Peppered with Memories: Stuffed peppers can be an amazing mid-summer meal—the school cafeteria notwithstanding.

July 31, 2015 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

During the long, hot August afternoons of my childhood, many mothers in our neighborhood were likely at the “Y-pool” or taking a little rest with shades drawn against the summer sun. There was little air conditioning in those days but, nevertheless, my mother could always be found in our steaming hot kitchen.

Summer produce that was overflowing at the market stands meant long hours cooking to take advantage of the bounty. My mother, Rose, made big pots of chicken corn soup with little dumplings called rivels (not Italian, I know, but all that corn out there!). And August was the time she searched for “sugar beets,” large varieties that she roasted, peeled, cut into thick slices and doused with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Then there were the tomatoes. My mom had no food processor but used her trusty blender to puree ripe red tomatoes and freeze them in plastic containers for wintertime sauces.

I can remember the smell of green peppers roasting under the broiler (no gas grill back then). When they were blackened on all sides, my mother placed them in a brown bag to “steam” so that the skins could easily be removed. The large gallon can of olive oil was brought from the pantry to bathe the silky peppers. My family did indeed buy olive oil by the gallon.

Late summer was also the perfect time to stuff those big, green peppers. And we loved them. My mother made a mixture of browned ground beef, onion and cooked rice, stuffed them into cut pepper halves and covered them with her homemade tomato sauce. For us, they were a great summer dinner.

Today, recipes can be found for stuffed peppers of all kinds: green, bright red and even yellow and orange. If you have never been a fan of stuffed peppers, you must get past the soggy image of those served in your grade school cafeteria. Made properly, stuffed peppers are a great addition to a summer buffet table or make a great lunch or brighten an antipasto platter.

Here is a very good version for the unfairly maligned stuffed pepper. The recipe makes use of summertime ingredients at their peak—red and yellow bell peppers, ripe tomatoes and sweet basil.

Baked Stuffed Red and Yellow Peppers (from Giuliano Hazan)

Ingredients

1 slice white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
8 ounces (1/2 pound) ripe tomatoes
10 Nicoise olives (or other Greek olives)
4 ounces (1/4 pound) Pecorino (Romano) cheese
8 basil leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Trim the crust from the bread and put it in a small bowl with the milk.
Cut the peppers in half and then core and seed them.
Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, cut them in small dices (1/4 inch) and place them in a medium bowl.
Chop the basil and add it to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Chop the olive flesh and add that to the tomato bowl as well.
Cut half the Pecorino cheese into small dices and add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
Squeeze the bread slice to form a pulp and mix it thoroughly into the other ingredients along with the olive oil and salt and pepper.
Oil the bottom of the baking dish with olive oil and place the pepper halves in the pan.
Divide the tomato filling among the 4 pepper halves.
Thinly slice the remaining cheese and lay the slices on top of each pepper.
Bake the tomatoes about 45 minutes to an hour, but watch carefully. The cheese should gently melt and not burn.

You can serve the peppers warm or at room temperature. They are great for the vegetarians among you, and, like so many Italian dishes, they taste like summer. The peppers are a great accompaniment to grilled chicken, tuna and steak, as well.

Entertaining a crowd? Make a lot of them using red, yellow and green peppers. Garnish the platter with sprigs of fresh basil. I promise: No one will remember the school cafeteria.

Bond Don: Mayor for Life or Head of the Family?

July 31, 2015 | by Paul Barker

On Friday, March 29, 2013, a grand jury in Fulton County, Ga., returned indictments against 35 educators in the Atlanta public school system, in connection with a test-cheating scandal spanning nearly a decade.

The scandal, described as the largest of its kind in the country’s history, made national news. Prosecutors said teachers, principals, administrators and testing coordinators had conspired to fraudulently boost Atlanta schools’ performance on standardized tests, bringing accolades and financial rewards to district leaders. For example, the superintendent, Dr. Beverly Hall, earned more than $500,000 in bonuses during her tenure.

The educators were charged under Georgia laws against racketeering—the state alleged the systematic cheating amounted to a criminal conspiracy. Georgia’s racketeering laws are modeled on the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, enacted in 1970. The law, often referred to by the acronym RICO, was initially intended to give the government new tools to prosecute criminal organizations like the Mafia. In the years after its passage, a number of states passed their own racketeering laws, often referred to as “little” or “baby” RICOs. Pennsylvania’s were enacted in 1972. At the time, the state legislature repeated the rationale of the U.S. Congress, noting that “organized crime is a highly sophisticated, diversified, and widespread phenomenon” draining “billions of dollars from the national economy” each year.

Last month, Pennsylvania’s racketeering laws were invoked in a sweeping criminal complaint against Harrisburg’s former Mayor Stephen Reed. Topping the list of 17 charges, which encompassed 499 counts of individual crimes, were two counts of “corrupt organizations,” each of them a first-degree felony. Much like the charges against the Atlanta educators, the complaint claimed that Reed ran the affairs of the Harrisburg Authority, a borrowing entity ostensibly separate from city government, as an ongoing criminal enterprise. Prosecutors alleged Reed had engaged in a “pattern of racketeering activity,” primarily through acts of theft and bribery, beginning on Christmas Eve, 1990, and continuing until he left office, at the beginning of 2010. (The start date, though not explained in the complaint, is not arbitrary: on that date, Reed wrote a memo to the Authority board, requesting the creation of a “special projects fund” for the exclusive use of the city.)

The charges were the result of an ongoing probe by a statewide investigating grand jury. In their report, incorporated as part of the complaint, jurors claimed to have uncovered a “Reed model” of issuing debt, then diverting proceeds to illegitimate projects, while creating fees for a “coterie” of select professionals. The report described these borrowings as misguided in and of themselves, referring to the “crushing weight” of debt incurred on Reed’s watch by the city and related entities. But it also alleged various forms of theft, including theft that personally enriched Reed, who was said to have been hoarding Western and other artifacts bought with city money at his home and in a private facility. In one case, Reed allegedly bribed city councilors to get them to approve a new borrowing.

Do the charges mean Reed was a kind of local Don Corleone, running city government like a Harrisburg crime family? Not exactly. The racketeering claim may partly be an effort to solve a statute-of-limitations problem—under the law, prosecutors can bring charges for older crimes, as long as they are linked to more recent behavior. “You can reach back to earlier acts, as long as the later acts took place within the statute of limitations,” Robert Power, an associate dean at Widener University’s Commonwealth Law School and a former federal prosecutor, told me. Initially, Pennsylvania courts viewed the state’s racketeering laws as excluding cases like Reed’s. But, perhaps because they provided such powerful tools, in the mid-1990s they were amended to expressly cover cases not traditionally thought of as organized crime. Similarly, federal prosecutors have used RICO to pursue a wide variety of targets, including public officials and financial institutions.

Not everyone is happy about this broader application. “The RICO law frightens many lawyers and judges,” a 1979 article in Newsweek reported. “They worry about language so loosely drawn that it lets the government sweep even smalltime, white-collar defendants and public officials into the same fit as underworld hit men.” “It’s a vehicle to drag in more people for more crimes,” Power said. “A person involved in a relatively small part of the crime can be charged with crimes they’ve never even heard of.” Defense lawyers for the Atlanta educators made much the same argument, suggesting that prosecutors had overreached in bringing racketeering charges. A former federal prosecutor in Georgia, speaking to the New York Times after 11 of 12 defendants were found guilty at trial, wondered whether the state had “killed a fly with the proverbial sledgehammer.”

In Reed’s case, the racketeering charges also have a narrative aim, having to do less with the consequences of his borrowings than with their underlying psychology. What the prosecution has tried to do is tell a story linking his acts together under a single, organizing purpose. To this end, the grand jury report portrayed Reed’s artifact buying not as a project to draw tourism, as the mayor once claimed, but as an almost pathological addiction. In one passage, it paraphrased Randy King, a former aide of the mayor’s, as describing the artifact purchases as a “therapeutic personal endeavor—a personal means of stress management.” On the basis of such testimony, jurors concluded that the “prudent stewardship and innovative thinking which Reed brought to his office early on gave way to a use of public money and other resources to gratify his own interests at the city’s expense.”

Reed’s defense, in turn, has begun to tell the story of a different sort of addiction. “He loved his job as mayor and he poured his heart and soul into it,” his attorney said the morning of his arraignment. Or, as Reed told WITF television for a 1997 documentary, “There is no personal Stephen Reed separate from Mayor Reed. They’re one and the same.” No doubt such claims of self-sacrifice are in some sense true. The question is what Reed expected from the city in return.

Cake Clan: Bella Torta Bakery is a dream come true for mother-daughter team.

July 31, 2015 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

When Heather Booher decided to open Bella Torta bakery in Lemoyne last September, it was a dream that finally came to fruition.

“Over the years, members of our family dreamed of opening a restaurant or a bakery, but I was the first with the means to do it,” said Booher.

The businesswoman, who operates the bakery with her mother Melissa Smith of Enola, said she gains much of her entrepreneurial inspiration from her Italian grandparents who sold vegetables and fruit at a market in Sicily and also crafted their own wine.

“Their lives were marked with a lot of oppression, which is why they came to America,” said Booher.

Today, a picture of Phillip and Giuseppina Trapani is prominently displayed on the top of the bakery case as a reminder of the couple’s indomitable spirit.

Booher also credits her background in restaurant management and human relations for giving her the confidence to run her own bakery.

“My mom and I decided to fulfill our desires and take the leap,” she said.

The shop opens early, and many customers pop in before work to grab sweet treats for the office. Harrisburg resident Donna Hillenbrand describes purchasing a few items for Teacher Appreciation Week.

“I gave them each an assorted box of goodies, and I think that was their favorite gift of the week,” she said.

Some of the bakery’s more popular items include sticky buns and cupcakes, according to Booher.

“We create unique flavor combinations like root beer float and candy bar cupcakes like Snickers and Almond Joy,” said Booher, adding that the price is an added draw at $2 apiece, with kid-sized cupcakes priced reasonably at $1.

Customer Tiffany Conroy of Enola describes the cupcakes as “not only pretty, but delicious as well.” “They are moist and huge,” she said, adding that she also appreciates the option to choose the smaller size.

For the scone aficionado, Bella Torta offers four flavors: apple/cinnamon, blueberry, orange/cranberry and white chocolate raspberry.

Fans of tiramisu, a coffee-soaked, ladyfinger-layered dessert, will be glad to learn that the bakery features the tried-and-true traditional flavor, along with others like salted caramel and toasted almond.

Cookie monsters will delight in selections like shortbread, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, double chocolate, white chocolate cranberry and decorated sugar cookies.

Anne McHugh of Lemoyne ordered two dozen “patriotic crustacean” cookies for a 4^th of July event. “People thought they were too cute to eat, but, when they tried them, they said they were the best,” she said.

Of all the cookies offered at Bella Torta, the conventional chocolate chip is the one that flies off the shelf the fastest.

“We’ve developed a following,” said Booher, attributing the popularity to quality ingredients. “We try to use the very best, and it definitely has an impact on the final product.”

Pies run the gamut, as well, from hand-held pocket pies with flavors like blueberry and apple to traditional pies like blueberry, peach and cherry to cream pies like Smith’s special coconut pie.

“You’ll bite into it and say, whoa, that’s coconut, all right. It’s very strong,” said Smith.

Cakes are also in rotation and include selections like cappuccino, Italian rum and flourless chocolate, or custom-made creations for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions.

Brandi Weiss of Elizabethville has been frequenting the business since its inception.

“I have ordered numerous items like cookie trays, cupcakes, pies, doughnuts and mini-pastries and have loved them all,” she said. “My daughter’s birthday cake was a standout with raspberry filling and a zebra design. They did amazing cupcakes with a ‘50s theme for my mom’s 60^th birthday several weeks ago, and everyone raved about them.

To boot: the prices are extremely reasonable, and the friendliness of the staff is an added plus, Weiss added.

Customers can pair their selections with tea, hot or bottled, or a hearty cup of Gevalia coffee.

“We also offer authentic iced coffee,” said Booher, describing the process as “adding coffee grounds to ice water and allowing them to steep overnight, before straining them out with a filter.” Booher said the result is a very strong coffee that can be combined with milk and the customer’s choice of syrup, like almond mocha, caramel or cheesecake.

Several tables are provided for those who prefer to linger a bit and Wi-Fi is also available for customer convenience.

Booher said she’s glad she finally decided to take the plunge.

“We have regulars and know exactly what they’re going to order since it’s a routine for them,” she said. “My favorite part about opening the bakery is getting to know the community. I genuinely care about other people and enjoy providing them with a really great product.”

Bella Torta Bakery is located at 324 Market St. (across from Wray’s Music House) in Lemoyne. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. To learn more, visit www.bellatortabakery.net.

Happenings: Our August Calendar of Events

July 31, 2015 | by Admin

Museum & Art Spaces

3rd Street Studio
1725 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
Facebook: 3^rd Street Studio

August artist: Ego Ink; reception, Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m.

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Back to the Future Tribute Car,” a display of an original DeLorean that has been handcrafted to look like the original, through Aug. 30.

“1929 Duesenberg J Dual-Cowl Phaeton,” a display of “The World’s Finest Motor Car,” through Oct. 9.

“Motorbikes for the Masses,” an exhibit dedicated to low-cost transportation including motorbikes, scooters and mopeds, through Oct. 11.

“Automotive Jewelry Art Exhibit,” images by Michael Furman, through Oct. 11.

“A Family Affair,” an exhibit celebrating the station wagon, through Oct. 12.

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

“Traditional & Modern Art of the Orient,” through Sept. 3.

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Artist of the Month: Mary Fox

Gallery@Second
608 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-233-2498; galleryatsecond.com

Artwork by Jim Lambert and Tami Bitner, through Aug. 15.

Artwork by Peter Dehart and Joanne Finkle, Aug. 20-Oct. 3; reception, Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m.

The Hershey Story Museum
63 W. Chocolate Ave., Hershey
717-534-8939; hersheystory.org

“Chocolate Workers Wanted,” life in Hershey’s chocolate factory from 1905 to 1925, through spring 2016. Daily activities for families through Sept. 7.

Historic Harrisburg Association
1230 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-4646; historicharrisburg.com

Abstract expressionist works by Lynn Kennedy-Putt and Rick Shnik; reception, Aug. 21, 5-9 p.m.

Landis House
67 N. 4^th St., Newport
717-567-7023; www.perrycountyarts.org

“Perry County Quilt Display,” featuring 2014 Perry County Fair quilts to be auctioned, through Aug. 8.

“The Texture of Ireland,” featuring Nemo Niemann’s images of Ireland, through Oct. 3.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

“1865,” an exhibit highlighting the fifth year of the Civil War covering battles, strategies and civilian lives, through December.

“The Life and Times of Congressman Robert Smalls,” the story of a man born into slavery who rose to the U.S. Congress, through June 2016.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Works by Mark Anderson, through Aug. 22.

The artwork of Susan Bankey-Yoder, through Aug. 22.

PCCA Gallery
Perry Country Council of the Arts
1 S. 2nd St., Newport
perrycountyarts.org

“Celebrate Newport,” an art exhibition featuring views of Newport, Pa., through Aug. 8.
“Everyday Life” exhibition, featuring everyday details as documented by photographer Irene VanBuskirk, through Sept. 5; reception, Aug. 14, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

“Art of the State,” the annual exhibit dedicated to the works of Pennsylvania artists, through Sept. 13.

“A Fondness for Birds: Pennsylvania’s Alexander Wilson,” featuring bird prints and first-edition volumes of the 200-year-old “American Ornithology” series by Alexander Wilson, through Jan. 3.

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; sqart.org

“Constant Bearing: Recent Work by Donald Forsythe and Brenton Good,” through Aug. 23.

“Quilts,” an exhibition of historic and contemporary quilts, through Aug. 30.

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Artwork by Jeremy Waak, Aug. 7- Aug. 31.

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

“Hall of Illusions and Visual Trickery,” featuring works employing anamorphic imagery, through Aug. 21.

“Animation,” an interactive exhibit exploring animation from concept to finished product, through Sept. 6.

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

“Art in the Wild,” through Oct. 31.

Yellow Bird Café
1320 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
717-635-8991; yellowbird-cafe.com

Photography by Kayla Mini, through Aug. 16.

The artwork of Amie Bantz, Aug. 18-Sept. 13; reception, Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m.

Zeroday Brewing Co.
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

“SYNÆSTHESIS,” ceramic abstractions by Daniel Kalbach, presented by Metropolis Collective, through August.

Read, Make, Learn

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Aug. 7: “Italian Villa Dinner Party,” 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 12: “Gifts From the Sea,” 6 p.m.
Aug. 26: “Tuscan Treasures Wine Pairing,” 6 p.m.

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-798-6973; hbgimprov.com

Mondays: Really Open Mic, 6 p.m.
Saturdays: Free improv mixer, 7 p.m.

Hershey Gardens
170 Hotel Rd., Hershey
717-534-3492; hersheygardens.org

Aug. 8: Succulent Creation Adult Classes, 9:30 a.m.

The LBGT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Alcoholics Anonymous, noon-1 p.m.
Aug. 4: Women’s Group, 7 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 16, 19, 26: Common Roads Youth, 6 p.m.
Aug. 13: Aging with Pride Lunchtime Discussion, 12-2 p.m.
Aug. 27: Aging with Pride, 6 p.m.
Aug. 29: Aging with Pride: Appetizer Potluck, 4 p.m.

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Downtown
133 State St., Harrisburg
717-635-9870; littleampscoffee.com

Aug. 14: Poetry night hosted by Jeremy Ritch

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Aug. 1: Good News Café, 6 p.m.
Aug. 3: Midtown Writer’s Group, 6 p.m.
Aug. 4: Sci-Fi Writer’s Group, 7 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Midtown Chess Club, 11 a.m.
Aug. 5: Alder Healthcare Community Class on Transgender Children, 6 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, 7 p.m.
Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café, 7 p.m.
Aug. 9: TED Talks, 1 p.m.
Aug. 13, 20: Camp Curtin Toastmasters, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 16: LGBT Book Club, 5 p.m.
Aug. 19: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club, 7 p.m.
Aug. 21: Coffee Education w/ Café Staff, 12 p.m.
Aug. 21: Tea Tasting w/ Café Staff, 2 p.m.
Aug. 23: TED Talks, 1 p.m.
Aug. 24: Feminism Book Club, 7 p.m.
Aug. 29: Book Signing for Bill Saylor and Blair Seitz, 2 p.m.

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

Aug. 1: First Studio Open Studio Walk (all day)
Aug. 7: Abstract Painting (Day 1), 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 8: Abstract Painting (Day 2), 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 9: Abstract Painting (Day 3), 9:30 a.m.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Aug. 1-2: “Living History Encampment—15^th New Jersey Co. B”
Aug. 15-16: “Living History Encampment—14^th Tennessee”
Aug. 29-30: “Living History Encampment—Red Rose Minute Men”

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; sqart.org

Aug. 3-7: “The Great Learny Journey,” 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 15: Landscape Study Group, 11 a.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

Aug. 5: “Rocks from Space,” 1 p.m.
Aug. 6, 27: “Chipped Stone and the Prehistoric Tool Box—Flint Knapping,” 1 p.m.
Aug. 7: “Rachel Carson’s Peregrine Falcons,” 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.; presentation, 12:15 p.m.
Aug. 12, 26: “Animal CSI,” 1 p.m.
Aug. 13: “Who’s Digging PA?? Current Archeology in Pennsylvania,” 1 p.m.
Aug. 19: “What’s Going on in the Carboniferous Forest?” 1 p.m.
Aug. 20: “It’s All about the Face: Effigies and Susquehannock Pottery,” 1 p.m.

Untitled: A Storytelling Project
untitledhbg.com

Aug. 13: “Extraordinary” at East Shore Area Library, 7 p.m.

Live Music Around Harrisburg

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Aug. 3: 3 Doors Down
Aug. 7: Trace Adkins
Aug. 17: Smokey Robinson
Aug. 18: The Beach Boys
Aug. 24: Loretta Lynn
Aug. 28: The Monkees
Aug. 31: The Jacksons

Appalachian Brewing Co./Abbey Bar
50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg
717-221-1083; abcbrew.com

Aug. 6: J. Roddy Walston & The Business
Aug. 7: Miss Tess and the Talkbacks
Aug. 8: George Wesley
Aug. 9: Oxymorons
Aug. 28: Fink’s Constant
Aug. 29: Evolve Art & Dance Party

Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
204 Locust St., Harrisburg
717-909-9191; carleysristorante.com

Aug. 1, 11, 14, 19: Roy Lefever
Aug. 3, 6, 10, 17, 20, 22, 24, 29, 31: Chris Emkey
Aug. 4: Corinna Mazzitti
Aug. 7, 13, 28: Noel Gevers
Aug. 8, 21: Ted Ansel
Aug. 9, 23, 27: Anthony Haubert
Aug. 12, 15: Jessica Cook
Aug. 18: Daniel Sheahan
Aug. 25: Andrea Britton
Aug. 26: Maria Battista

Central PA Friends of Jazz
www.friendsofjazz.org

Aug. 28-30: 35^th Annual Central PA Jazz Festival

Chameleon Club
223 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-299-9684; chameleonclub.net

Aug. 4: Cattle Decapitation
Aug. 6: Highly Suspect
Aug. 7: Jbre X Dougie Kent
Aug. 8: G Love & Special Sauce
Aug. 12: OMG Music Fest
Aug. 15: The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
Aug. 21: Nikki Hill
Aug. 22: Ton Taun

Char’s at Tracy Mansion
1829 N Front St., Harrisburg
717-213-4002; charsrestaurant.com

Aug. 2: Rhyne McCormick
Aug. 7: Lady A
Aug. 9: Mike Dougherty
Aug. 14: Steve Rudolph
Aug. 16: Noel Gevers
Aug. 21: Modern Blue
Aug. 23: Forrest Brown Duo
Aug. 28: Mark Huber
Aug. 30: Danny Stuber

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Aug. 1: Dan Jameson
Aug. 2: Meaghan Ross
Aug. 7: Antonio Andrade
Aug. 8: Pat McCaskey
Aug. 9: Shelba Purtle
Aug. 14: Jim Haas
Aug. 15: Doug Morris (Bruce Springsteen celebration)
Aug. 16: Erik Bohn
Aug. 21: Amber Sands & Matt Enny
Aug. 22: The Bentleys
Aug. 23: James O’Brien w/Henry Koretzky
Aug. 28: Jeanine & Friends
Aug. 29: Cameron
Aug. 30: We 3

Fed Live
234 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg
717-525-8077; federaltaphousehbg.com

Aug. 7: Sailesh: Hypnotist
Aug. 21: Soul Asylum

Fredricksen Library
100 N 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

Aug. 3: Shea Quinn & Friends

Giant Center
550 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey
717-534-3911; giantcenter.com

Aug. 11: Motley Crue
Aug. 14: Lady Antebellum

Hersheypark Stadium
100 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey
717-534-3911; hersheypa.com

Aug. 15: Maroon 5
Aug. 23: Van Halen
Aug. 29: 5 Seconds of Summer

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

Aug. 29: The Hit Men: Former Stars of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

H*MAC/Herr Street Stage
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

Aug. 1: Bardledoo
Aug. 6: SAVAK w/The Effects
Aug. 7: Vetour Productions First Friday
Aug. 8: Exmag w/Branx
Aug. 9: 2^nd Sunday Standup hosted by Shane Gillis
Aug. 11: Glen David Andrews
Aug. 13: Strangest of Places
Aug. 14: The HillBenders
Aug. 15: HR w/McRad
Aug. 21: The Dirty Sweet
Aug. 22: The Enigma w/Sh*tty Friends
Aug. 28: Shana Falana, Suburban Living & Wort
Every Tuesday: Open Mic

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Downtown
133 State St., Harrisburg
717-635-9870; littleampscoffee.com

Aug. 7: Ohioan
Aug. 21: Shine Delphi & Friends
Aug. 27: Chuck Darwin and the Knuckle Draggers

The MakeSpace
1916 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgmakespace.com

Aug. 8: Show TBD

Midtown Scholar Bookstore- Cafe
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Aug. 14: Justin Dougherty
Aug. 21: Chris Gassaway

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

Aug. 7: The Jellybricks w/Manian & The Monumentals
Aug. 9: The Plums
Aug. 15: Adam Stehr Band
Aug. 25: The Defibulators
Aug. 28: Work Drugs

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Aug. 8: Indian Summer Jars and Rivers
Aug. 21: Shotgunn

River City Blues Club & Dart Room
819 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg
rivercityhbg.com

Aug. 5: Acoustic Stew Open Jam
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Open Electric Jam
Aug. 7: Jason Ricci
Aug. 8: Robert Frahm Trio
Aug. 12: Blue Elephant Open Jam
Aug. 17: River City Big Band
Aug. 19: Nate Myers Trio Open Jam
Aug. 21: Steve Rudolph/Jonathon Ragonese Quartet
Aug. 24: CPFJ Jazz Jam
Aug. 26: Shawan & The Wonton Open Jam

St. Thomas Roasters
5951 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg
717-526-4171; stthomasroasters.com

Aug. 27: Rhoads & Putt

Stock’s on 2^nd
211 N. 2^nd Street, Harrisburg
717-233-6699; stocksonsecond.com

Aug. 1: The Visitors Duo
Aug. 7: Scott Rivers
Aug. 8: Up Pops the Devil
Aug. 14: Houston Baker
Aug. 15: Shea Quinn and Steve Swisher
Aug. 21: Maria Wilson
Aug. 22: Up Pops the Devil
Aug. 28: Silver City Rodeo
Aug. 29: Keith Goldstein

Suba Tapas Bar
272 North St., Harrisburg
717-233-7358; mangiaqui.com

Aug. 1: Hannah Bingman
Aug. 8: Margy Finnegan w/ The Original Substance
Aug. 14: Jake Lewis and The Clergy
Aug. 15: Nate Myers and The Aces
Aug. 21: Randy Niles
Aug. 22: Mickleson & Coyle
Aug. 28: Herb & Hanson
Aug. 29: Danny Whitecotton

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Aug. 7: Dana Alexandra
Aug. 8, 9: Allegro Summer Series: Movie Music

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

Aug. 25: Justin Hayward

The Stage Door

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Aug. 2: Garrison Keillor
Aug. 19: Laughter and Reflection w/ Carol Burnett
Aug. 23: Kevin James

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

Through Aug. 1: “Oklahoma!”
Aug. 6-Sept. 19: “West Side Story”

Gamut Theatre Group
3^rd Floor, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg
717-238-4111; www.gamutplays.org

Through Aug. 22: “The Princess and the Pea” (Popcorn Hat)

Giant Center
550 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey
717-534-3911; giantcenter.com

Aug. 10: Jim Gaffigan

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-798-6973; hbgimprov.com

Aug. 7: 1^st Friday Variety Show w/Liz Curtis

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

Aug. 21: Kevin James

Midtown Scholar Bookstore- Cafe
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Aug. 21: TMI Improv Comedy Show
Aug. 21: Comedy Night at the Scholar

Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Road, Camp Hill
717-737-6768; www.oystermill.com

Aug. 21-Sept. 6: First Baptist of Ivy Gap

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Aug. 15, 16: Standard Time Musical

Community Corner: Notable Events in August

July 31, 2015 | by Admin

Equality Fest
Aug. 2: Help promote inclusion and community at Equality Fest, which features entertainment, games, vendors, food and more. The event takes place at Royal Square in Downtown York, noon to 6 p.m. For more information, visit equalityfestyork.com.

Learn about Lincoln
Aug. 2: Join Fredricksen Library to learn about President Abraham Lincoln and the pivotal events of 1864. Presenter James Hayney plays Lincoln, detailing his life during that year. The event begins at 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org.

Photo Boot Camp
Aug. 3-7: Learn to use a DSLR camera in this hands-on, four-day nature and wildlife photography workshop at Wildwood Park. Meet at the Nature Center at 9 a.m. each day. More information is at wildwoodlake.org.

National Night Out
Aug. 4: Neighbors meet neighbors during National Night Out, celebrated after work throughout greater Harrisburg. To learn more, check with your neighborhood group. Friends of Midtown (www.friendsofmidtown.org) will host its event at the Broad Street Market, 6 to 9 p.m. with food, music and family activities.

Superhero Murder Mystery
Aug. 4: Break out the tights and your magnifying glass for Fredricksen Library’s Annual Superhero Assembly. The 5 p.m. event, for teens 12 to 18, includes appetizers, dinner, dessert, games and the fun of a murder mystery. Tickets are $3. For more, visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org.

River Yoga
Aug. 5-6: Join Friends of Midtown at the corner of Front and Calder streets for free Kids River Yoga. The Aug. 5 event begins at 11:30 a.m. and is for children ages five and younger. The Aug. 6 event starts at 6:30 p.m. and is for kids six and over. Visit friendsofmidtown.org.

Cultural Fest
Aug. 7: Celebrate diversity at the annual, free Dauphin County Cultural Fest in downtown Harrisburg. The 4:30 to 10 p.m. event at Market and 2^nd streets will feature food, crafts, music and more. Visit dauphincounty.org.

Midtown Movie Nights
Aug. 7 and 28: Enjoy a movie in the open air during Midtown Movie Nights, sponsored by Friends of Midtown. The Aug. 7 show (“The Princess Bride”) and the Aug. 28 show (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) begin at dusk in the parking lot of Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. Information is at friendsofmidtown.org.

Chocolate Tour
Aug. 8: Support cancer research at Penn State Hershey by walking, running or cycling during the 4^th Annual Chocolate Tour. Events include 5K walks, 10K runs and up to a 100-mile bike ride. Samples of local chocolates and other foods will be available. Visit www.pennstatehershey.org.

India Day Festival
Aug. 8: The annual, free event features a variety of cultural performances, food, clothing and jewelry vendors. The festival takes place at HACC’s Harrisburg campus, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit aiacpa.org/indiaday.

Volunteer Work Day
Aug. 8: Help beautify Wildwood Park by volunteering for a few hours. Meet at the Nature Center starting at 10 a.m. Snacks, tools and work gloves provided. For more information, visit wildwoodlake.org.

Morning Bird Walk
Aug. 8: Start off your morning with a walk with volunteer Audrey Zajac and learn about the birds of Wildwood Park. Meet at the Nature Center at 8 a.m. Bring water and sturdy shoes. Information is at wildwoodlake.org.

Summer Soirees
Aug. 8, 15, 27: Show your appreciation for the arts at these summer soirees held in support of the Art Association of Harrisburg. This month, the soirees take place in Lewisberry, Enola and New Cumberland, featuring food, music and art. Cost is $40 in advance, $45 at the door. For more information and tickets, visit artassocofhbg.com.

Chamber Mixer
Aug. 11: Join the Central Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for its monthly business networking mixer at the LGBT Center of Central PA, 1306 N. 3^rd Street, Harrisburg, 6 to 8 p.m. More information is at cpglcc.org.

Healthy Spine
Aug. 11, 18: Join PinnacleHealth Spine Institute for a free, one-hour spine care class. The Aug. 11 event starts at 10 a.m. at Giant Food Store Community Center, 3301 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill. The Aug. 18 event starts at 6 p.m. at Community General Osteopathic Hospital, 4300 Londonderry Rd., Harrisburg. Visit pinnaclehealth.org or call 717-231-8900.

Keystone Cluster Dog Show
Aug. 12: Scamper over to the PA Farm Show Complex to see show dogs compete and participate in events, including an all-breed show and junior showmanship classes for children and their dogs. Admission is $6 and free for children 12 and under. Visit hkc.org for more information.

Stress Relief Walk
Aug. 12: Release the stress of the workday with a Stress Relief Walk, a three-mile stroll around Wildwood Park. Meet at the Nature Center at 6 p.m. Bring water and sturdy shoes. Information is at wildwoodlake.org.

Tobacco Cessation
Aug. 12: Take a step to a healthier lifestyle with the help of a certified tobacco treatment specialist. This event starts at 6 p.m. at Giant Food Store Community Center, 3301 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill. For more information or to register, call 717-231-8900 or visit pinnaclehealth.org.

Bookstock Read-In
Aug. 13: Celebrate the anniversary of Woodstock at the Fredricksen Library with this summer read-in. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a book. The free event takes place 5 to 8 p.m. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org.

Business After Hours
Aug. 13: Mix and mingle with business professionals at this free networking event sponsored by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC. This month, the 5 to 7 p.m. event takes place at Penn National Insurance, 2 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg. Visit harrisburgregionalchamber.org.

Amazing Birds
Aug. 14, 28: Experience an up-close encounter with the birds of Pennsylvania during the State Museum’s “Amazing Birds” presentation. The event runs 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; presentation is at 1 p.m. For more information, visit statemuseumpa.org.

Urban Roots Festival
Aug. 15: Enjoy music from local R&B and hip-hop artists during the Urban Roots Festival at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit broadstreetmarket.org.

Bacon & Beer
Aug. 16: Enjoy bacon-themed dishes and local home brews while raising money for a great cause at the second annual Bacon & Brew Ha Ha at Appalachian Brewing Co., 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. The event begins at noon and costs $25 a head ($10 non-alcoholic). More information is at the Facebook page: Bacon and Brew Ha Ha.

Pre-School Storytime
Aug. 20: Join the pre-school program at the State Museum for a 10 a.m. storytime. Walter Meshaka will read “What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees.” For more information, visit statemuseumpa.org.

3^rd in The Burg
Aug. 21: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3^rd 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.

Natural History in Books
Aug. 21: Join Dr. Irene Snavely and Ellen Shenk as they dive into the history of Pennsylvania’s natural history through rare and historic books and documents. The State Museum event is free with admission, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; presentation at 12:15 p.m. Visit statemuseumpa.org.

Supercars on State Street
Aug. 22: The annual showcase of exotic and supercars benefits Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and the American Cancer Society. Registration takes place 8 to 11 a.m. at Faulkner Maserati in Mechanicsburg, and the event runs noon to 5 p.m. in downtown Harrisburg. Visit supercarsonstatestreet.com.

Life of Milton Hershey
Aug. 22: Get to know more about the famous chocolatier, Milton Hershey, with historian and tour guide Steffan David. The event begins at the Fredricksen Library at 1:30 p.m. Visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org.

Blooming Art Exhibit
Aug. 22-23: View and purchase artwork courtesy of Hershey Area Art Association. The display and sale takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Hershey Gardens Educational Center. For more information, visit hersheygardens.org.

Local Lunch
Aug. 23: Dine with Friends of Midtown during their Local Lunch, which this month will be held at The Kitchen, 1110 N. 3^rd St. The meal and get-together run noon to 2 p.m. For more, visit friendsofmidtown.org.

Harrisburg Mudmash
Aug. 23: Join the East Shore YMCA for the first mud run in central PA. The course includes a host of crossings, climbs and obstacles through a 160-acre property adjacent to the Harrisburg Picnic Postal Grounds. Registration closes Aug. 18. For more, visit ymcarun.com.

Transportation Briefing
Aug. 25: Join Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC for the 2015 Transportation Briefing, featuring PennDOT Deputy Secretary Toby Fauver. Event starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass. Member rate $35; general admission $60. Visit harrisburgregionalchamber.org.

Luminary Awards Luncheon
Aug. 26: Join the West Shore Chamber of Commerce for the 3^rd annual Luminary Awards Luncheon, which will honor two female professionals. The event is 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at West Shore Country Club, 100 Brentwater Rd., Camp Hill. For more information, visit wschamber.org.

35^th Annual Central PA Jazz Festival
Aug. 26-30: Support local music and Central PA Friends of Jazz at this year’s JazzFest. The weekend includes a cruise, jazz party, picnic and jam session. More information is at friendsofjazz.org.

Road Runners Race
Aug. 29: Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club will host a 5K at 8 a.m. and a 10K at 9:10 a.m., starting at City Island. Registration is $25 for 5K and $30 for 10K. Prizes awarded to the top three female and male runners. Visit usroadrunning.com.

Keystone State Triathlon
Aug. 30: Challenge yourself in one of several triathlon courses, including an Olympic course, at Gifford Pinchot Park in Lewisberry. The top three males and females in each group will win awards. Information is at trimaxendurancesports.com.

Kipona & the Riverfront
Aug. 30: Join the Dauphin County Historical Society to all learn about Harrisburg’s late summer celebration, including a presentation by author Erik V. Fasick and a tour of HSDC’s exhibit of historic images. The event starts at 2:30 p.m. at the Harris-Cameron Mansion, Harrisburg. Visit hsdchappenings.blogspot.com.

Every Picture Tells a Story: Each beautiful mural, each dilapidated property paints a portrait of Harrisburg.

July 31, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

In June, during 3^rd in the Burg, I attended something called a PechaKucha, which is kind of a stripped-down, image-heavy TED talk.

PechaKucha presenters wrap their talks around 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds. The idea is to keep the flow moving and the audience interested. So, even if one speaker is especially dull or unlikeable, no sweat—he’s gone in about 10 minutes.

This PechaKucha was, I believe, the third held in Harrisburg. On that night, about eight presenters climbed on to H*MAC’s Herr Street Stage to talk about such diverse local issues as City Beautiful 2.0, the city’s emerging Comprehensive Plan, the Susquehanna Art Museum and chalk-writing on sidewalks.

Many of the presentations seemed to live at the intersection of art and urbanism, which also is where Jeff Copus focused.

Around town, Copus wears several hats, but, on this evening, he was chatting about Sprocket Mural Works, a group formed last year to transform some of Harrisburg’s drab exterior walls into colorful works of art.

As he described the role of Sprocket and of urban murals in general, he told the audience that Harrisburg had a choice. Through action, the city and its people could tell a story of beauty and progress or, through neglect, they could tell a story of blight and ugliness.

Either way, a story would be told.

“Whether it is a blighted building, a blank wall, or a beautiful mural, our visual surroundings tell a story, for better or worse,” he said. “It might not be an accurate story or the story we want told; that is why we need to take control of our surroundings.”

For years, I’ve written about Harrisburg, its struggles and the built environment around us. Not once before had I heard the city’s challenge described so perfectly.

But how can we achieve this? How can we turn Harrisburg’s story from the deeply ingrained one of bleakness and despair to one of promise, a place that attracts people to visit and stay?

Certainly, the city government has a role to play and, due to the financial recovery plan and more responsible leadership, things look somewhat better in that area—from the wholesale replacement of streetlights to planned repaving projects.

But the city can’t do it alone. This effort must extend to the private sector, as most of the city’s property—much of it forlorn—is in private hands.

So, to the city’s property-owners, I say this: It’s time for you to take action to make Harrisburg better.

You bought the dilapidated building. You have title to the boarded-up wreck. You operate a business out of a rundown mess. You own one or maybe 20 empty lots.

When you took ownership, you took on responsibility. Yes, land and buildings may be investments, but they require upkeep and an immediate, realistic plan for use. If you want something that requires no care, buy a few shares of stock, not real estate.

And it’s not the fault of the poor, who are mostly renters. Given a choice, many would leave for a something better or at least force their landlords to fix up the buildings where they live.

Nor is it only the fault of out-of-town slumlords, as awful as they are. Developers, business-owners, wealthy individuals, corporations, investors and prominent citizens—all local to Harrisburg—are some of the worst offenders.

Often, I walk down a street and wonder what the owners of these impaired, underused properties are thinking. I see an empty lot in an outstanding location, but it’s been undeveloped as long as anyone remembers. I see a boarded-up building, perpetually for rent, decaying and losing value with each passing year. I see unkempt and dilapidated buildings that are owned by people of means.

When I ask these owners about their properties, I often hear excuses. It’s a lousy market environment, they say, or now isn’t the right time or they’re acquiring a block of land or they’re waiting for the feds or the state or the city to give them money or a tax break.

As they refuse to take responsibility for their own inaction, they readily point fingers at others (neglectful bar owners, for instance) for problems on the blocks or in the neighborhoods where they own property.

Harrisburg is changing for the better, but it’s a grinding, building-by-building, block-by-block transformation, led by a few honorable, risk-tolerant people who have decided to step up. Meanwhile, people with deep pockets and deep roots here perpetuate the status quo—old slum Harrisburg—despite the puzzle that, as major property-and business-owners, they would benefit most if the city were to substantially improve.

Copus is right. Every junk property and empty lot—just as much as every beautiful mural—tells a story of Harrisburg.

What story do you want your city to tell?

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Raising Glasses, Raising Money: Très Bonne Année: A Very Good Year, for a Very Good Cause

July 31, 2015 | by M. Diane McCormick

On a trip to Napa Valley, Terry Lehman and his wife enjoyed an intimate steak dinner in the iconic carriage house of the Peter Mondavi family’s Charles Krug winery. Their hosts: Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mondavi.

“Here, you have somebody who’s the most visible name in the wine industry in the United States, and they’re spending five hours with you,” Lehman recalls.

Lehman earned the trip through a winning bid at Très Bonne Année, which this year notes its 15^th anniversary.

What is Très Bonne Année (other than French for “Very Good Year”)? It’s an annual series of events culminating with a Gala Wine Auction and Dinner at the Hilton Harrisburg. Last year’s Très Bonne Année, where Lehman chairs the board of directors, raised $430,000.

Since the beginning, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts has been the beneficiary, for a 14-year total of nearly $4.3 million.

“You look at some of the other wine auctions in the country, and they’re in very affluent places, whether it’s Napa Valley or New York City or Naples,” says Lehman. “Our auction grossed $540,000 in one night in auction proceeds, which is phenomenal. It’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.”

Wine, Food, Art

The birth of Très Bonne Année was inspired by one of those other auctions.

Jan Rumberger, a local businessman with wine industry ties, attended l’Eté du Vin, Nashville’s “huge, huge wine auction,” says Très Bonne Année President Bill Kohl. (That’s “Summer of Wine,” by the way.) Rumberger approached Kohl about doing something similar in Harrisburg. They convened local wine aficionados, engaged the l’Eté du Vin executive director as a consultant, and devised a Harrisburg-based concept.

This was two years after the 1999 opening of Whitaker Center, one of the nation’s few venues devoted to the arts, science and film. Since a wine auction relies on an honored guest to donate wine and trips, Kohl approached Robert Mondavi Winery to serve as the first honoree, and “conveniently, Mr. Mondavi’s mantra was that wine is an integral part of a gracious lifestyle combining wine, food and the arts.”

Support from Très Bonne Année helps Whitaker Center keep admission fees “less than what they normally would be,” says President and CEO Dr. Michael Hanes. Since 2008, the funds have also supported renewal of the science center, so it continues to draw new and repeat visitors, including up to 35,000 students from 40 to 45 Pennsylvania counties every year.

Whitaker Center is expanding outreach “to a broader spectrum” of its five-county midstate area, says Hanes. One new program introduces young girls to the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields. More than 100 ticketed events a year present “a whole variety of performing arts.” Its 187 linear feet of gallery space is “open to the public at no cost whatsoever. You can walk in on your lunch hour and take a look at the art we have on display.”

The relationship with Très Bonne Année has “been a great partnership,” Hanes says.

Wine Wave

The hallmark of Très Bonne Année is the trips and events offered for auction—“truly once-in-a-lifetime things,” says Kohl. The late White House chef Walter Scheib “pretty much donated a dinner or two every year since 2006,” including meals in his home and re-creations of White House state dinners.

The items donated by the 2015 Honored Guest, Jackson Family Wines, include a girls’ wine country getaway, guided by one of only 23 female master sommeliers in the world.

“You’re meeting the winemaker and the winery owner,” says Kohl. “You’re having lunch with them. You’re tasting with them. You’re getting a special, behind-the-scenes exposure to the winery that you wouldn’t normally get.”

In addition to his quiet dinner with Peter Mondavi, Lehman has re-created the road trip from “Sideways,” following in Paul Giamatti’s Pinot Noir-guzzling footsteps.

“They’re one-of-a-kind events the general public can’t buy,” says Lehman.

While an in-home dinner might auction in the $7,000 to $15,000 range, Très Bonne Année officials strive to make the event “inclusive, not exclusive,” says Kohl. Bidders might win one or two seats at a dinner, or they can find silent auction lots for a couple hundred bucks. The $75 vintner’s tasting on Oct. 8 offers an “educational tutorial seminar” featuring marquee wines selected by Jackson Family Wines.

“You don’t need to know anything about wine, but the people up there delivering the seminar are so knowledgeable that they can speak to you at whatever level you’re on,” says Kohl.

The 2014 Très Bonne Année was a financial record-setter, and officials are hoping for another in 2015, aiming to raise $450,000. “We’re always looking to improve and get better at what we do,” says Kohl. “It’s really been our board members who drive this every year.”

Over 15 years, Très Bonne Année has “ridden the wine wave in the United States,” says Lehman. “There’s a great appreciation for better wines, and this really exposes people in central Pennsylvania to some very, very good wines that they otherwise might not have access to, or wouldn’t know about.”

Hanes believes that Très Bonne Année is central Pennsylvania’s premiere cultural and charitable event.

“We’re very fortunate to be a partner with Très Bonne Année,” he says. “We intend to continue to be great partners going forward. We’re looking for another 15 years.”

The Très Bonne Année Gala Wine Auction and Dinner takes place Oct. 10 at the Hilton Harrisburg. For more information about the organization and all of its events, visit www.Tresbonneannee.org or call 717-237-6426.

Nature’s Classroom: Wildwood Park encourages learning, discovery in summer programs.

July 31, 2015 | by Rebecca Hanlon

The frog slipped through the fingers of 6-year-old Spencer Clark.

“Get it, get it, get it,” he shouted, chasing it along the 3-mile Loop Trail at Wildwood Park on a hot July afternoon.

The weekly visits to Wildwood Park and the Olewine Nature Center have been a summer tradition for Spencer and his grandfather, James Clark of Harrisburg.

They usually start their visit with a hike on the Loop Trail to “get things warmed up,” Clark said. It also helps young Spencer burn off some energy before heading into the Olewine Nature Center, where displays and educational opportunities keep the boy occupied for at least an hour.

“He always learns something when we visit,” Clark said, chasing after his spunky grandson on the trail. “He’ll talk about it for days, asking when we can come back and telling his mom about the animals he saw.”

Self-guided activities at the park have always provided learning opportunities for the community, said Chris Rebert, park manager. Many overlook the fact that people can just walk a hiking trail, go bird watching or check out the art installations as part of “Art in the Wild.”

But not everyone has the initiative to discover the park on their own, Rebert said. That’s where summer programs become an attractive opportunity for new visitors of all ages to see what Wildwood Park has to offer.

If it weren’t for some of the programs at the park, 15-year-old Tiffany Ritter isn’t sure she’d have learned to love an afternoon lost in the woods. Often found walking around with a digital camera pushed up against her face, the Harrisburg girl has a collection of photographs showcasing the park’s birds, turtles and sunsets.

“I think there are a lot of beautiful things out here,” said Tiffany, who last year took the Photo Boot Camp class. “I feel calm when I’m here. I feel like I can capture a little bit of what’s beautiful and take it home with me.”

Through its programs, Rebert said, the park has reached groups of people that might otherwise never have stopped by.

“We’re looking to serve different age groups and different user groups from throughout the Dauphin County community,” he said. “We want people to walk away feeling they’ve made a connection to their local Greenway, and that this educational institution helps introduce them to lifelong hobbies.”

A lot of the programs, whether for adults or kids, focus on “nature made easy,” Rebert said. Many visitors feel comfortable knowing the trails are easy to walk and the park is a safe place to visit.

“There’s so much to explore here,” he said. “We can’t wait for people to come back and see what they might have missed.”

Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way in Harrisburg, features events throughout the summer. To find out more information, visit www.wildwoodlake.org or call 717-221-0292.

Into the Wild

Each summer, Wildwood Park offers many different types of classes for young people and even adults.

Junior Naturalist Day Camp

While the program quickly filled up earlier this summer, this weeklong program for kids 10 and 11 years old gives attendees a hands-on introduction to the park. Kicking off at the nature center each morning, campers learn naturalist and outdoor skills that help them identify animals and plant life.

Camp guides are always sure to include a little bit of fun in the learning process by getting students active on hikes, canoeing on Wildwood Lake and discovering a new way of observing nature through binoculars.

Outdoor Week

Geared for kids 12 to 14, Outdoor Week is a true adventure program. The weeklong day camp that kicks off at the end of July takes youth on a series of quests of discovery while teaching them outdoor skills. Students build a debris hut, practice their fishing skills, identify wild edibles and take a canoe ride on the Susquehanna River.

Science Series

New this year, the Science Series is for kids 10 to 15. For the true nature lover, this day camp teaches students species identification, natural history and ecology through hands-on experiences. Led by a naturalist, the students tackle the topics of wildlife, birds, streams and reptiles.

Photo Boot Camp

Nature photographers are often found snapping shots of wildlife and beautiful sunsets at Wildwood Park, said Chris Rebert, park manager. Because it seemed to be such a popular hobby among the adults, park volunteers decided to help introduce younger generations to the art.

Geared for kids 10 to 16, this program runs the first week of August and teaches young photographers the basics of mastering a digital SLR camera. With a little guidance, the students take their new skills into the park to photograph Wildwood Lake, the surrounding landscape and the park’s creatures.

For Adults

Volunteer-led walks bring visitors back to Wildwood Park each year, Rebert said. From flower walks that help visitors identify rare blossoms to a stress-relief walk that encourages relaxation in nature, these adult-focused programs help provide activities for visitors of all ages.

Hi-Energy August: A hot time in the old city.

July 31, 2015 | by Andrew Dyrli Hermeling

The Defibulators. Photo courtesy of Jessica Gildersleeve.

Summer is winding down, so let’s turn up the heat a little to celebrate.

This month’s slate is definitely high energy. So, if your idea of a perfect concert is a soft voice and quietly strummed acoustic guitars, you might want to take a month off. Moving between funk, punk, indie and grunge, this handful of bands is committed to bringing the rebellion and anger back into rock. So, get ready to move, sweat and shout along.

H.R. w/McRAD, 8/15, 8PM, H*MAC Herr Street Stage, $10/$12
For those who don’t know, Paul “H.R.” (Human Rights) Hudson was the frontman for the pioneering hardcore band Bad Brains. Formed in Washington, D.C., in the late ‘70s, Bad Brains’ blend of punk, funk and reggae revolutionized hardcore music, establishing H.R. as one of the most influential men in all of rock and roll. He will be joined by McRad, headed by Chuck Treece, a famed skateboarder and musician. Often cited as the definitive skate rock band, McRad will be debuting its newest LP, “Lion Pure.”Fittingly, Treece will also use the occasion to debut a new skatedeck and wheels. So, whether you grew up with punk rock or spent your afternoons grinding rails, this is the perfect chance to reconnect with some of rock’s important visionaries.

BIG UPS, WASHER & CONCRETE BEACH, 8/19, 8PM, THE MAKESPACE, $8
Formed in New York, Big Ups started playing its blend of post-punk, metal and indie rock in 2010. Tackling the anxieties of the 21^st century, lead singer Joe Galarraga screams his way though blistering tracks that exist on the verge of cataclysm. Big Ups is not for the faint of heart, and the band mates don’t really care. But, in some ways, their high energy and controlled chaos are the perfect accompaniment for millennial disillusionment. They are promoting their new 7-inch split with Washer, which will be joining them on stage. Considering the small confines of the MakeSpace, be prepared to sweat.

SOUL ASYLUM, 8/21, 8:30PM, FEDLIVE, $22/$25
Although the 1994 hit “Runaway Train” propelled the band into stardom (and earned a Grammy), Soul Asylum has been around since 1981. Part of the wave of alternative rock acts that helped radio move on from hair metal in the early ‘90s, Soul Asylum has continued to tour and record. Although there have been a number of lineup changes, most notably following the death of bassist Karl Mueller, the band’s latest album, “Delayed Reaction,” was released in 2012. Harkening back to the energy of almost 20 years earlier, Soul Asylum is proving that they aren’t done yet. So, don’t expect to see a bunch of aging rock vets going through the motions.

Mentionables: SAVAK, 8/6, H*MAC Herr Street Stage; Miss Tess and the Talkbacks, 8/7, The Abbey Bar; Shine Delphi, Little Amps Downtown, 8/21; The Defibulators, 8/25, The Millworks; Justin Hayward, 8/25, Whitaker Center

School’s Out: After 40 years, Londonderry director leaves for summer, forever.

July 31, 2015 | by Rebecca Hanlon

Rhoda Barasch is spending her summer like she has for the past 40 years.

While students at Londonderry School are out enjoying their three months of vacation, Barasch is in the classroom, stocking supplies, going over curriculum and preparing faculty for the next school year.

But by the time mid-August rolls around and the school bells ring to usher in young minds, Barasch will step down as director and walk into a well-deserved retirement.

When the school started in 1971, there were just four families who attended the school and two teachers—a married couple—who taught classes. When Barasch was hired in September 1975, the school had grown to about 24 students.

By the following year, financial obligations, often pushed aside to focus on education, were starting to become a real issue for the school, Barasch said. It was then that she took over as director.

“It was such a different time,” said Barasch, who remembers being a young married woman who had just moved from Ithaca, N.Y., to follow her husband to Pennsylvania.

Warm & Loving

In the early years, parents were very involved in the school, almost running it themselves. Because the school wasn’t well known in the community, leaders had a tough time attracting new students, Barasch said.

The original class setup was based on A. S. Neill’s Summerhill School, which encourages freedom in learning as opposed to traditional classroom settings. Students weren’t graded, and their parents often were in the classroom as much as the teachers, she said.

Today, the students still have a lot of freedom, Barasch said, but they gear their individual choices toward the classroom experience. Bylaws were eventually rewritten, and a board of trustees was created so that there was a deciding body.

“When the school went from 24 to 215 students, something had to change,” Barasch said. “You can’t run a school with that many families in such a relaxed manner. Things weren’t getting done.”

Despite the organizational changes, the fundamentals have remained the same, she said.

The environment is warm and loving. It fosters an environment where children learn at a rate regulated by their abilities. Students are taught to be comfortable around teachers and other adults while learning conflict resolution skills. The family feel of Londonderry School has never gone away, she said.

Even while working as director, Barasch could still be found in the classroom—the place where her career started. She always taught fifth- and sixth-grade history. And she worked each year with the third- and fourth-grade students on their annual show.

“I wanted to make sure I was in the classrooms in a real way at least once a week,” she said.

Grown Up

As she spends her last summer in the quiet school, Barasch knows she’s leaving her kids in good hands. One of the wonderful things about Londonderry School is that teachers who came never left, she said. Their connections with the students were too important to give up for a job elsewhere.

And she feels the same about her relationship with students, both current and former. Many of the kids will wander into her office and ask advice. Former students, some still in Harrisburg and others back in town, often stop to visit.

“I have to look at them and try to imagine how they looked as children,” she said, laughing. “They grow up so fast.”

While she hopes to still be involved in the school by helping out with extracurricular activities, Barasch said that she doesn’t want to get in the way of what new leaders will do within the school. She’s not quite sure what she’ll do with her new free time, other than visiting with her young grandchildren and maybe squeezing in some traveling.

Her four-decade career with the school has been celebrated in many ways.

A retirement party was attended by former students, some now in their 40s with their own children. A student living in London even made the trip.

In the thousands of days she’s spent in the school, the one she won’t forget was this year’s last day of school. The eighth-grade boys linked arms with her, walking through the double doors as parents waited outside to snap pictures.

“I think that speaks to how they wanted me to be family,” Barasch said. “They weren’t letting me walk out by myself. And that’s what I’ll miss—the daily interactions and conversations. We’ve all grown up together.”

To learn more about The Londonderry School, please visit www.thelondonderryschool.org.

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