Harrisburg Hopes: A few simple things would improve life in this city in 2015.

December 30, 2014 | by Tara Leo Auchey

It’s a new year. With that come new expectations for the City of Harrisburg. Here are a few things I’m looking forward to, hoping for, and counting on in 2015.

A brighter city

It’s a top issue people have with the city—too many streetlights are burnt out, broken or missing.

It makes for a dark, sinister and scary public realm. Anyone who has travelled down one of the city’s darkened streets knows what I mean.

But that’s all supposed to change in 2015.

With grant money from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority to kick-start the project, Harrisburg is planning on inventorying, prioritizing, fixing and converting its 6,000 streetlights to LED technology. By the end of the year, most, if not all, of the city’s lights should be in good, energy-efficient, working order.

While this is set to happen, there’s a New Year’s resolution every resident and business should make to help the cause—turn on your lights.

If all residents turned on their porch lights, neighborhoods would instantly become safer and more attractive. If all businesses kept the outside of their buildings well lit, the city automatically would be more appealing.

It’s one of the simplest and most effective things each of us can do to add to the enlightenment of Harrisburg.

A cleaner city

Like the darkness of broken lights, the rubbish of Harrisburg is a tragic turnoff.

It’s one of the city’s most serious problems—trash. It’s everywhere. There are bags of ripped trash piled high along curbs. Trash cans overflow without tight-fitting lids, and that’s not the only city law people ignore. Televisions sit on the street. Mounds of furniture are put out. Even public trashcans spill junk onto the sidewalks.

Yes, there’s trash in any city, but I have to say, in general, Harrisburg is a mess. In fact, it verges on being filthy.

This is something also scheduled to change.

The city’s Public Works Department has proposed an ambitious strategy to overhaul the way it picks up trash. New trucks, new hires, new bins and new rules are all part of the plan for 2015.

However, that won’t be enough. It’s going to take more people properly pitching their garbage and picking up litter to help clean up this city.

It’s another thing for every resident, business, commuter and visitor to add to their lists of New Year’s resolutions. It’s time we all care more to keep Harrisburg clean.

A more unified city

The rich differences that make up Harrisburg are precisely what give this urban core its energy and vibe. Its diversity is what makes it a city.

However, those very differences can cause problems that hinder Harrisburg’s potential.

Around here, there’s a tendency to fall into an “us” and “them” mentality. The lines are drawn based on skin color, culture, ethnicity, income, how long you’ve lived here, where you’re from, who you know and who you don’t know.

In the past, this damaging fragmentation has been encouraged for a variety of reasons by a variety of people.

The fact is—disunity holds Harrisburg back.

Harrisburg’s success is dependent on teamwork and collaboration. The most important concept to impart is “partners.” No one person or group can do all that needs to be done to make this place better.

There’s a common call for more, but it will only happen if more of us work together.

A virtuous election

It’s a major election year in the city. Seats are up for city treasurer, four city councilors, six school directors and 10 district judges.

Harrisburg needs more people involved. Hopefully, this year, more residents will engage not only by running for offices but also by participating in the process.

In Greek, there is a word arete. In its most basic sense, it means to be the best one can be. It means striving for excellence and endeavoring to reach great human potential. Possessing arete means to find ways to overcome the difficulties of working with others and of working on projects in order to reach a common good that’s best for as many people as possible.

Having arete is to be informed, to be part of various social endeavors, to listen well, to find compromise, and to strive for shared goals.

It’s a trait expected of all citizens. A person who has arete recognizes civic duty and is an active part of the community.

Just what Harrisburg needs, especially in an election year.

Less gripe, more hype about the many good things in Harrisburg

Enough said.

Tara Leo Auchey is creator and editor of today’s the day Harrisburg. www.todaysthedayhbg.com

Fitness Forward: AspireFIT aims to make healthy living a feasible goal.

December 30, 2014 | by Rebecca Hanlon

Eat healthy and exercise seem like simple enough instructions for anyone to follow—until you actually have to do it.

Telling people to live a healthy lifestyle is one thing, but showing them how to do it is the goal of doctors Richard Rayner and David White, creators of AspireFIT, a new branch of a growing practice based on practical, personal care.

Rayner and White created AspireCARE five years ago when they combined their experience in primary and urgent care services to open a new health facility. The goal was to form seamless communication between the medical provider and patients—and the idea took off.

“We started Aspire with the goal of showing people the value of preventative care as a long-term solution for treating disease and injury,” White said. “We have the desire to equip people to take ownership of their health. That’s where the name came from. We desire that our practice would inspire our patients to aspire to something better as it pertains to health.”

While working out the introductory kinks of a new business venture, Rayner and White wanted to incorporate their ideas of community fitness early on. They created Team Aspire, a weekly running and walking group that focused on training for the Harrisburg Marathon, as a way to get exercise together.

For many patients, hearing the advice to get fit and active is easier to swallow knowing that Rayner has been on the other side. Growing up obese, he decided to start running in high school as an alternative to group sports, finally taking the leap in 2002—at age 40—to enter his first marathon.

“Training and running a marathon is a bit like scaling a very high mountain in the sense that, when you first think about it, it’s completely overwhelming,” Rayner said. “But when you’ve done it, the sense of satisfaction is huge because you’ve done something that you couldn’t even get your head around.”

With Team Aspire, he dipped his toe into group fitness, while encouraging patients to practice prevention.

“When you exercise by yourself, sometimes it feels like suffering,” Rayner said. “When you exercise with community, it feels like you’re accomplishing something.”

AspireFIT grew out of that sense of community, transforming it into a more instructive, multi-faceted sense of fitness.

Don’t think of AspireFIT as a gym or the more institutional medical center because it isn’t either of those things, according to Rayner and White. Instead, it’s a high-care environment that focuses on the technology of determining someone’s body mass index and resting metabolic rate, while being very interactive, not only as a community, but through the instruction of professionals.

AspireFIT is open to anyone in the community, whether or not they are referred by their physicians. Typical programs last 12 weeks, with workouts and diet created for individuals and their unique needs.

Since launching AspireFIT on Oct. 13, Rayner and White have been intentional about making the facility feel like anything but a gym. Similar to the medical practice, it was designed with warm colors and the natural elements of wood and stone with the complement of natural light.

“Coming to AspireFIT is an investment of time, of person, of finances in an effort to pursue something that is transformation for a lifetime,” White said. “We live in a society that is prone to reach for the quick fixes with the least amount of effort. What we’re embracing is a philosophy and a lifestyle that will transform who they are.”

The concept of health as a lifestyle has been a beneficial concept for Liz Yarnell, a 62-year-old Colonial Park resident and walker with Team Aspire. As a patient at AspireCARE, Yarnell was urged to get active.

“I’m a little lazy in that I have no desire to run, and I don’t even want to walk 13 miles,” Yarnell said. “But I can walk six or seven.”

Yarnell is among six walkers who meet up with the runners of Team Aspire to participate in that community concept of exercise. Despite different fitness levels, the group motivates runners and walkers alike.

“Physically, it has done so much for me, but there really is a great social element to it,” she said. “There are a lot of commonsense things I’ve learned from participating. I’ve adjusted my diet. I look at health as not just one troublesome issue, but how I feel as a whole person.”

Misti Demko, a competitive runner who helps organize Team Aspire, said the group concept is making sure everyone belongs—whether they walk or run.

“There is a lot of work that goes on to validate people and tell them their goals are worth it,” Demko said. “That is unheard of in medicine. The whole idea that you can reach your goal, not matter what it is, and they’ll walk beside you the whole way. It’s just not something you see.”

Those who run with Team Aspire aren’t just going out on their own and reporting their progress to Rayner and White later. Often, you’ll find the two of them running alongside their patients, living out their desire for community wellness.

“My dream would be that people come to AspireFIT feeling one way and leave after 12 weeks saying, ‘I’ve never felt this way before,’” Rayner said. “I want people to feel joyful and come to a place where their bodies work the way they should.”

For more information on AspireFIT, visit www.aspirebetter.com.

Grounds for Change: Before long, the sprawling State Hospital site will hit the market, and that has some people concerned.

December 30, 2014 | by M. Diane McCormick

Dick Norford has led hundreds of bicyclists on Greenbelt rides, and newbies always have the same reaction when the trail crosses into the lush grounds of the former Harrisburg State Hospital.

“They’re absolutely in awe that there’s that much green space right in the middle of the city, right next to one of the busiest roads in the city, with Cameron Street and that huge parking lot for the Farm Show building, and how close it is to Interstate 81, and yet here’s these hundreds of acres of green just sitting there,” says Norford, a spokesperson for the Capital Area Greenbelt Association and president of Bicycle South Central PA.

The verdant slopes and tall trees of the former State Hospital grounds are open to the public but largely unknown. Now, the state is preparing to sell several hundred acres of the largely undeveloped grounds, and the pending sale raises questions.

Is the State Hospital’s emergence into the light of day a blessing or a curse? Is it time for a hidden gem to take on a larger role as community asset? Will the sylvan setting be lost to developers hungry for rare urban acreage off an interstate highway? Can a local coalition help balance the preservation of natural and historic assets with the site’s economic development potential?

Tremendous Space

The Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital was founded in 1845, after reformer Dorothea Dix crusaded for humane treatment for the mentally ill. Her self-sustaining city offered peaceful, rolling hills, secluded from the capital city that would grow up near its boundaries. Even as government peeled off pieces of the 1,000-acre grounds for agency offices and the Farm Show complex, the State Hospital’s original core remained largely untouched.

Today, employees from the state Department of Public Welfare, Pennsylvania State Police and Department of General Services work in the old buildings, in what’s known as the DGS Annex, but they’re slated to exit for new digs at Strawberry Square’s Verizon Tower in 2016.

Before the land can go up for sale, possibly not until mid- to late-2016, DGS must develop a plan for legislative approval, recommending how to parcel it off.

“We’re at the very beginning of this process, and a lot of things have to take place before any sale could happen,” says DGS spokesperson Troy Thompson.

The targeted area includes part of the Capital Area Greenbelt. It also includes about 30 buildings from the original asylum and 183 acres in a surrounding arboretum that won National Register Historic District designation in 1986.

As news of the pending sale began to spread in early 2014, a Committee for the Future of Harrisburg State Hospital emerged to promote a balance of historic and environmental preservation with economic development.

The site’s original obscurity was, by design, to create “a refuge and an enclave” for the mentally ill, says David Morrison, interim executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, a CFHSH leader. Maybe, adds Harrisburg historian and coalition member Jeb Stuart, a certain mystery has kept the site “not on the public radar. It’s a tremendous space, but it’s never been marketed, never been promoted.”

The site’s obscurity also explains why the Capital Area Greenbelt winds through it today, says Norford. Completion of the original Greenbelt, begun in the early 20^th century, stalled before it could circle the city, he says. By the 1990s, the reborn Capital Area Greenbelt Association, striving to close the loop, sought out lands that had escaped the march of post-war development. The pristine State Hospital grounds helped close a gap from Reservoir Park to Wildwood Park.

“I don’t know if it’s been preserved or ignored or sacred ground,” Norford says. “At the end of the day, it was preserved.”

But even Norford, a self-described “student of the Civil War,” hadn’t known of the site’s pre-Civil War origins or its role as a kitchen for Union soldiers training at nearby Camp Curtin until he got involved in CFHSH.

A 60-foot easement protects the Greenbelt from development. On the buildings and grounds with National Register designation, private owners would face restrictions only if they sought public funding or federal or state permits. But large tracts remain available outside the green and historic sections, and the CFHSH hopes for a mindset that rises above restrictions and views development “through the lens of future opportunity,” says Morrison.

Perhaps “the stigma of being an off-limits institution” could be lifted by transferring recreation areas to Dauphin County or Susquehanna Township, where much of the land is situated, says Morrison. The CFHSH also hopes the state will declare the National Register portion eligible for federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

“There are companies all over the country that look for these opportunities,” says Morrison. Pair up reuse of the historic portion with development of the non-historic areas, and “the net benefit to the region, to the community, to the municipalities, to the general public is enormous.”

“We’re not only not wringing our hands over the sale of this property, we’re saying it offers tremendous potential benefit,” says Morrison.

The sale offers “an exciting project from an aerial perspective,” says Chuck Heller, senior associate with Landmark Commercial Realty, based in East Pennsboro Township. “You have 600 acres there at the crossroads of 322 and 81 and quick access to downtown Harrisburg, the Farm Show complex.”

Many Uses

Other area developments, such as TecPort near the Harrisburg Mall and Rossmoyne in Upper Allen Township, have successfully converted open space into bustling commercial spots, with such uses as high-end office, research and development and warehousing, Heller says.

At the State Hospital grounds, “There’s going to be a lot of people pushing for large, big-box industrial,” Heller says. “That is a perfect location, but there’s enough for many uses.”

The site’s development potential far exceeds the vacant lots and buildings of nearby Cameron Street, Heller says. There, city taxes, flooding risks, low ceilings and brownfield remediation hinder reuse. The State Hospital grounds would probably require rezoning to allow development, but a lack of neighboring residents and many nearby assets—a large post office, Harrisburg Area Community College, Dauphin County’s Wildwood Park, PSECU, state offices—make it “a very interesting site.”

“It’s a good opportunity for the state to do something that’s forward-thinking to help the community,” Heller says.

CAGA doesn’t want to interfere with land sales, but “it would really be nice to save the historical and environmental and recreational value of the whole area,” Norford says. The sale could become a blessing or a curse, he believes, but, for now, the attention is elevating the site’s profile as a unique asset for all to enjoy.

“It’s very much a blessing that we can go just a short distance from any of our homes and enjoy that beautiful setting. We haven’t really used it. This is a facility that I don’t think we’ve ever exploited as a park setting, so maybe this whole effort will put this area into the focus of more people.”

The Found Grape: You now can enjoy Carmenere, once thought lost forever.

December 30, 2014 | by Steve Juliana

In the world of wine, the French region of Bordeaux is usually associated with the pinnacle of all things that involve turning a grape into a bottle of pleasure. This is where, arguably, the best (and, certainly, the most expensive) wines on Earth are made. From the Middle Ages, when Bordeaux wines were known as “claret,” to modern times, demand has outstripped supply.

Much of this was due to the fact that the Bordelaise were master wine blenders. They had six different grapes at their disposal: the noble Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as the lesser Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere. At harvest, each grape was made into wine and then blended to maintain each chateau’s style and quality.

In 1855, Emperor Napoleon III ordered the classification of the Bordeaux vineyards by price and quality. This coincided with the Paris Exposition of the same year. Now, thousands of visitors to the French capital had the world’s best wine available to them with a system to rate each one. Heady times indeed.

Bordeaux vines also had been imported to the Americas, where they were planted in places such as California’s Napa Valley and Chile’s Santiago region, bringing the New World into the modern age. Then the unthinkable occurred.

In 1863, the phylloxera aphid was discovered in the Gallic vineyards, a nasty insect that came over from America. There was no defense and, by 1870, the grapes had withered and died. Gradually, it was discovered that the European vinifera could be grafted to American rootstock, which was impervious to the grape louse. The growers set about making the great conversion, which took many years. Eventually, the great regions of France returned to their former glory, and Bordeaux once again became the top of the wine pyramid. Only, this time, the blenders had but five grapes. Carmenere had vanished.

Bordeaux and Napa both became powerhouses with quality and personality that developed markets in every corner of the globe. Chile has made good wine for decades but never developed the following of France or California.

In 1994, wine expert Jean Michel Boursiquot was invited to the Apalta Valley in Chile to examine some odd Merlot. After DNA testing, the grape in question was found to be Carmenere. Overnight, thousands of acres of grapes were of a variety that had been missing for more than 100 years.

Some growers and vintners took this news and made the once-extinct grape into their signature quaff. Carmenere is lighter than Cabernet or Merlot. If not fully ripe, the wine has a tendency to taste vegetal. When done right, it is a smooth, dark wine, with unique spicy aromas and deep flavors. Because the tannins are not heavy, it is a food-friendly wine that matches well with grilled meats and Indian cuisine.

This wine is a survivor. It is the culmination of accidents and decisions that have brought us to a new, unique place in wine history.

Keep sipping, Steve.

Apaltagua Rose Carmenere Chile Reserva 2013
Code 80255

A somewhat non-traditional use of the Carménère grape, this rose shows some tart fruit flavors as well as raspberry and rose petal notes. It is the perfect choice when serving Asian or spicy food.

$10.99

Marques de Concha Carmenere Rapel 2012
Code 72404

Jackie Spironello, South American Wine Buyer, loves this wine for its black ripe fruit, spicy black pepper and hint of chocolate. Pair it with roasted meats, cheeses and rich red sauce. 90 points Wine Spectator May 2014.

$21.99

Santa Rita Pehuen Carmenere 2008
Code 33540

Wine Specialist Mark Wolf calls this a “big, bold wine that drinks well now with a bit of decanting,” and notes its 91-pt score from both Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate.

$19.99

On the Road: Teen driving can be a major cause of parental stress–but it doesn’t have to be.

December 30, 2014 | by Dr. Deepa Sekhar

Parents tell me they are not sure which is worse: shuttling their teenager from one activity to another or waiting for their teenage driver to return home. Watching your teenager get behind the wheel is a big deal, so I always review basic driving rules with new drivers and parents.

In the state of Pennsylvania, individuals are eligible for an initial learner’s permit at 16 years of age. The application process requires teenagers to have a “medical qualification certificate” completed by a medical provider. This form asks providers to certify that a new driver has no medical conditions, which would impair safe operation of a motor vehicle.

New drivers also complete a knowledge test and an eye screening at the Driver License Center. Once these are passed, teenagers may begin behind-the-wheel practice. Sixty-five hours of adult-supervised skill-building are required before the road test may be taken for a junior license. Even with a junior license, there are restrictions on nighttime driving (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and the number of passengers, specifically those under 18 years of age.

As I complete the medical qualification certificate for teenagers in the office, I like to emphasize the following points with parents and new drivers:

1) Seatbelt on. This is clear-cut and non-negotiable.

2) Minimize distractions. Parents know good driving requires both managing yourself and anticipating the moves of others on the road. This is harder to do when distracted. Teenagers should get all controls set before pulling out. Specifically, adjust mirrors, the radio station and temperature controls before driving. Meals should not be eaten while driving, as managing a drink and food without spilling is an unnecessary and added complication. Cell phones should be set to vibrate or silenced to eliminate the distraction from arriving text messages or emails. If a call must be made while driving, teenagers should pull over into a safe spot and stop the car.

3) Leave enough time. A colleague of mine gives his son an absolute latest time he must be out the door if he wants to drive himself to school. Many of us are guilty of leaving the house late and driving just a “little bit faster” in an attempt to make up the time. Again, this is a terrible idea for experienced drivers and even worse for new drivers.

4) Admit when you are not safe to drive. All my parents agree that they prefer to get a late night phone call to pick up their teenager rather than get a phone call about an accident. Teenagers should absolutely not drive after drinking, using any other substances that impair judgment, or even if they are sleepy. This may be a tough phone call for a newly licensed teenager to make, but the consequences of an accident or violation are worse. Junior license holders in Pennsylvania who accumulate six or more points or have a single high-speed violation are subject to a 90-day license suspension.

5) Take it slowly. After passing the road test, a new driver is still inexperienced. As with any new skill, it is best to start with something familiar and advance. For example, as children learn to read, they progress from simple picture books to small chapter books and then full novels. Similarly, a new driver should start off by taking short trips in daylight, in good weather on more familiar roads, building comfort and confidence.

Additional skills parents should address include pumping gas, location of the spare tire, calling for roadside assistance, and location of the car registration and insurance.

Driving is an exciting step towards independence for both parents and teenagers. Though it is certain to cause some anxiety for both parties, discussion and planning can help mitigate many of the challenges.

Dr. Deepa Sekhar is a pediatrician at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Midstate Makeover: Carmina Cristina brings out the beauty of central PA.

December 30, 2014 | by Susan Ryder

Heading outside into the frigid January air, most women would never forget to put on their coat, scarf, hat and anything else that would insulate them against winter’s chill.

However, many women think nothing of going out into the cold without applying some type of skin care to protect their face. That sends shivers up Carmina Cristina’s spine.

“Why would you not do the same for your face?” she said, speaking from her Camp Hill boutique, which had its grand opening in November.

If a stereotypical professional makeup artist exists, Carmina isn’t it. Romanian born, she graduated from law school, met her husband and headed to the United States. While deciding what route to take in life, she received some inspiring advice from her father-in-law: “Do something you love.”

That love is makeup and skin care, but her true aspiration is to bring out the beauty in women. She seeks to help women feel attractive, confident and energized. She desires to use makeup to enhance a woman’s features, to emphasize “the good that God put on your face,” as she puts it.

Carmina also argues that women should care for their features by first tending to the body’s outer layer. She states that good skincare provides a foundation for good makeup and will determine how long makeup lasts. A licensed aesthetician, her expertise in the understanding of skin and makeup application came from her education at Complections International Academy of Makeup in Canada and Kruger-Brent Makeup Academy in Romania.

Products to provide this care are available through her signature skincare and cosmetic line, Carmina Cristina. It includes cleansers, moisturizers, eye cream and multitasking products. Most products are simple—fragrance-free, paraben-free and hypoallergenic.

The skincare and makeup line come together to allow women to “look spectacular every day of your life,” Carmina said. She also stated that women in their 40s and 50s often “have a youthful soul” that doesn’t always reflect on their faces.

Her boutique offers tools to allow that youthfulness to blossom. Women also can learn about skincare and makeup though her workshops and seminars.

Lasting three hours, workshops offer a live camera, close-up view of makeup demonstrations. Participants then practice the skills themselves with complimentary tools, brushes and products and receive Carmina’s input, which, she said, is “very honest.” Topics include teenage makeup; over 40; skincare; day and evening looks and more.

She conducts shorter, more focused lessons through her seminars. Lasting 90 minutes, they are suitable for larger groups and include lessons on subjects such as brows, blush, lips and trends. Private group seminars and workshops also are available.

Cheryl Garman of Lewisberry described Carmina as an “excellent educator” and added that she makes applying makeup easy for anyone.

Most events are held in the Camp Hill boutique, which Carmina describes as “cozy, cute and an intimate place.” The shop features large front windows that fill the space with natural light, essential for good makeup application. Outside of her store, she offers makeup services for commercial clients, special events, weddings and individuals.

Amy Youtz of Harrisburg, who has participated in Carmina Cristina’s seminars and private makeup sessions, said that her products rival more expensive lines at a much better price.

“Why would you go to Sephora or Macy’s?” she asked, stating that you can have local, knowledgeable, affordable and personalized service from Carmina Cristina instead.

Carmina had a bit of a makeover herself when she decided not to practice law. The decision did not make her law education irrelevant, however. That schooling has bolstered her business skills, she said, adding that higher education “affects goals and thinking” in a positive way.

Though the boutique just opened, 2015 already promises new things for customers. Carmina said she plans to add “beauty memberships,” yearly memberships that include makeovers, discounted products and free seminars, supporting her belief that continual skin maintenance is paramount.

Her goal is to dress women’s skin every day and to help the women of central Pennsylvania look and, more importantly, feel beautiful.

“I want to have a nice place for ladies to care for and enjoy themselves and draw out the beauty in them,” she said.

Carmina Cristina is located at 2209 Market St. in Camp Hill. Boutique hours are Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by appointment. For additional information, visit www.carminacristina.com or call 717-343-2805.

Student Scribes: 3 Poems

December 30, 2014 | by Mary Imgrund

Fish

Listen to feral cats screech on the other side of my window

Hiss poison, kill through play

Splinter, contort my spine to seem menacing

Lose the luxury of being angry, anymore

Made a nest of these dirty sheets

Hunt for the wrong kind of prey.

Everyone tells me there are a lot of fish in the sea

An abundance of them

But they’re slimy,

They have gaping mouths and bulging eyes;

I never acquired the taste.

Consumer’s Cathedral

The earth threatens this place, oozing through cracked skin

Bathed in the artificial longing light

Great pyramid of fragmented need, wasteful want.

Pray to the Gods whose temples destroy the land who bore –

Yet security was born here; she will be buried in a toxic landfill

Mousetraps left half open, and still they make the pilgrimage

Checkered ceiling, beige colossus

Unsanctimonious housewives numbed by the malaise of their golden years

Pillaged villages hidden by drywall, glass too tough to break

I still inhabit certain empty, forgotten spaces

Where my monuments grow taller

Where others’ gods creep in from every corner

Where I listen to the ever-fading silence

Where I go to hide

Arithmetic Lovers

Transforming faces

I can’t tell if my eyes are an unfit tool, or if my subject is disingenuous

Your enigmatic cheeks lost their warmth

Warmth

Molecular movement I associate with love, comfort

Being in state of flux

I don’t want your flux

You oscillate between extremes, no logical pattern emerges

I can’t quantify you, your tears test acidic

Yet your needs, basic

Am I to trust the Truth or your truth?

Neither exists

I’m on my 7^th spring roll and none of them taste as satisfying as a cigarette

I think of fire and smoke, of pleasant meetings with strangers

Jokes

You laughed

More faces swirling into contorted smiles

Handshakes with skeletons, smiles for the decayed

I don’t like your friends any more than mine like you

If 2+2 is 5 then our conversations are an imaginary number

One text, two texts, no response, no answer

I can extrapolate a line from any two points, but I’m operating on a different plane

You have no line, and I can’t measure the slope of the arch of your spine

I derive no pleasure from accusations, corrections

Yet I yield to your subjective proof

You are a tautology of negativity, damaging my DNA.

Still, I produce my ruler and measure the space between us

Insurmountable

Mary Imgrund is a senior English major at Penn State Harrisburg.

Toward Your Goals: Keeping those New Year’s resolutions often starts with a commitment to basic well-being.

December 30, 2014 | by Amanda Levison

For the New Year, many people set new goals for themselves. Typically, these goals are about losing weight, making more money or other ways to improve themselves.

So, how are you planning to achieve your 2015 personal and professional goals? What strategies will you use to be productive at work and home?

I find that it’s best to start with the basics, especially for people who find their lives off-balance and who want to enhance their productivity at work and home effectively and efficiently.

Get Adequate Sleep

Many people lack the amount of sleep they really need.A lack of sleep increases stress and decreases decision-making abilities. You will function best when you have an adequate amount of sleep. To achieve this, you should have a clear bedtime routine and eliminate distracting light and sound sources.

As a licensed professional counselor, I see many people who struggle with sleep. Lacking sleep affects other areas of your life, such as lack of focus, concentration, productivity and mood stability. It’s amazing how, once sleep has been tackled, other areas improve.

Shape Up

Exercise improves sleep and, therefore, relieves stress, clears your mind and increases productivity. It also reduces cortisol, which is an insomnia trigger, and increases serotonin, which is a sleep regulator.Shape upby engaging with a personal trainer to reach your exercise goals with an accountability partner. You might plan to go the gym, but end up not going when “things get in the way.” By making appointments with people, it is easier to follow through with your intentions and commitments.

Set realistic goals for yourself. Many times, people want the perfect body. But how realistic is it to achieve that goal and what does it take? It may lead to feeling overwhelmed and burned out. Set realistic goals for yourself regarding your diet and exercise and modify them as you go along.

When feeling hungry, people will eat what’s available to them. Why do you think fast food is such a big industry? It’s important to make healthy eating choices and have them available. Keep granola bars, almonds, fruit, raisins or other healthy snacks nearby to prevent binging when you’re feeling hungry.

Find Support

Seek support, whether it’s to engage with a mentor, a therapist or an accountability partner. It’s important to talk to someone you can be open and honest with to help guide you and support you and help with your productivity. You can also seek help or support from family, friends or colleagues.

Plan for “me” time to create balance every day. Know that you are worth it and deserve this time. Consider what you are truly passionate about and give yourself permission to enjoy it. Whether it’s an art class or reading a book, find time for what makes you happy and centered. Typically, we become consumed with work and family life, and that leaves us with little to no time to center ourselves and reflect on our needs and wants. Put some time aside daily for yourself.

When stressed, people tend to make poor decisions, whether it’s poor eating decisions, lack of exercise or not taking care of themselves overall. Not only are they making poor decisions, but they don’t always think rationally, and their immune system tends to suffer. Therefore, their mental health affects their physical health. That is why it is so important to take care of your overall well-being and be in tune with yourself.

Manage Your Time

Maximize your time through planning and prioritization. Plan your day based upon your personal and professional goals. When with family or friends, focus on fun. Mealtime is for socializing and have conversation. Put your electronics away! How often do you go out and see people on their electronics and disengaged? Engage in quality time through conversations to share highlights of your day and to show you are interested in your loved ones. Choose to engage in quality time with your family and friends. Celebrate moments and making memories.

Minimize activities that drain your time or energy without realizing results. Consider the time you spend playing mindless games or staring at a computer screen being unproductive. One way to do this is to train your brain to focus on priorities and achieve desired outcomes with neurofeedback.

Rejuvenate yourself through relaxation. Take a walk, read a book, play with your pet, go shopping within healthy limits. It is key to build downtime into your schedule.

For 2015, make a commitment to balance your work and personal life. Get the most out of your day by becoming more productive, well-rested, healthy and happy. Happy New Year!

Amanda Levison is a Licensed Professional Counselor at the Neurofeedback & Counseling Center of Pennsylvania. For more information or to reach her, please visit www.neuroandcounselingcenter.com or call 717-202-2510.

Restaurant Reinvention: Following top-to-bottom renovations, Ad Lib, 1700° Steakhouse debut inside Hilton.

December 30, 2014 | by Alexis Dow Campbell

Photo by Waxman Photography.

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my friend David.

He works at the Hilton Harrisburg, which recently replaced its two stalwart restaurants, and he was at an employee tasting at the new Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar.

The text read: “Umm Alexis. Our new food is f*$%ing great.”

He sent a photo of a pickled beet egg that he was eating and described it as “a deviled egg crossbreed. It’s got a real pickled bite to it, and that sliver of beet is crunchy.”

There were lots more texts describing other dishes, in all caps to emphasize their sheer awesomeness (“I AM EATING PRETZEL BALLS STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE, PEPPERONI AND JALAPENO”) and yet more acclaiming Ad Lib’s edible cocktails (more on those later).

When I asked Tony Bianco, executive sous chef at both Ad Lib and 1700° Steakhouse (i.e. 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the infrared broiler that sears the steaks), what prompted the big changes, his answer was simple: “It was time.”

“When the original concepts [for the previous restaurants, Raspberries and The Golden Sheaf] were new, they were ahead of their time,” he said. “But things have changed, and we wanted to catch up. It was time to change the vibe, change the energy.”

The reinvention of dining at the Hilton was part of a larger remodeling project that coincided with the hotel’s 25th anniversary in Harrisburg.

We chatted about Ad Lib first, and I mentioned David’s passionate texts. Bianco laughed and explained that the idea behind Ad Lib was to present traditional comfort foods in new and unexpected ways. The pickled egg that David loved is a great example.

“It’s a deviled beet egg, but we pickled the white in white vinegar, so you’re not necessarily expecting vinegar flavor when you bite into it,” Bianco said. “We added the beet to the yolk mousse instead, which creates a beautiful presentation and some unexpected flavor.”

Ad Lib’s menu is based around small plate sharing, and, according to Bianco, it’s one of the only places in the area with a menu that’s designed this way.

“Your server will help guide you through the experience,” he explained. “You can just order a few at a time and share with your friends… just let the meal evolve.”

Ad Lib also features an adventurous cocktail selection, including 30 wines by the glass, 60 different craft beers and edible cocktails.

Wait, what?

Here’s how David described one of them, a s’mores cocktail: “Chocolate liqueur and vodka, made into a gelatin, with house-made toasted marshmallows and a cinnamon sugar biscuit.”

So, yeah, that sounds amazing.

As for 1700°, the infrared broiler was the inspiration for the whole concept.

“It gives a nice hard char to the outside of the steaks,” explained Bianco.

At 1700°, the broiler puts in a full day’s work as nine different steak entrees populate the regular menu, with chef’s specials often boosting the beef dishes into the double digits. The choices include almost every quality cut of grass-fed angus, including a 21-day, dry-aged New York strip, a process that intensifies the flavor and tenderizes the meat.

Can’t decide? 1700° sympathizes with your dilemma and offers a steak sampler, which includes four ounces each of Kobe flat iron, certified angus tenderloin and the New York strip.

For those who prefer less cow, the restaurant has a wide range of seafood dishes, including a seafood bar, as well as soups, salads and a risotto of the day.

And just when you’ve finally decided between the grass-fed porterhouse and the prime rib eye, you face another difficult choice. Right there in the dining room, an 8-foot-tall glass wall tempts you with more than 1,000 bottles of wine.

It’s at that point that you realize that Harrisburg finally has what many say it’s been lacking—a world-class steakhouse.

“Both Ad Lib and 1700 have a real big city feel,” said Bianco. “It really doesn’t feel like any other place in Harrisburg.”

Ad Lib Craft Kitchen & Bar and 1700° Steakhouse are located inside the Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.adlibrestaurants.com (717-237-6419) and www.1700restaurant.com (717-237-6400).

Wheel Life: After building up Jump Street, Bob Welsh has turned his attention to where art, education and commerce meet.

December 30, 2014 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

On a stroll through Strawberry Square, you might notice that one store stands out boldly.

Bursts of color pour through the plate-glass window and, once inside, you see creations that range from repurposed furniture to T-shirts to functional sculpture. The goods are youthful, fun and artsy; most are even practical.

A few months back, Urban Xpression opened its doors to give a creative and entrepreneurial outlet to area youth eager to meld art and business. The store also is the most visible manifestation of The WheelHouse, a program recently spun off from Jump Street, the community arts group long run by Bob Welsh.

“WheelHouse is an outgrowth of a program at Jump Street, which focuses on art-based workforce development,” Welsh explained. “The WheelHouse program is an innovative partnership in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) designed to give high school and college students real-world experience in live work environments—learning while earning a paycheck.”

Defining Moment

Welsh arrived in Harrisburg in 1983, joining a “bunch of musicians” doing the club circuit. He owned and operated Green Room Records and the Green Room recording studio and was elected to the Grammy Academy.

Then came one of life’s defining moments. Welsh read in the Patriot-News about a school that had no musical instruments, so he decided to do something about it. Together with fellow musician Paul Kruis, he put together the Gift of Music program to collect instruments. He raised money among friends and acquaintances and found he was good at it.

The program’s first big gift—of more than 30 instruments—went to Ronald Brown Charter School.

A bit later, when Beverly Portis, executive director of MetroArts, precursor to Jump Street, announced her decision to move on, she recommended Welsh to the board of directors. He was appointed interim director, then executive director and served for 14 years.

Now, he heads Wheelhouse, a subsidiary of Jump Street, while remaining a staff member of the parent organization.

“This seven-figure-budget organization requires all my attention,” he said of The WheelHouse.

Eye Opener

Wheelhouse projects give youth skills they need to be successful in future employment, while advancing high school and college education with in-demand areas of study.

Michael Mills, a senior at Harrisburg Academy, is one participant. Last summer, he was part of a student team tasked to design a store.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” said Mills, a Harrisburg resident who plans to get a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. “We worked with many professional artists and business people and other co-workers from Jump Street. We named the store, painted it, created a vision and mission statement, created a slogan for it, and decided what to put in it.”

The result: Urban Xpression, a youth-created shop focused on making and selling artistic goods. The students learn business planning, customer service, marketing, finance and entrepreneurship, while earning high school and/or college credits.

As part of the program, Mills, who is an assistant store manager, will be taking a college course in technology. Beginning this month, he also will be a paid apprentice.

In addition to Urban Xpression, The WheelHouse operates an Agtech program, which combines agriculture and technology, and a Community Tech program, which teaches students digital photography and technology-based design. Projects in finance and IT are likely to be added, said Welsh.

Students come from all over the region and from public, charter and private schools to participate.

“We try not to interrupt their school day,” Welsh said. “We work around their senior hours, co-op, study programs.”

Meanwhile, Jump Street, with its slogan of “connecting artist and community,” continues its own programming.

The Gift of Music, the project that originally drew Welsh into the nonprofit world, is expanding beyond the acquisition of instruments to the actual support of music programs. These are too often cut from schools because of budgetary concerns, said Melissa Snyder, the group’s interim executive director.

Jump Street also helps students who cannot afford to buy or rent an instrument to participate in music programs. Learning to play an instrument has many benefits, from developing language and reasoning skills to increased self-discipline and self-confidence, said Snyder.

“Music is a gift you can give your child that lasts their entire life,” she said.

Since 2001, the Gift of Music has collected and distributed more than 500 instruments to students in the Capital Region.

“Since the instruments stay in schools, we have easily reached 1,000 kids locally with them,” said Welsh.

Other events and programs sponsored by Jump Street include the annual Artsfest; the teen publication “and” magazine; and Paintin’ Lively, which teams teens with professional artists, who use their creative skills to refurbish furniture for sale.

While Welsh no longer is at the helm of Jump Street, he emphasized that Jump Street and WheelHouse are parts of a whole. They share office space, as well as a mission of bringing the community together and advancing youth through art.

“Almost 17 years at Jump Street taught me to do workforce development in arts and culture,” said Welsh. “WheelHouse is just an extension.”

The WheelHouse is co-located with Jump Street at 100 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. Visit www.wheelhousepa.com. Urban Xpression is located inside Strawberry Square, 315 Market St., Harrisburg.

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