Halfway Home: The Capitol Gateway Project is a huge improvement, but it’s not done yet

June 27, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

I tell a dark joke that, one day, I’m going to meet my maker on Forster Street.

Only it’s not really a joke, since it’s almost happened several times.

I live on one side of the wide, six-plus-lane road and work on the other, so cross it several times a day. And, over the years, I’ve nearly been mowed down by speeding cars running the light, making illegal lefthand turns and turning directly into me in the crosswalk.

Well, I’m happy to report that my chances of buying the asphalt farm have decreased. Last month, the city finished up its reconstruction of the 100-block of Forster, narrowing and improving the safety of the state-owned road from the Taylor Bridge to 2nd Street.

It’s been a long time coming.

In the mid-1950s, the commonwealth plowed through a quaint, stable neighborhood to create what I’ve come to call, “The Grand Canyon of Harrisburg.” Turns out no one wanted to cross or live near the harsh urban highway dividing downtown from Midtown, blighting both neighborhoods.

The first hint of a turnaround came in 2020, when the city applied for—and then received—a federal transportation grant offsetting a chunk of the $1.7 million construction cost. It then took another four years to start the project and a fifth to wrap it up.

I’ll be honest—during that time, I wondered if the project would ever happen, considering it was supposed to begin in 2021. But, hey, what’s a few years in the world of major road projects in America?

Anyway, look at it now.

Two through lanes are gone, the road is narrower, the median wider and the pedestrian crossings restored. It’s altogether safer, more pedestrian-friendly and better integrated into the city around it.

If I had my druthers, I would have made a few additional changes. Vehicles still blow through the light coming off the bridge, so some kind of traffic-calming mechanism is needed. Also, I would have chosen to eliminate an eastbound lane, leaving in place the narrow median, to taper the street further and better join together the two parts of the divided city.

But maybe I quibble. All in all, the redesign is a major improvement, so kudos to the city, PennDOT and the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study, which selected the project for funding.

And now that I’ve buttered everyone up, it’s time for the big ask—“Please don’t stop now!”

The 100-block of Forster Street desperately needed improvement. It was ugly, dangerous and a 70-year-old dagger aimed straight into the heart of Harrisburg. The new road is a fitting start to what the city calls its “Capitol Gateway Project.”

But it’s only a beginning.

After the 100-block of Forster, comes, of course, the 200-block—the stretch of road from 2nd to 3rd streets—and it’s a disaster. This is the part of the street where my world almost goes dark, Tony Soprano-like, every few months.

The Capitol Gateway Project needs to be extended at least one more block. As it stands, the project is half-done, sort of like painting only half your house.

The good news is that this part should be much easier, and less expensive, than the first phase. There’s no need to account for the bridge or create new pedestrian intersections or extend the median, which is already wide enough there.

The 200-block of Forster can be made better and safer simply by eliminating two through lanes, one on each far side of the street, thus matching the 100-block. The sidewalk areas then could be extended out, the road narrowed, and green features/rain gardens installed where impermeable asphalt now exists. Importantly, this would help reintegrate the divided city, reversing the horrendous damage caused by the highway-happy 1950s.

This past May, I received a press release from PennDOT bragging about its road safety record. It stated that, in 2024, the number of people who lost their lives on Pennsylvania highways was the second lowest since record-keeping began in 1928. It further said that, between 2020 and 2024, about $591 million in federal highway funds were invested in 392 “unique safety projects.”

That’s great news—and I consider the Capitol Gateway Project to be among those “unique safety projects.” However, it’s also not done. It now needs a relatively small amount of money to extend one more block to deter accidents, help re-integrate the city and, on a purely selfish level, keep me from getting squished like a bug.

Harrisburg and PennDOT—you’ve done well. Now, please, finish the job.

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

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July Publisher’s Note

June 27, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

The texts and emails began almost immediately.

“You captured so well what I love about this city.”

“Thank you for your continued support of Harrisburg small business.”

“Thanks for the great article and all you do for the community.”

I often hear nice things from our readers, but the response to my June column, which described the fun community vibe at the Zeroday Outpost inside the Broad Street Market, was, in a word, overwhelming. Several people even asked for digital copies of the piece and wanted prints of the accompanying illustration.

I’m not exactly sure what to say except—we’re happy to do it! For 17 years, our mission has been to inform the community and, whenever possible, entertain and support it, too. That column was an example of those aspirations coming together.

In general, we believe that Harrisburg gets a bad rap. Sure, the city has issues, as do all cities, and we write about those all the time. But that’s such a small part of the story. A truer view includes a more comprehensive perspective: the hidden gems, the dedicated activists, the quirky denizens, the resolute businesses, the talented artists, etc.—all of which we featured in the June issue and, to be honest, highlight every month.

When we started TheBurg, we often used the phrase “integrative” to describe our approach to local journalism. By that, we meant showing the complexity of life here. Sure, that may include the standard government or crime story, but it also includes the shop owner, the athlete, the musician, the eccentric—and the folks gathered at the local bar, enjoying a beer and a conversation.

So then what’s in store for this issue? As we do each July, we give extra space to our four-legged companions. If the many dog-walkers outside my office window are any indication, pets increasingly are becoming a huge part of our lives. So, we hope you’ll appreciate our expanded coverage this month.

Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor

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July News Digest

June 27, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

July News Digest

Harrisburg School District Resumes Local Control

The Harrisburg School District regained local control last month.

Effective June 17, the district exited state receivership, imposed six years ago to provide oversight and direction for the then-distressed district.

Harrisburg has been under state oversight since June 2019, when a Dauphin County judge determined that the Pennsylvania Department of Education would take over the district.

Dr. Janet Samuels was then appointed as the receiver for the district, with Dr. Lori Suski taking her place in 2022, after Samuels resigned. Under receivership, the school board only had the power to levy taxes. The receiver had the sole vote on all other matters.

At the three-year mark, in June 2022, when the receivership was set to expire, the court extended receivership for another three years, until June 2025. At that time, district officials and board members were in favor of remaining under state control, as they made progress toward financial and academic goals.

Now, six years in, the district moved back to board control, with elected board members voting on district matters. PDE Acting Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe made the decision to end Harrisburg’s receivership, which was announced in early June.

Zoning Change for Apartment Proposal

A project to construct a large apartment building in Midtown that has faced several delays now has taken a step forward.

In late May, Harrisburg City Council approved a zoning change for a swath of land around 320 Reily St., 1511 N. 3rd St. and 329 Harris St., a necessary step before developers can move forward with a proposed 144-unit apartment building.

The zoning modification changed the land from institutional zoning to commercial neighborhood zoning.

The project, proposed by Harrisburg-based GreenWorks Development, originally received zoning variances and special exceptions in 2021, but a land development plan was never filed. Then in February 2024, GreenWorks received new zoning approval, but the Zoning Hearing Board excluded parking relief from the approval.

Currently, the proposed project site is occupied by parking and vacant lots. The area was long zoned institutional as HACC was slated to use the space as part of its Midtown campus in the early 2000s but later abandoned the plan.

The proposed apartment building also would include first-floor commercial space and amenities for residents.

At the meeting, council also made several board appointments.

Council appointed Shea Zwerver, by a vote of 5-2, and Pierre MaCoy, by a vote of 4-3, to serve on the Capital Region Water board. Council also appointed Leon Hueston Sr. and Amechie Walker Sr. to the city’s newly formed Citizen’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board.

Housing Nonprofit Buys Midtown Building

A Harrisburg housing organization plans to expand their mission to include another basic necessity—food.

Last month, Thrive Housing Services told TheBurg that they will open a pay-what-you-can restaurant in Midtown Harrisburg in hopes of addressing local food insecurity and giving youth a place to get work experience.

The nonprofit was gifted the building at 1120 and 1122 N. 3rd St. in March from the former owners of Heartshine, which renovated the property and had also planned to open a pay-what-you-can restaurant, but did not.

Thrive Executive Director Dee Allen said that Thrive paid Heartshine a sum of money to help them dissolve the company in exchange for the building. Allen said that the previous owners requested that Thrive stick with the restaurant concept.

Thrive currently provides housing for young adults experiencing homelessness and has opened and planned several new housing developments recently. This would be their first entry into the food service world, but Allen believes the concept fits with their mission by filling hungry bellies and giving youth job training.

“It’s basically going to be a place where anybody can eat,” she said. “It will be an opportunity to serve the community.”

The building, which sits on two land parcels, will house the restaurant, as well as five apartments for young adults and a drop-in resource center for young people. The center will allow people to get mail, wash clothes and connect with agencies and assistance.

Allen also views the restaurant as a resource for Thrive’s clients, as it gives young people a place to work that will train them and help them build a resume, while being understanding of their life circumstances and struggles.

“A lot of kids don’t have the marketable things that people are looking for,” she said. “Now, we are helping to accommodate them […] so they can successfully transition out of homelessness.”

Additionally, Allen believes that the unique restaurant model will help Thrive serve the community in a new way by providing hot meals and de-stigmatizing food insecurity. Patrons will be seated, given menus to order from and served like any other restaurant, regardless of their income level and ability to pay.

However, she’s hopeful that community members of all economic statuses will come to dine.

According to Allen, the exterior of the building is in decent shape, but the interior of much of the structure is essentially “a shell.” Thrive will need to work to renovate the restaurant and apartment spaces. She estimated that the restaurant may be ready to open in fall 2026.

Home Sales, Prices Steady

The Harrisburg-area housing market held steady in May, as sales and prices were relatively unchanged from a year ago.

For the three-county region, sales totaled 599 homes in May compared to 616 in May 2024, as the median sales price edged up to $290,000 from $284,950, according to the latest sales report from the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 290 houses sold in May, a drop from 300 a year ago, as the median sales prices dipped to $250,000 from $265,000 in the year-ago period, GHAR said.

Cumberland County had 273 sales in May, a dip of two, while the median sales price increased to $324,900 from $314,900 in May 2024, GHAR stated.

In Perry County, 35 houses sold versus 33 a year ago, as the median sales price dropped to $257,500 from $285,000, according to GHAR.

The pace of home sales was nearly unchanged in May, as “average days on market” dipped to 24 days from 25 days in May 2024, GHAR said.

So Noted

John J. “Ski” Sygielski will extend his tenure as president and CEO of HACC due to the continued search for his replacement. Sygielski was due to retire last month, but now will serve until June 30, 2026, or until his successor is hired, whichever occurs first, according to HACC.

The Lexis Group has acquired RIG Consulting, a Pittsburgh-based construction management and inspection firm. The acquisition bolsters the Lexis Group’s construction inspection division, adding to its capacity for transportation and infrastructure projects, according to the Harrisburg-based company.

Sprocket Mural Works last month undertook its latest project, a number of murals in and around the Hall Manor housing development. Mural subjects were based upon answers to a survey of Hall Manor residents and include themes based upon inspirational people, nature and cultures.

Correction

Photos of mushrooms that ran with the “Foray into Foraging” story in the June issue were mistakenly credited to Debbie Naha-Koretzky. They were taken by Emily Rosmus of the Ned Smith Center. The mushrooms pictured are not edible.

Changing Hands

Allison St., 1519: HBG Rents LLC to Echo PropCo1 LLC, $90,000

Bellevue Rd., 2315: G. Ferkel to M. Will, $365,115

Berryhill St., 1635: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to BAJ Holdings LLC, $95,000

Boas St., 124: R. Schlicker & D. Della Loggia to C. Talbott & B. Dincau, $225,000

Boas St., 233: E. Kepner to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $55,000

Boas St., 314: W. James to J. Parker, $169,500

Boas St., 402: McCarty Business LLC to J. Hammond, $213,000

Boas St., 1804: PA Deals LLC to M. Lindor, $89,000

Boas St., 1818: HBG Rents LLC to Echo Propco 1 LLC, $90,000

Briggs St., 2016: B. Rogers to S. Maurer, $62,500

Brookwood St., 2202: GTG Rentals LLC to Naders Property Solutions LLC, $125,000

Christian St., 1181: BST Services to C. Gutierrez, $95,000

Cumberland St., 258: S. Wood to Q. Nguyen, $220,000

Curtin St., 520: Sheaffer & Sheaffer Properties LLC to JR Hellercom LLC, $110,000

Derry St., 1615: B. & S. Aleman to Instant Home Solutions LLC, $57,000

Derry St., 2024: Bertao Family Investments Penn LLC to J7 Properties LLC, $110,000

Duke St., 2435: V. & T. Raskot to S. Rubinstein, $143,000

Emerald St., 615: Sheaffer & Sheaffer Properties LLC to JR Hellercom LLC, $125,000

Graham St., 510: P. George to PKM Enterprise369 LLC, $140,000

Green St., 1920: A. Hanlon to PKM Enterprises369 LLC, $172,500

Green St., 2148: M. Grubb to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $119,000

Green St., 2330: Sheaffer & Sheaffer Properties LLC to JR Hellercom LLC, $110,000

Hamilton St., 204: F. Pryzbylkowski to D. Showers, $200,000

Holly St., 1941: T. Hardison to M. Lucas, $168,300

Hummel St., 344: M. Metallo to Dallas Property Investments LLC, $76,000

Jefferson St., 2616: N. Lucia to E. Epah, $82,000

Kensington St., 2116: NA Capital Group LLC to 248 S Quince St LLC, $104,500

Logan St., 1733: J. Wagoner to B. & A. Stein, $186,000 (start here)

Logan St., 2155: Sheaffer & Sheaffer Properties LLC to JR Hellercom LLC, $115,000

Logan St., 2159: J. Sheaffer to JR Hellercom LLC, $115,000

Luce St., 2320: J. Zabala to G. Messina, $117,500

Manada St., 1901A: E. Fajardo, N. Faviola & Z. Cobos to S. Marshall & J. Colbert, $145,000

Market St., 319: Market View II LP PMI to VAB Investments LLC, $1,750,000

Muench St., 411: Figueroa Enterprises LLC to PACC Homes and Development LLC, $100,000

Mulberry St., 1815: S. Swayze to A. Garcia & J. Cortijo, $148,000

Mulberry St., 1945: House Cash LLC to C. Little, $167,000

Naudain St., 1632: I. Colon to M. Martinez, $65,000

Nectarine St., 348: Amnesty Realty Group LLC to BZDEL Global Investment LLC, $128,000

N. 3rd St., 1101: A. Blaylok to J. Kyle, $215,000

N. 3rd St., 1105: W. & D. Henninger to S. Angelopoulos & N. Isaykin, $230,000

N. 3rd St., 1721: J. Lloyd to A. Joseph, $249,000

N. 3rd St., 3217: P. & J. Carnathan to Cummings Real Estate LLC, $450,000

N. 4th St., 1432: Keystone Brothers Investment LLC to Titania Real Estate LLC, $90,000

N. 4th St., 2410: K. Moulds to A. Poyrazli, $143,000

N. 5th St., 2218: C. Shokes to Echo Propco1 LLC, $100,000

N. 5th St., 2429: J. Sheaffer to JR Hellercom LLC, $115,000

N. 5th St., 2430: KDR Investments LLC to Lehav Properties LLC, $95,000

N. 6th St., 2517: A. Spence to TKO Rental LLC, $145,000

N. 6th St., 2728: J. Sheaffer to JR Hellercom LLC, $110,000

N. 7th St., 2103: RMP Real Estate II LLC to Lorfax1 LLC, $1,105,000

N. 7th St., 2244: DAP III LP to Willow Mill Commercial 7th LLC, $2,600,000

N. 15th St., 1304: PKM Enterrpises369 LLC to G. Cuff, $167,999

N. 16th St., 704: D. Bailey & N. Hassel to G. & E. Suryn, $279,900

N. 17th St., 708: R. Kent to J. & D. Zapata, $200,000

N. 17th St., 1208: A. Pherribo to Faith Walk Homes LLC, $65,000

Peffer St., 325: JR Hellercom LLC to Core 4 Investing LLC, $75,000

Peffer St., 433: E. Williams & J. Lawson to A. Bouhach, $105,000

Penn St., 1101: R. Thompson to N. Lam, $202,000

Penn St., 1622: V. Kauffman to R. Fraleigh & D. Ray, $242,000

Penn St., 2122: JR Hellercom LLC to Core 4 Investing LLC, $75,000

Prince St., 709: F. Boyle to First Daughters LLC, $107,000

Reel St., 2451: J. Pearsall to E. Epah, $76,500

Reel St., 2710: D&F Realty Holdings LP to 535 Curtin LLC, $120,000

Reily St., 335: H. Bailor to J. Meck, $188,000

Revere St., 1715: Renovestate LLC to A. Pichardo, $210,000

Ross St., 616: BCR 2 Properties LLC to Echo Propco 1 LLC, $75,000

Rudy Rd., 1833: CBMB Global Real Estate LLC to Normans Realty Services Inc., $50,000

Rudy Rd., 1913: R&LS Living Proof LLC to T Wy Enterprise LLC, $70,000

Schuylkill St., 522: J. & B. Readinger to Z. Mammadov, $173,500

Seneca St., 618: J. & M. Sheaffer to JR Hellercom LLC, $125,000

S. 13th St., 1516: B. Arias to W. Sis, $155,000

S. 15th St., 29: Sunnyside RE Enterprises LLC to L. Lapp, $195,000

S. 17th St., 831: S&P Property Holdings LLC to Echo Propco LLC, $275,000

S. 17th St., 1116: A. Clerk to AKS Real Estate Group LLC, $110,000

S. 19th St., 523: U. Doub to P and F Estate Investment LLC, $80,000

S. 20th St., 222: F. Ramirez to Future View Restoration Co, $113,000

S. 21st St., 100: R. Stewart to C. & C. Pfister, $349,900

Susquehanna St., 1626: A. Henry & A. Escarcega to L. Gangai, $220,000

Susquehanna St., 2124: J. Sheaffer to JR Hellercom LLC, $115,000

Swatara St., 1205: R. & P. Noss to A. Walker, $109,900

Taylor Blvd., 56: K. Bowman to S. Howard, $273,000

Verbeke St., 1419: I. Anderson to Fourvision Consulting LLC, $80,000

Walnut St., 1209: G. Bond to E. Inoa, $145,000

Walnut St., 1220: J. White to C. Morris, $149,000

Walnut St., 1908: C. Wise to H. Tejada, $140,000

Whitehall St., 1925: W. & D. Hodgkiss to K. Sekera, $207,000

Wiconisco St., 624: J. Sheaffer to JR Hellercom LLC, $80,000

Woodbine St., 317: Sheaffer & Sheaffer Properties LLC to JR Hellercom LLC, $115,000

Zarker St., 1462: A. Rollocks to RKE Investments LLC, $50,000

Zarker St., 2045: B. Williams to G&W Rentals LLC, $110,000

Harrisburg property sales, May 2025, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Local Light: With a new book, Frank Pizzoli caps a lifetime of LGBTQ+ activism

June 27, 2025 | by M. Diane McCormick

Frank Pizzoli

When a Pride Festival protester told Frank Pizzoli, “I think homosexuality is wrong,” Pizzoli responded with, “Then don’t be a homosexual. Doesn’t sound like a good idea for you.”

The police officer on the scene laughed, but Pizzoli’s point was serious.

“You don’t get to decide that for everybody on the planet,” Pizzoli said. “You didn’t decide to be whoever you are. Even if it was that way, why are we stuck on this?”

In a career blending human service and journalism, Pizzoli has supported local people with HIV, and he published The Central Voice, the onetime newspaper that served as a sounding board for Central PA’s LGBTQ and straight communities.

Now, he has published “Passionate Outlier: Gay Writers and Allies on Their Work.” The book compiles some of Pizzoli’s interviews with literary icons—Salman Rushdie, Andrew Holleran, Lesbian Avenger co-founder Anne-christine d’Adesky and others.

The Way Back

Pizzoli arrived in Harrisburg in 1974, a recent college graduate launching a career in human services with a prison-alternative program.

Leaving and then returning to Harrisburg in 1982, he realized that the health crisis gripping the gay communities of New York and other big cities was on its way.

He connected with a Casey-administration Health Department official, joining forces by merging their similar discussion groups that were trying to grapple with the murky, early world of AIDS. Conversations led to creation of a buddy program to support HIV patients as they became sicker and needed help with their medical and daily living needs.

When researchers announced, around 1996, that three antiviral agents could control the virus, Pizzoli realized that the work of AIDS service organizations “was going to drastically change—for good reasons.”

“They had a history—and they had a venerable, honorable history—of helping individuals, couples, and families prepare for death,” he said. “And now, people are not going to die, and they’re going to have to reconstruct their lives.”

He had seen AIDS patients, knowing the end was near, stop worrying about quitting smoking or getting a job. Now, he felt a pull to lead the way back into living, especially as HIV patients continued to face discrimination in employment and insurance.

With that mission, he founded the nonprofit Positive Opportunities. From 1997 to 2017, he traveled the region, counseling HIV-positive health center patients and state and county prisoners. He interviewed clients about their wants and needs—medications, jobs, housing.

“What do we need to do, not to make you whole, but to give you the tools and the enablement that you need to have your own agency with this?” he said.

Focal Point

Pizzoli grew up in Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region, in a family of readers and a storytelling culture.

“If you could pull a tale together, give it a punchline, a little bit of personality, you are respected,” he said. “You were enjoyed as an individual, and I just remember many, many wonderful hours of sitting on porches and in kitchens with elders telling stories and everybody pounding the table and laughing.”

From college onward, he applied those skills in human services and writing. When he came to Harrisburg, he recalls, he was the guy “in the little organizations saying, ‘What do you need? A newsletter? I can do a newsletter. I know how to call the radio station and schedule a story.’”

For the 2003 Harrisburg Pride Festival, Pizzoli launched The Central Voice. He wanted a focal point for the LGBTQ community, “one place where we could talk to each other, but we could also address the larger community.”

Before COVID killed the award-winning newspaper, it succeeded “because the local market had matured enough to know that you don’t have to like everybody to whom you sell advertising, that there can be peaceful coexistence.”

Readership included LGBTQ and straight people looking for international, national, state and local news.

“It was music to my ears when people would say to me, ‘It’s a good read,’” Pizzoli said.

And, he added with a bit of awe in his voice, “The Pennsylvania State Library and the archives have collected almost every single issue of Central Voice, and they archived it. I didn’t ask them to do that.”

Passionate Outlier

Pizzoli got a regular gig writing profiles for the Village Voice after sending in three of his pieces and hearing back from an editor, “We think your interviews are insightful. What would you like to write about?”

As a freelance writer contributing to local and national publications, he would apply the old saying, “Write the book you want to read,” to his interviews. He asked the questions he wanted answers to, and over time, his body of work included Q&A interviews with prominent LGBTQ writers.

Some of those interviews were compiled into “Passionate Outlier,” published by Rebel Satori Press in February. He feels obligated to let readers draw their own conclusions, but first, they have to know what happened, and that makes his book a history.

“You need to know that life is not static,” he said. “If you’re involved in creating and maintaining and nurturing your own agency, you need to know what happened before you engaged, and hopefully people will follow and know what your contributions were.”

In one timely anecdote, Salman Rushdie shares India’s history of decriminalizing homosexuality and then, suddenly, recriminalizing it. Pizzoli said that he could not have anticipated that his book release would coincide with the return to power, in the United States, of gay-rights opponents.

Problems once solved, he said, are problems again. He remembers, as a child, living “the old yarn” of looking up “homosexual” in the dictionary. Today’s youth continue to look it up, he said, but now, once-available information “is being erased.”

“When we were doing our search, it was nowhere,” he said. “Where do we find this? There wasn’t anything that was taken away. It was just never put there to begin with.”

Pizzoli, who lives in Harrisburg with his husband and their adorable Lhasa apso, Sherlock, said he has been encouraged to write a memoir, and he thinks he will. He has won recognitions—a Points of Light Foundation award for Positive Opportunities, a Harrisburg Living Legend in conjunction with the city’s 2010 sesquicentennial—but he prefers viewing his impact as proof that anyone can help others, because “if you’re sincere, then people will follow, and things will happen.”

“Even though you might be shoulders hunched over, and head down, involved in the work you think is important, rest assured there are people watching,” he said. “That’s not why you do the work you do, and I have been blessed to receive many different recognitions from many different avenues. I would encourage people to think about what it is they can contribute, whatever that means for them.”

Frank Pizzoli will hold a special Pride Day reading and book signing of “Passionate Outlier” (no books available for purchase due to state rules) at the Pennsylvania State Library, Law Reading Room, July 26, 2 p.m.

The Central PA Pride Festival takes place July 26, starting at 10 a.m. with the Pride Parade through downtown Harrisburg, followed by the festival in Soldier’s Grove, 400 Commonwealth Ave.

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DEI—What’s Next? The term may change but the ideals remain, say area practitioners

June 27, 2025 | by Susan Ryder

A few years ago, DEI became the term for wanting to promote greater fairness in society. Is that now changing?

The acronym, which stands for “diversity, equity and inclusion,” skyrocketed in use following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, but the concept has long existed, with practitioners working towards meeting those needs in society.

“Diversity is the difference between people. Equity is about whether or not people have equitable access to services, goods, and then inclusion brings in how we are bringing people into the fold that are different to ensure that they feel a part of what you are doing,” explained Monica Gould, founder and president of Mechanicsburg-based Strategic Consulting Partners.

For over 30 years, Gould has been addressing these goals for businesses, highlighting the practical reasons for their importance—that well-supported employees are happier and thereby stay longer, work harder and innovate. This was before the acronym.

“DEI was once diversity and inclusion; before that, it was multiculturalism,” said Hattie McCarter, founder and owner of MEND Solutions, LLC, who has worked in the field for over 18 years, seeing the rise and fall of the moniker. “Before that, it was affirmative action and, before that, it was something else.”

Sense of Urgency

Currently, DEI often refers to equity for Black or LGBTQ+ people, McCarter explained. But DEI has 22-plus dimensions to it, and a lot of people have benefited from this work, she said. Differences in age, geographic location, ability and education are all included but often excluded from the conversation, she added.

“I think that DEI, as we’ve known it, has always been attributed to ‘Black’ the same way that welfare has always been attributed to Black poor, or the same way that certain stereotypes have been attached to people,” said Ana White, owner of Way with Words Consulting Services, LLC. “Now, everybody is attributing, ‘Let’s get rid of these DEI programs,’ when what they are saying is, ‘Let’s get rid of all these racially connected programs.’”

White explained that, after George Floyd’s murder, people came out of the woodwork interested in DEI, but also wanted to separate themselves from this injustice with a “It’s them, not us” posture. DEI practitioners, new and veteran, rushed to meet the demand for knowledge, but White feels that the rush lost the nuances of what DEI represented, and that people weren’t always doing it well.

“There was such a sense of urgency to get this right because black and brown bodies specifically, at that time, felt like we don’t have much more time to waste,” White said.

While that type of violence was a revelation to most white Americans, it was common knowledge to Black people. That rush may have caused some of the problems that upended DEI. Then there was the anti-DEI message emanating from some politicians, including the new administration in the White House.

DEI flipped from being a desire for a more understanding and empathetic society to the opposite.

“What I’d really love to see happen, is that we walk away from the blaming and shaming concepts around DEI,” Gould said. “That’s how we got into trouble with DEI in the first place, because we had practitioners that would go in and do blaming and shaming sessions and make people feel bad for being a certain color or a certain ability or a certain gender.”

The Impact

So, is DEI gone? Maybe the acronym, but not the ideals.

“It’s dead in its current form, but it’s still happening,” Gould stated.

Gould said that, if organizations aren’t inclusive, they aren’t going to attract the most diverse and best talent.

“These concepts don’t change,” Gould said. “We’re still doing the work. We may not be calling it one big bundle, but what we’re doing is, we’re really working with organizations to make them healthy.”

Mark Davis, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Advocates and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities (PAR), said that DEI has been at the core of what they do since the organization’s inception in 1974.

“It’s not so much what you call it, it’s how you implement it,” Davis said. “It’s what impact it has on the ability for communities to accept people with disabilities and different abilities.”

The concern, therefore, is less about the rhetoric around DEI than what it means for specific communities, he said.

McCarter’s focus has always been transformative leadership, of which DEI is just a part.

“I never looked at my work as being a DEI consultant,” McCarter said. “I looked at it as a person who is partnering with your organization to really help you tap into that space of vulnerability, where you can be accountable as a leader, and you can hold your employees accountable. So, that means we’ve got to have these brave conversations.”

DEI’s tenure as a symbol of inclusivity in America may have concluded in a flurry of backlash and executive orders, but its foundations remain.

White said that DEI was ill-equipped to stand the test of time, but that’s OK.

“I don’t think there’s a way to revive this thing,” White said. “I also feel very passionately that we don’t need to revive this thing, that we need to truly break it apart and re-engineer what DEI and those components look like in this new phase of American society.”

Learn more about the organizations mentioned in this story:

Strategic Consulting Partners, www.yourstrategicconsultant.com
MEND Solutions, LLC, www.mendsolutionsllc.org
Way with Words Consulting Services, LLC, [email protected]
PAR, www.par.net

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Horses to Houses: As it turns 175, Upper Allen Township looks back, forward

June 27, 2025 | by Dan Miller

Scenes from Upper Allen TownshipThis year, Upper Allen Township celebrates a big birthday—its 175th—and is using the occasion both for reflection and assessment.

The goal is looking at “where the township was, where we are now, and where we hope to be,” said Timothy Wendling, the township’s assistant manager.

All this year, the township is holding events to mark the occasion, among them a historical speaking series educating residents on how and why Upper Allen came into being, a community art project, a vintage baseball tournament, and—the culmination—a drone light show.

Then to Now

The township’s story starts much earlier than 1850, with Sir Admiral William Penn, father of Pennsylvania founder William Penn.

According to Upper Allen resident and historian William Murray, the elder Penn gave lots of money to the king of England so he could maintain his Navy. Penn died before the king could repay, so he settled the debt by granting the son plots of land to sell in what is now southeast Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Besides giving Quakers religious freedom in the new world, Penn wanted to make more money, leading him to expand westward. This led to creation of Lancaster County, from which was later formed Cumberland County.

Over the years, political entities within Cumberland County were made smaller, each time to bring residents closer to their seat of government.

In 1849, residents filed a court petition to divide Allen Township—again so citizens would not have to travel far to do business with their government, for example every time land changed hands. The courts agreed, leading to creation of Upper Allen Township in 1850.

According to Murray, the original Allen Township was named for William Allen, a prominent member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and former mayor of Philadelphia—who never set foot in Cumberland County.

From the start, roads linked Upper Allen to other communities for trade and travel. For the most part, life in Upper Allen in the late 1800s revolved around agriculture, as was the case for the region in general.

Upper Allen in 1850 was home to 1,220 people, according to census research Murray has done. Children attended one of nine one-room schoolhouses in the Mechanicsburg area.

Most of the township was farmland—7,614 improved acres. Today, Upper Allen has 741 acres of farmland, Murray said.

For the first 100 years, the township grew very little. By 1950, Upper Allen was home to just under 1,600 people, only about 400 more than a century before.

But from 1950 to 1960, the population shot up to over 8,000. The nation was experiencing a baby boom as men returned home from World War II. Buying an automobile was within reach of the average person.

These factors combined to begin transforming Upper Allen from mostly farmland to residential—the advent of suburbia—supporting the economic growth of Harrisburg and the surrounding region.

Since then, the continued growth of Upper Allen has been dramatic, consistent with other once-rural townships in south central Pennsylvania like Silver Spring and Lower Paxton.

By 2000, Upper Allen was up to 15,338 people, and by 2010, 18,059, according to census figures. Upper Allen grew another 28.4% from 2010 to 2020, reaching 23,261, according to the 2020 census.

Wendling said that the township’s rapid growth continues, citing demand for new housing and the new businesses, restaurants and convenience stores sprouting up to keep pace with the burgeoning population.

Fit the Bill

Upper Allen has several things going for it to attract people, Wendling said.

The proximity of Route 15 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike make for easy day trips not just to Harrisburg but to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City and Washington, D.C. Other big selling points are the Mechanicsburg Area School District, and the township’s emphasis on open space and parks.

“While we are continuing to grow with housing and developments and businesses, I think Upper Allen is striking that really good balance between growth and kind of maintaining that rural-ish type of feeling here,” Wendling said.

If that is the present, Steven Leasure and his family are invested in and part of the township’s future.

When Leasure’s company transferred him from Michigan to south central Pennsylvania, a good school district and parks with lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation topped his family’s must-have list for a new home.

Upper Allen Township fit the bill.

“We went back and forth between Derry Township and a couple of other places,” said Leasure, who moved with his wife and two boys—Jude, 10, and Gabe, 7—in January 2023.

“What really made Upper Allen stick out was just the amount of parks in the small area and the equipment they have and just the things you can do,” he said. “The proximity to Mechanicsburg being a nice small little town that you can walk around through. You have Harrisburg International Airport close, the city of Harrisburg. It was just like a good distance from everything we needed.”

So far, life in Upper Allen Township has been everything Leasure and his family hoped for. He’s optimistic that the good vibe will continue.

“Just like any other township, it is going to continue to grow,” he said. “But I would hope that, as we grow as a township, it’s like strategic growth—we’re not just saying you know let’s put more houses for more tax revenue—that we are actually growing the community in the right way and continuing to have open spaces for our kids to play in.”

Upper Allen Township is holding events all year long to celebrate its 175th anniversary. For details, visitwww.uatwp.org/information/175th_anniversary.php.

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Chestnut Hill Charm: Take a weekend to explore Philly’s hidden gem

June 27, 2025 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Chestnut Hill Hotel

Nestled on the northwestern edge of Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill offers a respite from the everyday hustle and bustle. With its cobblestone streets, cozy cafes, lush gardens, bountiful boutiques and burgeoning arts scene, this walkable neighborhood is tailor made for a weekend getaway from the Harrisburg area.

Germantown Bound

To explore the area on foot, Germantown Avenue is the place to start. The Chestnut Hill Hotel, located at 8229 Germantown Ave., offers a central location and the convenience of a large, free parking lot. It’s an ideal basecamp for daily strolls to the many shops and restaurants in the area.

The Woodmere Art Museum is also on Germantown Avenue. Housed in a historic building that once belonged to avid art collector and founder Charles Knox Smith, the museum touts some 8,000 works, showcasing the talents of the many artists who call Philadelphia home. A highlight with ties to Harrisburg is an exhibit by Violet Oakley, who is known for her 43 murals that festoon the walls of the state Capitol.

Outdoors, visitors can explore the museum’s growing sculpture collection known collectively as Woodmere’s Outdoor Wonder (WOW). Guests can scan QR codes to learn more about each piece.

The Woodmere is among the elite 3% of U.S. museums accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, a recognition of its commitment to excellence. Recently, it announced the acquisition of a nearby building and four additional acres for expanded gallery space and outdoor exhibits with a projected opening by October/November.

Flora & Fauna

Nature lovers will love the Morris Arboretum and Gardens, a 92-acre oasis that’s part of the University of Pennsylvania. The private estate of siblings John and Lydia Morris, the property was transformed from desolate land in the late 1800s into a verdant landscape with plants from around the world. It became a public arboretum in 1933 after Lydia’s passing.

Home to 17 “champion” trees—recognized as outstanding specimens in Pennsylvania—the grounds include a rare katsura tree and a grove of dawn redwoods once thought extinct.

Designed with inspiration from English parks and Japanese gardens, the arboretum features a lovely swan pond and scenic overlooks. Morris also hosts educational programs for kids and adults on art, wellness, botany, birding and more.

Another natural retreat is Wissahickon Valley Park, located at 120 Northwestern Ave. With 50 miles of trails, the 1,800-acre park is perfect for picnicking, walking, biking and wildlife watching. On any given day, one is likely to see wildflowers, deer and perhaps the occasional fox.

Shop Talk

Germantown Avenue is home to many boutique shops, each offering something unique.

At the Antique Gallery at 8523 Germantown Ave., you’re likely to meet Gerald Schultz, a man with a passion for the decorative arts. Schultz established the business in the 1980s and enjoys offering information about his many interesting and beautiful pieces. During my visit, he introduced me to a striking, Art Deco-style Longwy service in earthenware cloisonné enamel. I learned that Longwy is a French town known for its enameling techniques.

Art enthusiasts will also enjoy browsing the street’s many galleries—there are at least seven along the avenue. A few works that caught my eye were pieces by Peter Max and Romero Britto displayed at Moondance Farm Studios.

Food & Drink

No trip to Chestnut Hill is complete without a visit to McNally’s Tavern at 8634 Germantown Ave. McNally’s is an institution in the area, dating back to 1921 when Rose O’Brien McNally, wife of a trolley conductor, opened “McNally’s Quick Lunch” in a small steel building across from its current location. It was a respite for Philadelphia Rapid Transit workers and local laborers.

In 1927, the tavern expanded to where it is today, serving spirits and beer after the repeal of Prohibition. The landmark, now run by Anne and Meg McNally, is a testament to their great-grandmother’s legacy. McNally’s is known for its signature Schmitter sandwich made with steak, cheese, fried onions, tomatoes, cooked salami and “Schmitter sauce,” served on a kaiser roll.

Adelinas Restaurant & Bar is another standout located on Germantown Avenue. The Italian eatery opened in 2022 by brothers Antonio and Giuliano Presta and is named after their grandmother. The menu features traditional Italian fare made with locally sourced ingredients. Popular dishes include stuffed focaccia, chicken parmesan and a porterhouse topped with black truffle butter.

After dinner, visitors can enjoy a nightcap at Char & Stave, located at 8441 Germantown Ave. The coffeehouse/cocktail bar hybrid was founded by Jared Adkins, who applied his whisky-making talent to the art of coffee roasting.

Then there’s Wednesday night trivia at the Chestnut Hill Brewing Co. Held in the beer garden, the game allows customers to engage in a friendly competition for a chance to win a gift card.

For breakfast, head to Cake, a place so popular that people queue up early to wait in line for employees to open the place. The bright, airy eatery housed in a converted Victorian greenhouse is known for its baked goods and its brioche French toast with honey butter and spiced pecans. Hearty lunch options include options like Philly cheesesteak marsala.

Whether you’re wandering through fragrant gardens, admiring local art, savoring a Schmitter at a historic tavern or browsing boutique shops, Chestnut Hill offers a blend of culture, history and natural beauty. You may find it to be the perfect weekend escape.

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Bark in Business: After a rough patch, Humane Society made reforms, is rebuilding trust

June 27, 2025 | by M. Diane McCormick

Photos courtesy of Humane Society of Harrisburg Area

The adopted dog seemed excited to leave the shelter but afraid to get in her new family’s car.

Vierria Maisonave, at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area to adopt a cat, watched as a shelter employee climbed in and coaxed the dog into the backseat.

“They brought out treats,” said Maisonave. “They were very slow. They were very mindful. I saw that and thought, ‘This is definitely the right place to be.’ The fact that a staff member was willing to get in the car and guide her and be slow, instead of forcing her into the car, that really spoke to me.”

After a tumultuous time over the past few years, HSHA is getting a new “leash” on life. With major reforms and affiliation with a progressive shelter, HSHA is seeing adoptions rise and better lives for the animals—dogs, cats, guinea pigs, chinchillas—in its care.

“The focus over the last year has been—what improvements can we make to the facility, what programs can we implement—so that we’re addressing the animals’ needs while they’re with us,” said Director of Operations Aspasia Yeager. “They’re here, waiting for a home. What can we do for them that is medically indicated, so they leave a little bit better? We want to set them up for success.”

Transformation

The 2023 headlines featuring Humane Society of Harrisburg Area were grim.

“Fined by state over poor financial record-keeping.”

“Leader leaves job after series of controversies.”

“Furor over plans to euthanize dog unleashes complaints.”

That was the saga of Pursuit, slated for euthanasia before a volunteer spirited him away from HSHA’s Swatara Township facility. In the aftermath, volunteers complained about the shelter’s treatment of animals and people.

In January 2024, a new headline announced, “Harrisburg Humane Society aims to become a ‘no kill’ shelter.” The goal emerged from a new affiliation with Chester County-based Brandywine Valley SPCA, an open-adoption, no-kill advocate with operations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

HSHA reached its goal with a 94% “live release rate” in 2024, exceeding the 90% rate considered as a no-kill benchmark.

With the affiliation, staff remained largely intact, but major policy and facility upgrades followed. Open adoption. Air conditioning. Systematic animal socialization.

The numbers from 2023 to 2024 mark a dramatic turnaround. That 94% live release rate was a jump from 82%. Placements rose from 1,787 to 3,072. Spay/neuter surgeries for the community and in-shelter animals soared from 949 to 4,685. Wellness visits at HSHA’s Veterinary Resource Center—a low-cost clinic supporting pet ownership in the community—jumped from 3,916 to 4,876.

Open Adoption

When Brandywine Valley SPCA CEO Adam Lamb first met HSHA staff, he asked how many of their pets were up to date on vaccinations. Not every hand went up, proving his point. Even the best pet owners are human, and old systems requiring potential adopters to jump through hoops like, well, circus dogs “don’t necessarily equate to a better, more permanent home,” said Yeager.

Today, under open adoption, HSHA counselors talk with adopters, finding their preferences, capabilities and circumstances, on the way to matching the right pet with the right home.

“If they’re walking through the door at the animal shelter, they’re good people,” said Yeager. “They want to do the right thing.”

Vierria Maisonave visited HSHA during a discount adoption day, needing the mental-health pick-me-up of a cat to care for. She saw a sleeping cat named Hedwig, which she would rename Beatrix.

“A toy jiggles, she chirps, and she goes straight to me,” said Maisonave, of Carlisle. “There was this connection.”

Open adoption made it easy. She told an HSHA adoption counselor that she lived with her mom and their guinea pigs.

“They love their animals there,” Maisonave said. “They’re open, but they’re very serious about making sure that their baby is going to be safe with another family.”

Today, Beatrix gives kisses, dresses up for the camera, and cuddles with Cupcake—the new guinea pig that Maisonave’s mom adopted the day Beatrix came home.

“Beatrix is a cutie,” said Maisonave.

Playtime

Pre-Pursuit, HSHA board members justified the lack of air conditioning by claiming that AC units would take space devoted to open-air kennels.

Post-Brandywine affiliation, AC is installed, and so are 5,000 square feet of play space, in three fenced yards accommodating up to 10 dogs each.

“This has been a game changer for the quality of care for the dogs,” Yeager said. “It’s addressing their mental needs while they’re here. For a dog in a kennel, it’s a stressful situation. Here, they can get out and get some fresh air, stretch their legs, play with other dogs.”

Staff recently trained in Dogs Playing for Life, a playgroup approach that matches dogs temperamentally for socialization and exercise. Under the system, sweet Megara—a white mixed breed who was abandoned after having multiple litters of puppies—initially shied from play but, over time, learned that other dogs weren’t scary.

“You could see her confidence building,” said Director of Marketing and Outreach Amanda Brunish. “She’s learning that other dogs are safe. We were all saying, ‘Go, Megara!’”

Cats live in dedicated spaces according to their needs. Sociable cats mingle in the cat condo room. Estrella the calico was recently entranced by fish swimming in the built-in aquarium, visible from adjoining rooms.

On an early June day, a.k.a. “kitten season” in shelter world, staff were preparing to welcome 70 kittens from their foster homes. Their cages are gated on one side and glass-walled on the other, lining a hallway where visitors can soak up all that cavorting cuteness.

In the “critter room,” chinchillas did whatever it is that chinchillas do, while a volunteer lavished attention on a surrendered, lop-eared bunny.

Like a Machine

At some point, a visitor might notice that the HSHA kennels and spaces don’t smell bad. Staff love that compliment. They credit the volunteers devoted to cleaning and caring for the animals.

Stefanie Bevins’ first volunteer gig involved the unglamorous job of washing dishes—“stacks and stacks of dog dishes.”

“At first, I felt, ‘OK, I’m just doing dishes,’” said Bevins of Lower Paxton Township. “But it’s like a machine. Every little part makes it run smoothly. Even those volunteers that don’t have direct animal care, what they’re doing is important.”

Now, Bevins helps with paperwork and the summertime “Critter Camp” for kids. She also walks dogs, having taken a two-hour course in proper leashing techniques, which is “more complicated than it sounds.”

Bevins, owner of an 11-year-old rescue German shepherd, volunteered in January for the chance to do something gratifying. She was surprised by HSHA’s efficient operations.

“They have procedures for everything, which is great, because there’s no guessing what you need to do,” she said. “And the fact that they can do same-day adoptions now, instead of having a whole process, it’s very enticing to the community that wants to adopt a dog or a cat or a rat or a bunny.”

As HSHA removes old barriers, Shelter Skip Days have grown increasingly popular. Whenever the shelter is open, members of the public can take out a dog for a mental health day, perhaps to play at their homes or get a Starbucks Pup Cup.

Tim Delp, a former HSHA volunteer of the year and Pursuit-era critic, now brings Shelter Skip Day dogs to his backyard play area every Saturday. Often, it is a dog so amped up by kennel stress that it’s hard to adopt out.

“We work with them, or if they just want to lay and sleep, we let them do that,” he said. “We build trust with them and get them to feel what it’s like to be out of that stressful environment and be in a family.”

HSHA still has its detractors, Delp said, but he believes the organization has made all the changes demanded by protesters and is investing in the community and in staff training.

“That’s all positive and a plus for the animals,” he said. “That’s what we wanted to see. How do you make it better for the animals first, and right behind that, how do you make it easier and better for the community?”

Delp said he keeps in touch with CEO Adam Lamb and, as an engaged outsider, holds HSHA accountable for its promises.

“We love you and we trust you and we’re behind you, but we’re also watching,” he said. “I don’t think they would want anything other than that.”

It’s a stabilization year at HSHA, said Yeager. No new initiatives, other than a rebranding with Brandywine Valley SPCA, are planned while staff get accustomed to new routines.

As for Maisonave, if there’s “another baby” in her future, it will come from HSHA.

“I would definitely recommend it to others,” she said.

Her mom, Alaiah Livingston, shared that she was a foster child who now has a soft spot for adoptable animals. HSHA, she said, “is not a shelter. It’s their transition home.”

Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, 7790 Grayson Rd., Harrisburg, 717-564-3320. Find adoptable pets at www.humanesocietyhbg.org, but don’t look for sweet, once-shy Megara. She was adopted on June 5.

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Lifting Up: For more than a century, AAUW Harrisburg has helped empower, support women

June 27, 2025 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

2023 grant awardees Alanis Castro Pacheco and Madison Stokes at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders.

For Kathy Silks, joining the Harrisburg Branch of the American Association of University Women “changed my life.”

In the 46 years since, Silks gained “experience in speaking to people,” becoming the branch’s board president five years after joining. The overall experience also boosted her confidence, eventually landing her employment as vice president of community relations at WITF.

“Our members are from all different backgrounds,” said Kathy Seidl, who joined in 2019. “I like the connections I’ve made here. I’ve made some wonderful friends and connected with continuing education institutions.”

Seidl serves as the Harrisburg branch’s co-president with MaryAnn Daniels. The branch, funded through dues and donations, currently has 90 members.

“It’s a challenge sometimes to get people to step up to the plate in today’s society,” Seidl said. “But the positive is, we have a very dedicated board.”

So, what is AAUW all about?

Its stated mission involves aiding women’s higher education, economic security, inclusion and empowerment.

“Together, we can defend the rights of all women and ensure that education remains a powerful path to equity and opportunity,” according to the organization’s website.

The Harrisburg Branch was founded in 1921, after which followed a series of notable accomplishments through the 21st century, according to Silks, the local branch’s historian.

In the 1920s, AAUW Harrisburg co-founded Harrisburg Community Theatre and established a student college loan fund.
In the 1940s, branch members were active in developing a zoning program for Harrisburg.
In the 1960s, the branch began sponsoring an annual Harrisburg Allied Arts Festival featuring the Harrisburg Choral Society, the Civic Ballet, Harrisburg Community Theatre and the Harrisburg Symphony.
In the 1970s, the branch established student loan funds at Messiah College, University Center, and Penn State’s Capital Campus, as well as a full-tuition scholarship at HACC.

In the 1990s, the branch established the Martha M. Dohner Memorial Scholarship and began offering “Gender Equity Model” presentations to school and community organizations.

For the 2000s, the branch began community outreach work with the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg that included creation of the Betty Sullivan Memorial Library. In the 2010s, AAUW Harrisburg began educational workshops on salary levels.

Each year, AAUW Harrisburg awards scholarships to deserving young women in central Pennsylvania pursuing degrees in the upcoming academic year. The branch’s 2025-26 scholarship winners will be announced at this year’s fall membership meeting. The application deadline is July 31.

Scholarships are open to female residents of Cumberland, Dauphin or Perry counties or Northern York School District attending an accredited Pennsylvania college or university and demonstrating financial need.

The $2,500 Beverly J. Smith Memorial Scholarship is for pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Elizabeth Blymire, a Messiah University biomedical biology major, was the branch’s 2024-25 winner.
The Member Memorial Scholarship comprises two $1,500 awards for attaining an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. A winner last year was Sherlyn Martinez, a Shippensburg University special education and early childhood education major.
The $1,500 Ronald D. and Kathleen A. Krausse STEM Scholarship is for attaining a bachelor’s degree in a STEM major. Camren Boyogueno, a Penn State psychology/neuroscience major, was the 2024-25 winner.
The $1,500 Sally C. Chamberlain Scholarship is for women seeking to resume or renew academic work for credit towards career employment or advancement. The branch’s 2024-25 recipient was Lauren Stroup, a Wilson College nursing major.

AAUW Harrisburg also presents community awards on an annual basis. Bobbi Carmitchell received the branch’s 2025 Gateway to Equity Award for her work educating about women and the women’s movement through music. Jordan Pine received the 2025 Community Woman of the Year Award for her work in combating human trafficking with Greenlight Operation, while branch member Carol Stark was honored as this year’s Outstanding Branch Member.

“It’s a challenge sometimes to get people to step up to the plate in today’s society,” Seidl said. “But the positive is, we have a very dedicated board.”

For information about AAUW Harrisburg Branch and to learn about scholarship opportunities, visit www.harrisburg-pa.aauw.net.

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Team Effort: Downtown Harrisburg needs all players on the field for its rebuild season

June 27, 2025 | by Ryan Unger

Photo by Michael Yatsko

I am a sucker for a sports analogy, quote or story that can relate to work. Whether it’s skating to where the puck is going like Wayne Gretzky, calling an audible when plans shift on the fly, or channeling Michael Jordan’s grit after being cut from his high school varsity team, I have a deep reservoir to pull from.

During a conversation recently with a business leader, I asked what they felt was stopping us from tackling some of the bigger challenges downtown. Their response? Everyone seems to hold back, wait and assume someone else is going to take the lead. Naturally, it reminded me of a sports story.

In 2000, Rick Pitino, coming off a historic run as coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men’s college basketball team, was coaching the struggling Boston Celtics. While this pains me to admit as a Sixers fan, the Celtics are arguably the most storied franchise in NBA history. After yet another disappointing loss, fans and media were clamoring for a return to the franchise’s glory days, longing for legends like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

In a moment of surprising candor, Pitino said, “Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door.”

The quote is infamous because it revealed what was really holding the Celtics back: paralysis by comparison. Instead of building a new identity and realigning around a recalibrated vision, they were stuck measuring everything they did against their legendary past.

Pitino’s frustrated message was clear: wishing for the “good old days” doesn’t fix the present. Effective leaders deal with reality, not nostalgia.

As we look to revitalize downtown Harrisburg, we run the danger of clinging to outdated models or former successes. We need to be living in the present. We should be assessing our capital city’s incredible strengths and identifying the resources necessary to accelerate its growth.

Harrisburg isn’t a blank slate. It’s a capital city with a scenic riverfront, a thriving arts and cultural district, one of the country’s best STEM universities, and a growing community of individuals who believe in its future. These are the building blocks for a renewed downtown Harrisburg—not relics of the past, but an example of what’s possible when energy and vision come together.

I get it. It’s easy to wait. Easy to assume someone else has more influence, more capital or more responsibility. The problem is that when we all wait, nothing happens. What downtown needs now isn’t another savior—it needs coordinated urgency. We need to adopt a shared belief that progress comes not from one person or organization doing everything, but from everyone doing something.

Over the next several months, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC will be working with the mayor and our legislative leadership on bringing together county, state, public and private leaders for a whole of house response to downtown’s current challenges. And when we do that, we aren’t going to hurt our necks by looking back at the glory days. We are going to pivot from nostalgia to the assets we have and the coordinated urgency from the leaders that want to make great things happen.

Larry Bird (or Vance McCormick or T. Morris Chester or Mira Lloyd Dock or Steve Reed) isn’t walking through the door in downtown Harrisburg. That’s OK. Progress doesn’t depend on legends from the past—it depends on the neighbors, entrepreneurs, creatives and leaders who step up today.

The future of our downtown won’t be built by waiting—it’ll be built by showing up, investing and believing in what’s possible. The door is open. The question is: Who’s ready to walk through it with us?

Ryan Unger is president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. For more information, visit www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org. If you’d like to assist in the downtown Harrisburg revitalization effort, contact [email protected].

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