Happenings: Our February Calendar of Events

January 31, 2018 | by TheBurg Editor

Happenings

Museums & Art Spaces

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

“World Beyond,” featuring the work of Alex Garos, through Feb. 11.

Works by Ann Benton Yeager, Feb. 16-March 12; reception: Feb. 16, 6-9 p.m.

“Wine & Whimsy,” a collection of illustrated nursery rhymes by Amy Powell, through Feb. 14 (at Café 1500).

“Theoretical Science Meets Art—The Life Poem,” works by Katie Trainer, Feb. 12-March 12 (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.

“DeLorean Prototype & Production,” through April 30.

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

“Figuratively Speaking,” the human form in a variety of art pieces, through Feb. 15.

BrainVessel Gallery
4707 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg
717-350-2306; bvcargo.com

“Nothing Pretty,” featuring the art of Ted Walke, Sean Arce, Rance Shepstone, Aron Rook and Tina Berrier, Feb. 16-March 23.

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

“Juried Exhibit: Square One,” featuring juried artwork prompted by the concept of “square one,” through Feb. 3.

“Annual Members’ Exhibit: Silver 25,” a members’ showing of art to celebrate CALC’s 25^th anniversary, Feb. 9-March 10; reception: Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m.

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

Artist of the Month: Lori Sweet

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

“Nothing Pretty,” featuring works by Tristan Bond, Tina Berrier, Aron Rook, Rance Shepstone, Sean Arce and Ted Walke, through Feb. 10.

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

“In Stitches,” an exhibition of traditional and modern quilted wall hangings and other quilted items created by regional artists, Feb. 9-May 5; reception: Feb. 9, 6-8:30 p.m.

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

“Losing All Meaning, The Art of Kevyn Knox,” showing works from the local pop artist, Feb. 9-March 30; opening reception, Feb. 9, 7-11 p.m.

“A Wintry Mix IV,” an open theme group exhibition, through Feb. 25.

“Three Graces,” vintage found photography by Nicole Dube and paintings by Angela Rubinic and Dreon Olivetti (at Capital Joe, Mechanicsburg), Feb. 23-April 27.

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

New works by Lauren Castillo, John Davis, Bob McCloskey, Marsha Souders, Paul Vasiliades, Ann Beton Yeager, through Feb. 11.

New works by Susan Bailey, Erin Buckwalter, Jenna Carls, Mary Kandray Gelenser, P.D. Murray, Feb. 13-March 11.

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 Kopp Collection, featuring 30,000 species of butterflies and moths, through April.

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

“SVC Moving FOuRTH,” Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the PA Guild of Craftsmen celebrates its fourth year with a group showing, Feb. 9-March 24; opening reception: Feb. 9, 6-8:30 p.m.

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

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history.

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
717-236-7644; paparksandforests.org

“Through the Seasons” a photography contest featuring images taken in Pennsylvania state parks or forests, Feb. 2-27, at the PA Capitol, East Wing Rotunda.

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

“Flesh and Spirit,” sculptures by Ted Prescott, through Feb. 16.

HACC Faculty Exhibition, Feb. 26-March 23; reception: March 15, 5:30-7 p.m.

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

“The Art of the State Purchase Award Collection,” showcasing Art of the State works that were purchased by the museum, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the juried exhibition, through Feb. 18.

“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.

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

“Looking In: Portraits and Their Stories,” featuring a curated selection of significant 20th and 21st century works from regional museums and private collections that express stories of the artists and their subjects, Feb. 10-May 20; members’ preview: Feb. 9, 5-7 p.m.

“Memory and Invention,” landscape and cityscape paintings by Robert Andriulli, through Feb. 11.

“Tropical Wasteland,” abstracted landscapes by Vu Nguyen, through Feb. 25.

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

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

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

Works by Peg Belcastro, through Feb. 11.

Works by Tahlia Smith, Feb. 15-March 14.

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

“Eclectics,” art by Keegan Beinhower, though Feb. 15

“Urban Zodiac,” by Steven Zerbe, Feb. 16-March 15.

Read, Make, Learn

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

Feb. 2: Porcelain Pendants, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 6-27: Beginning Knitting, Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 7: Love Mugs, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 7, 21: Try It Glassblowing, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 7-March 7: Portrait Drawing, Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 7-March 14: Ceramics Hand Building, Mondays, 6-9:30 p.m.
Feb. 10: Saturday Morning DRAW Group, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Feb. 13: S.E.E. Art Salon, 1 p.m.
Feb. 15: Figure Drawing Group, 7-9 p.m.
Feb. 22: Glassblowing Date Night, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 28: Slab Planter, 6-8 p.m.

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

Feb. 1: Winter Warm Up, 6-9 p.m.
Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day, 6-9 p.m.
Feb. 19: Weekend Warrior Breakfast, 6-9 p.m.

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

Feb. 3: Cocoa and Snowflakes, 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 9: Basic Email I, 11 a.m.
Feb. 11: Crazy for Coloring, 2 p.m.
Feb. 12: Kindness Week, 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 17: Random Act of Kindness Day, 1 p.m.
Feb. 18: Oils for Dudes, 1 p.m.
Feb. 23: Basic Email II, 11 a.m.
Feb. 24: Chinese New Year Celebration, 1 p.m.
Feb. 26: Paws2Read, 6 p.m.

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

Feb. 1: Never Too Old—Young Adult Book Club for Adults, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 2: Youth Chess Night, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 6: Curl Up with the Classics—“A Passage to India,” 10 a.m.
Feb. 9: Artist Alley, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 10: Lincoln’s Highlights, 7 p.m.
Feb. 10: Trivia After Hours—Game of Thrones (BYOB), 7 p.m.
Feb. 11: Intro to Traditional Chinese Fashion, 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 11: Teen Sweet Shoppe DIY, 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 12: Philosophers’ Roundtable, 2 p.m.
Feb. 12: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 14, 16: Library for Lunch—Chinese New Year, 12 p.m.
Feb. 16: Family Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 18: Daddies Do Hair, 2 p.m.
Feb. 20: Fredricksen Reads—“Love and Other Consolation Prizes,” 7 p.m.
Feb. 25: Intro to Chinese Language, 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 26: LEGO Club, 4:30 p.m.

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

Feb. 16: Free Class, 7 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
Hershey Derry Township Historical Society Building
40 Northeast Drive, Hershey
hersheyareaartassociation.com

Feb. 7-March 28: Realistic Oil Painting, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Feb. 12-March 5: Paint Together

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

Feb. 1: Learn to Knit, 7-8 p.m.
Feb. 2: Coloring for Adults, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Feb. 6: Tabletop Games, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 6, 13, 20: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Feb. 7: Intro to Apple MacBook, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 8, 22: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Feb. 12: iPad/iPhone Beginners, 1-3 p.m.
Feb. 14: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
Feb. 15: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10-11 a.m.
Feb. 19: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
Feb. 21: Genealogy—Why Do We Care?, 7-8:30 p.m.
Feb. 23: Tax Advice, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Feb. 26: English Conversation Group, 6:30-8 p.m.
Feb. 27: Tea & Stitches Extended, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Feb. 28: Apple Users Group, 1-3 p.m.
Feb. 28: Yoga for Beginners, 7-8 p.m.

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

Feb. 1, 8, 22: LEGO Robotics Club, 4:15 p.m.
Feb. 13: Kindness Week, 6 p.m.
Feb. 21: Friends and Readers Book Club, 2 p.m.
Feb. 22: 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

Feb. 1, 8: Two-Day Penny Rugging Workshop, 1-4 p.m.
Feb. 3: Drop-in Art, 1-4 p.m.

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

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

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

Feb. 13: Resume Writing, 1 p.m.
Feb. 26: Cookbook Book Club, 6 p.m.

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

Feb. 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

Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22: Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, 7-9 p.m.
Feb. 2, 23: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café, 7-9 p.m.
Feb. 6, 13, 20: Coffee, Cake and True Islam, 5-7 p.m.
Feb. 8, 15: Camp Curtin Toastmasters, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Feb. 9: An Evening w/George Saunders, 7-9 p.m.
Feb. 10: Storytime w/June Bates, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Feb. 17: Andrea Pitzer, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Feb. 18: Midtown Writers Group, 1-3 p.m.
Feb. 21: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club, 7-9 p.m.
Feb. 24: Storytime and Crafts at the Scholar, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Feb. 25: Harrisburg Young Professionals Book Cub, 2-4 p.m.
Feb. 27: An Evening w/Vegas Tenold, 7-9 p.m.

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

Feb. 10: Cold Wax Workshop, 8 a.m-5 p.m.

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

Feb. 1: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
Feb. 5, 14, 19, 28: Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Feb. 8: Zentangle, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 9: Valentine Makerspace, 1-5 p.m.
Feb. 10: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Feb. 12: Block Party, 10:15-11:45 a.m.
Feb. 13: Book Review Program, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Feb. 13: Frozen Sing Along, 1 p.m.
Feb. 15: STEM Club, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
Feb. 17: Couponing for Extreme Saving, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Feb. 23: Baby Open Play, 11-12:30 p.m.
Feb. 24: Tape Town, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Feb. 28: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.

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

Feb. 2: Storytime, 10 a.m.
Feb. 8: Nature Lab—Magnets (ages 3-5), 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Feb. 22: Nature Lab—The Great Blue Heron, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

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

Feb. 7: Life Drawing, 6-9 p.m.

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

Feb. 1: Fly-Tying Classes, 6-8 p.m.
Feb. 4: Mindfulness Hike, 10-11:30 a.m.
Feb. 10: Photography Workshop, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Feb. 11: Kids Discover—Animals and Their Tracks, 1-2:30 p.m.
Feb. 13: Winter Lecture Series—Native Pollinators, 7-8:30 p.m.
Feb. 17: The Great Backyard Bird Count, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Feb. 27: Winter Lecture Series—Regal Fritillary Butterflies, 7-8:30 p.m.

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

Feb. 3: Mindfulness and Smart Phones, 2-4 p.m.
Feb. 10: Creative Arm Balancing for Beginners, 12-1:30 p.m.
Feb. 15-18: Kripalu Winter Retreat

Live Music

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

Feb. 7: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Feb. 11: Tommy James and the Shondells, Herman’s Hermits, Peter Noone
Feb. 15: The Tenors
Feb. 16: Three Dog Night
Feb. 18: The Carpenters Tribute w/Michelle Whited
Feb. 22: John Mueller’s 50s Dance Party
Feb. 23: Fleetwood Mask

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

Feb. 2: Jerry Joseph and Jackmormons
Feb. 3: Switch Fu and Bushmaster
Feb. 5: J. Roddy Walston & The Business
Feb. 10: Splintered Sunlight
Feb. 16: Black Masala
Feb. 17: Midnight Spaghetti & The Chocolate G-Strings
Feb. 23-24: Millennium Music Conference
Feb. 28: Suzy Bogguss

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

Feb. 3: Todd Snider
Feb. 17: York Symphony Orchestra

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

Feb. 1, 10, 15: Roy Lefevre
Feb. 2, 6, 9, 13, 14, 16, 20: Noel Gevers
Feb. 3, 8: Daniel Sheahan
Feb. 7, 22: Chris Purcell
Feb. 9, 21, 27: Corinna Joy
Feb. 28: Deb Anderson

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

Feb. 2: ZoSo, Led Zeppelin Tribute
Feb. 10: “Let’s Hang On!” Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons Tribute
Feb. 16: TUSK, Fleetwood Mac Tribute

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

Feb. 3: Don’t Sleep
Feb. 7: High on Fire
Feb. 9: Lex the Hex Master, Scum, Amb
Feb. 9: Dwayne Gretzky
Feb. 16: Flux Capacitor
Feb. 22: Futurebirds
Feb. 23, 24: KIX

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

Feb. 2: Antonio Andrade
Feb. 3: Hard Travelin
Feb. 4: Dominick Cicco
Feb. 9: Kevin Kline
Feb. 10: Emily Wilkins
Feb. 16: Sweet Maple Singers
Feb. 17: Michael Arthur
Feb. 18: Shelba Purtle
Feb. 23-24: Millennium Music Conference

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

Feb. 10: Kristyn Harris & Hailey Sandoz
Feb. 11: Susquehanna Folk Music Jam
Feb. 17: Susquehanna Folk Music Coffeehouse

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

Feb. 2: Jeffrey Gaines, Alow w/Adam Kowalczyk
Feb. 3: The Jellybricks, Grumpy Old Men, Lead Foot, Nine D, Can’t B Saved
Feb. 9: The Dirty Sweet
Feb. 10: Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones, The High Divers
Feb. 13: Al Di Meola
Feb. 14: Los Monstros
Feb. 16: Abi Khan
Feb. 17: Shrimp Ryan’s Jig Band, Marty Willson-Piper, Edward Rogers
Feb. 17: Marty Willson-Piper
Feb. 24: Tigers Jaw, Yowler, Looming
Feb. 25: Shelby Lynne

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

Feb. 10-11: Masterworks
Feb. 12: Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra

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

Feb. 2: Ostrich Hat
Feb. 3: DJ Magic, The Luv Gods
Feb. 8: Soul Solution
Feb. 9: The Famous
Feb. 10: Smooth Like Clyde
Feb. 10, 24: DJ Dave Styles
Feb. 17: DJ Ray Rossi, Vinyl Groov
Feb. 23: Uptown Band
Feb. 24: Sapphire

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

Feb. 16: Lucy Isabel

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

Feb. 10: So Good For the Soul—A Tribute to the Music of Motown
Feb. 17: America

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

Feb. 16: Wind Symphony Family Concert
Feb. 18: Darlene Love
Feb. 23: Jazz Ensemble Concert

Market Square Concerts
marketsquareconcerts.org

Feb. 25: Escher String Quartet (at Temple Ohev Sholom)

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

Feb. 9: Kathryn Lewek
Feb. 23: Piano Times Two
Feb. 25: Tromba Mundi

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

Feb. 2: Kayla Keating Jazz Orchestra

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

Feb. 16: The Flat Wheels

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

Feb. 3: Erica Lyn Everest Duo
Feb. 10: Keith Goldstein
Feb. 17: Lucas Gienow
Feb. 24: Tony Catalano

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

Feb. 3: Dwayne Dolphin Trio

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

Feb. 16: John Nemeth

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

Feb. 2: Paul Zavinsky
Feb. 9: Rhoads and Putt Trio
Feb. 10: Craig Bonner, Steve Geib
Feb. 16: Cotolo
Feb. 23: Amber Nadine
Feb. 24: Just Dave

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

Feb. 2: Cruise Control Trio
Feb. 3: Swisher Sweets
Feb. 9: Visitors Duo
Feb. 10: Erica Lyn Everest and Friends
Feb. 16: DJ Ray Rossi
Feb. 17: Music Thru Science Lite
Feb. 23: Keith Goldstein
Feb. 24: Shea Quinn and Friends

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

Feb. 1: Open Mic
Feb. 10: Jim Hurst
Feb. 11: Jam
Feb. 17: Winter Coffeehouse
Feb. 28: Suzy Bogguss

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

Feb. 3: Jazz in the Sky—Milton Suggs
Feb. 16: Velvet Caravan w/ Jessica Best
Feb. 18: Allegretto Winter Concert

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

Feb. 2: Jr. Wolf
Feb. 10: Hold Fast
Feb. 16: Aaron Daniel Gail

The Stage Door

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

Feb. 8-9: “Riverdance”
Feb. 10: “Masters Illusion”
Feb. 17: Peking Acrobats
Feb. 19: Tape Face

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

Feb. 3: Paula Poundstone
Feb. 9: David Beck, James Hodge

The Belmont Theatre
27 S. Belmont St., York
717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

Feb. 16-25: “Into the Woods”

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

Through Feb. 3: “Something’s Afoot”
Feb. 8-March 17: “Ring of Fire”

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

Feb. 10: “Our Town”
Feb. 22: TMI Improv February Show

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

Feb. 16-18: “Twelfth Night”

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

Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22: Open Mic
Feb. 2, 3: Tim Kidd, John Consoli
Feb. 9, 10: Kevin McCaffrey, Jimmy Merrit
Feb. 11, 18: Oxymorons Improv Comedy
Feb. 16-18: Basile
Feb. 23, 24: Rich Vos

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

Feb. 2: Oppositional Defiants/Hawkward, Name That Tune/Ferd Majelly, Jam
Feb. 3: Love Triangle, Last Resort, Bandito/Fours Company 2: In Addition Too
Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24: Improv Mixer
Feb. 9: What’s the Matter With Henry?, HAI/Brainwave Aftershave, Phlegminism
Feb. 10: Zesty!/Bandjob, Spacework, Ferret Prom/Solo Sleepover
Feb. 16: Oppositional Defiants/Hawkward, Images, Jam
Feb. 17: TBA, JohNathan, Spank’d, Tony Stanza
Feb. 23: What’s the Matter With Henry?, Tiny Town, Hit Bits
Feb. 24: Zesty!/The Fourest, Introduce A Self, The Actor’s Craft/Pillow Talk

Hershey Area Playhouse
830 Cherry Dr., Hershey
717-533-8525; hersheyareaplayhouse.com

Feb. 8-18: “The Secret Garden”

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

Feb. 3: “Sleeping Beauty”
Feb. 16: “Gypsy Passion”
Feb. 20-25: “Beautiful—The Carole King Musical”

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

Feb. 8-18: “The Boy Friend”

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

Feb. 16: Comedy Night

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

Feb. 2-4: “Vagina Monologues”
Feb. 16-March 11: “Akeelah and the Bee”

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

Through Feb. 11: “Go Back For Murder”

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

Feb. 16-March 3: “Seussical The Musical”

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

Feb. 15: “The Mountaintop” w/LA Theatre Works

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

Feb. 8-11: “The Merchant of Venice”

Zembo Shrine sold to out-of-state buyer with entertainment plans.

January 29, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Zembo Shrine.

The historic Zembo Mosque and Shrine is set to sell after almost one year on the market, according to a city spokesperson.

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, city communications director Joyce Davis confirmed on Monday.

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

TempleLive currently owns two Masonic temples similar to Zembo, one in Cleveland and one in Fort Smith, Ark. They run both properties as a 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.

“The sooner, the better,” Brown said.

Brown said it was too early to tell if the building would require extensive renovations, but he did say that the shrine’s main auditorium would need air conditioning. He claimed that TempleLive representatives visited the site three or four times before entering the sale agreement.

Brown declined to disclose the final sale price and did not know if the buyers would take advantage of a tax abatement.

The Zembo shrine 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 was brokered by the Bill Gladstone Group of NAI CIR, a commercial real estate agency in Lemoyne, and includes 396 parking spaces adjacent to the building.

Since its opening, Zembo has been home to the Shriners, a fraternal organization affiliated with the Free Masons. The Shriners continue to meet there today, 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.

The building faces Italian Lake and former William Penn High School. That vacant campus is also currently for sale.

In a statement issued on Monday, Mayor Eric Papenfuse praised the sale of the historic Zembo building and the plans to make it a touristic attraction within the city.

“This is a truly wonderful development for our city,” Papenfuse said.

This article was updated to include comments from Mike Brown.

TheBurg Podcast: “G-Word” Edition

January 26, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

In this week’s episode of TheBurg podcast, editor in chief Larry Binda and city reporter Lizzy Hardison consider recent building projects downtown that have some people crying “gentrification.” They also dig into two statewide news developments and their effects on Harrisburg: the supreme court ruling against gerrymandering, and the approval of a new statewide education plan.

Stream the episode here via Soundcloud, or subscribe to TheBurg Podcast in the Apple or Android podcast apps.

Read more about this week’s topics in TheBurg:

Yes, But: Council OKs apartment plan, but approval comes with a warning.

Wide-Ranging Discussion: Harrisburg officials tackle multitude of issues at community forum.

A new state system puts less emphasis on standardized tests. How will Harrisburg schools fare?

Capital Redistrict: What will the gerrymander ruling mean for Harrisburg?

TheBurg Podcast is released biweekly by TheBurg Magazine. It is recorded in the offices of StartUp Harrisburg and produced by Lizzy Hardison. Special thanks to Paul Cooley, who wrote our theme music.

Capital Redistrict: What will the gerrymander ruling mean for Harrisburg?

January 26, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

The congressional map that Pennsylvania’s supreme court recently struck down as unconstitutional. Click to enlarge.

If you’re a Democrat in Harrisburg with high hopes for Pennsylvania’s new congressional map, we may have some bad news for you.

A recent decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court may mean that Harrisburg could find itself in a single congressional district. However, the majority-Democrat city will probably remain under Republican representation in upcoming elections, said Chris Borick, political science professor and director of the Institute for Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College.

“Harrisburg is trickier than some places because it’s largely surrounded by quite conservative areas,” Borick said. “I think in many configurations with Harrisburg kept intact, you’d probably still find the residents in a Republican-leaning district.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the state’s congressional map “plainly, clearly and palpably” violated the state’s constitution. They ordered the state legislature to redraw the districts by Feb. 9, just three months ahead of the May 15 primaries.

The ruling was a historical rebuke of gerrymandering—the bipartisan political practice of redrawing congressional maps to disadvantage a minority party. In the United States, congressional maps need to be redrawn every 10 years based on census data. But since majority parties get to approve the final districts, they cherry pick the voters in each one to protect their party in future elections.

Gerrymandered districts make elections less competitive and often protect incumbent candidates and parties. They don’t, however, create elegant maps. Congressional borders in Pennsylvania zig, zag, and meander their way around favorable voting blocs, slicing through county and town lines as they go.

When state districts were redrawn by a Republican-controlled legislature in 2011, Harrisburg and Dauphin County fell victim to “cracking”—a gerrymandering technique that splits one locality between two congressional districts to diminish its voting power. Most of Harrisburg was incorporated into the state’s 4^th congressional district, but South Harrisburg and Shipoke lie in the 11^th. Dauphin County is split between the 4^th, 11^th and 15^th, all of which are currently represented by Republicans.

According to the highest court in Pennsylvania, these distorted districts are now unlawful under the state constitution. The new districts must be compact, contiguous and roughly equal in population, according to the ruling. The court also said that new districts must respect existing jurisdictions, which means that cracked cities might be unified under a new map.

In fairly drawn districts, one major city or county can determine the outcome of an election. But Borick thinks that Harrisburg and Dauphin County are too small to flip a district in favor of Democrats.

It all comes down to numbers. With a population of 12.7 million people, Pennsylvania is entitled to 18 seats in congress. Congressional districts that are roughly even in population will comprise about 700,000 people each.

That means that Dauphin County’s 270,000 residents will constitute less than half of a congressional district. Even though registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a small margin in Dauphin, Republicans make up a larger share of the vote in every single surrounding county – including Perry, Lebanon, Lancaster, York and Cumberland.

“If Dauphin County was the heart of the district, you’d still probably have a pretty competitive district that would lean Republican,” Borick said.

Indeed, redrawing a district like Pennsylvania’s 4^th would at least lead to more interesting races. The last election in the 4^th district saw incumbent Scott Perry face a young opponent with no political experience, who won an uncontested Democratic primary as a write-in candidate. Perry won easily. Reducing the partisan advantage of gerrymandered districts might encourage more qualified candidates to enter the fray.

“When you have a gerrymandered district, the desire for the minority party candidates to get in the race is often quite limited,” Borick said. “In many cases you don’t get the best-qualified candidate that would be most competitive, since they usually know the probabilities of winning are very slim.”

State Republicans have said they will seek a stay in the court’s ruling until after the May primaries. They also intend to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme court. Borick said the ruling is probably safe because it was backed by Pennsylvania’s state constitution.

It’s possible, however, that the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down the timeline attached to the ruling, since a new map would affect congressional races that are already underway.

“I can see the most likely challenge being procedural,” Borick said. “In other words, the Supreme Court could say the timeline doesn’t give due process to the parties involved and doesn’t give them enough time to reasonably act to adjust their campaigns.”

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

January 25, 2018 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Holy crap, I don’t know where this week went, but I do know I’m tired. Did everyone else’s January whoosh by?

Harrisburg Beer Week planning is in high gear, so I’ve been in lots of meetings — and the whole team is so excited about what’s in store for this year. Take a minute and make sure you’re on the HBG Beer Week email list, so you get all the updates!

Saturday, Andy and I are donning our Black Tie wear (Read: Rent the Runway) for Keystone Human Services’ ChocolateBall. It’s my first time attending this event, so I’m excited about dressing up for a good cause — and lots of chocolate and wine.

Also of note on Saturday: Check out the Lebanon Bologna Fest & Winter Carnival!

On Sunday, Jimi will be sharing updates from Keystone Human Services’ Chocolatefest. Tickets are still available!

What are you doing this weekend?

(more…)

A new state system puts less emphasis on standardized tests. How will Harrisburg schools fare?

January 24, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

File photo by Dani Fresh

Pennsylvania is changing the way it grades its public schools, which may be good news for the Harrisburg City School District.

This Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf signed off on a 144-page education improvement plan that deemphasizes test scores and creates a new index for assessing school performance.

The state Department of Education wrote the plan to bring Pennsylvania into compliance with the “Every Student Succeeds Act.” ESSA, which replaced “No Child Left Behind” as the federal education law in 2015, gives states more flexibility in how they govern schools.

With that discretion, many states, including Pennsylvania, are choosing to evaluate schools based on student growth rates rather than student proficiency.

What does that mean in plain English? Essentially, schools will be graded by how much students learn over time – not by how they score on tests.

Pennsylvania’s new education plan introduces the Future Ready PA Index — a report card system that evaluates schools on dozens of performance indicators. The index won’t take effect until fall 2018, but the plan says it will “emphasize student growth measures that are less sensitive to out of school factors.”

This new evaluation method could reap favorable returns in Harrisburg. The city’s school district consistently logs some of the lowest test scores in the county, and appears at the bottom of statewide rankings every year. When evaluated by its student growth rate, however, a slightly different picture emerges.

Harrisburg students progress by an average of 4.3 academic years in the five years between third grade and eighth grade, according to a recent study from Stanford University. That doesn’t help most Harrisburg students achieve state proficiency standards in math or reading, but it does show that they learn at a rate that’s equal or faster than students in wealthier districts nearby.

Central Dauphin School District, for example, has a median income of $72,000 per year – three times that of Harrisburg’s reported $24,000. While Central Dauphin students achieve higher standardized test scores than their peers in Harrisburg, they progress at a slightly lower rate: 4.2 grade levels in 5 years. In Susquehanna Township, where the median annual income is $63,000, students have the same 4.3-year growth rate as Harrisburg students.

“This data tweaks conventional wisdom in many ways,” Emily Badger wrote in the New York Times about the Stanford study. “Some urban and Southern districts are doing better than data typically suggests. Some wealthy ones don’t look that effective. Many poor school systems do.”

Indeed, the study results show that districts lauded for high test scores may be less competitive in rankings based on growth. Meanwhile, a district such as Harrisburg may move from the bottom of the pack to somewhere closer to the middle.

In 2013, the Harrisburg school district adopted a five-year recovery plan aimed at narrowing the disparity between student test scores and state standards. In Harrisburg schools, the average student tests 3.2 years behind grade level in the third grade, according to Stanford University data.

While the district has a long way to go before it closes that gap entirely, Chief Recovery Officer Audrey Ultey said that growth data tells them they’re on the right track.

“Students are growing at a faster rate,” Utley said. “They’re not meeting targets in the recovery plan and are below state averages in proficiency, but we have, in the last two years, seen some growth in closing that gap.”

Utley knows that the district’s current growth rate needs to increase. Ideally, students would achieve at least one year of growth for every year they are in school, she said.

Even so, Utley reported that the district’s growth rate has increased under the recovery plan, since the district adopted a unified curriculum with benchmark assessments. These structured learning goals help teachers assess student needs and develop individualized learning plans for students with gaps in their education.

Utley said that proficiency measures are still important, since students and teachers need a goal to guide their work. Jaime Foster, the district’s chief curriculum officer, added that student performance on standardized tests dictates annual revisions to the curriculum.

However, state evaluations based on performance can stack the deck against urban districts, which have higher rates of poor and non-English speaking students. In Harrisburg, one of the greatest detriments to student test scores is the rate of transient students. Utley estimated that the district has a 25-percent turnover rate among its pupils.

Both Utley and Foster hope that the state’s new priorities will help teachers assess their effectiveness in the classroom and encourage disadvantaged students as they progress through school.

“Growth has a greater impact because a student will be able to see how they go from one point to another over time,” Foster said. “With growth, the sky is the limit.”

Yes, But: Council OKs apartment plan, but approval comes with a warning.

January 23, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg City Council at tonight’s meeting.

City Council tonight approved new apartments and office space for downtown Harrisburg, but not before one council member issued a warning to developers of future projects.

Speaking tonight before a vote on two projects proposed by Harristown Enterprises, council President Wanda Williams read a statement criticizing the recent spate of high-end apartment projects downtown, calling them a form of gentrification.

“Many buildings downtown are being renovated for upscale apartments,” Williams said. “I want them renovated for people with lower paying jobs.”

Harristown has spearheaded many of the apartment projects in the downtown neighborhood, including office-to-residential conversions on S. 3^rd Street and in Strawberry Square. Since 2016, it has added about 50 higher-end apartments in the area of 3^rd and Market streets.

One of the Harristown projects approved tonight will bring yet more housing to the downtown business district. The company plans to convert a vacant, turn-of-the-century office building at 221 N. 2nd St. to an apartment building with 12 one- and two-bedroom apartments and a 500-square-foot retail space.

Williams said she wants affordable housing projects downtown to keep pace with job growth in that area.

“I’m very in favor of developers investing in Harrisburg, but until we talk about having affordable housing for everyone–including cashiers and clerks who work in downtown bars and restaurants–in every neighborhood of our city, we have not done our jobs,” Williams said.

Following her statement, council voted unanimously to approve the projects. In addition to the residential conversion, Harristown received approval to construct a new, six-story office building at 21 S. 2nd St., the former site of the Coronet restaurant. Harristown razed that property to accommodate the new project, which will also feature retail space on the ground floor. Harristown is awaiting an anchor tenant before starting construction.

Council also passed a resolution tonight in support of a statewide, grassroots redistricting effort. An initiative led by Fair Districts PA seeks a constitutional mandate to create a non-partisan citizens commission to redraw legislative maps. Members from the Dauphin County chapter of Fair Districts PA asked council to support their legislation.

“This resolution would say that Harrisburg believes in fair redistricting,” said Jayne Buchwach, a city resident and member of the Dauphin County Fair Districts chapter. “Harrisburg was among the disenfranchised cities in Pennsylvania after redistricting in 2011.”

Chapter coordinator Jean Handley explained that Harrisburg was “cracked” during the 2011 redistricting process — meaning it was split between two congressional districts, thereby diluting the voting power of the largely Democratic city.

Most of Harrisburg lies in the state’s 4^th congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Scott Perry. Republican Congressman Lou Bartletta represents South Harrisburg neighborhoods in the state’s 11^th congressional district.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the state’s congressional map “clearly, plainly and palpably” violates the state constitution. The legislature has until Feb. 9 to draw a new map.

Wide-Ranging Discussion: Harrisburg officials tackle multitude of issues at community forum.

January 22, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse makes a point while City Councilmen Dave Madsen, Westburn Majors, Cornelius Johnson and Ben Allatt listen in during tonight’s community forum at HMAC.

A mayor and four council members walked into a bar tonight, but it wasn’t the start of an old joke.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse, along with City Council members Ben Allatt, Cornelius Johnson, Dave Madsen and Westburn Majors, fielded questions in a town hall meeting tonight at the House of Music, Arts & Culture (formerly the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center). The forum, which was organized by Capital Region Concerned Citizens and moderated by CRCC organizer Brandon Flood, brought 40 people to HMAC’s upstairs Capitol Room.

Flood said the event was inspired by discussions on a Facebook page called Concerned Citizens of the Harrisburg Community, which counts more than 2,000 members.

“We want to take some of the energy on that page and turn it into face-to-face dialogue,” Flood said.

The wide-ranging discussion was organized in a question-and-answer format, with city officials commenting on topics ranging from blight and crime to minority business participation and housing. Here are some of the highlights.

Community Policing
Flood asked the panelists about the timeline for hiring a new community policing coordinator and the possibility of increasing community policing initiatives in the city. The city’s previous community policing coordinator, David Botero, was reassigned to desk duty and later fired after he was charged with possessing drug paraphernalia in May 2017.

Papenfuse reported that the city has begun interviewing candidates and hopes to select a new coordinator by the end of February. He said that the Police Bureau’s long-term goal is to overcome staffing shortages and develop a community policing division. The bureau currently employs one full-time community policing officer and five officers who were recently trained in community policing techniques through a federal COPS grant.

Johnson also offered an update on the community policing task force that council offered to convene last fall. He said that legislation to convene a task force consisting of citizens, council members, city employees and police representatives was pushed into the new year to make time for other legislative priorities. He said that council hopes to pass a task force resolution later this year, after council members have time to research different models and revise legislation.

Development and Inclusivity
Madsen, chair of the community and economic development committee, shared ideas to get more residents into the workforce. He said that Harrisburg has a 7 percent unemployment rate. The national unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent in Dec. 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Madsen hopes to start partnerships with Careerlink and the STEP program at HACC, training programs in which participants can learn interview skills, get assistance writing resumes and work with counselors to transition into full-time employment.

“A lot of our residents don’t know about these programs, but, if we can communicate and inform them, we can invest in our residents,” Madsen said.

Papenfuse also affirmed the city’s commitment to partnering with minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses on publicly funded projects. He said that city hall maintains a list of local MBEs and WBEs and encouraged any small business owner to join the list by registering their enterprise with the city.

“We want to make sure all residents are part of Harrisburg’s growth,” Papenfuse said.

Growth
The panelists also discussed Harrisburg’s need to attract new residents from outside the city. Papenfuse pointed out that the city has half the population it did in the 1950s.

The mayor claimed that Harrisburg would not be able to sustain its development unless its population grows, and he took the opportunity to assuage fears about creeping gentrification in parts of the city.

“I understand the fear that newcomers will displace old residents, but I don’t think that’s happening in Harrisburg yet,” he said.

Papenfuse noted that some recent development projects in Midtown, such The Millworks restaurant or HMAC itself, revitalized vacant or abandoned properties. Those projects didn’t displace any residents or business owners, he said, but that might not always be the case.

“As the city continues to grow, we will see the redevelopment of buildings that are serving a purpose,” Papenfuse said. “We need to make sure we have affordable housing in all neighborhoods and work to ensure prosperity benefits everyone.”

Allatt added that central Pennsylvania needs to overcome its entrenched parochialism, which emerges locally in the perception that life-long Harrisburg residents resent newcomers.

“There’s a lot of resistance to working together as a region,” Allatt said.

Hoping to boost ridership, Harrisburg seeks input on public bus routes.

January 22, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Delta Development Group associate Rebecca Burk speaks with a member of the public at Strawberry Square on Jan. 22. The city will hold its second public meeting for the bus stop optimization study from 4:00 – 6:00 pm today at the Harrisburg Transportation Center.

Whether you ride public buses every day or avoid them like the plague, Harrisburg wants to hear from you.

In partnership with Capital Area Transit (CAT), the city is seeking public input to guide an ongoing bus stop optimization study. According to city Engineer Wayne Martin, the study will help city planners determine where to consolidate existing bus stops and establish new ones, with the ultimate goal of increasing public transit use in the city.

“We want public transit to have a bigger share of transportation in the city,” Martin said. “We need to get our ridership numbers up.”

The study’s public outreach phase kicked off this morning with an open house meeting at Strawberry Square. A second meeting will be held at the Harrisburg Transportation Center at 4 p.m. today, where residents can speak with project managers and review transit maps and data.

Residents who cannot attend the meetings can complete online surveys until Feb. 9.

Martin said that you don’t need to be a frequent CAT rider to contribute valuable input to the study.

“If people don’t take the bus, we want to know why they don’t and what it would take to get them to,” Martin said.

The study targets routes on six corridors in Harrisburg—3^rd Street, Herr Street, Derry Street, Market Street and 6^th and 7^th streets. Martin said that these routes were chosen because they are major transportation corridors or the sites of pending development projects. The 6^th and 7^th street corridor will be the site of the future federal court house, for instance, and the city recently began a major repaving project on 3^rd street.

Martin said that some of these routes, such as the one that runs along 3^rd street, have too many stops. He said that consolidating stops would shorten trips and make bus service more reliable.

The city also hopes that increasing bus ridership will improve its traffic flow. Martin noted that streamlining bus routes will make city roads suitable for new transit technologies, such as stop lights that sync with buses to time red and green lights. He said that these devices can accelerate bus trips and reduce traffic congestion.

The city has commissioned Mechanicsburg-based consulting firm Delta Development Group to lead the study. After the public input period concludes on Feb. 9, Delta will analyze the data and develop recommendations for the city’s routes, said Rebecca Burk, associate at DDG.

Since Delta launched the study in summer 2017, its associates have taken an inventory of local bus amenities, conducted field work at bus stops and studied best practices of urban transportation, Burk said. She could not say when their report would be complete.

Martin added that the final draft report will be open to public comment before CAT alters any bus routes.

Complete an online survey through Feb 9. by visiting https://bit.ly/harrisburg2018.

You Can Help: Foundation sets up fund to help family of slain U.S. marshal.

January 19, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Frank Hodge of the Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation spoke at a press conference in Harrisburg city hall today, announcing an effort to help the family of slain U.S. Deputy Marshal Christopher Hill.

Just one day after a deputy U.S. marshal was killed while serving an arrest warrant in Harrisburg, a national foundation has pledged help pay the mortgage on his family home.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a Staten Island, N.Y.-based organization that supports the families of slain first responders, announced today that it would contribute $100,000 to the family of Christopher Hill, the deputy marshal who was shot in the line of duty yesterday. Hill is survived by a wife and two children.

“Our duty as Americans is to take care of the families of first responders who make the ultimate sacrifice,” Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of the Siller Foundation, said in the MLK Government Center in Harrisburg today. “Hill’s family will never have to worry about their home again.”

Siller also spoke of his own brother, Stephen Siller, a Brooklyn firefighter who died while responding to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Representatives from the Siller Foundation are also calling for community donations to pay the remaining value of the mortgage. John Hodge, the foundation’s chief operating officer, said that they would need “at least double” the initial $100,000 contribution to pay off the Hill home entirely.

Hill was one of the seven members of a special operations task force that went to serve an arrest warrant on Mulberry Street yesterday morning. The mission ended in gunfire after Kevin Sturgis, a Philadelphia man who was not the subject of the warrant, opened fire on the officers, killing Hill and severely injuring another officer.

Siller said that he and his sister, Mary Siller Scullin, learned about the Harrisburg shooting while watching the news in their Staten Island office on Thursday. They immediately reached out to local law enforcement agencies with an offer to support Hill’s family, Siller said.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse lamented the fact that Harrisburg “made the news for all the wrong reasons” yesterday, but praised residents for showing compassion in a time of tragedy. He also thanked first responders and their families.

“I don’t think we can overstate the degree to which first responders put their lives on the line,” Papenfuse said. “Yesterday, three were shot and one died while protecting the people of Harrisburg.”

In addition to shooting and killing Hill, Sturgis also struck Kyle Pitts, a York County police officer. Pitts underwent surgery yesterday and is expected to survive his injuries, law enforcement officials said. Papenfuse also confirmed that a ricocheting bullet hit a Harrisburg police officer. That officer was protected by his body armor and was released from the hospital yesterday.

The mayor also thanked the families of first responders.

“The sacrifice these families make is pivotal to having a strong public safety department,” he said, before echoing the call for public donations to Hill’s widow and children.

Community members who wish to donate to Hill’s family can visit Tunnel2Towers.com or call 844-BRAVEST toll free. Hodge said that the foundation will make another public announcement in Harrisburg when they reach their fundraising goal.

Siller pledged that any donation made in Hill’s honor will be given to his family. If the foundation collects more than the value of the family’s mortgage, any excess funds will go to the family to pay for home repairs or other needs.

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