Open for Business: As Harrisburg prepares to spend millions on capital projects, it seeks to re-engage  with minority and women-owned business.

February 28, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Employees from Dr. Roof roofing company at residential job sites in Harrisburg. Owner Dean Carter knows that his MBE status could qualify him for many jobs with the city, but says it’s easier for his small business to take private, residential jobs instead. Photo provided by Dean Carter.

When Harrisburg officials broke ground on a vacant parcel on 3rd Street in November, they hailed it as a landmark day for the city.

The Public Works Department and Capital Region Water were finally starting a long-awaited repaving project, which would improve the heavily trafficked artery for a two-mile stretch from downtown to Uptown. It was the first such undertaking on that street since 1999.

But where many saw progress, Councilman Cornelius Johnson saw a problem. The project had a budget of $5.5 million, but less than 5 percent* of the funds were pledged to go to businesses owned by women and minorities.

“3rd Street was an eye-opener,” Johnson said last month. “We have to be able to divide up work to make sure it’s fair and equitable to everybody.”

Since the 3rd Street repaving began, Johnson has forced a conversation among council members and city officials about Harrisburg’s commitment to hiring disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs)—a recognized business category that includes minority business enterprises (MBEs) and women business enterprises (WBEs). A business can seek MBE or WBE certification if 51 percent of its ownership is controlled by minorities or women, respectively.

Most large cities across the country have policies designed to draw DBEs into public projects. Harrisburg has its own ordinance, passed in 1983, that sets minimum rates for DBE participation in city contracts. The ordinance established reporting procedures for each city department and appointed a DBE coordinator to enforce them. In the decades since it passed, however, Harrisburg’s finances collapsed to the point of near-bankruptcy. The city halted its capital improvement spending, and the systems put in place to track DBE participation  also deteriorated.

In December, as City Council considered a budget that included $6.5 million in capital improvement projects, Johnson brought the issue back to the fore. He wanted to know how many DBEs partook in city projects as contractors and sub-contractors, and what share they formed of the city’s total vendor base.

As it turns out, answering those questions wasn’t so easy. Due to a lack of data, it’s not clear if the city is in compliance with the rates set forth in its own ordinance. City officials also doubt whether it holds up to current affirmative action law. Marc Woolley, the city’s new business administrator, said he’s in the process of rebuilding the systems that encourage DBE participation.

“I think people have been trying to adhere to the ordinance as written, but it’s been really decentralized,” said Woolley, who started his job in city hall last October. “Right now, I’m trying to get my arms around it and centralize it.”

As the city prepares to spend millions of dollars on capital projects, Woolley thinks it’s imperative that Harrisburg markets itself to local DBEs. But some small business owners say that, without more opportunities for vocational training and professional enrichment, the pipeline might be short.

A Fair Shot
Both Johnson and Woolley know that Harrisburg’s ability to hire more DBEs is constrained by supply in the local labor force.

The city currently maintains a list of certified MBE/WBE vendors, who offer services from welding and bricklaying to architecture and consulting. Though the majority are based in the Harrisburg metro area (including York and Lancaster), a handful hail from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. The roster reveals a tradeoff that might face the city in the short term: Should departments keep their contracts close to home, or award them to certified DBEs that will boost participation rates?

Woolley favors keeping business local. He said that Harrisburg’s years of financial hardship led to some attrition in its business network, but he’s optimistic that the city can reach more DBEs without going far afield. It’s a matter of seeking out local firms, adding them to the city’s Rolodex, and informing them of opportunities for work, he said.

“We know these businesses are out there, but we have to turn on the ‘open for business’ sign,” Woolley said. “We have more lucrative projects coming up, which will increase some interest, and we want to make sure everyone has a fair shot.”
Woolley is currently verifying the DBE status of every vendor that the city has hired in the past three years—a list of more than 400 firms. He hopes to wrap up the “painstaking” process by April, at which point he can update the DBE directory and calculate the city’s participation rate. As Harrisburg taps back into DBE networks, Woolley hopes he will encounter new businesses to add to its directory.

Even so, both Woolley and Johnson know that adding a DBE to a city roster won’t necessarily net them contracts. Public entities are required by law to award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder—the qualified company that proposes the smallest budget for a project. Affirmative action and employment laws constrain a city’s right to give preference to a DBE over another bidder. City Solicitor Neil Grover said that affirmative action hiring policies are under constant evaluation in city halls across the county. Oftentimes, he said, a city won’t know the limits of the law until it finds itself as a defendant in a lawsuit.

“It’s an issue of competing rights,” Grover said. “You may want to give the job to an MBE, but the lowest responsible bidder may say ‘you have to give that to me.’”

If Harrisburg wants to raise DBE participation in public projects, it will also have to work with businesses to make them more competitive bidders, and encourage prime contractors—the large firms that lead major projects—to hire DBEs as service providers. Johnson hopes that process will start on March 7, when the city will host a DBE workshop with Capital Region Water. The free event will brief participants on bidding practices, DBE certification options, and upcoming project opportunities within the city. It will also instruct DBEs how to seek out work as subcontractors.

“We have to make sure we’re developing an environment where all of our clients are mixing and mingling with minority subcontractors, so they know who’s in the game and who does what,” Johnson said. “Then, when it comes time for a project, people are already connected.”

Faster Money
Dean Carter is exactly the type of businessman that Harrisburg wants to hire. He’s an African-American man who has run Dr. Roof, a roofing company in Harrisburg, since 1989. He’s included in Harrisburg’s DBE directory but generally doesn’t advertise his MBE status “unless someone asks.” He knows that what makes him attractive for public projects could preclude him from getting jobs in the private sector.

“Ninety percent of the time, when someone calls me on the phone, they can’t tell if I’m black or white until I get to the job site,” Carter said. “But numerous times, I’ve been in situations where I get to the job, and I can see the apprehension.”

Carter did a roofing job for the city at Hall Manor last year, but doesn’t bid on many public projects. He tends to favor private, residential jobs instead.

“When you’re dealing with a homeowner, you can get going right away,” Carter said. “It’s faster money.”

He contrasted that with his experience at Hall Manor. During that project, he recalled waiting two or three weeks to get his down payment, due to the city’s schedule for cutting checks and allocating grant funds. Carter also explained that public projects can carry risk for small businesses, since firms are always trying to shave their prices to produce the lowest bid. He said that he’s lost money on some bids because he didn’t budget a large enough profit margin.

Since Carter runs the company himself, he also can’t always justify the time and energy required to prepare bids for public projects. He thinks he would bid more often if he had an in-house administrative team to help him prepare the paperwork. He hopes that this month’s DBE workshop will give him insight on how to navigate more public projects and produce professional, competitive bids.

A graduate of now-closed William Penn Technical High School, Carter learned his trade as an apprentice to Bill Jackson, who owned Jackson Roofers and Siding in Harrisburg until his death last year. Carter relies on a small corps of contract employees to help out with jobs, many of whom are in their 50s and 60s. His workforce illustrates another problem that Harrisburg will have to overcome if it wishes to create a pipeline of tradespeople.

“There’s not that many younger people to hire with roofing skills,” Carter said. “These older guys have been doing it a long time, but I’ve learned the skill level is not there with the younger guys. They’re not happy with them.”

Johnson and Woolley both recognize that their efforts to empower DBEs will only succeed if they cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs and tradespeople through education, guidance and mentorship. Johnson said the city may look to Capital Region Water as an example.

In 2016, CRW launched its diversity business partners program, which aims to diversify CRW’s pool of vendors and encourage women and minorities to enter the trades and start businesses. According to Marc Kurowski, chairman of CRW’s board, this means marketing Harrisburg and the surrounding region as a profitable business climate.

“There’s going to be a lot of money flowing through the city pretty soon,” Kurowski said. “Just from CRW projects alone, if someone wanted to start a business in the city, they could kill it.”

Kurowski was referring to the $315 million in sewer upgrades that CRW has planned for the next two decades, part of an effort to bring the system into compliance with federal environmental standards. It’s one of many large-scale building projects expected to inject jobs and dollars into Harrisburg’s economy in the coming years.

The city is also slated to be the site of new federal courthouse and state Archives buildings. Harrisburg’s own city government plans to spend millions in 2018 renovating Reservoir Park, repairing roofs on fire stations, paving roads, and installing ADA ramps on sidewalks. In the private sector, Harrisburg University has proposed building a $150 million downtown skyscraper.

In short, Harrisburg has a string of promising investments on the horizon. According to Johnson, that makes it even more important for the city to build a diverse business network today.

“We have a lot of money that will be spent locally, and, if we’re not thinking about [DBEs] now, it’ll be business as usual,” Johnson said. “This is an issue where the city can be a leader.”

*City Engineer Wayne Martin pointed out that the 2 percent figure only included contracts that were committed at the start of the project, not potential contracts that were still in negotiation. As a result, the total participation of MBE/WBE businesses could be higher than 2 percent by the time the project is completed. Eight percent of funds disbursed to date have gone to MBE or WBEs, though Martin said that number could drop as the project continue.

The People in My Neighborhood: Harrisburg finally gets some decent housing—and quickly turns it into a problem.

February 28, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Recently, early one morning, bright flashes lit up my bedroom, the light filtering through the curtains into my downtown Harrisburg house from the street below.

At first, I figured it was just the usual car headlight, maybe someone stopped at the intersection. But, it persisted, so I got up to see what the problem was.

From my window, I witnessed a raid on the rundown building across the street. U.S. marshals and city police simultaneously smashed through two windows and a door to a first-floor apartment, put someone in cuffs and hauled him away.

Four days later, I attended, as I regularly do, a meeting of the Harrisburg City Council.

At that meeting, council considered its own downtown issue.

A developer was seeking approval for two projects: construction of a small office building on one site and, on another, the renovation of a long-vacant office building into 12 higher-end apartments.

So, now, a quiz.

Which of these two is a bigger problem?

1. Downtown Harrisburg, despite progress over the past decade, remains saddled with numerous dilapidated buildings, which attract drugs and crime.

2. A developer wishes to spend nearly $9 million on projects that will bring new office and residential tenants into downtown Harrisburg.

There’s an old saying about finding only thorns in a bushel of roses, and that’s how I felt after I heard council President Wanda Williams deliver a tongue-lashing to city developers. Before voting “yes” on the projects at issue, she read a lengthy statement warning developers, going forward, to include more affordable housing in their downtown projects.

“I certainly will be watching,” she told them.

Like Williams, I would love to see more quality affordable housing in Harrisburg. However, as a downtown resident, I can say, with great confidence, that the problem in the neighborhood is not that a few developers have built a smattering of higher-end units over the past few years. It’s that downtown remains plagued with shabby housing, owned by negligent landlords, which adversely affects the quality of life for those who of us live and work there.

The real problem, in other words, is not too much investment, but a lack of investment, especially in the existing housing stock.

Let’s examine some data.

According to the city, Harrisburg has about 13,500 total rental units, which constitute around two-thirds of the city’s housing stock. Of these units, about 2,300 are located downtown.

The downtown apartments are a mix. Two 1960s-era high rises contribute a few hundred market-rate units. Several hundred more apartments are in high rises for low-income seniors and the disabled.

Much of the rest are scattered in small apartment buildings, in row houses carved up into apartments and in units over commercial buildings. Much of that housing is in terrible shape and, thus, rented relatively cheaply. Some buildings are little more than rooming houses, and several are notorious for drug activity.

Against that unpromising backdrop, a few developers, over the past few years, have taken huge risks to try to create a class of multi-family housing that practically didn’t exist before in downtown Harrisburg—I’ll call it “professional-grade.”

Harristown, WCI and Vartan all have acquired empty or nearly empty structures, mostly rundown, historic office buildings, and invested millions to bring them back to life as residences. The projects have been small—from three to a few dozen units each.

Most (though not all) have higher-quality finishes, such as granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Some are small in size; others are spacious. They rent in the range of about $850 to $1,300 a month depending on size, quality, location and number of bedrooms and baths.

The idea is to appeal to the small army of professionals who go to work each day in and around the Capitol complex but who otherwise would commute in. If we offer them decent housing, the theory goes, maybe some will stay, frequenting downtown businesses and restaurants instead dashing out of town as quickly as possible and spending all their money—earned in Harrisburg—in the suburbs. Their tax dollars would stay here, too.

And if you’re looking for a solution to the problem of high parking rates that keep away suburban customers—this is a good one.

Now, I might be less sanguine if people were being displaced en masse, as has occurred in some other cities. But, in downtown Harrisburg, that’s not happening. In total, the three developers have added about 100 units to the downtown, about 4 percent of downtown’s total apartment stock and far less than 1 percent of the city’s. And, again, these are additions to the housing stock, not replacements, since nearly all of these buildings previously were low-end office space or just empty.

As I walk around my downtown neighborhood, I see some wonderful historic buildings and caring people. But I also see far too much blight, neglect and trash. I see dozens of rundown buildings owned by exploitative landlords who don’t care a damn about the neighborhood or even their own tenants and who refuse to put a penny into their derelict properties.

That’s the real problem in downtown Harrisburg. When will that be addressed?

Lawrance Binda is editor in chief of TheBurg.

Disclosure: Alex Hartzler, TheBurg’s publisher, is a principal with WCI Partners.

February News Digest

February 28, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

CRW Releases Infrastructure, Rate Plan

Capital Region Water last month announced plans to spend more than $315 million over the next 20 years upgrading the city’s antiquated sewer system, which will bring Harrisburg into compliance with federal guidelines and carry a cumulative 150 percent increase to water and sewer rates.

Known collectively as the City Beautiful H2O plan, the improvements come following years of deferred maintenance to Harrisburg’s centuries-old combined sewer system. CRW says the updates will reduce sewer discharge into natural waterways, enhance sewer efficiency, and improve neighborhoods through the implementation of green storm water management systems.

The improvements also will significantly raise the rate burden for city households. The draft plan includes an extensive affordability assessment that helped CRW set rate projections for the duration of the project. The analysis concluded that many CRW ratepayers have significant financial limitations that preclude aggressive rate hikes.

As a result, CRW decided to seek the lengthiest improvement schedule permitted by federal environmental agencies, giving the authority 20 years to complete the projects. Water and sewage rates are set to increase by a cumulative 150 percent over that time period.

The rate increases will be most dramatic in the next decade, with annual 10 percent hikes projected from 2019 to 2022. After reaching a 106-percent cumulative increase in 2027, rate hikes will level off to just 2 percent a year from 2027 to 2038.

CRW set rates so that an average household will not spend more than 2 percent of its annual income on water, but households earning less than the median income could face significant burdens

“It is anticipated that there will still be affordability issues for some customers within the City, with some customers experiencing wastewater and storm water costs as a percentage of income exceeding 3.0 percent,” the report says.

The draft plan is part of CRW’s response to a partial consent decree it negotiated with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection in late 2014. Earlier that year, the EPA alleged that sewage runoff in Harrisburg violated the federal Clean Water Act and PA Clean Streams Law.

Like many old cities, Harrisburg has a combined sewer system, in which storm drains connect to the same sewer system as toilets and showers.

When it’s not raining, all the contents of the sewer system flow to a treatment plant on Cameron Street, where they are cleaned and then discharged into the Susquehanna River. But heavy rain can cause the system to overflow, sending untreated water into the river and Paxton Creek.

Under state and federal environmental laws, Harrisburg would have faced financial penalties for those runoff incidents. After a year of negotiations, the EPA agreed to spare the city financial penalties as long as CRW agreed to update its long-term plan for the city’s sewer system.

A public meeting on the proposal is slated for March 1, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Camp Curtin YMCA.

Fight Against Dogfighting

Citing concerns over animal welfare and illegal gambling, Harrisburg is asking its residents to help stop a scourge of illegal dogfighting.

City communications Director Joyce Davis announced last month that Harrisburg obtained a $20,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to launch a public information campaign about dogfighting. So far, city officials have purchased ads on Facebook that explain the warning signs of dogfighting and ways to report it to law enforcement.

Davis said that the campaign did not arise as a response to a single incident or spate of reports. Rather, it seeks to curb an on-going animal abuse problem that also enables illegal gambling.

“We want to stamp this out,” she said.

The issue of dogfighting came to the fore locally in June 2017, when Harrisburg police officers staged a raid on a dogfighting ring on S. 14^th Street. Since then, the bureau has issued charges on three counts of illegal dogfighting in the past year, as well as one count of possession of dogfighting paraphernalia, according to animal control officer William Sandstrom.

If city residents suspect dogfighting, they can call 311 from within city limits to report it. Reports that result in charges are eligible for a $5,000 reward from the Humane Society of the United States.

Zembo Shrine to Sell

The historic Zembo Mosque and Shrine is set to sell after almost one year on the market.

The 65,000-square-foot property at Division and N. 3rd streets will be sold to Arkansas-based TempleLive LLC, which plans to operate the building as a meeting, gathering and performing arts venue, said city communications Director Joyce Davis.

“The goal is to make it a more culturally active space,” Davis said

TempleLive currently owns two Masonic temples similar to Zembo, one in Cleveland and one in Fort Smith, Ark. The company runs both properties as multi-purpose event spaces, according to the venues’ websites.

Mike Brown, vice president of acquisitions for Beaty Capital Group, TempleLive’s parent company, expects the sale to close at the end of March or beginning of April. He hopes the site will be operational by the fall.

Zembo went on the market in February 2017 with a $950,000 asking price. Davis could not confirm the property’s final sale price, which was reportedly reached at a special meeting on Jan. 11.

The deal includes 396 parking spaces adjacent to the building.

Since its opening, Zembo has been home to the Shriners, a fraternal organization affiliated with the Freemasons. The Shriners continue to meet there, but the group’s declining membership, coupled with the building’s high operating costs, forced them to sell the historic property.

Zembo was constructed in 1930 in a Moorish Revival architectural style. The building features interior arches, hand-painted motifs and ornate stone detailing. It houses large meeting rooms and a theater with a 2,500-seat capacity.

Youth Center Approved

The Harrisburg City Council last month approved the expansion of a teen center in North Allison Hill, which will double the facility in size.

Bethesda Mission plans to renovate an old printing plant on Herr Street adjacent to its current Youth Center, adding a full-size gymnasium, classrooms, office space and an event hall with a full-service kitchen.

The result will be a full-service community center with classes and amenities for all age groups, said Cindy Mallow, director of development at Bethesda Mission. The current youth center only serves children and teens.

“We’re hoping to involve families and expand out into the community even more,” Mallow said.

Bethesda Mission hopes to break ground on the $2.8 million project this summer and finish it by the end of 2018, Mallow said.

Bethesda Mission has operated its teen center from a former fire station at 1428 Herr St. since 1990. It purchased the former Kurzenkabe Press facility at 1424 Herr for $275,000 in 2015, according to Dauphin County property records.

The 10,000-square-foot space needs extensive renovations, Mallow said, including an overhaul of its HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. Contractors will also raise the ceilings to accommodate the gymnasium and construct a connection between the print facility and the youth center.

Since Bethesda Mission announced its plan to renovate the printing facility back in 2015, it has raised more than $1.5 million from the community and private foundations, including $600,000 from the York-based Stabler Foundation.

The expansion will also allow the mission to double or triple the enrollment in its after-school program and summer programs for youth, Mallow said.

“There’s just a need for a place for the kids to go,” she said. “Our center gives them the opportunity to be with other kids and have a mentor.”

Grant Input Sought

Is there a nonprofit that’s doing good in your neighborhood?

That’s one of the questions that city administrators will pose at a public meeting this month, as Harrisburg begins to chart its priorities for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money over the next five years.

CDBG funds are allocated annually to organizations that help build community and stabilize neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income areas. The city received $1.9 million last year and expects the same this year, according to city communications Director Joyce Davis.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which disburses CDBG money, requires each municipality receiving grants to have a “consolidated plan” describing its development priorities and goals.

Harrisburg’s current three-year plan is set to expire in September. Roy Christ, Harrisburg’s director of Building and Housing, said that development projects started during Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s first term require a new plan with a longer duration.

In past years, CDBG funds have supported organizations such as the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg, the Latino Hispanic American Community Center and MidPenn Legal Services.

City departments can also apply for grants. Last year, the Harrisburg Police Bureau received $90,000, which paid for a community policing van and helped launch the police cadet program.

For this planning cycle, Christ said Harrisburg hopes to target projects in “tipping point” neighborhoods.

“These are neighborhoods that need a bit of help to bounce back and become self-sustaining,” he said.

City residents can contribute input at the public meeting or through an online survey. The meeting will be held on March 5 at Jackson-Lick Tower at 5:30 p.m.

Strawberry Square Apartments

Harrisburg City Council last month gave the green light to another set of apartments inside Strawberry Square.

Council unanimously approved a land development plan submitted by Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Enterprises, which will convert vacant office space in Strawberry Square into 13 apartment units. The project will add to the 24 apartments already inside Strawberry Square, the result of a 2016 office-to-residential conversion by Harristown.

It’s also the third project that Jones has put before council just this year, as, in January, council approved two other downtown projects proposed by Harristown: a new office building on S. 2nd Street just off Market Square and a small office-to-residential conversion at 221 N. 2nd St.

Approval came despite recent statements from some council members that they are concerned about affordable housing in the downtown district.

Earlier in the month, Jones defended his pricing structure, telling council that 15 percent of Harristown’s apartment units could be rented by someone with an annual income of just $25,000 to $40,000 a year, while another 40 percent could be afforded by someone with an average income of $60,000 a year.

Council has not proposed any plans to regulate rents in Harrisburg. In January, however, council President Wanda Williams said that she would continue to monitor housing development and advocate for affordable options.

Comp Plan Chugs Forward

The Harrisburg Planning Commission last month made plans to advance the city’s comprehensive plan towards completion, a process that could last into the summer.

City officials and business developers excoriated the plan at a meeting in January, saying it limited the discretion of private property owners. Mayor Eric Papenfuse called the document “unsalvageable” and urged the commission to reject it in favor of a plan proposed by the city.

Last month, though, commissioners hardly mentioned the planning document submitted by the city, except to ask if and when it had been published online.

“We’re moving ahead with our product,” said commissioner Vern McKissick, referring to the document that the commission developed with local architect Bret Peters and his assistants at the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture.

The commission will host monthly workshop meetings for the next three months to incorporate public feedback and professional advice into the draft document, which is published online at BeHBG.org. They hope to reengage some of the consultants that Peters hired while drafting the plan in 2015 and 2016.

To do that, however, they’ll need to secure additional funding. They already have $10,000 allotted by City Council in the 2018 city budget, but McKissick said they will likely need more to consult with subcontractors and see the plan to completion. Commissioners will evaluate grants and other funding opportunities at a workshop later this month.

Spradley Chosen for School Board

The Harrisburg school board last month selected Tyrell Spradley, a tax consultant and former city treasurer, to serve an appointed term until 2019.

Spradley replaced Matt Krupp, a board director who resigned in January to serve as Dauphin County prothonotary.

After two rounds of voting, the board picked Spradley over three other candidates: newcomer Mariah Rodriguez and board veterans James Thompson and Kia Hansard.

In his interview before the board, Spradley touted his financial background and his two years of experience working in the district’s accounting department. He said he thinks many of the issues facing the district can be resolved, given the improved fiscal health he has seen since he worked as a district accountant.

“A lot of the issues I see are administrative issues, communication,” Spradley said. “Money isn’t a problem like it was before. We’re stronger now and have a stronger administration.”

Spradley joins the board as it braces for a number of contentious discussions, including the annual budget process and the expiration of Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney’s contract this June. The board must decide soon whether it will renew Knight-Burney’s contract or open an application process in which she may participate.

So Noted

AAA Central Penn last month named Jodie Daubert as its new president and CEO. In this position, Daubert will lead the nine-county club composed of 290 employees serving 11 offices. She succeeds David Meckley, who served as interim CEO.

Brandalynn Armstrong, co-owner of Harrisburg-based Zeroday Brewing Co., has been elected to the Brewers of Pennsylvania board of directors. The trade association works to protect and promote the brewing industry in the state.

Excel Interior Concepts & Construction last month announced two new hires. Thomas Fogie joined the Lemoyne-based company as project coordinator, and Alicia Mirando came on as designer.

The Harrisburg Senators last month signed a two-year extension with the Washington Nationals, their player development agreement now extending through 2020. The Senators are the Nationals’ AA-affiliate Minor League baseball team. Separately, the Senators announced that Dan and Michael Schwab, co-presidents of Harrisburg-based D&H Distributing, along with their sister, Amy Silfen, have joined the team’s ownership group as minority owners.

S&T Bank has named Jeffrey Scoutelas as vice president, private banker for central Pennsylvania region. Scoutelas, a graduate of Lynchburg College, has 12 years of private banking and management experience in the area, said the company.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2155: L. & D. Sandoe to M. Macas & C. Pulla, $55,500

Boas St., 1826: Z. Weist to S. Henry, $59,900

Brookwood St., 2448: Wilmington Savings Fund Society to HT Properties LLC, $35,500

Capital St., 907: A. Sheaf to E. Ashenfelder, $148,000

Capital St., 1200: 8219 Ventures to R. & C. Steele, $76,000

Croyden Rd., 2951: K. & M. Zinn to A. Smith, $70,000

Derry St., 1433: A. Vaughn to Aum Investments LP, $32,000

Derry St., 1901: L. Nguyen to T. Nguyen, $150,000

Derry St., 2022: M. Khatoon to A. Saeed, $30,000

Emerald St., 226: C. Shokes to HBG Rents LLC, $210,000

Forster St., 1815: Blackscotch LLC to C. Burke, $50,000

Green St., 914: P. Vanitem to C. Williams, $138,900

Green St., 1401½: C. & C. Kellar to R. & F. Armetta, $80,000

Green St., 1623: S. Vemula & M. Chada to B. Golper & J. Wu, $132,000

Green St., 3118: US Bank NA Trustee & PA Housing Finance Agency to Hawk Vesta LLC, $65,750

Hale Ave., 436: M. Davis to J. Sayed & S. Sherin, $40,000

Hanna St., 103: S. Brown to DLK Properties LLC, $63,500

Harris St., 434: Alta Reo LLC to B. Parfitt, $83,000

Herr St., 1001: Harsco Corp. to Capital Region Economic Development Corp., $505,000

Hanover St., 1312 and 1283 & 1285 S. 13^th St.: Y. & C. Lee to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $50,000

Hoffman St., 3131: G. Hanslovan to O. Perry, $63,000

James St., 1315: J. Brinks & C. Wise to S., J. & N. Kindler, $95,000

Kensington St., 2101: Nationstar Mortgage LLC to HT Properties LLC, $48,500

Kensington St., 2103: PA Deals LLC to L. Myers, $65,900

Lawton St., 1416: M. Maloney to J. Foote & R. Tompkins, $429,500

Luce St., 2365: T. Nguyen & H. Truong to M. Phan, $30,000

Maclay St., 332: S. Hite & L. Ware Jr. to JTA Consulting Group LLC, $51,000

North St., 1836 & 1838: Reyart Properties to B. & R. Lomax, $72,000

N. 2^nd St., 1404: Tang Liu Realty LLC to C. Albers, $121,000

N. 2^nd St., 2323: M. Horgan & CR Services Inc. to A. & A. Mathew, $147,500

N. 2^nd St., 3118: P. & M. Rowan to D. Inghilterra, $203,000

N. 2^nd St., 3303: C. Myers to J. Myers, $90,000

N. 4^th St., 2735: S. Patrick to T. & L. Lydell, $107,900

N. 6^th St., 3111: R. & S. Hopkins to C. Morel, $62,000

N. 13^th St., 142: J. Forsyth LLC to 37 Estate LLC, $41,000

N. Front St., 1125: D. & J. McEnany to RMK Management Group LLC, $233,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 301: W. Cohen to W. Krenz & P. Meehan, $135,000

N. Front St., 3029: Pumphouse Partners LP to BXF Real Estate LLC, $450,000

Penn St., 1324: D. Stridacchio to S. Olsen, $117,000

Penn St., 1715: BencMarq Holdings LLC to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $116,000

Race St., 568: R. Hunter to E. Fultz, $157,968

Rolleston St., 1239: G. Neff to J. McCloud, $45,000

Seneca St., 330: J. Runion to M. Saldana & R. Zavala, $87,500

S. 14^th St., 1418: R. Scott to City of Harrisburg, $52,000

S. 14^th St., 1422: G. Neff to City of Harrisburg, $48,500

S. 14^th St., 1424: C. Gamble to City of Harrisburg, $45,000

S. 14^th St., 1433: Z. Owens to City of Harrisburg, $51,000

S. 14^th St., 1440: G. Neff to City of Harrisburg, $51,000

S. 19^th St., 850: S. & N. Fulginiti to City of Harrisburg, $60,000

S. 23^rd St., 616: R. Bowers to D. & N. Gonzalez, $89,900

S. Front St., 601: A. Poindexter to R. & L. Firestone, $174,900

State St., 1504: A. Sandoval to 77 Estate LLC, $37,000

Susquehanna St., 1612: K. O’Neill & PA Housing Finance Agency to T. Weaver, $146,500

Susquehanna St., 1723: G. Neff to J. Hirt, $104,000

Valley Rd., 2308: L. & N. Eikenberry to Bean GST Trust II, $218,000

Washington St., 103: R. Bray to Q. Tran, $32,000

Happenings: Our March Calendar of Events

February 28, 2018 | by Missy Smith

Happenings

Museum & Art Spaces

3rd Street Studio
1725 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-385-3315; Facebook: 3^rd Street Studio

“World Beyond,” works by Alex Garos, March 16-April 15.

“Coastal Expressions,” art by Joan Macguire, March 16-April 15, at Café 1500.

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

“Getting the Job Done—Vehicles that Earned Their Keep,” through April 23.

National Corvette Restorers Society Exhibit, through April 23.

Pioneers in African American Auto History, through April 29.

“DeLorean Prototype & Production,” through April 30.

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

“Suspended Spaces,” a five artist invitational featuring the art of Kathleen Kase Burk, Kirby M. Heltebridle, Jeff Hubert, Virginia Cohn Parkum and Robert Studzinski, through March 29.

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

“Annual Members’ Exhibit: Silver 25,” a members showing of art to celebrate CALC’s 25^th anniversary, through March 10.

“Celebration of Student Work,” featuring the art of Carlisle Area School District K-12 students, March 16-April 14; reception: March 16, 5-7 p.m.

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

Artist of the Month: Jeannine Prinz

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

Works by Renee Anderson and Lincoln Harris, March 15-April 28; opening: March 16, 6-9 p.m.

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

“Color For Kid’s Sake,” featuring the art of Dawn Hoffman’s Lenkerville Elementary students and Sandra Kessler’s Line Mountain Elementary students, March 1-24; reception: March 4, 1-3 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyareaartassociation.com

“Local Inspiration,” celebrating local communities, March 17-May 19; reception: March 18, 1-3 p.m.

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

“In Stitches,” traditional and modern quilted wall hangings, through April 27.

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

“The World Without Us,” a metaphor for what it means to exist while having no voice, and featuring the collaborative work of photographer Joe del Tufo and artist/performer Noelle Picara, March 2-April 17; reception: March 2, 7-11 p.m.

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

New works by Susan Bailey, Erin Buckwalter, Jenna Carls, Mary Gelenser, P.D. Murray and Caleb Smith, through March 11.

New works by Linda McCloskey, Tina Berrier, Elaine Brady Smith, Kelly Curran, Christine Goldbeck and Kelly Curran, March 13-April 15.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

“Honored Veterans: Fraternal Organizations Borne of the Civil War,” through June 2.

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

The Faye Arleen and Lawrence Joseph Kopp Collection of Butterflies and Moths, through mid-April.

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

Watercolors by Roseanne Wolfe, through March

Artistic gourds by Bob Shatto, through April

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

“SVC MOVING FOuRTH at PCCA,” featuring works of the Susquehanna Valley Chapter (SVC) of the PA Guild of Craftsmen, through May 5.

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

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history.

Rose Lehrman Art Gallery
One HACC Drive, Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

HACC Faculty Exhibition, through March 23.

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

“Every Thing of Interest Show: T.M. Fowler’s Pennsylvania Bird’s-Eye View, 1885-1905,” showcasing Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler’s lithographic prints with bird’s eye views of American towns and cities, through May 6.

2018 South Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Art Awards, showcasing students in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry and York counties, March 10-May 6.

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

“Embraced by Honey Bees,” works by Ladislav Hanka, through April 29.

“Portraits and Their Stories,” through May 20.

Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery
Lebanon Valley College
101 College Ave., Annville
717-233-8668; lvc.edu/gallery

“Sacred: Image, Text, Ritual,” exploring sacred art of five major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, through March 18.

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

Mixed media and paintings by Sue Marrazzo, through April 20.

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

Works Tahlia Smith, through March 14.

Works by Justin Ward, March 16-April 8.

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

“Urban Zodiac,” by Steven Zerbe, through March 15.

“A Visit From Flint” art gallery by Pauly M. Everett, March 16-April 19.

Read, Make, Learn

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

March 3-April 7: Drawing Workout for Painters, 1-3 p.m.
March 6-April 17: Wheel 102, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Oil Painting Experience, 10: 15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
March 7-April 11: Creative Explorations in Photography, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 7-April 16: Fundamentals of Photography, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 8: Open Paint Studio, 6:30 p.m.
March 10: Saturday Morning DRAW Group, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 12-April 16: Wheel 101, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., and 6:30-9:30 p.m.
March 13-April 17: Play with Clay at the End of the Day, 4-5:30 p.m.
March 13-April 17: Home School Ceramics, 1:30-3 p.m.
March 22: Glassblowing Date Night, 6-8 p.m.
March 23: Porcelain Pendants, 6 p.m.
March 24: Oil Painting Experience in a Day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
March 24: Surface Decoarting Techniques, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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

March 7: Tasty Thai, 6-9 p.m.
March 28: Comfort Creations, 6-9 p.m.

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

March 5, 12, 26: Paws2Read, 6 p.m.
March 5: DIY Travel, 6:30 p.m.
March 9: Basic Internet I, 11 a.m.
March 9: Metal Mayhem, 7 p.m.
March 10: Tear Apart Technology, 11:30 a.m.
March 23: Basic Internet II, 11 a.m.
March 27: East Shore Area Library Friends Meeting, 9:30 a.m.

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

March 2: Youth Chess Night, 6:30 p.m.
March 6: Curl Up with the Classics—“As I Lay Dying,” 10 a.m.
March 6: Remembering “The Greatest Show on Earth,” 7 p.m.
March 7, 9: Library for Lunch—Teddy Bear Picnic, 12 p.m.
March 9, 23: Foreign Film Friday, 2 and 7 p.m.
March 9: Central PA Blood Bank Drive, 4-7:30 p.m.
March 10: Trivia After Hours—Friends Challenge (BYOB), 7 p.m.
March 12: Philosophers’ Roundtable, 2 p.m.
March 14: Sew Fun—Sewing Class for Kids, 4:30 p.m.
March 16: Family Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.
March 17: Story Time and Music Therapy by Sovia Therapy, 3 p.m.
March 19: What You Should Know When Buying or Selling Real Estate, 7 p.m.
March 20: Fredricksen Reads—“Lab Girl,” 7 p.m.
March 20: Gardening with Nature—Pruning Essentials, 7 p.m.
March 24: Traditional Chinese Tea Art Workshop, 1:30 p.m.
March 26: One Book, One Community Discussion, 7 p.m.
March 26: LEGO Club, 4:30 p.m.
March 27: Plant Science, A Longwood Gardens Community Read, 6:30 p.m.

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

March 11-April 29: Improv Level 3
March 12-April 30: Improv Level 3

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

March 1: Learn to Knit, 7-8 p.m.
March 2: Coloring for Adults, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 6: Tabletop Games, 6-8 p.m.
March 7: Intro to Apple MacBook, 6-8 p.m.
March 8, 22: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 12: iPad/iPhone Beginners, 1-3 p.m.
March 12, 26: English Conversation Group, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 14: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
March 14: Prevent Knee and Back Injuries in the Garden, 7-8 p.m.
March 15: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10-11 a.m.
March 16: Tax Advice, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
March 19: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
March 27: Tea & Stitches Extended, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
March 28: Apple Users Group, 1-3 p.m.
March 28: Yoga for Beginners, 7-8 p.m.

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

March 1, 8, 15, 22: Mini Makers, 10:15 a.m.
March 1, 18, 15, 22: LEGO Robotics Club, 4:15 p.m.
March 20: Words Have Power—The Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 6:30 p.m.
March 22: Kline Library Friends Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
March 24: Spring Tune Up, 1:30 p.m.
March 28: Knit 1, Crochet Too!, 6 p.m.

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

March 3: Drop-In Art, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 19: Easter Basket Class, 1-4 p.m.

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

March 3, 10, 17, 24: Queer People of Color, 2-4 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Common Roads Young Adults, 4 p.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Common Roads Youth, 6 p.m.
March 8: Aging with Pride Lunchtime, 12-2 p.m.

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

March 19: Ballroom Dance Lessons, 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

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

March 7, 14, 21: After School Hangout, 3 p.m.
March 10: Oils for Moms and Babies, 11 a.m.
March 12: Mary Sachs Series—Job Searching Tips, 1 p.m.
March 19: Cookbook Book Club, 6 p.m.

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

March 7, 14, 21, 28: Mid-Day Getaway, 11:30 a.m.

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

March 1: An Evening of Poetry w/Todd Boss & Marci Nelligan, 7-9 p.m.
March 2, 9, 23: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café, 7-9 p.m.
March 3: An Afternoon w/ Keisha Blain, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
March 6: Sci Fi Writers Group, 7-9 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Coffee, Cake and True Islam, 5-7 p.m.
March 8, 15: Camp Curtin Toastmasters, 6:30 p.m.
March 8, 15, 29: Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, 7-9 p.m.
March 10: Story Time w/St. Stephen’s, 11 a.m.
March 11: Harrisburg Young Professionals Book Club, 3 p.m.
March 18: Midtown Writers Group, 1-3 p.m.
March 21: Sci Fi & Fantasy Book Club, 7 p.m.
March 25: Democratic Socialists of America Reading Group, 2 p.m.
March 25: LGBT Book Club, 5 p.m.

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

March 3, 24: Fluid Art Class, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
March 10: Cold Wax Workshop, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

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

March 2-4: Loon Carving

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

March 1: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 3: LEGO Madness, 10:30 a.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Preschool Storytime, 10:15 a.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Toddler Storytime, 11 a.m.
March 5, 12, 19. 26: 1-2-3 Library, 6:30 p.m.
March 5, 14, 19, 28: Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Book Babies, 11:15 a.m.
March 8: Introduction to Penny Rugs 6:30 p.m.
March 10: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 11: Our Yellow Breeches: Celebrating & Protecting a National Treasure, 3-4 p.m.
March 13: Book Review, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 17: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
March 22: Ready for Kindergarten Parent Workshop, 6-7:30
March 23: Baby Open Play, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 28: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.
March 31: Crayon Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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

March 2: Storytime, 10 a.m.
March 8: Nature Lab—the Eastern Coyote 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 9: Learn at Lunchtime, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
March 11: Charter Day Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
March 14: HomeSchool Day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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

March 3: Saturday Morning Art Club (ages 4-7)
March 3, 17, 24: Yoga in the Galleries, 10-11 a.m.
March 14: Life Drawing, 6-9 p.m.

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

March 6: Lecture—Paxton Creek and Wildwood Lake, 7 p.m.
March 10: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 10: Boy and Girl Scout Workshop—No Trace, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
March 10-June 9: Taking Your Photography to the Next Level, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 17: Webelo Boy Scout Workshop—Into the Wild, 10 a.m-1 p.m.
March 18: Flower Walk—Cold Tolerant Plants, 1-3 p.m.
March 21: Bird Walk—Waterfowl and Early Migrants, 8-10 a.m.
March 21: Preschool Storytime—Spring at Wildwood, 10-10:45 a.m.
March 24: Junior Girl Scout Workshop—Geocache, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
March 31: Art in the Wild—Meet the Artists, 1-3 p.m.
March 31: Blue Moon Hike, 7-9 p.m.

Yoga at Simply Well
28 S. Pitt St. Carlisle, PA.
717-968-0167; yogaatsimplywell.com

March 3: Breath Work for Beginners, 12-1:30 p.m.
March 3: Kids Yoga Night Out, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
March 4-25: Tween Yoga 4-week Series, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
March 17: Meditation Basics 3-part Series, 2-3:30 p.m.
March 24: Healing Through Loving Kindness Practice, 5-7 p.m.

Live Music

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

March 1: Rain—Tribute to The Beatles
March 3: Spring Doo Wop Cavalcade
March 8: The Temptations and The Four Tops
March 9: Human Nature
March 11: Foreigner
March 15: The Charlie Daniels Band
March 17: The Oak Ridge Boys
March 18: Weird Al Yankovic
March 20: K.D. Lang
March 21: Daughtry
March 22: Air Supply
March 24: Clare Bowen, Charles Esten

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

March 1: Start Making Sense—Talking Heads Tribute
March 2: LITZ and Catullus
March 3: Hillbilly Gypsies
March 9: Box of Rain
March 10: Larry Keel Experience
March 16: Kilmaine Saints
March 17: Swift Technique
March 23: Scott Pemberton Band

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

March 2: Jazz in the City
March 10: York Symphony Orchestra
March 15: Catherine Russell, John Pizzarelli
March 17: Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin
March 25: York Junior Symphony Orchestra

Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
204 Locust St., Harrisburg
717-909-9191; carleysristorante.com

March 1, 21, 24, 31: Roy Lefevre
March 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30: Noel Gevers
March 3, 17: Ted Ansel
March 7: Maria Battista
March 8, 15, 23: Corinna Joy
March 10, 22: Daniel Sheahan
March 14, 29: Chris Purcell
March 28: Deb Anderson

Carlisle Theatre
44 West High St., Carlisle
717-258-0666; carlisletheatre.org

March 3: Cash Unchained Johnny Cash Tribute
March 18: Steven Curtis Chapman

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

March 2: Oak House
March 3: Aaron Watson
March 4: Lights, The Death Vacation
March 5: FRIGS
March 7: Galactic Empire, Mac Sabbath
March 9-11: Lancaster Roots & Blues
March 16: H.R. & Human Rights
March 17: Iron Chic
March 18: Pop Evil
March 23: Red Sun Rising
March 25: From Under The Willow, (Sp)Lit, Flesh of The Lotus
March 28: Outlier, Nihil
March 30: Consider The Source, Parklife
March 31: Rhea Butcher

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

March 2: Antonio Andrade
March 3: Janie Womack & Jody Esterlean
March 9: Kevin Kline
March 10: Steve Gellman
March 11: Patch Work Fools
March 16: Dan Zukowski
March 17: Doug Morris
March 18: Colette Eckhart
March 23: Alex McQuade
March 24: Dominick Cicco
March 30: Joe Cooney
March 31: Grit

Fort Hunter
5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-599-5751; forthunter.org

March 2: Martin Grosswendt & Susanne Salem-Schatz
March 11: Susquehanna Folk Music Jam

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

March 17-18: Masterworks

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

March 3: Parkside Harmony
March 7: David Byrne
March 16: Hershey Symphony Tribute to John, Paul, George & Ringo
March 17: The Red Hot Chilli Pipers

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

March 2: Jumper
March 3: DJ Magic, Funktion
March 9: Luv Gods
March 10: DJ Ray Rossi, Smooth Like Clyde
March 16: Countdown Band
March 17: DJ Styles, U2 by UV, Honeypump
March 23: Uptown Band
March 24: DJ Ray Rossi, Satisfaction, Radio Neon
March 30: JJ Rupp Band
March 31: DJ Styles, Sapphire

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

March 3: Abi Khan
March 4: John Nolan
March 9: Hot Jam Factory, Dear Forbidden, Babel Map
March 11: Buckcherry
March 16: Starship, HIP 450, Mickey Thomas
March 17: Keller Williams, Yam Yam
March 21: Rickie Lee Jones
March 30: Charlie Hunter Trio, Silvana Estrada

Lebanon Valley College
101 College Ave., Annville
717-233-8668; lvc.edu/gallery

March 25: Lebanon Valley College Concert Choir, 3 p.m.

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

March 2: Tender Mercy
March 3: Geniuz, Jonsey, Zay

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

March 1: The Inner Urge, Flower Garden
March 10: Minor Jake, Mary Magdalene, Just Juliet, Internal Caffeine Engine
March 17: HomeTime
March 26: Merger

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

March 3: Close to You, Music of the Carpenters
March 9: Crowder
March 10: The Righteous
March 22: The Beach Boys
Majestic Theater
25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg
717-337-8200; gettysburgmajestic.org

March 25: Jon Pardi

Market Square Concerts
marketsquareconcerts.org

March 21: Mark Markham

Messiah College School of Arts
One College Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

March 2: Messiah College Symphony Orchestra
March 24: Messiah College Horn Quartet

The Mill in Hershey
810 Old W. Chocolate Ave., Hershey
717-256-9965; themillinhershey.com

March 3: Exactlys Duo
March 10: Ryan Moran
March 17: Wyndfall
March 24: Nate Myers
March 31: Sherri Mullen

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

March 18: William Hume & Paul Bergeron at Fetter House, Landisburg

River City Blues Club & Dart Room
819 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg
rivercityhbg.com

March 2: Steven Courtney Band
March 6: Steve Rudolph & Tom Strohman
March 13: Steve Rudolph & Kevin MacConnell
March 19: River City Big Band
March 20: Steve Rudolph & Cathy Chemi
March 26: Central PA Friends of Jazz Jam

Rose Lehrman Arts Center
One HACC Dr., Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

March 15: Curtis on Tour: “A Celebration of Leonard Bernstein”

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

March 9: Cedric Burnside Project

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

March 3: Craig Bonner & Steve Geib
March 16: Cotolo
March 17: Joe Cooney
March 23: Rhoads & Putt Trio
March 24: Just Dave
March 31: Amber Nadine

Stock’s on 2nd
211 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-233-6699; stocksonsecond.com

March 2: Cruise Control Trio
March 3: TBA
March 9: Noel Gevers and Friends
March 10: DJ Downtown Penny Brown
March 16: DJ Ray Rossi
March 17: Music Thru Science Lite
March 23: Lucille and the Wolf
March 24: Shea Quinn and Friends
March 30: TBA
March 31: Visitors Duo

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

March 2: Martin Grosswendt, Susanne Salem-Schatz
March 3: Open Mic
March 11: Jam
March 18: Téada
March 23: Tony Trischka, Bruce Molsky

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

March 9: Allegro Magnificent 7^th Wine & Cheese Pairing
March 10, 11: Allegro Core Concert—Magnificent 7^th
March 16: The Seamus Egan Project
March 25: Mary Stallings

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

March 21: Mark Markham
March 24: The Genesis Show

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

March 11: Josh Dominick

The Stage Door

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

March 14: “Amazing Grace”

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

March 16: Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp
March 23: MOMIX Opus Cactus
March 25: John Edward

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

Through March 17: “Ring of Fire”
March 22-April 28: “Show Boat”

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

March 7-24: “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
March 16-18: “Macbeth”
March 30: Improvalooza

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

March 23-25: “Behold the Lamb”

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

March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Open Mic
March 2, 3: Donna Carter, Jim Seward
March 9, 10: Rich Guzzi
March 11: Oxymorons Improv Comedy
March 16, 17: Patrick Garrity
March 23, 24: Ron Feingold, Pat House
March 30, 31: Tim Wright, Andy Forrester

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

March 2, 4: Level 2 Class Show
March 9, 11: Level 1 Class Show

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

March 3-4: Cirque de la Symphonie

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

March 23-25: “Dirty Dancing”

Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg
915 S. York St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0535; ltmpa.com

March 4-20: “Shenandoah”

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

March 18: “The Cat in the Hat”
March 24: Jay Leno

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

March 1-4: “King Lear”
March 7: Cirque Eloize—Saloon
March 18: Dublin Irish Dance

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

March 16: Comedy Night, 8-9:30 p.m.

Open Stage of Harrisburg
223 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-232-OPEN; openstagehbg.com

March 14-17: “Diary of Ann Frank”
March 25-Apirl 22: “The Flick”

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

March 2-18: “On Golden Pond”

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

“Seussical the Musical,” through March 3

“Curious George and the Golden Meatball,” March 3-24

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

March 2-18: “I Love You Because”
March 7: Story Slam “The First Time”

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

March 2: We the People—Jenny Hill, Alonely
March 4: “Shh! We Have a Plan”
March 15: Derek Evans—“The Man in the Arena”
March 21: Big Sonia
March 24: NetCo Dance Company

Gaining Momentum: Tracey Wakeen shares her passion for fitness.

February 28, 2018 | by Karen Hendricks

Tracey Wakeen

Tracey Wakeen says that everything she does revolves around her mission statement, written in marker at the top of her office’s dry erase board: “Unlocking true potential by strengthening all women in body, mind and spirit.”

And it doesn’t end there.

“I try to let our core values guide me too—dignity, compassion and fun,” she said. “Oh, but I need to add ‘grace’ to that list.”

The 51-year-old entrepreneur is co-owner, with her husband Jeffrey, of Mechanicsburg’s Momentum Female Health and Fitness Club, which employs 50 women (four full-time), offers more than 80 weekly fitness classes and has nearly 1,200 women as members.

“I describe it as a community of women of all ages,” Wakeen said. “It’s a place of well-being and friendship. And it’s a safe environment where women can feel comfortable and accepted. We have a talented, well-educated staff—most of us have at least 10 years of experience.”

That includes Wakeen, who became a fitness instructor and personal trainer in 2008. She worked under Momentum’s previous two owners before becoming co-owner in 2014.

“I felt like, if I could become certified, if I could do that, what could other women do?” she said. “I feel like this business is a way for me to share my passion [for fitness].”

Momentum offers about 20 different types of classes, many of them developed and trademarked by former Olympian Les Mills. They range broadly from flexibility and strength routines to cardio, Pilates and yoga. Many blend different styles and forms.

“Les Mills’ programs do a really good job at staying up with the trends,” Wakeen said. “They recognize that HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is trending for example, so they developed a HIIT program called GRIT. I also love that it’s an international program, so that people all over the world, from London to Australia, the French and Japanese. We’re all doing the same programs.”

Inspired
The largest of Momentum’s three main studios features neon lights that spell out the phrase, “The motivation to move you,” and, below that, the words, “Body, Mind, Spirit.” Large television screens rotate between studio announcements and motivational phrases programmed by Denise Chappell, Momentum’s marketing director.

“People really do read them, and I like to make them feel inspired,” said Chappell. “My favorite one is: ‘You can throw in the towel—use it to wipe the sweat off your face.’”

Chappell has been coming to Momentum for more than seven years—first as a member, now as an instructor who also handles the marketing role. She regularly starts her workdays at 5:30 a.m.—the first time slot in Momentum’s class schedule.

“I feel like, if you can come in and do classes at 5:30 in the morning, you can do anything during the rest of your day,” Chappell said.

Momentum’s fitness schedule also accommodates women seeking mid-morning and afternoon/evening classes. Nutrition services from a registered dietician on staff are available, as are customized personal training services.

Up the Ladder
Helena Train, 68, of Mechanicsburg, is recovering from surgery to repair her meniscus. Fitness Director Carol Bruce leads her through a series of Pilates exercises designed for knee stabilization.

“I’m a nurse, but Carol knows more about the body and different muscle groups,” Train said.

Train said that she became a member three years ago and lost 30 pounds as a result.

“It’s motivated my entire family to get fit,” she said. “There is camaraderie here—women supporting women 100 percent, from 20-something women to 60-something women.”

Bruce has worked at Momentum a total of 15 years.

“The growth of the people we work with is the best part of the job,” she said. “We’re building confidence, and they’re seeing a progression in themselves, physically and mentally.”

She also speaks highly of Wakeen.

“I never feel like I’m working for Tracey; I’m working alongside her,” she said. “She has confidence in her team, she has expectations for her business and she wants you to come along. It’s a team, and these women help each other go up the ladder.”

Wakeen has additional goals in mind for Momentum’s future—she says it’s her dream to reach the overweight population to combat obesity and help those with diabetes.

Her advice to fellow female entrepreneurs?

“Listen to the people around you—that’s why you hired them—and listen to your members.”

Momentum Female Health & Fitness Club is located at 5103 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.momentumfit.com or call 717-737-6362.

Chamber Made: For 70 years, the West Shore Chamber of Commerce has helped power business opportunity, growth.

February 28, 2018 | by Rachel Jenkins

Ground-breaking with the Chamber for the 581 Connector in 1993

In 1948, 33 men came together to form something they (naturally) called the West Shore Businessmen’s Association.

At the time, commerce on the western side of the Susquehanna River paled in comparison to the booming industrial city of Harrisburg, as the postwar migration to the suburbs was only beginning.

My, how times have changed.

Today, the area between Harrisburg and Carlisle is thick with stores, restaurants, auto dealers, offices and many other businesses, making the 70th anniversary of that once-tiny group a reason for celebration.

“Each month, we, as a staff, are going to be doing something revolving around the number 70,” said George Book, president of the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, the organization’s moniker since 1956. “One month, we’re going to PA parks and forests to plant 70 trees. It’s us going out and doing something for ourselves, but also giving back to our community, as well.”

Book described the chamber as the “switchboard operator” of local businesses, due to its ability to provide services designed to connect businesses throughout the area. It now includes more than 700 members, 80 percent of which are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

The group’s composition also has changed greatly over seven decades. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of female entrepreneurs and business people on the West Shore, remaking the very nature of the one-time men’s club.

Nearly a decade ago, Jennifer Buehler, a financial advisor of Wells Fargo Advisors, urged her employer to get involved with the chamber because, to her, the benefits were obvious.

“We weren’t really involved as an office with the West Shore Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “And I thought, well, what a great opportunity to get involved and start to network with other businesses and get to know people in the area.”

As a new member, Buehler immediately involved herself in a number of committees.

“I wanted to get involved right away because the best way to make the most of your membership is to get involved,” Buehler said. “I think the cool thing is that the more people get involved, the more comfortable you are to go to different events because you end up seeing and connecting with the same people.”

Over the years, Buehler has taken advantage of opportunities provided to her by the chamber, serving two terms on the board. Her work has earned her numerous honors, including the George C. Hoopy Award for her committee involvement and the Les Ginanni Business and Community Connection Award for her philanthropic efforts.

For other West Shore Chamber members, including Bob Kessler Jr. of Lemoyne-based Kessler’s Foods, involvement and networking happen primarily through events sponsored by the chamber.

A member since the 1970s, Kessler said he enjoys the ability to give back to the community and connect with other businesses through event sponsorships.

Kessler and his business participate primarily in two annual Chamber of Commerce events—“Taste of the Chamber” and “Business & Industry Night.” “Taste of the Chamber” is an opportunity for food businesses to showcase what they have to offer. With a large hot dog cart and an eye-catching umbrella, Kessler’s Foods brings its products right to the event for everyone to enjoy.

“We like to give back to the community, and we think it’s important for our company and for the members of our team to be involved in activities that are beneficial to the community and promote business within the community,” Kessler said.

Both Kessler and Buehler believe that making personal connections through the chamber makes good business sense. Chamber events offer people the chance to get to know one another both personally and as providers of goods and services.

“I think people who are in the chamber tend to purchase products that are sold by other chamber members,” Kessler said.

According to Book, building relationships is an important way that the West Shore Chamber of Commerce supports its members. Because of this, the chamber offers events several times a month at different times during the day to accommodate busy schedules.

“We’re looking for opportunities for our members to get together face-to-face, have a conversation, tell each other what they do,” Book said. “It’s seeing if there are some opportunities to either do business together or be a referral for each other as they move forward.”

For more information about the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, visit wschamber.org.

Fast Fish: A quick, healthy recipe for Lent.

February 28, 2018 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Well, March has finally arrived, and, with it, the faint glimmer of spring.

This is also the season of Lent. Those who abstain from meat during this time might be looking for easy-to-prepare, meatless meals.

When I was a child, Lenten meals at my family home usually elicited groans from my corner of the table. Common fare included big bowls of lentils with olive oil (just olive oil); chickpeas with elbow macaroni; occasional tuna salad, which my father hated; and fried flounder, which usually ended up in little pieces because it stuck to the skillet (no Teflon back then).

So, in my search for some interesting fish dishes for Lent, I turned to renowned Italian chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich. Lidia has a rather endearing little cookbook out there, “Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking,” which approaches cooking as a way to nurture bonds between friends and family. In it, she also stresses easy-to-make dishes, cooking with seasonal ingredients, and never wasting any food in your kitchen. I’m sure my mother would have liked its emphasis on Italian greens, vegetables and beans. Lots of beans!

Armed with a pound of cod and not much in the way of an idea beyond butter, lemon and perhaps a few capers, I found Lidia’s recipe, “Codfish with Olives and Zucchini.” It was incredibly easy to make and actually enjoyed by my often fish-wary spouse.

But what I liked best was how adaptable this recipe was. While putting it together, I kept thinking of all the possible combinations of fish and vegetables that would work. And though you can add some rice to your dinner, the majority of it is made in one pan.

CODFISH WITH OLIVES AND ZUCCHINI (recipe can be cut in half)
Ingredients
• 6 thick pieces skinless cod fillet
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (optional)
• 2 cups whole cherry tomatoes (I used a mix of red, yellow and orange)
• 8 ounces medium zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch half moons
• ½ cup mixed pitted olives, cut in half
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Place the cod on a plate and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Lightly salt. (I’m very careful with the salt because of the saltiness of the olives.)
• In a medium bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, olives and basil with the remaining olive oil and a little salt.
• Spread the seasoned vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. (Using PAM first is helpful.)
• Roast the vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven until they just begin to soften, about 15 minutes (watch carefully).
• Nestle the cod in the vegetables and roast in the center of the oven until the fish is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remember to judge cooking times with the thickness of your fish.

Place the fish on plates and arrange the vegetable mixture around and a little on top of the fish. Serve with a little rice, small new potatoes or even just garlic bread. The presentation of this dish is lovely. It’s good enough for company.

I’m already planning on some different combinations:
• Roasted salmon filets on a bed of sliced fennel, sliced artichoke hearts and halved, tiny red potatoes
• Roasted halibut steaks on a bed of sliced sweet onion and sliced red, green and yellow peppers
• Thick flounder filets with sliced onion, sliced mushrooms and capers

As a matter of full disclosure, I served my sons Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks when they were little boys. What was I thinking? These fish dishes are so much better! Try them this Lenten season and all through the year.

History Weapons: Men at Arms specializes in the art of ancient battle.

February 28, 2018 | by Adam Farence

Entering the room, you can hear the clash of sword on sword, dagger on dagger.

Looking in, you see long swords, rapiers, daggers and other fearsome weaponry lining the wall.

This may sound like something straight out of “Game of Thrones,” but it’s actually a scene not far from Harrisburg, at Crone’s Tae Kwon Do School just outside of Mechanicsburg.

Every Sunday afternoon, James Reed, founder of Men At Arms Martial Arts, instructs his students on long swordsmanship techniques following centuries-old training manuscripts from such masters as Joachim Meyer and Fiore dei Liberi.

“We can get a small glimpse of their world,” Reed said.

These manuscripts, written in the 1400s and 1500s, are referenced by the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) movement, of which Men At Arms is affiliated.

HEMA is a 10,000-member, worldwide group of clubs studying historical European martial arts to rediscover historical fighting styles. Started in the 1990s, the organization consists of clubs in the United States, Europe and Canada.

Reed began his affiliated group after trying—and failing—to find one nearby to practice with. So, he decided to start his own.

Recruiting a few coworkers, he set out to found a serious club and to dispel the myth the HEMA is just running around and hitting each other with swords. Instead, fighters pay close attention to technique: proper grip, footwork, body structure, etc.

Reed held his first class about a year ago—just himself and one student. Today, more than a dozen people routinely join him in class, armed with weapons (some plastic, some real) and wearing a mish-mash of lacrosse and fencing gear for protection.

Reed often brings in guest teachers, and, on a recent Sunday, an instructor from Kutztown’s historical fencing group, Patrick McCaffrey of L’Arte Della Bellica, drilled the class on the ninth “dagger master play” by Fiore dei Liberi, a 14th-century fencing master.

In this “play,” students paired up with a partner and learned to prevent themselves from getting impaled in the stomach.

“Fighting with a dagger is wrestling with a sharp point,” McCaffrey said.

He stressed the importance of technique and said that students should train as realistically as possible. Despite the intensity of the subject, he found opportunities to inject humor into the lesson.

“The first rule of daggers is don’t get stabbed,” he said, flatly stating the obvious. And, when it came time to reverse roles from attacking to defending, he said, “They just stabbed you. It’s only polite to stab them back.”

A few weeks prior, another guest instructor brought in both fencing gear and steel rapiers. He drilled students in the parking lot on a few basic moves.

Near the end of most Men At Arms classes, students get fully geared up and free spar, ideally using the skills they just learned in class. But it’s also a chance for them to experiment with different techniques and combinations.

HEMA is not limited to strictly long sword and daggers, though those two weapons are the primary focus for Men At Arms. Students also have sparred with hard plastic axes, sword and buckler (type of small shield), and even a khopesh, an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword.

New sign-ups are allowed to use loaner gear for six months. However, they’re expected to start collecting their own equipment, which they should begin to use as soon as possible. The variety of weapons has given rise to a recurring joke that members participate in an arms race as they collect gear.

On a mid-winter day, students were preparing for FlowerPoint, an annual, three-day tournament held each March near Kutztown. For that, Reed was working on getting tournament-grade sparring gear, complete with the Men At Arms logo, custom color designs and even personal crests for members who wanted them.

“Men At Arms will not be known as the pauper’s club,” Reed said in front of potential tournament attendees, stressing how seriously he wants everyone to take the tournament.

But what was the ultimate reason behind this enthusiasm for ancient weapons and fighting techniques?

“It’s about being able to bond over that passion,” Reed said. “We’re stepping into the shoes of men who have been dead for 400 years.”

Crone’s Tae Kwon Do School is located at 24 E. Main St., New Kingstown. For more information about Men at Arms Martial Arts, visit their Facebook page.

A Silent Killer: What you need to know about Peripheral Arterial Disease.

February 28, 2018 | by Daniel Calderon

It may not be as well known as heart disease, but Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)—the narrowing of peripheral arteries that lead to the legs, arms, stomach and head—can be a very serious condition.

The narrowing occurs because of a build up of plaque within the arteries, which reduces blood flow. This disease is most commonly found in the legs and, if left untreated, can lead to ischemic rest pain, ulcers, gangrene and, ultimately, amputations. Patients with PAD are also at increased risk of having coronary artery disease and carotid artery stenosis, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Symptoms of PAD include:
• Pain when walking
• Increased fatigue and tiredness
• Increased cramping in lower extremities
• Decreased desire to walk or exercise due to pain
Unfortunately, in its early stages, carotid artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysms often do not produce any signs or symptoms. These conditions may go unnoticed until they are serious or possibly even deadly. That’s why vascular screenings, which don’t required needles or invasive testing, are a good idea for those who are at risk.

What increases risk for PAD?
Lifestyle choices and other conditions can increase your risk for PAD. These include:
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Increasing age
• Family history of heart disease or stroke
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
These factors significantly increase the risk for PAD and should be regularly tested and monitored.

What screenings can detect PAD?
Highly trained technicians use the same type of ultrasound used for sonograms during pregnancy to examine carotid arteries, abdominal aorta and peripheral arteries in your ankles. PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute offers free vascular screenings to individuals who qualify. If you do not qualify, we offer a reduced-price screening program in our Wormleysburg office.

How is PAD treated?
Some people can manage PAD with simple lifestyle changes. By eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly, PAD may become more manageable. Medications may be prescribed to:
• Lower cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Control blood sugar
• Prevent blood clots
• Relieve symptoms
In some more severe cases, vascular specialists may recommend treatment. Fortunately, vascular procedures have become much less invasive than in the past.

Want to know more?
At free community seminars, you can hear from vascular specialists about medications, lifestyle choices and treatments to prevent or manage PAD. Visit UPMCPinnacle.com/events to find a program near you. Take our quiz online at UPMCPinnacle.com/VascularScreenings or call 717-782-5169 to see if you qualify for a vascular screening.

Dr. Daniel Calderon specializes in vascular surgery for UPMC Pinnacle.

All That Sparkles: Munn’s Diamond Gallery celebrates 40 years in the bling biz.

February 28, 2018 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Chris Munn gazes towards the ceiling as he drifts back to the day when he was but a little tyke sitting in the back of his parents’ car.

“I remember my dad pointing to this building and saying that’s where he wanted to open a store,” he said, referring to the structure located on Market Street in Lemoyne.

Munn reflects upon how a friend was instrumental in convincing his father Sheldon to abandon the restaurant business in Wilkes-Barre and open a jewelry store in Lemoyne.

“He always had an interest in jewelry and design,” Munn said.

After many conversations with a jeweler friend, Sheldon decided to take the leap and open Munn’s Diamond Gallery in that spot.

“He bent his ear long enough to finally convince him,” said Munn, who marvels at the fact that he’s now been in the business as long as his father. “Sheldon was here for 20 years, and now I’ve had it for 20.”

So, how did the Munns manage to survive 40 long years in a tough business? Take care of the customer and the business will take care of itself, Munn said.

“When a new customer comes into our store, I view them as having lifelong potential,” he said. “I value every customer, and I realize, for them to return, I have to earn their trust.”

We Can Make It
Munn’s retail space consists of several rooms, with dozens of display cases featuring wedding bands, anniversary rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings and other items designed to add an exclamation point to a well put-together look.

“We divide our collection into fashion and bridal,” said Munn, adding that he always tries to find pieces that are unique and distinctive, with a wide range of prices. “People can come in and purchase a nice pair of earrings for $80, or something as stunning as this 18K, yellow-and-white gold, handmade pendant containing 108 round diamonds for $7,500.”

In recent years, Munn’s has experienced growth in made-to-order pieces, driven, in part, by technology.

“We’re doing much more customized work these days,” Munn said. “People come in with a Pinterest picture or an item they saw online and ask us if we can make it.”

Munn has little nostalgia for the days when he had to draw a design on paper, carve it by hand in wax, then make it into a mold.

“Today, we draw it on paper, then import that into computer software, which communicates with a 3-D printer to carve the wax with excruciating precision. Then that goes into a mold for casting,” Munn said. “The software comes at a price, but you can do 10 pieces a month.”

As a result, custom jewelry has come down in price relative to hand carving, since labor time has been reduced. Laser welding makes customizing jewelry easier, as well.

“The technology uses amplified light, rather than heat or flame to solder and fuse metal together,” said Munn.

Munn has witnessed his share of fashion trends over the years.

“Prior to 2006, we rarely carried silver,” he said. “When the price of gold went up to $1,900 an ounce, suddenly designers started making more silver. Designers you’d never heard of before became front and center.”

Gold has since come down in price, but silver has maintained its place in the world of jewelry fashion.

“Today, it is an accepted fine jewelry metal, where before it was relegated to turquoise and costume jewelry,” Munn said.

Fun Ride
Judy Buszka began shopping at Munn’s after she moved to the area from that jewelry mecca known as New York City,

“I needed a jeweler and heard good things about Munn’s,” she said. “Sometimes, I worry about the smaller stores being a little intimidating, but I needed something repaired and everyone was so nice and friendly that I knew I would be coming back.”

Steve Mosey has been a Munn’s customer for about five years and likes the fact that he always has the opportunity to interact with the owner when he visits.

“I get personalized service and never feel as if I’m being pressured,” said the Lower Paxton Township resident, who has bought a variety of jewelry for his wife—from colored pearls to diamond pendants and earrings. “Chris’ selection is unique and, if my wife decides she doesn’t like something, she is free to exchange it for something else.”

For Munn, the business has been a fun ride, and he credits his staff for being by his side.

“People tend to stick with me,” he said.

The fact that he gets to talk with people and use his creativity is the icing on the cake.

“I like conversation to a fault and enjoy talking with people,” he said. “Over the counter is where I want to be—with customers, creating, designing, buying and sharing. Fortunately, that matched up with my dad entering into the business all those years ago.”

Munn’s Diamond Gallery is located at 1203 Market St., Lemoyne. For more information, call 717-761-8310 or visit or www.munns.net.

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