Marriages and Crumpet and a Leg Lamp: Harrisburg theater tees up an eclectic season on the stage.

August 29, 2014 | by Lori M. Myers

Theatre Harrisburg, Sweeney Todd

Theater is getting bigger and better in the ‘Burg as evidenced by the coming 2014-15 season. There’s nothing quite like the live experience of watching a story unfold, characters coming to life, along with a surprise or two. Here’s just a taste of what’s in store.

Gamut Theatre Group

In what it hopes will be its final full season inside Strawberry Square before it moves into a renovated church on N. 4^th Street, the players at Gamut Theatre Group will be offering an exciting mix of classic productions that will delight audiences…and challenge its actors.

“It’s going to be a season that’s going to rely heavily on the range of our actors,” says J. Clark Nicholson, Gamut’s artistic director and co-founder. “It’s a fun and exciting challenge.”

A good example is Gamut’s production of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband,” first up for the mainstage season in November. Four actors will play 13 different roles—and one role will be played by those four different actors.

Another example of actors taking on multiple characters is “Women Playing Hamlet,” an original production that will be staged in March. Gamut was chosen as one of three theaters to produce this play by William Missouri Downs as part of the National New Plays Network’s “Rolling World Premiere.” Patrick Flick, executive director of the Shakespeare Theater Association, is slated to guest-direct four local female actors playing 20 different characters.

But you don’t need to wait until November to see a Gamut show. The Stage Door Series, an extended arm of Gamut, will present “The Girlhood of Shakespeare’s Heroines” by Don Nigro in September. Looking ahead, Gamut will mount “Troilus and Cressida” for its 22nd Annual Free Shakespeare in the Park next year. And, all year long, don’t forget about Popcorn Hat for the kids.

Log onto www.gamutplays.org or phone 717-238-4111 for details and reservation information.

Open Stage of Harrisburg

Familiar titles, tradition and family dreams are the mantras this season at Open Stage of Harrisburg. The iconic “Driving Miss Daisy,” which has succeeded both on screen and on stage, will springboard the theater’s 2014-15 season of shows in October. “Bill W. and Dr. Bob” will follow in November, a story of two men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous and their wives who founded Al Anon.

For the holiday season, Open Stage has heeded audiences’ demands as Stuart Landon, the theater’s marketing and sales operations manager, dons his knickers once again to portray Crumpet in David Sedaris’ “The Santaland Diaries.”

“After a one year hiatus, and many patrons asking if Crumpet was coming back, I think the time is right to bring back this hilarious show,” Landon says. “Get ready to laugh!”

Also for the holiday season, there will be a special, one-night-only reading on Dec. 7 of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol.”

Rounding out the Open Stage season will be Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin In The Sun,” a play about a family’s hopes for the future, which will be staged in February, followed by Lanford Wilson’s “Talley’s Folly” in April.

Log onto www.openstagehbg.com or phone 717-232-OPEN for details and reservation information.

Theatre Harrisburg

2014-15 marks Theatre Harrisburg’s 89th season, which will expand its repertoire from five to six shows: four presented Uptown at the Jay and Nancy Krevsky Production Center on Hurlock and two staged downtown at Whitaker Center’s Sunoco Performance Theater.

Intimacy is what the Production Center space affords both the actors and audience. Case in point will be the theater’s presentation of its September opener “The Philadelphia Story,” a play that later became a film classic. Another example is the two-person musical in January and February of “I Do! I Do!” about a 50-year marriage written by the same team who created “The Fantasticks.” Another play about another marriage is Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”—considered one of America’s finest plays and one given screen time starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

“Through the use of a flexible seating arrangement, the audience will feel as though they are actually in the room with George and Martha, which should make for a very intense, provocative evening of theater,” says Samuel Kuba, executive director.

Rounding out the Production Center’s shows in June is another two-person tour de force comedy, “Greater Tuna.”

Theatre Harrisburg moves to downtown’s Whitaker Center in November with the holiday favorite “A Christmas Story,” complete with Red Ryder BB gun and leg lamp, and, in May, with the creepy and kooky and spooky musical, “The Addams Family.”

Log onto www.theatreharrisburg.com or phone 717-232-5501 for details and reservation information.

A Healthier Lifestyle: Highmark, partners team to promote wellness for Latino community.

August 29, 2014 | by Jessica Sprajcar

Lupe Sidhu is worried—about her husband Sansar’s high cholesterol and high blood pressure, about their lack of medical benefits.

Originally from Mexico and India respectively, the Sidhus moved to Harrisburg for employment. With so many health questions, Lupe initially didn’t know where to go, but then a program offered through Highmark and her church opened up opportunities to learn.

“Before, I wasn’t interested in learning about healthy living,” said Lupe. “But now I need to learn more about issues of the heart, for my husband.”

Highmark’s Health Equity and Quality Services (HEQS) team provides services to diverse populations throughout the Harrisburg region and beyond. To share the message of healthy lifestyles with these audiences, the team tailors health education programs for various cultures and works with faith-based, community and social organizations to reach community members. Their newest endeavor, geared toward the Latino community in Harrisburg, is called “Seven Steps to Good Health.”

According Dr. Oralia Garcia Dominic, Highmark health equity and quality consultant, the first step in creating the Seven Steps initiative was to “meet with community leaders to find out if there are any needs, and, if so, what would the program [to meet those needs] look like?”

Dr. Dominic and fellow HEQS team member Esmeralda Hetrick met with numerous community leaders who serve the Latino population in the greater Harrisburg region. Some of their recommendations surprised Highmark staff. Health research and statistics already show that residents in the Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg deal with high incidences of diabetes, colorectal cancer, hypertension and obesity. Less obvious was the importance of oral healthcare, as well as proper skin care and hygiene habits. And, when it came to diabetes, their concerns were very specific.

“Know the facts, know your numbers, and learn how to lower your risks. That was a new perspective,” explained Hetrick.

Staff from St. Francis of Assisi and the Bilingual Christian Church, both located in Allison Hill, partnered with Highmark to start the Seven Steps to Good Health initiative in the Harrisburg area. These organizations already had a health program in place, so Highmark knew they were committed to the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles. From the start, Highmark “depended 100 percent on the churches,” said Dr. Dominic.

“We have to meet the people where they are and provide culturally appropriate and tailored health education programs for the members of both churches,” she said. “We focus on four behavioral change strategies: education and awareness, skill building, health screening and follow-up treatment.”

Father Orlando Reyes of St. Francis Assisi was interested in working with Highmark on the Seven Steps program.

“We need a lot of social services,” he said. “Many of our members are immigrants from Central and South America, and also Africa.”

Two such immigrants are Manuel and Blanca Romero. This couple moved from El Salvador to New York, where they lived for 16 years. Just last year, they moved to Harrisburg and immediately became members of St. Francis of Assisi. They participated in the Seven Steps program in order to “make friends and get to know their fellow church members,” said Manuel. He added that the event was a lot of fun too, with food, singing and dancing. Learning about healthy living and the resources available to them was a useful secondary benefit.

The Romeros and more than 100 other church members participated in the first program event at St. Francis of Assisi, held on May 18. This festive kick-off event celebrated healthy cooking and honored mothers for their role in families’ healthy eating and cooking habits. At the event, attendees received bilingual, healthy-eating cookbooks featuring Latino recipes, as well as other handouts and giveaways. A meal was prepared by church members, including Juan Garcia,owner of El Sol restaurant in Harrisburg, using recipes from the cookbook, such as pupusas revueltas (Salvadoran-style stuffed masa cakes) and encurtido salvadoreño (Salvadoran pickled cabbage).

“In the Latino culture, parents are highly respected, and they serve as guides for the best interest of their families,” said Father Reyes. “Mothers especially look out for the health and physical well-being of family members, and Mother’s Day provided the perfect occasion to applaud them for their efforts. My hope is to educate our community members on all the seven steps, to have them take it personally, to make them their best, and to help future generations. We are so grateful to Highmark for reaching out to the poor communities in the Harrisburg area and helping meet their needs.”

What’s next for Highmark and the Seven Steps to Good Health initiative? At the two Allison Hill locations, the next steps “will be dictated by the churches,” said Dr. Dominic. “After the December program, we will see if there are new needs to consider or if the steps should stay the same” in the coming year.

Other parts of Pennsylvania, as well as neighboring states, are considering the adoption of the program, as well. Dr. Dominic and the rest of the Highmark staff involved with the Seven Steps initiative are excited that the program is taking off elsewhere.

“This program provides you with the information and resources about staying healthy and sends the message that small steps make a big difference,” says Dr. Dominic. “Empowering people to make lifestyle changes to improve their overall health—and encouraging Latinos to visit their doctor regularly—is what this initiative is all about.”

Other organizations interested in joining the Sevens Steps to Good Health initiative, or in receiving cookbooks, pedometers and other healthy lifestyle materials for their members, should contact Highmark HEQS by calling 1-866-260-1709.

Grim Reader: The prose is dark, but the mood is light at “Murder as You Like It” conference.

August 29, 2014 | by Don Helin

Pictured (r) is author
Peter Durantine talking with
mystery book fan Jodi DeAngelis.
Images courtesy of Todd
DeAngelis Photography.

Murder. Intrigue. Dirty doings of all sorts.

Something foul is afoot in Mechanicsburg.

Yes, Mechanicsburg.

This month, “Murder As You Like It” creeps into town, one of just a handful of conferences in Pennsylvania designed for fans and readers of mystery books, as opposed to writers.

Mystery fans are a unique group. They love to escape the humdrum of everyday life by rooting for their favorite heroes, while solving the intricate puzzles that authors lay out for them.

This event is aimed squarely at them“I want each of the mystery fans attending the conference to have a chance to speak with their favorite authors and meet new ones,” said Debbie Beamer, owner of the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, which organizes the one-day mystery bash. “Many attendees are too shy to approach an author on their own, so I developed an atmosphere where they’d have an opportunity to do just that.”

Path to Murder

Beamer has peddled in the lighter side of homicide since opening her first bookshop more than two decades ago.

“I’ve always loved mysteries,” she said. “One day, I happened to see an ad in the newspaper that showed an Irish setter sitting in a green, wing-back chair with a caption that read “Mystery Books, Bethesda, Md.” I was drawn to visit the shop, and, as I searched through all those shelves of mysteries, told myself that one day I would own a mystery bookstore.”

Time passed before Beamer could live out her dream.

She worked for a trade association until 1987, when she started her own association management company. With her partner, she managed four trade associations, doing all of the membership, conference planning and accounting work. Then, in 1990, she opened a small mystery bookstore on East Main Street in Mechanicsburg and named it the Cloak and Dagger.

In 1997, she saw a chance to move to a larger building.

“I changed the name because I tired of receiving calls from people looking for a tailor to help adjust their cloaks,” she said, a smile coming over her face.

With the larger space, Beamer began to sponsor a variety of activities at the store, including a book discussion group and the “Stitch and Bitch” needlework club.

The mystery conference was born in 2011, the first one attracting 70 people. The next year, attendance grew to 85 and, this year, she hopes to top 100 fans.

In addition to meeting authors, fans will be able to attend a number of informative panels including, “Where Do Authors Get Their Ideas,” “The Art of Creating Memorable Characters” and “How Authors and Their Editors Work Together.”

Graham Hetrick, the Dauphin County coroner, will be the keynote speaker.

“Not every conference has a coroner as the featured speaker,” Beamer said. “But mystery fans enjoy the unusual. Besides, he’s a dynamic and entertaining speaker who has lectured throughout the United States on such topics as crime scene management and evidence preservation.”

As a special feature this year, a group of Mystery Writers of America authors, led by Annamaria Alfieri, the past president of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, will attend the conference. Beamer wants to provide attendees a chance to meet MWA authors and hear about the activities of the association, including its mentor program.

In addition, for one hour during the conference, each author will spend three to five minutes with a group of about five fans, a type of “speed-dating” for mystery book readers. The author will provide a short summary of his or her book then the attendees will have a chance to ask questions.

“I want my readers to get to know the authors and hear what they have to say,” said Beamer.

Ice Cream & Tombstones

While the mystery conference is an annual high point, Beamer sponsors a number of other events throughout the year. One of the most popular is an ice cream social held each August. After the author’s presentation, the frozen treats flow.

The Susquehanna Mystery Alliance is another popular series sponsored by the bookshop.

For example, on Oct. 22, local authors Joe Farrell and Joe Farley will be on hand to sign their latest book, “Keystone Tombstones Volume III.” This volume features stories about the tombstones of Joe Paterno, Art Rooney, victims of Flight 93, victims and survivors of the Titanic, Arlen Specter, Joe Frazier and many others.

As always, a presentation will be part of the event. That’s the nature of a bookshop that puts its readers first.

“Any author who visits the store for a signing must make a presentation,” Beamer said. “I’m proud that I have mystery fans traveling here from as far away as Connecticut, West Virginia, New Jersey and Virginia to attend my programs.”

GOING THERE

The “Murder As You Like It”mystery conference will be held at the Eagle View Middle School cafeteria, 6746 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. Take the entrance to Cumberland Valley High School and drive past the high school to the middle school.

Pre-registration is required to ensure sufficient lunches are available. The fee of $20 covers the program, including lunch, refreshment breaks, materials and more. Contact the bookshop at 717-795-7470 or [email protected] to register. For more information, go to the website at www.MysteryBooksOnline.com.

Don Helin published his first thriller, “Thy Kingdom Come,” in 2009. His recently published novel, “Devil’s Den,” has been selected as a finalist in the Indie Book Awards. He lives in central Pennsylvania and his latest thriller, “Secret Assault,” was published in August. Contact Don on his website, www.donhelin.com.

Juice Abuse: Parents–Beware sugary drinks in disguise.

August 29, 2014 | by Dr. Deepa Sekhar

Illustration by Stephen Michael Haas

Our standard well-child checkup includes asking what children are drinking. Specifically, I like to know how much juice and how much milk. I asked a mother recently how many cups of juice her toddler drinks each day. She smiled and said, “Oh Dr. Sekhar, we know you don’t like juice.”

I actually love juice, and I remember our fridge stocked with orange juice and lemonade as a child. However, most parents today are keenly aware of the recommendations to limit juice and other sugary beverage intake in children. This can be confusing in the face of labels advertising “100% organic juice,” “no sugar added,” “full-day’s supply of vitamin C,” and “1 serving of fruit.” Below, I hope to demystify what your toddler should be drinking.

Sugar-sweetened beverages include any drink with added or naturally derived sweeteners such as sucrose (table sugar), high-fructose corn syrup or fruit juice. Soda, chocolate milk, 100-percent juice, sports drinks and energy drinks all fall into this category. In the United States, children and adults are estimated to consume almost 200 calories per day from these beverages.

Sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked in many studies to increased risks for obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Note that juice is not better than soda in this case. A 12-ounce glass of orange juice has 170 calories and the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This is the same amount of sugar in a 12-ounce soda, which has 150 calories.

When people consume sugar-sweetened beverages with a meal instead of water, the sugary drink does not make them feel full. Therefore, they tend to consume more calories overall at the meal. Additionally, sugar-sweetened beverages may have long-term effects on taste preferences and food acceptance. Toddlers accustomed to sweet beverages may find less sweet but more nutritious and filling options (vegetables and fruits) less appealing.

Parents often ask me about artificial sweeteners as an option. Many “low calorie” juices rely on the use of artificial sweeteners. There are numerous brands available including aspartame (Equal), Sucralose (Splenda) and Saccharin (Sweet’N Low). Each of these is usually several hundred times sweeter than regular sugar.

Studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners may be helpful for adults trying to wean themselves from more sugary beverages or assist with weight control. However, little information exists on these products in children. I also like to remind parents that these are relatively new products. There is limited data available on what happens to people after 50 years of consuming artificial sweeteners. To reduce juice intake in young children, parents can gradually dilute the fruit juice they offer with water rather than use artificially sweetened products.

Having a glass of apple juice each day does not mean your toddler is at risk for obesity. I try to emphasize to parents that the goal is to establish healthy habits that children will benefit from throughout their lives. I find that toddlers accustomed from the start to drinking water with meals are more likely to maintain such habits. Ideally, children should drink mostly water and milk (no more than 24 ounces per day of milk is recommended). Juice, if given at all, should be limited to 4 to 6 ounces a day.

It is equally important for parents to model healthy behaviors.

Going back to my well-child visit, one of the standard questions for parents is if their toddlers “copy” things they do around the house. The answer almost always is “yes.” Toddlers pretend to talk on the phone, pretend to clean the floor, pretend to cook dinner. Your children will also want to drink what you are drinking.

So, I do recommend parents refrain from having soda at the dinner table, offering water instead. What we do as parents usually sends a stronger message than what we say.

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

Build a Website, Build a School: At WebpageFX, work life is part social mission.

August 29, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

So, let’s say you have a good day at work and exceed your boss’s expectations.

What happens?

Maybe you get a “good job” or a pat on the back. Moments later, your fine work is largely forgotten, and you’re on to the next task.

WebpageFX, though, has found another way of memorializing a job well done, one with more impact than a “thank you” and with far greater reach. The Harrisburg-based Internet marketing company set up a system last month that matches employee benchmarks with a school-building initiative in Guatemala.

Quincy Herrold

“Our company is very unique,” said Quincy Herrold, an Internet marketing analyst at the company, which moved into the renovated Moffitt Mansion on Front Street in March. “Our founders honestly care about the betterment of the world. That’s cool for the employees, who can be part of that dream and vision.”

Specifically, WebpageFX puts a certain amount of money into a kitty each time a certain employee or departmental goal is met. So, the company will set aside a fixed sum when, for instance, an employee makes a new sale or a task is performed above client expectations. When the purse reaches $25,000, the company will donate that money to build a school in a Guatemalan village.

The initiative started after the company began an internal conversation of how to make their charitable efforts go farther, said Rachel Vandernick, a WebpageFX social media specialist.

Already, employees had participated in several local charitable causes, such as a cystic fibrosis fundraiser and June’s Glow Run, which raised money to replace streetlights in Harrisburg. Also, individual employees are always encouraged to donate time and money to charitable causes, said Vandernick, and the company matches employee giving at a rate of 150 percent.

WebpageFX employees, though, wanted to expand their reach. So, founder Bill Craig initiated the company’s first international charitable effort through a group called Pencils of Promise, which builds schools in developing countries.

Craig liked the mission of the organization, as well as the pledge that 100 percent of donations goes directly to educational programs. According to Pencils of Promise, it covers its operational costs through other private donors and fundraising events.

The $25,000 amount is the cost to build one school that will accommodate 60 to 90 students. It also covers such ongoing expenses as maintenance, supplies and teacher training, said Vandernick. That figure may seem low, but the cost of living is far less in Guatemala than in the United States, and the village donates much of the labor and materials, she said.

So, WebpageFX set up a unique program to turn fundraising into a company project. It wouldn’t encourage direct giving to the cause, but would make contributions based on employees achieving certain performance benchmarks.

On the day I visited, just weeks into the endeavor, several employees were excited to see their efforts adding up. With $2,500 already raised, they were way ahead of schedule to meet their Christmas deadline.

Rachel Vandernick

“We celebrated a new sale today by saying, ‘that’s more money for the WebpageFX Build [program],’” said Vandernick.

She added that the endeavor not only benefits the charity and the children, but helps motivate workers, ultimately accruing to the benefit of the company.

“It’s a goal for the program, but it’s good for us, too,” she said. “Being able to do a project like this helps us become a little more efficient and better at what we do.”

Moreover, it adds another dimension and deeper meaning to work. Perhaps not by coincidence, a number of employees are graduates of Messiah College, which encourages service to the community and the world.

Alicia Lawrence

“It aligns with our company values,” said Alicia Lawrence, a WebpageFX content coordinator. “This is a big project that we all can get behind.”

Herrold nodded her head in agreement.

“It makes everyday work life better,” she said. “When we build a website, we’re not only building a website. We’re building a school, too.”

An Issue of Fairness: 2 years ago, Harrisburg was faced with the dilemma of fairness versus economic sense. Unfortunately, fairness won out.

August 29, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

The blighted Motormart/Keystone Building Products structure.

What is fair?

Last month, during National Night Out, I raised that question while chatting with Harrisburg council members Shamaine Daniels and Ben Allatt.

Standing at the corner of Green and Muench streets, amid neighborhood children downing hot dogs and sketching with chalk on the sidewalk, we briefly discussed the council’s fall agenda, which includes renewing a tax abatement program in the city for property improvements.

That’s how the issue of fairness came up.

Some people see tax abatement as unfair. Why should some new arrival, living in a just-restored house, they argue, pay less in property taxes than they would normally? Or less than a neighbor does?

Others, however, believe the issue of fairness is a distraction. Without abatement, they say, those properties would not be developed at all, leaving the city under-populated and marred with empty lots and blighted buildings—with everyone worse off.

This month, it will be fascinating to see which council members bend to which argument. Each time tax abatement is raised, a verbal battle ensues between those in the community who argue for fairness and those who argue for growth. The issues of class and race become part of that conversation, as well.

As council members consider this issue, they would do well to keep in mind the last time they were faced with a similar choice—and what happened then.

No, I’m not talking about what occurred in 2011, when the city last tried to reinstitute a tax abatement program. Back then, council tried so hard to please all sides that the result was a Frankenstein’s monster of a bill, so tortured and convoluted that Dauphin County declared it illegal and refused to sign off on it.

I’m talking about what happened a year later.

In 2012, Harrisburg had a buyer—an eager, respected buyer—for a prominently located, city-owned property that had been vacant for decades, inhabited by squatters and vermin and falling to pieces.

The buyer had a need for it, a plan for it and had even received some outside funds to help put it back into productive use. Then, falling to City Council, which wanted the fairest deal it could get, the sale hit a wall.

A Crazy Notion

In the 1920s, Harrisburg was a growing, bustling place. The auto industry, in particular, was booming, and car dealers, repair garages and gas stations sprung up all over, with a particular concentration along the industrial Cameron Street corridor.

The Harrisburg Motormart was one of those businesses. Housed in a sturdy, one-story stone structure at 38-40 N. Cameron St., the Motormart debuted as part of the Appleby used car chain, an industry that already had acquired an unsavory reputation.

“A number of the automobile dealers of the city are interested in the Motormart and are endorsing it as a means to overcome the present used car evil in a way that will be of advantage to the public and dealer alike,” said a photo caption introducing the new business in the March 22, 1922 edition of the Harrisburg Telegraph.

The Motormart didn’t last long. By 1925, the building housed another car-related business, Duco Co. auto refinishers. A second floor was added soon afterwards and, eventually, it became part of the sprawling Keystone Building Products complex, which occupied much of the block for decades.

By 1990, Keystone had abandoned its Cameron Street properties, and the city took over the aging buildings. In his typical grand style, former Mayor Steve Reed proposed converting the large site into something he called the Paxton Commons Retail Complex, a touristy, kitschy collection of restaurants and shops with a canal-related theme. A developer and funding were announced, but the project never got off the ground. Embarrassingly, the fading, 20-year-old sign (“Bill Clinton, President”) announcing the imminent arrival of Paxton Commons remains affixed to the building to this day.

The city did have success unloading another part of the old Keystone Building Products complex. In 1995, a few guys had the crazy notion that Harrisburg would like some newfangled thing called “craft beer.” So, they bought the building at the corner of Cameron and Walnut streets from the city for a buck—that‘s $1—then invested $1.2 million over the next two years to build the Appalachian Brewing Co.

With seven brewpubs, ABC now is one of the most successful businesses to come out of Harrisburg in recent decades. Its growth has been so rapid that it’s straining to find places for its production, distribution and warehousing.

By happy coincidence, there’s a big, fat lot with a long-abandoned structure sitting right next door—the old Motormart/Keystone Products building. It has a willing buyer. It presumably has a willing seller—the city. So, then what’s the hold up?

Negative Value

In 2012, ABC told the Thompson administration that it was interested in taking 38-40 N. Cameron St. off its hands, with hopes of constructing a warehouse there. The administration seemed eager to let the property go to relieve the city of ownership, to get the property back on the tax rolls and to remove a dangerous, blighted building before it collapsed.

Then the proposal went before City Council.

By ordinance, council has the right to put a city-owned property on the open market. So, with ABC expressing interest, it passed a resolution to do exactly that with 38-40 N. Cameron. It ordered an appraisal done, a marketing plan developed and a real estate agent hired. The appraisal pegged the value of the property at $140,000, and the city put it on the market for $150,000.

And, to this day, there it sits, having received no offers.

Simply put, ABC doesn’t believe the property is worth $150,000—or anything close to it.

“It has negative value,” said Dave Black, the president of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and CREDC, which actually would acquire the building and perform site work before selling it back to ABC. “They (ABC) need to get it at a reasonable price point.”

Black estimates that it will cost $600,000 to $700,000 just to demolish the large, existing stone, brick and wood building, remove an underground storage tank and perform site remediation. In other words, the tumbledown building, which makes up much of the council-mandated appraisal, has no use or value at all.

“It just wasn’t in anyone’s mind worth $150,000,” said Black.

CREDC had even secured $125,000 in gaming funds from Dauphin County to help offset some of the cost of the project. After the deal went nowhere, it had to return the money.

Dangerous Mess

It’s easy to paint City Council as the bad guy in this story, but it’s not that simple.

To a person, council members enthusiastically supported a sale when they introduced the resolution in November 2012. In fact, the resolution itself said the following:

“Whereas, the property has been vacant and deteriorating for approximately three decades; and

Whereas, the property is a liability, is in a state of disrepair, and does not generate revenue; and

Whereas, the Appalachian Brewing Company (ABC), in an effort to maintain and grow their business presence in Harrisburg, has expressed a need to acquire the property and

“Whereas, ABC has asserted that an inability to physically expand their business operation at their 50 North Cameron Street . . . location will result in continued loss of business on their part and will, thus, require that ABC seek other regional space for expansion; and

Whereas, ABC has estimated that their envisioned expansion of their North Cameron business operations will result in seven to 10 additional jobs, bringing their employee total to approximately 65; and

Whereas, the sale of the property will allow the property to return to the tax rolls and generate revenue for the city . . .”

In other words, council never intended to put the kibosh on this deal. Members regarded a property sale as an unalloyed good, a welcome development after decades of blight at that site. They just wanted fairness, a fair price for city-owned land. As Councilwoman Susan Brown-Wilson said at the time:

“Council has the final say as to whether or not we accept what even the administration will bring down in terms of what the administration says is a reasonable [offer].”

So, returning to our original question, what is fair?

In its quest for fairness, the city erected barriers to this deal. So, two years later, it has nothing. It doesn’t have any property tax revenue or additional income taxes or business tax revenue that the expansion of ABC would have brought. It certainly doesn’t have its $150,000. Nor has it endeared itself to ABC or to other businesses that might consider locating or expanding in Harrisburg.

What does it have?

It has a blighted, dangerous mess of a building with a sign indicating that Bill Clinton is still president. It has liability for whatever illicit and perilous activities go on inside, on the other side of the crumbling stone and brick façade. And, when the building finally collapses, it will face a stiff bill for demolition and removal.

Tough Choice

The old Motormart property has one thing going for it to this day—proximity to a thriving business, which gives it an advantage shared by few other blighted properties in Harrisburg.

Because of that, ABC remains interested in acquiring the parcel, said CEO Jack Sproch. Yes, ABC would like the land for future expansion, but, in the short term, the company, at least, would like to eliminate the blight and squatters next to its flagship brewery.

“Beautification of this block is very important to us,” Sproch said. “And it’s dangerous. It’s beyond just an eyesore.”

Like Black, Sproch doesn’t fault the city for wanting a maximum price for its land. But he hopes that, after nearly two years of futilely trying to sell the property on the open market, city officials will come to understand that a buyer won’t pay $150,000 for a property that will take another half-a-million dollars or more just to return to an empty lot.

“The obstacle is that the building is such a liability,” said Sproch. “I realize that it’s hard for people to understand this, but, as it stands, it has negative value.”

Harrisburg is loaded with properties with similar upside-down economics. In theory, land and buildings should be worth something. In reality, the cost of owning a property often vastly exceeds its value to a buyer.

So, council is faced with a tough choice. As it examines tax abatement and other economic development strategies, it must choose between an idealistic notion of fairness and the hard—seemingly unfair—truth of what actually might work to redevelop the city.

Does council want everyone to feel fairly treated—or does it want the city to advance? In all likelihood, it can’t have both.

It’s a case of fairness versus re-development or even fairness versus wisdom. In the case of the blighted Motormart/Keystone property—which should have sold two years ago for a nominal sum and already would be back on the tax rolls—fairness has won out, so far.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Many thanks to Ken Frew, the librarian at the Historical Society of Dauphin County, for providing historical research for this column.

Insuring Community: Property pride is a key component of a healthy city.

August 29, 2014 | by Andrew M. Enders

Andy & Megan Enders

“You live there on purpose?”

This used to be the most common reaction after acknowledging that my wife and I live in the Engleton neighborhood of Harrisburg. Thankfully, it has become less frequent, but it still appears regularly. Describing Engleton’s geographic location (Reily to Kelker; 2nd to 3rd) is its own endeavor, prompting me to resort to Lion Ambassador tour guide tendencies developed at Penn State. I trust that a positive message resonates more often than it might fall on deaf ears.

To the surprise of many, we live here by choice, but no differently than a family might choose to settle in Hummelstown or Mechanicsburg. As young professionals in the infancy of our careers, we love the dynamic that our neighborhood has to offer. Neighborhoods throughout the city offer a similar sentiment. Harrisburg is full of people who actually want to live here. These people create the sense of community we are so fortunate to foster. It is an understatement to say that the city continues to face challenges. We are a city that is on the cusp of renaissance based on the strength of its core—our people. It is vibrant, friendly and safe, but we have room to improve. One example is the disparate condition of our properties.

My professional career as an insurance broker relies upon the clear communication of information. Harrisburg continues to suffer from an image problem attributed to years of bad press. As a result, I have additional obstacles to overcome in order to effectively provide insurance coverage to my clients.

This is not some randomly manifested issue. I regularly encounter insurance carrier underwriters (the people who judge insurability) who have become wary of insuring city properties. While many of these underwriters have never set foot within the city, they have relied on newspaper articles, NPR stories and national television broadcasts that have revealed Harrisburg’s past financial despair. Maligned and misguided opinions on the condition of our city have been formed as a result of this information. Suddenly, I no longer only have to sell the quality of the particular account, but also justify its location in Harrisburg.

Fortunately, the insurance carriers we partner with encourage open dialogue throughout the underwriting process and are adept at supporting clients through loss control and risk management, especially those requiring property coverage in Harrisburg. A strong relationship with your insurance carrier creates a mutually beneficial relationship.

Insuring a property within city limits presents unique challenges. Building construction, proximity to other structures, years of ownership and condition are all factored into premium rates. City properties typically showcase a vast array of physical construction and historical elements that will substantially impact premiums. A property’s insurability is directly dependent upon its condition, regardless of its age. You have the ability to improve the condition of your property, whether as a property owner or tenant. Structures that fall into disrepair present serious complications.

Within the last year, we have witnessed a frighteningly large number of Harrisburg buildings collapse. Old masonry buildings that are not maintained are highly susceptible to becoming structurally compromised. When a building is abandoned, that risk is exponentially increased. This impacts my ability to help clients protect their investments, whether a home or business.

Harrisburg property ranges from ambitious new commercial construction to residential properties owned by individuals who don’t even know the color of their front doors. They all deserve the opportunity to be properly insured. While conducting property inspections, I have encountered angry dogs, massive amounts of debris and structures that should require hardhats to enter. I have also experienced LEED-certified buildings, century-old units on the historical register, and lovely homes on quaint streets. In Harrisburg, you can experience nearly every exposure contemplated by a policy form. It is typically a challenge to implement coverage on a city property compared to a nondescript building in a business park in the suburbs.

However, it is not buildings that develop a community. You do not need to invest thousands of dollars, let alone millions, to demonstrate commitment to a place. Sometimes, it is as simple as pulling some weeds, repairing a broken window or planting a few flowers. Once we acknowledge the power of individual responsibility to effectuate positive change, we will all benefit. Each of us has the ability to encourage the maturation of our community. It can start with taking care of your property, which can provide direct economic benefit on your property insurance.

As a city resident, I feel an obligation to be an ambassador for my city. Whether you live in the city or are a daily commuter, you should, too. No single person, elected or otherwise, can fix Harrisburg. Successful change requires commitment from the community as a whole to consistently promote positive behavior, rather than make excuses for its shortcomings. Doing so can have a positive impact on the long-term insurability of our city.

I’ve taken to handing out copies of TheBurg and recounting personal anecdotes to my clients. I have even been known to mail a hard copy of TheBurg to an out-of-state insurance carrier for positive reinforcement, when reading it online just isn’t enough. Remarkably, I am no longer the only person in my office doing this. The monthly allocation of TheBurg that we receive doesn’t last long. Even though our business is located in Linglestown, our entire team recognizes the importance of Harrisburg to our region.

We must not aspire to be average. We should aspire to achieve the positive recognition that our neighbors in Lancaster, Lititz and Pittsburgh (each recognized as a “best”) have received. Let’s embrace the nuances that already make Harrisburg a city worthy of its own recognition. A good place to start is to demonstrate pride in our property—whether you own it or not. In the meantime, I will continue to promote Harrisburg’s positive attributes, while acknowledging its areas of growth opportunity.

Andrew M. Enders, Esq. is a third generation insurance professional with Enders Insurance Associates, one of TheBurg’s Community Publishers. Andy and his wife, Megan, happily reside in Harrisburg.

Sweater Weather: The yarns of autumn.

August 29, 2014 | by Siena McLees

Siena McLees

As the leaves begin to yellow, an ever-so slight chill is detected in the night air, and the apples abound at the local farmer’s market, I drag my cedar trunk out of storage and begin my fall closet transformation.

Sweater weather, as I so fondly refer to it, is my favorite time of year, meaning fabulous fall fashions and having the chance to rummage through my woebegone wardrobe, preparing for my fall fashion overhaul.

This season, mixed media fabrications, such as knits trimmed with leathers, continue to make a fashion statement on sweaters, leggings and dresses, like the Teri Jon grey, leather and jersey cut-out neckline dress and the Donna Degnan leather front leggings. These two looks are modern, wearable trends for the fall.

As for color, neutrals of cognac and black serve as foundation colors, blending beautifully with the season’s rich, jewel tones of red, cobalt blue and grape. And let’s not forget about gray, which serves as a neutral and accent color this fall, pairing with both your foundation and jewel tone pieces. And, one of my favorite interpretations of color this fall comes from the niche fashion brand “Art on Fashion,” which features the works of contemporary artists on dresses, like the ethereal photograph Print dress.

Sweaters sporting animal and camouflage prints and stripes are hot this fall, too, and a few of my favorite finds are the Gerry Weber embellished, army green camouflage sweater paired with coated jeans; the exaggerated, leopard-print sweater shown in army green (but also comes in a fabulous vibrant red) by Evolution by Cyrus; and the cropped, striped black-and-white sweater by Sanctuary. These pieces emanate a vogue vibe, especially when layered with your favorite plaid shirt or button-down, hi-low shirttail.

So, as sweater weather brings a chill to the city streets of Harrisburg, cozy up to a chic look this fall by donning the foremost fashion trends of the fall 2014 season.

Siena McLees’s industry experience includes working for the global fashion house MaxMara. She is a Harrisburg-based personal wardrobe stylist with Urban Darling and can be reached at [email protected].

Market Bounty: When nature hands you her harvest, it’s time to slice, dice, saute.

August 29, 2014 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

For most of my life, my weekly routine has included a trip to the farmer’s market.

As a little girl, I accompanied my mother and aunts to the West Shore Market every Friday morning. We were the “bag ladies.” We were armed with stacks of what were known then as “carry-all bags,” and we certainly did carry it all from the market.

My mother knew many of the vendors from her early-married days when she shopped at both Chestnut Street and Broad Street markets in Harrisburg. Many of them had set up shop at the new market on the West Shore, and we had our favorites. My mother knew the best places to go for produce, chicken, sliced baked ham and green bananas.

When I was married and became a mother, the weekly trips to the market continued, often with two little boys in tow. We spent a lot of time there. People would often think we were leaving, but no, just another bag run to the car. I think we were “foodies” before any of us knew what that meant.

Late summer was our downfall in those days, and it still is for me today. I am dazzled by the jeweled colors of the berries, the blushing peaches and the bright red wedges of watermelon. At midsummer, vegetables at the market are piled several feet high on the stands, and they all call to me despite my carefully crafted shopping list. Why buy just one eggplant when they are selling three for $2? The same with bell peppers—I’m sure I will have time to roast them. And then there’s corn, which my husband won’t even eat (who doesn’t like corn?). But I am not deterred.

So, recently, on a Thursday evening, it was with some remorse that I looked into my refrigerator at all the week’s unused vegetables. And Saturday, my current weekly market day, was just around the corner. I decided to use them all, everything I had: green zucchini, yellow squash, peppers of all colors, fresh peas, ears of fresh corn and sweet Vidalia onions. I had plenty of olive oil, garlic and a pound of pasta, imported “bowties.” I thought this could be a take on pasta primavera, a pasta dish made with lovely, early spring vegetables like baby peas, asparagus and young spinach or arugula.

My late summer pasta creation turned out very well. The bright colors of the chopped vegetables almost reminded me of confetti and, thus, its name.

Confetti Bowties

In a large stainless steel skillet, heat several tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté’ a medium-to-large diced sweet onion and about 6 cloves fresh garlic sliced into slivers until soft and almost caramelized. (Take a while with this step.)

While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the following veggies into ½ inch dices:

1 each medium green, yellow, orange and red bell peppers
1 medium green zucchini
1 medium yellow zucchini or yellow squash
½ half cup fresh peas or frozen baby peas
A cup of fresh corn cut off the cob

Take all of the chopped vegetables and add them to the onion and garlic in the skillet and sauté them very slowly until soft and golden in color. (I used a large All-Clad skillet with shallow sides that provided a wide surface area for cooking. You don’t want the vegetables to steam.)

In the meantime, cook a pound of farfalle (bowtie pasta) according to package directions.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour it into a large bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables and toss well.

Add lots of virgin olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese and toss well again. (I didn’t measure these ingredients but kept tossing until the pasta was nicely glazed and coated with cheese.)

Top the pasta with a handful of fresh julienned basil leaves and mix everything together well.

You might want to experiment and try making this dish with different vegetables like cherry tomatoes or cubed eggplant or add them to the ones listed above. If you don’t like basil, substitute chopped fresh parsley. I added some red pepper flakes to mine, which gave the pasta a nice little zing.

Enjoy the harvest of early September. I hope I see you at the market!

5 Myths about Harrisburg: From Midtown to Allison Hill–it’s debunking time.

August 29, 2014 | by Tara Leo Auchey

To talk about the City of Harrisburg is to talk about a variety of issues, people, places and perceptions.

Some of that talk is tainted with misconceptions, though. Here are a few common myths that I’ve heard said by people both outside and inside of the city.

Myth #1: “You take your life into your own hands if you go to Harrisburg.”

Harrisburg is not that crime-ridden.

Yes, there is crime in the city. Because a city is a greater concentration of people, there are greater opportunities for crimes to be committed. Crime is everywhere; this is unarguable.

However, urban places have urban issues. More people are coming in and out, more people are moving about, and more people are impoverished, economically and morally.

That’s city living. It means to be more alert, aware and prepared. It’s strategy and tactics, such as how to walk, where to venture and what to do should villainy occur.

Anyone who visits the city should have a similar state of consciousness. Street crimes like theft are more likely to happen when someone seems unfamiliar, unsure or vulnerable in some way—that is, lost, alone or intoxicated.

Be aware, and you exponentially minimize your chances of becoming a potential victim.

Homicides, though, are another thing.

The city statistics show that the majority of the most violent incidents happen because of an altercation over some conflict, not necessarily reported or discussed.

The headlines lead because they bleed. Therefore, details are lost, and the real nature of the disputes isn’t necessarily conveyed or understood.

While there’s no absolute safety net around any part of the city, it’s fair to say that where and when this brutality occurs is not where and when most residents and visitors frequent.

Myth #2: “Harrisburg isn’t a real city.”

Despite the scorn, Harrisburg is a city, a real city. Not only do the city’s charter and the state define it so, but Harrisburg also has many attributes of a city—multiple neighborhoods, a variety of people, several centers of business, and access to miscellaneous services and utilities. Harrisburg has tall buildings, traffic, public transit, schools, colleges, churches of various faiths and denominations, stadiums, museums, concert halls, art galleries, restaurants and a multitude of organizations, clubs and groups.

Yet, one of the most significant characteristics of Harrisburg that designates it a city is that it’s always evolving.

From the time it was first settled by John Harris through the turn of the 20th century and City Beautiful, surviving Agnes, up our current time of uncertainty and potential—Harrisburg’s dynamics are myriad with people always coming and going.

It has stood a long test of time and deserves to be called a city.

We should all appreciate and seriously seize the opportunities that come from being in a city, that come from having such a concentration of people in an area. It means a plethora of cultures, languages, faces and random conversations. It’s potential for variety and choice without standards or exclusiveness.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Call it a city and it’ll act like a city.”

Myth #3: “Midtown gets better city services than other neighborhoods.”

As far as many long-time residents are concerned, Midtown is basically the area around the Broad Street Market in what is considered “historic Midtown.” However, per the city’s map, Midtown is the district that spans from Forster to Maclay streets and Front to N. 7^th streets.

Traveling this entire area, you’ll see that there is indeed retail, restaurants, building rehabilitation and new development.

But you’ll also see indications of the broken infrastructure and neglect that plagues the entire city—potholes, broken streetlights, overgrowth, blight, illegal dumpsites and destitution.

Along with these problems, there are frustrated residents who share the same issues and concerns as other residents who live throughout the city. Everyone is dealing with a long-deficient government that’s financially strapped and lacking resources.

And, just like other parts of the city, several Midtown residents are doing what they can to take care of their blocks because no one can really count on city services to fix things right now. At least not quickly.

Myth #4: “There is nothing good about Allison Hill.”

First and foremost, Allison Hill is a big place. It’s comprised of three main sections—North, Central and South Allison Hill. Each of those sections is broken up into smaller neighborhoods, too.

Like Midtown and Uptown, there are quiet streets and troubled spots. The most challenged section of Allison Hill is South Allison Hill, which has a reputation for high poverty and high crime. According to a 2009 Dickinson College student study, its reputation is undeserved. Statistics show it’s not as impoverished or unsafe as many people think. South Allison Hill’s greatest virtue is its diversity, but its greatest handicap is its lack of retail and economic development.

There are still spots worth visiting, including Matango’s Candies on Catherine Street and the Stone Soup Library a few blocks away.

There are a multitude of urban gardens and murals throughout Allison Hill. There’s Reservoir Park, the Harrisburg Cemetery, Mexico Taco Lindo, the Hilltop Restaurant, PM Bistro and the Manna Café on Sundays. There is the secondhand furniture store on State Street, the Harrisburg Doll Museum, Joshua Farm and the Bethesda Mission Youth Center. There are beautiful churches, small ethnic groceries and some of the best views of the city.

Without a doubt, Allison Hill is in need of improvements, but it’s a beautiful place.

Myth #5: “Harrisburg will never get better.”

If someone truly believes this place will never get better, then they’re missing out on the renaissance, reconstruction and collaboration that are happening here.

More people are working together than ever before, and that’s the key. They’re crossing entrenched divides and establishing new ways of doing things. It’s the one significant component that trumps previous attempts and takes out the naysayers.

The fact is Harrisburg will get better. It already is.

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

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