Student Scribes: Curfew

July 31, 2015 | by Andrew Huyghue

My phone vibrated as the final five seconds of the state playoff game counted down.
“If you don’t make it back by midnight, I’m gonna whoop your ass!”

It was from my mom.

“We’ll make it back in time, right?” I asked my best friend, Andre.

“Jalen, we could drive home in a golf cart and still have two hours to spare. Don’t worry bro.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and tried to focus my attention on the basketball game, which had a score of 102-101. Our high school, Robertson, was winning. There was one second left, when the infamous John Doe, a guard from our hated arch rival school, McLendon High, made the shot that won the game.

We headed to the exits, our heads down. When the kids from McLendon filed on the bus, Andre motioned for me to follow him outside, where we met up with a mob of Robertson kids.

“They wanna beat us in our own house? Let’s show em a lil’ something,” Andre goaded the other kids, finishing the last of a Heineken. He fell into my arms.

“Go home Andre, you’re drunk,” I told him.

Before he could reply, he vomited into the bushes near the school.

Crazy things happen when a broke, ghetto school like Robertson meets up with a high-class, privileged, white school like McLendon. Andre darted towards McLendon’s principal, Mrs. Coconuts. Before I could stop him, he raised his hand to Mrs. Coconuts’ head and pulled her wig right off, throwing it into the bushes. Andre walked away laughing hysterically, and our large group of kids fell to the ground, laughing out of control.

“C’mon bro, let’s just go home,” I said to Andre.

We had an interesting friendship. He was always the more popular kid, got all the girls, but most of all he always got in trouble. I was quieter, smarter and got Andre out of trouble. They say opposites attract. We were the perfect match.

Andre unbuttoned his pants and started to relieve himself on the McLendon bus. One of the players from McLendon jumped off the bus and got in Andre’s face. But Andre was never one to back down. He took a deep breath and spit on the face of the McLendon kid.

That did it.

Kids from McLendon stampeded out of the bus and met up face to face with our school. Punches were thrown. Hair was pulled. Weaves got yanked out. As I tried to break up the brawl, there was a kid who went to our school—and to this day I can never remember his name—but I definitely remember him clocking me in the right eye for no reason during the fight, and me falling to the ground. Another kid from my school got knocked out as the world turned black for me.

Once the cops had shown up, everyone ran away. (Whenever you see a bunch of black people run, don’t think, JUST RUN.) As I tried to catch up to them, a painful sting zapped my back. I turned around and saw a police officer pointing a taser at me. Someone grabbed me from behind and screamed, “Rape!” A police officer clamped handcuffs on my wrists. Andre and the boys escaped, just ahead of me.

As I leaned into the police car, I remembered I still had to get home before midnight. It was 7:42 p.m.

“Lucky boy,” the police officer said as he unhooked the handcuffs revealing marks around my wrist that I still have today. I raised my eyebrows. “Looks like an anonymous someone paid your bail. You’re free to go.”

I tried to hold in my smile. I started to walk away when the officer grabbed my arm.
“I don’t want to ever see you here again, boy.”

I nodded my head as sweat poured down my face. I rushed to the exit, and checked my phone. It read 9:08 p.m. A sober Andre pulled into the parking lot with my car. The bumper fell off at my feet.

“You’re welcome,” Andre said with a smirk. I pulled him from the driver’s seat and took over. Silence blanketed us. I wanted to chew him out, but I was always scared of him, so I didn’t. As I drove ahead, red taillights flooded the Interstate. I sucked my teeth— accident. We sat bumper-to-bumper trading middle fingers, until I made my way to an exit and found a back road.

It was 10:02 p.m.

Driving along an unlit country road, an old woman appeared out of nowhere right in front of my car. I slammed on the brakes, hitting my head on the steering wheel.

“What the—”. I rolled down the window.
“You’ve got to help! My grandson, he’s unconscious!”

“Call 911?”

I started to reverse the car in order to get away from her.

“There’s no cell service,” Andre said. I was so intent on getting home on time; I had forgotten he was even here. I looked down the road, which was more deserted than a deadbeat daddy’s family.

The old woman banged on the car door.

“Look, Mrs. Doubtfire, I don’t have time for your games; I’ve got somewhere to be,” I said.

“Is that more important than saving this kid’s life?” Andre asked me. His face looked stern and serious, a stark contrast from how he was just a few hours ago. Of all times, now he wanted to be considerate.

“You’re the only hope I have,” the old lady said as a tear dropped down her cheek.
“All right!” I said as I rolled my eyes.

I busted the door open, which almost knocked the woman over. It took all my strength to throw the unconscious, overweight child into the back of my small Subaru. When I strapped him in, his shirt lifted up and racks of jellyrolls hung out.

“Hurry!” The old woman snapped as she buckled up. I got in the driver’s seat and drove off to the hospital, away from home. By the time Andre and I got back into the car, 10:57 p.m.

“We still have time,” I said to Andre. He nodded his head in agreement. “You’ve been fairly quiet,” I said.

He stared towards the window, somber. “This is the first time—”.

A car rammed into the side of ours.

The airbag smacked me in the face. As I tumbled from the car, I tried to stand, but fell back to the ground. My precious car was mangled. How did we survive this?

“Are you okay?” Andre asked me from somewhere in the pitch black night.
Blood ran down my face. I reached for my phone to call 911. 11:27 p.m.

“If you don’t make it back by midnight, I’m gonna whoop your ass!”

I approached Andre who was staring at the ground.

“We gotta get outta here.”

“Are you crazy?” Andre said.

“Just trust me.”

We left the accident scene. I spotted a nearby Ford perched in a driveway. I smashed the window. Glass shards sliced my fists.

“Jalen! You’re going too far!” Andre screamed at the top of his lungs. “Look who’s talking,” I said as I got inside the car.

I learned to hijack cars from my Uncle Bernie who I never wanted to be like, but, boy, would he be proud of me now. Andre couldn’t wipe the shock off his face as we drove off in the stolen car.

I pushed the gas pedal down like I was Paul Walker in a “Fast and Furious” movie. A police siren blared behind me. When the police gestured for me to pull over, I just floored it. Andre opened his door and dove out of the car right before I hit a roadblock.

My mom visited me in jail. At first, I was relieved to see her. Until she grabbed me by the ear and whooped me right then and there in front of everyone.

Andrew Huyghue is a freshman at CASA Charter School.

New Director Named for Susquehanna Art Museum

July 30, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

An interior gallery at the Susquehanna Art Museum.

The Susquehanna Art Museum has named Alice Anne Schwab as its new executive director.

Schwab last served as director of education for the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and currently serves on the boards of several local non-profit organizations.

Schwab replaces Laurene Buckley, who served a little over two years in the post. Under her tenure, the museum constructed its new facility, which opened in January at N. 3rd and Calder streets in Midtown Harrisburg.

In this position, Schwab will oversee the day-to-day operations of the museum, supervising both the administrative and creative teams to create a “premier regional art museum,” according to the museum’s announcement.

To learn more about the Susquehanna Art Museum, visit www.sqart.org.

TheBurg Podcast, July 24, 2015

July 24, 2015 | by Admin

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

July 24, 2015: This week, Larry and Paul recover from the big-ticket news binge of last Friday’s podcast and chat about this week’s more quotidian developments: the Broad Street Market is looking for a new manager, Kipona is moving back to the Riverfront, the Civil War Museum wants to stay open and all over town there are some really big trash cans.

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

TheBurg Podcast can be downloaded by clicking on the date above or by visiting the iTunes store. You can also access the podcast via its host page.

Most Kipona Activities Return to Riverfront Park

July 22, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

A scene from the pow-wow at last year’s Kipona.

The city administration today announced details for the upcoming Kipona festival, stating that many activities will return to Riverfront Park.

The three-day festival, held yearly over the Labor Day weekend, will feature many events familiar to Kipona, such as canoe races, a kid’s festival, music, food and vendors.

Kipona will revert to its traditional format of most events taking place along the waterfront in Riverfront Park, while such activities as the Native American pow-wow and the karate tournament will be on City Island.

Last year, most activities migrated across the Walnut Street Bridge to City Island, leaving only a handful of vendors in Riverfront Park.

Hours will be Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6, noon to 9 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 7, noon to 6 p.m. Fireworks will take place on Sunday. The Harrisburg Senators also will play games all three days.

“We will have food and live music all three days in Riverfront Park,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “And we’re not forgetting about the children. There will face painting, balloons, caricaturists and even the Cobblestone Players to make this a true family festival.”

Street parking will be free on Sunday and Monday. Parking will be available throughout the festival on City Island for a flat rate of $3.

Dugan Resigns as Broad Street Market Manager

July 17, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

The courtyard and stone building of Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market.

Ashlee O. Dugan soon will leave her position as manager of Harrisburg’s historic Broad Street Market, which continues to struggle with manager retention.

In her resignation letter, Dugan told the board of the Broad Street Market Corp. that she would leave effective July 29 to take a job as the PA Preferred Coordinator for the state Department of Agriculture.

“This experience has been a unique one full of challenges and successes,” she wrote to the board. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served this beloved place. I am confident that the market is facing in the right direction, and I see amazing things on the horizon.”

Dugan has served in the post since June 2014. The market has had six interim and permanent managers since 2010.

Joshua Kesler, who recently was named board president, said he is sorry to see Dugan go, but hopes that she might be able to assist the market in her new position. He added that the board now would initiate a nationwide search for a new manager.

“We’re going to take our time and find the best possible candidate, “ he said. “I think we’ll be able to find that person.”

In the meantime, Barbara Skelley, who served as market manager from 1995 to 2003, has agreed to take over in a part-time, interim capacity.

In a phone interview, Dugan said she regards recruiting new vendors to the market and starting Farmers at Broad, a monthly outdoor producer’s market, as two of her greatest successes. In recent months, about 10 new vendors have come into the market.

Despite these strides, Dugan said that the market continues to struggle with such challenges as market infrastructure, which was long neglected, and a negative public perception of the market due to past problems.

In addition, she said that she strongly agrees with the recommendation that the market move to a non-profit structure. The Broad Street Market Task Force made that suggestion in a recently released report.

Kesler praised Dugan for achievements during her tenure, saying the market is now “on the right track.”

“A lot of work has already been done to make it stable for the next person,” he said.

In one of her last official acts, Dugan announced that the market will extend its opening time by one hour, to 6 p.m., on Thursdays and Friday. The extension, she said, will help people who wish to shop or get a bite to eat after work.

This story was updated to reflect the interim market manager and extended hour announcements.

TheBurg Podcast, July 17, 2015

July 17, 2015 | by Admin

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

July 17, 2015: Earlier this week, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced a sweeping set of criminal charges against former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed. The 17 charges, approved by an investigating grand jury, encompass 499 counts including bribery, theft and racketeering. The charges mostly surround Reed’s alleged use of public borrowings to improperly divert funds to personal interests, such as acquiring artifacts for a never-realized network of museums. On this week’s podcast, Larry and Paul talk about the charges, what it was like covering Reed’s arraignment and what’s to come in the continuing investigation.

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

TheBurg Podcast can be downloaded by clicking on the date above or by visiting the iTunes store. You can also access the podcast via its host page.

In Rent-Free Space Uptown, A “Veritable Treasure House” For a Former Mayor

July 15, 2015 | by Paul Barker

Two Penn Center, a building in an office park uptown, gave former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed rent-free storage space for artifacts and other objects.

An uptown office park owned by a pair of Harrisburg lawyers was home to a “veritable treasure house” of artifacts collected by former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed, who stored them there in a kind of a personal museum, according to a grand jury presentment released by the state attorney general Tuesday morning.

A series of ground-floor rooms at the site, which Reed used rent-free for years, contained objects including a life-size sarcophagus, a full suit of armor and “what appeared to be a life-size buffalo head,” according to the presentment, which formed the basis of nearly 500 criminal counts filed against Reed Tuesday morning.

One of the rooms also housed a re-creation of Reed’s city hall office, adorned with civic awards and commendations and various Western items, the presentment said.

Prosecutors have alleged that many of the objects were paid for with city money and that Reed’s personal storage of them amounts to a theft from taxpayers.

The lawyers, Michael J. Daley and Burton D. Morris, would not comment when reached separately by phone on Tuesday.

Morris said he was “not in a position to confirm” either ownership of the building or Reed’s alleged storage of city-bought artifacts there. Daley, who identified himself as a stockholder in the company that owns the property, said he had no comment.

The building in question, though not named in the presentment, is Two Penn Center, a part of the former Polyclinic Hospital campus uptown, which Morris and Daley bought in 2004, according to property records.

An exhibit to the presentment refers to artifacts seized and catalogued at Two Penn Center, and Roxbury News had also previously published footage of investigators delivering artifacts from Reed’s Cumberland street home to the facility.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office said Tuesday that it was also his understanding that the uptown facility was where artifacts were stored.

The presentment also claimed the building’s owners provided the space for Reed’s “personal and exclusive use” rent-free, as an “accommodation and out of respect for the former mayor.”

Morris is the co-founder of Penncorp Service Group, a downtown firm specializing in document retrieval and filing. He has worked extensively in state government, as counsel for former Gov. Milton Shapp and as deputy state attorney general for major litigation, according to a biography on the company website.

He and Daley told the Patriot-News in 2001 that they planned to purchase the campus from PinnacleHealth, which had acquired it upon merging with Polyclinic in the mid-1990s, and develop it into a business park.

The presentment, which does not name Morris or Daley, described how agents searched the property and “found artifacts and collectibles of every description” along with documents and other objects, “piled from the floor to the ceiling.”

Reed told investigators the stored objects were all his personal possessions, aside from a few that may have been “inadvertently” brought there by city employees, the presentment said.

But prosecutors found that explanation “wholly incredible,” particularly after they started to compare an inventory of city-bought artifacts with the ones recovered from the storage facility and from a raid on Reed’s home.

The inventory process, which prosecutors said is ongoing, has so far identified city-bought artifacts in Reed’s collection with a purchase value totaling more than $120,000.

Jurors therefore concluded that Reed had “created in this suite of rooms a veritable treasure house comprising quite literally thousands of items which belonged to the people of the city of Harrisburg,” the presentment said.

Kane’s Office Releases Criminal Complaint, Presentment

July 14, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane today released both the criminal complaint against former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed and the grand jury presentment.

The criminal complaint lists the charges against Reed, while the presentment provides tremendous detail on the allegations against him, including many issues never before discussed publicly. Click here to read the complaint and presentment: 2015_07_14_Reed_Presentment

Reed was arraigned today on 17 criminal charges, with a total of 499 counts filed against him.

Kane Releases Statement, Details Charges Against Reed

July 14, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

Former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed (right) as he stepped up to the mic following his arraignment today.

The following is a statement by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane on the charges filed today against former Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed:

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane today announced the arrest of Stephen R. Reed, the former Harrisburg mayor now charged with various crimes, including using public money while in office to illicitly obtain artifacts and other memorabilia.

“This is one of the most disturbing cases of public corruption this office has investigated,” Attorney General Kane said. “Mayor Reed used taxpayer money to further his own interests. His conduct is at the root of the fiscal issues that continue to plague the City of Harrisburg today.”

The Criminal Prosecutions Section of the Office of Attorney General presented evidence to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the charges filed against Reed, 65. He was elected Harrisburg mayor in 1981 and held office until early 2010.

The grand jury found several instances in which Reed used money available in the municipal debt market to create opportunities to raise money and divert funds.

The grand jury alleges this practice of using the expenditure proceeds from public debt touched several entities, including the Harrisburg Authority, the Harrisburg School District, the Harrisburg Civic Baseball Club and the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, among others.

Over time, Reed, who had a hand in all of these entities while mayor, allegedly used this public money at his discretion partly to obtain thousands of artifacts, which was a violation of Pennsylvania’s Criminal Code. The artifacts — which include such items as a life-sized sarcophagus, a full suit of armor and a “vampire hunting kit” — were bought as Reed made several trips throughout the country allegedly at taxpayers’ expense.

The artifacts and other memorabilia purportedly were destined for several museums Reed planned for the city. Investigators with the Office of Attorney General recovered many of these city-owned items as they executed search warrants at Reed’s office and home, the grand jury presentment states. Many of the artifacts were reported to be in poor condition because they were improperly stored.

Evidence presented to the grand jury also showed Reed made attempts to sell at least 20 city-owned firearms on consignment. Reed allegedly made trips to Gettysburg for this purpose after investigators conducted the search of his office. The weapons have since been recovered.

Furthermore, evidence presented to the grand jury showed Reed allegedly offered to bribe at least one city official, a former City Council President, by offering him a yet-to-be-created position with the Harrisburg Senators. Testimony before the grand jury alleged the exchange was a “quid pro quo” designed to control City Council votes.

Reed also collected money from the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology through a contract he signed to serve as a guest lecturer and fill other functions, but testimony indicated he performed very few of the services for which he was being paid, the grand jury alleges.

Attorney General Kane stressed the investigation of Harrisburg’s finances is ongoing.

“In order for the City of Harrisburg to continue its financial recovery, it is imperative that its citizens have a clear picture of the past,” Kane said.

Reed, 212 Cumberland St., Harrisburg, is charged with the following crimes:

2 counts of corrupt organizations (F-1).

2 counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities (F-1).

2 counts of theft by deception (F-1).

20 counts of theft by receiving stolen property (F-2).

20 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition (F-2).

1 count of theft by deception (F-2).

7 counts of bribery in official and political matters (F-3).

29 counts of theft by receiving stolen property (F-3).

29 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition (F-3).

3 counts of theft of services (F-3).

1 count of theft by deception (F-3).

110 counts of theft by receiving stolen property (M-1).

110 counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition (M-1).

158 counts of misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institutions (M-2).

1 count of deceptive business practices (M-2).

3 counts of criminal solicitation (M-2).

1 count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (M-2).

Reed was expected to appear this morning for his preliminary arraignment in district court.

The Office of Attorney General started its investigation of Reed after receiving a conflict referral from the Dauphin County district attorney’s office.

Attorney General Kane thanked the attorneys prosecuting the case and agents with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, who spent weeks collecting and cataloging the artifacts and other memorabilia seized as part of the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Clarke Madden and Rebecca Franz of the Criminal Prosecutions Section.

Defiant Former Mayor Reed Faces Charges for Theft, Bribery

July 14, 2015 | by Paul Barker

Attorney Henry E. Hockeimer, Jr., left, and former Mayor Stephen Reed outside a district courtroom Tuesday.

Stephen Reed, Harrisburg’s seven-term former “mayor for life” who oversaw a renaissance of the Pennsylvania capital as well as its descent into an all-consuming debt crisis, was arraigned Tuesday morning on criminal charges resulting from a long-running state grand jury probe.

Reed, 65, arrived at the Linglestown offices of Dauphin County District Judge William C. Wenner around 8 a.m., wearing a dark suit and glasses. He was accompanied by attorney Henry E. Hockeimer, Jr., who leads the white-collar defense practice of the Philadelphia firm Ballard Spahr.

The pair pulled into the parking lot a few seconds behind Clarke Madden, the prosecutor in the attorney general’s office who is said to be leading the probe.

“Surreal,” Reed said in response to a question about how he was feeling, as he crossed the lot and entered the court building. When asked if he had done anything criminal, he replied, “Not that I know of.”

Less than an hour later, Judge Wenner read out a list of 17 charges in the criminal complaint against Reed, encompassing more than 400 counts that included theft, bribery, and evidence tampering.

The counts covered actions related to the Harrisburg Parking Authority and the Harrisburg School District, as well as actions connected to city government. Several of them also name Richard Pickles, a former Harrisburg police detective, whom the complaint alleges was involved in criminal solicitation and theft of service.

Wenner said that accompanying the complaint was a “voluminous” grand jury presentment that more specifically detailed the individual counts, and referred to a set of exhibits that would outline the individual claims of receiving stolen property.

After reading the charges, Wenner said he would set bail at $150,000 unsecured, meaning that Reed would not have to post bond. He also said he would ask Reed to forfeit his passport and would restrict his travel to within state boundaries.

Following the arraignment, Hockeimer and Reed each read from prepared statements outside the court building defending Reed’s motives and integrity.

“For 28 years Steve Reed served the people of Harrisburg with energy, commitment and love for the city,” Hockeimer said. “He loved his job as mayor and he poured his heart and soul into it. Mr. Reed also had a deep respect for his position as a public servant and carried out his role with dedication and integrity.”

Hockeimer said Reed would be fighting the charges, which he suggested were “inspired more by political agendas than by anything else,” and said the former mayor “looks forward to his day in court.”

He also expressed concern about how media initially learned of the charges, saying it was information the grand jury process should have protected.

Reed also spoke briefly, saying that “misperceptions and politics are very much intertwined” in the accusations against him. “I regarded service as mayor to be a sacred trust and a calling to a high and noble purpose.”

He went on to compliment the staff that worked with him and to point to the city’s progress as his administration’s legacy. “I devoted my life to the city of Harrisburg, and I look forward to waging a vigorous fight against these charges,” he said.

Neither Hockeimer nor Madden gave any statement in the courtroom. A press release from the office of Attorney General Kathleen Kane said there would be a “major announcement” about the grand jury investigation at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the state capitol, but did not provide further details.

Reed had been presumed to be a target of the probe since its existence was first confirmed in 2013. The grand jury has reportedly been investigating the origins of a debt crisis tied to a city incinerator that nearly pushed Harrisburg into bankruptcy.

Past reports suggested the probe may have expanded into other areas of governance under Reed, a mayor who has been both praised for his vision and work ethic and criticized for reckless spending and an autocratic governing style.

In particular, investigators were said to have taken an interest in how Reed used the Harrisburg Authority, a municipal financing entity, as a kind of checking account for pet projects, such as acquiring artifacts for a hoped-for network of museums.

In early June, investigators raided Reed’s home on Cumberland street in Midtown, hauling away boxes and numerous Western-style artifacts, including saddles, barrels and a stuffed coyote. Reed later told reporters that the artifacts removed were all his personal possessions.

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