Service through Soccer: JT Dorsey Foundation nurtures area youth through sport.

March 31, 2014 | by Missy Smith

Julian Dorsey has found personal fulfillment in soccer for most of his life.

He began playing three decades ago, when he was 8 years old, and, with his passion and skill set, later competed at Loyola University in Maryland and went on to play for the Hershey Wildcats and the Harrisburg City Islanders.

When he was in third grade, Dorsey’s teacher noticed how fast he could run during a school field day and encouraged him to try out for soccer. Dorsey said his coach picked him not necessarily for his skills, which needed to be strengthened, but because of his strong work ethic.

“I practiced a lot because I was doing something different than anyone else in my neighborhood, and that was cool to me,” said Dorsey, who grew up in a tough area outside of Philadelphia. “I enjoyed not playing traditional inner city sports, like everyone else.”

During his childhood, Dorsey’s family didn’t have much money to pay for the soccer training that the budding player needed.

“My family had a difficult time making enough to pay our bills,” he said. “At the age of 13, my mom told me I couldn’t play anymore because she didn’t have the money.”

The parents of his best friend, Brad, whom he had met on the soccer field, then stepped up.

“They said to my mom, ‘Pay what you can and we’ll pay the rest,’” he said. “I was blessed to have his parents, family members and friends of our family help my mom financially to allow me to play. I wanted to create the same opportunity for kids.”

So, in 2007, Julian, otherwise known as “JT,” created the JT Dorsey Foundation, a non-profit youth development organization that uses soccer as a means to develop well-rounded kids from the ages of 5 to 18 throughout Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, York and surrounding regions. As previous director of an alternative school with a special education degree, Dorsey knew he wanted to combine his love of soccer with working alongside kids.

“I saw how soccer created a lot of opportunities for me,” he said. “I thought, ‘How could we use sport to educate kids and create learning through play?’”

Dorsey also wanted to provide important services that are often lacking in inner city communities. So, JT Dorsey Foundation provides wellness education, physical activity and obesity prevention, mentoring, leadership skills, employment training and a safe, nurturing environment for at-risk children to grow up in.

Mark Malhenzie of Etters is thrilled with what his children experience with JT Dorsey. Both his son Matthew, 13, and daughter Lauren, 12, participate in the soccer program. When Mark began looking for soccer training over the winter, he discovered JT Dorsey.

“I came and watched a practice, and I loved what I saw,” reflected Malhenzie, who often volunteers with his wife Suzanne at various JT Dorsey events. “What they stand for is excellence. It’s not just about skills. They teach the kids to be the best they can be. My kids can’t wait to come here.”

Matthew echoed his father’s sentiment. “I look forward to it every week. I remember the first day I came here, and I walked in, the coaches just took me in as if they already knew me.”

For Dorsey and his coaching staff, that is what it’s all about, supporting the youth in our communities and helping them to grow into successful, responsible and healthy young adults. True to the spirit of many non-profits, the coaches pour their passion into the labor of love.

“None of the coaches here want to get rich,” said Dorsey. “These are good people who are good citizens in the community with strong soccer values. The kids know that they will get quality coaches that care about them.”

Given the nature of being a non-profit, Dorsey is tasked with keeping his organization afloat financially to make sure it can continue to provide its developmental services through soccer. To keep costs low or free to its players, the JT Dorsey Foundation collects funds from donors and corporate sponsors, such as Adidas, Score Sports, Angelo’s Soccer Corner, the City Islanders and the U.S. Soccer Foundation. But, Dorsey said that the foundation can always use financial support and manpower.

Soccer is Dorsey’s life, and it’s not just fun and games for him. “I am a teacher by trade, and I love to see kids learn and develop not only as soccer players, but as people,” he said. “That is very rewarding.”

Those interested in giving time or money can learn how to contribute on the JT Dorsey Foundation website, www.jtdorsey.org.

A Wild Life: For photographer Shannon Rose O’Shea, a post-retirement hobby blossomed into a second career.

March 31, 2014 | by Lori M. Myers

Anyone who sees the photo of the green heron, captured so vividly by wildlife photographer Shannon Rose O’Shea, can’t help but notice that the bird is straining to grab something that is out of reach.

But for O’Shea, a native of Steelton who now resides in Susquehanna Township, that photo represents her mantra that sometimes, in order to get what you want, you have to stick your neck out. And, indeed, she does and has to when she wants to capture that perfect shot.

“I’ve had so many wonderful experiences photographing wildlife,” O’Shea says. “It is both immensely rewarding and totally frustrating at the same time. I can sit for an hour waiting for that moment when a great blue heron catches a largemouth bass, only to have it happen as I turn to walk away. It certainly teaches you patience.”

And patience is needed in order for O’Shea to create these works of reality art—from an egret taking flight in Kiwanis Park in York to a majestic sunset above Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. She even was able to photograph a bighorn sheep that had come down from a rocky hillside to stand in a parking lot bordered by playground equipment.

O’Shea’s interest in photography began only three short years ago, when her husband noticed her taking a picture of a tulip in her garden with a little, film-loaded Olympus camera.

“He thought I needed a grown-up camera, so he bought me a Nikon L120, a bridge camera between a point-and-shoot and an SLR,” O’Shea says.

After downloading her first photos from her “grown-up camera,” O’Shea was hooked. She quickly outgrew the Nikon and purchased her first SLR, a Canon EOS Rebel t2i, then moved up to a Canon 7D complete with assorted lenses, tripods, a loupe, filters, hoods, a backpack and other accessories she calls “the camera stuff.”

Now retired, O’Shea and her husband travel around the country not only for rest and relaxation, but also for her to take pictures of the great outdoors. While her preferred places to take photos include Hawaii, Florida (the Circle B Bar Reserve there is a particular favorite) and South Carolina, O’Shea began honing her trade right in her own backyard at Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg.

But this photography obsession has gone way beyond anything O’Shea could have imagined. Her work has appeared on websites all over the world, such as Booking.com, the Orlando City Guide, The Huffington Post, Pinterest, Tumblr, iWitness Weather, a Hawaiian travel site, numerous blogs and many more.

This year, one of her shots will be published in a book of lighthouses of South Carolina, and she recently received and accepted an invitation to become a Getty Images contributor photographer. One of O’Shea’s photos of an egret at Wildwood Lake is included in a youtube music video of the song “Promised Land” performed by Amy Goldstein.

O’Shea plans on continuing her travels, mostly along the east coast, taking pictures of wildlife, landscapes and architecture.

“I hope to continue improving my skills and having many opportunities for people to see and appreciate my work,” she says.

What began with a little, film-loaded Olympus camera and tulips in her garden has turned into quite a career and a sense of fulfillment. Looking through that lens has offered O’Shea an incredible appreciation for wildlife and nature, along with connections with others who share this love of photography.

“I love travelling around the country and meeting other photographers,” she says. “I’ve learned so much and met so many wonderful people from all over the world.”

You can see more work by Shannon Rose O’Shea by visiting www.flickr.com/photos/shannonroseoshea.

Restoration on the River: Life returns to the Moffitt Mansion.

March 31, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

: (before image)

: (before image)

: (before image)

: (before image)

Last month, the employees of WebpageFX moved into the fully renovated Moffitt Mansion at 1703-05 N. Front Street in Harrisburg.

The re-location of the company from Carlisle marked not only a significant development for the city, but a major milestone in the history of the dressed blue limestone mansion, which long ago was divided into a warren of small offices, then fell into disrepair. For many years, it even served as the home of the former Midtown magisterial justice’s office.

WCI Partners, Urban Interiors and Trinity Construction now have brought the mansion back to life, restoring and opening it up to serve the needs of WebpageFX, an Internet/Web design firm. Last July, we featured a series of photos showing the mansion before the renovation. We now present the “after” photos, so readers can see the potential for Harrisburg’s historic buildings, increasingly restructured for modern use and given new purpose and new life.

In addition to these images of the completed renovation, please check out the “before” shots of the mansion and additional history on the building from our July issue.

A Venezuela Victual: When the owner of Arepa City moved to Harrisburg, he brought his native food with him.

March 31, 2014 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Those who know Daniel Farias describe him as a “people person,” an important trait for someone who works long hours serving the public.

And those who visit his downtown Harrisburg restaurant, Arepa City, look forward both to chatting with the ever-present, typically smiling businessman and dining on his delicious cuisine, which is based upon the Venezuelan staple known as an arepa.

“He really cares about his customers and wants everyone to have an enjoyable experience,” said Camp Hill resident Allen Gordon, who considers himself a regular and has been frequenting the establishment since it opened.

Gordon and his wife even took friends who were visiting from Venezuela to the restaurant, and they gave the food rave reviews.

Farias began his career in the hospitality industry working on a cruise line after leaving his native country.

“I started out as a busboy; it was the only position they were able to give me,” he said, explaining that he knew little English at the time. “I then decided that I wanted to grow and made up my mind to master the language in order to open up better opportunities.”

Farias turned out to be a quick and astute learner, and, before long, he was promoted to assistant manager.

While working on the cruise ship, Farias met his wife Mildred, who was living in Boston. So, he decided to move there and began working in a hotel. His career eventually took him to Florida, and then Hershey Entertainment came knocking, so he moved Mildred and his twin daughters Diliana and Daniela to the central Pennsylvania area, where he became banquet director at the Hershey Lodge.

Farias, though, dreamed of working for himself, so was always on alert for the opportunity. When he heard that a small, turnkey establishment was for sale on N. 2nd Street in Harrisburg, he decided to investigate.

“Turns out the owner wanted out, and I wanted in, so it was mutually beneficial,” he said.

For Farias, who studied at culinary school back in Venezuela and spent his career in hospitality, making the decision to open a restaurant was a no-brainer. Choosing what to serve was an equally easy decision.

“I decided to stick with what I know best, which is my cuisine,” he said. “In Venezuela, I grew up eating arepas almost every day and wanted to offer the public authentic Venezuelan cuisine. If you go to my country tomorrow and ask for an arepa, you will get the same thing.”

Arepas are a sandwich, a bit like a pita, with the dough made from corn meal, salt, sugar and water, said Farias. Customers can choose from a variety of fillings, including pork, lamb, chicken, chorizo, beans, flank steak—whatever strikes their fancy.

“Since it’s a bread, anything goes with it,” he said. “Only a few people have asked me to customize them according to what they want, but I want people to feel free to do that, too.”

Patrons also can order other Venezuelan specialties like pernil asado, which is slow-roasted pork leg, cassava sticks and spicy cabbage, and patacones—green plantain open sandwiches that are offered with a selection of toppings from shredded flank steak to chicken to avocado salad.

Ana Yost lives in Etters and makes the trip to the restaurant often.

“My daughters and I love it there,” she said. “He puts his special touch on every dish. Everything is fresh, and he comes out and talks to people, too.”

For Farias, the future looks bright, as he plans to continue pleasing his patrons for years to come.

“I’m very positive about Harrisburg and the renewed focus on business in the area,” he said. “I know that this restaurant is unique in many ways. There is no restaurant around here similar to this. Philly is the closest, and they say this is better.”

Then, with a laugh, he adds, “Who knows?”

Arepa City is located at 316 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.arepacity.com or call 717-233-3332.

Battling Bias: Community Responders Network offers support for victims of discrimination.

March 31, 2014 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

It hasn’t been easy for American Muslims since 9/11.

Samia Malik, a central Pennsylvania community activist, is aware of the looks of fear that people give her, of the doors closed in her face and incidents that affected her kids when they were in college.

But things came to a head in 2008. Before the presidential election, millions of free copies of a DVD called “Obsession” were mailed to people. The film “claimed that all Muslims are against America and the west,” Malik said.

Shortly afterward, a chemical irritant was sprayed inside a Dayton, Ohio, mosque, afflicting children whose parents were praying nearby. Then someone set a fire outside the Malik house, though the family wasn’t sure this was connected.

Malik turned to other activists she knew, among them Margee Koistra and the Rev. Sandy Strauss—both serving on the peacemaking committee of Market Square Presbyterian Church.

They agreed that something needed to be done, and the Community Responders Network was born.

The non-profit organization is comprised of a coalition of local leaders and concerned citizens seeking to build a stronger, more inclusive community in central Pennsylvania by educating people about, preventing and responding to instances of bias and intolerance based on such personal characteristics as religion, race, gender, age or sexual orientation.

The network provides support, information and referral to services to the victims of a hate crime or incident of bias. It also aims to serve as a “moral voice,” reinforcing the message that intolerance is not acceptable.

Members of the Community Responders Network represent a variety of faith communities, non-profit organizations, state and county governments, as well as YWCAs. Its administrative home is at the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, where its volunteer members meet about once a month.

The network has been busy. One incident under investigation concerns a middle-aged African-American woman who was stopped by a police officer because the windows of her car were tinted, which is illegal in Pennsylvania. She explained her unfamiliarity with the law, and the officer seemed satisfied.

But then two other officers from another municipality, in an unmarked car, stopped by.

“It was an exacerbation of the situation already resolved by the first officer,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous. “I felt it was overkill and filed a complaint. It was very intimidating. I felt it was racial profiling.”

There is also the case of a midget football game in which a primarily white team shouted racial slurs at a primarily African-American one. The Community Responders Network is helping to provide guidelines for behavior for players, coaches, officials, cheerleaders and fans.

“We’re working with the league to beef up policies and procedures,” said Amanda Arbour, racial justice development specialist at the YWCA and liaison to the network. “We felt the incident had not been adequately addressed.”

A classic situation involving bias is when a family of a different race, religion or ethnicity than the majority moves into a neighborhood. Suddenly, there is hate graffiti or slashed tires, explained Ann Van Dyke, a long-time executive of the state Human Relations Commission who now volunteers for the network.

“Law enforcement may do what it can, but the family is often left shaking in its boots, and it’s often hard to prove who did these things,” Van Dyke said. “Moreover, many incidents go unreported.”

Van Dyke helped the network compose a manual subtitled, “A Guide to Engaging the Community in Prevention and Response to Intolerance, “ which was updated in July.

The manual includes a “flow chart” of procedures of how community organizations and citizens can respond to hate and bias incidents, said Arbour.

In addition to its coordinating committee, the network has a rapid response team to help community members who feel they have been targeted, as well as a prevention and education team, which strives to address the root causes of intolerance.

The network will be working with local school districts since intolerance “starts at a young age,” said Koistra, chair of the coordinating committee.

“We’re a citizens group,” she added. “The Human Relations Commission follows through, but not all incidents come to their attention. We needed a way for ordinary citizens to work together in a supportive way. “

The network does inform the Human Relations Commission and, if appropriate, the local police—which both track trends of hate crimes and incidents. “We try not to step on toes but to be collaborative,” said Koistra.

Carl Choper, chair of the Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania and rabbi at the Jewish Home of Greater Harrisburg, has been involved with the network from the beginning.

“It offered a way to have a united response when hate incidents happen,” he said.

Some of the tension that develops in communities between perceived “insiders and outsiders” is “beyond our control, but the silence of people about the incidents is not beyond our control,” Choper said. “We have to speak out early and make the community inhospitable to hate.”

Part of the Community Responders Network’s mission is to make itself and its work better known. The organization recently enhanced its website and is using social media more. It’s trying to increase the involvement of faith groups, as well as LGBT and minority communities.

The network hopes the number of victims who are willing to report incidents will increase. To assist that effort, it held two informational events last spring for the community, which attracted more than 50 people. Similar events may be held again this year.

Most people who feel they have been targeted come to the Community Responders Network through word of mouth or because they personally know a network volunteer. But community members also can reach the network through the CONTACT Helpline, 717-652-4400, which will refer them to an individual on call from the network.

For more information, visit www.communityrespondersnetwork.org. The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg is located at 1101 Market St., Harrisburg, 717-234-7931.

News & Brews: Sure, Harrisburg is just emerging from an historic financial catastrophe, but, hey, where’s the beer?

March 31, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

A lot of reporters go into journalism because (believe it or not) they love government. Or, at least, they think it’s important, which, in fact, it is.

Public policy affects our lives in so many ways, and most college journalism majors can’t wait to get out there to cover their first City Council meeting or mayoral press conference or legislative hearing (even if they later end up working for a trade magazine or in communications or as someone’s shill, which, these days, is more likely than not).

I was like that, too. As a kid, I was a voracious reader and, following graduate school, spent several years in the trenches of local newspapers before becoming a freelance technology writer. I later circled back to real journalism when I co-founded TheBurg.

I found it refreshing to cover stories again that actually mattered to people—taxes, schools, sanitation. That said: I quickly realized that covering Harrisburg was the journalism equivalent of a middle-aged man deciding to take up skiing again with a first run down the perilous “Harikiri” slope in Austria.

I spent endless hours, so many late nights, covering fights over budgets; fights over the financial crisis; fights over bankruptcy; fights over the Harrisburg Authority. In my mind, it was important that our readers had our perspective of some of the most significant events in the history of this city.

Silly me. You want to know what really interests our readers? Beer. Hey, at least, it’s good beer!

Last year, we re-designed and upgraded TheBurg’s website, which, among other things, allowed us to track which stories were the most popular online. Since then, the most-read and most-shared story, by far, has been a news article that I wrote in January about Alter Ego Brewing Co. planning to build a brewhouse in Midtown Harrisburg.

It wasn’t even close.

As of this writing, that story had more than 3,400 views and nearly 1,500 Facebook shares. In second place: a photo feature on the renovation of the Moffitt Mansion for WebpageFX (the company moved into Harrisburg and into the building last month), followed by stories on our November cover, a Whitaker Center exhibit, the Mary K properties and the purchase of the First Church of God by Gamut Theatre Group.

Now, at TheBurg, we do journalism the old-fashioned way. We don’t measure our success by clicks or by the apparent online popularity of content. In other words, we’re not in it for the eyeballs.

Therefore, I don’t really care which story ranks first in page views. It’s not going to change our news judgment, nor make any difference to our bottom line. Besides, most readers still cherish our print product above all, and, indeed, we believe it’s vital for us to have a strong physical presence in the community we serve.

Nonetheless, as a close follower of all things Harrisburg, I find the relative popularity of our stories fascinating, even if forced to use the deeply flawed measure of page views and Facebook shares.

So, Harrisburg, you care a lot about beer, culture and development issues. You also like to read about dogs, restaurants and small business. Interestingly, the two bread-and-butter issues of local reporting—politics and government—rank lower in the order.

I guess that doesn’t surprise me. As I’ve said time and again, TheBurg tries to reflect the totality of life here. We often report and comment on government matters, but also know that, unlike most young journalists, politics and policy aren’t everyone’s obsessions.

In the end, I do find one common thread among our most-read online content. These stories tend to be hyper-local—both news and features—that have a big impact on our small community and that are hard (if not impossible) to find elsewhere. And we definitely plan to bring you more of those.

Community Corner: Notable Events in April

March 31, 2014 | by TheBurg Staff

Leads Over Lunch

April 1: The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC will hold its free monthly lunchtime networking event, with a chance to mix and mingle with the regional business community. Event is 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hershey Center for Applied Research, 1214 Research Blvd., Hummelstown. Registration is required. For more information, visit www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/events.

Embracing the Future

April 2: Luann Zinsmeister will give a talk on nursing informatics at Messiah College, in the Alexander Auditorium in the Frey Hall Academic Building, Mechanicsburg. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.messiah.edu.

Journey to the West

April 3-6, 10-13: Mary Zimmerman’s play “Journey to the West” will be performed at Messiah College. The production is suitable for all ages. Cost of admission is $10. Student and senior tickets are $7. For more information, visit www.messiah.edu/theatretickets.

Mini Mountain Laurel Concert Series

April 4, 5: The four-piece band Mountain Fling will hold two performances in our area. The first concert will be at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 120 Main St., Lewistown, on April 4, and the second will be held at Highland United Presbyterian Church, 11 Church Rd., Newport, on April 5. Both shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 717-567-66406 or 717-567-9469.

Youth Workers Conference

April 5: A one-day Youth Ministry conference will be held at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. Featuring keynote speaker Duffy Robbins, the session will last from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.messiah.edu/ywc.

Camera Club

April 5: Drop in for the 4^th Annual Light & Creativity Workshop, open to anyone who would like to expand his or her photography knowledge. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Central Penn College Conference Center, 600 Valley Rd. Summerdale. Registration is $60 for Harrisburg Camera Club Members and $70 for non-members. For more information, visit www.harrisburgcameraclub.org.

Sunday Arts Hour

April 6: Join the Perry County Council of the Arts for an educational and entertaining program about opera composer, Richard Wagner. There will be a short recital in addition to the historical presentation and an opportunity to tour the current exhibit. The event will be held at the Landis House, 67 N. Fourth St. at 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.perrycountyarts.org.

“The Wizard of Oz”

April 6: Authors Jay Scarfone and William Stillman will discuss the beloved film “The Wizard of Oz” based on the research for their book, “The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75^th Anniversary Companion.” New and rare information on the film will be the focus of the event, which will take place at the Art Association of Harrisburg, 21 N. Front St. A $10 donation is requested at the door. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

Taste of the Chamber

April 9: Local banquet facilities, caterers and restaurants will offer samples of their finest dishes at Sun Motor Cars Porsche/Audi, 6691 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. The event is open to the public, and tickets are $25 per person. For more information, visit www.wschamber.org.

Egg Hunt

April 12: Easter bunny visits will be held at the Antique Auto Museum of Hershey, 161 Museum Dr., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by several egg hunts for various age groups up to 10 years old. Hot dogs and popcorn will be served. For more information, visit www.aacamuseumm.org.

Harrisburg Cemetery Walk

April 12: See spring bloom in a beautiful setting at Harrisburg Cemetery, 521 N. 13th St. The 1-4 p.m. event is self-guided, but members of Penn State Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance. Light refreshments will be available. Rain date is April 13. For more information, call 717-635-8949.

Dauphin County Egg Hunt

April 13: Bring the kiddies to the annual egg hunt on the grounds of Fort Hunter Park. The event runs 2-5 p.m. and features face painting, pony rides and other activities, in addition to the hunt, which is staggered for various age groups up to 9 years old. Learn more at https://forthunter.org.

Fashion for Awareness

April 13: Local fashion label, Artemisia, will be showcased for a good cause at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom in Grantville. Before the show, there will be makeup and skin care demonstrations by Artistry. The event also will feature a cash bar, silent, auction, raffle and special guests. The event begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit www.artemisiafashionforawareness.myevent.com.

Second Sunday at the Mansion

April 13: A presentation, “Andrew Curtin, Civil War Governor,” will be held by Civil War re-enactor David Klinepeter at the Harris-Cameron Mansion, 219 S. Front St. Tours of the mansion begin at 1 p.m. Admission is free for members of the Historical Society of Dauphin County and by donation for nonmembers. For more information, visit www.dauphincountyhistory.org.

“Twenty Feet From Stardom”

April 15: This Oscar award-winning film tells the story of the backup singers of some of the greatest musicians of the last century. There will be two showings at the Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., with a discussion following the final showing. This film is rated PG-13. For more information, visit www.fredricksenlibrary.org.

Meet Your Elected Officials

April 17: The opportunity to talk to local, county and state legislators will held at Capital BlueCross, 2500 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. The event is open to anyone who would like to attend and will be from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/events.

Spring Warblers

April 17: Learn 10 different techniques to help identify warblers this spring. Presenter Terry Neumyer will provide photographs and songs of the warblers. The program will be held in the Christ Presbyterian Church in Camp Hill. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.appalachianaudubon.org.

Jersey Mike Rock + Run 5K

April 19: Celebrate the life of Jersey Mike Van Jura and run for a good cause at the Jersey Mike Rock + Run 5K. The 5-kilometer race begins at noon on City Island, Harrisburg, and benefits children who have tragically lost a parent. There is also a one-mile fun run for kids. An after-party follows at Ceolta’s Irish Bar on N. 2^nd St. Pre-register or register on the day of the race starting at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.jerseymikerun.com.

Changing 401(k) Landscape

April 22: The West Shore Chamber of Commerce will present an event on 401(k) plans, focused on recent changes to the rules and laws of these employer-sponsored retirement plans. The event will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Cost of admission is $10 for members and $20 for non-members. For more information, visit www.wschamber.org.

First-Time Home Buyers

April 26: Learn about the home-buying process from a panel of local experts, who will explain the basics of home insurance, pre-qualification, financial preparation and more. The course will be held at the Charlie “T” Jones Conference Center in Mechanicsburg from 9 to 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.wschamber.org.

Race Against Racism

April 26: The YWCA Greater Harrisburg will hold its 10th annual Race Against Racism, a 5K to promote awareness of the issue of racial injustice and to raise funds for the organization’s racial justice programs. The race begins at 9:30 a.m. on City Island in Harrisburg with a kid’s fun run at 9 a.m. A Humanity Fest will coincide with the race. Pre-register online at www.ywcahbg.org/events.

Hershey Handbell Ensemble

April 26: The Hershey Handbell Ensemble will present a concert, “A Celebration of Our Ten Years,” featuring Malmark handbells, hand chimes and other instruments. The concert will take place at the Grace United Methodist Church of Christ, 1947 New Holland Pike, Lancaster, beginning at 7 p.m. A donation of $10 is suggested. For more information, visit www.hersheyhandbellensemble.org.

Little Miss Tea Party

April 26: Penbrook Community Center will hold a tea party complete with food, prizes, entertainment and more. Dress clothing is required. Admission for those ages 0 to 17 is $10 and $15 for anyone over the age of 18. For more information, call 717-503-2242 or email [email protected].

Broadway Comes to York

April 27: A theater workshop will be held in the York JCC building by Geoffrey Goldberg, Broadway performer, for kids ages 7 to 16. All skill levels are welcome at this workshop, and participants should expect the opportunity to perform mock auditions and receive feedback. For more information, visit www.aclassactny.com.

Downton Abbey Tea

April 27: View the costumes from the hit show “Downton Abbey” at the Fort Hunter Mansion and Park in Harrisburg. There will be an educational talk of the era and the characters featured on the show. An afternoon tea will take place, in addition to the preview tour of the exhibit. For more information, visit www.forthunter.org.

Fight for Air Climb

April 27: Climb the 2,000 stairs of Hersheypark Stadium, 100 Hershey Park Dr., during the Fifth Annual Fight for Air Climb. Participants may climb individually or with a group. Registration is $25 and will begin at 11:30 a.m. The climb begins at 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.lunginfo.org/stadiumclimb.

“The Rocket”

April 29: Come to the Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill to see this award-winning film of a boy living in a war torn land, attempting to make a new life and home for himself. There will be two showings, at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. The final showing will feature an open discussion after the film. The film is not recommended for children under 17 without an adult. For more information, visit www.fredricksenlibrary.org.

Hop Haven: It’s a craft beer bonanza at Brewhouse Grille.

March 31, 2014 | by Andrew Dyrli Hermeling

As a craft beer drinker (read: beer snob), the first thing I do when I belly up to a bar is check out the tap handles. I can ignore an absence of ambiance, a lackluster menu or poor song selection coming from the sound system. I cannot ignore a poor beer selection.

I’ve been to the Camp Hill’s Brewhouse Grille before, so I wasn’t worried about its draft menu, and I have always enjoyed the food and friendly atmosphere. But old habits die hard, so when I arrive to meet with one of the co-owners of the restaurant, Larry Dolan, my eyes immediately track to the tap system.

Just as I suspected, a wide variety of critically acclaimed craft brews are on display, including one of my favorites, Resin, an imperial India pale ale by Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Brewery. As I complete my inspection, Dolan emerges from the dining room and invites me to join him at a table in the back where we can have a quieter conversation.

The Brewhouse Cometh

Brewhouse Grille is not a new establishment, so we discuss origins first.

“Co-founder Norm Fromm and I opened the Brewhouse in 2005,” says Dolan. “We were craft beer enthusiasts, and there weren’t many bars serving these types of beers, so we wanted a place that had good food and good craft beer.”

The Brewhouse opened with a 12-tap system. It’s now expanded to 38 taps between two bars, serving 30 separate beers on draft. The owners feature a revolving draft list with an emphasis on seasonals and special, hard-to-find beers, although they make sure to have some “macros” on hand to keep all the customers happy.

“We keep in touch with our wholesalers,” adds Dolan. “We make sure to get in any special releases being offered.”

The Brewhouse features offerings from a number of top-notch craft breweries, such as the previously mentioned Sixpoint, Bell’s Brewery, Lagunitas Brewing Company and Great Lakes Brewing Company.

“We make an effort to highlight local breweries as well,” notes Dolan. “Obviously, we carry Tröegs. But we also have a variety of other local brewers, like Millbock [Linglestown], Springhouse [Lancaster] and Liquid Hero [York].”

But Brewhouse is about more than beer. The owners take their food seriously, too.

“We have our own smoker,” says Dolan. “Our menu features smoked chicken, ribs and pulled pork. And our house dressing includes smoked tomatoes.”

Furthermore, the Brewhouse is not light on atmosphere. Come warmer weather, customers flock to the restaurant, as the second bar can be opened up to let in the air. It also hosts special events, such as an annual breast cancer awareness party, “Brews for Boobies,” held every May. March Madness and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration are also big draws, and the Brewhouse regularly features live music; it was a participating venue in this year’s Millennium Music Conference.

Brewhouse Family

At this point, Larry calls over one of his bartenders, Amy Bentley, who has been working at the Brewhouse for nine years.

“For someone to work here for that long shows you how much this place is like a family,” says Bentley. “It’s been nice to get to know the regulars, to hear their stories and find out what’s going on with them.”

She is clearly on to something. Even though I arrived during the off-hours in the mid-afternoon, friendly patrons chat up the bartenders, who all respond to the customers by name. As we talk, she is quite comfortable sitting with her boss, yet another indication that the Brewhouse is more family than place of employment.

Having gotten a sense of what makes the Brewhouse unique, I take the opportunity to solicit specific food and beer recommendations.

“The Tuscan tuna salad is my favorite,” says Bentley. “The red onions, capers and olives add a wonderful flavor.”

As for beer, her favorite current offering is Great Lakes’ Edmund Fitzgerald, a world-class American porter.

Dolan chimes in, “I prefer the IPAs.”

As a fellow hop-head, I have to go with his recommendation. It’s then that I remember the Sixpoint Resin tap handle I saw on my way in.

Brewhouse Grille is located at 2050 State Rd., Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.brewhousegrille.com or call 717-737-0030.

Bit of Change: Harrisburg’s new parking regimen has hit an unexpected snag, but an innovative solution may be at hand.

March 31, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda and Paul Barker

Terry Sweeney stopped coming to downtown Harrisburg last month, even though several of the restaurants on 2^nd Street are among his favorites.

He felt he had no choice. The increased cost of parking was putting a huge dent in his monthly budget.

“I simply can’t afford the parking or the tickets,” said the Mechanicsburg resident. “I’m not sure anyone can.”

Sweeney was more accurate in his assessment than he may have realized.

Parking operator Standard Parking last month said its internal studies revealed that there is not enough dollar-denominated currency in circulation in the greater Harrisburg area to pay for the new parking rates.

So, according to spokesman Rob Porter, it’s begun to retrofit its new meters to accept bitcoins, the digital currency that some regard as a legitimate form of money.

“We took a closer look at our budget for 2014 and realized that, in fact, the citizens of Harrisburg do not actually have sufficient American currency—or really sovereign currency of any kind—to meet our revenue projections,” Porter said. “And one way to close that gap is for residents to tap into the shadowy, unregulated underworld of a Japanese software eccentric’s technological fantasy.”

Software developer Satoshi Nakamoto created bitcoin just five years ago as an alternative to traditional, country-sanctioned forms of money. Bitcoins are not controlled by nations or central banks, but use computers on a network to confirm bitcoin transactions and mint new currency.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that he “warmly welcomes” the prospect of bitcoin-compatible parking meters.

“It’s just so exciting,” he said. “It’s a terrific example of exactly the kind of public/private/shadow economy partnership that I’ve been touting all along. Once again, Harrisburg is on the cutting edge of creative financing.”

Papenfuse then went on to list all the “really neat things” the city would be able to buy when Harrisburg receives its share of bitcoin revenue: sushi from a restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif.; a college degree from the University of Cyprus; black market cigarettes; the ability to wager in online casinos.

Other city officials were taking a more cautious approach to the development.

“The founding fathers and Ronald Reagan didn’t need any bitcoin,” said Councilwoman Sandra Reid. “I say this to un-American bitcoin: Four score and seven years ago!”

Reid added that, following several neighborhood hearings, she would urge the city to reconsider its embrace of the virtual currency. When reminded that the city no longer owns or controls the parking system, she responded, “When did this happen? Why wasn’t I consulted?”

Council President Wanda Williams said she was still studying the issue, but would read an hour-long, prepared statement defending her position once she makes up her mind.

Indeed, bitcoin has become increasingly controversial since it began to be embraced last year, mostly by day traders, tech geeks and people who believe that modern civilization is a fiction whose time of reckoning is at hand.

One problem is the potential that the currency will collapse altogether, a possibility heightened by events like February’s theft of $477 million in bitcoins from Mt. Gox, a virtual currency giant, by online hackers.

If that happens, said spokesman Porter, Standard Parking may have to fall back on its “Plan B”: accepting the city’s physical assets as a form of substitute payment.

“We’ll take anything, really,” Porter said. “Civil war museums, minor league ballparks, state Capitol buildings, parking systems. Oh right, we already got that last one.”

He said, in a pinch, he’d even accept private houses.

“We’d generously lease them back to the old owners,” he said, “as long as their tribute—I mean rent—is paid in bitcoins.”

“Anything except sewer pipes,” he added. “You can keep those.”

The potential downside, however, does not concern former city receiver William Lynch, who said he approves of what he called bitcoin’s “essential characteristic”: the fact that no one really understands what it is or how it works.

“That same characteristic was the key to the whole receivership and the recovery plan,” said Lynch, who then winked, boarded a helicopter and flew away up the Susquehanna.

Upon further reporting, TheBurg has learned that nothing in this story actually happened, was said by the individuals quoted or paraphrased or is otherwise accurate. Happy April Fools, Harrisburg! (with inspirational credit to #ScotchinTheBurg)

Musical Notes: April’s Musical Showers–Lush sounds blossom this month.

March 31, 2014 | by Dan Webster

April storms in with a trio branded “Brooklyn Country,” and Moviate and Matt Hickey are up to all sorts of good, promoting two hyper-experimental bands. Get passionate, get entranced, and don’t miss a drop of this music.

The Lone Bellow/York Capitol Strand/April 3/8 p.m./$24

The Lone Bellow is a trio triumph, featuring the harmonies of singer/writer Zach Williams, guitarist Brian Elmquist and mandolin player Kanene Pipkin. Their self-titled debut album is chock full of songs ablaze with passion and emotion, but very dissimilar to the country rock found in pop radio. “Teach Me to Know” is a harmonic masterpiece utilizing all three voices perfectly—although lyrically repetitive. The songs “Green Heart and a Heart of Gold” and “You Never Need Nobody” are stock favorites that will warm you to this Brooklyn band that is two parts The Lumineers (acoustic rock template), one part non-annoying Gavin Degraw (does that exist?), and a dash of Teitur (lyrically speaking).

Thollem McDonas & Brian Chase/The MakeSpace/April 4/8 p.m./$8 Cover

This is going to be a road trip into Avatar world—spacious, luscious and otherworldly. Thollem McDonas is an avant garde pianist pairing up with the drummer of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs in Brian Chase. Their album, “Dub Narcotic Session,” explores many a sonic landscape, sometimes shockingly together like freestyle jazz piano on top of punk-style drum playing. I’d say this kind of thing comes around Harrisburg once in a blue moon.

Koen Holtkamp/Little Amps Uptown/April 6/7 p.m./$5 Suggested Donation

Thanks Moviate for this one. Holtkamp, like the above duo, is difficult to define. He layers all manners of sounds—keyboards, wood blocks, rattles, etc.—to create hypnotic, contemplative musical poetry. “Haus Und Spirale Im Regen” is a 15-minute stretch of his more soothing material, while a song like “Walker” is layered with city sounds and ethereal voices, creating a scary dissonance. Grab a coffee and let your mind wander at this one.

Mentionables: The Martini Brothers, HMAC, April 19, starts at 8 p.m.; Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, The Abbey Bar, April 27, starts at 4 p.m.; Prairie Empire & Anthonie Tonnon, The MakeSpace, April 30, starts at 8 p.m.

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

For more information, visit www.communityrespondersnetwork.org. The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg is located at 1101 Market St., Harrisburg, 717-234-7931.

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like