John Campbell: “I Am Sorry”

October 3, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

City Treasurer John Campbell, who resigned Thursday morning following allegations that he stole from a charity unaffiliated with city government, at his swearing-in ceremony in January of 2012.

Former city Treasurer John Campbell at his swearing-in ceremony in January 2012.

Former Harrisburg Treasurer John Campbell issued a lengthy statement late this afternoon, apologizing for taking money from two non-profit groups.

In his statement, the 26-year-old Campbell repeatedly apologized for his alleged thefts from Historic Harrisburg Association, where he served as executive director for four years, and from Stonewall Democrats, where he served as treasurer. In explaining his actions, he cited the burden of overwhelming debt and the immaturity of youth, but said these should not excuse his behavior.

“My decisions were selfish and without thought of repercussions,” he wrote.

He added that his achievements at such a young age blinded him to the consequences of his behavior.

“While I was fortunate in my accomplishments, I was also struggling with the challenges that come with aiming so high,” he wrote.

Yesterday, Campbell waived his preliminary hearing and now is due to stand trial on two felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor count of fraudulent conduct. He is charged with writing checks to himself totaling $8,500 from the account of Lighten Up Harrisburg, a charity associated with Historic Harrisburg, and $2,750 from the account of the Stonewall Democrats political action committee.

Following his arrest early last month, Campbell resigned his elected post as city treasurer. An audit of the office revealed no wrongdoing by Campbell, according to the city.

The full text of Campbell’s statement follows:

“The most important thing I can say right now is that I am sorry. I am ashamed. I am regretful. I’ve made poor choices for personal reasons and that have wrongly affected those who trusted me as an employee, an elected official, a community member, an advocate, a friend, and a family member.

I apologize for the disappointment, anger and grief I have caused. Most significantly, I apologize to the members and directors of the Historic Harrisburg Association who instilled their confidence in me as a 21-year-old Executive Director five years ago. I apologize to the members and officers of the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats who reelected me to four terms as Treasurer and expected me to safeguard the organization’s financial position.

I have confessed to my wrongdoing and have fully cooperated with the authorities. As I continue to make full restitution to Historic Harrisburg and the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats and accept responsibility for my actions, I have not given up on myself. I have sought counsel from my pastor, therapist, friends, and family throughout this difficult time so that I may learn from this unfortunate situation I caused. I refuse to settle into the failure I created, for it implies that we do not learn from our mistakes. Instead I believe that new beginnings come only after our most difficult times, light after dark. It’s hard, sometimes very hard, but new beginnings, light, and learning all come in time.

Some have wondered how this lapse in my judgment could occur. I have thought long and hard about my actions and there are no excuses that can justify them nor shall I offer any. While trying to cloak my actions under a veil of college tuition, unexpected medical expenses, and burgeoning debt might be easy, these are simply symptoms of my decisions, not the causes. My lapse in judgment is ultimately my burden to bear.

Over the past year, while finishing my degree, I made damaging decisions that ultimately hurt me. More importantly, the organizations with which I have worked closely to help restore hope, faith, and trust in Harrisburg were injured. My decisions were selfish and without thought of repercussions. These decisions betrayed the trust I have worked so hard to instill and bring to Harrisburg as a young voice for change and accountability.

Historic Harrisburg is still an organization I hold closest to my values, beliefs, and vision for the future of Harrisburg. It was the organization in which I invested over five years of my life both as a board member and executive director. Together the Board and I built an organization that has become a leader within the community on issues of economic development, community building, and connecting Harrisburg’s past with its future. Just five years ago, the organization had five board members, struggled operationally, and lacked executive leadership. Today the board boasts 23 members, has experienced exponential programmatic and financial growth, and built a staff of six dedicated individuals.

While my tenure at Historic Harrisburg was filled with many successes, it now will be shrouded with doubt and confusion due to mistakes I made that hurt both the organization and me personally. I hope that my actions will not mar the reputation this organization has built.

There has been an impression—one that I fostered and encouraged—that I was a young man superbly succeeding in my ambitions, skills, and goals. Over the past eight years I put myself through both community college and undergraduate school, helped rebuild a struggling organization, reconfigured and modernized a city government office, and gave my time and resources to the community I deeply love. While I was fortunate in my accomplishments, I was also struggling with the challenges that come with aiming so high.

One of the most unfortunate consequences is that I betrayed the public’s trust. While my actions did not pertain to that of the City Treasurer’s Office, as a public official I am held to a higher standard. Of course that is why I resigned my position in the best interest of the residents of Harrisburg. My actions have far reaching consequences of betrayal and dishonesty at a time when Harrisburg needs unity, vision, and confidence. For this, I am eternally sorry to the residents of Harrisburg.

I do not expect nor wish to receive sympathy or pardon but instead ask for your compassion, grace, and forgiveness. I hope in time that those I have wronged will forgive me for my mistakes. Again I am deeply sorry for my actions and the ramifications they have had on my community.”

TheBurg Podcast, Oct. 3, 2014

October 3, 2014 | by Admin

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

Oct. 3, 2014: This week, editor-in-chief Larry Binda and senior writer Paul Barker discuss a potential (if slight) budget surplus projected for Harrisburg this year, a long-delayed federal courthouse at N. 6th and Reily, and the latest in the recovery of the Harrisburg School District.

Report: Harrisburg On Track For Balanced 2014 Budget

October 3, 2014 | by Paul Barker

With three months left in 2014, a year that included two on-time debt payments and the end of state receivership, Harrisburg is on course to meet projections of a balanced budget, according to a quarterly status report filed this week by the state-appointed coordinator of the city’s recovery plan.

In his report, Fred Reddig, of the Department of Community and Economic Development, projects the capital city will end the year with a surplus of $43,297 out of total revenues of $58,820,013.

The projection reflects about a $1.2 million increase over revenues projected in the revised budget City Council approved in February, offset by a nearly equivalent increase in projected expenses to $58,776,716.

Steve Goldfield, a financial advisor working closely on the recovery plan, said Friday that the report represents “very positive news” for Harrisburg, though he also described the surplus as “slight” and the city’s finances as “still in the fragile stage.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone to think that an urban municipality can be fixed and then you wouldn’t have to worry about it,” he said.

The projections in the report, which DCED filed with the Commonwealth Court on Sept. 30, assume a significant decline in revenues in the final quarter of the year, with the city having already collected most of its taxes and all of the $5 million pledged by the state this year for public safety services.

The projections also assume relatively constant expenditures, including an average bi-weekly payroll of around $900,000, which will spend down the city’s cash through the remainder of the year.

As of Sept. 30, the city had a cash balance of $7.3 million, the report says.

The report also notes that, although the city closed on a $2 million tax and revenue anticipation note in March, officials have “effectively managed their cash flow” and did not need to draw on it, thereby allowing the note to expire without incurring interest costs.

The note, a short-term line of credit that would have helped cover operational expenses in the event of a cash shortfall, represented the city’s first successful financing since a 2012 parking revenue bond transaction and was a “very positive step in its recovery,” the report says.

Additionally, the report notes, Harrisburg made both of its 2014 general obligation bond payments on time, with the second payment, $3 million to the Bank of New York Mellon, being made earlier than the Sept. 15 due date.

The balanced budget required restraint from the administration of Mayor Eric Papenfuse, as the revised 2014 budget included several positions which, if filled, would have increased the year’s expenses to around $2.5 million in excess of revenues.

The positions were among several potential costs offset by a $3.9 million “negative expenditure,” a line item that Goldfield acknowledged at the time was an “unconventional” method for matching revenues to expenditures.

But the current administration, Goldfield said Friday, had done a “pretty good job” managing the budget month to month to avoid a deficit, in part by leaving these positions vacant. He said he did not expect the city to use a “negative expenditure” to balance the budget in future years.

Reddig was appointed coordinator of Harrisburg’s recovery plan on March 1 of this year, following a Feb. 25 court order to end the period of receivership under Maj. Gen. William B. Lynch.

As coordinator, Reddig continues to meet regularly with city officials as well as a team of professional advisors that had consulted the receiver, including the Novak Consulting Group, the Pennsylvania Economy League, Public Resource Advisory Group and the law firms of Stevens & Lee and McKenna, Long & Aldridge, according to the report.

The full text of the coordinator’s report can be downloaded here.

Ghouls, Gourds & Good Times: A little scare, a lot of nature – the midstate gears up for fall fun.

September 30, 2014 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

The leaves may be falling, but there’s no letdown in activity or high spirits during central Pennsylvania’s autumns.

Although events are spread throughout the region, there’s plenty of fall fun in or near the capital city.

In downtown Harrisburg, for example, the Historical Society of Dauphin County is sponsoring Mansion Ghost Tours at the John Harris Mansion on the actual date of Halloween—Friday, Oct. 31.

“There are two tours, one at 6 and one at 7:30,” said Janet Mulligan Bowen, curator of HSDC. “A guide will share local folklore, with the earlier tour being more family-friendly. The second tour focuses on a girl who went missing, at least according to local folklore.”

The ghost tours are fairly new for the Society and are led by candlelight.

Scary stuff is not the Society’s typical realm, but it recognizes that folklore does have a place in history. Last year, a paranormal group checked out the mansion for a possible supernatural presence. The tours, though, are “fun, not scary—not a screecher experience and not a haunted house or maze experience,” said Mulligan Bowen.

Admission is $15 for nonmembers and $10 for members. For kids 12 and under, it’s only $5. Reservations are necessary through the main HSDC number—233-3462. The address is 219 S. Front St., Harrisburg (www.dauphincountyhistory.org).

Roller Ghosters

Hersheypark is all about rapid transitions. In October, it quickly moves from summer to fall mode with a celebration of Halloween, before transforming itself again into Christmas Candylane.

During autumn, the amusement park offers three weekends—from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2—of Hersheypark in the Dark, with activities for the entire family and holiday-appropriate decorations (as in, lots of pumpkins).

Despite the Halloween connection, “There aren’t a lot of scary parts,” said Kaylee Dugan, communications coordinator at the park.

Fall- and Halloween-related events take place on two levels. Hersheypark in the Dark, for older visitors, features thrilling “roller ghosters,” spooky attractions and holiday-themed live entertainment, according to Dugan.

Teenagers might be particularly thrilled with Dark Ride, in which the lights are turned off on a few roller coasters at 9 p.m., for the last hour of the day.

Kids 12 and younger can experience Hershey’s Trick-or-Treat Adventure, starting at Chocolate World and continuing deep inside Hersheypark into Treatville, “a hometown village of sweets and treats.” The sweets and treats are from The Hershey Co., of course. Young visitors are encouraged to come in costume.

All Hersheypark In The Dark rides and entertainment are included in the one-price admission. More than 50 rides are available, said Dugan.

Hours at Hersheypark in the Dark are Friday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.

Simultaneously, Zoo America—to which patrons of the park receive free admission—presents Creatures in the Night. Don’t forget your flashlight for a rare glimpse into the nighttime habits of more than 200 native North American animals. (For those who do forget, flashlights will be available for purchase at the door.) The whole zoo will be decorated in Halloween themes.

For information, including price packages, visit www.hersheypark.com.

Fun in Nature

The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art in Millersburg is event-heavy in the fall, says creative director Alexis Dow Campbell. The main one is the annual Fall Family Day, which takes place this year on Oct. 11 from 12 to 4 p.m.

“The day provides activities for kids of all ages, including pumpkin carving and painting and educational activities about the fall,” said Dow Campbell. “Kids can weigh their pumpkin and see if it sinks or floats, and there are horse-drawn hay rides over trails and a children’s train.”

Another highlight is a live animal presentation by Zoo America, which this year will focus on birds of prey. The presentation will take place at the Ned Smith Center’s new amphitheater stage.

“Fall Family Day is a way to celebrate the seasons changing, connect with family and kids and be outdoors,” Dow Campbell said.

Admission is kept low—$5 a person or $15 for an entire family—and the Center offers coupons for free admission.

Another popular educational annual program, “Halloween Owls,” takes place Nov. 1 at the Center, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg (www.nedsmithcenter.org).

All through the fall, Fort Hunter Mansion & Park is gearing up for Christmas. The Mansion is decorated with fresh greens and other holiday touches, and the “Kids Only” Holiday Shop—open on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 29 to Dec. 14—gives youngsters the opportunity to beat the Christmas rush.

Only they’re not looking for gifts for themselves. The purpose of the shop is for youngsters to find inexpensive gifts for parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members, said Julia Hair, executive director of Fort Hunter.

“We try to have different things, not plastic spiders,” she pointed out. “They’ll find toy trains, for example, or little keepsake boxes, puzzles, wooden cubes or snowflake decorations—which are wrapped in nice packaging before the kids leave the shop. And we try to keep the prices to $10 and under. A few items are only $1.”

Volunteers from Fort Hunter help the children make their selections.

That’s on top of the Festival of Trees, Toy Train Exhibit, Greens Sale and Victorian Tea, among other holiday-related activities.

Fort Hunter is located at 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg. Park hours are 8 a.m. to dusk every day; the mansion is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and noon to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday (www.forthunter.org).

More Fall Fun

With its rolling farmland and changing leaves, central Pennsylvania is perfectly suited to enjoy autumn activities. Here’s a brief review of additional things to do around our area this fall.

Wildwood Park is a wonderful place to explore nature, but it also hosts special events. During Wildwood’s Magical Trail, you can meet some of the park’s talking wildlife then spend time round a campfire. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16 and 17, 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. $8 a person, ages 2 and up. Other programs include an Autumn Bird Walk (Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.) and an “Ode to the Egg” educational and art event (Saturday, Nov. 15, 1-3 p.m.) (www.wildwoodlake.org).

All visitors 12 and under will be eligible to participate in the AACA Museum’s Trunk or Treat program on Saturday, Oct. 25, from noon to 3 p.m. The program is included in the admission to the museum, which is offering a special $5 price for everyone that day. After decorating their own treat bags, youngsters will participate in a hunt to locate a variety of “trunk or treat” spots within the main and lower levels of the museum. They’ll also be given treats provided by The Hershey Co. 161 Museum Dr., Hershey (www.aacamuseum.org).

Strites’ Orchards Farm Market and Bakery is celebrating its 100^th anniversary. You can pick your own berries during selected times and also buy a variety of products, from peaches, plums and nectarines, to milk, eggs and grass-fed beef, and more. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Strites’ is at 1000 Strites Rd., Harrisburg (www.stritesorchard.com).

Paulus Orchards, 522 East Mount Airy Rd. in Dillsburg, features a farm stand; pick-your-own apples and pumpkins; tours, group outings, recipes and more. A main highlight is the Maze/Play Area, open Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 5. Explore a Flashlight Maze on Fridays and Saturdays in October (entrance times 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.). During daytime hours, you can also enjoy pedal carts, a cow train, corn shed, wagon rides, playground, giant checkers, dress the scarecrow and other activities (www.paulusorchards.com).

Pennsboro Pumpkin Fest takes place the weekend before Columbus Day, which this year is Oct. 11 and 12. The two-day event features crafts, food, games, contests and entertainment—such as magic, juggling and dance—and is held in Adams-Ricci Park, 100 E. Penn Dr., Enola. Among the activities are radio-controlled racing, hayrides, inflatable amusements, a sheep club petting zoo and a car show. Added this year are pumpkin whoopee pie eating, pumpkin pie baking and paint a pumpkin (www.pennsboropumpkinfest.com).

Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses is another nearby orchard. On Fall Festival Days, you can participate in wagon rides, pick-your-own pumpkins, a large children’s play area and delicious harvest foods. Craft classes are also offered in November and December. 906 W. Grantham Rd., Mechanicsburg (www.ashcombe.com).

Pride of the Susquehanna hosts two Hollow Weenie nights in October, as part of its Murder Mystery Dinner Cruises. This year’s edition concerns a Halloween party for a hotdog company that goes awry, along with “the wurst frankfurter puns you could imagine.” At press time, tickets were still available for the Friday, Oct. 24, 7 to 9 p.m., performance. Oct. 31 had been sold out. The Pride’s annual Fall Foliage Dinner Cruises are another popular seasonal event, taking place this year on Oct. 4, 18 and 25. (www.harrisburgriverboat.com).

For those looking for scarier stuff, try Asylum Run, open every Friday and Saturday through Nov. 1 from 7 to 11 p.m. Among the haunted attractions are Dr. Lazarus’s House of Lost Souls, Bubba Jack’s Roadside BBQ Shack and Sector 5 The Outland. 517 N. 36 St., Harrisburg (www.asylumrun.net).

Then there’s Jason’s Woods Entertainment, which has events continuing weekends (including Sundays) through Nov. 8. There are six shows, including Lost in Jason’s Woods, Horrifying Hayride and the new Fields of Fright. 99 Stehman Rd., Lancaster, (www.jasonwoods.com).

Maize Quest Corn Maze and Fun Park offers a corn maze and more than 30 other attractions, including “Flashlights at Night in the Maze,” through Nov. 9. Admission is $10 for ages 2 and over. Hours are Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 7 p.m. 2885 New Park Rd., New Park (www.mazefunpark.com).

It’s not too soon to be thinking about Christmas trees, and one place to find them is at Harrisburg’s Smith Christmas Tree Farm. But before Yuletide, the farm offers pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales and gourds. New for this fall is a large hayride wagon. Watch for the date of Octoberfest Weekend. 1001 S. 80^th St., Harrisburg, 566-2375.

Lastly, don’t forget about one of the most important of all fall activities. The Halloween Trick or Treat in Harrisburg is slated for Thursday, Oct. 30.

Season of Symphony: As it cools, Harrisburg gets classical.

September 30, 2014 | by Lori M. Myers

Avalon String Quartet. Photo courtesy of Todd Rosenberg.

A virtuoso is a musician with masterly ability, technique or personal style. Fortunately, one doesn’t have to look far to find those types right here in the midstate. Just search inside large, elaborate spaces or snug high school auditoriums. There they are. They play Beethoven or Gershwin with ease, and they’re led by the likes of Schafer, Malina or Sirotin. Classy? Yes. Classical? Of course.

Central Pennsylvania Symphony

The 2014-15 season is a special one for this volunteer group of musicians led by Music Director Ronald E. Schafer. The Hummelstown-based orchestra will celebrate its 25th anniversary concert season with an opening performance at The Forum in Harrisburg on Nov. 2 in a program entitled “Eaken Plays Beethoven.” Violin soloist John Eaken will perform Beethoven’s famous “Violin Concerto in D Major.” Audiences also will hear works by Strauss, Dvořák and Stravinsky.

“As a charter board member and musician with the Central Pennsylvania Symphony, it is so exciting to be celebrating 25 years of music-making with such a wonderful family of musicians,” says Bonnie Rannels, violinist and board member with the organization. “There is nothing more rewarding than sharing the gift of music with each other and our audiences.”

And those audiences will celebrate alongside them in April inside the Sheraton Harrisburg/Hershey ballroom at the special event “Celebrate 25,” complete with dinner, a talent showcase and dancing. In between the two performances will be “Christmas Traditions” with pieces from Tchaikovsky and arias from “The Messiah” at Palm Lutheran Church in Palmyra on Dec. 7 and a performance of family favorites—from Berlioz, Copland and others—on Feb. 15 inside Greenwood High School in Millerstown.

Learn more about the Central Pennsylvania Symphony at www.centralpasymphony.org.

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra

HSO’s Music Director Stuart Malina calls the upcoming pops series one the strongest in memory.

The series begins on Nov. 22 to 23 with “Feel the Force II: The Wrath of Stu,” a sci-fi music weekend featuring a new selection of great movie scores. In January, the tunes change to “classic soul” when singers Capathia Jenkins and Darius de Haas rock The Forum with music from Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and James Brown. The series continues on March 7 to 8 with the return of the death-defying and awe-inspiring “Cirque de la Symphonie” and concludes May 2 to 3 with “An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein Classics,” marking the 50th anniversary of the motion picture release of “The Sound of Music.”

Ah, then there’s the October through May Masterworks series, when there’s something for everyone, including Beethoven, Prokofiev, Mozart, Shostakovich, Bernstein and more.

“Every concert features great works of music, representing many different styles and periods,” Malina says. “In November, we will be performing a world premiere clarinet concerto by Jeremy Gill—a dazzling and beautiful new work performed by Chris Grymes. In April, we’ll be performing Brahms’ magnificent ‘German Requiem,’ a piece I have never done before and one of the centerpieces of the choral orchestral repertoire.”

And Malina will set down the baton for a bit and take a seat at the piano to perform Mozart’s powerful “Piano Concerto No. 20” in January.

“The experience of hearing a great orchestra live is unlike any other,” Malina muses. “Once you feel that energy, there’s no going back.”

Malina adds that The Forum will be renovated, making it a more beautiful and more comfortable place to experience great music. The orchestra is also instituting a new educational initiative—an after-school program at the Downey School in Harrisburg.

Learn more about the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra at www.harrisburgsymphony.org.

Market Square Concerts

From an initial program dedicated to the 100th anniversary of World War I to the final one commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Market Square Concerts’ 2014-15 season is all about intimacy and connection.

Peter Sirotin, the organization’s artistic director, points out that chamber music performed in small spaces can be likened to that of a black box theatrical experience where an audience feels like it’s part of the action.

“Audiences are transported,” he says. “They feel what it’s like to live in that place.”

In a literal sense, “that place” will vary, as it often does, for Market Square Concert-goers. Late last month, the Ariel String Quartet and pianist Orion Weiss opened in Market Square Church with string quartets by Beethoven and Ravel for the WWI dedication. On Nov. 15, the concert series returns there as the award-winning Avalon Quartet performs Schumann and Tchaikovsky.

Temple Ohev Sholom will play host to two of the season’s performances. On Jan. 20, one of the best young violinists in the world today, Kristof Barati from Hungary, will perform Bach and Bartok on the eve of his Carnegie Hall debut. And, on April 25, the Amernet String Quartet will commemorate WWII with a Jewish-themed program of music by Mendelssohn, Schulhoff (who died in the Holocaust), Shostakovich and Weinberg.

On Feb. 28, Trio Solisti with clarinetist Jon Manasse will offer a jazz-influenced program of music inside Rose Lehrman Arts Center at HACC, part of the center’s 40th anniversary. The group of musicians will perform Poulenc, Turina, Milhaud, Piazzolla and Gershwin, and, on March 28, the Donald Sinta Quartet will perform string quartets by Dvořák, Barber, Shostakovich and Grieg’s “Holberg Suite” at Whitaker Center.

Learn more about Market Square Concerts at www.marketsquareconcerts.org.

Promises Made, Promises Broken: Harrisburg thought it was getting a shiny new courthouse; instead, it has a massive empty field.

September 30, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

There’s a quaint old concept in the legal code called “breach of promise.”

In the old days, when a man proposed to a woman, then backed out, he could be sued for reneging on the engagement. Some states, in fact, still have breach of promise laws on their books.

I now call out the federal government for breach of promise.

In April 2010, when the government decided to locate a new federal courthouse in Midtown, it made a vow to the city of Harrisburg. And, when it began buying up land, forcing people out of their homes, razing structures, and emptying a five-acre site in the heart of the city, it crossed a threshold.

It was committed, engaged, beyond the point of return. It no longer could go back.

Yet, it seems to be doing exactly that.

Little Concerned

The federal government selected the L-shaped parcel bordered by N. 6^th, N. 7^th, Reily, Harris and Boyd streets after an exhaustive, years-long search that considered numerous other sites throughout the city.

Construction was to start in 2013 on the 265,000-square-foot building. However, Congress approved only $26.7 million for site acquisition and preparation. It never appropriated funds to actually build the thing, which is why there’s now a vast, grassy field where a courthouse should be taking shape.

In our August issue, we reported that Congress has delayed funding for courthouse construction until some hazy time in the future following a review by the federal judiciary (completion expected October 2015), development of a long-range facility plan (another 18 to 24 months) and a long queue for funds (Harrisburg currently stands seventh in line for new courthouse funding).

The entire process easily could take another five years just for construction to begin. That is, if it starts at all.

The federal judiciary and the General Services Administration (GSA) committed themselves to the courthouse even though the city met just one of its two principal criteria for new construction—security—as opposed to both security and a need for two more courtrooms (Harrisburg only needs one). This flaw could impact whether, after its review is complete, the feds decide to proceed with the project at all.

Meanwhile, Harrisburg’s two congressmen seemed little concerned about the courthouse-shaped problem that the government has created in the middle of the city they represent.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta told TheBurg that it “remains to be seen if the Harrisburg project will still be on the list” of priority construction projects. Our other congressman (yes, tiny Harrisburg has two), U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, told us the following:

“I believe that ensuring the proper administration of justice for our citizens is a core function of government. Yet, with our nation facing a $17 trillion debt, Congress has a duty to ensure that taxpayer money is used efficiently.”

I agree with our congressmen that the federal government should not be building courthouses recklessly. However, the fiscal probity argument is laughably thin.

This year, the federal budget amounts to $3.7 trillion, meaning that the project’s $110 million cost will have almost no impact on the country’s finances. In fact, assuming the feds still plan to build the thing, the studies, analyses and delays will only end up increasing the project’s cost, to the nation’s long-term fiscal detriment.

While the courthouse has little effect on the federal budget, it has a huge impact on the people of Harrisburg. The federal government is now complicit in two of Harrisburg’s greatest problems—under-development and blight.

It’s ironic. Harrisburg residents expected the courthouse to spur development in that under-used section of Midtown. Instead, it’s doing the opposite, retarding development, adding to the neglect and desolation of the area. And our congressmen seem to be dismissive of the problem.

Caught in the Middle

As Congress petulantly sits on its hands, the city is trying to find “temporary” uses for the expansive area, such as for a dog park or recreation space. However, that’s small comfort to a neighborhood that was promised hundreds of construction and professional jobs.

Instead of seeing highly paid professionals entering and exiting the building, frequenting restaurants and shops, Midtown residents are more likely to see the backsides of dog owners as they bend over with plastic baggies draped over their hands. And that’s a best-case scenario. Worst case: the dark, poorly secured field becomes another place in the city for illicit and dangerous activities.

After the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the federal government started a discussion with the city over a new, secure courthouse to replace the aged, exposed one downtown. It was not a question of if, but where.

Finally, a site was selected, but that site—and Harrisburg itself—now has become caught in the middle of a quarrel between Congress, GSA and the federal judiciary.

Honestly, I could care less about this battle of wills or the claims of fiscal prudence by some members of Congress. To me, the issue comes down to this.

The federal government told Harrisburg it needed a new, secure courthouse. It initiated and drove a lengthy selection process. It chose a site. It bought land. It cleared the land. It is the caretaker of that land and, thus, is responsible for what happens there. It now must live up to that responsibility.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Mr. G Journeys Home: After a lifetime as a restaurateur, Georgio Giannaris shares his native cuisine.

September 30, 2014 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Georgio Giannaris has always loved the bar and restaurant business; you could say it’s in his blood. His father, who came to the United States from Greece, ran a bar and restaurant in York. So Georgio, or Mr. G., as he is fondly known around town, grew up in the industry.

No stranger to hard work, he attended college while working full time as a bar manager and disc jockey for a Greek couple until his life took a fortuitous turn, and he was approached by a local entrepreneur.

“He was a Greek guy, too, and, when he approached me, he said, ‘I’m thinking of opening up a place and if you work for me, I’ll make you a partner,’” Giannaris said. And that’s the short story of how he began taking charge of his own destiny as part owner and general manager of the Pink Panther in York.

“People came to the Pink Panther from Baltimore and all over; it was popular, but the life expectancy of any night club is around four to five years,” he said. “After that, we shut it down and opened up as the Broadway Café sports bar. We made even more noise with that place with pool, foosball, karaoke, disc jockeys, contests, big screens, sponsoring teams, all that sort of stuff.”

That business ended when the lease ran out.

“It was too expensive to buy the building, and so we let Hooters have the place,” he said.

Afterwards, Giannaris worked for others for a period of time, but nothing compared to being his own boss. So, when Sal’s Bistro in Uptown Harrisburg became available, he jumped at the chance to make it his own. He turned the concept from fine dining to an “all sports, all the time” theme and named the place “Mr. G’s Sports Bar.”

That was 17 years ago, and the place is still going strong, as is Giannaris. So, when he learned that nearby Sisco’s restaurant was up for sale, he decided it was time to introduce the East Shore to a new dining establishment. He opened Zorba’s Taverna and Pizzeria—Mediterranean food with a Greek accent.

“It was always in the back of my mind that, if I were to start something else, I would have a beautiful Greek restaurant,” said Giannaris, who added that he had been putting feelers out to Sisco’s for quite some time. “They finally called and said, ‘You’ve been pestering us for three years, and now we’ve decided to sell. Do you still want it?’”

They didn’t need to ask him twice. Since that call, he and his brother, John, have been putting in long hours and plenty of hard work to get the place up and running. They gutted and painted the place and hired an artist to festoon the walls with scenes of Greek landscapes.

The brothers brought aboard chef Vasso Antonopoulou, who hails from Greece, and hired Joe Neve, former owner of Harrisburg-based Sorrento’s, to help the kitchen staff prepare an array of food ranging from casual fare like subs, pizza and gyros to Greek dinner offerings like pastitsio, lamb and spanakopita.

“We have the best of both worlds when it comes to Italian and Greek food,” said Giannaris, referring to the combined talent of Neve and Antonopoulou.

Homemade desserts include kataifi, a sweet combination of shredded phyllo topped with walnuts and honey syrup, small Greek donuts called loukoumades, and the ever-popular baklava, to name a few. Patrons have their choice of libations ranging from authentic Greek coffee to a selection of craft beers and wines hailing from places like Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.

Giannaris said the restaurant takes its name from the fictional Greek character in the novel “Zorba the Greek.”

“Zorba was all about good wine, good food, dancing, laughing and smiling. He would entertain everybody and enjoyed good company and was always looking at the positive side of things. He represents the free-spirited Greek lifestyle and, in many ways, that’s me,” he said, with a chuckle.

A painting of the famous “Zorba” greets patrons as they enter the establishment.

Giannaris said business has been good since opening in August.

“Everybody loves the place,” he said, adding that he hopes it will turn into an area favorite like Mr. G’s, which is often voted “best neighborhood bar.”

For now, he plans to split his time between both establishments and is looking forward to meeting as many patrons as possible.

“I love being surrounded by people, and I greet everybody who comes through the door. I entertain them; I chat with them. It’s the personal touch that makes a big difference.”

“You’ll never be a stranger here,” he said.

Zorba’s Taverna and Pizzeria is located at 3716 N. 6^th St., Harrisburg. Call 717-233-0143.

Musical Notes: Note of Experience–This month, veteran talent comes to town.

September 30, 2014 | by Andrew Dyrli Hermeling

Every month, I have to fill three slots for the “Musical Notes” column. My job often leaves me feeling like I am reviewing applicants for an open position at a company. Well, if that’s the case, then October may boast some of the most impressive résumés that I have reviewed thus far.

It could be said that I tend to prefer my music obscure and my venues intimate, and I think my past recommendations have reflected that preference. I’d rather “hire” the untested upstart daring enough to submit a mixtape in lieu of a résumé. Well, those frustrated with my tendencies will be pleasantly surprised by this month’s slate. The talent and experience coming into the midstate are just too impressive to ignore.

PUSS N BOOTS (ft. NORAH JONES), 10/10, 8PM, FED LIVE, $25/$30

Puss N Boots is a Brooklyn-based alt-country band that just happens to count Norah Jones as a member. Yes, that Norah Jones. The famed songstress has taken a break from her jazzier solo work to jam with her friends Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper.

Puss N Boots started in 2008 as a creative outlet for Jones to work on her guitar skills and quickly grew into an escape from the pressures of professional music-making. Members practiced when they had time and would occasionally play lightly promoted shows in pool halls and bars. They finally decided to record and release a proper album, this year’s “No Fools, No Fun.” The band is stopping in Harrisburg as part of an East Coast tour.

ROY BOOK BINDER, 10/12, 7:30PM, FORT HUNTER CENTENNIAL BARN, $20

The blues are like a good whiskey, the older the better. Roy Book Binder and his finger-pickin’ blues guitar prove this point, having channeled the hobo aesthetic of the likes of Ramblin’ Jack Elliot for more than 45 years. He began his career in the famed Greenwich Village scene of the early ‘70s and has been wandering, singing and telling stories ever since. In fact, his penchant for storytelling has become his signature as a performer.

Book Binder is being welcomed by the Susquehanna Folk Music Society, and his performance at Fort Hunter will be preceded by a potluck supper beginning at 6 p.m.

MARCO BENEVENTO, 10/16, 8PM, THE ABBEY BAR, $12/$15

Marco Benevento is hard to categorize. As an accomplished pianist, he certainly has the aura of a composer. But he also has a keen ear for pop arrangement. It is no surprise then that he has graced the stage at both Carnegie Hall and Bonnaroo.

Benevento’s music revolves around his unique approach to the piano, using pedals and synthesizers to alter the sound of his acoustic instrument. Add to that his love for circuit bending—the art of electronically modifying toys and low-voltage electronics for musical effect—and you are left with soundscapes that are simultaneously familiar and otherworldly.

Mentionables: The Swingle Singers, Rose Lehrman Arts Center, 10/2; Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, Fed Live, 10/17; Ian MacLagan and the Bump Band, HMAC, 10/17; The Jellybricks, Underground Cartoons and the Polins, HMAC, 10/18; Jimkata, The Abbey Bar, 10/25

A City Made Whole: The Front Street redesign may be the start of something much greater.

September 30, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Last month, Harrisburg made an announcement that took many people by surprise. Next year, said the Papenfuse administration, Front Street will go from three lanes to two lanes, plus a bicycle lane.

The Front Street project long had been on the 2015 schedule for PennDOT, which periodically repaves the state road. But the redesign, which stretches from Division to Herr streets—that was something different.

“We think this is a terrific step that will make Harrisburg a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly place to live,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who had pressed the state to expand the project beyond just a repaving job.

“Step” might be the right word. If the city has its way, the Front Street project will be the first of a multi-year effort that could fundamentally change the way cars and pedestrians get around Harrisburg—and could change the nature of the city itself.

A City Shredded

The way that people and cars relate to and interact with the city of Harrisburg was once much different.

For the most part, Harrisburg was built with a 19^th-century urban design, which emphasized collections of neighborhoods. Street architecture complemented that design, allowing people to live, shop, go to school and work within high-density, walkable neighborhoods that, when stitched together, made up the fabric of the city.

This integrated structure was shredded after World War II. With the fall of heavy industry, people began migrating out. Government on every level deepened the urban decline, funding massive highway and bridge programs that allowed people to quickly leave their city jobs for cheap land and new houses in the suburbs.

Though it may seem strange today, Harrisburg was complicit in its own demise. City officials went right along with the program as federal and state governments pushed road projects that plowed through stable, long-established neighborhoods.

In 1956—just months after its plan was unveiled—the city converted Front Street from a slow-moving, two-lane, two-way local road to a noisy, three-lane urban highway. Its northbound counterpart—wide, tree-lined N. 2^nd Street—simultaneously suffered a similar fate. Both roads intersected with Forster Street, which, just a couple of years earlier, had gone from a sleepy, leafy neighborhood road to a six-lane asphalt canyon that cut off Midtown from downtown.

The fate of Harrisburg was sealed. Who wanted to live in a city that had become a collection of deafening traffic islands, circled daily by streams of speeding commuters?

Larger Point

On the day that the Front Street news broke, Papenfuse sat in a large chair in his office in city hall, facing a couple of TV news cameras, his eyes darting among several reporters gathered before his desk.

He first expressed sympathy at the passing of former police Capt. Elijah Massey, who had died the day before. He then segued into the day’s good news—the reconstruction, beginning early next year, of Front Street.

He said he was unhappy with the first news reports, which he felt focused too much on the addition of the bike lane, missing the larger point. So, then what was that?

Though he didn’t put it in exactly these terms, he wanted reporters to understand that he hoped to undo the damage of Harrisburg’s past—the 1950s past—at least as much as he could.

Like a general plotting his way to victory, he said the first battle had been won.

For a two-mile stretch in Uptown and Midtown, Front Street would go from three lanes to two. Harrisburg would get its first dedicated bicycle lane on the park side of the street. New curbs, a shoulder on the other side and pedestrian crosswalks would slow down traffic, improve safety and re-integrate the street with the city.

In short, after 60 years, he wanted to yank Front Street from the people who didn’t live in Harrisburg and return it to the people who did.

He then set out his next goals. The city, he said, planned to use state funds to improve ugly, imposing Forster Street, making it less dangerous to pedestrians and facilitating vehicle access to N. 7^th Street, which already has been widened to encourage northbound commuters.

That done, N. 2^nd Street needed to be reintegrated into the city, returned to the people as a welcoming neighborhood road. The state, he said, had begun to examine redesigning N. 2^nd, between Forster and Division streets, transforming it back to two-way, with a northbound bike lane, a study confirmed by PennDOT spokesman Greg Penny.

Finally, about three years out, the state will help bring back to life the abandoned, CAT-owned Cumberland Valley Railroad Bridge as a pedestrian and bike crossing that would connect the area around Harrisburg Hospital to the West Shore. Funding is already available for that project, Papenfuse said.

Penny also confirmed this, adding that he expected a portion of the bridge to be used by CAT as a dedicated transit route. That project should go out for bid in late 2016, he said.

Since the Front Street announcement, reaction has fallen along predictable lines. Suburban commuters seem to hate the idea, believing it might inconvenience them, while those who live and, especially, bike in the city seem to like it.

“I’m pretty excited by this,” said Front Street resident Ashley Merris, who hopes for a safer street after witnessing two horrific car crashes directly in front of her house over just the past three months. “This might be a very good thing.”

And so the pendulum swings back. Once, Harrisburg politicians gutted their own city to benefit the suburbs. Some are now trying to reverse the damage, attempting to return this urban center to its people.

Craftinistas: Three area women are proving that beer isn’t just for the guys anymore.

September 30, 2014 | by Andrew Dyrli Hermeling

Brandalynn Armstrong

There’s an age-old adage about imbibing and gender: Men drink beer and women drink wine. But is this assumption accurate anymore?

On the one hand, even as the culture surrounding craft beer evolves, it continues to feel like a men’s club. On the other hand, we don’t have to look far to find women disproving this dated presumption. Conveniently, I was able to join three of these women at the Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg for a chat about this change in beer culture.

We introduced you to one of the women, Brandalynn Armstrong, a year ago in an article about Alter Ego Brewing Co., which she co-founded with her husband Theo. She was joined by Tierney Pomone, the founder of the craft beer blog, Stouts and Stilettos, aimed at a female audience, and Sara Bozich, a PennLive columnist, the owner and editor of the nightlife blog SaraBozich.com and the host of “What’s on Tap,” a local interview program.

It didn’t take long to witness one of them turning the tables.

Fighting Assumptions

Tierney, who arrived before the rest of us, is waiting at the bar. As I walk in, I see her sitting next to a couple of men in suits, your typical downtown happy hour patrons. They are obviously new to the Taphouse, are intimidated by the exhaustive tap list and are doing a poor job of hiding it. They coolly try to outsource their anxiety to Tierney by asking her what she is drinking.

“Allagash Victor,” responds Tierney.

“Uh… what’s that?”

She proceeds to provide them with an unexpected lesson on Belgian strong ales. After seeing me, she cuts her explanation short, and we relocate to a corner booth, leaving the gentlemen dumbfounded.

“I don’t think they knew what they were getting into,” quips Tierney.

Sara and Brandalynn arrive just as I put in my own beer order, a Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point. Sara orders an Ommegang Belgian Independence Limited Release IPA, while Brandalynn asks for a Collette Saison from Great Divide Brewing Company.

All three women know each other well, so there is no need for introductions. Instead, we get right to heart of the issue.

As co-founder of Alter Ego, Brandalynn has as much to do with their product as her husband. Yet, all too often, she is nagged by the assumption that she’s just along for the ride, or at most, the public relations face of the beer-making start-up.

“True, Theo is the brewer,” says Brandalynn. “But we developed our recipes together. I can brew all of our beers, as well.”

Fittingly, when Alter Ego was asked to join in a beer collaboration with other area brewers, Brandalynn put on her heavy rubber brewer’s boots and got to work.

Tierney Pomone

Tierney, a beer writer and expert, also stays sharp by home brewing. But even being a brewer doesn’t guarantee a man’s respect.

“At a recent home brew event, I asked my boyfriend to come along to help me serve in case I had to step away or go to the bathroom,” says Tierney. “Yet men would come to our booth and ask my boyfriend about the beer, despite the fact that I was the one pouring, and he didn’t know anything about it.”

But for Brandalynn, Tierney and Sara, it is equally important that they take themselves seriously.

“When I was starting my blog,” says Tierney, “I thought a lot about credibility.”

Bloggers often don’t have resumes when they are starting a new venture. Tierney had to believe that what she was writing was worth reading. She had to know she was an expert from day one and not ask readers for permission.

“We have to break down our own assumptions about our role in beer culture,” adds Brandalynn.

For Sara, it has been a little easier.

“I’m lucky because of my experience,” says Sara. “I came to appreciate craft beer on the job.”

Sara has spent many years as the go-to ambassador for Harrisburg social life. As a woman respected for her taste, she was swept into the craft beer scene as it gained popularity.

But all three have had to focus on not buying into the status quo themselves, just as they have had to work hard to convince others not to buy it either.

Sara Bozich

Change Is Coming

Thankfully, the craft beer scene does seem to be taking notice of the changing demographics.

For example, Stoudt’s Brewing Company, located in Lancaster County, was founded by Carol Stoudt, who has earned the nickname “The Queen of Hops.” Other famed craft breweries are adding women to their brew staffs, not just their sales departments.

“Just look around,” says Sara. “Places like Federal Taphouse know they need women if they want
to succeed.”

Tierney recently hosted an “IPA Day” at Sturges Speakeasy on Forster Street. The place was packed, starting at 4 p.m., a testimony to Tierney’s power and influence within the Harrisburg beer scene.

Unfortunately, some men continue to treat beer culture as their territory and women as guests who have to play by men’s rules. Thankfully, women like Sara, Tierney and Brandalynn are doing well to break down the invisible walls that segregate this culture by gender.

And it seems that most men, myself included, are overjoyed to see craft beer becoming more inclusive. I suspect those who aren’t are soon going to find themselves drinking alone.

For more information on what Brandalynn, Tierney and Sara are up to, check out alteregobrewing.com, stoutsandstilettos.com and sarabozich.com, respectively.

This article has been updated with additional biographical information about Sara Bozich.

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