Lights, Camera, Tandoori: Mumbai meets the midstate at Bollywood Bar & Grille

October 31, 2016 | by Courtney Gontz

Photo by Waxman Photography.

Lavish sets. Melodrama. Elaborate song and dance.

That’s what comes to my mind when I hear the word, “Bollywood.”

Downtown Harrisburg? Not so much.

Yet, there I was, in the middle of 2nd Street, opening the door to downtown’s newest restaurant, Bollywood Bar and Grille.

When I entered, a server immediately welcomed me, guiding me to a small table then telling me to help myself to the buffet.

Immediately, I noted how different the space looked from the prior occupant, the Italian-themed Zia’s Red Door—or from any other Indian restaurant I’d been in.

The custom-made chairs were plush and inviting, the atmosphere relaxing. I looked around at the large Bollywood movie poster collages located next to the bar and on one of the walls in the main dining room. As I sat and took everything in, I found it hard to believe that this expression of India was in Harrisburg.

Owner Dinesh Purohit stood behind the bar ringing guests out and welcoming them to come back soon. Talking to him, you immediately sensed how proud he was of his creation.

“I hope to make a name as the best restaurant in the town or region,” Purohit said. “For me, the food has always come first, money second.”

Breaking Boundaries

Purohit started in the restaurant business through good sense and savvy.

Living in Wyomissing, a town outside of Reading, he owned a cigar shop. The closest Indian restaurant was miles away, he said. Seeing an opportunity, he opened Laxmi’s Indian Grille with the help of a friend. When his family recently moved to the Harrisburg area, he brought his restaurant expertise to the capital region.

“This location was exactly the way I like it,” he said. “And we needed a name that we could build the restaurant around.”

“Bollywood” fit the bill, the theme now visible throughout the restaurant, from the décor to the menu—riddled with Bollywood trivia—to the cocktails, named for famous Bollywood movies.

Though the restaurant has been open just a few months, Venkat Radhakrishna is already a regular. A contractor for the state Department of Health, he got excited when he heard that a restaurant specializing in northern Indian cuisine would open just two blocks from his job. Now, he can be found there at least once a week enjoying his favorite “comfort foods.”

“This restaurant has done a good job of breaking the stereotype of Indian food and just breaking boundaries,” said Radhakrishna, whose patronage is so dedicated that it inspired Purohit to create a loyalty card for frequent guests.

You can thank head chef Prem K.C. for the magic in the kitchen. He has worked in the food industry for 20 years, including as a chef for 17 years. Purohit met him through a mutual friend and, once he tried his cooking, knew he wanted to work with him.

“His food speaks for itself,” Purohit said. “Go online and read the reviews, and you will see for yourself.”

Over the course of a day, Bollywood Bar and Grille changes pace to meet the needs of diners. For lunch, the affordable buffet takes center stage, featuring numerous Indian staples, some with flavorful twists on classic dishes. At dinner, it becomes a sit-down restaurant, with creative takes on chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes.

“The food is non-traditional, but has amazing taste,” Purohit said. “Dinnertime, we turn into an upscale restaurant that people expect when they go for dinner.”

If you stick around long enough, you may witness the restaurant again changing form. Late night, you might find yourself amidst a Bhangra dance party with a DJ spinning Bollywood remixes. There are also two separate rooms for private parties, and a hookah is available upon request.

Purohit even has an answer for the parking-obsessed. Present your parking receipt, and it will be taken care of on your bill. He may be a recent transplant to Harrisburg, but Purohit clearly understands this place he now calls home.

Bollywood Bar & Grille is located at 110 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, including a menu, visit www.bollywoodbarandgrille.com or call 717-972-0708.

Author: Courtney Gontz

The Fight for the 15th: Teplitz, DiSanto stake out their positions for the state Senate race.

October 31, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

Election Day is nearly upon us and, locally, there may be no more fraught race than the battle for the 15th state Senate district.

To help voters make a decision, we asked the two candidates, Democratic incumbent Rob Teplitz and Republican challenger John DiSanto, about their positions, priorities and prospects. They responded with the answers that follow.

Senator Rob Teplitz

Sen. Rob Teplitz (D)

What do you believe are the greatest issues facing voters in the 15th Senate District in this election cycle? What are voters telling you as you campaign?

Over the past four years, I’ve taken on the most important issues in this very diverse senatorial district that includes the City of Harrisburg, most of Dauphin County and all of Perry County—great schools, good jobs, government reform, Harrisburg’s financial recovery, and the preservation of family farms. That’s what I’ll continue to do in my second term, and I’ll also continue to be the most accessible, responsive and transparent public official I can be.

What are your plans to try to solve the most important issue or two?

Details of my positions and accomplishments on these and many other issues can be found on my campaign website at www.robteplitz.com/issues. In this space, I’ll address government reform because it is the key to achieving progress on all other issues. As the founder and co-chairman of the Government Reform Caucus, I lead a bipartisan, bicameral effort to change business as usual in the Capitol. Our caucus has focused on banning gifts to public officials, and I have dozens of my own bills as well. I’ve also tried to lead by example, such as by refusing my own paycheck when there wasn’t a state budget, returning my mid-term cost of living adjustments to the state Treasury and posting my office expenses on my official website for the public to review.

The City of Harrisburg is showing some positive momentum in terms of its local economy. What would you try to do, if anything, to try to sustain and further that momentum?

I’m proud of my work to help the local economy: securing greater state investments in our schools and economic development projects; forcing the state to finally pay the full cost that the city incurs in providing public safety services to the Capitol and other tax-exempt state government buildings; drafting legislation to prohibit the kind of risky financial deals that nearly bankrupted the city; pushing law enforcement to hold those responsible for the financial crisis accountable for their actions; working with local businesses and entrepreneurs through my Small Business Advisory Committee; helping dozens of constituents find family-sustaining jobs; and supporting the efforts of our vibrant nonprofit community. I am committed to continuing to do everything I can to help our capital city and its residents thrive.

The 15th Senate District has changed considerably since the last election. What impact do you think this will have on the race?

As an active member of the Redistricting Reform Work Group, I’ve sponsored legislation to take the politics out of the redistricting process. It’s time for our democratic system to work the way it’s supposed to, with voters choosing their legislators and not the other way around. As the first Democrat to be elected to this Senate seat in almost a century, I wasn’t surprised by the GOP leadership’s attempt to take it back through partisan gerrymandering. That should offend everyone, regardless of their political affiliation. Yet despite the change in geography, I’m running on my record, and I’m confident that the voters will respond favorably.

The budget process in Pennsylvania is, in my opinion, badly broken. Do you advocate reforms to the process? If so, what are they?

Yes. I introduced my “Judgment Day” package of legislation to facilitate a responsible, on-time state budget. My bills create a process for enacting a budget by the June 30th constitutional deadline, and then impose increasingly harsh consequences on legislators and the governor if the deadline isn’t met—suspending our pay, forfeiting our cost of living adjustments, and subjecting us to recall elections. My goal is for the effects of a budget impasse to be felt by those of us inside the Capitol, rather than by our constituents outside the Capitol.

There has been much talk about eliminating or significantly reducing property taxes in Pennsylvania, but nothing has happened. What is your stance on this issue? If you would like property tax reductions, how specifically would that revenue be made up?

We must address the critical issue of high property taxes. However, the proposals most often discussed—increasing and expanding other taxes, as my opponent favors and I oppose—would merely trade one set of winners and losers for another. Instead, I want to see real progress on this issue. I have introduced legislation to provide targeted relief to seniors and others who are most affected, and to fix the dysfunctional process by which all homeowners are supposed to receive the tax relief we were promised when casinos were legalized a dozen years ago. This can be done within a responsible and balanced state budget.

Feel free to take a quick swipe at your opponent regarding any of the issues above.

A campaign is a reflection of the candidate. I’m running a positive campaign focused on the issues that are important to central Pennsylvania families and taxpayers. I trust your readers to judge my record fairly and vote accordingly.

John DiSanto

John DiSanto (R)

What do you believe are the greatest issues facing voters in the 15th Senate District in this election cycle? What are voters telling you as you campaign?

People talk to me all the time about how we need to elect decent people with real world experience in solving tough problems. People are frustrated with career politicians and politics as usual, and I’ve been encouraged by people who want to see real change. Jobs are a big issue, and I think that people know that my experience as a job creator for 35 years will be an asset in the state Senate that they currently do not have.

The other issue that keeps coming up is elimination of property taxes. I oppose tax increases, but I do support a shift from property taxes to income and sales taxes to help continue the type of economic development that has started in Harrisburg and to alleviate the burden on seniors.

What are your plans to try to solve the most important issue or two?

When it comes to creating jobs, we need some common sense in Harrisburg— eliminate wasteful spending, stand up to special interests, invest in and improve education, and reform our tax code to make it more business friendly. We also need to eliminate property taxes—and that will help every community, including Harrisburg.

The City of Harrisburg is showing some positive momentum in terms of its local economy. What would you try to do, if anything, to try to sustain and further that momentum?

I believe Harrisburg is the economic hub of our region, and the next state Senator has to know that and believe it. We must provide the city with the tools to manage the high cost of municipal pensions that have become a major burden on its budget and the source of a continuous search for more revenue from city taxpayers. Also, eliminating property taxes will continue the momentum Harrisburg has seen—development and redevelopment will continue to rise thanks to lowering the tax burden in the city.

I would also support efforts to enhance the livability of the city, such as recreational opportunities, parks and bike lanes. And, I would advocate for opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses in the city to grow their markets and expand.

Having a senator in the majority will help the city considerably. This will give us a louder voice in the Capitol, and anyone who knows me knows I won’t be a wallflower.

The 15th Senate District has changed considerably since the last election. What impact do you think this will have on the race?

The addition of Perry and upper Dauphin County to the district requires that the senator be knowledgeable about and involved in rural issues. Because of my varied business experience and farm ownership, I am just as comfortable meeting with developers in Harrisburg as I am talking to farmers in Perry County, and I think that gives me a distinct advantage.

Overall, though, I find that the residents of Harrisburg, upper Dauphin County and Perry County pretty much want the same things: good schools for their kids and grandkids, job opportunities, safe communities, good roads and transportation and affordable taxes.

The budget process in Pennsylvania is, in my opinion, badly broken. Do you advocate reforms to the process? If so, what are they?

Government was set up to have natural tension between the executive and legislative branches, and we saw that in the budget debates in the past. However, our legislators and governor should be able to meet the constitutional deadline of June 30 for a balanced budget. Our current senator’s proposals in this regard are gimmicks that have no chance of passing and, in fact, would lead to higher spending and taxes as self-serving politicians scrambled to protect their pay.

What we need instead is for our legislators to actually do their jobs rather than introduce unnecessary legislation. Imagine someone telling their boss to issue another company policy before they were going to follow their job description. Legislators should start discussions sooner and negotiate in good faith to meet the existing constitutional deadline. The only way we’ll get there is to have fewer career politicians and more citizen-legislators who can actually get things done.

I do not think we should make “reductions”—I think we should eliminate them. There should be no excuses for keeping property taxes—they are unfair and anti-growth. This is a big difference in this race—I oppose tax increases, but I would support a shift to income and sales tax to eliminate the property tax that places an unfair burden on seniors and young families.

Feel free to take a quick swipe at your opponent regarding any of the issues above.

My opponent talks a lot about “reform,” but his proposals are nothing but unnecessary, counterproductive gimmicks. Meanwhile, he took a job with a politically connected law firm that lobbies the Senate, so he’s being paid by the same interests that want his vote. He’s constantly spending his constituents’ tax dollars to send self-promotional newsletters. He voted against moving legislators into a 401(k)-style retirement system and refuses to even acknowledge we face a pension problem.

I believe voters want a senator who will lead and can get things done and a senator who will stand up for taxpayers every time, so I feel very good about my chances of winning and finally giving the residents of the 15th district an effective voice in the state Senate.

TheBurg: Election Day is Nov. 8. Please remember to vote!

Author: Lawrance Binda

Prominence and Complexity: Major exhibit of post-war African American art arrives at SAM

October 31, 2016 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

To great fanfare, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened recently in Washington, D.C., the newest member of the Smithsonian Institution.

Therefore, it seems like perfect timing that the Susquehanna Art Museum is mounting an exhibit of post-war works entitled, “African American Art since 1950: Perspectives from the David C. Driskell Center.” The exhibit opened last month in SAM’s main gallery and continues through Jan. 22.

The exhibit is a potpourri. Forty-two artists are featured, including such established names as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett and Sam Gilliam, as well as new visionaries like Chakaia Booker, Lorna Simpson and Kara Walker, said Dorit Yaron, its co-curator along with Dr. Robert E. Steele.

A variety of media are represented, including paintings, sculpture and mixed media.

The traveling exhibit is part of a large, permanent collection assembled by the David C. Driskell Center, housed at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Focusing on the last six decades, the exhibit is a follow-up to, and was inspired by, another exhibition featured in 1976 at the Los Angeles Museum of Art. “Two Centuries of African American Art: 1750-1950” was curated by Prof. David C. Driskell, for whom the center is named.

“The current exhibition collectively reflects the growing prominence and complexity of the field of African American art over the past 60 years,” said Yaron, who also is deputy director of the Driskell Center.

One of the works included in the exhibit is by Driskell himself. His “Woman in Interior” is a 2008 silkscreen, collage and woodcut.

Currently, the center contains more than 1,500 art works and an archive of some 50,000 items, including Driskell’s correspondence, lecture notes and brochures. In recent years, it has grown substantially, moving to the University of Maryland in 2007 with only 100 works.

For a long time, Yaron continued, African American art was not included in the field of American art in general, and “maybe it represented less than 1 percent of the holdings in the museums that did.” The Driskell Center’s aim is to integrate the story of African American art into the whole of American art.

The overall discounting of African American art began to change in the 1920s, with the advent of the Harlem Renaissance, a flowering of cultural, social and artistic expression.

“The Renaissance brought about racial awareness of the important art being created by African Americans in the first quarter of the 20th century,” said Driskell, who is both an artist and art historian. “Mainstream institutions began to note the creative work African Americans had been engaged in since the 19th century. Before then, the work of black artists was not widely seen and not appreciated.”

Driskell was one of the people consulted by former President Bill Clinton to help select art for the White House and is a Medal of Honor recipient. He is widely considered the foremost authority in the field of African American art history, said Yaron.

Accompanying the exhibit will be one special event and one special artistic feature.

On Nov. 5, there will be a lecture by Curlee Raven Holton, the executive director and distinguished artist in residence at the Department of Art at the Driskell Center, starting at 6 p.m.

“His presentation will reflect on the work and provide engaging conversation about the collection,” said Alice Anne Schwab, executive director of SAM.

Holton said the SAM exhibit will help tell a more complete story of the contributions of all of its citizens.

“It is a testimonial to that commitment and shared pride that African American artists, in particular, have brought to the American experience,” he said.

As an added attraction to the exhibit, SAM is offering a “Quilted History of African Americans in Dauphin County.”

“In celebration of the 230th anniversary of Dauphin County, the members of the African American Quilters Gathering of Harrisburg created this quilt,” said Schwab.

What would Driskell like people to take away from the exhibit?

“I would like for the visitor to this exhibition to see that African American artists create their work from the same sources as other American artists and that their responses to human conditions and life experiences are what make them artists of note, not the color of their skin,” he said. “Their work helps to make American art more inclusive.”

“African American Art since 1950: Perspectives from the David C. Driskell Center” runs through Jan. 22 at the Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.sqart.org.

Author: Barbara Trainin Blank

Groom to Grow: Take good care of that man face

October 31, 2016 | by Dave Marcheskie

When I was sitting in the studio makeup chair the other day and speaking to our stylist—said nobody ever in local news. One of the biggest misconceptions of the (local) TV news industry is that we have all the bells and whistles of a network setup equipped with a catered greenroom. Ha!

I say this because there is one thing I wear every single day whether I’m on-air or not—my face. Other than shaving, there isn’t much else men focus on when it comes to the ol’ mug. As I’m learning past 30—we should. I’m starting to. It’s easier than you think.

Let’s begin with the obvious—facial hair. For those like me who need or prefer a clean shave look, know this: Men will spend 3,000 hours shaving over a lifetime. Let’s be better than using a 19-blade razor with micro-beaded hydro-goop that smells like a car air freshener.

Men began shaving around 330 BC by using sharpened stones and clamshells—ocean fresh! Those men who were unshaven were called “Brooklynites”—I mean—“Barbarians” because they were un-barbered. Our manlier grandfathers likely did it best. Using shave soap or cream, lather with warm water in a mug or bowl and use what’s called a double-edge safety razor or Merkur. I use a cream called Proraso ($10 Amazon.com) with a Merkur razor ($30 royalshave.com or antique shops for vintage).

It takes a few tries and nicks to the skin to get used to it. But, when you do, it’ll give you the closest shave at home. Double-edge razors can be found on eBay for $10 for a 100-pack. That’s a fresh blade twice a week for a year! Compare that to $10 for 5 Mach 3 blades.

Since this month is “Movember,” make sure all of you barbarians check out Chops Barbershop in Midtown for beard products, soaps and aftershaves that’ll make you smell like Ron Burgundy’s apartment.

Between scraping your face with steel, sun exposure, workout sweat and all those dehydrated mornings from a previous night’s indulgence (shout out to those reading this in Zeroday’s bathroom), a man’s face gets beat up on a regular basis.

Most women in my life have face regimens that rival a NASA checklist before launch. For men, just like dancing, the safest moves involve two-steps.

A daily face wash and moisturizer with SPF is the best way to go. But, here’s the thing—the cheaper the creams, the more money you’re losing. The best product I’ve used is “SOOTHE” from Rodan + Fields. This is the only stuff that’s helped me battle razor burn. I was skeptical, but my wife convinced me.

I know men get the benefit of being called distinguished as we age. However, there’s something to be said for not looking like a leather Shar Pei later in life. As a self-trained stylist, novice makeup artist and person who wants to keep an on-air gig, it doesn’t hurt to pay more attention to the moneymaker. There’s always groom to grow.

Now, in the spirit of a good groom, here’s my cocktail of the month:

“Close Shave”

2 ounces bourbon (Booker’s)

1 ounce ginger liqueur (SNAP)

Dashes of orange bitters

Stir over ice, strain into glass, garnish with orange peel—feel the burn.

Author: Dave Marcheskie

Little Bit o’ Soulville: The search for the little-known story of Soulville Records

October 31, 2016 | by Rebecca Oken

One day, an album appeared in a Harrisburg coffee shop, sparking a search for the little-known story of Soulville Records.

This past April, a few days before Little Amps Coffee Roasters’ annual celebration of Record Store Day, a man named George Luckette came into the coffee shop on Green Street, unannounced, to donate two wrapped vinyl copies of the album, “Soulful Sounds of Soulville.”

We put the album on the turntable and swooning voices and soulful tempos from another time filled the café. I happened to be working that day, and Luckette nonchalantly mentioned that all of the songs were produced in Harrisburg.

Later, after Luckette had left, I thought more about that album, about the old songs, about the times they evoked and about the oddity that the record was made right here, in Harrisburg. And so began a months-long quest as I set out to discover exactly what—and who—Soulville was and, in the process, learn more about Harrisburg’s place in the legendary soul music era of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Things Took Off

“It’s a long story,” said Rev. Bobby Fulton, one of Soulville Records’ founders, when we spoke in August.

Tracking down the right people to tell me about Soulville was a challenge, especially because Fulton had moved to Pittsburgh decades ago. When I finally did reach him, he was happy to talk about the start of his label.

“I can’t take all the credit for Soulville,” he said. “I just like to say that Soulville was all [the people] really from the village where we lived in Harrisburg. The whole city, in my coming up, had so many people that never get talked about.”

Fulton was raised in the neighborhood of the Greater Zion Baptist Church, which, at the time, was at 4th and Reily streets. Today, it’s on Progress Avenue.

Soulville grew out of Harrisburg’s rich entertainment scene during Fulton’s upbringing in the 1940s and ‘50s, he said.

“Even before Soulville, Harrisburg was a central crossroads between New York, Baltimore, D.C. and Pittsburgh,” Fulton said.

Many venues, especially clubs along the 6th and 7th street corridors, hosted famous black artists passing through, and the city became known for its vibrant jazz and blues scenes.

Growing up around music and the church, Fulton started writing and playing music early on, and it was always his dream to record. The Hallelujah Chorus at Greater Zion “was most impactful on my coming up,” he said. His parents and aunts played piano at church.

As a young adult, Fulton was in a popular group called the Emperors, which performed locally and on the college circuit. Around 1964, he and two friends formed the Bobby Fulton from Soulville Band, scoring some hit songs and playing in New York. Then local musician Hulie Diggs, whom Fulton idolized, “came knocking on my door one day to tell me I was in the recording business.” This, Fulton recalled, was the moment that Soulville was officially born.

With his friends and business partners—radio personality George “Toby” Young and financier Jimmy Walker—Fulton was able to make his dream of recording his music a reality. Word of the new label got out in the tightly knit Harrisburg music community and in nearby bigger cities, partially thanks to the van that Fulton drove around with “Bobby Fulton’s Soulful Sounds from Soulville” plastered on the side.

The first group Fulton, Young and Walker signed to Soulville was the Soulville All-Stars, made up of both black and white musicians.

“I hate to mention color, but it was very unusual for us to start like that,” Fulton said. “But that’s been the way we grew up, and the way we live today.”

Another one of Soulville’s more popular groups, The Continental Four, had chart-topping soul music hits.

“So, it was all kind of miraculous to me,” Fulton said.

Groups from Harrisburg and Philadelphia became interested in working with Fulton, and “things just took off,” he said. Some acts recorded in studios in the cities where they were based, and, without any equipment of its own, Soulville’s local groups often recorded in a place in Mechanicsburg.

We Like That

Throughout our phone conversation, Fulton apologized for jumping from thought to thought. There were too many people and events involved in Soulville for each part to make perfect linear sense.

At the end of our talk, Fulton suggested I get in touch with Young, who he knew lived at the Homeland Center nursing home. When I reached out to the center to speak with Young, who suffers from dementia, I was told I could but under one condition: his friend had to be there with him. Coincidentally, that friend was Luckette, whose phone number I had lost shortly after he gave the albums to Little Amps months before. It seemed like fate, that everything was finally falling into place for me to tell Soulville’s story.

“Wherever I can go, or whatever I do, I try to speak highly of Soulville because it meant so much to me, the fact that they were in Harrisburg, and they were people that I knew,” Luckette said.

During our meeting at the Homeland Center in September, he spoke passionately and lovingly on behalf of Young, who was present but didn’t talk.

Luckette credits Young, who had established himself on the radio long before Soulville, for his role in connecting the label’s music with the public. Despite adversity and racial prejudice from radio executives, Young remained on the radio in Harrisburg until he became ill a few years ago.

“Bobby Fulton worked with so many groups, and then Toby was the connection between the record and the people, because a lot of people couldn’t go see the Emperors at [the club] Superette,” Luckette said. “But we could hear it if Toby was playing it, and we could go, ‘Hey we like that!’”

Blessed

Luckette recalled his first real experience with Soulville as an example of how Fulton and Young ran their business: They came to his house to sign his brother’s group.

“But my brother acted a fool, and they picked up all their papers nice and neat, told everybody, ‘thank you,’ and left and never came back,” he said.

Fulton and Young stayed true to Soulville’s Harrisburg roots and to their strong ideals, not trying to mimic bigger labels like Motown or Soul Train Records.

“Toby told me a long time ago, ‘Everybody stands on their own merit,’” Luckette said. “He said, ‘What they’re doing in Philadelphia is fine and wonderful. What we’re doing in Harrisburg is our thing.’”

Fulton moved to Pittsburgh from Harrisburg in 1971 to get involved with a friend’s record label. Soulville continued for a short time after his move, releasing material from various independent producers around the country, and eventually lost momentum.

Decades passed. Fulton became an ordained pastor, and he remains involved to this day in music through gospel projects and ministry. Years ago, when a record convention took place in Pittsburgh, Fulton went to see if anyone there had ever heard of Soulville. He was amazed to find some record store owners who were collecting and selling Soulville albums.

Eventually, Fulton connected with Gregg Kostelich, CEO of the Pittsburgh-based label Get Hip Records.

“He had all these records, and I had all of the photos, and he said, ‘We have to do an EP,’” Fulton said.

In 2001, the double-LP compilation, “Soulful Sounds from Soulville,” was released.

Otherwise, though, little of Soulville’s physical history has been documented, except for what Luckette has collected. During our meeting with Young, Luckette filled the table with old soul albums featuring Soulville and Harrisburg acts and pictures of Young as a youthful radio personality.

“I saved it only because I’m a music collector, and I knew there was so much stuff that [Young] did,” Luckette said.

Despite the value Soulville held for Harrisburg, its community and its music, Luckette thinks it was about 15 years ahead of its time, and, for that reason, didn’t have the same revolutionary impact as Motown and other major African-American-led labels.

“Had Soulville Records come on the market in, I would say, 1975, everybody would’ve been a millionaire,” Luckette said.

But that’s irrelevant, he emphasized, because the legacies and culture that came out of Soulville are rich.

“Rev. Bobby Fulton, George Young, Jimmy Walker and all those involved in formulating it, they were blessed,” he said. “And because they were blessed, they were able to bless others, and they’ve touched people that they don’t even know they’ve touched.”

Author: Rebecca Oken

October News Digest

October 31, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

Courthouse Clears Hurdle

A proposed new federal courthouse for Harrisburg took a significant step forward last month, as a Congressional panel approved funding for the project.

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta said the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee approved full funding for the $194.4 million courthouse at N. 6th and Reily streets. Congress has already appropriated about $55 million for land acquisition, feasibility studies and design.

“This has been a long time coming, with various baby steps along the way, but now the Harrisburg courthouse will finally become a reality,” Barletta said in a statement.

The full House and Senate still must pass a final bill appropriating the money, but Barletta spokesman Tim Murtaugh called House committee approval the greatest obstacle.

“This was the major hurdle,” he said.

After many years of searching, the federal government selected the Midtown site in 2010, acquiring the land and razing a few old buildings. However, the site has sat empty since, as the project has awaited funds for construction.

Barletta said that he had re-considered the scope of the project, perhaps in favor of an annex to the existing federal courthouse downtown. However, he finally agreed that a new facility was needed.

The 243,000-square-foot building will contain as many as eight courtrooms, including three for district judges, two for senior district judges, two for magistrate judges and one for bankruptcy judges. The plan also calls for about 43 parking spaces.

Assuming that Congress appropriates the money, several years will likely pass before construction begins. Earlier this year, the U.S. General Services Administration released a priority list for new courthouses and annexes around the country, putting eight other projects ahead of Harrisburg’s.

Sinkhole Money Secured

Harrisburg last month secured nearly $1.7 million in federal funds to help remediate a sinkhole-ravaged stretch along the 1400-block of S. 14th Street.

In its award letter, the Federal Emergency Management Agency specified that Harrisburg must provide $550,000 in matching funds, which may come from other grants the city hopes to receive for the project.

The city envisions acquiring and tearing down 52 homes along the block. It then would fill in the sinkhole-prone area with backfill and soil, before turning it into permanent green space.

This was the second time that the city attempted to secure FEMA funds. Last year, the agency turned down the city’s request, directing money for sinkhole remediation to Palmyra. Harrisburg then asked FEMA to reconsider its project, which resulted in the award.

Giant sinkholes began opening up on the block in March 2014, making many of the houses uninhabitable and the remainder virtually worthless.

Council Weighs Market Contract

The Broad Street Market took a step towards a long-awaited restructuring last month, as City Council held a hearing that could lead Harrisburg’s historic market to become a nonprofit entity.

Most council members seemed to favor the proposal, which would permit a new nonprofit entity, called the Broad Street Market Alliance, to enter into a lease agreement with the city, which owns the 150-year-old market. The lease would run for five years with an option for a 10-year extension.

Under the agreement, the city would rent the two market buildings for $1 a year to the nonprofit, which then would be responsible for maintenance and repairs. Under this structure, the market would be eligible to apply for numerous grants reserved for nonprofits and also could raise money, said market Manager Beth Taylor, who estimates the market has $1.5 to $2 million in needed capital improvements.

Currently, the market operates within a complex structure, in which the city owns the market, but the for-profit Broad Street Market Corp. manages it under the supervision of the Historic Harrisburg Association. The city also charges $1 per year in rent, but is obligated to pay for maintenance and improvements.

Under the restructuring, the alliance would have a 13-member board, and its efforts would be supplemented by the creation of a new support and fundraising group called Friends of the Broad Street Market.

At press time, council had not scheduled a final vote on the lease agreement.

Midtown Project Receives Funds

A key renovation project in Midtown Harrisburg is expected to move rapidly to completion, as the state announced last month that it will release funding to help finish the block-long historic rehabilitation at N. 3rd and Boas streets.

In a press conference, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that the developer, WCI Partners, will receive $3.5 million from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, a state initiative that focuses on culturally and historically significant projects.

“We’re going to make sure that this project works, that courageous, hard-working people succeed,” said Wolf, who praised WCI for taking a risk to restore the long-vacant properties along the 900-block of N. 3rd Street.

The $8 million project consists of four buildings—the historic Harrisburg Moose Lodge Temple and three smaller townhouses, as well as a large parking lot.

WCI acquired the properties last year for $900,000 from Atlanta-based Mosaica Education, which had operated the Ron Brown Charter School there for five years. After its charter was not renewed, the school shut down in 2005, and the buildings have sat empty since then, increasingly dilapidated.

The 92-year-old, 38,000-square-foot former Moose Lodge opened last month as a fully renovated, mixed-use building consisting of 33 one-bedroom apartments and commercial space. The 6,500-square-foot ground floor is occupied by st@rtup Harrisburg, a city-based co-working space.

WCI Principal Alex Hartzler said that much of the RACP money will go towards finishing the project, especially the renovation of the three townhouses.

The back portions of the townhouses were chopped off years ago to expand the Ron Brown School’s parking lot and provide a play area. However, the buildings were not properly sealed and have sat empty for a dozen years, resulting in extensive water and infrastructure damage, Hartzler said.

More than 100 years ago, the townhouses were constructed with commercial space on the ground floors and apartments upstairs. WCI will return them to this mixed-use format, and TheBurg plans to occupy the ground floor space of two of the townhouses, which should be ready for occupancy early next year.

The state had not released RACP money since 2014. Several other Harrisburg-area groups, include Gamut Theatre Group and the Harrisburg City Islanders, have applied for funds. Wolf said funding for other projects would be announced soon.

Disclosure: Alex Hartzler is publisher of TheBurg.

Treasurer Criticizes Report

Harrisburg Treasurer Dan Miller gave a generally unfavorable assessment of a report last month that criticized the operations of the city treasurer’s office.

Before City Council, Miller said that the report, drafted by consultant Alvarez & Marsal, was correct in some of its conclusions, but incorrect in others. For instance, the report stated that the department lacked written procedures and policies, which, Miller said, was not true.

The report became controversial earlier this year when city Controller Charles DeBrunner made it public over the objections of Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who said its release was premature and unwise.

The city contracted with Alvarez & Marsal after former Treasurer John Campbell resigned following his arrest on theft charges not related to his city position. The report found no wrongdoing by Campbell as treasurer, but pointedly criticized how the office was run.

This was Miller’s first significant appearance before council since he was named treasurer in June to fill the unexpired term of former Treasurer Tyrell Spradley, who resigned the post.

“I have complete confidence in the city Treasury Department and operations,” Miller told City Council.

Home Sales Jump

Harrisburg-area home sales increased significantly in August, rising by 21 percent from the year-ago period.

Homes sales totaled 947 units compared to 783 units in August 2015, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. The area covers all of Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and parts of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

The median price rose to $169,900 from $165,000 in the prior year, said GHAR.

In Dauphin County, 311 homes sold compared to 265 last August. In Cumberland County, sales totaled 336 units versus 268. Sales in Perry County increased to 38 units versus 27 in August 2015.

So Noted

Capital Joe Coffee has opened at 418 Forster St., Harrisburg, across the street from the state Capitol complex. Capital Joe serves Square One Coffee of Lancaster and pastries from Brew Crumberland’s Best of New Cumberland.

Impact Harrisburg last month awarded the city $250,000 in emergency funding to upgrade its IT infrastructure after city workers experienced system failures that prevented access to email and other shared files. The award should allow the city to migrate certain mission-critical functions to a cloud-based solution, thereby improving performance and reducing the risk of crashes.

Whitaker Center has announced the planned retirement of its long-time CEO and president, Dr. Michael Hanes. Hanes will retire at the end of next year, prompting the board to initiate a search for his replacement.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2418 & 610 Fillmore St.: T. Le to D. Nguyen, $30,000
Benton St., 545: MBHH RE LLC to Triple Play Properties LLC, $30,000
Benton St., 601: M. Munro to S. Harrison, $102,000
Briggs St., 216: M. & P. Parsons to J. Vingsness & A. Posner, $205,000
Briggs St., 2024: S. Chapman to S. Maurer, $35,450
Brookwood St., 2213: PA Deals LLC to Mid Atlantic IRA & C. Hampton IRA, $50,000
Calder St., 268: K. Ciminello to B. Roller, $107,500
Chestnut St., 2048: S. Reyes to A. & R. Hart, $103,000
Chestnut St., 2215: J. & H. Kelly to J. & E. Colt, $179,900
Credit Union Place, 1: Pa. State Employees Finance Dept. to Commonwealth Charter Academy Charter School, $5,000,000
Derry St., 1316: Sandra Feigley Inc. c/o Thelma Johnston to S. Khan, $34,000
Derry St., 2035: S. Nagle to J. Guzman & M. Rodriguez, $89,900
Derry St., 2354: T. Pham to H. Pham & N. Le, $45,000
Emerald Ct., 2451: H. Conrad to J. & S. Theodorou, $82,000
Fillmore St., 610: T. Johnson to D. Nguyen, $30,000
Forster St., 1621: M&T Bank to PA Deals LLC, $47,000
Fulton St., 1738: PA Deals LLC to D. Reinhart, $124,900
Green St., 1623: B. Christine to S. Vemula & M. Chada, $115,000
Kensington St., 1952: J. & J. Belfonti to Tout USA LLC, $65,000
Lenox St., 1918: J. Zellers to A. Rosario & S. Castillo, $54,300
Lenox St., 1922: T. & J. Santiago to T. & B. Nguyen, $32,500
Lenox St., 1930: V. Bria to A. Perez, $62,500
Linden St., 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 117½ 119, 119½ & 100, 112 N. 13th St.: Habitat for Humanity Greater Harrisburg Area to CPenn Patriot Properties Midtown LLC, $131,000
2nd St., 1618: K. Robinson to D. Payne, $249,900
2nd St., 2531: S. Mirza & F. Jabari to H. & S. Johnson, $157,500
2nd St., 2539: D. Garber to E. & A. Stockstill, $165,000
2nd St., 2812: M. Macholtz to T. Brinkley, $280,000
2nd St., 3016: S. Trent to D. Marcheski & L. Boykin, $156,000
N. 3rd St., 1122: S. & G. Giambalvo to G. & K. Tennis, $197,500
3rd St., 1935: T. Stutzman to Monte Design Studio LLC, $40,000
3rd St., 3104: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & ISN Corp. to M. Horgan & R. Kushner, $45,000
N. 4th St., 1627: GWD Capitol Heights LP to J. Parfitt, $103,000
5th St., 2313: K. & D. Izer to BCR 2 Properties LLC, $30,000
N. 5th St., 2437: Willowscott Investments to K. Hurst & N. Howze, $68,900
N. 6th St., 1625: S. & C. Lane & New Heights South LLC to A. & A. Gee & PA Department of General Services, $42,000
6th St., 1633: HarrisPenn Trust to PA Department of General Services, $554,500
6th St., 2130: S&T Bank to N. Mitaka, $46,000
N. 13th St., 146: L. Ware Jr. to W. Banks, $80,000
Front St., 1525, Unit 606: A. Moscato to J. Scarnati, $117,900
Front St., 1711: A. Haroundzadeh & D. Dohner to Harrisburg Redevelopment Group LLC, $1,065,000
Penn St., 1602: P. Larsen to M. Dinicola, $159,900
Penn St., 1916: WCI Partners LP to D. O’Hagan, $161,000
River St., 122: A. Rhoads & D. & S. Shatto to J. & G. Souders, $57,500
Rudy Rd., 1952: S. Schmidt to W. Zhang, $50,000
Rudy Rd., 2256: W. Ryan to Z. Rothfus, $176,900
Seneca St., 641 & 645: D. & K. Howard to DAP 7 Curtin LP, $55,000
Showers St., 615: J. & D. Groff to E. Hobbs, $155,000
13th St., 1400: J. & E. Cavitt to I. Medina & J. Culcay, $76,500
20th St., 209: R. Doerfler & J. Moffitt to J. & B. Readinger, $48,300
27th St., 710: D. & C. Howe to D. Barrick & A. Toci, $199,000
28th St., 728: S. Oscilowski to M. Marcus, $84,000
State St., 1604: Mid Penn Bank to C. Valdivieso, $37,000
Swatara St., 1523: Tri County HDC Ltd. To J. Macias, $102,900
Swatara St., 2145: S. & E. Reeves to M. Thompson & J. Longe, $64,900
Whitehall St., 1939: R. Miller Sr. to R. Howard, $50,900

Author: Lawrance Binda

Fall Throwbacks: Interesting takes on old-school sounds

October 31, 2016 | by Kait Gibboney

Gov’t Mule. Photograph by Anna Webber.

Fall has always been my favorite season, and November my favorite month. Most people don’t look forward to the colder weather and less abundant sunshine, but hear me out. The reason this time of year is my favorite is mostly because fall is the month for the leaves to turn those wonderful Pennsylvania colors we all know and love. As tree leaves grow older, the vibrant colors appear almost to convince the observer that old things can be something new and exciting again. This month, I’m fixated on some musical throwbacks that prove that updated oldies can be goodies.

GOV’T MULE, 11/4, 8PM, THE FORUM, starts at $32

This event is definitely one of Harrisburg’s hidden gems this month. Gov’t Mule is a ‘90s rock band formed originally as a side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody of the Allman Brothers Band. Joined by drummer Matt Abts from the Dickey Betts Band, they started as a low-budget experimental rock trio and grew to the popularity they know today. If you’ve never heard them, check out “Life on the Outside,” a bluesy rock ballad with just a touch of old-school country. In 2016, the band has been touring extensively and recently released “The Tel-Star Sessions,” an album comprised of demos from 1994. This band will remind you of the good old days of American rock n’ roll.

JONATHAN RAGONESE & STEVE RUDOLPH TRIO, 11/6, 2PM, MIDTOWN CINEMA, $15

I know it’s a bit weird to feature a film in the music column, but stay with me. This month, Midtown Cinema will show the silent film, “The General,” accompanied by local legends Jonathan Ragonese and the Steve Rudolph Trio. The film is a classic silent comedy from 1926 starring Buster Keaton, telling the story of a Civil War-era man rejected by the Confederate army and desperate to get his beloved train back from Union spies. Just like in the old days, live music will provide the soundtrack for the matinee, played by saxophonist Ragonese and pianist Rudolph. Whether you like silent films or old-time jazz, this event will transport you back to the days of flappers, spats and bathtub gin.

FLUX CAPACITOR, 11/26, ABBEY BAR, 10PM, $7/$10

If you like old school, classic psychedelic rock like I do, you’re going to love these guys. This up-and-coming band, originally from the Philadelphia area, is self-styled as “neopsychedelic rock” and was the “Tri-State Indie Jam Band of the Year” in 2013 and 2015. When listening to these funky, dreamy tunes, you can tell the band gets its inspiration from a blend of well-known artists, such as Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, Phish, Tool and Bob Marley. Their lengthy jams will keep you entertained with guitar shredding reminiscent of the days of Zeppelin and Santana, intricate ‘70s keyboard and Rasta drums. Flux Capacitor is currently on tour throughout the Northeast, centering mainly on their home state of Pennsylvania. Be sure to catch these guys if you’re looking an evening filled with mind-bending flower power.

Mentionables: Livingston Taylor & Tom Chapin w/Eva, Nov. 5, H*MAC; Henry Rollins Spoken Word Tour, Nov. 7, Whitaker Center; Cassie & Maggie McDonald, Nov. 13, Abbey Bar; Cheetah Chrome w/The Bo Deadlys, Nov. 17, H*MAC; Start Making Sense, Nov. 19, Abbey Bar; Community Concert of Thanksgiving, Nov. 20, The Forum; The Machine, Nov. 23, Whitaker Center

Author: Kait Gibboney

Small Town, Big Shopping: From a sari to Sorry! you’ll find it in Hummelstown

October 31, 2016 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Toys on the Square

When Nan Gunnett spotted an available storefront on Hummelstown’s town square, she knew this was the place to open her fine crafts shop.

“I came here because I like Hummelstown,” said Gunnett, who opened Nan Gunnett & Co. Fine Craft Gallery in March 2015. “It’s quaint and small. It’s a very nice community, but a lot of people don’t even know about it.”

At first glance, this Dauphin County community with around 4,500 residents might appear sleepy and quiet. In reality, through, the Hummelstown Business and Professional Association boasts a roster of around 100 business owners and professionals.

Want to play Santa’s elf? Toys on the Square is stocked for the little munchkins in your life. Looking for that unique gift? Visit Nan Gunnett or Down a Country Road. Need a lift while shopping? The caffeine’s brewing at Seasonal Grounds Tea Bar.

It’s Great

Two years ago, Anju Singh opened Aanchal Apparel & Accessories, where she carries a wide variety of colorful clothing and jewelry from her native India. She began by selling items from her home but soon realized that she needed a storefront to accommodate a swelling customer base.

“The culture of Hummelstown is a good mix,” said Singh, who also serves as president of the borough’s business association. “It’s a small town, but it’s broad-minded.”

Down West Main Street from Singh’s shop, Nan Gunnett sells unique, handcrafted pottery, jewelry, hand-blown glass pieces, copper mobiles and more by American and Canadian artists.

“I have personally met just about every artist whose work we sell here,” said Gunnett. “It’s not mass-produced. Each piece is just a little different because it’s all handmade.”

For instance, on Nov. 11 and 12, Harrisburg crafter Richelle Leigh will visit for a trunk sale featuring her fine jewelry creations.

Before opening her store, Gunnett ran a shop in Hershey’s Briarcrest Square for 13 years and said that several of her old business neighbors there also have moved to Hummelstown. In fact, it was Gunnett’s old neighbors who urged her to reopen her business in Hummelstown, she said.

“‘Come on down here, it’s great,’ they told me,” Gunnett recalled.

Like Family

Toys on the Square comprises about 8,000 square feet of dolls, trucks, crafts, games, trains, toy animals, Magic Ink books and countless other items. It also offers an onsite pottery studio for artists of all ages.

“Our variety is unique,” said owner Grafton Stine, who said the store has been in business for 30 years. “We sold an 18,000-piece puzzle just a few minutes ago. We have stuff here for all ages.”

“Nothing is computer generated here, either,” added store employee Donna Trostle.

Youngsters can entertain themselves as parents shop with the in-store Thomas the Train table display and riding toys. For parents on the go, Toys On The Square offers pickup service and free gift-wrapping.

“It’s very personal here,” Trostle said. “It’s more like family.”

But maybe the kids in your life are the furry kind. In that case, the Hershey Pet Food Company, just a few blocks away, stocks healthy treats and fun playthings for your pet. After all, they’ve been good (more or less) all year long, too.

For the adults, Down a Country Road, just up the street, sells gifts, décor items, food and drink mixes and a whole lot more placed through 11 themed rooms set in a charming 1949 house.

“I have everything,” owner Paulette Flicker said. “Candles, wall décor, outside flags and mailbox covers, things for every room in the house.”

Flicker opened the business with a partner in 1994 but has maintained the store by herself since 1999. She also runs the PJ Scoops ice cream stand located at the back of the Down a Country Road homestead. The “55 Flavors of Fun” treat shop is open from April to October each year.

Flicker also manages to find time to help out at the Backyard Woodshop, which is owned by her boyfriend, Richard Lundeen. It offers furniture stripping and restoration, structural repairs, part reproduction and veneering.

Speaking of guy stuff, don’t hesitate to stop into Bill Maloney’s Men’s Wear & Tailor Shop, which has been making fellows look good for almost 40 years.

Throwback

If all this shop-hopping wears you out, you can take a break at the Seasonal Grounds Tea Bar located directly across from Nan Gunnett in the Cocoa Flats complex on West Main Street. Co-owners Tom Brown and Crystal Huff opened the shop in October 2015.

“We roast our own coffee with no syrups and blend our own teas,” Brown said. “It’s a throwback.”

Customers can buy beverages by the cup or purchase specialty teas by the ounce and coffees by the pound. Tea varieties include Raspberry Fields Forever, Just Peachy and Mint Chocolate Chip. Coffee choices include Not Your Mamma’s Java, Up In Smoke and Awake O Sleeper.

Seasonal Grounds is hosting a Hummelstown Area Food Bank fundraiser on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., featuring live music. Patrons are asked to bring a non-perishable food donation.

Eventually, Brown said, he and Huff would like to start afterschool programs in the shop’s unfinished back room or rent it out for community events. For now, however, patrons simply can sit back with a steaming cup and engage in one of the many board games on hand.

“We want to get people to just come in and relax with friends,” he said.

For more information about Hummelstown businesses and upcoming events, visit the Hummelstown Business and Professional Association’s website at www.hummelstown.com.

Going There

Are you interested in doing a little shopping in Hummelstown this season? You have dozens of stores to choose from, including the following shops mentioned in this story:

Aanchal Apparel & Accessories, 417 W. Main St., www.aanchalapparel.com
The Backyard Woodshop, 121 W. Second St., www.backyardwoodshop.com
Bill Maloney’s Men’s Wear & Tailor Shop, 17 E. Main St., www.billmaloneymenswear.com
Down a Country Road & PJ Scoops, 295 E. Main St., www.downcountryroad.com
Hershey Pet Food Co., 245 W. Main St., Facebook: Hershey Pet Food Company
Nan Gunnett & Co. Fine Craft Gallery, 7 W. Main St., www.nangunnettco.com
Seasonal Grounds Tea Bar, 7 W. Main St., www.seasonalgroundsteabar.com
Toys on the Square, 22 E. Main. St., www.toysonthesquare.com

Author: Phyllis Zimmerman

The Pre-K Way: New City School brings another educational option to Harrisburg

October 31, 2016 | by Jessica Sprajcar

Heather Tomer wanted to enroll her son, Brodey, in a pre-K program but quickly came upon a troubling fact.

“The price in this area is just too expensive,” she said.

Tomer and her family had recently moved to Lower Paxton Township. While browsing Facebook for free, kid-friendly events, she came across an ad that intrigued her. It was for a school called the New City School in Harrisburg. So, she visited the website and discovered its free pre-K program. She immediately applied, and Brodey was enrolled a week later.

The New City School is an independent Christian school located at Second City Church on Verbeke Street in Midtown. Pre-K classes began in September and operate every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning. The classroom size is kept small (13 students are enrolled), with one head teacher, one assistant teacher and one or more volunteer aides.

Tomer is hardly alone in her need for affordable pre-K education.

The United Way of the Capital Region’s “2014 Life in the Capital Region” report shows that three quarters of 3- and 4-year olds in the Harrisburg area do not have access to high quality pre-K, and, for those that do, the price is often prohibitive.

Ready to Learn

The New City School uses the classical approach to teaching, which stretches back to ancient Greece and stresses public speaking, reasoning, writing and logic. The school’s promotional brochure adds to that, saying it “coincides with students’ developmental stages, building on the foundation of grammar, and focusing on logic, critical thinking and effective oral and written communication.”

“The curriculum hits all the senses every day and is play-based,” said Liz Barna, the school’s head teacher.

Students, she said, are exposed to counting, letters, art, music and life skills.

“This year is getting them ready to learn and teaching them that learning is fun,” she said.

Barna is a member of Second City Church and long-time art teacher. Through her involvement with the church, she learned of the school’s unique model and wanted to get involved.

“We hope to create kids who think well and can appreciate beauty and trust and love learning,” she said. “We want them to benefit their community and take it home to their family.”

High Hopes

School administrators and board members had hoped to open the New City School a few years ago. However, the project was put on hold until the arrival of Andy Phillips. Phillips is a former pastor with a background in elementary education and social work. Now, he acts as executive director, head administrator, classroom assistant and even janitor for the school.

“I wear a lot of hats,” he said.

Phillips got involved with the New City School through his involvement with Lagos Academy, a school in York County on which this school is based. He recognized the lack of affordable pre-K programs in the Harrisburg area and the long waiting list for the Head Start program.

“I felt I had to do this,” he said. “I want to be part of addressing education in the city.”

Barna echoed those sentiments.

“We don’t want to be seen as a competitor,” she said. “We want to build on what’s already here and become part of the broader educational community.”

The New City School does not require that all its students come from lower-income households, though most do. In addition, most live in Harrisburg, though that’s also not a requirement.

Saidah Palmer lives in the city with her son, Elijah, who began attending the school in September.

“He seemed comfortable from day one,” said Palmer. “He really, really likes Mr. Andy.”

She discovered the New City School through word of mouth and Facebook posts. Initially, she was looking at other area pre-K programs, but the cost of private school was a factor.

“I have so much faith in what they do that I’m helping them look for funding so they can continue with their work,” she said.

According to Phillips, the total cost to operate the pre-kindergarten and lay the groundwork for next year is $65,000. They have raised about one-third of that amount to date. In addition to monetary donations, the school is always looking for breakfast and snack donations, as well as school supplies and in-classroom volunteers.

Phillips and the school’s other board members have high hopes for the future. They have a vision of expanding the school to a second pre-K program in 2017 and adding one grade level per year until they reach the 8th grade.

At that point, the school will begin charging tuition on a rolling scale based on income, he said.

“I would love to have a school of 150 to 180 students, with a great mix of kids from the whole spectrum of incomes, cultures and backgrounds,” Phillips said. “That diversity breaks down a lot of walls and creates a rich learning environment. And it goes a long way toward reconciliation and building respect.”

For more information about New City School, visit www.newcityschoolharrisburg.org or email [email protected].

Author: Jessica Sprajcar

Living the Goat Life: David Kern brings his artisanal goat milk products to the Broad Street Market

October 31, 2016 | by Ann Beth Knaus

It was a simple gift of homemade soaps crafted with natural herbs that sparked David Kern’s passion for soap making.

Both he and his husband suffer from allergies, and regular bar soaps left their skin prone to breakouts. To help, Kern’s mother-in-law gave them some of her personal kitchen concoctions. After one use, Kern realized he had found the solution to their problems and embarked on a newfound hobby of creating natural soap for all skin types.

What was once a problem now had become an opportunity. Last year, Kern founded Vie Chevre, which means “goat life,” as a pop-up stand in Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market. In June, he moved into a permanent spot just inside the door in the market’s brick building.

Remarkable Difference

Much like his mother-in-law, Kern got started in his own kitchen, launching the business there before branching out.

A couple of years ago, after transitioning to a new job that left his weekends open, he filled the time by experimenting with recipes to create soaps for himself, his family and friends. To get started, he went to the Broad Street Market and purchased goat milk and other essential ingredients. He made three variations, and, before he knew it, had about 100 bars of soap sitting around his apartment.

Soon after, Kern was asked to put up a table to sell his soaps at the Odd Ones Bizarre, which allowed him to showcase his creations without renting actual store space. Over the course of a week, Kern decided on the name, the packaging and a logo for his business. The day of the event, he sold out of every soap bar he had created.

That one event not only launched a brand, it also began creating a loyal customer base. Elaine Brady Smith, a local artist housed at the Millworks, has been faithful to Vie Chevre since that first day at Odd Ones. In fact, even today, she loves his original formula soap so much that she buys it in bulk, purchasing eight to 10 bars a time, because it’s the only soap she can use on her ultra-sensitive skin.

“I have noticed a remarkable difference in my skin since I started using David’s soap, and now I won’t use anything else,” she said. “I loved David’s energy, and he is so passionate about what he does. We have become good friends.”

Amazing Journey

As his business expanded, Kern needed to find a local farmer who would supply goat’s milk in larger quantities. His first herd was from a farm in Hershey, but that was short-lived as the owner could no longer maintain the farm. So, he turned to Facebook for help, and that’s how he found his current supplier, Standing Goat Farm. The 13-acre farm, which is 15 minutes outside of Harrisburg, houses goats, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens.

But it’s the goats that matter to Kern.

“I did not want to work with a dairy goat farm, but one that treats their animals like their children,” Kern said. “Happy goats mean happy milk.”

The partnership benefits both operations. The growth of Kern’s business helps to support the farm operation, and Standing Goat Farm has a local market to sell off the excess milk that the Nigerian dwarf goats naturally produce. Two of the stars of the goat herd, CeeCee and Lucy, sometimes can be seen at the market during showcases like 3rd in the Burg.

“Goats are just the most adorable thing in the world,” Kern said.

As winter approaches, the goats don’t produce as much milk, so Kern freezes what he gets on a weekly basis and uses it throughout the season. Goat milk will stay fresh in the freezer for up to six months.

Although soap is the cornerstone of Kern’s business, he has branched out into candle-making with the help of Dimitra Diggs, owner of Urban Snob up the block on N. 3rd Street. Diggs is a candle-maker herself and a person Kern looks to for guidance on the subject.

Kern works with other local artisans who want to showcase their wares, offering a generous 90/10 commission split in favor of the artist. His only requirement is that they create something exclusive for Vie Chevre. Home goods, pillows and wood and ironwork pieces can be found in his store, with plans soon to offer furniture for order.

Besides the Broad Street Market, Kern’s products can be found at Farmers on the Square in Carlisle, the Inner-Connection in New Cumberland and Enchanted Evening in Lebanon or online at www.theallnaturalmale.com.

“It has been a path to an amazing journey,” he said.

Vie Chevre is located inside the brick building of the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. To learn more, visit www.viechevre.com.

Author: Ann Beth Knaus

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