Community Corner: Notable November Events

October 31, 2017 | by TheBurg Editor

November Community Corner

Mid-Day Getaway
Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Unwind over your lunch break at the McCormick Riverfront Library, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg. Bring your lunch to the library between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for coloring, card games, board games or low-stress activities. Visit dcls.org for details.

Dinner for a Cause
Nov. 2: Vision Resources of Central PA will host the sixth annual “Evening in the Shadows” at AACA Museum, 161 Museum Dr., Hershey, for a multi-course dinner and blindness awareness event. Tickets are $80. For details and tickets, call 717-238- 2531 or email [email protected].

One FAB Night
Nov. 3: One FAB Night will be held at the State Museum 300 North St., Harrisburg, 4 to 10 p.m., to honor Mara Keisling, Dickinson College and Adanjesús Marín and to raise funds to support the work of the LGBT Center of Central PA. Enjoy a reception with entertainment, dancing, silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Visit fallachievementbenefit.org.

HBG Flea
Nov. 4: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures and curated curios at Strawberry Square in Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit hbgflea.com for more details.

Fall Benefit
Nov. 4: Junior League of Harrisburg’s second annual Fall Fundraising Benefit & Silent Auction for the Penn State vs. Michigan State away game will be held at the Vineyard at Hershey, 598 Schoolhouse Rd., Middletown, starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25; designated driver rate is $18. Visit jl-hbg.com for more event details.

Fundraising Gala
Nov. 4: South Central PA Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will host “Unmask the Stigma” Suicide Prevention Gala at Radisson Hotel Harrisburg from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $50 person or $90 per couple. Visit afsp.org/southcentralpa for event details.

Full Moon Hike
Nov. 4: Enjoy a guided adventure on the North Boardwalk at Wildwood Park, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Brave the moonlit path as your eyes adjust to the darkness, while enjoying special activities along the way. Find more details at wildwoodlake.org.

Book Sales
Nov. 4, 18: Friends of the New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, will hold pre-owned book sales on the first and third Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Foundation House, across the shared parking lot from the library. Shop for books, vintage jewelry, men’s items, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, kids’ books, records and more. Visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org.

Mental Health
Nov. 5: Learn how to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health-related crisis or problem in a free Adult Mental Health First Aid Training course at Giant Community Room, 3301 E. Trindle Rd., Camp Hill, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants must be 18 years or older. Visit afsp.org/southcentralpa for details.

Yoga Walk
Nov. 5: Join yoga instructor Traci Wolfe for a guided, 3.1-mile walk around Wildwood Lake at a pace that will warm the body, with stops along the way for simple yoga exercises. The walk begins at 11:30 a.m. in front of the nature center. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Visit wildwoodlake.org.

Library Benefit
Nov. 5: Friends of the East Shore Library will host a fundraiser at the Oyster Mill Playhouse, 1001 Oyster Mill Rd., Camp Hill, at 2 p.m. Oyster Mill Playhouse will present “Jeeves Intervenes” adapted by Margaret Raether from stories of P. G. Wodehouse. Free wine and light refreshments provided. Call 717-839-7517 for more information and limited general admission tickets.

Member Luncheon
Nov. 9: Join the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, 4211 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill, and other local business professionals at a member luncheon, 12 to 1:30 p.m. The luncheon is open to all chamber members or non-members who would like to learn more. Visit wschamber.org.

Foreign Film Friday
Nov. 10: Join Fredricksen Library for “Gloria,” a film from Chile. Follow the story of a 58-year-old divorcee who develops a passionate relationship with an older man. Two showings are scheduled for 2 and 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org for more details.

Craft Show
Nov. 10-11: Winters Heritage House Museum, 47 E. High St., Elizabethtown, will host the 27th annual Elizabethtown Heritage Craft Show, opening Friday, 4 to 8 p.m., with a “Sneak Peek Party” for a first chance at locally made creative pieces. Lunch and baked goods will be available for purchase. An admission fee of $2 or a food bank contribution is requested. Visit elizabethtownhistory.org.

Women’s Expo
Nov. 11: The sixth annual Cumberland County Women’s Expo will be held at the Carlisle Expo Center, 100 K St., Carlisle, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This expo will present more than 80 businesses, including beauty, health and wellness, finance, travel, entertainment and home décor. Visit harrisburgregionalchamber.org.

Volunteer Work Day
Nov. 11: Head to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to help with continuing park and habitat enhancement projects, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snacks, tools and work gloves will be provided. Bring a water bottle. Refreshments available. Visit wildwoodlake.org.

Nutcracker Storytime
Nov. 11: Join New Cumberland Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet at 2 p.m. for a family-friendly story time with the Nutcracker. Children will explore movement and concepts that stimulate creativity, imagination, coordination and self-confidence. Best suited for children ages 3 and older. Visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org.

PA Music Fest
Nov. 11: Enjoy an eclectic line up of hip hop, live bands, instruments, R&B, poetry, emcees, live graffiti art, live hip hop cyphers, DJs, beat boxing, break dancing and more at PennsylMania Music Fest at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC), 1110 N. 3rd St. Doors open at 4 p.m.; show starts at 5 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $10; tickets at the door are $15. Visit harrisburgarts.com.

Book Review
Nov. 14: New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, will host local author Don Helin, who will discuss two of his works, “Secret Assault” and “Angel’s Revenge,” for the book review program in Foundation Hall, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Reviews are held on the second Tuesday of the month from September to May. Visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org.

Railroad Talk
Nov. 14: Alex Mayes will give a digital presentation, “2016 in Review,” to Harrisburg Chapter National Railway Historical Society at Hoss’s Restaurant, 743 Wertzville Rd., Enola. Business meeting and speaker begin at 7 p.m., with dinner served as early as 5 p.m. Call 717-439-9744 or email [email protected].

Holiday Wreaths
Nov. 14-16: Shalom House will host its 8th annual “Wreaths for a Reason,” a community awareness and fundraising event at Strawberry Square, 11 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Local crafters and school students donate the wreaths for this event. Visit shalomhouse.net for details.

Holiday Marketplace
Nov. 16-17: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) will hold the Holiday Marketplace in Village Square of the State Museum, 300 North St., 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The marketplace features PA-themed gifts from a variety of PHMC’s historic sites and museums from throughout the state. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

Book Week
Nov. 16-19: Join children’s book author Lauren Castillo in her studio at the Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, during Joan Y. Leopold Children’s Book Week for a meet-and-greet open house. Each family will receive a copy of her book, “Nana in the City,” and an opportunity to have it signed. For details, call 717-652-9380, ext. 144.

3rd in The Burg
Nov. 17: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event at galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown. Check out all the action at thirdintheburg.org.

Winter Fun
Nov. 17-Jan. 28: Whitaker Wonderland offers indoor winter fun for the whole family at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg. Take a few laps around the sock skate rink, dive in the snowball pit, and take the Cranky Cars for a spin. Festive activities are included with Harsco Science Center admission. Visit whitakercenter.org for details.

Holiday Parade
Nov. 18: Harrisburg will host its 2017 Holiday Parade, featuring local celebrities, music, floats, food and more. The parade steps off at 12 p.m. from City Island and winds through downtown. More information can be found at harrisburgpa.gov.

Silent Auction
Nov. 18: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, for its annual silent auction, 1 to 4 p.m. Items up for bid include books, artwork, children’s items, gift certificates, vacation packages and restaurant gift cards. For details, visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

Cars and Christmas
Nov. 18-Dec. 31: The AACA Museum will feature themed Christmas trees, unusual vehicles, vintage toys and cars, a Hess Truck display, model train exhibits, Sammy the 29-foot snow plow, a Grinch scavenger hunt and more. Bring a toy or non-perishable food item for the Central PA Food Bank and Toys for Tots. Visit aacamuseum.org.

NYC Bus Trip
Nov. 24: The Dauphin County Technical School Education Foundation will host a bus trip, “A Day On Your Own,” to New York City. Proceeds benefit a scholarship for career and technical students attending the Dauphin County Technical School. Visit dcts.org.

Small Business Saturday
Nov. 25: Celebrate local businesses on Small Business Saturday with a trip to the Broad Street Market, 1233 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friends of Midtown will have its new “Shop Midtown” coupon books for sale, full of bargains from local businesses, and will host its “Local Lunch” from 12 to 2 p.m. Visit friendsofmidtown.org.

Odd Ones Bizarre
Nov. 25: The annual Odd Ones Holiday Bizarre will be held at the Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shop for funky and handcrafted items for the holiday season at this annual alternative arts and crafts event. Dozens of crafters and creators will sell their wares, in addition to the Millworks’ featured studio artists. Visit millworksharrisburg.com.

Festival of Trees
Nov. 25-Dec. 17: View Christmas trees decorated with handmade ornaments and trimmed by local garden clubs at the Fort Hunter Tavern House, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Trees are available for raffle and a selection of ornaments are for sale. Visit forthunter.org.

Toy Train Exhibit
Nov. 25-Dec. 23: Keystone Model Railroad Historical Society returns to Fort Hunter Centennial Barn, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, with a display of HO gauge trains that travel over a large layout representing communities in central PA, Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Visit forthunter.org for more information.

Holiday Lights
Nov. 25-Jan. 1: Take a mile-long drive through a Christmas light display, with more than 300,000 lights all synchronized with holiday music broadcasted via FM radio, at Manheim Township Community Park, 209 Petersburg Rd., Lititz. Visit ChristmasSpiritLights.com.

Harp-Felt Christmas
Nov. 26: Harrisburg Harp Orchestra presents the annual “Harp-Felt Christmas” concert at Grace Milliman Pollock Performing Arts Center, 340 N 21st St., Camp Hill, 3 p.m. The 50-plus-member ensemble will perform original arrangements of traditional carols and modern holiday favorites. Tickets are $22 for adults, $16 for students and seniors. For tickets and details, visit harrisburgharporchestra.com.

Bulk Joy: New downtown grocer offers value, convenience, one item at a time.

October 31, 2017 | by Norah Griffiths Johnson

Provisions owners Adam Porter and Shaun Donovan

Picture yourself lovingly grinding your own peanut butter on one of the major streets in downtown Harrisburg.

Not on the actual street, mind you, but in Provisions, the just-opened, 2,000-plus-square-foot grocery store on the 3rd Street side of Strawberry Square. Sound far-fetched, or even a little nutty? Think again.

Make your own nut butter is just one of the many offerings available at Provisions, the brainchild of Shaun Donovan and Adam Porter. The two met several years ago through the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, but the idea for a brick-and-mortar grocery store coalesced as Porter helped Donovan set up a website for his online business, Appalachian Organics, which specializes in natural and organic health and beauty products, as well as food, household staples and even an extensive gluten-free section.

Once the pair teamed up to create Provisions, they focused on developing a viable business plan. While they knew they wanted to open the store in downtown or Midtown Harrisburg, finding a location that offered sufficient space at an affordable price turned out to be one of the biggest challenges. Aligning funding proved to be another hurdle.

“It was a process,” Donovan admits, laughing softly.

Ultimately, it came down to being able to articulate to potential funders the “why” in their business plan.

“Being able to tell a community story and how it’s going to benefit the neighborhood—that was really important,” says Donovan.

The two utilized a range of resources to help ensure they were considering every detail, including the Small Business Development Center out of Kutztown and owners of similarly structured stores in Denver, Colo., and Austin, Texas.

Speaking of the business model, one of the most interesting characteristics of Provisions is that it doesn’t mirror your average grocery store. Though customers can expect to find all the usual culinary and household staples, 75 percent of the store’s footprint is dedicated to bulk food offerings. When people hear “bulk,” many think of value-focused warehouse stores like Sam’s Club or Costco.

“Think, the candy aisle, not Costco,” Porter clarifies, chuckling.

Rather than shelves, customers discover gravity bins and containers with scoops. If you like, you can even bring your own containers, though some are available in-store for purchase, should you have lost the inevitable two or three lids from your extensive Tupperware collection. Dairy, produce and meat comprise the other 25 percent through local and PA-based producers like Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg and Four Seasons Produce out of Lancaster County.

The reason for this non-traditional model? Porter and Donovan aim to hit an eventual zero-waste mark.

“The amount of waste created from food packaging is appalling,” Porter notes.

From a financial standpoint, they explain, packaging drastically increases the cost of food. In fact, depending on what products a customer buys, Donovan estimates that they can save anywhere from 30 to 60 percent on their weekly grocery bill. When you remove added costs like packaging and transport, natural and organic products—which tend to skew slightly higher in price—become much more affordable. In addition to the environmental aspect, the two cite an overarching goal to bring affordable, healthy food to downtown Harrisburg.

The intended Provisions customer base is within a 10-minute radius (by foot).

“If you need two cups of flour, you can buy just two cups of flour,” Porter explains, another bonus of the bulk model. “If the in-laws show up, or friends come over, or even if you travel a lot for work and only need breakfast for tomorrow morning.”

For those who work downtown but are not city residents, Porter and Donovan believe they can help these people save a considerable amount of time. They point out that, by shopping over the lunch hour or right after work, customers can alleviate the additional half-hour-plus required to drive to and shop at a traditional, suburban grocery store on their way home from work.

An added bonus: Customers can draw upon Appalachian Organics’ existing online system and network of vendors to access more products and varying quantities. So, if you want to buy an entire box of paper towels rather than just one or two, you can purchase it in-store and have it shipped to your house, or order it online and pick it up on site.

Going forward, Porter and Donovan intend to offer a variety of in-store events, demos, “meet the farmer” days, product samplings and cooking tutorials. They’ll also partner with local chefs to produce recipe cards highlighting ingredients featured in the store so that customers can learn about healthy cooking practices and glean new ideas for seasonal ingredients or those that are a tad less common (e.g. amaranth flour).

The pair’s enthusiasm for Provisions is apparent, but both turn coy when pressed on what foods they’re most excited to offer. Finally, Porter relents.

“I’m excited to carry stuff that I don’t even know what it is yet,” he says.

He speaks of culinary school and time spent as a chef as the underpinnings to this passion.

“I love learning about various cultures,” he says. “There’s a whole world of food out there, and I’m excited to dive in and share it with people.”

Provisions is located at 15-17 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 717-236-5700 or visit provisionshbg.com.

Advancing the Story: Harrisburg has bookmarked a spot on the literary map, thanks to Midtown Scholar’s new manager.

October 31, 2017 | by Kari Larsen

Midtown Scholar Bookstore may be the largest used bookstore between New York and Chicago, but, when publishers schedule tours for major authors, stops in central Pennsylvania have been rare.

Store Manager Alex Brubaker is changing that. Since coming on board, he’s been emphasizing the promotion and sale of new works. And, along with that, he’s worked to attract increasingly big names to town, including, in September, one of the best known and highly regarded authors in the world—Salman Rushdie.

“I love new books, and I love author events,” Brubaker said. “They wanted new books, but they didn’t have the person to do it.”

Brubaker came to Harrisburg from Minneapolis, where he was an editorial assistant at the nonprofit book review “Rain Taxi,” covering newly published books from a variety of small presses—the kind that, even a year ago, Midtown Scholar did not carry.

He started as the coordinator of literary programs, and the promotion to manager has freed him up to fuse his passion with the strategic vision for the bookstore.

“The infrastructure was already there,” he said of Midtown Scholar. “They just let me get to it.”

A Destination
Recently, Zinzi Clemmons included Harrisburg on her itinerary while promoting her widely praised debut novel, “What We Lose.” During her intimate reading, she acknowledged the importance of bookstores like Midtown Scholar for first-time authors like herself.

It was equally important for Brubaker to share Clemmons’s work with a local audience.

“I want the bookstore to be that place in central Pennsylvania where a literary community thrives,” he said. “I want Midtown Scholar to be a destination. Creating a sustainable literary culture is the goal.”

Bridging the gap to audiences in Lancaster and York is a part of that, as, he notes, those cities are only about 40 minutes from Harrisburg.

“There are places in Philly where, if you want to go to a reading, you’ll have to drive for 45 minutes anyway,” he said. “We want to be a destination.”

To make that happen, Brubaker reached out to people like Donna Talarico, who runs an online literary nonfiction journal, Hippocampus Magazine, in Lancaster. She connected Brubaker with Eliot White, also in Lancaster, who runs the literary organization, The Triangle, with a mission to connect the “triangle” of York, Lancaster and Harrisburg by increasing awareness of and producing literary events.

The Triangle has sponsored several author events at Midtown Scholar this year.

“What Alex is trying to do perfectly fits within our mission at The Triangle,” said White. “Alex really does have his finger on the pulse of the local and national literary scene, and he’s working hard to bring those things right into our backyard.”

Grateful
Harrisburg’s strategic location along the East Coast also works to Midtown Scholar’s advantage.

For instance, the city was a logical stop when Riverhead Books was scheduling a tour for poet Patricia Lockwood, whose memoir, “Priestdaddy,” was published this past spring.

“Other colleagues of mine were familiar with Midtown Scholar,” said Riverhead’s Senior Publicity Manager Elizabeth Hohenadel, who had not been there prior to the Lockwood reading. “I have an affinity for the area and know a lot of people are big readers. It would be fantastic if the region became a literary destination.”

In bringing Lockwood to the bookstore, Brubaker also consulted with the Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, which has, like The Triangle, sponsored visiting authors.

“I’m extremely grateful for the work he’s doing,” said cartel booker Gillian Branstetter. “I think, a lot of times, people keep turning over their shoulder and thinking, ‘I can’t believe something like this is happening in Harrisburg.’ If it happens enough times, then maybe Harrisburg is just a place where that kind of thing can happen. I’m glad that Alex views it that way, as well.”

When Lockwood arrived in June, she held a crowded room rapt and inspired frequent eruptions of laughter. The event drew new people to the meetings of the Poetry Cartel and to Nathaniel Gadsden’s Wordshop, which both hold their events at Midtown Scholar.

“It just goes to show that a literary community can thrive here,” Brubaker said.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore is located at 1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtownscholar.com.

I’ve Got a Secret: Some of the best places in Harrisburg are worth searching out.

October 31, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

This column started with a sandwich.

Last month, I was in Strawberry Square, sitting at one of those high tops near the Little Amps coffee kiosk, when newly minted Harrisburg Councilman Dave Madsen walked by. We chatted for a few minutes, and then he asked me about the awesome sandwich I was about to bite into.

“It’s a ‘Chestnut Street’ from Ciao! Bakery,” I said.

Madsen knew of Ciao’s baked goods, but didn’t know they also were in the sandwich business.

“One of the best-kept secrets in Harrisburg,” I responded.

After encouraging Madsen to break his Subway sandwich habit, I thought about other places I regarded as well-kept Harrisburg secrets—some hidden in plain sight and some plain hidden. These may not surprise certain people (for instance, the outstanding sandwiches at Ciao! are probably not news to nearby office workers), but they don’t seem to have the broader recognition they deserve, especially among newcomers to our city.

Let’s start on Allison Hill, which, to the flatland dwellers along the river, can be one big mystery.

Allison Hill is rich with great places to visit—from authentic cuisine at Mexico Lindo and Tacos La Barca to the stunning beauty of Reservoir Park and Harrisburg Cemetery. However, I’d like to focus on two: Matangos Candies and the Asia Mall.

Matangos Candies emphatically breaks the old rule of success: location, location, location. To get there, you have to wind your way through a residential section of South Allison Hill that’s seen better days, at which point you think to yourself, “This can’t be right. I must be lost.”

But there it is, a simple brick-and-clapboard building on the corner of S. 15th and Catherine streets. Mantangos, run by the same family and located in the same place (their house) since 1947, is a genuine throwback. But the candy is homemade, delicious and, to my knowledge, unavailable anywhere outside of this odd location that you have to hunt down to find. Did your GPS break down? No, you’re just going to Matangos.

A few blocks down S. 13th Street, you run into a place that is easier to locate, but seems just as out of place.

The Asia Mall occupies a chunk of land at the corner of 13th and Sycamore streets, across from a housing project, and is home to a funky Asian market and a few restaurants. Kanlaya is my go-to Thai restaurant in the Harrisburg area, and I feel fortunate that it’s a quick, five-minute drive away. For even more character, check out Bangkok 56, located in a squat little building off of busy Paxton Street, which also dishes up traditional Thai fare.

Since I’m on everyone’s favorite subject—food—let’s explore a few more places back along the river.

The secret’s long out on Alvaro Bread and Pastry Shoppe, as a weekend dinner reservation there can be as tough to get as a glimpse of the Harrisburg beaver. The trick is to go at lunchtime. Skip the sandwiches and bready pizza and head straight for the daily specials, which are similar to the coveted, rustic-style Italian dinner entrees and a good deal, to boot. You won’t need to eat for the rest of the day.

Speaking of deals—my hands-down favorite food deal in Harrisburg is half-priced tacos at Suba, the snug, hip restaurant atop Mangia Qui. How good are Suba tacos? Among the best this taco-lover has ever eaten. Other great secret-not-a-secret deals include ad hoc Monday happy hours at Note Bistro and Thursday pasta nights at Aleco’s.

The Broad Street Market is no one’s idea of hidden, but I want to highlight one vendor that I think gets overlooked amid the head-spinning array of deliciousness pouring out of the stone building. Ougi’s Cocina offers Latin staples like mofongo and empanadas and meat/bean/rice “meals” that weigh more than your average baby. Oh, that pulled pork! Oh, those plantains!

Speaking of the market—we’re all sad that it’s open just three days a week. But you can still get your fix on other days by dropping into an unexpected location, Midtown Cinema, which offers products from several market vendors (Elementary Coffee Co., Raising the Bar) seven days a week. Enjoy your treat in the comfortable lounge, and they won’t even make you buy a ticket.

Since you’re in the vicinity of the cinema, go around back to Zeroday Brewing Co. and ask to sample the chemistry experiment they call “the daily infusion.” Did you ever wonder what an IPA would taste like steeped with dried chipotle peppers, or what happens when you toss some Sour Patch Kids into a saison? You may not like the result—or you may love it—but it’s a fun mystery either way.

My final two secrets stray from gastronomy. I’m sometimes asked about the best free wi-fi in Harrisburg, and I immediately respond, “Capital Joe.” Often, the response is, “Where’s that?” It’s Harrisburg’s lesser-known independent coffee shop, just across Forster Street from the state Archives. Capital Joe has a large back room that may be the best publicly accessible workspace in the city: large desks, excellent wi-fi, proximity to caffeine and often no one else to bother you. So, you can be all alone with your thoughts, your MacBook and your world-changing screenplay.

Lastly, I want to bring you right along the city’s waterfront. There are so many interesting monuments, memorials, nooks and crannies in Riverfront Park that are worth exploring. But, for a greater adventure, journey just beyond the PennDOT building into Phoenix Park.

A little creepy, a little weird, Phoenix Park is the overgrown site of what was once the sprawling Phoenix Steel Corp. (and, before that, Central Iron & Steel Co.). There, you’ll find industrial ruins, lots of nature, people who may be homeless and a few bicyclists taking the long way around the Greenbelt. There’s also what remains of Harrisburg’s 9-11 memorial, a bench or two and fantastic views of the river. It’s a serene break from the busy city nearby, though some people may find it too quiet and remote for their comfort.

In all my years in Harrisburg, I’ve never heard anyone—officials, residents, park workers, no one—mention Phoenix Park, a public park hiding in plain sight along the Susquehanna, the final resting place of the city’s industrial past. That may make it the best-kept secret in Harrisburg.

Lawrance Binda is editor in chief of TheBurg.

Do you have a best-kept secret to share? Email it to our editor at [email protected].

Broken DREAMer: Jose Ramirez’s story is one of achievement and success; now, his future has been thrown into uncertainty.

October 31, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

When Jose Ramirez immigrated to Pennsylvania from a rural town in Mexico’s Michoacan province, the then-8-year-old wasn’t struck by the chilly January temperatures or urban streetscapes.

What he remembers most vividly was encountering people who looked different from him.

“Seeing other ethnicities was a culture shock,” recalled Ramirez, now 24, about his arrival in Harrisburg in 2001. “I thought, ‘Wow, there are so many groups of people.’”

Sixteen years later, the same diversity that defined Ramirez’s early memories of America faces unprecedented threats from President Donald Trump’s administration. Ramirez is one of the nearly 800,000 young, undocumented immigrants who received relief through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA was signed into law by then-President Barack Obama in August 2012, and Trump announced on Sept. 5 that he would terminate the program, leaving DACA enrollees, commonly called DREAMers, vulnerable to deportation.

Trump has since equivocated on his early promises and is using the DACA program as a bargaining chip while negotiating with Congress to build his border wall. Ramirez shows how DACA enabled young, undocumented immigrants to flourish and what they have to lose if the program is rescinded.

Total Gift

Multiculturalism was what shocked Ramirez when he arrived in America, but it’s what saved him when he started elementary school. Since he didn’t know any English, he struggled to meet other students and keep up with school work. He came to rely on the other foreign-born students he met in his ESL class.

“It was such a big help, knowing I wasn’t the only one going to school not knowing what people were saying,” Ramirez recalled.

By the time he graduated from Scott Elementary School, his grades were strong enough to earn him a spot at Marshall Math and Science Academy. He set his sights on college and a career in medicine.

Ramirez knew that he’d have to start saving early to finance college. He worked from the time he was a young teenager, traveling as far as Williamsport for jobs picking fruit and vegetables. He picked up landscaping gigs around Harrisburg when he could. But without a legal work permit, the only jobs available to him were temporary and low paying.

“For me, it was never about not wanting to work—it was that I couldn’t work,” he said about life when he was undocumented. He finished his first semester of college unsure if he could afford a degree.

But that changed with DACA. Ramirez was almost 19 when the program began, and he said he was “ecstatic” to learn about the benefits it carried. He could obtain a Social Security card and work permit, and he’d be protected from deportation for two years.

Most importantly, he’d be able to sit for board examinations and receive a medical license. His dream of becoming a nurse was suddenly possible.

“It was a total gift, honestly,” he said.

To receive DACA benefits, Ramirez had to pass a criminal background check and fingerprint test. Within a month of obtaining his work permit, he landed a job at UPS. He qualified for college tuition assistance through the company’s “Earn & Learn” program and took a second job at an Amazon.com warehouse to make ends meet. By working 40 hours a week during the semester, Ramirez was able to support himself through a nursing program without taking out student loans.

He was in his final semester of college on Sept. 5, when Trump announced that he would end the program and begin phasing out benefits in the next six months.

Smack in the Face

According to Carrie Carranza, an immigration legal counselor with Church World Services in Lancaster, DACA gives undocumented immigrants privileges that many native-born and naturalized Americans take for granted: the ability to drive, build credit and employment history and live without fear of deportation.

CWS serves 100 DACA clients in south-central Pennsylvania, Carranza said, and losing any of these privileges can render their futures uncertain.

For a DREAMer like Jose Ramirez, Trump’s announcement put years of hard work in jeopardy.

“It was a huge smack in the face,” said Ramirez, who is on schedule to finish his nursing degree this year. “It was upsetting because I put so much effort into studying and working, and it feels like it’s very uncertain.”

The worst fear facing DREAMers is that of deportation. Since most DACA recipients arrived in the United States between ages 3 and 6, according to the New York Times, deportation would mean returning to a country that they remember only distantly.

Ramirez only recalls bits and pieces of life in Mexico. He knows he still has uncles living in the small town his family left, but said he doesn’t know where he would go if he were deported.

“I have no plans of going back, but I wish I did because it’s very much a possibility,” said Ramirez, whose DACA benefits expire in March 2019.

His situation is typical of the clients that Carranza serves as a legal counselor. DACA recipients must renew their status with the federal government every two years, a process that includes submitting pay stubs, tuition bills and receipts as proof of residency and employment.

The last deadline for the two-year renewal passed on Oct. 5. If the Trump administration succeeds in fully repealing the program, work permits will be allowed to expire starting on March 5. Returning to their undocumented status leaves DREAMers vulnerable to deportation.

“It was infuriating to tell my clients, who want to be nurses, who parent U.S. citizens, who are in college, or are newlyweds planning their future, that they can really only see clearly for the next two years,” Carranza said. “After that, things get cloudy and uncertain.”

Like many DREAMers, Ramirez only knows the life he’s built in America. His revolves around work and school, as well as trips to the gym and soccer matches with his friends.

“This is my home; I have everything here,” he said Ramirez.

He currently lives with his mother and sisters. Another brother also lives in the United States, and all of Jose’s siblings receive DACA benefits.

Since he can’t plan far into the future, Ramirez is focused on more immediate goals—finishing his degree, sitting for medical board exams and launching a career of helping other people.

“What people don’t understand is I’m that I’m not here thinking, ‘Oh I want to take your job,’” he said. “I’m here to make myself a better person. I don’t want to be begging. I’d rather be the nurse helping you when you’re sick.”

Moe Style, No Problems: Pal’s Apparel want to primp you up.

October 31, 2017 | by Dave Marcheskie

Mohammed Rammouni and Dave Marcheskie. Photo by Dani Fresh.

Crimson plush carpet caressed my Red Wing soles as I stepped inside Pal’s Apparel.

This newly minted menswear store on 2nd Street is cemented between the epicenter of Pennsylvania power and forgotten nights downtown. Skyline gray walls, alabaster trim and rich burgundy leather accents invoke a stark—not sterile—sublime. Pal’s, like contemporary Harrisburg, is a story of hopeful vision.

Mohammed Rammouni sells you on his easy stature and smile before his clothes. The 28-year-old shop owner likes to go by “Moe.” His colloquy is calming; his story is inspiring. It’s hard not to root for the guy.

Moe’s entrepreneurial spirit intersects with his love for the capital city.

The CD East grad helped his family run a mini-mart on Derry Street for several years. Once they sold the market, he worked in retail at the Harrisburg Mall. This is where he fell for helping the style-less feel stylish.

“It always stuck with me,” he said. “When they loved that outfit just as much as you did—it was a great experience.”

Moe left high-styling for ground flooring when his family opened up Big Bob’s outlet. Sure, he can wax about wood grain and tile, but his passion lies within denim and cotton. Moe remains a manager at the flooring outlet, helps his brother flip rentals, and also runs Pal’s. Hustle.

Moe said his friends would often travel to Philly, Queens and D.C. to get clothes nowhere to be found in Harrisburg. He saw opportunity.

He traveled to trade shows in Las Vegas and New York as well as spoke with city residents on what they want to wear. Pal’s Apparel proudly opened around Labor Day. Millennium design icons True Religion and Buffalo David Bitton, as well as rare boutique brands like CIVIL and Mondo New York are in the repertoire. Graphic T-shirts, moto jeans, fresh suede boots and edgy leather jackets are just a few pieces currently on hangers.

“Now, you can get New York here,” Moe said.

My question is: Can the Big Apple survive in the Strawberry?

Moe’s T-shirts range from $15 to $40, jeans from $70 to $125, and leather jackets will run you about a buck-fifty. Honestly, that’s a bargain compared to boutiques in bigger cities. Like many things in Harrisburg, it’s not about price but population. Moe has tapped into a niche market he hopes will be a wellspring. I just hope enough street-style savants see eye-to-eye with his vision. Pal’s promise lies within unique trunk shows, DJs spinning after hours, and a willingness to be flexible with market cravings.

Moe styled me in a camo T (CIVIL) and hoodie leather jacket (Buffalo) with distressed moto jeans (RAW-X), boots (Red Wing Heritage Moc Toe) and aviators. I still firmly believe a crisp suit can make you feel sharp. But, man, nothing boosts confidence like wearing attitude. That’s a feeling you can’t put a price on.

Pal’s Apparel is located at 306 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg Moe Rammouni said he soon will offer men’s blazers and button-downs, as well as ladies’ options. For more information, visit www,palsapparelhbg.com or the Facebook page.

Old World Eats: At Fraulie’s, a quick trip to Germany, with connections through Lemoyne.

October 31, 2017 | by Susan Ryder

Mimi Wutz. Photo by Waxman Photography.

The Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” has popularized the notion that food treasures can exist in the humblest of structures. Fraulie’s is such a place.

Situated in a snug space, Fraulie’s German Delicatessen & Import Shop carries authentic, hard-to-find European favorites. Walking into the store from bustling Third Street in Lemoyne, customers are engulfed in flavors from the Old World, surrounded by German bread, cheeses, meats and sweets.

Margo Wutz, a native of Germany, has operated the store for 44 years, after she discovered that the previous owner planned to close it.

“I couldn’t see that we should close the only German source for our food,” she said.

She named it Fraulie’s after a term of endearment given to her by her daughter, Mimi.

Our Food

In the beginning, Margo traveled in her VW Beetle to Philadelphia every week to pick up supplies. Sourcing goods isn’t so cumbersome now, she said.

The cold case is filled with German meats unfamiliar to most folks, like Alpine sausage, which contains sunflower seeds, carrots, peppers and poppy seeds. Another favorite, cervelat, tastes much like prosciutto but smokier. Also available are wiener sausages, bratwurst, salami and smoked ham.

Alongside the many types of meat sits a lovely, fragrant variety of cheeses, including Limburger, hand cheese and cambozola, which Mimi described as, “a cheese to die for—a cross between blue and brie.”

Bread lines the top of the deli case, heavy, dense loaves of Klosterbrot rye, sunflower seed rye and Black Forest rye. Margo said the first thing she noticed when she arrived in the United States was the bread.

“It was like cotton, had no substance,” she said.

More loaves, vacuum-sealed into solid cakes or “brick bread” as Mimi calls them, sit in a basket—muesli, pumpkin seed and linseed bread.

Customers can purchase these delicious choices to enjoy at home or they can order a sandwich to munch in the shop. A nice accompaniment is a hot cup from Kauffman’s Coffee, Tea & Spice Shop, just a threshold away.

What customers don’t have to purchase is the hospitality. Mimi described Fraulie’s as “the place where things slow down.”

The store has many regulars. One such customer arrived, and Mimi asked if he wanted “the usual” Landjäger or “hunter sausages.” He left with a bag and a hearty “auf wiedersehen” from the others in the store. Heidi Castle, friend and frequenter of Fraulie’s, said that Germans never say good-bye, but always “until we meet again.”

“This is where we come and get the things we are used to, love and want to continue the tradition of our food,” she said.

A 20-something Polish woman, Klaudia DeFrank, entered the store and gave the elder Wutz a warm hug. She said that, after coming from Poland four years ago, she was happy to find Fraulie’s.

“It feels so European in here,” she said.

Fun Place

Folks in the store are happy to share their knowledge of the food and its use.

Castle helped with one unique item called Back Oblaten, literally “bake thin wafer.” These small, round wafers, which resemble communion wafers, are used for baking. Cookie dough is scooped directly on the wafer and baked. It becomes a part of the cookie, with no sticking and no waste.

Mimi described some of the other, more distinctive items, such as “rollmops,” not the one used to clean the floor but marinated herring rolled around a pickle; sugar beet syrup, similar to molasses and eaten on bread; and head cheese, a gelatinous loaf containing pig head meat. It’s sliced and placed on sandwiches.

The jarred and canned items are popular at Christmas. Mustards in tubes make great stocking stuffers, interesting teas abound and jellies include rosehip, plum and gooseberry. Of course, there also are the famous German chocolates, marzipan and Haribo Gold-Bears.

Those who venture into this tiny shop either purposefully or serendipitously can savor a sandwich, try some uncommon delicacies, and experience the German culture.

“It’s just a fun place!” Margo said, summing it up.

Fraulie’s German Delicatessen & Import Shop is located at 224 S. Third St., Lemoyne. For more information, call 717-763-7616 or visit their Facebook page.

Cold or Flu? The symptoms are alike, but it’s important to know the difference.

October 31, 2017 | by Dr. Denise F. Harr

Cold and influenza season is upon us, and, often times, people are not sure which one they have since the symptoms can be very similar. However, knowing the difference between the two is key to getting better if you become sick.

The flu produces more serious symptoms, and it’s especially important to treat yourself correctly if you have it. The flu can lead to complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, bacterial infections, sinus and ear infections, and even hospitalization. Children under

5 years old, pregnant women, those over 65, and people with compromised immune symptoms are at higher risk for flu-related complications.

The flu is highly contagious and can be spread through coughing, sneezing or even talking to someone who is infected. Most people can infect someone with the flu one day before their symptoms develop and five to seven days after they’ve become sick.

Symptoms of the flu include:

Fever, body aches, chills and exhaustion. You may have a dry cough.
Treatment: Rest, drink plenty of fluids and take medication to decrease your symptoms. Call your doctor if you experience severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, very high fever or pain in your face/eyes or teeth that doesn’t improve.
Prevention: The best protection is to get a flu shot. Since strains of the flu are different each year, it’s recommended that you get a flu shot annually. Also, wash your hands often and keep them away from your face to prevent the spread of germs. Eating a balanced diet and staying well rested will also help to build your immune system.

If you do come down with the flu, prescription antiviral drugs can decrease your symptoms and shorten the amount of time you are sick. They also can help you avoid more serious complications. They are not sold over the counter, so you must see a physician to get an antiviral. As a reminder, antivirals are different than antibiotics. Antibiotics won’t help your flu symptoms.

While you can get a common cold any time of the year, your chances are higher during the winter months. Having a cold can be pretty annoying and make you feel just plain lousy. While it is a respiratory illness like the flu, colds are much less serious. They can last seven to 10 days, and the first sign is usually a sore throat and a runny nose.

Symptoms of the common cold include:

Runny and stuffy nose, sneezing, cough and sore throat. This can last up to two weeks and can lead to other issues like ear or sinus infections.
Treatment: Slow down your regular routine and get rest. Drink plenty of fluids, especially hot teas or soups to relieve your stuffy nose and head.

Gargling with warm water will help with postnasal drip.

Prevention: Wash your hands often and get plenty of sleep to keep your immune system healthy.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for a cold. It’s one of those things that just needs to run its course. Over-the-counter medications can give you some relief from your symptoms, but only time will make you feel like yourself again.

While colds are usually more of an annoyance than a serious health threat, when it comes to children, there are times when you should call your doctor. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that you call your doctor if you or your child has one or more of these conditions:

A temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Symptoms that last more than 10 days
Symptoms that are severe or unusual

If your child is younger than 3 months old and has a fever, you should call your doctor right away. They can determine if your child has a cold and can recommend proper treatment to help with symptoms.

Prevention and good health habits are the best way to keep yourself well during cold and flu season. Get a flu shot for yourself and your children, wash your hands often, sneeze and cough into a tissue or your elbow to prevent spreading germs, and, most importantly, stay home if you are sick. We can all play our part in keeping our community healthy this winter by practicing these simple steps.

Dr. Denise Harr, board certified in family medicine, is senior medical director of Medical Value Initiatives at Capital BlueCross, a community publisher for TheBurg.

Beautiful Pain: Difficult truths, complex characters board “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

October 31, 2017 | by Meghan Jones

“A Streetcar Named Desire” is one of the most iconic plays of all time, made especially popular by the 1951 movie, in which Marlon Brando played the character of Stanley Kowalski.

Sean Adams, who plays Stanley in Gamut Theatre’s production of the 1947 play written by Tennessee Williams, grapples with the reputation of both the character and the assumptions about the play. He describes the importance of seeing the point of view of the character, regardless of the terrible things that he does.

It is not enough to classify any character as good or bad, or even evil. Adams plays a character who is abusive, domineering and, as he explains, “more unlike me than any character I’ve ever played.”

These complicated characteristics are exactly what Williams was getting at as he shows the honest life of a destructive family unit: Stanley, the World War II veteran with an explosive temper and increasingly aggressive tendencies (played by Adams); Stella, his pregnant wife who confuses destruction with love (played by Michelle Kay Smith); and Blanche, Stella’s sister, who has come to stay with the couple after some personal struggles in her life and who has a tense, antagonistic relationship with Stanley (played by Amber Mann). The story unravels as these characters live and breathe with each other, with all of their dysfunction, through extreme heartache, pain and loss of innocence.

Although most people know the play because of Brando’s film portrayal of the character, Adams believes that it is actually Blanche’s story and encourages audiences to seek an experience with live theater that is far different from film. He describes the play as, “the tragic and beautiful attempt by a fading southern belle to cling onto something to save herself,” and Williams shows us how truly difficult this can be in the America where old-money stories are being replaced with the fresh ideas of upward mobility by a new, post-war working class.

Trying to live up to an iconic portrayal helps no one, Adams explains.

“Really, I can’t do what Brando did,” he said. “Nobody could do what Brando did. So, all I can do is my own thing.”

That is exactly what Adams intends to do. His aim is to get to the bottom of Stanley’s character—to explore how he can do terrible things and yet still be human.

“He is not just this monster,” Adams said. “He is a real living human, and Tennessee Williams wrote these incredible characters for a reason.”

That is, Stanley is not only there to do horrible things and cause destruction without end, which has been his reputation.

If we are to trust Adams when he says that, in his eyes, this is really Blanche’s story, then we have to trust that his particular portrayal of Stanley will do right by the play—that it will highlight how dangerous it can be for a woman to be in a situation in which not only viewpoints clash, but where there is also a power dynamic that silences her impact, both as a character within the play and as an observable character, by the dominating force that is Stanley Kowalski.

Adams makes clear that a role is not defined by the actors who play them, and it is in his best interest to make his character as true and as honest as possible—and really make it his own.

All of this proves that the play is more than just a characterization of abuse or toxic family relationships. Adams states that the play addresses what most actors are looking for “to get that really ugly kind of moment—to play that and find the truth in it.”

The ugly truth is a primary reason why this play, and Tennessee Williams plays in particular, is fascinating to audiences, Adams said.

When it was first performed, and for some even today, it is a different kind of acting— a different kind of story— where the characters try desperately to do right and still do wrong. We like it because, above all, it demonstrates beautiful pain, in the realest sense, where sometimes there isn’t a hero, and sometimes there isn’t a happy ending.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” runs Nov. 4 to 26 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, call 717-238-4111 or visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

Upcoming Theater Events
At Harrisburg’s Professional
Downtown Theaters

At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-411

“A Streetcar Named Desire”
By Tennessee Williams
Nov. 4 to 26
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Doors and bar open one hour prior to performance.

TMI Improv Show
Nov. 16
Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m. and remain open throughout the event.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the door.

The Popcorn Hat Players Present
“A Popcorn Hat Christmas Carol”
Nov. 29 to Dec. 16
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. available by request for groups of 20 or more.
Tickets are $8 online or by calling the box office

At Open Stage
Of Harrisburg
www.openstagehbg.com

Court Street Cabaret: Jukebox Edition
An evening of song from Broadway and beyond!
Nov. 3 and 4

“A Christmas Carol”
A dazzling new production of the classic Dickens tale
Dec. 1 to 23

“The Santaland Diaries”
David Sedaris’ irreverent one-man-show
Dec. 3 to 22

The Landlord Vanishes: Harrisburg has tried to rein in absentee property owners, but the scourge of blight continues.

October 31, 2017 | by M. Diane McCormick

Two halves of a blighted duplex sagged side by side. Tri-County HDC, developer of affordable housing, bought one half and eyed the other, hoping to demolish both and build new for a revitalizing neighborhood.

“Then somebody came out of the woodwork and bought that property,” said Executive Director Gary Lenker. “There was someone there who put a new window in the kitchen and did about a day and a half’s work, and you never saw him again.”

Meet the newest villain in urban housing: the absentee property owner. This is not your father’s slumlord, milking revenue from beleaguered tenants. This is an internet-enabled bad guy who buys a blighted house for less than the cost of a refrigerator, for no other reason than to sell the rotting carcass to somebody else.

The 21^st-century absentee property owner stems from the foreclosure process. Seized homes land on the “upset sale list,” where buyers pledge to pay all back taxes and utilities plus the bid price. If no sale, it’s on to judicial sale, for a purchase clear of encumbrances. Finally, the lowest rung is the repository sale. Asking price: $500.

You know who has $500? A lot of people, some from as far away as Australia, who stumble across the repository list from some obscure place called Harrisburg, Pa. The internet is “a speculator’s dream,” said city Codes Administrator David Patton.

From the repository, properties can land on eBay or Craigslist.

“One guy from Philly bought a house, sold it to someone in Florida, who sold to Utah, and back to someone else in Florida,” Patton said.

They hardly have “noble intentions” for the property, he said.

“It’s all about flipping it and making some quick cash, and we’re the ones that end up paying the price for it.”

Lenker’s Tri-County HDC pays the price in dollars and in time. Tearing down existing properties to make way for new, affordable homes requires a “quiet title” search, assuring clear title for the new buyer. If the owner is AWOL, that search gets lengthier and costlier.

Take the proposed MulDer Square redevelopment on Allison Hill. Tri-County HDC planned to demolish five blighted rowhomes, and the mayor “even signed an order saying they were unfit, uninhabitable.” Demolition could have proceeded in summer 2016, but the search for one absentee owner kept the bulldozers idle until spring 2017.

“For about a year, I worried,” said Lenker. “We did get to the end, but there was a delay.”

Chasing Phantoms
In recent years, Harrisburg has tried to corral in neglectful rental property owners and add teeth to its codes enforcement. For instance, it now requires out-of-area owners to assign a “local” property manager who must live within 50 miles of the city.

However, owners often flout these rules with impunity, especially those who live out of state and, worst still, out of the country.

As physical distance increases, Patton’s enforcement abilities diminish, he said. A summary violation for letting a property languish “has no traction out of state,” and even violations elevated to misdemeanor charges “simply turn into a warrant, which again has no traction out of state.”

“It’s like chasing a snowflake,” he said. “The end result—it always ends up on our demolition list.”

Absentee owners have learned to game the system. A property’s condemned, so they sell it to someone else, forcing the process back to square one. Warrants pile up, so owners meander into Dauphin County Courthouse and flip the property to a new owner, who doesn’t have to sign off or even know they’re now the proud owner of a ramshackle eyesore.

“Any time someone can go over and put their properties in someone else’s name without that person even being there, that’s a problem, because then we’re chasing phantoms,” Patton said.

Harrisburg City Councilwoman Shamaine Daniels, chair of the building and housing committee, wants to see the city impose additional fines allowed by a 2015 ordinance on real estate speculators, to compensate for the extra costs of searches and enforcement.

“It would be nice to see what happens when these ordinances are enforced,” she said. “It’s hard to gauge the effectiveness of an ordinance when it’s not used at all.”

Patton confirmed that the anti-speculation ordinance has not been effective. Without evidence of an owner’s intent to speculate, “I cannot issue a citation under this ordinance,” he said.

And, as for imposing ever-increasing fines, guess what? Courts offer payment plans. One violator is paying off a $7,000 fine at $22 a month. “A lot of times,” said Patton, “they’ll default on the payment plan, and it goes into warrant.”

Yes, a warrant, which can’t be enforced out of state.

Heartbreaking
Among the phantoms Patton chases are absentee owners who create corporations that shield their identities and create smokescreens. One address was a vacant lot in Philadelphia. On another, a Google search revealed “an intersection in Brooklyn.”

Additional legislative action might help, Patton said.

Corporations are meant to protect personal property. Few would dispute that doing business should not put your family’s home at risk. But Patton’s nemeses are “using subterfuge just so they can purchase properties and leave the legacy of their dilapidated properties to us,” he said.

“We need to at least have some agent or principal responsible for the conduct of that corporation so they can be accountable for what their property is doing to our community,” he said.

Through roundtables sponsored by the state Senate Policy Committee, lawmakers hear “loud and clear” that municipal officials need powers to track down the “bad actors” hiding behind corporate protections, said state Sen. John DiSanto, a Republican whose district includes Harrisburg.

“When you’re in a defined blighted area and when there are certain numbers of abandoned homes, we can be more aggressive in taking those properties back and getting them back into use where they’re creating a real hardship on the community,” he said. “But we have to offset that where the LLC is being used in thriving areas and doing what it’s supposed to do.”

Getting the names behind corporations “would make the work easier in terms of who to serve and who to cite,” said Daniels, but she returned to her unanswered question about whether the city’s unused anti-speculation ordinance works or not.

“Similarly, would being able to be named be enough of an incentive for someone to fix their property?” she said. “I don’t know.”

Even when the city proceeds with demolitions after proving that owners can’t be found, the problem lingers. Those vacant lots—still owned by the mystery entity—become overgrown, attracting abandoned cars and illicit activity. Once in a while, neighbors take responsibility for tending to them.

Patton, who keeps a weed-whacker in his truck for those lots, grew up on Allison Hill. His grandfather was raised on Hummel Street. Grandpa met grandma while delivering newspapers on Nectarine Street, around the corner. On those streets, and in Uptown Harrisburg, too, absentee owners find blighted houses ripe for exploitation.

“I see these unique architectural features on these homes built in the early 1900s, and I have to demolish these things,” Patton said. “It’s heartbreaking. You just get vacant lots, vacant lots, vacant lots, and they themselves turn into problem situations.”

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like