keep D&H humming nationwide, including 800 workers based in Harrisburg. Along with its centennial year of business, the company also marks its 20th year in 2018 as an ESOP company, which stands for “Employee Stock Ownership Plan.”
D&H employee co-owners have a stake in more than 30 percent of the company.

Other employee perks include a dedicated walking track, free gym membership, an employee loan program and more. Many D&H employees have been there for a least a decade, with a few even racking up 40 years with the company.

“It’s a two-way street,” Michael said. “Some of our best ideas come from employees who own the responsibility.”

“We’re big believers in hiring people and letting them do their job,” Dan added. “Our strongest asset is our people.”

D&H Cares

This year, D&H Distributing also marks the 10th anniversary of D&H Cares, an in-house, staff-run charity foundation supporting regional and national causes.

Each quarter, three nonprofit organizations are selected as beneficiaries. Recipients have included the Bethesda Mission, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and many others.

The company also places an emphasis on recycling and environmental mindfulness. So far, solar panels are used at two of its facilities.

“We are committed to the community,” Michael stressed. “We’ve been here (in Harrisburg) for more than 60 years. The culture of our organization has transcended decades. The people and technology may have changed, but our culture has remained the same, which allowed us to survive despite many business challenges over the years.”

D&H Distributing is located at 2525 N. 7th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.dandh.com.

Sit, Stay, Click: Doggie U combines online, on-site training.

June 29, 2018 | by Gina Napoli

Many people take classes and do professional training through online courses, videos and other distance-learning methods. Now, so can your pooch.

Until recently, most training was done at brick-and-mortar locations or in the home, but that’s beginning to change.

“I can train clients anywhere in the world via video,” said certified dog trainer Amy Powell, owner of Harrisburg-area Doggie U.

Maintaining a virtual business model has allowed Powell to focus efforts on her mission—keeping dogs in their homes with their owners rather than being given up to rescues because of behavioral issues.

“I can get results with behavior modification immediately,” Powell said.

This is not to say that she won’t visit your home. Under certain criteria, she will. Some of her work with rescues is on-site, as well. But the online consulting gives her educational arm greater reach with long-distance dog owners and rescues, and it gives her more time to spend helping more dogs.

During her two decades of dog training, Powell has encountered a lot of common issues: separation anxiety, dominance, aggression, anti-social behavior and OCD (incessant barking, licking, pulling when walking). So, she has developed her own methods, which she teaches online and in person.

“The textbooks aren’t always right,” she said. “I train from my 20 years of experience, which doesn’t necessarily match the textbooks. For example, if a dog jumps up on you, kneeing them or holding their paws is not the most effective way to fix the problem. Rather, walking forward into their pace asserts you as dominant without having to use force.”

Long-time client Sheri Shadle has trusted three of her dogs to Powell over the years.

“Amy understands the psychology behind the behavior and is able to explain it in a way so that you understand why your dog behaves in a certain manner,” Shadle said.“Then she develops a training plan to change that behavior.”

Tammy Newcomer, who is herself a people trainer and Powell’s client since 2006, sees a lot of parallels between Amy’s training methods and practical adult learning approaches. Some of it goes beyond training, into “offering support and empathy,” Newcomer said.

“Her support has aided in providing a good environment for my family, furry kids included,” she said.

While Powell specializes in training dogs with problem behaviors, part of her community-building emphasizes properly socializing dogs to help prevent problem behaviors. Doggie U hosts dog walks around dog-friendly area parks, which are promoted on its Facebook page and Meetup.

It’s a chance to socialize dogs and give them space to be their crazy selves, along with a reminder that non-social dogs need more space than others.

“Aggression isn’t genetically linked to breeds,” Powell said. “Certain breeds get bad reps that they don’t deserve. I’ve met more dangerous labs than pit bulls. Ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the owner to make sure they have a social, stable dog.”

Doggie U client Vanessa Foti-Pietrolaj enlisted Powell’s help with her dog Toby’s aggression issues.

“We went from avoiding other dogs and social engagements to having playdates and even puppy-sitting for friends’ dogs,” she said.

Training most of her clients by video allows Powell to turn some of her energies toward decidedly non-video training delivery.

For instance, a revived, mission-related pet training project for Doggie U is HOPE (Hounds of Prison Education) Dogs, which is sponsored by the Central PA Animal Alliance in conjunction with the PA State Correctional Institute at Camp Hill and CPAA member rescues. The program pairs carefully screened inmates with dogs that have moderate behavior and social issues.

Online training has not only helped Powell free up her schedule for other efforts. It also has allowed her clients to train at their discretion, while dogs get the constant reinforcement of her lessons.

“My clients can refer to the videos over and over again,” Powell said. “I can have consistent communication with the owners.”

For more information, visit the Facebook page: Doggie U LLC.

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