TheBurg Podcast, March 11, 2016

March 11, 2016 | by Admin

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

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

March 11, 2016: This week, Larry and Paul talk about a well-attended public meeting on a proposed marijuana decriminalization bill and the second workshop on updates to the city’s recovery plan. They also discuss two slices of city living they witnessed in the warmer weather.

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.

New Light

March 11, 2016 | by Tierra Woodford

Constance Cochrane, “Drama of the Fall,” c. 1940.

The sky was open, a baby blue canvas brushed by a few clouds. Light beamed down, reflecting all the colors of the world. The wind blew, shifting the clouds. The serenity of the light offset the hustle and bustle of the city, filled with busy students, business owners and traffic. A white building with the look of a bank came into view. A shelter from the light nip of the cold.

After a visit to the Susquehanna Art Museum on Third Street, everything starts to look like a painting. The museum is the temporary home of “New Light: The Pennsylvania Impressionists,” a group of paintings that capture the moment-by-moment beauty of landscapes and light. The exhibit, which runs until May 22, includes such Impressionist works as “The Fair” by Harry Leith, “Late Afternoon” by Edward Willis Redfield and “Drama of the Fall” by Constance Cochrane. All of the paintings are on loan from the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia.

Cochrane’s 1940 “Drama of the Fall” is a central work in the exhibit, appearing on postcards and other promotional material. “It nicely represented the theme of this show,” said Lauren Nye, the museum’s director of exhibitions. “I liked the visual of the light shining down from the clouds.” Cochrane was a founding member of the Philadelphia Ten, a group of women artists that exhibited together from 1917 to 1945. She was an advocate for women’s participation in the mostly male-dominated field of visual arts. Cochrane worked from Monhegan Island where, with the help of her mother, she brought property.

There is an irony in the “Impressionist” label. The paintings themselves are very straightforward, leaving no doubt as to the scene they wish to convey, yet they are still open to interpretation. It’s all up to the viewer to see what she sees beyond the obvious picture. Nye’s favorite part is trying to discern the artist’s motions from the brush strokes visible in the paint. “Is the hand of the artist visible or hidden?” she said. “She clearly wanted that to be something people were influenced by.”

When Cochrane painted “Drama of the Fall,” she had to work quickly. She couldn’t take a picture and paint it later. She used what she had, because paints were expensive. The result is a simple moment in time expressed with a steady hand. The bright, varying colors draw the viewer in, occasionally repeating to bring the eye across the canvas. The texture of the painting differs from detail to detail. Up close, trees are smooth with little paint clumps. Boulders are wavy, suggesting a river rushing towards the viewer, yet they don’t disrupt the bright red flowers at their foot that balance the color palette at the bottom of the frame.

Nye pointed out how the color of the water towards the middle of the painting shifts from left to right, a change mirrored in the sky above. She also noted the contrast between the amber and evergreen colors, representing changing seasons.

Quiet classical music played in the lobby. The sky had shifted towards an orange tint from the sunset’s final shine being cast upon the city. No clouds swept across the twilight atmosphere, leaving brilliant tones of blue, yellow, green, orange and red. A perfect day for an Impressionist painter to capture with a brush in hand.

Tierra Woodford is a sophomore at Capital Area School for the Arts in downtown Harrisburg.

st@rtup to Anchor Historic Moose Lodge Building

March 10, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

The historic Harrisburg Moose Lodge Temple, which is undergoing rehabilitation.

A Harrisburg co-working outfit will triple in size as it becomes the anchor tenant in the renovated, historic Moose Lodge Temple in Midtown.

st@rtup Harrisburg will take the entire ground floor of the landmark building at N. 3^rd and Boas streets, which last housed the Ronald Brown Charter School. The company is expected to make the move this summer when the renovation is complete.

“This move will allow us to better serve the city’s growing creative class and independent workforce,” said Adam Porter, st@rtup co-founder with business partner Adam Brackbill. “Harrisburg’s high quality of life and easy access to major markets make it a great place for anyone with an idea and the energy to execute it.”

st@rtup Harrisburg was founded three years ago as the city’s first co-working space, setting up in a building on the 1500-block of N. 3^rd Street. The new space, measuring 6,536 square feet, will allow the company to meet growing demand for a variety of workspaces, from shared desks up to private offices, said Porter.

WCI Partners purchased the dilapidated, 92-year-old building last year from Atlanta-based Mosaica Education. It had been empty since 2005, when the school district’s former board of control refused to re-authorize the school’s charter.

In addition to the st@rtup space, the renovation includes 33 high-end apartments in the building’s upper floors. Porter described the building as “Harrisburg’s first live/work” space, with the expectation that some tenants will choose to work downstairs in st@rtup.

Besides the Moose Lodge building, the project includes the renovation of three Victorian-style townhouses along the 900-block of N. 3^rd Street. Those buildings will feature commercial tenants on the ground floors and apartments upstairs, said WCI President David Butcher. TheBurg plans to occupy the ground-floor space in two of those townhouses, moving from its current location in Uptown Harrisburg.

Increasingly, creative companies are relocating to the southern tip of Midtown. Recently, photography and video company GK Visual purchased and moved into a former warehouse at 933 Rose St. The company will hold a ribbon cutting for its new space on March 30 at 4:30 p.m.

To learn more about st@rtup Harrisburg’s new space, visit www.startuphbg.com/new-home.

Disclosure: WCI principal Alex Hartzler is publisher of TheBurg.

TheBurg Podcast, March 4, 2016

March 4, 2016 | by Admin

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

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

March 4, 2016: Let the sun shine… This week, Larry and Paul discuss a City Council workshop on the recovery plan, the Sunshine Act and a government-related nonprofit’s closed-door meetings, and a U.S. News & World Report survey that gave high marks to the Harrisburg metro area as a place to live.

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.

Student Scribes: “The Room”–So Bad, It’s Good

February 29, 2016 | by Maggie Estrada

Maybe it’s empty because we’re early. Or maybe “The Room” really lives up to the critics’ harsh reviews.

I fidget. An overdressed man in a tuxedo turns the corner. It’s entirely obvious that the long, curly, black wig he wears under a large top hat is not his real hair. He lingers around the theater door. Now, there’s a whole whopping four people here to see this movie. We wait. One by one, more people join us in silence and wait for the ushers to let us in. Some girls wear red dresses, and guys wear the same tux as the first, minus the wig. I feel less like a fish out of water as the last group arrives. They wear normal clothes, except the last guy, who removes his leather jacket to reveal a red T-shirt. Speech bubbles with random exclamations and quotes cover the front.

Wow, people really are into this movie.

“The Room,” a movie, follows main characters Johnny, Lisa, Mark and Denny in a 99-minute storm of affairs, betrayal, accusations and trips around San Francisco. The film is written and directed by its star, Tommy Wiseau.

The dialogue makes me cringe. They speak with such melodrama, I can’t help but laugh. The scenes get more unrealistic every minute. Lisa, the lead female, has a conversation with her mother, Claudette. Claudette claims she was tested and diagnosed with breast cancer, and Lisa brushes it off completely, weaving an elaborate (but idiotic) lie about her supposedly abusive fiancé, Johnny. She cheats with Johnny’s best friend, Mark. Denny shows up and somehow almost gets murdered by a drug lord, and they all yell and cry and play football in tuxedos. A lot. The end leaves so many unanswered questions. “The Room” lacks structure, character development and overall purpose.

But I love every bit of it.

When it first premiered in 2003, “The Room” received a wave of negative reviews. Critics tore apart every aspect of the movie. They criticized the camera quality, the set, the over-dramatic acting and the continuity errors. It’s rated a strong 3 to 3.5 out of 10. The people who kept it from a 0 are the people like me, who said, “It’s so bad, it’s good.”

“The Room,” like “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” has attained cult status. The Rolling Stone article, “The 25 Best Cult Movies of All Time” (where “The Room” places 21st), says a movie can be a cult film once it has developed a “fiercely devoted audience that watches it over and over, preferably at midnight in a theater packed with other die-hards.” Cult films attract all kinds of people. Kristen Bell, an actress, admitted she loves the film. Some people like to dress up, some stick to callbacks, yelling at the screen at certain parts.

I’m the first to leave the theater. I watch the crowd exit as I wait for my siblings. Everyone’s attire makes sense now. The girls in the red dresses resemble the character, Lisa, the guys in suits dress for the wedding scene. The curly wig? The main character. The guy with the red shirt covered in speech bubbles wore some of the best quotes from the movie.

The movie shows more than enough establishing shots of San Francisco, prompting someone in the audience to yell, “Meanwhile, in San Francisco!” They joined in yelling the most operatic line, “You are tearing me apart, Lisa!” Later, Mark describes the room, but the room doesn’t fit his description at all. Everyone yells at the screen.

“The candles…”

“What candles?”

“The music…”

“What music?”

“The sexy dress…”

“What sexy dress?”

Everyone becomes the biggest fan and the biggest critic at the same time.

Though its bad reviews make it more enjoyable, Tommy Wiseau, the writer/director/star, takes criticism quite personally. He recently did a Reddit Q&A, talking about the feedback from reviewers.

“We had [rehearsal]. I encourage [people] to actually think about twice before re-writing, bashing actors, because all the actors did a very good job. In the media, they said they didn’t know what they were doing, but we had regular rehearsal, six months before, so everything was done very professionally, and [actors] did [a] very good job.” Wiseau has mentioned many times that he is proud of the film, despite people calling him out on holes and errors. Greg Sestero, who played Mark, explained his experience with Wiseau and “The Room” in his book, “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside ‘The Room,’ the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made.” Sestero called “The Room” “a drama that is also a comedy that is also an existential cry for help that is finally a testament to human endurance.” He mentioned some encounters he had while filming.

“In the love scene’s final shot, Johnny gets out of bed and walks bare naked to the bathroom. Tommy thought long and hard about his decision to show his ass. ‘I need to do it,” he told me. “I have to show my body or this movie won’t sell.’”

The rest of the cast also finds humor in the reputation of “The Room.” Juliette Daniels, who played Lisa, joined Philip Haldiman (Denny) and the rest of the cast (minus Wiseau and Sestero) in a mockumentary called “The Room Actors: Where Are They Now?” about how (or if) the cast has changed at all since 2003. It will premiere in 2016. Like every “so bad it’s good” movie, the people who contributed to it still get a lot of hate and insults from people who can’t lighten up and have some fun. Daniels, on her Facebook page, proudly states that she is done hiding from the film.

“Quote the film all you want… I love my Roomies.”

So, if you ever love a terrible movie, even if it gets a 0/10 in every review, makes little money, and everyone you know hates it—embrace it. There’s someone out there who, for some still unknown reason, loves it too, as well as viewing parties, merchandise and so many Halloween costume opportunities. Who knows? Something bigger could come from it. James Franco took advantage of one of the opportunities. He is currently directing “The Disaster Artist,” a “behind-the-scenes” look at “The Room,” based off Sestero’s book. Tommy Wiseau told Reddit, Twitter and all other social media about his involvement in the film.

Even an A-list actor takes advantage of a bad reputation.

Maggie Estrada is a sophomore at CASA.

Student Scribes: Seeing the World in Cubes

February 29, 2016 | by Christian Witmer

My hands slide over the smooth plastic surface. A steady stream of clicking resonates in my ears. Welcome to the world of competitive Rubik’s cube solving. You may chuckle when you hear it, but to some, it’s a blood sport.

Suddenly my movement stops, and the cube falls to the table. Hands jolting to the timer, I clock in under two minutes. It’s just not fast enough. Fifteen-year-old Jay Ni agrees. He currently holds the 11^th place world record in 3-by-3 blindfolded solving and is a close personal friend of mine.

“The highest I ever got was ninth on the chart. As of today, I got pushed down to 11^th with a time of 26.71 seconds,” says Ni, resigned.

As I begin to scramble my cube again, I can only dream of making the international leaderboards. Yet, where does one start in such a small activity, learn the ropes?

“I actually don’t remember,” Ni says, trying to think back. “I started cubing around the summer of 2012, however I wasn’t really cubing. I looked up one video. I hated the video and tossed my cube, but I did solve it before I put it away. It wasn’t until a year later, when I really tried to get faster, that I became a cuber.”

I fidget with my cube as he speaks, loosening edges, applying an algorithm here and a shortcut there. These concepts are greatly misunderstood because of their function and use. Ni and I meet with odd questions from beginners every day, such as, “Do you just memorize the colors?” It’s much more mathematical than that.

“An algorithm is a combination of written moves to move multiple pieces at once. There are thousands of algorithms out there, all for a specific purpose,” says Ni.

A clean solve, as any cuber will tell you, relies on algorithms. With 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possibilities, these equations represented by letters are the only possible way to return your Rubik’s cube to its original state. No one solves the cube by luck. The lottery proves easy in comparison.

Some people maintain the concept of a simple pattern, but that’s just not realistic. Even its roots are complex and mathematical. Created by Erno Rubik in 1974 as an architectural teaching tool, Rubik wasn’t even aware he had made a puzzle until he was unable to return his creation to its original state.

I lace my cube with specially made speed lubricant, and move it in a set pattern (R,R,U,U,R,U,R’,U’,R’,U’,R,U,R’). Each letter and symbol mean something vital to a final solve, involving a direction and number of turns. While I finish up, Ni talks through a competition day and how fierce it can really get.

“On cubing day, you walk to the place where you will register, you give them your ticket, and they let you continue. You walk into a packed room of people who are just like you, with the same interest and hobby. You receive time slots for your competitions. My first time, I only signed up for 3×3. I solved an average of five cubes and my score was based on my times. After competing, there are tons of workshops and other stuff to do. Often, you make friends and stick with each other. Cubing can get very competitive, but it’s all in fun. Believe it or not, people almost always respect each other in the world of cubing. However, when competitions start, it gets pretty heated.”

A small kid walks by us, seeing the movement of our hands, and his jaw drops. Obviously, I don’t cube for the attention, but it’s still nice. Almost all beginners or outsiders to the world of cubing react in this way.

“When you pull your cube out of your bag, the first person who walks by it asks if you can solve it and to show them. When you solve it quickly, they respond with praise. People look at the cube as impossible. Cubers see it as a joy and a passion.”

Obsession might better describe cubers in a platform that has come to include foot solving, blindfolded solving, one-handed solving, solving marathons and a variety of cube types. Devotees like myself and Ni are all too happy to share our pastime with people.

“If I have time, I tell people to grab my cube, and I’ll teach them how to solve. I’ll tell them the basics of sides and algorithms, and, in at least one hour, anyone can solve it.”

Ni pulls a case from under the table, and adds a few exotic cubes to the pile I started. Despite the name, it’s a little known fact that Rubik’s cubes are the least preferred brand in the competitive cubing world. Most people aiming for speed purchase Asian brands such as ShengShou or Dayan, which improved upon the original design, adding plastic “torpedo” features for easier torque and cornering. Lives are devoted to tweaking these small cubes, and happily so. Yet, the cube can only take you so far, and the training is far more important.

“I think cubing has gone to a point, or will get to a point, where the fastest time will be the fastest a person’s fingers can possibly move. I believe that there will be a point where there are no world records because people would achieve that time,” Ni says.

He lays out his cubes in a line, each one increasing in size. He lists times for each, for a standard two-handed solve.

“Two-by-two, 4.05 seconds. Three-by-three, 12.75 seconds…” he continues, all the way up to a seven-by-seven cube. His absolute highest time is a mere 4 minutes and 16.56 seconds. Each time is only made official after meeting a barrage of standard procedures and rules. A scramble, solve, recording, inspection time and method must all be up to the World Cubing Association’s codes in order to count for the record books.

With hundreds of methods in existence, creativity also factors in greatly toward a stellar time. Mathematics professors, architects and obsessed fans spend endless hours searching for new solve methods in order to shave off mere seconds. They share these configurations with the cubing community for the most part, and Ni, with the rare exception here and there, knows them all. I note the pride in his voice, but it doesn’t come across as bragging.

This dedicated subculture is slowly making its way into the mainstream. A U.S. national cubing team has been established, with cubing conventions springing up in droves around the world while leaderboards grow in size. “Nerd” morphs into an endearing term. Watch one or two videos online, and you can see every possible nationality, age group and gender toying with the same six colors together.

“Cubing has become more cool over the many years. When you pull out a cube and solve it, people will be amazed,” Ni says.

I nod in agreement. While solving the cube may not exactly win you a girlfriend, it usually elicits a gasp or two. Reasonably so, considering the fact only 35,000 people have the ability to solve it, according to the World Cubing Association.

“The craziest thing I’ve ever seen at a cubing convention is cubing mosaics. People use hundreds of cubes and line them up with a specific color and pattern on top to create a giant picture. I did 30 cubes for a mosaic at the U.S. open competition, then I got bored,” Ni says, a smile playing upon his lips at the memory. It’s this kind of unity he speaks of that keeps me coming back for more puzzles.

As the interview wraps up, we begin to banter like usual. A girl walks by and spots our mountain of cubes.

“Is that a Rubik’s cube?”

We affirm in unison.

“Can you solve it?”

Ni turns around, hopeful.

“Sit down.”

Christian Witmer is a freshman at CASA.

In Good Spirits: Midstate Distillery brings local, handcrafted to Harrisburg.

February 29, 2016 | by M. Diane McCormick

Walk in the door at Midstate Distillery, and the sweet smell hits you first.

It’s molasses, says Dan Healy. He guides you to the line of 250-gallon tubs in frosted plastic lining the wall. All are filled with a dark liquid. Some are warm from the addition of hot water.

“This one’s been fermenting—Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday—five days, so it’s almost done,” says Healy. “Truly, I could probably start distilling this. It’s maybe 8 percent alcohol at the moment. I may let it go a little bit higher.”

Craft distilling has come to Dauphin County in the appropriately named Midstate Distillery. Established in a former paint manufacturing building near the Farm Show Complex, the venture aims to educate a public that increasingly craves authentic tastes—not mass produced by faceless corporations but crafted by neighbors.

Just why does a world saturated with craft breweries and family wineries now need craft distilleries?

“Need?” says Healy. “Does anyone need more alcohol?”

I would say yes, but he continues. It’s like rooting for the home team and showing the world what the hometown can do.

“There’s always an interest for something new, something handmade, something handcrafted, something made locally,” he says. “People really want to see what somebody in their neighborhood can produce.”

Lots to Learn

Healy and his brother-in-law, Brian Myers, launched Midstate after leaving a cabinetry business where they had worked together. The craft brewing market seemed saturated, but craft distilling was “a very, very young industry.”

Like other craft distillers, Healy and Myers are learning as they go. They have read books and taken courses in Colorado. They have learned to deal with the bureaucracy of liquor. They have learned the science behind turning raw materials into liquor.

“I feel like I’ve learned massive amounts, but there’s huge, huge amounts to learn and incorporate into production,” says Healy during a tour of the space, which got a top-to-bottom makeover, mostly from the elbow grease of Healy, Myers and an army of friends. Dawn Healy, Healy’s sister and Myers’ wife, takes care of the books.

Décor-wise, the bar was meticulously handmade by woodworker Joe Costa from local timber and beams salvaged from the basement. A see-through divider of vintage windows gives visitors a view of the distilling equipment. Barrels, some for aging rum, are used bourbon barrels from Kentucky’s Old Forester distillery.

Upon opening in January, Midstate offered Shakey Jake’s rum, named after Myers’ grandfather, and the hilariously named Pennsyltucky Moonshine, a corn-based whiskey. Iron and Ice vodka, with a label depicting the Walnut Street Bridge, will be released this month.

Learning on the fly extends to potential customers, who have grown up with mass-market products often distilled using an efficient, flavor-stripping process, says Healy. Remember when craft beers tasted funny? Same thing, he says. The distiller’s job is educating consumers to value hand-crafted spirits.

For instance, Midstate has an aged rum, nice and drinkable, which captures “the right aspects from the wood, the vanillas, the caramels. You can even get a cinnamon taste.”

“I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of good products out there, but we’re trying to do one that captures a lot of that flavor that comes from the raw ingredients,’’ says Healy.

Homegrown Tastes

By mid-2016, Midstate hopes to have its products on state liquor store shelves under a program started in 2015 that lets licensed limited distilleries put up to 10 products in 10 stores, to start.

When the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board created a limited license in 2012 for small distilleries, it issued seven licenses. In 2014, it issued 31. As of October 2015, 74 products from Pennsylvania distilleries were on state store shelves.

Let your imagination soar when thinking of the homegrown tastes available. Sure, Pennsylvania distilleries produce gin, whiskey and rye, but they also concoct absinthe, tequila, eggnog and strawberry liqueur. Over just a few years, PLCB sales of these products have jumped from $3.7 million annually to $4.5 million, a 21 percent increase.

“Spirits have always been distilled in Pennsylvania,” notes PLCB Marketing and Merchandising Director Dale Horst. “There were distilleries going all the way back to the Revolutionary War.”

Oh, that’s right. The Whiskey Rebellion—our homegrown revolt against the young federal government’s first sin tax. The state’s distillery-revival show that “customers have been responding in a very positive way,” says Horst.

“Just as there’s been an increase in limited wineries and an increase in craft beer and microbreweries, the limited distillers have found that people want to buy local, and they can compete with the national brands if their product is of good quality and they market it right,” he says.

At Midstate Distillery, tastings reveal the subtlety in flavors that tongues have missed over the years. Tours show off the Double Diamond copper still and the rest of the process that is, “at its core, vaporization and recondensation,” which separates and refines the alcohol created in fermented liquid, says Healy.

The major distillers, having seen the surprised look on big brewing’s face when craft brews cut into their business, could be a bit on the offensive. More and more, Healy sees commercials “for products that appear to be more craft-focused.” He’s fine with that. After all, it will “also help turn people on to craft distilling.”

“I’m hoping our products evolve and, as time goes by, we just continue to innovate and release better and newer products as we go,” he says.

Midstate Distillery is located at 1817 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midstatedistillery.com or call 717-745-5040.

Community Corner: Notable March Events

February 29, 2016 | by TheBurg Editor

March Community Corner

Leads Over Lunch
March 1: Mix and mingle with business leaders at this free lunch hosted by Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, 3211 N. Front St., Suite 201, Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit harrisburgregionalchamber.org.

Taste of the Chamber
March 2: West Shore Chamber of Commerce will host “Taste of the Chamber” at Appalachian Harley Davidson, Mechanicsburg, 4 to 7 p.m. Enjoy culinary masterpieces from the area’s best restaurants, hotels and caterers, as well as a raffle. Tickets are $25. For more information, visit wschamber.org.

Visual Arts in Health Care
March 2: The World Culture Club of Central PA presents a free program, “Visual Arts in Health Care,” at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Dr., 5^th Floor, featuring speaker Elizabeth Blyler, an art education graduate of Penn State. More information is at worldcultureclubpa.org.

Living Tobacco Free
March 3, 17, 29: PinnacleHealth will host “Introduction to Tobacco Free Living Session” at PinnacleHealth Polyclinic Campus, Landis Building, 2501 N. 3^rd St., 6th Floor, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. Visit pinnaclehealth.org for more details.

Lost In Las Vegas
March 5: The Art Association of Harrisburg will host its “Lost in Las Vegas” Bal Masque at the Radisson Hotel, Camp Hill, 6 to 11 p.m. Enjoy live music, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, a caricaturist, costume judging, wine tasting and more. Reservations are $100 per person. Visit artassocofhbg.com for more details.

Maple Sugar Festival
March 6: Head to Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, for the Maple Sugar Festival, 12 to 4 p.m. Kids and adults can have hands-on fun tapping a tree and watching spile-making. Have a sample of real maple syrup on ice cream and shop for delicious maple products. Visit forthunter.org.

End of Life Seminar
March 8: West Shore Chamber of Commerce will host the third seminar in a four-part series exploring elder estate planning, hospice care and funeral services at Bethany Village, Mechanicsburg, 6:30 to 9 p.m. This seminar will open with a light meal. For more details, visit wschamber.org.

Steam Engine Presentation
March 8: Harrisburg Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will host Rick Musser, vice president and assistant chief mechanical officer of Strasburg Rail Road, for a presentation on “Operating and Maintaining Vintage Railroad Equipment,” at Hoss’s Restaurant, 743 Wertzville Rd., Enola. Business meeting and speaker begin at 7 p.m., with a meal available as early as 5 p.m. For more details, call 717-238-2131.

Diabetes Presentation
March 8: PinnacleHealth will host “Diabetes and You: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment” with Dr. Marianna Antonopoulou at Giant Food Store Community Center, 2300 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, 7 p.m. For more information, visit pinnaclehealth.org.

Pint Night
March 9: Grain + Verse hosts “Pint Night” with Aldus Brewing Co., 6 p.m. Buy a brew from this Hanover-based brewery and keep the pint glass. More information is at grainandverse.com.

Perry County’s Box Huckleberry
March 10: Join Perry County Penn State Extension Master Gardeners from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for a free presentation on Perry County’s Box Huckleberry at the Perry County Penn State Extension Office, 8 Carlisle St., New Bloomfield. Pre-registration is requested. Visit extension.psu.edu for more details.

Damselflies and Dragonflies
March 10: Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, presents the first installment of its “2016 Discovery Lecture Series: Damselflies and Dragonflies,” with retired educator and volunteer naturalist Tony “Doc” Schoch at 7 p.m. Visit nedsmithcenter.org.

Foreign Film Friday:
March 11: Join Fredricksen Library for “Zero Motivation,” an Israeli film featuring funny, quick-witted female characters. Two showings are at 2 and 7 p.m. Rated PG-13. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org for more details.

Spring Craft Show
March 11-12: Enola Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 22 Salt Rd., Enola, will host its 11th Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Show featuring more than 65 vendors, March 11, 4 to 8 p.m., and March 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact [email protected] or 717-732-6378.

Steam Engine Presentation
March 12: Harrisburg Chapter National Railway Historical Society’s annual Railroad Show & Collectors Market will be held at First Church of God, 245 W. High St., Middletown, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donation at the door is $5; kids 12 and under are free. For more details, call 717-439-9744 or email [email protected].

Local Lunch
March 12: Join Friends of Midtown at the group’s monthly community lunch, which will be held at Zeroday Brewing Co., 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, 12 to 2 p.m. Contact [email protected] or visit friendsofmidtown.org.

Concert & Workshop
March 12: J.S. Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” will be performed by the Bach Choir of Baltimore, members of the Susquehanna Children’s Chorale and soloists, 7 p.m., at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral, Harrisburg, with a pre-concert workshop on the “Language of the St. Matthew Passion” preceding at 6:15 p.m. Details at musicbytheriver.org.

Susquehanna Ducks and Geese
March 13: The Ned Smith Center, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, will host its annual “Ducks and Geese of the Susquehanna River” program from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Scott Bills, retired land management group supervisor at the PA Game Commission, to learn about waterfowl and their seasonal migration patterns. For more details, visit nedsmithcenter.org.

Bowl for Kids’ Sake
March 13-20: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region will host “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” this spring at area bowling alleys: March 13 at Red Crown Bowling Center, Harrisburg; March 19 at Cedar Lanes, Lebanon; and March 20 at Midway Bowling Center, Newville. For details and a complete schedule, visit capbigs.org.

Soup & a Bowl
March 14: The 23rd annual Soup & a Bowl, Harrisburg, will be held at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The St. Patrick’s Day-themed event will include a variety of soups, breads, desserts, live music, pottery throwing and a raffle. Locally crafted limited edition commemorative Central Pennsylvania Food Bank bowls can be ordered in advance. Visit centralpafoodbank.org for more details.

Great Decisions 2016
March 14 and 28: Fredricksen Library will host “Great Decisions,” America’s largest world affairs discussion program, with topics chosen by Foreign Policy Association experts. Topics for March are “Migration” (March 14) and “The Koreas” (March 28). Cost is $10 per individual session or $40 for all sessions. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

Women of Excellence
March 16: The YWCA Greater Harrisburg will honor 34 outstanding women who dedicate time and talent to making a difference in central Pennsylvania at the Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr., Hershey, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $100 per seat. For registration and a full list of honorees, visit ywcahbg.org.

Management of PA Forests
March 17: The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association will host Dr. James Finley, Penn State professor of forest resources, at the West Pennsboro Township Municipal Building, 2150 Newville Rd., Carlisle, 7 p.m. For more information, contact Fred Peabody (717-776-3565; [email protected]) or Mike Waldron (717-677-7317; [email protected]).

GreenCon 2016
March 17: GreenCon, central Pennsylvania’s annual Green Building Conference & Expo, will be held at Dickinson College, 28 N. College St., Carlisle, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year’s focus will be on resiliency in the built environment. For more details, visit usgbc-centralpa.org.

3rd in the Burg
March 18: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event at galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown. Check out all the action at thirdintheburg.org.

Ready, Set, Grow
March 19: Join Penn State Extension Master Gardeners and Educators from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Penn State Extension office, 310 Allen Rd., Carlisle, for its “Ready, Set, Grow!” workshop. Registration fee is $10; register by March 16. For more, visit extension.psu.edu/cumberland.

Board Game Day
March 19: Get to know your neighbors with friendly rounds of popular board games at HACC Midtown, 1500 N. 3^rd St., Room 224, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food and games will be provided; you may also bring your own games. All ages and skill levels are welcome. For more details, visit friendsofmidtown.org.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 19: Enjoy the 16th Annual Harrisburg St. Patrick’s Day Parade, beginning at 2 p.m. Bring non-perishable food items with you to the parade to benefit the Central PA Food Bank. For more information, including parade route, visit craicpa.org.

Dauphin County Egg Hunt
March 20: Head to Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, for an Easter egg hunt, 2 to 5 p.m. There are hunts scheduled for ages 2 to 3 at 2:30 p.m.; 4 to 5 at 2:45 p.m., 6 to 7 at 3 p.m.; and 8 to 9 at 3:15 p.m. Enjoy face painting, pony rides and kids’ activities. For more details, visit dauphincounty.org.

Evening with Seth Godin
March 23: Harrisburg Regional Chamber will host “An Evening with Seth Godin” at its annual spring gathering at Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr., Hershey, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Godin is one of today’s most influential business thinkers and the author of 18 bestselling books

Latin American Talk
March 24: Foreign Policy Association of Harrisburg will host R. Evan Ellis, professor of Latin American Studies, at the U.S. Army War College at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, Camp Hill, 7:30 p.m., with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. Ellis will discuss the region’s emergence onto the world stage. For more information, visit fpa-harrisburg.org.

Practice Patience
March 26: Kalpa Bhadra Kadampa Buddhist Center, 251 Wiconisco St., Harrisburg, will host “Finding Freedom from Frustration: The Practice of Patience,” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This course is $35 for the day and will be taught by Julie Francisco. For more information, visit meditationpa.org.

Special Film Event
March 31: Filmmaker Aviva Kempner presents her latest film “Rosenwald: The Remarkable Story of a Jewish Partnership with African American Communities” at the Jewish Community Center, 3301 N. Front St., Harrisburg, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available at jewishharrisburg.org or by calling 717-236-9555.

Why Art? Chekhov–and questions with no answers.

February 29, 2016 | by Meghan Jones

“The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.”

This famous quote from Russian playwright Anton Chekhov is a good indicator of how he viewed storytelling. Chekhov stated the role of the artist in countless quotes—why we make it, why it is important, and how it inexplicably connects to our humanity. Written in 1895, his play, “The Seagull,” is his tribute to these questions, and it continues to captivate artists and audiences alike more than 100 years later.

Chekhov changed theater when he wrote “The Seagull.” By having the courage to create a play in which seemingly nothing happens, he urged his audience to focus deeper within themselves for truth, rather than allowing external elements, like sword fights and dance numbers, to guide them. In doing so, feelings became actions and true action was no longer needed. As a result, the play transcends the ordinary and becomes intimate and engaging. Chekhov opened the door for artists to become more personal with their work by creating characters who are real to the world in which they live.

There is a perception that art is a hobby that one simply takes up out of enjoyment, but Chekhov fundamentally disagreed. In “The Seagull,” Chekhov created characters who are bounded to art and creating, so much so that it hurts them.

In an odd way, “The Seagull” is a story of hope. When detailing the events of the play, you wouldn’t think so. Many characters are miserable and locked in unhealthy patterns. The play even ends [spoiler] in a suicide.

While these aspects are all things Chekhov explicitly states, the greater importance is in the subtext. Thomas Weaver, associate artistic director at Gamut Theatre and the director of this show, says that this is what draws both actors and audiences to the play.

“For actors, it’s what he doesn’t write that fascinates us,” Weaver said. “Chekhov does a wonderful job of telling us that we must create and trusts us to figure out why.”

Beyond what Chekhov overtly expresses, he also implies that one of the most important parts of life is letting yourself be free of the things that hold you back. The seagull in the play symbolizes being unable to draw away from things that hurt you, but it also suggests the tremendous potential for freedom. The play connects to human experience in that it touches on unconditional and irrational love, being true to oneself, societal status and even addiction. Weaver believes that this is what makes it accessible to audiences.

“We realize the powerlessness that we have, and, when we come to that realization, it’s actually quite empowering,” he said.

Although Chekhov leaves us with questions, he is sure to give us enough clues to find the answers. By trusting his audience—giving us the power to interpret his story on our terms as it pertains to our lives—his play is successful.

There is, of course, a cost to creating—a cost to art and a cost to love. Chekhov details these costs repeatedly, but, when a character from the play says, “It’s so hard being in your play… there are no living characters,” Chekhov not only communicates what we all must give away of ourselves but also what we must keep. He presents a universally relatable conflict, and, in his world where the reality is so contained, it is up to us to figure out the truth in breaking free, like the seagull.

“The Seagull” plays March 12 to 26 at the new Gamut Theatre located at 15 N. 4^th St., Harrisburg. The cast features Tara Herweg-Mann, J.C. Payne, Jeff Luttermoser, Amber Wagner Mann and J. Clark Nicholson. For more information, visit gamuttheatre.org or call 717-238-4111.

MARCH
THEATRE EVENTS
AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL
DOWNTOWN THEATRES

Through March 5
Popcorn Hat Players present
“STONE SOUP”
at Gamut Theatre
Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m.
Saturday at 1 p.m.
Tickets: $8
GamutTheatre.org

March 9 & March 10
2016 Studio Workshop Showcase
presents an evening of scenes
from the comedies of Neil Simon
7:30 p.m. at Open Stage of Harrisburg
Free admission

March 12 at 2 p.m.
Open Stage of Harrisburg presents
“THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK”
at Whitaker Center
Tickets: openstagehbg.com

March 12-26
Anton Chekhov’s
“THE SEAGULL”
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets at GamutTheatre.org

March 29 & March 31
Open Auditions for
“THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR”
More info at GamutTheatre.org

Razing the Bar: A sober assessment of Harrisburg’s attempt to shut down the Third Street Cafe.

February 29, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

When you walk into the Third Street Café, your first reaction may well be: This is what all the fuss is about?

The bar is basic, unimposing, a snug space that clocks in at no more than 700 square feet, most of it occupied by a long bar with maybe a dozen seats.

It seems an odd place to generate so much passion, one tiny business in a city dense with them.

As a Midtown resident who’s witnessed all manner of human dysfunction near the bar at the corner of N. 3^rd and Calder, I have no great affection for the Third Street Café. But, as someone who writes often on urban subjects—and about Harrisburg specifically—I find the issue fascinating.

The case of the Third Street Café is something of a microcosm of so many issues facing cities today, particularly in changing neighborhoods. It’s a battle between private interests and public welfare; it’s a complex story involving class, race and community.

Legal Case: It’s been nearly a year since Harrisburg first notified the Third Street Café that it was revoking its business license. Nonetheless, the bar remains open, which may indicate that the city’s pure legal case is not that strong. That’s certainly what the bar’s attorney, Chris Wilson, believes—and he has let me know his position in no uncertain terms. The thing is: he has a point. The city cited nine alleged criminal incidents in or near the bar to support its contention that it should be closed. Several, however, were not linked to bar patrons, others were relatively minor and the most serious one, an alleged drug deal, involved a Harrisburg police operation. Since then, a December shooting just outside the bar, which included two men who had been briefly inside, may have given the city additional support for its position. Still, to me, the city’s legal case is hardly a slam-dunk, which, to the bar and its attorney, is what matters most.

Business/Property Rights: In this country, denying someone the right to legally run a business is serious stuff, something acknowledged by all sides in the conflict. That’s clearly a principal concern of the Republican county judge, Andrew Dowling, who, last September, allowed the bar to remain open pending a decision because of the “irreparable injury” the bar’s owner, Tony Paliometros, would suffer. Dowling later barred the city from fining Paliometros until the city’s License and Tax Appeal Board issues a verdict on the city’s refusal to issue a 2016 license.

Community Impact: The bar has acknowledged problems near it, but has absolved itself of blame, saying that it has the simple bad luck of operating in a high-crime area. Moreover, Wilson has said the bar has acted in good faith by increasing its vigilance, installing exterior cameras and offering to share camera footage with the police. Nonetheless, the city believes that the bar still attracts people who engage in undesirable behavior—that it acts as a magnet for trouble. On this point, I have to side with the city. I’m on that block almost every day and can attest that, while the December shooting may have been an anomaly, problems near the bar—including vagrancy, public intoxication, littering, loitering, panhandling and loud, drunken arguments—are practically daily occurrences.

Municipal Prerogative: In its business license handbook, Harrisburg explicitly states that it reserves the right to revoke a license for criminal behavior, “gross negligence” or allowing a “public nuisance.” To date, that clause, a potentially powerful governmental tool, has proven difficult for the city to enforce. So, is this the right way for Harrisburg to close down the bar? Wilson says no, that the PA Liquor Control Board is the place to go to seek redress, that the PLCB has an established process to yank the liquor licenses of so-called nuisance bars (a Section 611 action). He told me that closing a bar can be a “quick procedure” and, for proof, linked me to a 25-year-old case against a Harrisburg bar called Vanity that was closed after just 2½ months. I found his example to be selective since, more typically, that process can continue for years (in fact, even the Vanity case took three years to fully adjudicate). To that point, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a story in December how most Section 611 actions in that city drag on and on, allowing troubled and crime-ridden bars to remain open indefinitely.

Race/Gentrification: The 3^rd Street Café’s patrons are mostly—though not exclusively—African American and working class, leading some to claim that Mayor Eric Papenfuse wants to clear the area for more upscale (and whiter) projects. And, whenever this issue comes up, someone points to the mayor’s own business interests in the neighborhood. Papenfuse has countered that he also targeted the Taproom next door, a bar with a more diverse clientele, and the Royal Pub, a bar located Uptown (both have since closed). This may be the thorniest issue in the debate. Closing the bar indeed would shut down a business that caters mostly to black customers (though its owner is a white guy from the suburbs). But several developers have told me that they believe the bar (and what goes on outside it) is holding back revitalization of the critical, centrally located 1400-block of N. 3^rd Street.

So, there it is, fascinating complexity in one tiny bar. If you’re the bar’s attorney, the legal case probably matters most; if you’re the judge, it may be the rights of the business owner; if you’re the mayor, it may be the general improvement of Midtown and even Harrisburg itself.

My focus is on community impact. No business has the right to detrimentally affect a community, creating concerns about safety and retarding its development. In my view, that’s what’s happening at the corner of 3^rd and Calder.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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