On the Rocks: Climbing high, warm and dry, in Perry County.

December 29, 2017 | by Karen Hendricks

Burg in Focus: Awakening Adventures from GK Visual on Vimeo.

Their friendship got off to a “rocky start.”

A mutual friend introduced Travis Haines to Kyle Stapp, an experienced rock climber, about five years ago.

“I don’t have time to climb rocks,” Haines recalls saying to Stapp at the time.

The two men laugh at the memory because today they not only share a love of rock climbing but are co-owners of the newly opened Susquehannock Climbing and Fitness Center.

Located half-an-hour north of Harrisburg in Liverpool, the business is housed in a former sewing factory known locally as “The Facktory,” just two blocks from routes 11/15 and the Susquehanna River.

Haines, 29, served in the U.S. Navy, worked as a park ranger at nearby Little Buffalo State Park, and enjoys obstacle course challenges so much that he has applied twice to the popular television show, “American Ninja Warrior.”

Stapp, 33, also served in the military—the Army—followed by six years as a rock climbing supervisor at Perry County’s Longacre Leadership Camp. He’s also a certified single pitch (meaning one pitch or one climb between two points) instructor by the American Mountain Guides Association.

Open since November, Susquehannock Climbing offers rock climbing walls with numerous options, skills and strength training, obstacle course training, instruction in wilderness survival skills and more. Patrons are also welcome to use the facility as an open gym.

All the skills learned indoors, in the controlled environment of Susquehannock Climbing, can be transferred outdoors, to other sports and life experiences, according to Stapp and Haines.

“We truly believe anyone can climb,” Stapp said. “If you’re a total rookie, we welcome you.”

The pair has additional aspirations.

“We want to teach rock climbing as a form of therapy—helping special needs children, those with PTSD such as veterans and recovering addicts,” Haines said.

Above and Beyond

Stapp said he “geeked out” researching what’s called adventure-based therapy.

He pointed to studies that show that climbing stimulates language, balance, spatial body awareness, overall muscle tone, fine and gross motor skills. Additionally, climbing is said to encourage problem-solving, independent thinking and confidence.
Haines said he especially enjoys teaching “newbies” how to climb since it wasn’t long along that he, too, was a beginner.

“I recently had a 242-pound man on the rope—he got the whole way up the wall to the top and that felt good,” Haines said. “I was so proud of him.”

Another source of pride for Haines is the “transformation” he says is underway in Liverpool.

“I feel this building has a lot to do with that,” he said, referencing the rehabilitation of the factory into “The Facktory” by owner Brent Lesperance.

A contractor for 25 years, Lesperance bought the former factory and began rehabbing it in 2004 with his stepbrother.

“We wanted to create a place for kids to go, and it was easier to repurpose the factory instead of starting over from scratch,” he said.

Within the 1900s-era brick-and-stone walls, Lesperance created an indoor basketball court, event and concert venue complete with a stage and sound system, kitchen, space for ping pong tables and other games. A former boxer, Lesperance coached area kids in The Facktory’s boxing ring.

Health issues soon forced him to shut down The Facktory, except for rentals of the space. But he said he was thrilled when Haines and Stapp approached him with a plan to lease part of it for the climbing center.

“They’ve taken it above and beyond what I imagined,” Lesperance said. “It’s inspiring, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Figure It Out

After touring the facility, it was finally time for me to “climb the walls.” I enjoy adventure—running, hiking and biking—however, I’ve always had a fear of heights. I figured if Haines and Stapp could talk me through it, they really could teach anyone to climb.

First, I had to put on my gear—special climbing shoes and a harness—and learn the lingo. Haines would “belay” me, meaning he would stay on the ground, bracing the rope attached to my harness, taking up any slack, so that I stayed safe. I learned how to do the “figure eight retrace,” a secure rope knot.

To climb the wall, my hands and feet would use holds bolted into the wall that felt like rocks. Their size varied, measuring a few inches wide and deep at most. Haines showed me how to start—pointing to a series of holds that mimicked steps where I could begin climbing. I took a deep breath, dug my fingers and toes into the holds and trusted he had my back.

Both Haines and Stapp cheered and encouraged me from below.

“Remember to use your legs—not just your arms so that you’re not relying completely on your upper body strength,” Stapp advised.

As I looked for the brightly colored holds, I realized that rock-climbing involves a good bit of creativity and decision-making. I paused several times, assessing which hands or feet (left or right?) would go where, in order to climb higher. Creating a path was harder than it looked from the ground.

“That’s good, take your time, figure it out,” Haines called up to me.

I tried not to look down, always looking up for more holds. I was inches from the top of the wall when my left hand reached what looked like a larger, more secure hold than most. Boy, was I wrong. As my fingers curled around the hold, expecting a firm grip, the hold shifted slightly and my heart raced. I held on for dear life.

“It’s OK—we didn’t tell you, there are a few ‘spinners’ on the wall,” Stapp called.

I had survived it and was almost at the top. I wasn’t sure if my voice would come out, but I managed to say, “I’m ready to come down.” As Haines let out my rope, I “walked” down the wall. Back on the ground, we high-fived, my heartbeat returned to normal, and I felt a sense of accomplishment.

Stapp explained how, in an outdoor experience, rock-climbing holds aren’t always as secure as they appear, which is why “spinners” simulate the experience on climbing walls. He also said that the placement of the holds is changed every few weeks, so that climbers can experience different routes and challenges. I noted how difficult it was, at certain points, to decide how to climb, to determine which hands and feet would go where—much like solving a puzzle.

Haines and Stapp both nodded in agreement, clearly excited that my first climb had given me this insight.

“Everyone is unique,” Stapp said. “Climbing is a holistic experience. It’s experiential learning at its best.”

Susquehannock Climbing and Fitness Center is located at 101 Chestnut St., Liverpool. For more information, call 570-541-6718 or follow them on Facebook.

She Persisted: At Evolution Power Yoga, all things are connected.

December 29, 2017 | by Rachael Dymski

With the New Year, we ring in all kinds of resolutions, promising to change for the better over the next 365 days.

It’s like we all remember the person we wanted to be before we buried ourselves in chocolate and Christmas cookies.

This year will be my year, we tell ourselves. So, we stock up on kale and health shakes, throw away stale crackers and soured eggnog and sign up for that gym membership. We decide that the cold days of January are gong to wake up the ideal self somewhere beneath our skin.

The fact that so many resolutions fall flat by the first days of February might signal to us that we need a new approach.

Enter Evolution Power Yoga, which seeks to create lasting change.

Lisa Taylor started her company in 2001, back when yoga was not the cultural sensation it is today. At first, she was greeted by skepticism in her quiet, conservative Lancaster community. But Taylor persisted and, in doing so, grew her studio into a sustainable business across four locations in central Pennsylvania.

As per Taylor’s philosophy, Evolution Power Yoga focuses on the body as a whole, as each part influences the others.

“At its core, our program teaches you to take the time to extensively reflect on all aspects of yourself: your consciousness, your thought patterns, your yoga practice and your life overall,” she said.

Amanda Bachman, manager of Evolution’s Harrisburg branch, said that they help people become a part of something bigger than themselves.

“We are a community that supports one another,” she said. “People will experience mental and physical benefits after coming to Evolution.”

In January, the yoga studio will embark on “40 Days to Personal Revolution,” a program based on the Baron Baptiste book of the same name. The program explores motives, behaviors and repetitive patterns in oneself.

The program includes a daily yoga practice, as would be expected. But it also includes a weekly, one-hour group meeting and instruction to “encourage curiosity, self-reflection and exploration,” according to Bachman. Evolution Yoga, she said, takes a holistic view of the body and sees all parts as intertwined.

The belief is that, with this mindset, New Year’s resolutions will be a lot harder to break.

Evolution Power Yoga also runs a training and teaching program called the Evolution Learning Institute. The goal is to train people who would like to teach yoga, taking a similar approach to the “40 Days” program by focusing on the body as a whole.

“Engaging in a program like this, you teach yourself,” Taylor said. “This is about training teachers, but it’s mostly about training leaders.”

Bachman added that yoga has had a positive effect on her own life.

“Yoga has elevated our lives and inspired us as individuals,” she said. “We now are driven to share those experiences by making yoga accessible for all.”

Evolution Power Yoga has four locations in central PA, including the Harrisburg studio at 2591 Brindle Dr. (Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace). For more information, call 717-727-7069 or visit www.evolutionpoweryoga.com.

Parting Words: A local tale, told piecefully.

December 29, 2017 | by Catherine Jordan

The serial novel has a distinguished pedigree.

No less a writer than Charles Dickens published many of his novels in serial form, with a section or chapter appearing in a periodical from issue to issue. In fact, many magazines in the 19th century published novels serially.

The format never disappeared, but rather went out of fashion.

The internet, it may be said, has helped revive the form by priming readers to read differently—micro tales suit the text-byte attitude. And—surprise—there’s an app for that. Serial fiction apps are available for Android and IOS devices.

The Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA) is restarting the tradition locally, with plans to publish a novella, “The Blue, the Gray and the Red,” in five monthly installments as an insert in the News-Sun, Perry County Times and Duncannon Record starting this month.

The novella (defined as a short novel, about 40,000 words) is set in Perry County in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. It places fictional characters in historical events and interweaves elements of family drama, romance, loss and the supernatural.

Right now, Perry County citizens are actively engaged in historically related initiatives as the county’s bicentennial is in 2020. So, according to former PCCA Executive Director Roger Smith, the novella project is timely.

Loose Ends

The novella is a product of PCCA’s “A Novel Idea,” a yearlong writing program for aspiring authors. The goals behind the writing course are to teach participants how to avoid writing pitfalls, rouse inspiration and benefit from the wisdom of published authors. Participants stoke ideas through writing exercises and group critiques.

The writing program also offers students publication opportunities. For instance, in December 2016, Sunbury Press published a collection from the program titled, “Strange Magic.” That anthology caught the attention of Wade Fowler, editor of the Perry County Times and chairman of the Robert H. and Beverly U. Fowler Foundation.

Fowler presented PCCA with a grant to publish the novella in his three newspapers as a practical way to honor his late father, who loved to encourage and support writers.

“I am excited that the Arts Council has developed this novel way to recognize and promote local literary talent,” Fowler said.

Carrie Jacobs, a third-year student writer, wrote the first installment. Her guidelines were simple—set the project during the Civil War somewhere in Perry County and include a supernatural element.

“The most challenging part has been writing without ending the story, leaving enough conflict and loose ends for the next writers to pick up where I left off,” Jacobs said.

Angela Binner, also a student writer, followed with the second installment.

“My job was to build the tension through additional conflicts,” she said.

Book Format

For Binner, the project combined two subjects of fascination—the Civil War and Pennsylvania Dutch magic. As a bonus, it allowed Binner to work one-on-one with Christian/Amish/romance writer Laurie Edwards (who also writes under the pen name Rachel J Good), whom Binner admires.

“One of our goals as teachers is to pass along our hard-earned knowledge and make it easier for beginning writers to learn the craft and avoid many of the pitfalls in the industry,” Edwards said. “As their skills improved, we hoped to provide opportunities for them to experience publication.”

Cindy Simmons, a second year student with the PCCA writing workshop, and contemporary romance author Heather Heyford partnered for the third installment.

Sandra Bush, a student in the “A Novel Idea 102” program, and writing program founder/author Don Helin, will pen the fourth installment.

Brenda Tadych, a participant in the charter “A Novel Idea” writing workshop, and yours truly (Catherine Jordan), will tackle the fifth and final piece.

Lawrence Knorr, founder and CEO of Sunbury Press, has agreed to publish the complete story as a novella in book format. Look for the completed novella in May.

“I think that ‘The Blue, the Gray and the Red’ will engage the readers of our newspapers in a uniquely Perry County story,” Fowler said.

For more information about the Perry County Council of the Arts, visit www.perrycountyarts.org. The next installment of “A Novel Idea” begins in March 2018.

Hollywood to Harrisburg: William Sanderson on his acting career, his PA Home and Shipoke’s quirky “Grounddog Day.”

December 29, 2017 | by Joanne Kaldy

Before you know it, it will be Groundhog Day again, which means that, in Harrisburg, a dog dressed as a bear will pretend to be a weather-predicting groundhog.

Say what?

Indeed, come early February, that’s what happens.

Then, last year, Shipoke’s “Grounddog Day” added something new—a famous local resident.

A neighbor heard that a popular TV and movie actor was living in the city. She reached out to his agent to see if he would appear—free of charge—at the event. Much to her surprise—and delight—he said “yes.” Pressing her luck, she asked if he would be willing to appear on TV’s “GoodDay PA” to promote Grounddog Day. Again, he agreed. The event was a tremendous success, in great part because of the actor’s participation.

That brazen Shipoker was me, and the actor was William Sanderson, star of the original “Blade Runner” movie and Larry—of Larry, Darryl and Darryl fame—on the TV series “Newhart.” As “Blade Runner” celebrates its 35th birthday and a long-awaited sequel hits the theaters, I talked to Sanderson about the cult classic and his life in central Pennsylvania.

A Thrill

The role of Sebastian in “Blade Runner” was a dream-come-true for a young actor—the opportunity to work with renowned director Ridley Scott and rising stars Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer.

“Ridley was a visionary director,” Sanderson said. “It was a thrill to work with him.”

He would whisper things to Sanderson that helped shape his performance.

“Play it from your heart, your soul,” he said, relating Scott’s direction.

In the film, Sanderson’s character was smitten with a young runaway played by then 19-year-old Daryl Hannah. That wasn’t difficult, he admits, as the blonde actress—who went on to star in films such as “Splash” and “Kill Bill”—was a beauty even then.

“She was lovely to look at, and she was gracious and fun to work with, as well,” Sanderson said.

As they filmed the movie, Sanderson heard from some that it was going to be a hit. However, he held back judgment.

“I learned early on that you never know if a film you’re making will be a hit or not,” he said.

Early reviews were mixed, and it did fairly well at the box office. However, thanks in part to a boom in home video and art house showings, the movie became a cult classic over the years.

“I am proud to have been part of this film, and I’m thrilled that people are still watching it and talking about today,” he said.

Don’t look for Sanderson’s character to be resurrected in the new “Blade Runner 2049.” But that’s OK with him.

“I’ve always been skeptical of sequels,” said. “But I wish them well and hope it’s a hit.”

Plot Twists

Harrisburg actually was Sanderson’s home away from home for many years. His wife Sharon is from the city, and her family still lives here.

“Three years ago, I was told that it was time to move here, and I obliged,” he said, laughing.

It wasn’t a hard transition, he said, since he’s always liked the area. And, while he enjoys the change of seasons, he admits that he was “surprised” by the cold—and found driving in and shoveling snow to be a challenge.

With his distinctive, smooth-as-molasses Tennessee drawl, Sanderson often gets recognized by fans. They most often mention “Newhart,” possibly because the show is still in syndication some 30 years after its original run. However, younger fans sometimes recognize Sanderson from his roles on the HBO series “Deadwood” and “True Blood.”

“It’s always a pleasure to meet people who’ve enjoyed my work,” he said.

He learns new things from some of these encounters.

“One woman told me that she and her then-fiancé met me at a bar once, and that I bought them a bottle of champagne to celebrate their engagement,” he said. “I don’t remember that, but I was glad to hear that I’d done something so nice and that it made them feel good.”

Sanderson likes his life in Harrisburg, whether he’s spending time with his wife and grandchildren or socializing at the American Legion. Modest at heart, he appreciates that people don’t treat him differently because of his celebrity.

“I was getting a haircut in a local barber shop,” he said. “I said that I’m trying to outlive my enemies. The barber deadpanned, ‘You’ll have to live a long time.’ I loved his bluntness.”

He chuckled.

“I’ll never go back there for a haircut, but I loved his candor,” he said.

Don’t expect to find Sanderson rocking on the porch, even as he enjoys semi-retirement. He currently is writing his memoirs, a new challenge for someone who claims he isn’t a writer.

“I had to get help putting it together and getting it organized,” he said. “But I’m pretty close to having it ready to show to someone.”

As he tells it, his life and career have been like a great movie, full of adventure, challenges, drama, comedy, thrills and plot twists.

“I don’t know if the book will have any redeeming social value or lasting impact,” he said. “I just hope people will read it and enjoy it.”

Actor William Sanderson is set to appear at the 2018 Grounddog Day event, which is slated for Feb. 3, 10 a.m. Note: the location has changed. It will now be held at the Broad Street Market, N. 3rd and Verbeke streets, Harrisburg.

Riots & Raffles: Our editor offers his annual review of Harrisburg’s top news stories.

December 29, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Ah, January.

Bitter winds. Winter storm warnings. Slush up to your knees.

But here’s something to warm your soul—my annual “top 10” list of Harrisburg news. As usual, I’ve employed a totally unscientific, subjective process to judge what I consider to be the top Harrisburg stories for the year just ended.

10. Mega-Murals: Let’s kick off the top-10 list on a happy note, with perhaps the most delightful thing to happen in Harrisburg in 2017—the Harrisburg Mural Festival. In September, artists came to town from near and far, and, at the end of 10 days, more than a dozen new murals were sprinkled throughout Midtown and downtown. It was a fun, affirming community event the likes of which I hadn’t experienced here before. Speaking of public art, I’d like to give a quick quack-out to another way-cool project, the Downtown Ducks, which offered a bit of needed whimsy amidst the hard surfaces of Harrisburg’s business district.

9. To the Limits: Every year, an issue arises that epitomizes the perennial discord and power struggle between Harrisburg’s mayor and City Council. In 2017, there were several, but an effort by council President Wanda Williams to impose mayoral term limits had to be the most overt. Williams recalled the excesses of seven-term Mayor Steve Reed to justify her ordinance, but most people regarded it as a naked swipe at current Mayor Eric Papenfuse. In turn, Papenfuse said he didn’t necessarily oppose term limits for the mayor, but thought they should extend to council, as well. And, months later, that’s where we stand.

8. Going Up: In November, Harrisburg University offered up an early holiday present when it announced plans to build the city’s tallest building—a 30-story-plus neck-strainer at the corner of S. 3rd and Chestnut streets. The project, currently slated to break ground next year, may include a hotel and conference center, in addition to classrooms and student housing. Downtown saw other development news in 2017, as Harristown Enterprises announced new projects on 2nd Street and continued its transformation of Strawberry Square with the debut of high-quality tenants like Fresa Bistro, Provisions, Freshido and the UPMC Pinnacle medical offices.

7. What’s the Plan? A single story rarely lasts through an entire calendar year, but the saga of Harrisburg’s comprehensive plan has now extended through 2015, 2016 and 2017. The year began with the city dismissing consultant Bret Peters, as relations between the administration and its hired architect reached a breaking point. In an odd twist, it ended with the Planning Commission adopting Peters’ plan as its final working draft. Because the plan still must pass muster with City Council, I’ve already penciled in this never-ending story as part of my 2018 top-10 list.

6. Not a Laugh Riot. By springtime, it looked like 2017 might be a difficult year on the streets of Harrisburg, as the capital city got drawn into the nation’s pro- and anti-Trump drama. Following clashes between factions at one protest, Harrisburg police asked council for $65,000 for new protective, or riot, gear. That got the crowds to council chambers, with most speakers opposing the purchase. In October, council tied the funding to the creation of a new, eight-member citizen task force to advise on police issues. However, as of mid-December, council had not passed a resolution authorizing it.

5. Triple Tragedy: Every year, a few stories in this often-fragile city seem particularly tragic. For instance, the double-murder in November of stepsisters Kaliah Dearing and Natasha Harner was especially horrible and heartbreaking. But arguably no story was more tragic than the triple loss in March of 10-year-old Savannah Dominick, 2-year-old Ashanti Hughes and Harrisburg firefighter Lt. Dennis DeVoe. The girls perished from a house fire in Uptown Harrisburg sparked by a faulty hover board, and DeVoe was killed when his car was T-boned on his way to the fire. Fittingly, the Fire Bureau later retired DeVoe’s badge number and placed his name on the Memorial Wall at the PA National Fire Museum.

4. Reed Plea: Harrisburg’s “trial of the century” was set to start, with the city’s former seven-term mayor and erstwhile savior, Steve Reed, in the dock facing more than 100 criminal counts. Then, poof, it all ended. Reed suddenly accepted a plea deal on 20 counts of receiving stolen property and, a week later, was sentenced to two years of probation. The conviction was cold comfort for those wanting someone to answer for hanging Harrisburg out to dry, driving it the brink of bankruptcy. Back in 2015, the state had charged Reed with nearly 500 corruption-related counts, but most of those were dismissed because a judge ruled that the statute of limitations for prosecution had expired. Following the sentencing, the state and the city declared that, with the criminal case settled, they now could pursue civil charges against the myriad people responsible for the city’s financial implosion. So far, crickets.

3. Election Division: High-stakes elections often bring out the worst in a body politic, and so it was once again with Harrisburg’s mayoral contest. The five-candidate primary race was rather quietly (and often poorly) run until about two weeks before the primary election, when a series of debates finally forced the candidates out from behind their Facebook pages. Then it was all division: race, neighborhood, class and anything else that could be used by challengers to try to divide and conquer. In the end, incumbent Papenfuse had the overall best debate performances and won handily. And, with the Democratic nomination determined, the mayoral election seemed to be all but settled, until . . .

2. Raffle Wreck: In Harrisburg, nothing ever seems resolved. So, candidates lose in the primary, but then often reappear in the general election. This time around, two of the losing primary candidates decided to mount last-minute write-in bids, which seemed rather innocuous and, honestly, pointless, until one of them, Gloria Martin-Roberts, lost control of her campaign. Several supporters decided to mount their own rogue campaign on her behalf, rounding up a bunch of homeless men to distribute flyers supporting the candidate. The men also handed out raffle tickets, which offered a chance to win big prizes just for voting. “Foul!” cried several concerned citizens, who complained to the county elections bureau. A judge, seeing a possible connection between the flyers and the tickets, issued an order to halt the raffle. Over ensuing days, most folks complicit in the strange affair laid the blame on others or denied involvement completely. To quote those New Zealand pop gods, OMC, “How bizarre.”

1. Up and Up: Several years ago, in my year-end “Top 10” list, I remarked that most news items were surprisingly positive, even though the city itself, broke and under state receivership, was a basket case. This year, I have the opposite assessment. Many of my top news items are rather negative, but, in truth, the city had a very good year overall. The budget is balanced, many new businesses opened, re-development continued, the city’s first bike share launched and home sales were brisk. Back in 2012 and 2013, I never could have imagined such a rapid turnaround and bright future for Harrisburg. But, thankfully, here we are. So, that’s my No. 1 story of the year.

Numerous other stories almost made the cut in this news-rich little city. My runner-up list included City Council resignations, the doomed Eastern University deal, the sinkhole solution, the surprising Civil War Museum accord, the delayed (finally begun) 3rd Street project and the Hail Mary bid for the Amazon headquarters.

Wait—did I just finish up an entire year-end news review without once mentioning parking? This is Harrisburg. That can’t be right.

Lawrance Binda is editor in chief of TheBurg.

A Cup & a Cause: Newport café serves up good coffee, good works.

December 29, 2017 | by Casey Kelly

“Coffee, people happy.”

It was those three words that encouraged Greg Holcomb and Jess McNaughton to take a leap, and the slogan continues to remind them why they did so.

In late September, the couple officially opened their coffee shop, Buffalo Brew, right on the square in quaint Newport.

The simple—but true—three-word statement came from one of McNaughton’s students at Newport High School, where she was a Pre-Employment Transition Services (PETS) instructor. This student was the one who made McNaughton particularly motivated to do something that would make a difference.

The goal of PETS is to bridge the gap between high school and employment by providing students with work experience and skills. Although the program, a partnership between United Cerebral Palsy of Central PA and the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, was separate from the school’s life skills classes, McNaughton said the two groups often combined for certain events or projects.

After Thanksgiving 2016, McNaughton came forward with her proposal to open a coffee shop at the school that her students and the life skills students would staff. The idea was approved, and the shop is still open at the school today.

Newport schools Superintendent Ryan Neuhard said that the coffee shop addresses new aspects of a changing educational environment. He also credited a media center the school recently added for allowing for more social interaction between the students. All of this was in response to a national shift in educational expectations.

“There’s more of a bigger push for preparing the kids for college and making them career-ready,” he said. “Not only are we preparing students academically, but now we are also tasked with developing our students for that next phase of life. This program was perfect in the realm of being able to provide an opportunity for these students to work with other students and adults.”

Road Trip

McNaughton’s idea was inspired by a café in Wilmington, N.C., called Bitty and Beau’s, which is run by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While customers love their products, Bitty and Beau’s prides itself on drawing people in for the unique customer service experience and feelings of acceptance and inclusion.

“That’s what they do—it’s a coffee shop, and they only employ adults with disabilities,” Holcomb said. “We road-tripped down there, slept in the car, got up and went in the place as soon as they opened and checked it out. It was a real, genuinely good feeling just being there and seeing how the people felt.”

McNaughton recalled sitting in the shop amazed at the operation for around two hours when Holcomb finally said, “All right, I think it’s getting kind of weird that we’re just sitting here now.”

After returning, the couple continued to toss around the idea of opening up a similar place. In addition to the trip to Bitty and Beau’s, McNaughton had been watching how the café in the school was helping students with social interaction and other life skills.

“It was just kind of this thing that wouldn’t go away,” McNaughton said. “It wouldn’t go away.”

When Holcomb and McNaughton stumbled upon the real estate listing for their current location, any lingering hesitation vanished.

“We saw this place and thought, ‘Well, if we’re gonna do it, this is the spot,’” Holcomb said. “So we took a leap.”

Friendly, Accepting

Indeed, Buffalo Brew is centrally located.

It’s situated right on 2nd Street in Newport, so anyone commuting to or from Harrisburg drives right past. It’s warmly decorated with wood and brick accents. Despite being new inside, it feels homey and welcoming.

Two Harrisburg-made products are on the menu: coffee from Little Amps and baked goods from Dalicia Bakery. McNaughton said they also plan to start serving bagels from Bagel Lovers Café, another Harrisburg business. She did stress, however, that the concept of Buffalo Brew is to be a genuine coffee shop—they serve bagels and baked goods, but no food that requires any serious cooking.

“We want to specialize in coffee,” she said. “We want to teach our employees to make coffee drinks. The goal behind this doesn’t suit a French fryer or flipping burgers.”

Buffalo Brew now has six employees, three of whom are former special education students at Greenwood and Newport high schools. Of those three, McNaughton had two in the PETS program at Newport. Holcomb and McNaughton both said they want to employ as many people with intellectual disabilities as possible and hope to hire more as the business grows.

Holcomb and McNaughton want Buffalo Brew’s atmosphere to be friendly and accepting. Both stressed how much they value the importance of being able to have conversations with people and how face-to-face communication is quickly becoming a lost skill. Holcomb said his business plan revolves around “friendly conversation, being personable and selling good products.”

They want Buffalo Brew to serve as another location in Newport for people to spend time together where everyone is accepted. McNaughton said teachers have come into the shop to grade papers, and another group of ladies hopes to knit together there.

“Sometimes it is a little surreal, but we just went with it,” McNaughton said. “We did it.”

Buffalo Brew is located at 24 N. 2nd St. in Newport. For more information, call 717-204-7606 or visit www.newportbuffalobrew.com or their Facebook page.

Exploring Love: Centuries-old play deftly advocates acceptance.

December 29, 2017 | by Meghan Jones

“My stage manager happily calls it ‘the Elizabethan lesbian play,’” Francesca Amendolia says, describing her upcoming production as director of “Gallathea,” a court play and early modern comedy by John Lyly. This month, Amendolia’s production will be performed by Gamut Theatre Group’s supplementary producing ensemble, “The Stage Door Series.”

Gamut’s Stage Door Series seeks to complement Gamut’s Main Stage productions, with shows that meet the theatrical standard of the overarching company mission, but are produced by a community of volunteers who simply love theater. This play is a particularly good choice for the Stage Door Series, being a fringe play—not often performed—that is worthy of production and touches on modern societal questions like same-sex love and gender roles.

“Gallathea,” as a play, fits in with many early modern comedies, and the influence that Lyly’s play had on Shakespeare’s own work is palpable. Characters from the play are, as Amendolia puts it, “prototypes” to future Shakespearean characters in plays like “As You Like It” or “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Being that it was performed in court for Queen Elizabeth I in 1588, there are thematic similarities to other comedies of the time.

Amendolia accurately describes Elizabethan comedies as plays in which “nobody dies and there is a marriage at the end.” However, “Gallathea” switches the expectations slightly, with the presence of death looming largely over the play, arguably more than other comedies, and the end-of-play marriage being that of a same-sex couple.

The play explores what defines love, and Amendolia is impressed and surprised at the relevance and persistence of this question, more than 400 years after Lyly’s play was performed in court.

The play’s primary storyline follows two girls, Gallathea (played by Sarah Dugan) and Phillida (played by Emily Hofstaedter), as they both hide, on direction from their fathers, so that they will not be chosen as a sacrifice to the god Neptune. Every five years, the village must choose the most beautiful virgin in the town to sacrifice to Neptune and his sea monster, as retribution for their destruction of a temple long ago. Disguising the top two choices for sacrifice as men, their fathers send the girls into the forest until after the sacrifice is over to ensure they will not be chosen.

Upon meeting, the disguised Gallathea and Phillida fall in love as boys, although both suspecting the other is truly a girl. Mistaken identities, meddling from the gods and from forest nymphs, and confusion in the town are what make the play a comedy, but the undertones of exploring same-sex love and acceptance are what make the play both ahead of its time and worthy of producing today. This is the driving force behind the production, says Amendolia.

“We talk a lot, in the theater, about the importance of representation, and that can be a tricky thing to achieve in classic theater,” she says. “Gallathea goes a tiny way toward redressing that balance. It has nods of hetero-normativity, but it also explicitly allows there to be same-sex attraction, desire and love.”

She explains that performance and drama exist in order to challenge the boxes built by society. The theater is a place where people can watch societal questions be explored in a non-threatening way and where people can think critically about their world through the lens of a fictional—in this case, fantastical—setting.

The fact that this Elizabethan play bravely explores same-sex relationships is not the only driving force for Amendolia in producing this play, however. Lyly wrote this specific play for an all-boy company called “The Children of Pauls.” The significance of this is that boys often played women in Elizabethan theater because they were petite and their features still considered “feminine.” Women did not typically act in early modern theater, and there is a perpetual misunderstanding that it was illegal for them to do so.

Amendolia states that the fact that this story was written for a boy’s company means that it has “that wondrous thing in early modern theater: parts for women.” She continues by stating that, even though some directors are willing to swap gender roles, “excellent and deserving female actors often have to scramble for the few Shakespearean roles available to them.” Amendolia feels compelled to produce her play with 11 of 15 roles played by women.

The complex understanding of gender that is present in modern society would have been lost on Elizabethan audiences. However, it is clear that Lyly, and as a result, Amendolia, are interested in questioning what role a structured gender system has in shaping individual happiness and feelings of love. The play affords an opportunity to show how desire and affection between two people defy social constructs. While the play speaks to its audience’s potential discomfort by suggesting that one of the women is changed into a man before their marriage, the fact that this action happens off stage allows us to consider the possibility that it is not so important to the story after all.

Through “Gallathea,” theater has a chance to be both ambiguous and explorative, encouraging audiences to see the relevance of classic theater in ways that show how these stories are incredibly worthy of being told.

“Gallathea” will be performed Jan. 12 to 21 at Gamut Theatre, 15. N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-238-4111 or visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

Game On: It’s pixels, not pigskins, as HU introduces varsity e-gaming.

December 29, 2017 | by Diane McNaughton

Amanda Fidler isn’t your typical athlete.

Yes, she’s dedicated to her sport and has high hopes for a collegiate scholarship for the next academic year. However, you won’t see Fidler hitting a ball or running laps.

You will see her, though, at her computer, practicing every day at such games as “League of Legends,” “Overwatch” and “Hearthstone.”

Fidler, of Philadelphia, is a student at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, and she is working towards earning a valuable scholarship next year as the computer club that she heads morphs into a full-scale varsity sports team.

On the cutting edge of this growing international craze, HU is the first college in the mid-Atlantic to join the National Association of Collegiate eSports.

The Next Move

In the past few years, e-gaming has grown into an explosive cultural phenomenon, attracting throngs of screaming young fans, often dressed in colorful costumes representing their favorite animated characters.

Devotees fill cavernous, darkened arenas in places like Seoul, South Korea, where e-sports clubs dot every street and offer high-dollar prize money. The e-gamers don headphones and compete on a raised stage under the harsh glare of floodlights before a high-powered computer projected onto a huge screen. Thousands of spectators erupt sporadically into cheers and groans, frequently jumping out of their seats as they follow the vibrant graphics and live action.

E-gaming will be HU’s first varsity sport, and the college plans to offer 15 scholarships—three teams of five players each. The scholarship selection process is expected to take place in the spring.

HU President Eric Darr is a gamer himself. He started playing Pong, the most rudimentary of arcade video games, some 40 years ago. Fast-forward to today, when he and his son, now a student at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, often compete against each other in a complex online game called “Civilization,” which requires players to build a society, with all the military, political, artistic, scientific and economic challenges that entails.

Like Darr, Fidler appreciates the stories within the stories in each game and the intricacies that accompany each. She watches video competitions daily, often streaming them on her computer.

“You learn by watching,” said the sophomore student, gleaning new tricks and combinations all the time.

To be a varsity-level gamer, it’s not just about hand-eye coordination. “You have to be good at multi-tasking,” she explained.

You also must be aware not only of the opposing team but of your own teammates. “You’re always looking for your opponent to make the next move,” she said.

A Big Deal

As HU’s e-gaming team is built, school officials are now conducting a national search for a world-class gaming coach. They are also seeking one or two assistant coaches, so the 5,000-student university can field a powerful program by September 2018.

The matches that get played between colleges may be broadcast over an internet channel called Twitch, Darr said. ESPN already broadcasts the “League of Legends” championships, which occurred Nov. 4, and as the competitions become more popular, it is likely that it will broadcast even more, Darr predicted.

HU is also looking for an arena to broadcast the play of its e-gamers.

The competitions are something to see. Five players usually emerge in sweatshirts wearing sponsor patches, much like today’s racecar drivers. They sit behind consoles on a stage. The game loads, they talk strategy, and a color commentator and tactician may narrate. Spectators can watch on a big screen, and important events can even be replayed.

America’s best team is “Cloud 9,” which has its own A-list celebrities, Darr said.

“If you are a gamer, and you understand what you are seeing, you realize, ‘These guys are really, really good,’” Darr said. “They get millions of views already. It’s a big deal.”

He said that e-gaming involves not just finding the best players, but fielding the best team.

“The team aspect is critically important, much like any other sports,” Darr said.

For example, a team with the highest-ranked players in the world recently lost a high-stakes championship because of how they interacted as a team, he said.

“You don’t have to be the fastest person to pull the trigger,” Darr said. “You have to be the one to come up with a unique strategy.”

He said that the newly forming e-sports teams tie in nicely with HU’s academic programs. Some gamers are artists, not techies, but most gamers are passionate technology lovers, he said.

Because scholarship winners must be HU students, he hopes that the best students who want to study science and technology will set their controller on HU.

HU e-gamers will practice often, but it will be limited. Academic standing is a requirement, so gamers can’t play all day, Darr emphasized.

But practice, strategy sessions and white-boarding will occur, sans the Gatorade and sweat towels of a traditional sports practice.

“We think about e-sports and the move into varsity sports as part of the growth and evolution of HU,” Darr said. “It better engages students, and it’s a way for students to feel better about HU and develop a passion for it. It also gets the word about HU out at the national level.”

The team may wind up attracting some of the world’s best gamers to HU, and science-minded whizzes may build a league of legends of its own right here in Pennsylvania’s capital city. Game on.

For more information about Harrisburg University for Science and Technology, visit www.harrisburgu.edu.

Old Story, New Relevance: “Gaslight” part of Midtown Cinema’s Oscar month.

December 29, 2017 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

You’ve probably heard of the term “gaslighting”—the act of manipulation by psychological means to cause someone to question their own sanity. But do you know where the term originated?

It turns out, there has been a story floating around since the late 1930s about a woman whose husband uses psychological tricks to slowly convince her that she has lost her mind. It’s a tale that humanity continues to revisit.

The story originated in 1938 with a play by Patrick Hamilton titled “Gas Light,” and, in 1940, a British film adaptation was made by the same name. Four years later, America, not to be outdone, stepped up to the plate and made the critically acclaimed version of “Gaslight” with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, directed by George Cukor. And what a good decision, because, with seven Academy Award nominations and two wins (Best Actress and Best Production Design), audiences here artfully proved that the story was still relevant.

Bergman plays Paula Alquist, the niece of Alice Alquist, a famous opera singer who was murdered in her home in Thornton Square. The killer was never caught, and, years later, after moving away from the scene of the crime, Paula returns with her new husband, Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer), a man who suddenly appeared in her life and immediately swept her off her feet. The newlyweds move into the house in Thornton Square and board up the top floor, cordoning off all of Alice’s belongings so that Paula doesn’t have to look at them and remember the painful events from her past.

But soon, Gregory begins commenting on Paula’s forgetfulness and then objects start going missing—things that Paula should have kept in safekeeping. Every night, when Gregory leaves the house to work, Paula hears noises in the floor above, and the gaslight in the house dims, though no one in the house has lit one in another room. Luckily for Paula, her neighbor, Miss Thwaites (May Whitty) and a local investigator, Brian Cameron (Joseph Cotton), believe something is afoot. Brian begins to piece together Gregory’s criminal history, including connections to Alice and a case of missing jewels.

Though the film has a rocky introduction with its heavily expository setup (poor Paula is told exactly why she’s leaving the country after her aunt’s murder—she must forget the past, of course), the story continues with a solidity that most screenplays today forego for special effects. Even with the actual act of gaslighting aside, every scene nails the daily frustrations that a woman must deal with, whether it’s unfair comparisons, not being taken seriously, or pitting other women against her (the housekeepers, Elizabeth and Nancy, played by Barbara Everest and Angela Lansbury, reflect the complexity of these relationships in such a subtly hostile environment). And as Paula is slowly convinced of her insanity, Bergman lets loose with her character, driving home the point that, with a little conditioning, you can turn into exactly what you insist you are not. There is a reason Bergman won an Academy Award for her performance, and Boyer’s straight-faced manipulation complements it perfectly.

There are so many facets of this screen gem that make it applicable to current events. We see clearly the battle that women fight every day of their lives, trying to contradict the accusations against womanhood that have been reinforced for centuries. In a world where women are told they are being fanciful, or lying to make a scene, or remembering the facts wrong, or even that they are not strong enough to be out in the real world, this film says, no. This is not your imagination; your voice matters, and we believe you. Just like Paula’s house in the square, this world can be more than just your place of psychological trauma.

Despite this reviewer’s dislike for Hollywood remakes, perhaps a story that remains so painfully relevant needs to be revisited again—or at least replayed on the big screen.

“Gaslight” will be shown on Jan. 28 at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

JANUARY SPECIAL EVENTS
Oscar Winner January!

“All About Eve” (1950)
Won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing, Best Costume Design
Sunday, Jan. 7, 2 p.m.

“The Departed” (2006)
Won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing
Sunday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Won: Best Original Score, nominated for Best Picture
Friday, Jan. 19, 9:30 p.m. (3^rd in the Burg)
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2 p.m.

“Gaslight” (1944)
Won: Best Actress, Best Art Direction, nominated for Best Picture
Sunday, Jan. 28, 2 p.m.

One Book, Your Community: Local readers feast on a single novel by a Lancaster author.

December 29, 2017 | by Catherine Jordan

Ever wonder how authors get those great ideas for their novels?

“Boredom,” says Maria V. Snyder, author of 15 novels, including “Poison Study,” a fantasy book just selected for the 2018 “One Book, One Community” (OBOC) program.

OBOC is a community-wide reading program that includes more than 40 public libraries in Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry and York counties, along with individual colleges and specialty libraries.

This is OBOC’s 15th year, and Snyder’s “Poison Study” joins the ranks of such past esteemed selections as “The Kite Runner” (2006), “The Help” (2011) and “The Orphan Train” (2015).

OBOC launched in Seattle in 1998 and has been adopted by other cities like Chicago, New York and Philadelphia (to name a few). The idea is to promote a book that will engage readers in a common discussion.

Participants in the 2018 program will read during the month of January and then attend free programs and discussion groups in February. This marks the first year that a local author’s book has been selected for OBOC in central PA.

Snyder, a Lancaster resident, began writing while working as an environmental meteorologist at a consulting firm.

“In my line of work, summers were our down time,” she said. “I was always a big reader and a creative person. So, out of boredom during slow times at work, I started jotting down ideas for short stories. I’ll admit they were what I’d call, ‘cheesy sci-fi.’”

She took one of her pieces to a Philadelphia writer’s conference and submitted it for critique.

“I struggled in high school with grammar and essays, and, if my submission had not received the mark that it did—a 7 out of 10—I would’ve given up, thinking I didn’t have what it takes to become a writer,” she said.

Snyder took time off from her job as a meteorologist to have children. In the meantime, she sat on the board of the Elizabethtown Public Library as a member of the programming committee. One of her program ideas was to offer writing classes at the library.

She had to overcome two hurdles. First, the library didn’t have a room for the planned six-week course, and, secondly, she couldn’t find anyone interested in teaching. Snyder called Elizabethtown College, hoping to rent a classroom. Interestingly enough, the college also wanted to introduce an evening creative writing course, but could not find an instructor. So, she volunteered to teach the classes.

“In 1997, I began writing my first novel, “Poison Study,” she said. “I attended a monthly critique group and submitted one chapter at a time for review. I couldn’t find an agent or publisher—no one was interested. I didn’t want to go back to work as meteorologist, and I liked teaching, so I decided to go back to school and get my MA in creative writing from Seton Hill University.”

Snyder put in her application for Seton Hill, a liberal arts college located in Greensburg, Pa. She also sent out query letters to write nonfiction in Harrisburg Magazine while she searched for an agent for her middle-grade novel, “Storm Watcher.”

“Crickets—I heard nothing from anyone,” she said.

But then, in October 2003, she received the call that every aspiring author dreams about.

“When I answered the phone, I was confused at first because the lady had a British accent, and I thought she wanted to talk to my husband—he worked for an international company,” she said. “But she was from the U.K. office of Harlequin, and she wanted to publish ‘Poison Study.’”

They loved her novel and wanted another. A few days later, an agent called about “Storm Watcher” and offered to take her on as a client. That same month, Harrisburg Magazine invited her to a meeting to discuss her articles. And she received an acceptance letter from Seton Hill to attend graduate school.

“They say someday your ship will come in,” she said. “Well, that month, a whole flotilla arrived!”

Snyder’s been busy writing and teaching ever since.

“Poison Study,” published in 2005, has become part of a New York Times bestselling series. Originally geared toward adults, the book has a garnered a strong young adult following. She has penned several additional award-winning series. Her novels have been translated into 17 languages, are sold in 24 countries and have even received a movie rights option.

“Though that never went anywhere,” she said.

Snyder also teaches creative writing and mentors at Seton Hill’s low-residency (non-campus) MFA program. She facilitates various workshops and speaks at schools and libraries. She loves to travel and uses her jaunts as an opportunity to gather story ideas and write articles about her experiences.

She hopes that her selection in OBOC will give her more notice locally.

She especially would like more schools to become aware of her middle-grade series, “Storm Watcher,” which allowed her to put her knowledge of weather and meteorology to use. The series includes a fact-filled appendix and focuses on a young boy who is fascinated by the weather, though he has a severe weather phobia.

“I’m a rock star in Australia,” she said. “But it’s rare for me to meet someone who’s heard of me as an author within my own community.”

With “Poison Study” as the official selection of the 2018 “One Book, One Community” program, that’s now about to change.

Learn more about “One Book, One Community” at www.oboc.org.

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