May News Digest

April 28, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

3rd Street Repaving Set

The repaving of 3rd Street in Harrisburg should begin in July, with disruptions expected along the major corridor, the city said last month.

“Bear with us,” City Engineer Wayne Martin said. “I think everyone is so excited that we are paving roads. However, we are going to try to minimize the inconvenience.”

Construction crews will repave 3rd Street in chunks. Work will take place in these three sections: Chestnut Street to Forster Street, Forster Street to Muench Street and Maclay Street to Seneca Street.

The project will skip the recently repaved strip of 3rd Street in front of the Capitol complex. However, most of the street has not been repaved in 20 years.

Crews will pave at night to minimize road closures that could disrupt commuters, Martin said, adding that loud work, such as jackhammering, will occur during daytime hours to minimize disturbances for residents.

“[It’s] a balancing act,” he said.

Curb extensions called bump outs will include green infrastructure elements designed to filter storm water. More than 120 trees placed in specially designed planters will naturally filter contaminants before entering the city’s water infrastructure. In addition, crews will install more than 150 ramps that comply with accessibility standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Martin said.

Updates to six traffic signals will ease crossings for pedestrians, Martin said. The updates will include chirping noises to indicate safe crossing times. Traffic signals will be retimed in a way that’s designed to allow pedestrians to cross safer, he said.

Bus stops will be moved to safer locations and, in some instances, consolidated for efficiency, Martin said.

For the project, the city obtained more than $3 million in grants from PennDOT and Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit set up as part of the Harrisburg Strong Plan. Impact Harrisburg awarded Capitol Region Water $500,000 for the project’s storm water management aspects.

Comp Plan Back on Track

After a thrown-out consultant contract and more than a year of delay, city officials have laid out a timeline to get Harrisburg’s comprehensive plan to the finish line.

Last month, city officials said a draft of the document would be released for public comment in June. They expect the final version to be ready in November.

City Council members last month spent much of a three-hour meeting teasing out how a $200,000 consultant’s contract, which still has not yielded a draft document, became so behind schedule.

After the city did not receive a final comprehensive plan draft by a March 2016 deadline, communication between city officials and urban design consultant Bret Peters slowly broke down, ending with the city terminating Peters’ contract, said city officials.

After a negotiation process, the city made a final offer for Peters to complete the project, said City Solicitor Neil Grover. With no response, the city terminated the contract, he said.

For his part, Peters outlined numerous reasons for the delay, giving council a stapled document explaining why his team’s work was not complete by last year’s deadline.

Paint, Repairs for Bandshell

Reservoir Park’s bandshell will receive a fresh coat of paint and general repairs this month as City Council unanimously approved a resolution to move forward with the $50,000 project.

The city hired Steelton-based Kemar, Inc. to repair wood, paint, fix the flooring and perform other general maintenance and repairs. These updates will make the bandshell more appealing to performance groups looking to rent the space, said city Purchasing Manger Hillary Greene.

“[After these updates], we feel better about renting it out,” she said.

Gamut Theatre’s annual Shakespeare in the Park is slated to be the first to use the refurbished venue in June. The contractor aims to finish repairs before the performance, said Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Sanders.

The bandshell also needs updates to light and sound systems, which may be in the cards for this year, Sanders said. His department plans to install a video security system at the bandshell in the hope of protecting the area from vandalism.

Fire Protection Funds Nixed

The state House last month passed a budget that did not include any payment to Harrisburg for fire protection services.

For the past four years, the state has paid the city $5 million annually as compensation for fire and emergency services to protect about 50 tax-exempt state buildings within the city.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that, if the city does not receive the funds, which comprises about 8 percent of its general fund, it will need to lay off public safety workers.

The payment was included in Gov. Tom Wolf’s draft budget, but was taken out by the House, as it tries to close a $3 billion budget deficit.

At press time, the state Senate still needed to pass a budget bill.

Home Sales Climb

Home sales in the Harrisburg area continued their years-long upward trend, rising 18.3 percent in March.

Sales totaled 766 units versus 647 in March 2016, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR). The median price rose to $160,000 from $155,000 in the year-ago period.

In Dauphin County, 265 homes sold for a median price of $140,000 compared to 233 sales for $136,000 in March 2016. In Cumberland County, 246 homes sold at a median price of $190,150, versus 214 units at $179,950 the previous March.

In Perry County, 23 houses sold for a median price of $132,900. In March 2016, 26 homes sold at a median price of $139,950.

GHAR covers all of Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and parts of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

So Noted

Alison Hays was named last month as the new executive director of Theatre Harrisburg. She replaces Brett Bernardini who resigned last month after serving 20 months on the job.

Harrisburg last month unveiled a new “Welcome to Harrisburg” sign at N. 2nd and Paxton streets near the ramps for I-83. PinnacleHealth paid for the $60,000 sign, which includes a digital LED screen that the city and Pinnacle are sharing.

PinnacleHealth Auxiliary last month held a ribbon cutting for recent renovations to the Bailey House Annex, a facility on Washington Street in Harrisburg that offers free accommodations to families of hospital patients. Improvements include two additional bedrooms, central air conditioning and an entrance between the main house and the annex.

Changing Hands

Bellevue Rd., 1957: C. Chase & A. Baylor to M. Peters, $44,800

Brady St., 25: Habitat for Humanity Greater Harrisburg Area to Ma Ambashakti LLC, $33,500

Briarcliff Rd., 211: Donald L. Pong Trust to S. Ayala, K. Morrison & J. Stevens, $150,000

Brookwood St., 2449: Federal National Mortgage Assoc. to D. Tu, $32,015

Chestnut St., 2223: M. Bauer to S. Rock, $164,900

Emerald St., 220: Wells Fargo Bank NA to C. Shokes, $35,000

Emerald St., 232: T. Janz to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $116,000

Fulton St., 1707: C. Hutchinson to K. Herbe, $106,000

Green St., 2210: E. & T. Stelzer to T. Matthews, $41,000

Green St., 3121: 8219 Ventures LLC to G. Rosenberg, $100,000

Hamilton St., 501½: Dobson Family Partnership to Z. Yap, $34,900

Harris St., 244: Harris Street United to Trinity Church of God, $200,000

Herr St., 108: N. & A. Hays to L. Roper & E. Lupico, $164,000

Hudson St., 1116: E. Rider to E. Beachler, $92,000

Industrial Rd., 3700: KTR Harrisburg LLC to Supervalu Penn LLC, $37,054,000

Jefferson St., 2155: C. Torres to B. Torres, $50,000

Lenox St., 2003: D. & D. Koppenhaver to O. Ordaz, $55,500

Logan St., 1721: C. Johns & R. Miller to L. Castillo, $150,000

Logan St., 2421: K. Macrate to J. & C. Stowell, $74,900

Maclay St., 1001: M. Daley & B. Morris to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $1,125,000

Market St., 1842: Centric Bank to Adonis Real Estate LLC, $30,000

Muench St., 200: D. Pennyweather et al to Penn Home LLC, $35,000

Naudain St., 1642: R. Page to L. Cooper, $53,700

2nd St., 2615: TBF Properties LLC to E. Smith & H. Williams, $173,000

2nd St., 2921: J. Hartzler & K. Werley to D. Skerpon, $360,000

3rd St., 1712: R. & J. Mensch to J. Yonker, $101,000

3rd St., 1935 & 1932 Logan St.: Monte Design Studio LLC to D. Goodwin, $230,000

3rd St., 3104: M. Horgan & R. Kushner to B. McClain, $104,000

4th St., 3013: Orrstown Bank to T. Wylie, $36,000

5th St., 2459: D. Floyd to D. Young, $65,000

16th St., 47: 3405 Associates LLC to B. Shephard, $41,000

16th St., 719 & 721: K. & R. Thames to J. Gulbin, $140,000

Front St., 407: Dobson Family Partnership to VMV Luxury Real Estate LLC, $800,000

Front St., 1525, Unit 503: R. Davis Jr. to Dowell Group Inc., $112,000

Front St., 2705: G. & P. Lightman to MBS Solutions Real Estate LLC $160,000

Oakwood Rd., 2301: K. Snow to PI Capitol LLC, $156,901

Peffer St., 211: M. Barrette to K. Scheib, $74,900

Peffer St., 230: J. Aiello to Keystone Brothers Investments LLC, $125,000

Penn St., 1210: J. & S. Bircher to Senior Parking LLC, $95,000

Penn St., 1521: M. Levy & A. Couloumbis to M. Lipke, $139,900

Penn St., 1601: N. Wyatt to P. & L. Wenrich, $137,000

Penn St., 1721: D. Myers to PA Deals LLC, $80,000

Penn St., 1818: W. & K. Van Jura to C. Schroll, $77,000

Pennwood Rd., 3160: Federal National Mortgage Assoc. to J. Bush, $62,000

Reily St., 211: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & Information Systems Networks Corp. to K. Secrest, $35,300

3rd St., 13: G. & W. Kotsalos to Dewberry LLC, $140,000

13th St., 347: CNT Enterprises to Q. Phillips, $70,000

22nd St., 15: D. Giusti Jr. to B. & C. Zandieh, $119,000

24th St., 625: H. Dinh to J. Clancy, $69,900

Front St., 713: S. & C. Cherry to E. Kitzman, $155,000

Zarker St., 2046: C. & G. Gallagher to R. Pollard, $50,000
Harrisburg property sales for March 2017, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Author: Lawrance Binda

This Is the End: State closes Harrisburg corruption probe with suggestions, not charges.

April 27, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the end of state’s investigation into the Harrisburg incinerator and the actions of former Mayor Steve Reed.

The years-long public corruption probe of former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed and his associates ended with a whimper today, as the state released its final report without announcing additional charges.

At a mid-afternoon press conference, Attorney General Josh Shapiro described in damning terms the actions of Reed, whom he described as virtual dictator who drove the city into fiscal ruin.

“A great city—a great city—was badly harmed and continues to be hampered,” he said, adding that much of the blame lies with “a power-hungry mayor willing to ignore the rules to get his way.”

Nonetheless, it was too late for the state to file charges against Reed and his subordinates in relation to the retrofit of the city’s troubled incinerator in south Harrisburg, as the five-year statute of limitations had expired.

“Due to the passage of time, the grand jury could not ultimately recommend charges,” he said.

Almost two years ago, a previous grand jury indicted Reed on nearly 500 corruption-related counts. However, a judge later dismissed most of those counts, saying the state filed them too late, more than five years after Reed left office in January 2010.

This past January, Reed pleaded guilty to lesser charges—20 counts of receiving stolen property after city-owned museum artifacts were found in his home and in a separate storage facility he rented—and was later sentenced to probation.

The 87-page grand jury report offers a history of Harrisburg’s doomed incinerator project, beginning with the city’s sale of the facility to the Harrisburg Authority in 1993 and continuing through the final retrofit financing in December 2007.

In all, the incinerator accounted for $434 million in debt, though only $155.8 million was spent to actually repair and retrofit the facility, Shapiro said. Much of the rest of the money went to pay professionals who issued the debt or to the city and Dauphin County in the form of “guaranty fees.”

Ultimately, the incinerator was sold to the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority to help settle a portion of the accumulated debt.

Shapiro used much of his time outlining the grand jury’s recommendations for reform, such as prolonging the statute of limitations in public corruption cases and giving the attorney general’s office the ability to investigate municipal corruption without a referral from the local district attorney.

Shapiro also said that the commonwealth’s ethics laws should be amended to bar conflicts of interest and the accumulation of power. Reed was able to force through the incinerator retrofit and borrowings, Shapiro said, due to his “grip on power” and control of bodies like the Harrisburg Authority. Meanwhile, the state lacked authority to scrutinize the incinerator project, even while approving bond deals, he said.

“The retrofit of the incinerator was built on a house of cards,” Shapiro said. “Then it all came crashing down.”

Author: Lawrance Binda

Burg Blog: Credit Is Due

April 25, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Who should take credit for the resurgence of Midtown, which includes the beautiful space that is now home to st@rtup Harrisburg?

Last weekend, some good friends from Washington, D.C., came up to Harrisburg for a visit.

They’d been here before, but not in awhile, so I took them on a little “renovation” tour—the historic buildings that had been rehabbed and reoccupied since their last visit.

We walked through st@rtup’s glorious new space at 3^rd and Boas, then checked out H*MAC, had a drink in the Millworks. I showed them the buildings now occupied by the Susquehanna Art Museum, modernrugs.com and Zeroday Brewing.

Later, thinking about it, it struck me that not once did I utter the words, “Eric Papenfuse.”

I mention this only because all four challengers for the mayor’s office have, to varying degrees, built their campaigns around giving the sitting mayor the credit (or perhaps the blame, I’m not quite sure) for the dramatic redevelopment of Midtown Harrisburg over the past few years.

I’m not here to defend Papenfuse, as TheBurg does not endorse candidates. But I am here to defend reality, as I believe that credit for the transformation of Midtown should go to the people who deserve it.

Now, Papenfuse, as a businessman, is among that group. His Midtown Scholar Bookstore helped anchor redevelopment at the heart of the neighborhood ever since it opened at N. 3^rd and Verbeke. He subsequently bought and renovated the buildings that house the LGBT Center and Yellow Bird Café and is completing renovations of three buildings on the 1400-block of N. 3^rd Street. Those are solid contributions.

However, he should not be the sole recipient of the honors or arrows, depending upon your perspective, of what has become of Midtown Harrisburg.

Recognize also Josh Kesler, who, through enormous risk and millions of dollars, gave us the Millworks.

Recognize also John Traynor who, through enormous risk and millions of dollars, gave us H*MAC.

Recognize also Zachary Nitzan, who through enormous risk and millions of dollars, is giving us the modernrugs.com buildings.

Recognize also developers like GreenWorks, Brickbox, WCI, Lift Development and the Vartan Group, which all have completed major projects in Midtown.

Recognize also small business owners like Ruth Prall, Adam Porter, Adam Brackbill, Ivan Black, Samra Alic, Theo and Brandalynn Armstrong, Steph and Ammon Perry, the vendors in the Broad Street Market and many others who have given Midtown vibrancy, customers and a resurgent economy.

Now, there are two significant things that Papenfuse, as mayor, has tried to do in Midtown that are worth noting. The first was the creation of the Broad Street Market Task Force, whose recommendations, I hope, will help the market further its progress and secure its future. The second was his attempt to close down the Third Street Café, a battle that has been criticized simultaneously for attempted gentrification and for ignoring troubled bars in other neighborhoods (you may notice a contradiction there). So, yes, he tried, but failed, in an effort spanning two years and counting.

Owners of the Third Street Cafe show their preference for mayor and City Council.

Meanwhile, Papenfuse’s detractors have ignored where priorities and money actually have been focused during his term: the LED streetlight project (citywide), the multi-modal project (several neighborhoods), the MulDer Square project (Allison Hill) and the sinkhole project (South Harrisburg).

Years ago, a friend, now deceased, warned me not to get my hopes up for Midtown Harrisburg. Then in his 70s, he told me he had seen the neighborhood do a two-step forward, almost two-step backward routine too many times.

I wish he had lived to see this day, that he could have shared a drink with us last weekend, as I believe that Midtown has finally reached a tipping point, a place of sustainable progress.

In this heated election season, it’s important to understand how that happened. It didn’t happen because Papenfuse waved a magic wand and showered the neighborhood with money. It happened because developers took extraordinary risks to restore this and that building, then business people took extraordinary risks to open this or that restaurant, brewery, shop. Ignoring that reality is a profound disservice to those who have actually rebuilt Midtown Harrisburg.

I would like to be charitable and believe that candidates have honestly confused correlation with causation or simply don’t understand how business or development work. However, it’s election season, and charity is hard to come by, especially when giving credit where credit is due.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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

City Council Update: Council moves to improve roadways, bus stops

April 25, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

City Council last night made several moves to improve Harrisburg’s infrastructure, though only one such move will be immediately obvious to residents.

Council approved measures that address parking issues on S. 18^th Street, bus stop locations and citywide roadway issues.

Automobiles will no longer be able to park on the west side of S. 18^th Street between Derry and Berryhill streets. The ordinance that passed last night was in response to resident complaints about parked tractor-trailers blocking the roadway.

City workers are slated to paint a double yellow line so that automobiles will only be able to park on one side of the street, said City Councilman Cornelius Johnson, chairman of the Public Safety Committee.

The city also will address issues with bus stop placement and shelter structures. Council hired a consultant, Mechanicsburg-based Delta Development Group, to determine how to make bus stops along Market, 3^rd, 4^th, 6^th and 7^th streets more efficiently placed and more accessible for people with disabilities.

The group plans to look at how the current bus stops affect traffic flow. For example, bus stops on corners cause automobiles to enter unsafe situations to navigate around the buses, Johnson said.

“If doing this allows for better bus stops and traffic to flow better, [and] it’d affect [bus] ridership, I think it’s a good idea,” Johnson said.

The consultant group will hold community meetings to allow residents to share concerns and thoughts. The project costs $129,527 according to the consultant agreement.

City roadways will receive extra attention as council approved a measure to create a comprehensive database of roads. IMS Infrastructure Management Services, LLC will use GIS mapping technology to give city officials information on potholes, broken pavement and the lifespan of roads, said Councilman Westburn Majors, chairman of the Public Works Committee.

“Essentially, we are doing a study of all the streets in the city,” Majors said.

The city-wide mapping project will help officials prioritize areas for maintenance and capital improvements, per the resolution. This project marks the first comprehensive road-mapping project in at least 10 years, Majors said.

The consultant agreement budgeted this project for $36,013.

Yesterday also marked the beginning a street sweeping contract between Hazleton-based DBi Services and Capital Region Water. Therefore, DBi Services is now responsible for cleaning Harrisburg’ streets in accordance with posted street signs.

The city continues to provide snow removal, leaf collection and trash removal services. The city and Park Harrisburg are still in charge of parking enforcement and ticketing. Residents can find a live-updated map tracking street sweeper’s progress in the city, plus contact information for street sweeping issues, on Capital Region Water’s website.

Author: Danielle Roth

Take Your Pick: Harrisburg City Council and Mayoral candidates to debate, participate in forums

April 24, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

Residents may have read about candidates’ stances, watched their videos and perhaps even met them going door to door.

Starting this week, Harrisburg residents will be able to see and hear candidates, maybe even ask them questions, at a series of debates, forums and meet-and-greets. The action starts Wednesday and runs almost to the primary itself, which is May 16.

Five Democratic candidates are running mayor: challengers Lewis Butts, Jr., Anthony Harrell, Jennie Jenkins, Gloria Martin-Roberts and incumbent Eric Papenfuse.

Seven Democratic candidates are competing for four, four-year seats on City Council: incumbents Ben Allatt, Shamaine Daniels and Wanda Williams and challengers Jeremiah Chamberlin, Ausha Green, Angela Kirkland and Dave Madsen.

On the ballot for Harrisburg school board are incumbents Judd Pittman, Danielle Robinson and James Thompson and challengers Brian Carter, Carrie Fowler, Richard Soto, Gerald Welch and Cory Williams. Newcomer Percel Eiland is the only candidate running for the board’s sole two-year seat.

All events are free. The PennLive/CBS21 event at HACC requires an RSVP. Some event coordinators allow participants to email questions to the moderators ahead of time.

Friends of Midtown: Meet the City Council Candidates Night
Wednesday, April 26, 6 to 9 p.m.
Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
Submit a question ahead of time to: [email protected].

Candidate Forum, hosted by NAACP
Thursday, April 27, 6 p.m.
Girl Scout Building
350 Hale St., Harrisburg

Meet the Candidates Night, hosted by Capital Region Stonewall Democrats
Thursday, April 27, 6 to 9 p.m.
Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
Candidates from York, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster and Cumberland counties will share their platforms. Mayoral candidates will attend this event following the 6 p.m. NAACP forum.

Harrisburg Mayoral Debate, sponsored by CBS21 and PennLive
Tuesday, May 2, 7 to 8 p.m.
HACC Midtown Campus, 2^nd Floor
1500 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
Submit questions to John Micek at [email protected] or Christine Vendel at [email protected]
RSVP here

Harrisburg Mayoral Debate, sponsored by Harrisburg Young Professionals and The Hill Society
Tuesday, May 9, 5 to 8 p.m., Reception at 6:30 p.m., Debate at 7 p.m.
Hilton Harrisburg
1 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg

Harrisburg Mayoral Community Townhall Debate, sponsored by ABC27
Thursday, May 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg

Story was updated at 8:45 p.m. Monday to correct inaccuracies with dates and sponsorships.

Author: Danielle Roth

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

April 20, 2017 | by Sara Bozich

Well, folks, it’s just about here. Harrisburg Beer Week 2017 kicks off tomorrow, and we have SO MUCH to be excited about.

https://www.sarabozich.com/2017/04/absolute-cant-miss-hbgbeerweek-events/

Tomorrow night, I’ll be at our VIP Kick-off, then the bulk of the team is doing Flavor, and you’ll find us all again on Sunday at Battle of the Homebrewers at Broad Street Market. Read the above post, and BUY your tickets now. I am NOT kidding, this stuff will sell out.

What are you doing this weekend?

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

April 13, 2017 | by Sara Bozich

I’m heading to Lancaster for a mini day trip today with my longest BFF before a busy Easter weekend.

Tonight and tomorrow will likely be low-key as I shop and prep the house for guests (meanwhile, Andy is going over to hang out with Jimtern as he smokes a whole pig). Saturday, my sister, and nephew are in town, and we’re lunching at The Millworks.

Hey – Be sure you stop over to see Tierney and Jimi at the Market (just inside the Brick Building) to pick up your #HBGBeerWeek Battle of the Homebrewers tickets!

What are you doing this weekend?

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“Bear with us”: 3rd Street repaving project starting this summer

April 12, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

3rd and Verbeke streets will receive a pedestrian-friendly facelift as part of the 3rd Street repaving project.

Pedestrians, drivers and bus-riders each will have something to gain with Harrisburg’s plans to repave 3^rd Street. But first, the city will experience some growing pains.

“Bear with us,” City Engineer Wayne Martin said at today’s public information meeting at Strawberry Square. “I think everyone is so excited that we are paving roads. However, we are going to try to minimize the inconvenience.”

The repaving and beautification project is slated to begin in July and run through October, wrapping up late next year, Martin said.

The city has not yet determined dates for road closures or parking restrictions, pending selection of a contractor. An online map updated by city officials reflects the street closures, which will include closures on busy 3^rd Street. The city and SP+ will work together to notify residents of parking changes, Martin said.

Construction crews will repave 3^rd Street in small chunks. Work will take place at these three sections of 3^rd Street:

Chestnut Street to Forster Street
Forster Street to Muench Street
Maclay Street to Seneca Street

This project skips the recently repaved strip of 3^rd Street in front of the Capitol complex. However, most of 3^rd Street has not been repaved in 20 years.

“[It’s] a balancing act,” he said, adding that the city will “scrutinize” any lane restrictions before 9 a.m. and after 3 p.m.

Curb extensions called bump outs will include green infrastructure elements designed to filter storm water. More than 120 trees placed in specially designed planters will naturally filter contaminants before entering the city’s water infrastructure, Martin said. In addition, crews will install more than 150 ramps that comply with accessibility standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Updates to six traffic signals will ease crossings for pedestrians, Martin said. The updates include chirping noises to indicate safe crossing times. Traffic signals will be retimed in a way that’s designed to allow pedestrians to cross safer, he said.

Bus stops will be moved to safer locations and, in some instances, consolidated to be made more efficient, Martin said.

Author: Danielle Roth

City Council Update: Reservoir Park Bandshell to receive fresh paint, general repairs

April 11, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

yellow-ish bandshell image. Ampetheater with a covered stage

Reservoir Park’s bandshell will receive a fresh coat of paint and general maintenance repairs.

Reservoir Park’s bandshell is slated to receive a fresh coat of paint and general repairs by early May. This comes after City Council tonight unanimously approved a resolution allowing the city to move forward with the $50,000 project.

Right now, the wood in the bandshell’s dressing rooms rots while the stage’s paint chips away, said Hillary Greene, city purchasing manager. The contractor, Steelton-based Kemar, Inc., will address these problems in addition to fixing the flooring and other general maintenance and repairs.

These updates will make the bandshell more appealing to performance groups looking to rent the space, Greene said.

“[After these updates], we feel better about renting it out,” she said.

Kevin Sanders, parks and recreation director, said a basic rental for residents costs $150 without using electricity. The fee increases depending on how a group plans to use the facility.

Gamut Theatre’s annual June Shakespeare in the Park is slated to be the first to use the refurbished venue. The contractor aims to finish repairs before the performance, Sanders said.

The bandshell also needs updates to light and sound systems, which may be in the cards for this year, Sanders said.

His department plans to install a video security system at the bandshell in hopes of protecting the area from vandalism.

During a pre-meeting discussion, Councilmen Cornelius Johnson and Ben Allatt requested that the purchase of the surveillance system be sped up.

The city park at 4^th and Emerald streets is also slated to receive video surveillance.

“A lot of these facilities, it takes the community to maintain,” Johnson said during the legislative meeting tonight.

The security system would “identify who vandalized property and deter those actions from happening,” he said.

Also at tonight’s meeting, council approved three members to the LERTA appeals board. This marks a final step in implementing the tax incentive program, which is intended to foster development in the city. Developers can go to the LERTA appeals board if they disagree with the city LERTA administrator’s decisions.

Members of the administration, including Mayor Eric Papenfuse and city Solicitor Neil Grover, were absent tonight as they attended a mandatory Three Mile Island readiness drill.

This story was updated on April 18 to include the cost to rent the bandshell.

Author: Danielle Roth

Opening Night Review: “Uncanny Valley” contemplates life’s deep questions, with a touch of humor

April 10, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

Man with blue collared shirt appears popping out of a wooden desk. The clean-cut man has one arm that touches the forehead of Anne, an older woman dressed in beige.

The scientist Claire (Anne Alsedek) teaches Julian (Jeff Luttermoser), a robot, the nuances to being a human.

Thomas Gibbons’ play “Uncanny Valley” dives deep into timeless questions about the core of humanity, all with only two actors, 90 minutes and a dash of expertly placed humor.

Open Stage of Harrisburg’s production, which opened Friday night, kept me engaged as the perfectly portrayed characters, Claire and Julian, dove deeper and deeper into this intellectual territory.

The play’s opening scene shocked me, which kept me on my toes throughout the play. The humanlike robot Julian (Jeff Luttermoser) appeared as a clean-shaven head popping out of desk in the plain office space belonging to the scientist Claire (Anne Alesdek). She showed Julian the nuances to human movement, as the robotic Julian attempted to move his head side to side.

Luttermoser rose to the challenge of playing a robot, and his well-executed jolts and bumps mesmerized me. Alsedek’s character required less obvious physical demands and a subtler portrayal of Claire’s sadness, which I understood in Alsedek performance from the first scene.

This dynamic and chemistry between Luttermoser and Alsedek are at the crux of this play.

An older woman nearing retirement, Claire—complete with a cardigan—immediately juxtaposed the youth and accompanying curiosity spouting from the newly created robot. As the performance progressed, I realized the characters are near-perfect foils, which added depth to my understanding of the show and its questions.

Then, the scene cuts to dark. I heard the beep, beeping and breathing of a respirator. The stage suddenly is illuminated to reveal that more of Julian—his torso—has risen from the desk.

This transition had the potential to be jolty, but I loved its effect on the play’s pace. It allowed the play to reveal nuggets of suspense. I always attempt to guess how a story ends, and this well-delivered performance kept me guessing.

Each time we met Julian after the lights returned, another section of his body was revealed until the audience met a standing, walking Julian.

His childlike curiosity gave ample opportunity for humor. However, more than just the silly questions children ask adults, Julian and Claire’s well-delivered humor develops a brilliant dynamic in their relationship from the onset. Alsedek and Luttermoser’s on-stage chemistry builds throughout the performance until the end’s thought-provoking and surprising crescendo.

As Julian physically grew and Claire taught him about humanity, his seemingly innocent questions to Claire became surprisingly targeted at the root of human existence. He questions emotions, consciousness and his purpose all to understand his own existence as a robot attempting to become a human.

When he receives an arm, he asks to touch Claire’s face and hair, when he realizes that Claire’s human body comes complete with scars. Julian’s perfectly engineered existence has no such scars. He summarizes his thoughts with this poignant line, “If I fall short, it’s because I lack your scars.”

Julian’s curiosity into Claire’s life shows that Claire has more scars than just physical ones. Like Julian looking for his purpose as a robot trying to be human, Claire looks for meaning as she nears the end of a distinguished career and grapples with family problems.

This play was a great way to spend an evening, but I recommend having an after-show dinner or drink so you can ponder life’s deep questions afterward.

A one-act play, “Uncanny Valley” is directed by Donald Alsedek, founder and producing artistic director of Open Stage. “Uncanny Valley” runs until May 7 at Open Stage of Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit www.openstagehbg.com.

Author: Danielle Roth

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