Harrisburg Begins Buying Sinkhole-Affected Houses; Some Residents Unprepared to Leave.

October 17, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse today announced the first purchase of sinkhole-affected houses along S. 14th Street.

More than 3½ years after a sinkhole erupted on a residential block of S. 14^th Street, Harrisburg has started to relieve homeowners of their worthless properties, though some residents say that they still have nowhere to move.

By the end of the day on Tuesday, Harrisburg will own seven of the 52 homes on the block, Mayor Eric Papenfuse announced at a press conference held today on the sinkhole-ravaged street. Ten homes are scheduled for closings this week, and the city is on track to purchase all 52 affected properties by Dec. 31.

“It’s been a very complicated and drawn-out process,” Papenfuse said.

He reported that the purchasing program is the first of its kind in the nation, since sinkhole events are not usually covered by natural disaster relief dollars.

“Today, we are celebrating that this final phase is beginning,” he said.

A few years ago, the situation along S. 14th Street seemed dire. However, the city was able to secure about $4.7 million in federal and state disaster relief funding to purchase all the homes at their pre-sinkhole market value.

Despite today’s announcement, some residents said that they aren’t prepared to move by year-end. Ronald Cook came out of his S. 14th Street house when he saw camera crews setting up for Tuesday’s press conference. That was when he learned about the city’s Dec. 31 deadline for closings, he said.

“I’m not ready to move,” Cook said. “We’ve got nowhere to go.”

He claims that the sale of his house has been delayed because it needs a water quality test, which he said was scheduled for last week but postponed.

Ronald Cook stands outside his house on S. 14th Street.

Papenfuse said on Tuesday that the city was connecting displaced homeowners with realtors, but Cook said he hasn’t gotten that assistance. He has lived in his home on S. 14^th Street for 18 years in a rent-to-own arrangement. He said he’d rather buy a new home than rent, but fears that poor credit will limit his options.

“I don’t know what I can do,” he said.

Willie Nix lives in a rental property on S. 14^th Street. As a tenant, he is entitled to relocation assistance from federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. He said he’s still waiting on a housing reassignment.

Papenfuse and Jackie Parker, director of the city’s Department of Community Economic Development, said that the city has been in continual contact with S. 14^th street residents ever since the sinkhole opened in 2014.

Parker also said that the Dec. 31 closing deadline was negotiable, since each property sale is highly individual. The grants funding the home purchases technically expire on Dec. 31, but Parker said that homeowners do have the opportunity to extend.

“Nobody has to move by any particular time,” Parker said. “Every property owner has a unique situation and unique closing opportunity and paperwork. No two are the same.”

Almost $1 million of the funding will be used to relocate tenants, since 26 of the properties were rental units.

Parker said that each home purchase and relocation is governed by strict guidelines, and the city brought on consulting firms to handle property closings and tenant relocation. Under CDBG guidelines, relocation specialists can help tenants identify safe, fair-value housing and obtain reimbursement for moving costs, security deposits and rental application fees.

The 52 homes will eventually be demolished. Since the city cannot build on the site, it will allow the entire block to become a community green space, Papenfuse said.

Correction: this story was edited to clarify Ronald Cook’s home ownership status. Cook is not documented owner of 1408 S. 14th street, but entered a rent-to-own agreement with the property owner when he moved into the house 18 years ago.

All About the Book: Thousands show their love of literature, poetry, criticism at Harrisburg Book Festival.

October 17, 2017 | by Yaasmeen Piper

A crowd at Midtown Scholar Bookstore listens attentively as book reviewers discuss their work at last weekend’s Harrisburg Book Festival.

The 2017 Harrisburg Book Festival attracted about 2,000 people last weekend, as book-lovers flocked to Midtown to converse with authors, listen to readings and revel in all-things literary.

“The reaction from readers and authors was really something to behold,” said Alex Brubaker, the manager of Midtown Scholar Bookstore, which sponsored the four-day event. “For the bookstore to be at the center of this lively literary gathering was really special.”

Brubaker said that opening night poets Safiya Sinclair, author of “Cannibal,” and Joshua Bennett of “The Sobbing School” prompted tears in some audience members. Keynote speaker Ibram X. Kendi, author of “Stamped from the Beginning,” led a conversation on our current political and racial climate that will last “well beyond the night.”

“A lot of the authors were incredibly moved by the attendees and their devotion to literature and their books,” said Brubaker, who put the crowd estimate for the fifth Book Festival at almost 2,000. “For most of them, it was their first time in Harrisburg, so they came away impressed by the literary scene here.”

Saturday morning was packed with kids taking part in Kids Fest. Smiles widened as children interacted with author Lauren Castillo, pressed their own bookmarks from Megan Zettlemoyer of Typothecary Letterpress, or had their hands in a couple of baked goods. And thanks to the American Literacy Corp. and Capital Region Literacy Council, they were able to head home with free books.

Book reviewers Harvey Freedenberg, Susan Coll, Bethanne Patrick and Marion Winik gave audience members insight on how their jobs survive in the digital age.

They wrapped up with their picks for the best books of 2017, which include “Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid and “Home Fries” by Kamila Shamsie, and some advice for young and up-and-coming writers.

“Learn to trust your own voice early,” said Winik. “That is something I wish I knew when I was starting out.”

A table featured works from book festival authors.

Jennifer Haigh, author of “Heat and Light,” Liz Moore of “The Unseen Word” and local Meghan Kenny of “Love is no Small Thing” offered insight into their process of creating a novel.

Though Haigh and Moore shared similar themes of identity, technology and the future of machines in their novels, the writers had different thoughts when it came to whether these advancements are hurting or helping us.

“I adore writing about machines. It’s endlessly interesting to me.” Haigh said. “Machines can save us in a limited way. I think they can also kill us.”

Moore had a more optimistic approach.

“I actually think that virtual and augmented reality can potentially offer us great benefits,” Moore said. “I also have no reason to believe that AI’s are out to get us. There is a lot of literature and film in which AI’s are inherently evil. Why would they be?”

Authors Meghan Kenny, Jennifer Haigh and Liz Moore discussed their writing process.

Ruth Frankin closed out the festival by reading from her first biography, “Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life.”

“It was a wild pleasure to hear Ruth Franklin talk about her biography of Shirley Jackson,” said local writer Kari Larsen. “She did such a masterful job decontextualizing Jackson’s place in 20th-century literature.”

From the large number of attendees to the diverse set of authors, the book festival helped push Midtown Scholar and Harrisburg up the list of must-visit places for literary lovers.

“I was so relieved and thrilled the book festival had come back,” Larsen said. “Previous ones really demonstrated how enthusiastic Midtown Scholar’s audience is for engagement with contemporary writing, publishing and criticism.”

While plans for a sixth book festival have not yet been discussed, Brubaker promises that it will return.

“We’ll be back, bigger and better than ever,” he said.

Better Late than Never: Wolf lets delayed contributions flow to schools and nonprofits

October 13, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Local schools and nonprofits this week were relieved to hear that they could soon receive millions of dollars in corporate donations, which had been put on hold in the state’s ongoing budget impasse.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office confirmed on Thursday that it authorized approvals for Educational Improvement Tax Credits, which awards businesses tax credits if they donate up to $750,000 to a scholarship fund or educational initiative. Both businesses and beneficiaries must apply to participate in the program.

The state Department of Community and Economic Development previously said that the tax credit applications would not be approved until the state passes its final budget. TheBurg reported that the delay was jeopardizing programs at local nonprofits and schools.

Letters notifying organizations of their approvals will be mailed by the end of the week, said J.J. Abbott, Wolf’s press secretary. Businesses have 60 days from the date on the letter to make their donations.

The private funding distributed through EITC is not a state appropriation, and Kirk Hallatt, director of the Harrisburg-based nonprofit Joshua Group, told TheBurg that lawmakers had no good reason to withhold it from beneficiaries. He accused lawmakers of using it as a “political toy” in their budget dispute.

Seventy-nine members of the House Republicans apparently agreed and petitioned Wolf last week to release the funds, according to a press release.

The Salvation Army of Harrisburg was approved to receive funding for its annual Summer Youth Enrichment Program. Kathy Anderson-Martin said Wolf’s decision to authorize EITC approvals makes it easier for them to plan ahead.

“The number of kids we are able to serve is dependent on available resources, so the prospect of donations through the EITC greatly improves our outlook for serving 400 local children next summer,” Anderson-Martin said.

Dog Gone? City aims to toughen leash enforcement following complaints

October 13, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Illustration by Rich Hauck

Citations for off-leash dogs are on the rise in Harrisburg, but some residents want the city to do more to enforce leash laws.

Animal control officers working for the Harrisburg Police Bureau have cited 22 dog owners so far in 2017 for letting their animals run off-leash. That figure is up from 14 in 2016, 15 in 2015, and zero in 2014, according to data from the Harrisburg Police Bureau.

But many dog owners say that off-leash dogs remain a problem in certain neighborhoods of the city, particularly Italian Lake and the former William Penn High School. Dogs must be restrained on a leash in all public places, including parks, according to Harrisburg City Ordinance 33.

The issue surfaced at an Oct. 10 City Council meeting. One resident said her service dog was attacked by unrestrained dogs at the State Hospital Grounds in Susquehanna Township, where she started going to avoid off-leash dogs in Harrisburg.

“I don’t think this problem is being taken seriously,” she said, adding that an attack like the one her service dog suffered could ruin its training.

Randall Gooding, a Wormleysburg resident who walks his dog on City Island and in Riverfront Park, said that he encounters many more off-leash dogs in Harrisburg than in his home borough. He wants stricter leash enforcement to keep people and animals safe.

“I get so frustrated when unattended, off-leash dogs come running up to me and my dog while the owner [says] that the dog is friendly,” Gooding said. “I can’t protect their dog while handling my own.”

Unsupervised dogs appear to be a problem in residential areas as well as parks. Naomi Reyes used to walk from her home on 3^rd street to her workplace on 7^th street, until too many neighbors started letting their dogs outside unsupervised.

“I had to stop doing my walks because of loose dogs that didn’t look friendly,” Reyes said.

City Councilman Cornelius Johnson, chair of the Public Safety Committee, said he spoke about the issue with animal enforcement officers this week. The city currently employs two animal enforcement officers.

Johnson said that one possible solution is increased cooperation between animal enforcement officers and the city park rangers, who are responsible for patrolling Harrisburg’s 26 parks.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said on Friday that the city hopes to budget for another park ranger in 2018, bringing the total rank to three.

Park rangers cannot write tickets, but they make ticket referrals to the police or report stray dogs, Papenfuse said. Animal enforcement officers are also responsible for collecting stray animals, and have picked up 78 this year.

Above all, Johnson said, communication is key. He asks residents to report off-leash dog violations when they see them.

“The best thing a resident can do when they come across an issue is call it in,” Johnson said on Thursday. “When we get calls, there’s accountability.”

Burning for You: Midtown Bonfire returns for community, for firefighters.

October 12, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Flames licked the sky during last year’s 1st Annual Midtown Bonfire.

Last October, some drivers along Front Street were startled when they saw a tower of flames shooting up from an empty lot in Midtown Harrisburg.

Reportedly, some worried residents even called in an emergency.

There actually was no reason for concern, as Harrisburg firefighters were already on the scene. The fire, in fact, was in their honor.

The first annual Midtown Bonfire raised more than $1,000 for the Fire Bureau, said organizer H. Ralph Vartan, CEO of the Vartan Group, which owns the empty lot at Front and Verbeke streets.

But, perhaps even more importantly, the event brought together a few hundred people, mostly Harrisburg residents, to share a chat, some good food and a beer.

“It’s really just a fun community event,” Vartan said. “It’s a bonus that we’re able to raise some money for the fire department.”

Vartan now is bringing back the bonfire, which, this year, takes place Sunday, Oct. 22, in the same lot. A $15 donation gets you in and features live music, an a la carte menu grilled up by Chef Ben Beaver of Café 1500, a cash beer tent with Zeroday Brewing Co., s’mores and, of course, the main event—a big bonfire at dusk.

Vartan said he got the idea from being a student at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, which would host a bonfire social each autumn.

“Something about a big bonfire, it connotes fall to me,” he said. “I thought we could have one here as a community-building event.”

Fire Chief Brian Enterline said that he and some of his men will be there, so the blaze will be in good hands. He said he appreciates the fundraiser, which helped purchase washer and dryer units last year. But, like Vartan, he sees the event primarily as a way to bring people together.

“For us, it’s all about the community,” he said.

Vartan hopes for an even bigger tally this year, saying that he wants to raise $4,000 to $5,000 for the Fire Bureau. That money also will be appreciated, Enterline said.

“It helps us offset some small, incidental expenses,” he said. “But we primarily look at it as a way to bring community together.”

The 2nd Annual Midtown Bonfire takes place Sunday, Oct. 22, beginning at 3 p.m., at Front and Verbeke streets, Harrisburg. Admission is $15 in advance, $20 at the event; free for city police and fire. Click here for information and tickets.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

October 12, 2017 | by Sara Bozich

It’s a BIG weekend!

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show is here!

Saturday’s must do: HU Music Fest — FREE admission, live music, beer garden, food trucks.

I’m at the “whoa” stage in pregnancy, where when people see me they say, “whoa” and then something that inadvertently makes me feel like shit, so I’m essentially in hibernation mode. Though I’ll hit the market and a friend’s shower Saturday. Sunday, as you well know, is for football.

What are you doing this weekend?

(more…)

“Not One Penny:” Demonstrators slam tax plan ahead of Trump visit

October 11, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

PA Budget and Policy Center director Mark Stier speaks on the steps of the Capital today. Demonstrators gathered there to protest Trump’s tax plan in anticipation of his visit to the region later today.

President Donald Trump may not enter Harrisburg when he speaks in Dauphin County later today, but that didn’t stop protesters from coming into the city for an anti-Trump demonstration.

More than 100 people gathered this morning on the steps of the state Capitol Complex to protest Trump’s tax proposal. He is expected to promote that plan in front of area Republicans in a speech at Harrisburg International Airport this afternoon.

Activists who spoke at the event claimed that the tax plan would raise the tax burden on poor and low-income Americans while giving tax breaks to the rich. They also called on lawmakers to protect Medicare and Medicaid.

A number of grassroots advocacy groups were present at the rally, including organizers from the Tax March, Not One Penny, Keystone Progress and local chapters of the national Indivisible movement.

Some demonstrators traveled from neighboring counties to participate in the event. Nikki Byers came to Harrisburg from Etters, where she is a member of the Indivisible York chapter.

“Millionaires like Donald Trump don’t need a tax break,” Byers said, calling his tax plan a “scam.”

A group from Perry County also travelled to the Capitol for the demonstration. Evelyn d’Elia, from Newport, was specifically worried about the future of Medicare and Medicaid under Trump.

“The first thing [Republicans] want to cut is Medicare, and I can’t live without it,” said d’Elia, who is a retired state worker. “These social welfare programs were made so that the middle class and poor can survive.”

Daniel Doubet, executive director at Keystone Progress, could not confirm whether additional demonstrations would take place at the airport when Trump lands there this afternoon.

Trump is expected to address local Republican leaders at a closed-door meeting this afternoon. The event will take place in the National Air Force hangar at the airport, according to a statement released today by Rep. Lou Barletta.

No Deal: Harrisburg Council rejects lease agreement with Eastern U.

October 10, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Part of the basement of Harrisburg city hall.

In a decision that surprised the mayor and his advisors, Harrisburg City Council voted 4-2 tonight to reject a proposed lease agreement with Eastern University, a Christian college that wished to renovate and rent space in the city government center.

Council’s objection to the agreement, in which Eastern offered to spend $600,000 renovating city hall’s dilapidated basement, centered on the university’s religious affiliation and its requirement that its employees sign a doctrinal faith statement.

In remarks before the vote, Councilman Ben Allatt said he was deeply conflicted about the prospect of ceding public space to a private, religiously affiliated institution.

“The university would not hire someone like me,” said Allatt, who is gay. “I recognize they can do what they want, but they want to come into our city hall, which is a building of the people.”

Council previously pressed Eastern representatives on their commitment to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance, which outlaws employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Eastern embraced the non-discrimination policy in a letter to council.

“Eastern University agrees with the spirit and substance of the policy and agrees, in all cases, to stand against the discrimination of any persons in our services to prospective and enrolled students,” the letter reads.

In the same letter, however, Eastern affirmed its right to hire faculty who “fully embrace” the school’s religious mission. Members of council feared that exercising that right would translate into discrimination against LGBT applicants.

Eastern faculty members are bound by a doctrinal faith statement, but it does not provide explicit expectations for marriage or relationships.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse lobbied in favor of Eastern during the meeting, saying that the deal would save the city “real, significant money” by paying for necessary renovations. After the vote, he blasted council’s decision and accused them of squandering a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

“We’re going to have to take taxpayer dollars and devote it to fixing a building instead of fixing a pothole or fixing a park,” Papenfuse told reporters. “To me, it was a no-brainer to move forward in a partnership with Eastern.”

The proposal from Eastern offered to renovate almost 3,000 square feet in the city hall basement, which Papenfuse said is “substandard” for employees. City Council recently moved its offices out of the basement and into another part of city hall.

The renovations would have created two classrooms and a lounge area for Eastern students, as well as an Emergency Operations Center and media room for the city. City employees would have had access to the lounge and classrooms during the day, since Eastern would have only held night classes in the space.

Eastern also offered to extend a 25-percent tuition discount to all Harrisburg city residents for as long as the college occupied the city hall space. The agreement outlined a 10-year lease with a nominal yearly payment to the city.

Council had previously discussed the possibility of opening the project to a public bidding process. Papenfuse, however, does not think that the city will find widespread interest in its unfinished basement space.

“This deal was only done because of Eastern’s mission and its desire to connect to the city,” Papenfuse said. “We could put it out to bid all day, but there aren’t other business that are willing to make that kind of commitment.”

Papenfuse said that he has not received any public opposition to the Eastern deal, but Allatt said that he had heard criticisms from constituents.

Allatt voted against the resolution, joined by council members Shamaine Daniels, Cornelius Johnson and Dave Madsen. Councilman Westburn Majors and President Wanda Williams voted in favor.

In Early: Green to fill open Harrisburg council seat.

October 10, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

Ausha Green

Ausha Green will be Harrisburg’s next councilwoman, as City Council plans to appoint her to an open seat.

Council President Wanda Williams announced tonight that council will name Green to the seven-member body, forgoing a competitive process that has marked recent council vacancies.

Williams said that council has reached an “informal consensus” to appoint Green, who currently serves on Harrisburg school board. A formal vote will occur during the Oct. 24 legislative session, after which Green will be sworn in, Williams said.

The seat became vacant after the unexpected resignation last week of former Councilwoman Destini Hodges, who is leaving Harrisburg to take a job out of state.

Come January, Green would have assumed a council seat anyway, as she won the Democratic nomination for council in May, along with incumbents Wanda Williams, Shamaine Daniels and Ben Allatt. There is no Republican opposition for the four, four-year seats.

Williams said that appointing Green just made sense given her inevitability as a future council member. The appointment will allow Green to participate in the lengthy 2018 budget process, which begins next month.

A two-year council seat also will be on the November ballot following the resignation in August of former Councilman Jeffrey Baltimore. Councilman Dave Madsen, appointed a month ago by council, is running unopposed for that seat.

$100,000 Idea: Startups make their best pitches at “Rise of the Rest.”

October 10, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Linsey Covert pitches her startup, TEAMology, today before the “Rise of the Rest” judges, including AOL founder Steve Case (seated right), at H*MAC.

It’s not every day that a billionaire comes to town and cuts a check for $100,000.

But that happened today when Steve Case, a venture capitalist and founder of AOL, came to central Pennsylvania with his “Rise of the Rest” tour, which stopped in York and Lancaster before ending in Harrisburg.

“Rise of the Rest” is a series of nationwide events promoting innovation outside of coastal areas. At each stop on the tour, Case visits local businesses, meets entrepreneurs and policy leaders and hosts a pitch competition for nascent startups.

The winner of the pitch competition receives a $100,000 investment from Case.

Today, that money went to Device Events, a York startup whose cloud-based software extracts and aggregates FDA data on adverse medical events and recalls. Founder and CEO Madris Tomes delivered the company’s pitch and accepted the prize money at the competition.

The central Pennsylvania pitch competition took place at H*MAC and was open to startups from the greater Harrisburg, Lancaster and York metro area.

Each of the nine startups had four minutes to deliver a pitch to Case and the judges. The six judges, who included Rosa Stroh, retired vice president and treasurer of the Hershey Co., and Timothy Reese, former Pennsylvania treasurer, had an equal amount of time to ask the entrepreneurs questions.

Before the pitch competition, Case participated in a moderated discussion at H*MAC with Penn State President Eric Barron. Gov. Tom Wolf appeared to give opening remarks, calling on central Pennsylvania to mend its regional divisions.

“I say I’m from York County, but really, we’re all from central Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “Together, we’re probably better than we even think we are.”

During the discussion, Case said that the regionalism he’s noticed in central Pennsylvania could hurt the area as a whole.

“Lancaster, Harrisburg and York will rise faster if it’s about central Pennsylvania, but that requires you to be more collaborative and less parochial,” he said.

Case praised the region for its strong work ethic and “humility.” He also said that central Pennsylvania has ample capital and wealth, as well as a population with expertise in many diverse sectors.

Case and Barron also touched on topics including diversity in tech and how to create opportunities for low-income or indebted students. Barron said that many low-income or first-generation college students have to be risk adverse, but the United States will have a “national problem” if they are precluded from entrepreneurship.

“There’s a whole population of creative, hardworking people who can’t take a step to get an idea out there, and we have to think about enabling those individuals,” Barron said.

He and Case discussed policies that would make the tech world more accessible for students, such as a loan deferment program for entrepreneurs or university scholarships for students to complete tech internships.

A 2017 Brookings Institute report found that entrepreneurship is driving economic growth in the Harrisburg metro area. Between 2010 and 2015, jobs at young firms (those aged five years or less) grew by 16.8 percent, the report said.

During the same time period, however, annual wages fell for African Americans and Asians in the region.

That trend mirrors national data suggesting that the tech boom isn’t benefitting all Americans equally. Case and Barron discussed the fact that less than 10 percent of tech funding goes to women, and less than 1 percent to African Americans.

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