Subject for Abate: Harrisburg’s mixed tax abatement program seems to be yielding mixed results.

August 31, 2017 | by M. Diane McCormick

What if they gave a LERTA and nobody came?

Just ask one would-be, first-time developer who wants to build a three-apartment, net-zero energy building in Midtown Harrisburg. This resident, who asked to remain anonymous as he works with the city to realize his dream, hasn’t even found his tract to develop. His extensive research is ongoing, but one big question lingers.

Can he afford the project?

The answer hinges, in part, on a tax abatement program called LERTA.

In mid-2016, Harrisburg’s Local Economic Revitalization Tax Abatement (LERTA), meant to encourage development, went into effect. Since then, the 10-year property tax break seems to have helped spur the rehab of small, existing residential properties. However, few developers have applied the abatement to new or commercial construction.

That’s because Harrisburg’s abatement scheme is two-tier, with stricter requirements for commercial and new-build projects than for residential renovations. These commercial projects come with certain prevailing wage, residency and minority ownership requirements that apply to the workforce and contractors.

Has the tradeoff been worth it? Some say no, but others argue for more time to let the magic work.

LERTA What?

LERTA has been a Pennsylvania mainstay since 1977. Put simply, it allows counties, municipalities and school districts to waive taxes on the increased value of improved properties in distressed areas. It’s simple, really. If you significantly rehab a blighted house or build a new home or business in a city, you keep paying taxes on the property’s old assessed value—not the new, improved value—for the time period established in that city’s LERTA.

But why have a LERTA and give up all that extra tax revenue? LERTA is supposed to act as an incentive because, otherwise, development may not happen at all. That’s especially true in a city such as Harrisburg, which is forced to impose very high tax rates to compensate for low property values. Waive the taxes on improved value for a time, and LERTA may make a project financially feasible.

Until 2010, Harrisburg had a phased-in LERTA, giving tax abatements in increments that decreased by 10 percent annually for 10 years. The 2016 version awarded 100-percent tax abatement for 10 years for residential construction and improvements. Commercial construction and improvements, plus much mixed-use commercial/residential, qualify for abatements of 50 percent to 100 percent for 10 years, depending on the mix of uses and the number of jobs created.

Any new construction—residential or commercial—seeking to qualify must employ 15 percent minority businesses and a 15 percent city-resident workforce and pay the same prevailing wage rates set by the state for many construction projects. Depending on whom you ask, prevailing wage can add 2 percent to the cost of a project or 30 percent. Some even say 50 percent.

The ample, 10-year generosity of the 2016 LERTA is meant to offset those higher costs. Reviews are mixed. Dave Black, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC executive director, pointed out that the state law is three pages, while the city’s ordinance is 18. But he gave city administration and City Council “a tip of the hat” for the attempt.

“It’s all about a balancing, which makes governing challenging,” Black said. “Under the circumstances, it’s a small step forward. Sometimes, you’ve got to take small steps.”

Harristown Enterprises has used the LERTA for three residential conversion projects on S. 3rd Street. More are in the works, especially since much of Harristown’s focus is on residential housing, said Harristown Enterprises President and CEO Brad Jones, who called LERTA “an attractive incentive.” Most developers would have preferred aggressive, 10-year abatements, but Jones said he understand the politics behind it.

“These were conditions that allowed the bill to pass,” he said. “I still believe we can work with the ordinance.”

Jones admits to being “a little more optimistic” than most others. For instance, some new condos have been slow to sell, but apply a LERTA to their development, and the price per square foot becomes more enticing to buyers.

Level the Field

Reinvestment may be on the urban revitalization agenda, but high tax rates plus increased assessment equals a tough development environment.

“Capital doesn’t want to come back in and rebuild and be taxed four times what they’d pay in the surrounding municipality,” said David Butcher, president of Harrisburg-based WCI Partners.

Plus, he added, LERTA doesn’t make taxes cheaper, as the city receives the same tax revenue as before the improvements were made. But, he said, LERTA allows the city to tax projects on a scale similar to other municipalities, where millage rates are lower.

“It’s leveling the playing field, but it’s not tilting it,” he said. “The playing field is so unlevel already.”

For developers, any money made goes into the next project, and returns are projected years into the future, said Jones.

“We don’t need to make grand returns, but we need to build capacity to bring in new investors, and, obviously, more investors are going to come if the returns are a little better,” he said. “As we build more capacity, as we do more with residential and more with commercial, the environment’s going to get better and better, the rates will get better and better, and they’re going to build the capacity to bring in new investors and new developers, and that’s our goal. We don’t want to do this all ourselves.”

A Killer

Our friend who wants to construct a zero-energy building is very concerned about climate change and global warming.

One thing that’s really green, he said, is urban infill development—finding a lot and building where the infrastructure already exists. He believes the future belongs, at least in part, to micro-developers like him. But just like the big guys, he has costs for designing, planning and layers of municipal approvals.

A LERTA could help offset those costs. He thinks he “can survive” with the minority participation requirement, and the city-resident mandate is “another burden,” especially because net-zero construction requires specialized skills.

And then there’s “the part that’s a killer—prevailing wage,” he said. “That is the showstopper, I believe. I don’t know if I believe the 30-percent number. I don’t know if I believe the 2 percent, either. It’s probably something in the middle.”

So, are the conditions of Harrisburg’s LERTA a speed bump on the road to redevelopment? They “could very well be,” said Black. “Mega projects” in the city are rare, and small contractors or projects, especially, could struggle to fill their labor rolls with the requisite number of city residents.

For WCI, the city’s former, stepped-up LERTA “was critical” to completing an office building at 2nd and State streets, said Butcher. Any new restaurant or apartments in a slow-growth city seem like a demonstration of capital flowing in, but “what people are missing is everything going on outside the city,” he said.

In other words, the many developers who built in the suburbs could have located their projects in the city, but made a conscious decision not to.

“It’s what you don’t see,” he said. “What is excluded is the more powerful thing.”

Counterproductive

The city of Lancaster didn’t consider prevailing wage or workforce conditions, a la Harrisburg, for its LERTA, said Director of Economic Development and Neighborhood Revitalization Randy Patterson.

“The challenge of ‘making the numbers work’ for redevelopment projects in cities is already challenging,” Patterson said via email. “One piece of that is the significantly higher total property tax rates for most cities compared to surrounding townships with greenfields available for development. Adding additional conditions to receive LERTA benefits that may impact total project costs may be counterproductive.”

Philadelphia, once in the same boat as Harrisburg with high millage rates and low property values, installed a condition-free LERTA, and the city is “booming,” said Butcher.

“It used to be dead,” he said. “Now, you walk down Walnut Street or Broad Street, and it’s hot. We asked around about the key ingredients, and the number-one thing was full abatement.”

City officials originally agreed to speak for this story but stopped responding to requests to schedule an interview. Nonetheless, developers give high marks to city officials, including Charlie White, the LERTA administrator, for outreach and communications.

“They called me to talk about projects,” said Harristown’s Jones. “I said, ‘You know what? You’re right. We should absolutely be in this program.’”

For other developers, help can arrive in the form of sitting down with White and realizing, as they explain their projects, that “there is a way to use this program to their advantage.” The provisions may be challenging, Jones said, but “the city’s working hard to try to get more applicants in the pool. I think the program can be successful.”

Lot of Energy

In Harrisburg, LERTA’s condition-free segment encouraging residential renovation “is really powerful,” said WCI’s Butcher. “We have used it. It will help drive renovation in the city, which is nothing but a good thing.”

But new construction and commercial projects are unlikely “unless they have some subsidy measure,” he said. Few expect amendments any time soon.

“I don’t think the mayor is ready for that yet—the political dynamics, the amount of arrows you have to take,” he said. “Taking that fight on takes a lot of energy.”

Perhaps a year or three of data will help City Council and the administration determine if the LERTA has delivered reinvestment, said the chamber’s Black. If not, “are there things we should tweak?”

“I’d like to see them monitor it and try to look and try to simplify it, if possible,” he said. “But there’s other considerations they have on their plate.”

Harrisburg’s LERTA administrator can be reached at 717-255-7268. Some information is available on the city’s website, www.harrisburgpa.gov.

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

Author: M. Diane McCormick

All the Good Stuff: Celtic Craic Music Fest pipes in the songs, the fun.

August 31, 2017 | by Jess Hayden

You can’t put all Celtic music into a single bucket.

There’s traditional, pipes-and-drum music for sure. But there are also highly non-traditional forms, such as rock and punk.

All will be on display this month at the third annual Celtic Craic Music Fest, an outdoor event that features some of the region’s best Celtic bands. If you’re unfamiliar with this festival, you may wonder about its unusual name.

“Craic (pronounced ‘crack’) is an Irish word that describes perfectly what this festival is all about.” said Jon Heller, one of the festival organizers. “The term refers to getting together for all the good stuff—good food, good drink, good company and good music.”

Although the festival will sprawl over the Harrisburg Postal Picnic Grounds and feature two stages, Heller wants it to have the feel of a comfortable backyard jam.

“Just playing and listening to this music together is at the root of what we love,” he said.

The 2017 edition again will feature a mix of traditional and Celtic rock performers, including the Kilmaine Saints, a Celtic punk group from central PA, and The Bastard Bearded Irishmen, rollicking Celtic rockers from Pittsburgh.

Other Celtic rock groups will include Hold Fast, a new Harrisburg-based band, and the Ogham Stones from Lancaster. Traditional bands include Harrisburg’s Lochiel Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, the popular trio Across the Pond, central PA’s Down by the Glenside, Celtic string band Abigail’s Garden, and guitarist Dave Pedrick. Local Celtic dance groups will also be featured.

Besides the music, attendees will be able to enjoy food and beer, family activities, a Celtic cornhole competition and a bagpipe competition. Stick around for the campfire cèilidh, which will begin right after the concert.

Heller, who plays with the Kilmaine Saints, started the festival two years ago with band mate Mike McNaughton. The two musicians had talked about producing a festival together for many years, and the pieces fell together when they got the idea to do it as a benefit. After a successful first year, they decided to move the festival outdoors, and, last year, ran their first full-day festival on the picnic grounds.

In the short term, Heller and McNaughton said that one of their goals is to feature both traditional and Celtic rock.

“With the Kilmaine Saints, we play all these festivals that do either the rock stuff or the ‘trad’ stuff,” Heller said. “We want to present a mix of both and also add in some local Irish dancers.”

They also have a grander vision for the festival.

“There are so many local Celtic organizations around, and we would love for them to see our festival as a place where they can all come together and maybe even partner with some local Harrisburg charities to do something bigger, “Heller said. “It’s all about the community and the music.”

The festival organizers have been community-minded from the beginning, with the majority of proceeds going to charitable organizations. For the second year in a row, 51 percent or more of the proceeds will go to the American Heart Association of the Capital Region. There also will be a canned food drive with the Central PA Food Bank at the festival. Other charitable partners include Arthur’s Pet Pantry, Collins Division 1 AOH of Cumberland County, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Lochiel Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, LoveHopeStrength and Pennbrook Fire.

Heller said he’s really looking forward to this year’s festival.

“I love all the bands,” he said. “A lot of them are our friends. The Celtic community is just so great, the bands and the fans alike. Everyone is so open, so friendly. I really like feeling that we are preserving important traditions.”

The Celtic Craic Music Fest takes place Sept. 9, starting at 12:30 p.m., at the Harrisburg Postal Picnic Grounds, 1500 Roberts Valley Rd., Harrisburg. Tickets are $15, and children 12 and under are free. For more information, visit www.celticcraicmusicfest.com or the Facebook page.

Author: Jess Hayden

Keep on Strutting: For Shoe Strut, 2,000 new pairs—and counting.

August 31, 2017 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

While many adults probably remember their back-to-school shopping as an anticipated adventure, some area children go without.

In fact, some youngsters may even avoid going to school because they’re ashamed to be seen in worn or unstylish shoes. That’s where Shoe Strut comes in.

On Sept. 22, Salvation Army Harrisburg will sponsor its 6th annual Shoe Strut, a charitable luncheon and footwear fashion show.

But, really, this isn’t about shoes for you. Shoe Strut’s main purpose is providing footwear for needy children. The Salvation Army, in partnership with Boscov’s, provides one pair of shoes on behalf of each Shoe Strut attendee. Additionally, 100 percent of the event’s silent auction proceeds directly benefit the children.

Last year’s Shoe Strut garnered some $65,000 that funded 500 $30 Boscov’s shoe vouchers, with remaining funds put toward other charitable Salvation Army programs. By distributing vouchers instead of actual footwear, delighted youngsters get to shop for shoes of their own choice at Boscov’s, which sells the goods at a discount, according to Kathy Anderson-Martin, Salvation Army Harrisburg’s director of philanthropy.

Not bad for something that started over a pizza.

The genesis of Shoe Strut took place on an otherwise ordinary day in 2012 as the Salvation Army Harrisburg’s women advisory board shared a pizza in the facility’s community room. Between bites, Claudia Williams and friend Lisa Benzie brainstormed fundraising ideas.

“Then Claudia asked, ‘How about shoes?’” Anderson-Martin recalled. “Some of the kids in our youth programs didn’t have a decent pair of shoes, and some of them didn’t go to school because of that.”

That was all it took to set things in motion for the first Shoe Strut, which netted $20,000 in proceeds and attracted 250 attendees. Since then, the event has continued to grow. In 2016, a crowd of 500 flocked to the sold-out show.

Although this year’s tickets were “technically” sold out months ago, organizers said some tickets likely will become available closer to the date of the event.

Since its inception, Shoe Strut has helped to provide more than 2,000 pairs of shoes to young people selected from Salvation Army Harrisburg programs. Most recipients are in late elementary school, middle school or high school. Surplus funds have gone toward Salvation Army Harrisburg summer programs for at-risk youth, meals and basic needs assistance, self-sufficiency programs and even a new freezer for the Salvation Army facility in Midtown.

“It’s helped to fund a lot of things that otherwise wouldn’t have happened,” said Cindy Minnich, Salvation Army Harrisburg’s special events and communications coordinator.

Not surprisingly, Salvation Army Harrisburg has received numerous letters from parents, grandparents and others who are grateful for what their child received from Shoe Strut, and it’s a lot more than just shoes.

“We wish to thank you so very much for the book bag and shoes for our son,” said one letter. “They allowed him to go to school with what he needs, so he can maintain his 4.0 GPA!”

Another letter read, “The shoes and uniforms are a huge blessing! My grandchildren were so excited and eager to start school. It would have been a struggle for me alone. I know I speak for others as well when I say thank you for being there for our community.”

In retrospect, Minnich and Anderson-Martin are proud of all that has sparked from an initial lunchtime brainstorm.

“All in all, this is a pretty amazing story of what a group of woman can accomplish when eating pizza in a basement and sharing good ideas,” Minnich said.

Salvation Army Harrisburg’s 6th annual Shoe Strut takes place Sept. 22 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.shoestrut.com or www.pa.salvationarmy.org/harrisburg-pa.

Author: Phyllis Zimmerman

Prattle Battle: Storytellers throw down at Hilton Harrisburg.

August 31, 2017 | by Trey Knarr

Everyone has a story to tell.

Some do it in the pages of a notebook, keeping it obscure and hidden. Some do it in front of a camera, making movies they later upload to a YouTube account. Still others fall in love with the written word and use this to detail their experiences.

For much of this year, Whitaker Center has been organizing the Harrisburg Story Slam, the events taking place at the Hilton Harrisburg, with the monthly winners slated to compete in a final slam-down in November.

Whitaker Center describes it as being “like ‘Celebrity Deathmatch,’ but with real people and zero violence,” which, in my experience, was spot on.

On the night I attended, the theme was “Declaring My Independence.” As the event took place shortly after Independence Day, the subject was, appropriately, freedom. The contestants all had their own unique variations on the theme.

One constant I noticed in all the stories was that, even if the plots involved strange, outlandish events, the audience could relate to the subject. Not a single piece went by without at least a snicker or two.

Who hasn’t experienced moments of dissatisfaction with their body? Who hasn’t been curious about what the hippies in the Volkswagen van are really like?

Keeping with the idea of America, the contestants were a melting pot: youthful, older, of varying races, ethnicities and body types.

Phil Broder was the opening storyteller, kicking off the event with a humorous story about environmentalism and graduating from college. In listening to him offer his singular take on the theme, I already knew that humor and quirkiness were the keys to a potential win.

Linda Silberman was the third performer, and her cautionary tale of travelling on a bus with hippies resulted in riotous uproar from the audience. Indeed, her misadventures sat well with the judges and the audience alike—she was the night’s winner.

As the evening went on, I learned just how crucial the use of humor can be, how it can take the darkest of subject matter and transform it into something enjoyable and relatable. The subjects of the next two pieces—getting robbed and body-confidence issues—demonstrated this with deftness.

The fourth contestant and runner up, Carol Karl, detailed going to Europe for eight months, which led her to discover her independence. She gripped the audience with an impassioned narrative about getting pickpocketed in the Czech Republic, a cultural misunderstanding to blame.

Orchid Adams, the fifth contestant, imbued her entry with a very calm sort of confidence. She discussed her attempts at weight loss and how she learned the power of self-acceptance. It spoke to me on a personal level, as I’ve had my own issues with self-acceptance throughout the course of my almost-30 years.

“I was looking at the mirror of other people,” she explained.

Gina Napoli, the second performer after a short intermission, talked about her father using a brand of lip balm called “Raspberry Beret,” because, as she explained, “It was 1982.” Yet again, this was an average subject elevated to another level through humor.

The stage presence of the second-to-last storyteller, Gina Federico, was phenomenal. She delivered an entry about joining the school football team as a down marker, all to purchase koosh earrings “in every color ever made.”

Thomas Wenger, the last performer, discussed high school—the second most-common theme behind motherhood—and how he ended up working in the mining industry before confessing to his parents, “I wanna go to college.”

Following this was another short break, this time to give the judges a few minutes to determine who would go on to compete in the second round. It was clear they knew who the right picks were, and, although I may not have agreed with them, there were no “bad” choices.

To watch the contestants in action, visit Whitaker Center’s YouTube channel. For more information, go to www.whitakercenter.org/story-slam. The next slams are slated for Sept. 13 and Oct. 5, and the monthly winners will compete in the finale on Nov. 8 at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Author: Trey Knarr

The War Comes Home: The Vietnam War ended long ago. But, for many veterans, it never truly stopped.

August 31, 2017 | by Michael J. Williams

Search the term “Vietnam War” online, and you’ll get more than 30 million results. There will be pictures, descriptions of the war, a lot of websites with facts and a few with opinions.

Most online accounts list April 1975 as the end of the war. But if you ask anyone who lived through that era, that date may be more opinion than fact.

The United States had already pulled out of Vietnam two years earlier with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. After a short ceasefire, fighting resumed between North and South Vietnam until April 30, 1975. That was the day Communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops captured the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, forcing South Vietnam to surrender, officially bringing an end to the war, at least in the eyes of most historians.

Many people who have served in war zones say that the war doesn’t end just because you get your orders to go home.

Ann Thompson was an Army Nurse in Vietnam working at the 93rd EVAC Hospital in Long Binh, Vietnam, from 1964 to 1965.

“When I got home, I felt such a sense of relief, until I understood that war doesn’t stop the minute you land at Dulles,” she said. “It keeps on playing for you.”

Thompson knows that the “tape that keeps playing” is not unique to her own experiences in a war zone. Today, she volunteers at the Lebanon VA Medical Center, helping other veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“If you talk to Vietnam veterans, they say this tape is running in my mind—this particular battle, this particular day,” she said. “We ask young men to make life and death decisions, and they’re 18!”

Very Stressed

Flashbacks, upsetting memories and anxiety were common for those returning from Vietnam, as it was for veterans of the world wars, Korea and every conflict since. For hundreds of years the symptoms have been the same, but they’ve gone by different names like “shell shock” and “battle fatigue.” Vietnam vets were the first to have the term “PTSD” applied to them.

Thompson recalled an experience from years ago when she was shopping at a mall with a friend.

“They were having a sidewalk sale, so there all these tables out there,” she said. “Ten pair of tube socks for $1.”

The pathway between the shops was narrow, and it was hot, she said.

“I was with my friend, Carolyn, and she was walking ahead of me, and behind me I heard this Vietnamese chatter, and, all of a sudden, I thought, ‘Wait a minute, where am I?’ I didn’t know that I was in Lebanon.”

Carolyn saw that Thompson was suddenly very stressed.

“And she said, ‘What’s the matter with you?’” she said. “And I said, ‘We need to get a soda.’ That Vietnamese chatter was just enough to remind me of the markets in Saigon. You know, that are crowded and hot and noisy, and everybody’s chattering away.”

Without any warning, her memories triggered the old feelings of stress and anxiety she had experienced while working in a war zone.

“And I didn’t feel safe in Lebanon, Pennsylvania,” she said. “I didn’t feel safe.”

In 1998, Thompson traveled back to Vietnam. There, she met a former soldier wearing a cap that said, “Vietnam Veteran.”

“So I went up to him and asked, ‘Why are you here?’ and he said, ‘I came to change the tapes in my mind.’”

Past the Past

Bob Smoker, a veteran from York, traveled back to Vietnam on a mission trip. He was surprised to find the trip to be very therapeutic. While talking to local men, he found out that most Vietnamese soldiers have not held onto memories of the war like their American counterparts. Why?

“Well, suppose you and I loved the same girl,” he said. “We date the same girl at the same time, and we have good times and bad times with her. But I marry her and you go home. Twenty years later, all you have left is memories of the girl, whereas she and I have built a whole new life together. We’ve built a new history together. All you have are memories.”

Smoker now helps other vets travel to Vietnam so they can replace the old memories with new ones.

“We all deal with things that are difficult,” he said. “But I’ve come to believe firmly that we don’t have to let the past dictate who we are today. For the average person, it’s possible to get past the past. That doesn’t mean you have to go back to Vietnam. There’s ways of building a new history without going back to Vietnam. But (creating new memories) is an important thing that can be done, and (it will) help a person get past the past.”

He’s been back 13 times.

Thompson agrees with the concept of replacing old memories with new ones. She now volunteers at the Lebanon VA Medical Center, helping other veterans work through their own experiences with PTSD. She said that talking about past events can be therapeutic.

“If you talk about it out loud, it doesn’t seem quite as horrible as your mind projects it to be,” she said. “It’s difficult, but we think it’s important that people understand that war doesn’t end when we come home.”

For Thompson and Smoker and many veterans, PTSD remains a reality of everyday life. But like any good soldier, they aren’t giving up the fight.

Michael J. Williams contributed this story on behalf of WITF, a community publisher for TheBurg. On Sept. 17, WITF will premiere, “The Vietnam War,” a 10-part, 18-hour documentary directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.

Welcome to Harrisburg: Diverse music for newcomers, old-timers.

August 31, 2017 | by Kait Gibboney

Some Hands. Photograph by Joey Ulrich.

If you’re new to Harrisburg, this column is especially for you. Welcome! If you’re a veteran reader, glad you’re back for more music. Something you should know about me is that I love calling Harrisburg my home, and I also love giving others the chance to love it, too. One way that I get people into the city is by taking them to a show at one of our growing number of venues. I’m always excited to know what’s going on around town, and I love getting people excited about it. Continuing to follow my heart, I’m here to showcase our September shows for all of you lovely readers both old and new. This month, I’ve created the quintessential Harrisburg experience filled with local artists, touring artists, dance parties, rock n’ roll, musical throwbacks and fresh new sounds. There’s something for everybody’s tastes in the city. You just have to know where to look.

PLUSH JUSTICE, 9/8, 8PM, RUBICON, FREE

Picture a perfect evening out: an excellent dinner and then a rockin’ show. At Rubicon, you can have both! Plush Justice is a newer local touring group around Harrisburg. The band is made up of frontman Josh Ari and guitarist Kevin Bock, both Harrisburg natives. “[Ari] is the only other constant member so far,” Bock said. “We have a rotating rhythm section depending on the needs of each venue.” Plush Justice is known for their original renditions of R&B and hip-hop music from the ‘90s and ‘00s, energizing popular local venues such as H*MAC. If you want another take on Bock’s music, check out his soulful solo act Some Hands, performing later this month at Bridge’s Social Club. Get some local flavor into your life with Plush Justice.

P.O.D., 9/10, 7PM, H*MAC CAPITOL ROOM, $25-$30

From personal experience, H*MAC’s Capitol Room is the perfect place to catch some rock n’ roll in Harrisburg. P.O.D. headlines on their Soundboy Killaz tour, featuring special guests Alien Ant Farm, Powerflo and Fire from the Gods. Also known as “Payable on Death,” P.O.D. is a nu-metal band that formed in 1992 in San Diego. The group has released eight albums since its conception, only pausing in 2008 to renew their passion for performing. If you want a sense of their sound, check out their definitive album, “Murdered Love.” “This is the best record we’ve ever done,” said vocalist Sonny Sandoval. “And that can only come from what we’ve put into this. We’re the same four down-to-earth guys we were when we were putting out indie records. There’s an honesty and an underdog vibe to everything we do that you can definitely hear in our music.” So far in their career, the group has sold more than 10 million albums and reached triple platinum on their record, “Satellite.” This group is truly a modern rock tour de force that can’t be missed.

THE APRIL SKIES, 9/23, 8PM, THE ABBEY BAR, FREE

This show is shaping up to be quite the throwback. The April Skies formed in the early ‘90s, influenced by college radio and alternative music. Their popularity grew fast, and their debut album, “A Strange Western Mood,” was revered by some critics as the best indie album of 1991. After touring their 1992 EP “Drive-In,” the band took a lengthy break and came back in 2002 with another EP, “Breathe.” Since then, they’ve been sharing the stage with artists like The Ocean Blue, Riverside and The Dashboard Saviors, among many others. For this eventful evening, The April Skies will be performing newer material as well as some fan favorites in a surprising way. The first part of the show will feature its current members, David Kemper, Jake Crawford, Jason Leidich and Mitchell Curry, while the second half will feature the re-release of “A Strange Western Mood” on CD and a musical performance by the ‘90s lineup of Eric Moore, Jake Crawford, Cary Brown and Mark Tritico, featuring music from their early career. Something old, something new.

Mentionables: MarchFourth, Sept. 1, The Abbey Bar; Yam Yam, Rivers & Jr Wolf, Sept. 16, H*MAC Stage on Herr; Black Bunny Party, Sept. 16, River City Blues Club; The Dead Boys, Sept. 20, H*MAC Stage on Herr; Some Hands with Ben Brandt, Sept. 22, Bridge’s Social Club

9/8

PLUSH JUSTICE

RUBICON

270 NORTH STREET, HARRISBURG

STARTS AT 8PM

9/10

P.O.D.

H*MAC CAPITOL ROOM

1110 N. 3RD ST., HARRISBURG

STARTS AT 7PM

9/20

THE DEAD BOYS

H*MAC STAGE ON HERR

1110 N. 3RD ST., HARRISBURG

STARTS AT 8PM

9/22

SOME HANDS WITH BEN BRANDT

BRIDGE’S SOCIAL CLUB

321 N. 2ND ST., HARRISBURG

STARTS AT 9PM

9/23

THE APRIL SKIES

ABBEY BAR

50 N. CAMERON ST., HARRISBURG

STARTS AT 8PM

Author: Kait Gibboney

Craft Community: At Mount Gretna, come for the beer, stay for the people.

August 31, 2017 | by Cathy Jordan

Mount Gretna Craft Brewery throws a party every night. At least that’s what it feels like to owners Brad Kleinfelter and Todd Holsopple.

I sat down with head brewer Kleinfelter and business partner Holsopple in the brewery’s lounge—in what looks like a cabin living room complete with leather chair and couch, a shelf stocked with books and games, a mounted wildebeest head over the large brick fireplace and hardwood floors.

There, I got a sense of where the party happens. The place is deceptively large with a pub, event room, windowed brewery room where patrons can watch the process and outdoor seating area.

Breakfast and lunch are served along with specialty drinks and locally baked goods inside the attached Red Canoe General Store, which is a coffee bar and a small market. Coffee—roasted in the large coffee roaster nestled in a corner—also winds up in the beer. As far as the suds go, Kleinfelter considers himself more of a traditionalist.

“I like a medium-body beer,” he said. “But, we have everything from pale ales, IPAs, ambers, porters and Belgiums. I just tapped a honey basil pale ale this morning.”

“Did you taste it?” Holsopple asked Kleinfelter.

“Oh yeah,” Kleinfelter responded with a smile. “It was pretty good.”

Love of Movement

Holsopple said they looked at other sites before buying the former Leed’s Corner, conveniently situated at the corner of routes 322 and 117.

“The first location fell through when the owner decided not to sell, and the second didn’t work due to zoning rights,” he said. “This spot wound up being a blessing.”

Kleinfelter piped in.

“Every corner of this place has a story. Let me show you the bathroom.”

He led me toward the men’s room, where old kegs serve as urinals and the bathroom sinks are antique feed troughs.

Back at the bar, one of the original Leed’s Corner signs hangs on the wall. The lone television played a video showing the 30-foot long, 2-foot wide and 3-inch thick bar top, community table and window ledge being cut from the same slab of oak. The oak slabs were dried right inside the unfinished brewery in a kiln. Cabinets behind the bar are reclaimed wood from an Elizabethtown barn. The wood on the walls came from Kleinfelter’s property, and the floorboards came from trees cut down on Holsopple’s property.

And the bicycle shop next door to the brewery is not there by chance. The space was originally an auto body shop when owned by founder Harry Leed and was later a gun shop. Holsopple, who has lived in the area for 30 years, is a cyclist, and he said he always liked the idea of a bicycle shop next to a brewery. According to Allison Kleinfelter, they sought out a bike shop to reinforce active outdoor values.

“We also are expanding our yoga offerings through our general store and brewery,” she said. “So, we really bring in the love of movement indoors and out.”

Although Kleinfelter and Holsopple bought Leed’s Corner in July 2016, Kleinfelter said he’s been brewing for more than 20 years.

“I had bought a pilot home brew system,” he said. “Then I used friends and family as guinea pigs.”

Given the positive reaction, he thought he was onto something, but it took a long time before seriously considering going pro.

“Five years ago, my wife Allison and I had this crazy idea to get into brewing,” he said. “We live in Mount Gretna and liked the idea of having a brewery here. Mount Gretna is all about art, refined products, and a craft brewery fits that idea.”

A Hub

Leed’s Corner boasts tremendous local history. For decades, people swung by for such diverse goods as gas, shotgun shells and baseball cards.

“People stop in and share good memories from when they used to come in here as a kid,” said Kleinfelter. “It was a hub.”

Kleinfelter and Holsopple still think of it that way, and they reconstructed the building to include a centralized area where the brewery regularly hosts book readings, musical performances, art classes for kids and adults, ladies nights out, craft classes, yoga and more. People stop by in the morning for coffee and breakfast, afternoon for lunch and evening for family entertainment, dinner and a craft beer.

“All the food will be locally sourced with local vendors,” Kleinfelter said. “We want to keep the menu small and continually rotate with the seasons.”

The pair recruited their chef, Marc Achenbach, from Hotel Hershey.

“He’s a vital part of the operation,” said Kleinfelter. “He’s very creative.”

Achenbach offers upscale pub food, like gourmet pizza and burgers, fries, salads and soups. Additionally, he plans to always have something new to draw interest.

“The chef will come up with a weekly item along with a seasonal item,” Kleinfelter said.

The food should get people coming back to the brewery, even after the craft beer phenomenon has peaked, Kleinfelter said, as should the strong sense of community.

“Our unique niche is this corner—our sense of community,” he said. “If you’re from the area, you know Mount Gretna. People come here to unwind. We can offer that relaxing lifestyle with our coffee shop, bike shop, comfortable environment and restaurant. And really good beer.”

Mount Gretna Craft Brewery is located at 2701 Horseshoe Pike, Palmyra. For more information, visit www.gretnabrewery.com.

Author: Cathy Jordan

Mom Made: Josue Osorto steps up to the plate with traditional Salvadoran fare.

August 31, 2017 | by Ann Beth Knaus

Photo by Waxman Photography.

In El Salvador, it’s considered polite to leave a small amount of food on your plate when you’ve finished eating.

Visitors to the newly opened restaurant, Mom’s Tamales and Pupusas in Midtown Harrisburg, might have a difficult time following tradition once they’ve tasted the pupusas, the authentic national dish of El Salvador.

Pupusas, which are unique to the country, are thick corn tortillas, resembling small stuffed flatbreads, that literally can be filled with anything savory a diner wants—so vegans and vegetarians, fear not. That’s the most appealing aspect of this dish: They’re made to order.

“You cannot make these ahead of time,” said Mom’s Tamales owner Josue Orsoto, adding with a smile, “That would disrespect the culture.”

Orsoto, a first-generation American who opened his restaurant last month, has already garnered a following for his traditional Salvadoran food.

The new business is a neighborhood standout, housed in a building with a brilliant, beautiful mural that adorns the entire front façade, just across the street from Midtown Cinema. The mural was Orsoto’s idea. It depicts, as he explained, “a Latin mother warrior,” and the inspiration was his own mother, who escaped the Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s.

She and Orsoto’s father (the couple have known each other since they were 13) made their long journey to a safer life through Mexico, eventually settling in San Diego. His mother, one of 13 children, had family on the East Coast, so it was off to New Jersey and finally Bethlehem, Pa., where Orsoto went to high school. Along the way, he came to value hard work and learned lessons that helped to shape his life today.

He fondly recalls how his mother used to clean a restaurant in West Orange, N.J., from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. each day.

“I would be late for school most days because she needed to finish her work first and then would drive me, and I needed to be there by 7:38 a.m.,” he said.

Her commitment to that job gave him early exposure to the restaurant business and helped him recognize his mother’s tireless work ethic.

Orsoto, an accomplished athlete, followed his brother to the Harrisburg area because he wanted to continue his wrestling career. His brother was pursuing studies at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. Orsoto wanted to try out for the college team, but a cracked fibula ended those plans. It didn’t deter him from his studies or passions. He attended HACC while continuing to work in the restaurant business.

Local foodies may recognize Orsoto from his posts at popular downtown establishments, most recently at the Hilton, but also El Sol Mexican Restaurant, MoMo’s BBQ and Grill, Firehouse Restaurant and nightclubs Egypt and Mars, among others. His biggest industry immersion came when local legend Nick Laus asked him to open Cork & Fork’s downtown location.

“This was an eye-opener for me,” Orsoto said. “I was in charge of a huge punch list that included plumbers and electricians, always checking to make sure everything was there for our health inspections.”

Now that Orsoto has taken the plunge as a business owner himself, he is leaving no stone unturned. He wants to keep his menu simple, with just 13 items, including the pupusas and tamales, which, unlike Mexican tamales, are wrapped in plantain leaves instead of cornhusks. Many of the recipes are his mother’s own, thus the restaurant moniker.

The atmosphere is casual and welcoming. Diners can eat inside the restaurant or choose to sit outside at café-style seating. The quick service makes it easy for a time-limited lunch crowd to get in and out. The restaurant also offers free wi-fi for those who want to eat while on the job or simply stay connected.

“This is the most stressful thing I have ever done in my life,” Orsoto said, reflecting on his new venture. “It’s been my calling, and I stepped up to the plate and went for it. This is really letting me be a part of the community.”

Mom’s Tamales and Pupusas is located at 263 Reily St., Harrisburg. It is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Author: Ann Beth Knaus

United State: Estamos Unidos helps unify, elevate our area’s growing Latino population.

August 31, 2017 | by Diane McNaughton

It all began 16 years ago with a picnic on a sunbaked summer afternoon in Steelton.

Hispanic immigrants were beginning to stream into the Harrisburg area, but were finding that central Pennsylvania definitely wasn’t Central America. Thus, a few people organized Estamos Unidos de Pennsylvania—“We Are United”—reflecting a desire to preserve their Latin roots and fulfill unmet needs in their new country.

EU’s first picnic was held in Emeric Cibort Park, featuring tacos, rice, enchiladas and salsa dancing, marking the arrival of a new immigrant group in an area once synonymous with the culture of steel, polka and hearty Croatian meals.

Sixteen years later, this celebration has become an intrinsic part of Steelton’s culture, so much so that members of government, emergency services, academia, health care and other community organizations joined the throngs who recently gathered for food, face-painting, games and music. It was a “sweet 16” celebration for a powerhouse group of volunteers who have given so much over the years.

Strong Record

For evidence of success, one need look no further than EU’s new president, Amanda Batista-Brgulja.

The 28-year-old was once a struggling student at CD East. But she became an EU volunteer and a scholarship recipient who went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration.

Batista-Brgulja, who now works in the Dauphin County Judicial Center in Halifax, said everyone on the board has a niche. She and Treasurer Maria Tran share a criminal justice bent. Immediate past president, Dr. Patricia Silveyra, was focused on steering Hispanics toward careers in science.

While the group may have a relatively small number of official, dues-paying members, they can tap into 200 to 400 volunteers at each major event, Batista-Brgulja estimated.

Case in point: about eight years ago, the group’s annual Christmas party was short about 600 toys. A rescue came from then-Dauphin County Republican Party Chairman John McNally, who enlisted the aid of the Republican State Committee. Together, they donated more than 1,000 toys.

McNally, who attended this year’s picnic, said he brings his three young children each year to help set up tables and wrap gifts for the Christmas party.

“It is about making other people feel special,” he said.

That sentiment pervades the group’s culture.

This year’s parking attendant at the picnic was a straw-hatted Dr. Oralia Dominic, an assistant professor of public health sciences at Penn State’s College of Medicine and a past president of EU.

She said the annual picnic replicates the plaza of any quintessential town in Central or South America, which typically features a church and a town square, where boys meet girls, kids play soccer and get ice cream, and moms come to chat.

Dominic, a leader in diabetes education, became involved in EU after she received the group’s Multicultural Citizenship Award in 2009. She said that, to her, the takeaway is quite simple.

“You don’t have to abandon your ancestry and cultural beliefs and attitudes and influences to become a leader,” she said.

McNally added that EU has a “strong record of educating the community about resources. They’ve done a great job of getting the message out to pockets of the community, and that helps them come out of the shadows.”

He added that co-founder Hector Ortiz, now an assistant professor at Central Penn College, was his ticket to the program.

“This group has gone from hosting one event to serving as a year-long support network,” he said. “It’s not just Fiesta Del Nino or the Multicultural Picnic, it’s all about what they do the other 363 days a year.”

Another picnic guest, Dr. Sarah Ramirez, assistant professor at Penn State’s College of Medicine, hopes to make health care more culturally accessible. She notes that a Penn State health clinic in Harrisburg has Spanish-speaking providers on hand, and she brings medical students in to volunteer for EU.

Ramirez has helped to translate medical forms and recruit bilingual health care providers, a critical need since 19 percent of the Harrisburg area is Spanish-speaking, she said.

“I saw the disconnect between doctor and patient,” she said. “I want to narrow the gaps in health care disparities for the Hispanic population.”

Validation

EU tries to close educational, interpersonal and economic gaps, as well.

Its annual gala is a whirlwind of food, music and culture, highlighted by the presentation of scholarships to deserving students. It’s also become a signature social event in the midstate, where you just might bump into a governor, lieutenant governor, CEO or cabinet official such as Pedro Cortes, secretary of the Commonwealth, and Pedro Rivera, Pennsylvania’s education secretary.

“If you want to be a banker, you can meet George Nahodil, who is now the acting president of Members 1st Credit Union,” Dominic said of EU’s founding treasurer.

You also may run into now-TV star Graham Hetrick, Dauphin County’s charismatic coroner. Hetrick’s wife Esmeralda, who has Mexican and Texan roots, has served as EU’s president and is a frequent performer at its events.

Dominic underscored that 100 percent of the money raised at the EU gala stays in the community.

“This is evidence that EU is an organization that works,” she said.

In fact, many past scholarship recipients are now physicians, musicians and business owners.

“It validates our mission when people reach their goals,” Dominic said.

As Ortiz enjoyed a plate of homemade food under the merciful shade of Cibort Park’s pavilion, he said that he views EU’s biggest success as simply “community engagement.”

“It’s an opportunity to receive something and give something,” he said.

His goal was encapsulated by two objectives—“to share culture and make people feel at home.”

He recognized a commonality among people from so many different Spanish-speaking nations, whether from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Honduras, Colombia or points beyond. They all came to America with a strong love of family, a strong faith and strong values.

He recalled the joyful holiday celebration.

“Every single year, you see the faces of the children who get gifts,” he said. “And the people who line up just to say, ‘thank you.’”

To learn more about Estamos Unidos de Pennsylvania, visit www.estamosunidospa.org. The group’s annual gala is slated for Nov. 4.

Author: Diane McNaughton

Place in History: Christine Turner returns home, with an eye on the past.

August 31, 2017 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Burg in Focus: Historical Society of Dauphin County from GK Visual on Vimeo.

Christine Turner has, in her own words, “moved around a lot,” both within the United States and overseas

Now she’s happy to be home.

Wanting her son and child-to-be to be close to their grandparents, Turner and her husband have at least temporarily moved back to her parents’ farm until the couple can refurbish their house in upstate New York and put it on the market. Then they’ll look for their own home locally.

“My mom is having fun watching my son during the day,” she laughed.

Turner lived in Harrisburg until the sixth grade, at which point her family relocated not far away—to Millerstown in Perry County.

But she also had a professional reason to come back to the area. She is the newly appointed executive director of the Historical Society of Dauphin County.

The society’s portfolio is large: an unmatched county archives, a lecture series, historic exhibits and a few good parties every year. But it’s probably best known as the keeper of the John Harris/Simon Cameron Mansion Museum.

As executive director, Turner is responsible for all operations, including fundraising, programming, finance and facilities management. She also oversees the administration of the mansion, a National Historic Landmark, and the Alexander Family Research Library.

Before beginning at the historical society, she had a varied career.

Perhaps most colorfully, she was one of the few women to be an assistant manager of a Major League Baseball team. But it was something she had always wanted to do.

“I started by working for the Harrisburg Senators after high school,” Turner said. “And I interned with them between my college years. I was lucky enough to work for the Cincinnati Reds.”

A Red Sox fan, Turner was associated with Major and Minor League teams in Cincinnati, Savannah and Troy, N.Y. In 2009-10, she served as assistant general manager and Major League Baseball consultant for the Victoria Aces in Melbourne, Australia.

Another love of hers is history. It’s what she majored in at Beloit College (graduating with honors) and what she’s glad to be immersed in now at HSDC.

What has been the biggest surprise of her new position?

“I’m amazed at the number of people who come in every day, researching their family or some piece of Harrisburg history,” she said.

Immediately before coming to the historical society, Turner was director of corporate relations and events for Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region in Albany, N.Y. She was responsible for overseeing and executing nearly 60 events and appeals, raising more than $2.2 million annually for the charities. She also raised $2.4 million for a Ronald McDonald House expansion campaign.

“The first thing we needed in choosing an executive director was a person who could do and has done fundraising,” said John Robinson, a board member of the historical society and its immediate past president. “It’s such an important need.”

Fundraising helps maintain the mansion, the library and archives.

But it isn’t just about money, Robinson added.

“We need to expand our reach for new audiences, especially involving children and young adults,” he said. “Christine has worked with many age groups. We believe she has the vision and foresight to imagine how the historical society can be.”

Turner’s long-term goal is to increase and diversify the number of events HSDC sponsors. Again, drawing on her experience at the Ronald McDonald House, Turner said, “It was very event-heavy there, not just an annual gala.”

She’s “still putting things on paper,” to see what types of events she believes will work here and have not been “overdone” in the area. “Nothing is set in stone yet,” she said.

Another major goal is to increase the number of people who donate to HSDC.

“Financing is our greatest challenge,” said Turner. “We aim to broaden the base of those supporting us. There are many nonprofits here, and history is a harder sell. We have to come up with new and creative ways.”

HSDC is supported by grants from the county and state, but much of its funding comes from foundations and individual donors.

Turner is hoping that the popularity of websites like ancestry.com will inspire more interest in the historical society.

Back in the area that was once and now is again home, Turner is catching up on relearning it.

“It’s changed,” she said of Harrisburg and its environs. “There are more restaurants and breweries. There’s a lot going on. There are more festivals and events.”

Besides going back and forth between Perry County and New York to work on their house, Turner and her husband enjoy different kinds of travel, like hiking and kayaking. In January, they’ll be visiting Italy, full of historic sights, where her husband lived for a while but that is new to her.

But it’s also exciting to preserve the history of the area closer to home.

The Historical Society of Dauphin County is located at the rear of The John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion, 219 S. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.dauphincountyhistory.org.

Author: Barbara Trainin Blank

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