Design Space: New Mitrani showroom shares a pattern for living.

April 29, 2016 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Furniture stores may come and go, but not many transform from a large-scale retail operation into an intimate, one-of-kind showroom.

Mitrani at Home did just that, as husband-and-wife team Albert Mitrani and Donna Orbach opened their cozy, upscale furniture showroom in downtown Camp Hill last September, just months after closing their towering furniture retail store and warehouse on Walnut Street in Susquehanna Township.

The couple shut the retail site after 10 years partly because the building was for sale and neither wanted to buy it, Mitrani said. “Personal reasons” also were a factor, he noted.

“We thought we would leave the furniture business when the other store closed,” said Orbach, who’s designed living spaces for countless Mitrani customers. “I thought I would just do detail work after this.”

The move to Camp Hill, she stated, “was accidental.”

It started when Albert Mitrani took up yoga at the Just Plain Yoga Studio in Camp Hill in a building that includes the One Good Woman gift and coffee shop. Mitrani liked the building’s “really good vibe” and that businesses worked in tandem with each other, his wife recalled. It wasn’t long before Mitrani decided that he wanted to join them.

Magical Place

Stop by the new Mitrani showroom, and you’ll find items like vividly hued flat weave rugs and folk-art pottery bowls imported from Turkey. You’ll see living room tables designed from the beautifully rich roots of teakwood trees. There are antiques, artisan jewelry, books and other fine gifts.

“I think it’s a magical place,” said customer Ellen Kramer of Harrisburg. “They make living spaces that are easy and comfortable.”

For a long-time patron like Kramer, items like a one-of-a-kind coffee table from France keep her coming back.

“I fell in love with that coffee table as soon as I saw it, but I really didn’t need it,” she said. “I’d never seen anything like it. It was the sort of thing you’re never going to see again.”

Naturally, she ended up buying it.

Jamie Fulkroad’s favorite Mitrani purchase is a waterfall desk by Keno Bros., the twin-brother designer team known for appearances on PBS’s “Antiques Road Show.”

“The desk looks like one continuous piece of wood. I just love it,” enthused Fulkroad of Susquehanna Township.

Linda McKay was entranced by Mitrani’s four-foot wide “Spaceship” light fixture with tiny glass panels. It now hangs in her home.

“Their stuff is so interesting,” said McKay of Mechanicsburg. “Albert got us a beautiful antique rug from Turkey, too. Once you start shopping there, you can’t stop.”

Amazing Eye

Mitrani, a native of Turkey, regularly travels across the globe as an international salesman for American Leather furniture, which is sold in the Camp Hill showroom. During his travels, Mitrani always keeps an eye open for unusual home items that might captivate showroom customers back home.

“This is a very, very different experience from the retail store,” said Orbach. “We feature great prices and turn over our store inventory in eight weeks so people always can come back and see what’s new. Most furniture stores have become like warehouses. This is a very intimate shopping experience. We try so hard to figure out how people live so we can give them exactly what they want.”

Mitrani deals more with the business’ day-to-day operations, Orbach said, while she focuses more on design aspects. When Kramer and husband Shalom Staub moved into their home as newlyweds seven years ago, they commissioned Orbach and her “eye” for a designer’s walkthrough.

“She has an amazing ability to step back and see things others don’t see,” Kramer said.

McKay recalled how Orbach redecorated her entire house, room by room, over the course of several years.

“We bought a semi-circle couch, and Donna recommended a game table to go with it that was really beautiful,” she said. “I never would have thought of doing that, but it really brought the room together. Then she found great chairs that really complemented our lighting.”

When Fulkroad envisioned a painting of a man, woman and dog hanging in her home, Orbach managed to commission exactly that from an artist in Florida.

“Albert and Donna are wonderful people,” Fulkroad said. “We are very lucky to know them.”

Apparently, the feeling is mutual.

“We genuinely like getting to know people the people who come here,” Orbach said. “We consider them our friends.”

Mitrani at Home is located at 1845 Market St., Camp Hill (entrance on 19^th Street). For more information, call 717-526-7930 or visit www.mitraniathome.com.

Brewed in the Burbs: Business is hopping at Harty Brewing Co.

April 29, 2016 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Photo by Waxman Photography.

In recent years, a small community called Walden has taken shape just off the beaten path among the rural roads of Silver Spring Township.

The charming, “New Urban” neighborhood was specially designed by Charter Homes for the convenience of residents, with parks and shops offering everything from apparel to salon services to pet grooming to dining, all within walking distance.

Lauren Ishaq and Michael Harty live in a nearby neighborhood and would often visit the development to dine at the popular eatery, Sophia’s at Walden. When Ishaq learned that an 848-square-foot space was available within a stone’s throw of the restaurant, she set the wheels in motion to fulfill a dream.

Harty smiles as he bustles about, hauling in supplies from Scotzin Brothers and listening to Ishaq tell the simple story that launched the business.

“I fell in love with this space, and Michael was a home brewer and I said, ‘Hey, by the way, we have a meeting with Charter Homes in two weeks.’”

It’s not as if the couple didn’t have enough on their plates already.

In addition to parenting three children (Leah, 9, Jackie, 7, and Jordan, 3), Ishaq was attending school full-time, and Harty (still) works full time as an operations supervisor at Three Mile Island.

Something had to give, so, for Ishaq, it was school, a decision she has yet to regret. The businesswoman said she loves every minute of what she’s doing now, which is tending to front-of-the-house duties, while Harty brings his passion to the back of the house.

“For me, brewing doesn’t feel like work,” he said. “It’s far away from my serious and technical day job.”

It took the couple about a year and a half to go from concept to reality, and they opened their doors to the public in February.

“When you lease a space with Charter Homes, they have to approve your style, so it fits in with the community,” said Ishaq. “I found ideas on Pinterest, took pictures and presented the design team with my ideas.”

The interior fits into the “industrial chic” category, with varnished, reclaimed wood, rustic pendant lighting and a brick back wall that is reminiscent of an old “ghost sign,” emblazoned with the Harty logo done in white paint.

During the planning stages, Ishaq reached out to others in the brewing business like Brandalynn Armstrong, who runs Zeroday Brewing Co. in Harrisburg.

“Getting into the male-dominated industry is overwhelming, so it was easier for her to talk to a female with real-life experience,” said Armstrong. “They make a really good product and are set up to meet both their expectations and those of the community. So, it makes sense that they will be very successful.”

The taproom seats about 30, with bars overlooking floor-to-ceiling windows. The main bar faces away from the street, and that’s where Ishaq dispenses beer, wine and cider to her customers. A chalkboard lists the day’s offerings. During my visit, the roster included an American Pale Ale, an India Pale Ale, an Oatmeal Stout, a New Zealand IPA, Big Hill cider and a variety of wines from the Allegro Winery in York County.

As for food, Ishaq offers just hot dogs and chips, preferring to concentrate on the libations. For customers who prefer something a little more substantial, she has that covered.

“We’re partnering with Sophia’s at Walden,” she said. “The customer places their order, we call it in, and their staff walks it over.”

Owner Sophia Nelms said the arrangement is working out well.

“We’re a BYOB, and they’re getting ready to can their beer, so the customer can bring it here too, which will be nice,” she said. “We want them to be successful, so, between their great beer and our great food, we mix together nicely.”

Harty’s friend Chris Harvey, who also homebrews, said that Harty’s chemical engineering background has served him well in turning out a quality product.

“That really sets the bar on how great a brewer he is. They’ve created a unique, special place, which works well in the community,” said Harvey, adding that the atmosphere promotes socialization, meeting people and making new friends.

The couple said that business has been brisk and outside seating will soon be available. For now, hours are limited to Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, 6 to 11 p.m., and Saturday, 1 to 11 p.m., a schedule that enables them to strike the right balance between work and family.

“People have been so receptive,” said Ishaq. “I really do feel blessed.”

Harty Brewing Co. is located at 146 Walden Way, Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.hartybrewco.com or their Facebook page.

A Healthier Community: We must work together to halt the crisis of prescription drug abuse.

April 29, 2016 | by Michael A. Young

Prescription painkiller overdoses claim 44 lives in the United States every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such overdoses top the list of deadliest injuries for Pennsylvanians, even surpassing car accidents, according to the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

Much of this crisis is related to prescription opioid pain relievers (opioids). Medications that fall within this class include hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet), morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza), codeine and related drugs.

While opioids have an important role to play in pain management, dependence, addiction and overdoses are a growing concern throughout the nation and in our communities. Education and prevention are crucial to fighting this epidemic.

Understanding Addiction

According to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 patients with chronic pain experience opioid dependence. Dependence means that you need the drug to function normally and stopping the drug can cause withdrawal symptoms. A person may have a physical dependence on a substance without having an addiction.

Addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), can include physical dependence and is distinguished by compulsive drug seeking and use despite sometimes devastating consequences. More than 2 million people in the United States are addicted to prescription opiates, according to The World Health Organization. Tolerance to a drug (needing a higher dose to attain the same effect) is usually part of addiction.

Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. Often, it is mistakenly attributed to moral weakness or a lack of willpower. But growing evidence shows that neither is true—addiction is a complex disease that causes significant changes in the brain. Plus, a family history of addiction, mental health issues and other chronic issues can put a person at higher risk.

There’s also growing evidence that drug abuse and addiction that starts with prescription painkillers can lead to illegal drug use. According to NIDA, nearly half of young people who inject heroin reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to use heroin. Some individuals reported taking up heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription opioids.

A Difference Locally

As a community, we must work together to protect lives. Over the past few years, state government, professional groups, physicians and hospitals have been actively engaged in a coordinated response to prevent addiction, better treat those who are opioid dependent and prevent overdose deaths.

These actions are being reflected in changing doctor-patient relationships. You may notice that physicians, dentists and other healthcare providers ask more questions about your pain, recommend alternative medications for pain control, or take other actions to prevent the nonmedical use and abuse of prescription narcotics.

For instance, PinnacleHealth Medical Group is taking steps to help halt the opioid abuse epidemic. These efforts include conducting drug screenings during patient appointments, performing pill counts during appointments to ensure patients are taking drugs as prescribed, permitting only patients with photo identification to pick up prescriptions, and requiring patients to sign a controlled substance agreement if taking an opioid for more than 30 days.

Patient education about steps such as these and why they are being taken is an important part of a successful relationship with your physician and other members of your healthcare team. More importantly, open communication between patients and providers is a cornerstone of medication safety, particularly in preventing opioid abuse. Never hesitate to ask questions or voice a concern.

Patients that are taking opioids are encouraged to talk with their provider about how often they are taking their opioid medication and why they may be taking more than prescribed.

Working Together

Drug addiction is a preventable disease. According to NIDA, prevention programs involving families, schools, communities and the media are effective in reducing drug abuse.

For young people, studies show that their drug taking does decrease when they understand it to be harmful. Therefore, it’s up to all of us to help young people understand the risk of drug abuse through education and outreach.

But drug abuse can affect anyone at any age. Therefore, our obligation for education and frank discussion extends well beyond our youth. Medical professionals, hospitals, teachers, parents, community leaders and others must continue to encourage careful use of prescription painkillers and advocate for prevention of drug abuse in both young people and adults.

Michael A. Young is president and CEO of PinnacleHealth System, one of TheBurg’s community publishers.

Student Scribes: Mom, Bullies and a Masked Weirdo

April 29, 2016 | by Donna Quinn

Sweat pours down her back as her thin, scabby legs pump the Huffy up the curving hill. It’s one of those hellish summer days where the air is so heavy with heat that even breathing is a chore. Len curses her mother for sending her on a lighter and cola run. The woman got into another drunken accident, leaving them without wheels for the foreseeable future.

Out of nowhere, the back of her head explodes in pain. The front tire makes a 90-degree turn and flips her over onto the burning pavement. Tiny bits of gravel make their way into her knees and hands as she tries to break her impact.

In a tear-filled blur, she makes out two figures on either side, looming over. The biggest one is Jackson, the 15-year-old seventh-grader, and his squirrely wingman Ben. She feels her face heat up with lingering embarrassment over last year’s end-of-the-year prank. She can still hear the shouts and jeers of the student body as Jackson forced her to push a quarter from the sixth-grade hall through the seventh-grade with just her tongue. She was halfway by the time the faculty got wind, but the damage was done. I will forever be that girl, she thinks.

Jackson readies another rock. “What are you doin’ on our road, freak?”

“I-I, uh…”

The pair starts cracking up. “N-N-Nice stutter loser,” Jackson mocks back.

“She should pay a toll,” Ben says in his nasally voice.

Jackson grabs the collar of her bright orange shirt. Only the toes of her scuffed Chucks are touching the ground. His rank breath smacks her in the face.

“Yea, pay up.”

“I-I got 20 bucks in my pocket. You can have it.”

Len pulls the sweaty bill out of the jean-short pocket and holds it towards the giant boy. She winces as Jackson swipes it from her scratched hand. With a crooked grin, he crumples the bill into the chain wallet hanging off his baggy jeans. The cheaply designed smiley face with its tongue hanging out swings there, mocking her as she soaks in sweat and misery. Despite getting paid, the two stand there seemingly having a telepathic conversation about what other punishment they can dish out. Jackson raises a fist and Len closes her eyes and grits her teeth, bracing herself for an unholy beating.

Whack!

Jackson yells out in pain. Len falls to the ground in a heap of confusion watching this behemoth get pummeled by a pint-sized kid. There’s a mish-mash of uncoordinated swings and kicks, as Ben tries to retaliate on behalf of his friend. Faster, the newcomer dodges and scrambles to get Len on her bike.

“Go,” the masked kid yells.

——–

A mile or so away, Len steadies her breath as she sits on the corner of the main street gas station. Unable to make her purchases, she strains to keep the tears in.

Mom’s not going to be happy… crap… how am I going to get home? Those jerks are really going to be out for me now; there’s no way I can go back that way…

She falls off the curb into the burnt grass behind her. The blinding sunlight fills her closed lids with a muted red glow. Tears escape down her cheek. She lays there pondering what it would be like to have powers, when a shadow falls over her, causing her to sit up in a panic.

“Hey.” Standing there is the masked kid.

“Uh… hey?”

The kid sits on the grass and hands her the 20.

“Oh, wow. Thanks… How’d you get this?”

“No problem… Oh right, I snagged that stupid ape’s wallet after I hit him in the head,” he says with a triumphant grin. “Dude cried like a girl… uh, no offense.”

“It’s okay. I just… I… I don’t know what to say. This is frickin’ weird.”

A nervous laugh escapes her lips.

“The name’s Bruce, by the way. Bruce Wayne.”

Len looks at him in shock. He bursts into uncontrolled laughter.

“Your face! I couldn’t resist. Sorry. But, seriously, my name’s Eric.” He puts his fist out. They bump.

“I’m Len…Why are you dressed that way?”

She looks him up and down. The kid is dressed in nothing but black: black jeans, T-shirt and a badly homemade black mask. The only parts of him that show are his thin, bare arms and pale blue eyes.

“Aren’t you dying under all that?” Sweat drips down her face, collecting in a circle of muted orange on her sodden back and pits. Oddly, the boy doesn’t seem to be soaked.

He shrugs. “Eh. I’m used to it. A hero must never reveal his identity,” he says imitating an announcer’s voice. The shifting pitches in his voice ruin the effect. Eyebrows raised, she just stares.

“Here, check this out.”

He gets up off the grass and fumbles with a satchel hanging on his parked bike (all black), and pulls out a large, heavy looking book. Like a newborn, he cradles it, gingerly handing it over. “Zero to Hero: A Geek’s Guide to Being a Super Hero,” the title reads with a compilation of brightly colored comic legends.

“It’s informative and handy. I used that to beat down that idiot Jackson.”

Len is speechless.

He grabs the book and flips through a few pages. “I’m still in chapter one, where you need to create an image to hide your true identity.” He reads, “…never reveal your true identity, when in hero mode… always have an air of mystery,” he mumbles on.

“You already told me your name.”

His eyes widen as he mouths crap. “Do you want a drink?”

Random, she thinks. Not wanting to hurt his feelings since he did save her life and all, she nods her head yes.

Together, they get up. People pass by, gawking at the awkward pair. A filthy tomboy with a messy, brown ponytail and a short, Goth-clad boy hero.

——–

Two off-brand sodas and a lighter later, the duo finds themselves in the woods. Unsure of how to ditch, Len reluctantly follows him to what he calls his “hideout.” It’s nothing more than an abandoned, weathered shed, about as sturdy as a house made out of cardboard and duct tape. The inside, furnished with plastic patio furniture and (amazingly) wall-to-wall books.

A twinge of surprise crosses Len’s face at the sight of the enormous home library. Some of her favorites jumped out, while most of them she’s never seen. She traces her fingers along the old and new spines. Not in any particular order, the books are thrown on the beaten shelves. Books are stacked one on top of another, lying on their sides, diagonal, basically every which way. Being a little more orderly, Len can’t resist the urge to straighten the thoughtless mess.

In deep thought, she jumps at the first notice of Eric’s presence. How did I forget about him? On edge, she turns to look at him. She forces a smile.

“I knew you’d be impressed. I see you at the library all the time,” Eric says.

“Um, yeah.” Wait, what? Did he just say what I think he said? “I can’t really afford to buy books, so I go to the library a lot,” she answers with reservation.

Eric’s eyes grow wide. “You know, I just remembered something crucial in that book. I need a sidekick! You owe me a favor anyway, so how ‘bout it?”

Afraid of setting him off, she nods. Thoughts of mom, bullies and a masked weirdo overwhelm her. Can this day get any stranger?

Donna Quinn is a senior English major at Penn State Harrisburg.

A New Future: State Archives Plans Move to 6th Street

April 25, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

The Pennsylvania State Archives plans to relocate to this site on N. 6th Street.

History soon will have a new home, as the state Archives plans to relocate to a newly constructed building along the 6^th Street corridor in Harrisburg.

The building will occupy a three-acre site along N. 6^th Street flanked by Harris and Hamilton streets. The $24 million project will occupy almost three complete city blocks, with half of the site backing on to N. 7^th Street.

Design is expected to begin soon, followed by a two-year construction phase that should be completed in 2019, said Howard Pollman, director of external affairs for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

“We will build a state-of-the-art building,” he said.

Footprint of the new Archives building.

The commission has been searching for a site for a new building for several years, as the Archives’ current home—a 20-story tower built in the mid-1960s at the Capitol complex—is bursting from more than 450 million documents.

“The building we have here is full,” Pollman said. “We also have issues with environmental concerns.”

The commission will retain and repurpose the tower, perhaps for collection storage, said Pollman.

Several years ago, the Department of General Services identified a site in Susquehanna Township for a new Archives building, said Troy Thompson, department spokesman. However, Thompson said, Mayor Eric Papenfuse successfully lobbied the Wolf administration to remain in the city.

“This is of great benefit to the city,” said Papenfuse. “It’s a terrific story of cooperation.”

The new building will represent a departure from the iconic tower on Forster Street. In addition to a location about a mile away, the structure is expected to be just two or three stories tall, with onsite parking.

Most of the land is owned by the Vartan Group and is already cleared, said Thompson. Land acquisition by the department will continue for the next several months, and the state may acquire a few additional parcels not owned by Vartan, including the American Legion building at Harris and Wallace streets, he said.

“We’re glad that no homeowners will be displaced,” said Papenfuse.

In addition to the state’s historical documents, the building will house the city’s archives, which currently are kept in a building in Reservoir Park that is not climate controlled or readily open to the public.

Papenfuse said the Archives project will continue the slow redevelopment of the 6^th Street corridor. Once a bustling working class community, the neighborhood was devastated by the loss of industrial and railroad jobs following World War II.

Decades ago, developer John Vartan began buying and clearing much of the blighted land with the idea of turning into it into a new commercial corridor for Harrisburg. However, Vartan died before he could realize his vision, and his company still owns much of the empty land in the area.

In recent years, the area has shown some signs of redevelopment. The 1500 Condominium building is nearby, as are restaurants Crawdaddy’s and Café 1500, and the building is across the street from the proposed new federal courthouse.

The new Archives building will take the affected parcels off of the property tax rolls. However, Papenfuse said that, together, they currently generate only about $2,500 in revenue for the city. The city will make up that amount in local income taxes by retaining the 26 full-time positions at the state Archives, he said. Moreover, the new building may spur additional development and jobs, as some 2,100 people visit the Archives each year, many to conduct extended research projects, he said.

Residents will get a chance to weigh in on the project during a public meeting on Wednesday, May 4, at 4 p.m. at the city’s Sixth Street Fire Station, 1820 N. 6^th St.

TheBurg Podcast, April 22, 2016

April 22, 2016 | by Admin

Photo credit: Gem Carryl.

Welcome to TheBurg Podcast, a weekly roundup of news in and around Harrisburg.

To listen to this week’s episode, click here.

April 22, 2016: This week, Larry and Paul discuss an important upcoming vote on the Harrisburg Strong Plan and try to divine what council members are going to do with it. They also discuss how a board nominee navigated an unexpected controversy, and how the city has slimmed down its plans for the 4th of July. Finally, they offer their Most Harrisburg Things this week – a quartet of swans in Italian Lake park, and a farewell to Paul, who recorded today from the Burg Nest for the last time.

TheBurg Podcast is proudly sponsored by Ad Lib Craft Kitchen & Bar at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Special thanks to Paul Cooley, who wrote our theme music. Check out his podcast, the PRC Show, on SoundCloud or in the iTunes store. You can also subscribe to TheBurg podcast in iTunes.

TheBurg Podcast will be on hiatus after this week, but we hope to be back in the future. Stay tuned!

Something to Spare

April 21, 2016 | by Tierra Woodford

Photo courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The ABC West Lane bowling alley parking lot was filled to capacity with cars of all makes and models.

A sea of adults, teens and children swirled around them, their necks lit with glow sticks while they ate pizza, chips and chocolate bars. They walked around in pink shirts printed with a tuxedo pattern on the front and the words ‘Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ on the back. The lights above the lanes went dark when the announcer began to speak. “Are you ready to roll?” she asked. “Are you ready to bowl? Well, let’s knock them down!” With that the fundraiser began. The sound of plastic colliding with plastic echoed above the country music and the participants’ excited chatter.

Since 1981, the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program has provided role models for children, keeping them on the straight and narrow. Their “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” event brings people from Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and Perry counties to raise money for the program. During the three-month-long event, participants set a fundraising goal of $200,000. On good days they can bring in as much as $24,000. Companies such as Mid Penn Bank, AmeriChoice, and Hossome Steak and Sea House provide financial support and help raise awareness about the program. They even supply treats for the fundraisers—Mid Penn Bank, for example, brought cake.

The money supports the program’s best-known service, making matches between ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’—adults and the young people they mentor. Each Big and Little team has the opportunity to form lifelong friendships. Researchers have shown that involvement in the program makes participants 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol and 52 percent less likely to skip school, according to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters website.

Olahna Lynch, 10, and her ‘Big,’ Alecia Ganter, have been together since last November and love every interaction they have together. Although they haven’t done much outdoors yet, due to winter’s dragging on, they have seen movies and gone to Ganter’s house to make slime and cookies.

“I just think that any kind of positive influence in the community and someone else’s life, someone to talk to, is a great thing. I just want to help,” Ganter said. “As long as I live here I’ll be with Olahna, and I don’t plan on moving any time soon.”

Tyshaun Kearney and Andrew Dickerson, Jr., have been together since last September. The two have played basketball and video games, gone to the movies, and played on trampolines. Kearney’s grades were already exceptional, but they have improved since he and Dickerson were paired.

For Dickerson, his mentorship is truly about being a big brother, and not just a role model. “I don’t have any brothers,” Dickerson said. “For me it’s just trying to be there for somebody who needs a male figure. I’m honored to be able to do this.”

Justin Gourley and Bobby Bamks have been together for only five days but are looking forward to playing sports together and getting to know each other. Bamks plans to do as much physical activity as possible together. “He’s into sports, so am I,” he said.

The night advanced with an energetic atmosphere all the way through. By the time the participants started leaving, the event was estimated to have raised more than $11,000. “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” will continue through the months of April and May.

Tierra Woodford is a sophomore at Capital Area School for the Arts in downtown Harrisburg. To learn more about the “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” event, or to find information about becoming a mentor, visit capbigs.org.

Council Schedules Vote on Updated Recovery Plan

April 20, 2016 | by Paul Barker

Finance director Bruce Weber, left, and Act 47 coordinator Fred Reddig at a Harrisburg City Council meeting last August.

City Council scheduled a major vote on updates to the Harrisburg Strong Plan Tuesday night, setting the stage for the most comprehensive agreement to date on the mix of tax policies, personnel goals and government reforms needed to stabilize the city’s finances.

The state has asked the city to adopt the 115-page update in time for negotiations with its police and municipal employee unions, whose current labor contracts expire at the end of the calendar year.

An affirmative council vote later this month would mark the first time the body has endorsed a comprehensive recovery plan, as opposed to the piecemeal votes for related legislation while the city was under state receivership in 2013.

The updated plan would count on increased revenue from a local services tax hike affecting residents and commuters and would have the city weigh a home rule charter initiative that could make recent earned income tax hikes permanent.

It would also direct a greater portion of any money recovered in lawsuits over incinerator-related borrowings to paying down the city’s current debt load.

At a committee hearing Tuesday night, council members expressed some reservations over the updated plan. Ben Allatt, the budget and finance committee chair, said he would like to see more contributions from the state and less reliance on local taxes, while Council President Wanda Williams said she would prefer to have the home rule charter suggestion removed entirely.

But Fred Reddig, the city’s coordinator under the state program for financially distressed municipalities, said he was “optimistic that the plan is going to move forward” and that his team would be able to take it to court for approval.

The vote is scheduled for April 27.

A Natural Balance

April 18, 2016 | by Paul Barker

Photo credit: Gem Carryl.

Last Friday at noon, in a press conference at Italian Lake, the city celebrated the arrival of some seasonal guests—a pair of white swans, soon to be joined by a pair of black ones, that will live at the Uptown park through the end of summer.

“They’re just beautiful animals,” Wendell Hoover, a local realtor and a member of the Friends of Italian Lake neighborhood group, told WGAL. “Just in the last two days I’ve seen so many people stop and take pictures with them.”

The neighborhood group is renting the swans, at a cost of $400, from a Halifax farm. Aside from their beauty, the birds are apparently prized for their sense of turf—an Illinois company, Knox Swan & Dog, rents swans out in teams with a border collie to chase Canada geese off properties throughout the Chicagoland area. (“Got geese? Get rid of them with a Knox Swan & Dog Package,” the website advertises.)

“We actually hope they might limit the geese population a little bit by protecting their turf and their area,” Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said of the city’s summer visitors. “Sometimes the lake can get overwhelmed with geese. So, we’re thinking this could help create a more natural balance.”

Territorial instincts notwithstanding, the swans did not immediately take to their new digs. Hoover recounted the day the farmer dropped them off, having delivered them in a large dog crate in a minivan. “She’s comfortable with handling swans,” he said. “I would not be. She grabbed them and just threw them in the lake.” They promptly swam to the opposite side and climbed out of the water.

But, Hoover said, the swans “really changed a lot” in the days that followed. “Now they’ll go anywhere. They’re very comfortable. When we put food out there, they come right up.”

By Monday morning, when the two birds glided along the western edge of the lake, they seemed to do so with an air less of exploration than patrol. Wherever the swans drifted, the geese tended to recede. They slid across the water, their necks and their layered wings so still they could almost be mistaken for decoys.

It appeared word had spread sufficiently to draw a few admirers. An amateur photographer, holding up a long zoom lens, snapped shots from the shade of a maple tree. A trio of three older women circled the lake, drawing close enough to the swans for one of them to take a few pictures on her phone.

Syretta Oakes, a preschool teacher at the nearby Little Geniuses Preparatory Academy, off Linglestown Road, led six toddlers in a “nature walk” along the lake’s edge. “I was just so shocked to see the swans,” she said. She remembered how, back in the mid-90s, several swans lived in Italian Lake. But by the time she moved to the city, in 2009, they were all gone. “To see them back is awesome.”

The swans started diving for food on the lake bed, their necks slipping into the water with precision, as if they were threading invisible tunnels. “Guess what?” asked one little genius, speaking more or less in Oakes’ direction. “Sometimes when they’re afraid they go under water.”

Francine Feinerman, who has lived Uptown for nearly 50 years, remembered having swans in the old days, too. “We hardly ever saw geese,” she said. “You saw mostly swans.” According to her, they were removed because young troublemakers were throwing stones at them. “That’s why I’m so nervous,” she went on. “I’m hoping the kids will learn respect.”

During Friday’s press conference, Papenfuse had also asked residents to suggest some names to give the birds during their stay. By the end of the day, Jaime Johnsen, the atrium receptionist in city hall, had drafted a flyer petitioning people to “Name That Swan.” The design, in keeping with the municipal government’s late spirit of thrift, was decidedly lo-fi: a clip-art doodle of a black and white swan, with the digital watermark still visible; some swooping word-processor calligraphy.

“My friend was like, ‘Why do the black ones gotta be late?’” said Johnsen Monday afternoon, in between fielding walk-ins at her desk just inside city hall. “She’s not from here. She was like, ‘That’s racist.’ I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no.’”

As part of her job, Johnsen also checks the messages on the city’s 311 system and monitors the neighborhood-based social network Nextdoor. Under a post by the city, she reviewed the handful of potential swan names submitted so far: John, Paul, George and Ringo; Ron Swanson; and, facetiously, Swanny McSwanface, inspired by “Boaty McBoatface,” the name submitted in a recent contest to christen a British research vessel, which won handily in an online poll.

“It does make it a beautiful atmosphere down there,” Johnsen went on. She flipped through a couple of photos of the lake on her phone, in which the swans, either because of a photo filter or a trick of the light, appeared surrounded by a soft-focus glow. “It makes it kind of nice,” she said. “The geese all stay to one side. And it’ll be even more beautiful when the flowers come.”

Independence Day Festivities Set

April 18, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

A rocket explodes during last year’s fireworks display in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg will celebrate the July 4 holiday with a one-day event that will include food trucks, children’s activities and music, ending with two fireworks displays, the city said today.

The “Independence Day Food Truck Festival and Fireworks Show” will take place in Riverfront Park on Monday, July 4, starting at 3 p.m., according to the city.

“The Food Truck Festival is sure to be one of our most popular events this year,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “People will be able to enjoy a variety of great food and reasonable prices. We urge everyone to come out and enjoy the fun!”

Musical groups will entertain throughout the event on a live music stage. Children’s activities will include face painting, caricaturists and a bounce house.

Two fireworks shows will conclude the day’s celebration. The Harrisburg Senators fireworks will precede the city’s fireworks festival.

Street parking will be free, and parking will be available for $4 on City Island.

Sponsors of the Independence Day celebration include the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District.

The city’s Independence Day celebration has changed greatly from year to year. For many years, Harrisburg held a three-day music and arts festival along the riverfront. More recently, the city experimented with formats, reducing the celebration to a single day and emphasizing food and family activities.

For more information, visit www.harrisburgpa.gov/July4.

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