May News Digest

May 16, 2013 | by Admin

Receiver Provides Update

Harrisburg is inching closer to resolving its financial crisis, even as the city’s red ink continues to flow, says receiver William Lynch.

In his court-mandated quarterly update, Lynch states that:

“Active negotiations” continue “towards a closing” of the sale of the city’s troubled incinerator to the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority and the long-term lease of the city’s parking facilities to Harrisburg First, an entity of financial services giant Guggenheim Partners.
The receiver has changed course on the proposal to hire professional managers for the city’s water and sewer system. The plan now is to create a regional operating authority for Harrisburg and surrounding jurisdictions. Part of this proposal “involves a resolution with the suburban municipalities on the overcharges for sewer system operation.”
Contract negotiations continue with the city’s three unions with the hope that agreements will be reached “as early in 2013 as possible.” In the meantime, Lynch has directed the city not to implement salary increases that were part of contract extensions.
The hiring last year of Chief Operating Officer Ricardo Mendez-Saldivia has “greatly strengthened the city’s administrative capacity” and helped it complete its 2010 audit. The 2011 audit should be finalized in mid-May.
The city’s financial picture remains troubled. Harrisburg ended 2012 with a two-year cumulative deficit of $13 million, most from two missed general obligation bond payments. In March, Lynch ordered the city to skip another $5.2 million general obligation payment. In all, Harrisburg expects revenue this year of $51.4 million and expenses of $58.4 million.

Lynch’s next quarterly update is slated for June 30.

Private Trash Collection on Tap

Come next year, Harrisburg residents may have their trash picked up by a private hauler.

The city has issued a request for proposals to privatize its trash and recyclable collections, which long has been the duty of the city’s Public Works Department.

Turning over trash collection to the private sector is part of the receiver’s financial recovery plan to cut the cost and improve the service of trash removal in the city.

Interested haulers have until June 14 to submit their proposals to the city, which would award the contract on July 12. Under the plan, private collection would begin Jan. 1.

Harrisburg collects trash and recyclables from about 15,330 residences and about 1,400 commercial sites.

The full request for proposal is available at the city’s website, www.harrisburgpa.gov.

New Uptown Garden for GUI

Green Urban Initiative last month took the first steps towards creating a new community garden in Uptown Harrisburg.

Volunteers cleared debris, constructed gardening beds and tilled soil to prepare the ground for planting at 2257 Atlas St. Previously, the property was overgrown and blighted, filled with litter and debris.

GUI plans 15 gardening beds, providing participating residents with the opportunity to grow healthy, local food.

Last year, GUI planted an Uptown garden nearby at N. 6^th and Curtin streets. However, that garden was bulldozed by the city at the direction of City Council President Wanda Williams, who said she had received complaints that the garden had attracted illicit activities.

Millworks to Host Restaurant, Art Space

Chalk up another renovation for Harrisburg, as the dilapidated Stokes Millworks building is set to become a farm-to-plate restaurant and artist studios.

City businessman Joshua Kesler announced last month that he purchased the historic, Art Deco-style building on the 300 block of Verbeke Street across from the Broad Street Market.

Part of the 15,720-square-foot building will house a full-service restaurant featuring locally sourced goods, including items bought directly from vendors at the Broad Street Market, said Kesler. The restaurant’s interior will be faithful to the building’s original form and function with brick-and-timber construction. It will be open Tuesday to Sunday.

The studio space will give local artists a “low-cost production center,” said Kesler, a former partial owner of Savannah’s on Hanna.

The conversion of Stokes Millworks, which has sat empty for years, will require an extensive renovation, which should be complete in late 2014, said Kesler. The project’s architect is David McIlnay.

“Other development projects in the area, happening in spite of a sluggish economy, have inspired me to take on the project and are convincing me that the Midtown resurgence is underway,” Kesler said in a press release. “The Susquehanna Art Museum’s new project will be the centerpiece and could be, in my opinion, the most important cultural development in the city in a generation.”

Stokes Millworks was constructed in 1938 and once housed a plant that manufactured a variety of wood products. Owner Robert Stokes sold it in 1995, after which it passed through several different owners.

Homegrown Market Coming to Harrisburg

The MakeSpace, the burgeoning artist community in Olde Uptown, is making more space for a venture called Homegrown Market.

Run out of the first floor of 1423 N. 3rd St. (which also houses the Papenfuse for Mayor campaign headquarters on the second floor), the market will take place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of November. Its opening will coincide with the Friends of Midtown Community Yard Sale on May 11.

Liz Laribee, director of The MakeSpace, said the market will feature local vendors and artisans, with a capacity for 15 sellers. The cost of a booth is $20 per week.

To create a sustaining presence throughout the week, Laribee hopes to highlight start-up ventures and their products in a display window—what she calls a rotational storefront. This is to create positive awareness about entrepreneurs in Harrisburg and provide small businesses with the opportunity to sell from physical space.

You can find out more information by visiting homegrown-market.com or e-mailing [email protected].

Who’s Riding the Bus?

The typical Harrisburg-area commuter bus rider is a Caucasian female, college educated, 45 to 54 years old, with Internet access and an income of $50,000 or more, according to a survey released last month by Capital Area Transit (CAT).

“There’s a popular misconception that many bus riders are at or below poverty income levels,” said Robert Philbin, CAT marketing and communications officer. “But this survey found that 37.5 percent of CAT commuter riders earn $23,000 to $50,000 annually and 25 percent earn from $50 to 75,000; while a surprising 29.3 percent of CAT commuters earn more than $75,000 per year.”

About 8.2 percent of respondents reported income levels below $23,000 per year, stated CAT’s first in-house Commuter Demographic Survey.

The survey further found that more than 46 percent had college degrees, 14.3 percent reported post-graduate degrees and 23 percent had some college education. Only 2.2 percent said they had less than a high school diploma or GED.

“Another surprise, at least for me, is that almost 50 percent of commuter riders use Ride and Park locations around the region to access a CAT bus versus 46.6 percent who walk from home to their bus stop,” said Philbin.

Of respondents, 65.1 percent were female, versus 35 percent male. About 97 percent reported speaking fluent English. A similar number said they have Internet access, not a surprise since the survey was conducted electronically.

Separately, CAT also announced it had purchased 10 new ADA-complaint paratransit buses to serve elderly and disabled riders.

Harrisburg Restaurant Roundup

A large 1,700-square-foot Subway sandwich shop opened last month on the ground floor of the new Market View Place apartments at S. 3^rd and Market streets, Harrisburg. In addition to the restaurant, developer Brickbox Enterprises has renovated the former Kunkel Building into a residence hall for Harrisburg University students. The building most recently housed the Susquehanna Art Museum, which will relocate to a new facility in Midtown.

BullBQ’s Burger Café debuted last month at the back of the stone building in the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. Owner Greg Troup offers Angus beef burgers, pork barbecue, gourmet fries and sodas made the old-fashioned way, with real cane sugar. The eatery is open during regular Market hours.

Ciervo’s reopened last month after a complete renovation of the interior. The Midtown pizza, pasta and sandwich shop is located at N. 2^nd and Reily streets in Harrisburg.

Café di Luna shut its Midtown location last month after relocating to downtown New Cumberland. The coffee house began in downtown Harrisburg before moving to 1004 N. 3^rd St. more than three years ago.

Changing Hands

March Property Sales

Berryhill St., 2406: J. Lukas & L. Nuraini to R. Alonso, $80,000

Boyd St., 640: J. Taylor to U.S. GSA, $99,000

Cumberland St., 257: J. Pearl Solutions LLC to 717 Properties LLC, $105,000

Cumberland St., 259: J. Pearl Solutions LLC to 717 Properties LLC, $105,000

Duke St., 2432: D. Smith to L. Peiffer, $65,000

Dunkle St., 637: PA Deals LLC to J. Vergis, $59,000

Forster St., 1840: J. & C. Cook to M. Escalante, $60,000

Forster St., 2025: PA Deals LLC to Laurel Associates LLC, $64,900

Green St., 706: J. Fritts to J. Choi & J. Crumbly, $140,000

Green St., 2003: J. Lisko to S. Biray, $210,000

Hale Ave., 431: D. Duong & K. Le to I. Yolov, $53,000

Herr St., 260: K. White to D. Leaman, $47,000

Herr St., 1724: W. Morrison to A. Horne Sr., $55,000

Market St., 1216: B. Lewis to D. Lewis, $60,000

North St., 1852: C. Fields to B&W Corner Store Inc., $120,000

N. 2^nd St., 107: CNR Property Management LLC to Shree Bhavani Infra Space, $411,000

N. 2^nd St., 1317: A. Petsinis & D. Parson Jr. to 717 Properties LLC, $99,000

N. 5^th St., 1736: J. & N. Chambers to A. & K. Abraham, $142,000

N. 6^th St., 1501, 1505, 1507, 1509, 1511: Bethesda Mission of Harrisburg to U.S. GSA, $325,000

N. 13^th St., 114: C. Castegneto to W. Pina, $35,000

S. 25^th St., 450: B. & D. Yingst to J. & M. Grant, $107,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 312: J. Rados to P. Lafferty, $164,000

Pennwood Rd., 3220: K. Fansler to K. Udit, $60,000

Rudy Rd., 1930: T. Pham to N. Pham, $48,000

S. Cameron St., 819: V. & L. Worona & American Quick Print to Boas Street LLC, $240,000

Resolution Awaits: Harrisburg’s receiver is expected to unveil a solution soon to the financial crisis—but will all parties accept it?

May 16, 2013 | by J. Alex Hartzler

Sometime this spring, if events proceed as planned, receiver Gen. William Lynch, we all hope, will announce a comprehensive resolution to the ongoing municipal debt crisis in Harrisburg. There has been much public and private speculation about the details, but the broad outlines are well known.

Each of the major stakeholders will be called upon to make sacrifices as part of a settlement: the City of Harrisburg and its taxpayers; city employees and their unions; and Dauphin County and the bondholders (and particularly the insurer of the bonds).

Participants and observers have noted that there are four broad categories to tap for any resolution: the sale of city assets including the parking garages and incinerator; changes to city employee union contracts to more closely reflect the city’s ability to pay; Dauphin County participation as guarantor of the bonds; and debt concessions by the bondholders. In theory, at least, if the required sacrifice is shared relatively evenly among the stakeholders, a negotiated resolution can be reached.

While it is clearly impossible to comment on details prior to a settlement being completed and released, it’s equally clear that everyone in the greater Harrisburg community has a tremendous stake in seeing (and supporting) a resolution. Any resolution will require great courage among our elected officials as it is never easy to tell employees that they will be paid less, taxpayers that they will pay more and bondholders/insurance companies that they will receive less. But that is the action they must take, for the sake of all of us.

Nearly any settlement that combines a roughly equal measure of sacrifice from all the parties will be, by definition, difficult for those parties to swallow. But they must. For, in absence of such a resolution, the prospect of bankruptcy looms large and ominously over the city and region—and over the bondholders, as well.

As Gen. Lynch has said repeatedly, the prospect of bankruptcy is a lose-lose-lose for all involved. Municipal bankruptcy is a very uncertain area of the law. No one can predict how it will turn out, who will benefit and who will hurt. Municipal bankruptcy is also inherently undemocratic as a bankruptcy judge has final authority with the potential to sweep aside local elected officials and others—such as the receiver—who have been put in place by elected state officials.

The most important reason to avoid bankruptcy, however, is the time it would take to reach a resolution and the continued uncertainty throughout that period. Harrisburg can begin its recovery, but only after we know the path forward. Delaying this day of reckoning for several years or more—as bankruptcy would no doubt require—will only make things worse for all of us. If we delay, the overall debt that must be overcome only gets larger, making all parties collectively worse off and the eventual resolution that much more harmful. Only a naïve party under a mistaken belief that its faction will gain at the expense of the other parties would selfishly wish to go down such a path, perhaps ironically to their own detriment. Imagine what would happen if a judge ordered the burden to fall completely on Harrisburg taxpayers, causing already high tax rates to skyrocket, to get a feel for the “scary” side of bankruptcy. Fortunately, all the other parties have equally scary scenarios to contemplate as they consider compromise.

If and when the settlement does happen, we can all get back to the good work of building and improving our capital city (and reporting all of those great stories to our readers) instead of waiting for what “might” happen.

I happen to believe that the receiver is providing the leadership necessary to pull together a settlement that, while difficult for all, will allow our city and region to move forward on much more solid financial footing. If and when he does, we will all owe him—and the many folks who worked with him to craft a solution—a large debt of gratitude, for helping us put our collective debt, and some of our darker fiscal days, mostly behind us.

J. Alex Hartzler is publisher of TheBurg.

A Grappling Great: A college champion, wrestler Ed Ruth now sets his sights on the World Championships—and the Olympics.

May 16, 2013 | by Cory Mull

Ed Ruth’s arms should be getting tired. Every time the Penn State University junior wins a wrestling match for the Nittany Lions, an official raises the chiseled arm of the 184-pounder in victory.

Ruth hasn’t lost since March 18, 2011, making it 70 straight matches since his last defeat. In that time, Ruth, who just captured his second straight NCAA Division I wrestling championship in March — defeating Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin 12-4 in a major decision — has bumped up a weight class and has contributed to three straight team titles for Penn State.

More than a month later, it still hasn’t truly sunk in for the gregarious talker with a toothy smile and hulking muscles.

“It didn’t settle in until the last match [in Des Moines, Iowa],” Ruth, a Harrisburg native, said recently by phone. “It took a week and people are looking at you as this national champion. After a while, it becomes a patch to your name, it’s an introduction to who you are. No one can take that way from you. You just really learn to enjoy it.”

While physically gifted and talented as a youth, Ruth didn’t always win. From his freshman until junior years at Susquehanna Township High, he learned the craft, including his patented “crossface cradle,” but never won a PIAA state championship. That accolade eluded him until he transferred to Blair Academy in New Jersey as a senior, where he claimed his first state championship, became an all-American and ultimately earned a scholarship to Penn State University.

Three years later, Ruth has become one of the nation’s best wrestlers, a physical specimen whose aggressive and engaging style has entertained fans — at University Park, spectators chant “Ruuuuuth” during matches — and been lauded by wrestling pundits. In late April, he wrestled at the 2013 Grappling World Team Trials, which was a USA team qualifier for the World Championships.

With a year left at Penn State, this is proving to be a critical time for Ruth. He has the potential to win his third NCAA championship and wrestle for Team USA in World Championships, but, ultimately, the long-term plan is to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. It may be his only chance, since the International Olympic Committee dropped wrestling from the 2020 games.

“He’s at a level now where he’s training to go to the Olympics,” Ruth’s mother, Thanayi, said recently.

That includes his introduction to freestyle wrestling, the primary style of Olympic wrestling, as compared to folkstyle wrestling, which is practiced in college. The difference in freestyle, Ruth said, is how it emphasizes over-the-shoulder tosses and pins and doesn’t diminish stalling tactics.

Ruth, who has long been viewed as an aggressive wrestler with offensive-minded tactics, believes he can transition well to freestyle. Confidence is a variable he can claim. “Definitely,” Ruth said of his ability to transition to freestyle wrestling. “One of the biggest things is that you must trust what you do in training and know it’s going to push you past your boundaries.”

But it will not be a cake walk. In April of 2012, transitioning off his first NCAA title, Ruth was among four Penn State wrestlers who earned the opportunity to wrestle at the U.S. Trials. The experience proved to be a learning one, as Ruth won one match — against a collegiate wrestler — but lost the next two against professionals.

“It was an eye opener,” Thanayi said. “Before he went, a lot of people were telling him he could win it. When he went there, his coaches wanted him to get a feel for what it was like and what the competition would be like. When he was on the mat against kids in college, he did well, but once he got on the mat with the pros, he didn’t know what to do.”

“There’s a sense of urgency to reach the 2016 Olympics,” Ed’s father, Ed Ruth Sr., said of his training. “He might not get a chance to do it if they stop wrestling in 2020.”

Ruth first has to look what’s right in front of him. He’s concentrating on one more tournament in the summer, then will refocus for his senior season at Penn State, where he says he‘s “being targeted on the mat” as the man to beat at 184 pounds. Ruth is taking the pressure in full stride.

“I enjoy having that competition and that extra edge going against my opponent,“ he said. “They have to come after me now.”

Consider the River: The choices you make impact the Susquehanna, the Chesapeake.

May 16, 2013 | by Kermit G. Henning

We’ve heard so much lately about the problems with the Susquehanna River – water quality, sediment, pesticides, hormones and the smallmouth bass. Our river runs 464 miles from its source in Lake Otsego in New York to the Chesapeake Bay. It is the longest non-commercial river in the country, and the largest source of water for the largest estuary in the United States, providing more than half the freshwater that flows into the bay.

The Susquehanna flows through three states and drains more than 27,500 square miles in Pennsylvania, nearly half the state. Imagine the runoff!

The river is important recreationally here in the Susquehanna Valley, but it goes way beyond us. The condition of the river and what we put in it affects millions of folks all along its entire course. Every time you turn on your faucet, flush your toilet, wash your car or fertilize your lawn, it reaches the river. Every time we convert a field to a parking lot, we create more runoff.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, created in 1967 and headquartered in Annapolis, Md., is a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. In 1964, a group of Baltimore businessmen, all sailors, waterfowl hunters and fishermen, had lunch with Rogers C.B Morton, who was then a congressman from Maryland’s Eastern Shore. They wanted his help with problems they saw looming on the Chesapeake: more boats, more people, more houses, poor sewage treatment, dirty industrial discharges.

Morton responded by saying that they could not expect government to fix all the bay’s problems. “There is a great need,” he said, “for a private-sector organization that can represent the best interests of the Chesapeake Bay. It should build public concern and then encourage government and private citizens to deal with these problems together.”

The answer was not what the group had expected, but the words struck home to several of them. By 1967, the group, led by the late Arthur Sherwood, had formed and chartered the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to be that private sector voice working on behalf of the bay. They recruited a board of trustees that represented a variety of interests from throughout the Chesapeake watershed.

CBF’s beginnings were modest. Early in 1970, with membership at 2,000 and a staff of three, Arthur Sherwood took over as executive director and settled on two programs, Environmental Education and Resource Protection, with land conservation an integral part of the protection effort.

Every year, the foundation prepares its State of the Bay Report, measuring gains and losses in pollution, habitat and fisheries in the bay. The report for 2012 is encouraging. Gains have been made in five of the 13 indicators; seven remained the same and only one dropped.

The bay and its tributaries are still not out of danger. Pollutants levels are still way too high; toxins (including those from personal care products, pharmaceuticals, septic systems and agriculture) have not declined. The report said 72 percent of the bay and its tributaries are fully or partially impaired as a result of these toxins.

Surely, one of the major sources of pollution to the river and the bay is the use of lawn chemicals and pesticides. Spring has finally sprung, and we can’t wait to get outside and tend to the lawn and garden. We’ll do anything to bring the dead brown grass back to its lush summer green, including the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, all claimed to be “safe when used as directed.” We fertilize and treat our lawn, our neighbor does his, his neighbor, the whole neighborhood.

Our lawns are immaculate on the surface, but what is the cumulative effect on the environment? Questions have arisen regarding the safety hazards and environmental consequences of using so many chemicals in our landscapes.

Contrary to what lawn care companies advertise, herbicides and pesticides are not magic. While they may work on our lawns, by their very nature they can harm organisms other than the targeted species. This includes homeowners and their families, neighbors, pets and all other forms of life. Some of these chemicals remain active for years after application and accumulate over time in our bodies, and exceedingly high levels are washed into our storm water system, ending up in the river and, eventually, in the Chesapeake – producing algal blooms that negatively affect water clarity.

These pesticides and fertilizers are becoming some of the worst water pollutants in our watershed, indeed, in America. But people can protect our streams and rivers, as well as themselves and their families by knowing the facts. If having grass that looks more like Astroturf than living plants still seems important, it doesn’t have to come with pesticides, but rather products that are organic or natural. The list of alternatives continues to grow, and they are safer, cheaper and often work better.

Consider the state of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay each time you take drink of water or take dip in your local swimming hole. Think about what you are adding to the environment when you flush outdated medicines down your toilet or remove some habitat. Together, you, me and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation can make a difference and bring the bay back to its former health.

Kermit G. Henning is host of abc27 Outdoors TV and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

From “hava” to the “Gaza Sea”: Eight days of fun, thought, tragedy at the Jewish Film Festival

May 15, 2013 | by Daniel Smyth

The annual Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival opens this month for its 19th season, bringing cinema from across the globe into town.

The eight-day festival features movies from Israel, Poland, France, Ukraine, Austria, Canada and the United States. This wide variety of films is united in the recurring celebration of Jewish culture, something the festival organizers have emphasized from the start.

Founded in 1994 by Francine Feinerman and Lorri Bernstein, the festival has become a cultural slow burn. Organizers started by screening Holocaust documentaries, explained Ayelet Shanken, co-chair of the festival. “Not really artistic, not really entertaining, but educating.”

“The [original] idea was to bring artistic views and education to our community and the broader community” said Shanken, co-chair of the festival, recalling the purpose of the festival’s creation almost two decades ago. Its roots in historical movies have evolved into a showcase of wide-ranging motion pictures and events.

Last year’s festival attracted an audience 600 to 800, with a similarly strong showing expected this year.

“First and foremost, we want wonderful films,” said Julie Sherman, co-chair of the festival. “The films are of Jewish culture, Israeli culture, Jewish history, Israeli history”but are “accessible to anybody.These are films that are really successful in the mainstream.They have either won or been nominated for Academy Awards. They have won different awards at Berlin, Sundance, Toronto and Cannes film festivals.”

This year’s festival features guest speaker Judith Manassen-Ramon, producer of the Israeli documentary, “Dolphin Boy,” a story of a man’s amazing recovery from post-traumatic stress; a live drag show at Stallions Night Club following the screening of the acclaimed Israeli musical miniseries “Mary Lou: A Night of Dreams and Music”; and the Academy Award-nominated film, “Footnote,” among many other films.

Sherman and Shanken were also clear that controversial movies are part of the line-up to prompt dialogue, and they pointed to “A Bottle in the Gaza Sea” as a potential catalyst. The film, adapted from an epistolary novel, seeks to personalize the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict through an e-mail relationship started by a young French woman, newly immigrated to Jerusalem, with a 20-year-old Palestinian man. Her motivation was to find understanding after witnessing a suicide bombing at a Tel Aviv café.

Much less solemn is the opening film, “Hava Nagila (The Movie).”

“As Jewish people, you’re brought up with it. It’s funny, you know, you sing it right out of the womb,” laughed Sherman. The documentary is a romp through the history and meaning of the universally recognized song.

The festival will run from May 5 to 12. The opening screening of “Hava Nagila (The Movie)”will be held at the Jewish Community Center. All other screenings will be at the State Museum of Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit hbgjff.wordpress.com.

Musical Notes: Coming to HBG

May 15, 2013 | by Dan Webster

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry: Singer-songwriters take the stage in May.

Singer-songwriters are my thematic recommendations for the month of May. A hometown heroine, a troubadour with a heart for Harrisburg and a rising country star with two first names will strum guitars and hopefully flicker our stoic Pennsylvanian hearts.

REBECCA MARIE MILLER, ABBEY BAR, MAY 11, 9 P.M.

Rebecca Marie Miller, a native of Harrisburg, launches her solo album this month at the ABC’s Abbey Bar on May 11. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in late 2011, she is ready to release her vocal and lyrical potency. Following this solo debut, she teams up with her old bandmates, Brave the Day, to headline this show.

Miller has been honing her craft over the past few years as a back-up vocalist and percussionist with the Mynabirds, a Saddle Creek signee, which have toured the United States extensively the past three years. Though she’s relegated to sidekick role with the Mynabirds, she’s more than able to hold the spotlight, doing so for11 years with Brave the Day and now through this solo album. She’s especially on cue with songs “Dead Flowers” (Track 6) and “The World” (Track 10), exhibiting her angel clear and commanding voice and her succinct and moving narratives about searching, regretting and hoping. What more could you ask for from a singer-songwriter?

JOSH RITTER, THE STRAND CAPITOL, MAY 21, 8 P.M.

Josh Ritter and his Royal City Band play the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center in York on May 21. He is my favorite singer-songwriter and, while the greatest living one is an after-dinner debate (or debacle), Ritter ranks somewhere in the Top 5 of those under 40. And perhaps, like all intrepid lyricists, he is an evolving human. In his first album, “Golden Age of Radio,” he is flat and dense, but produced enough hits like “Harrisburg” (which is about our beloved train station) and “Me & Jiggs” to create a U.K.-cult following waiting for more. In his third album, “The Animals Years” (2006), he delivered clean vocals and a well-trained band, which temper his extended metaphors and allusions that make you think he’s vying for a tenured position at a liberal arts college. The songs are more powerful due to the band support, and he gained more domestic fans through tracks like “Girl in the War” and “Wolves.”

Now, Ritter has eschewed some of his Dylanesque lyrical ambitions and responds with a forgiving, hopeful album in “The Beast in Its Tracks,” slated for release on May 5. Written in direct response to his divorce, the album is essentially, as NPR puts it, “about processing a breakup as the necessary catalyst for a new reality.” At once forgiving in “Joy to You Baby” and less sympathetic and more mocking toward his ex-lover in “New Lover,” Ritter has again shown his mental and emotional resiliency.

His concert presence is exceptional—telling quirky, humorous, ad-libbed narratives between songs—and his general improvisation is authentic. But you’ll only know that if you take the short hop down I-83S.

CASEY JAMES, FED LIVE, MAY 26, 7 P.M.

Casey James graces the FED LIVE stage on May 26. A 2010 American Idol finalist, he is a guitar guru with a smooth and conventional country twang. His eponymously entitled album landed him on the No. 2 slot for the Billboard Country Chart in 2012. Listen to “Crying on a Suitcase,” a crowd favorite, a mainstream country song if you’re into the Top 40 types. But, if you want the more soulful, original side of James, opt for “Let’s Don’t Call it a Night” or find some picking mastery in “Drive.”

Singer-songwriters are underrated, so I’m underwriting these incredible wordsmiths and musicians with full confidence.

Showing Their Roots: The Abbey Bar resonates with Red Molly.

May 15, 2013 | by Jess Hayden

Gorgeous three-part harmony, stellar musicianship and a warm, engaging stage presence have earned Red Molly a place among elite female trios such as the Dixie Chicks and the Wailin’ Jennys. After pulling in packed houses for past performances in Harrisburg, these three talented ladies will be returning for a concert at the Abbey Bar on May 19.

Red Molly formed nine years ago and, since then, has brought their repertoire of rootsy Americana music to venues across the United States, including major festivals such as the Philadelphia and Falcon Ridge folk festivals and Merlefest, a huge roots music event where they have played three times. The band includes Laurie MacAllister (bass, banjo), Abbie Gardner (dobro, banjo) and Molly Venter (guitar).

Since they played Harrisburg last, Red Molly has been busy working in Venter, the newest member of the group.

“Molly had just joined the band when we did that gig at Stage on Herr back in 2010,” recalled Laurie MacAllister. “It was a challenging time for us because we weren’t really sure how our fans would react to the idea of having a new band mate.”

As it turned out, the group needn’t have worried. “Our fans were as nice about this as they are about everything,” MacAllister said. “They accepted Molly wholeheartedly, and everyone agrees that she’s the perfect fit. “

During the past several years, the trio has been able to check off quite a few things on their “wish list.” They played the RockyGrass Festival in Colorado, which is something they’ve always wanted to do, and they also got the chance to perform for some huge crowds by opening several times for Willie Nelson. They even made their first overseas foray, a month a long tour of Australia.

“We were there during festival season, which was just at the right time,” said MacAllister. “We played four different festivals and lots of smaller shows. All told, I think we played for at least 25,000 people, which is a lot to do in a month.”

The upcoming summer and fall months bring a heavy tour schedule for Red Molly. “We have a bunch of really enjoyable shows,” said MacAllister. “We’ve played many of them before so we know that we are going to have a good time.”

In August, they will be returning to the main stage of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where they had met nine years ago and decided to form a band. Later in the month, they will play at Denmark’s Tønder Festival, which will be their first gig in Europe. In the fall, they will play at several large, soft seat venues, which is moving up to a new level for the band. “We’re really looking forward to visiting old friends and playing some of the places that we’ve played at before,” said MacAllister. “But branching out to performing arts centers will allow us to really expand our audience.”

Those not familiar with Red Molly should expect to hear a sound that is reminiscent of country music, but with more of a rootsy feel. The group writes some of their own songs, but they also do covers recorded by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, Doc Watson and Dolly Parton.

“One thing that really distinguishes us is our three-part harmony vocals,” said MacAllister. “Plus Abby plays the Dobro, the resonator guitar, and that’s been sort of our signature sound from the beginning.”

The three ladies are really good friends and like to have a lot of fun on the stage. “We all love each other, and we love good music and love to play it,” said MacAllister. “Basically, people can expect to have a really nice evening, a lot better than if they stayed home and watched TV.”

The Red Molly show is sponsored by the Susquehanna Folk Music Society and Greenbelt Events and is one of several shows that these two organizations have presented in recent months. Both look at working together as a way to broaden an audience for folk music.

“Susquehanna Folk has brought a wide variety of Celtic, folk and world music to The Abbey Bar,” said Sarah Staub, manager of Greenbelt Events. ”While Greenbelt Events tries to diversify its music as much as possible, Susquehanna Folk has helped by breathing new life into the Abbey Bar’s folk scene by providing such acts as Le Vent Du Nord, John Hammond and Red Molly.”

To learn more about the band, visit www.redmolly.com and check out the
official video of the Red Molly original, “Hello Goodbye.” The concert with
Red Molly will be held on May 19 at 4 p.m. at the Abbey Bar of the Appalachian Brewing Co., 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg. For tickets and information, visit susquehannafolk.org.

Jess Hayden is executive director of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society.

Intelligent Design: Rocking the graphics world with Society of Design.

May 15, 2013 | by Dan Webster

Walking into the Whitaker Center on a late Thursday afternoon in mid- March, one wouldn’t expect a reception resembling an indie rock concert. A group of young hipsters were tying down a snazzy welcome sign. Tables were being adorned with black and purple plastic tablecloths. And a few other volunteers were setting up a merch table. Background music was an eclectic mix of Damien Rice and what I thought was STRFKR. A mic check in Michelin Auditorium was in order as the “rock star” strolled into the foyer.

Jessica Hische, however, isn’t a maestro of music. She’s a designer—a letterer, an illustrator and a cyberspace all-star boasting 60,000 Twitter fans, originally hailing from near Hazleton and now a resident of the bulging and artisan-saturated city of San Francisco. Her celeb status in the design world is due to sleepless nights, landing a gig with Louise Fili, a world-renowned graphic designer and probably the perfect mentor for Hische, and a keen sense of how to attract Internet followers through side projects like “Daily Drop Cap,” “Mom This Is How Twitter Works”and“Should I Work for Free (flowchart)?” All combine her love of witty copy, lettering and website design.

Society of Design (SOD), a charitable non- profit based in the Harrisburg area, is credited with nabbing Hische for the evening. SOD was formed to expand discourse, pedagogy and overall community among design professionals and students in central Pennsylvania. They accomplish this primarily through their annual speaker series, bringing in world-caliber creatives like Kit Hinrichs, Stefan Sagmeister and Jim Sherraden. When the line-up is announced, it spreads a fever pitch among local artists.

A lot of SOD’s administrative execution is still managed by the founders, Craig Welsh and Curt Rohrer, who thought they could provide a more approachable platform than the local chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

Rohrer recognized Welsh’s vast network and thought they could bring in world-class speakers to central Pennsylvania while also encouraging public spirit. The proceeds they receive from memberships and events are allocated to humanity organizations.

“This year, we’ve given back $10,000 to charities. Each speaker gives to their charity of choice, and we give some back in addition to their contribution,” said Rohrer. Alder Health Services and Bethesda Mission have been two local beneficiaries.

While Welsh’s community is extensive and SOD’s mission is honest, it is not without ambitious, creative ideas to convince overextended artists to present in Harrisburg.

Rohrer believes that what put SOD on the map was the inception of cleverly designed invitations, the first one sent to Bill Strickland, who wrote the book “Making the Impossible, Possible.”

The idea, conceived by Welsh, was to carefully print this message, one letter at a time across all 244 pages of the aforementioned book in order to convince Strickland to speak at SOD.

“We never got him but the project, ‘Dear Bill,’ [ironically] won all kinds of awards,” said Rohrer, including Best of Show at One Show Design, one of the most prestigious competitions in the country.

For Hische, they had to persuade 35 people to change their license plates to create a slick invitation, which received some airplay in design world. They even set up a side site under the URL, invitinghische.com. Take a look sometime.

Rohrer did his own inviting in asking me to interview Hische, Tyler School of Art graduate. It didn’t take much persuading. After her mic check, we sat down in Michelin Auditorium, where later that evening she spoke humorously and transparently to a sold-out crowd about a mélange of things under the umbrella “procrastiworking”: her career arc, cats, life-advice and dorky lettering processes.

TB: What Is your Dream collaboratIon?

JH: I think a dream collaboration is something that you sort of don’t know until it happens. Even with the Wes Anderson job [for Moonrise Kingdom], I could never imagine that being on my horizon. I don’t have low expectations, but I feel I have no expectations. If I could get to the point where every job felt like a partnership, that would be a dream. Because, right now, I still have a lot of freelance/client jobs.

TB: For the lay audience out there, What Is It that you do?

JH: I am a letterer by trade. It’s kind of a weird subset between illustration and graphic design. So, a lot of people who don’t know graphic design know what calligraphy is. But calligraphy is different than lettering. Calligraphy is writing; lettering is drawing. The main difference for that is calligraphers practice a couple of methods of creation. They are always analog, never digital. And they practice over and over again in the same style, so that they can replicate it quickly and perfectly.

Letterers work in a ton of styles and what unites their work is the medium in which you are working with. They are calligraphers without constraints, and all of our work is considered one-offs.

TB: Maureen Dowd had a great column in The New York Times decryIng the printed word’s priorities. she said, “It’s not pixel vs. print. It’s not how you’re readIng. It’s what you’re reading.” Designers have Found a happy existence in both Worlds.

JH: People are so concerned about adapting text to people’s attention spans. They are letting terrible stories be terrible stories. They are sound byte-y and at the right paragraph length that supposedly people can absorb it. That’s super lazy journalism to assume to write in snippets. Writing is a tough industry to have success in because it’s very competitive. Design is competitive, but there’s so many subsets of it. And so much unsexy work to be done—there’s plenty of room for everyone to make a living in it.

Where I think with writing it can be really tough because a lot of the unsexy works ends up going to complete amateurs that don’t want to be professional writers: “I know how to write and I can do this for free” kind-of-attitude.

TB: Have you ever been to Harrisburg Before?

JH: Yes, my husband is really pissed about me traveling so much, but when SOD put together the invitation, it was hard to refuse. The biggest thing is when you talk to smaller markets, it’s hard to know how it will turn out. I’ve definitely traveled great distances to talk to 30 people.

TB: What is the farthest distance you’ve traveled to talk to 30 people?

JH: I spoke at a conference in Honolulu that had a good turnout, but they also organized an AIGA event while I was there and that had a pretty low turnout. I don’t think it was 30 people but it definitely wasn’t more than 50.

TB: Have you been noticing a trend in renaissance of design in smaller cities and will it contInue to evolve?

JH: I think the biggest trend is a lot of people are doing more self-authored work. It makes special sense to do it in small cities. As an illustrator or a letterer, you can live anywhere, because your clients live in the cities. As a graphic designer, it’s having those face-to-face interactions with people, about having clients around you, so it gets tough in smaller cities because the market isn’t as big. You just really have to be a rock star in that town to have intense success or you have to be willing to go to New York or Philly now and again. At the same time, in the past five to seven years, there’s been this designer-as-author super trend, and the smaller markets stand to benefit the most. You can be anywhere and you have way cheaper rents.

TB: Live Journal or Xanga?

JH: Neither actually. I was an MIRC person. My whole town, Hazelton, was on MIRC. We had a chat room called the Dungeon. Basically all the popular kids used it to torment all the other kids. I was never really cool enough to be the popular kid, but I got invited occasionally to their things.

TB: What’s one rite of design passage you thInk other budding creatives should go through?

JH: I think the “rite of passage” question can be a tricky one—there are plenty of people out there that struggled to get to where they are in their career and think that young folks should go through the same struggles along the way before they can have success. This is essentially a less aggressive form of hazing. I don’t really think you need to be dragged through the mud for a few years before you should be “allowed” to be successful, but I do think that getting a little muddy helps you keep perspective when you do become successful. If you have a good amount of self-awareness, have a good attitude and are nice/helpful to those still struggling to have success, going through any rite of passage is unnecessary.

Society of Design is slowly beginning to release its 2013-14 series of speakers. So, if you’re a local creative or just curious about the world, these events are must see non-TV to watch and digest.

For more information visit societyofdesign.org.

Thank God it’s Thursday: In Rosemary’s house, it’s the day for Pasta all’Amatriciana.

May 14, 2013 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Back in the ‘90s, there was a popular saying: “Thursday is the new Friday.” Well, I don’t know if that’s true these days, but, back then, my husband and I and our good friends Suzi and Eddie headed to downtown Harrisburg on Thursday for our weekly night out.

Thursday was perfect for us because, for years, Friday evenings were devoted to our kids’ high school sports. Harrisburg’s “Restaurant Row” had not yet arrived. We frequented the city standbys of the day. The Zephyr Express at 2nd and South streets usually had lines that snaked out the door, but the black bean pasta, killer bread and Long Island iced tea were worth waiting for. Thursday was lasagna night at the iconic Subway Cafe on Herr and, when paired with the café’s signature fishbowl of beer, what could be better? We also were regulars at Garrason’s Tavern on Forster (now Sturges Speakeasy) where the Cajun shrimp was the best.

Our children are now grown, and we have reverted back to “Friday Night Out,” eagerly anticipated every week, even for one who loves to cook. But what to do with Thursdays?

Thursday arrives at the near-end of a tiring workweek, and I often look for something easy to cook. Many years ago, I started whipping up a quick pasta dish with some kitchen staples I usually have on hand: thick cut bacon from the Farmers’ Market, sweet onion, fresh Italian parsley and chopped garlic. I often add some tomato paste and red pepper flakes, although the pasta is simply prepared and good without it. I sauté this mixture in lots of good olive oil and toss it with any pasta I have around. Served with some cooked broccoli or a green salad, it is truly “fast food.”

I have learned this recipe is not my own. It is “Pasta all’Amatriciana,” named for a little town near Rome called Amatrice, a place known for its excellent pork. Italians typically use guanciale or cured pork cheek for this dish, but pancetta or rolled pork belly is often substituted. Both of these products are cured with salt, pepper and garlic rather than smoked like typical bacon. I find that I like bacon more than pancetta because, to me, pancetta imparts a fatty taste to dishes. And, aside from stealing some guanciale from Mangia Qui (Harrisburg’s gem of a Mediterranean restaurant on North Street), I have no idea where to find it. Bucatini is the pasta of choice for this recipe but so many other types, like spaghetti, fettuccini or linguine, work just as well. You might even try it with whole grain pasta, and I never thought I would say that!

As I have said so often here, good fast food can be made at home. Pasta all’Amatriciana is quick and easy to prepare, and it is wonderful re-heated the next day for lunch. I have taken a few liberties with the classic recipe, especially by using my favorite bacon, which is smoked rather than cured, and often using farfalle or bowties and even shells. But it’s Thursday. And who has time to go looking for a pork cheek?

What you’ll need:

1 large sweet onion (like Vidalia) Several cloves fresh garlic

1/4 pound thick-cut bacon Olive oil

1/2 cup tomato paste (I use “Amore” which comes in a tube, or substitute chopped canned tomatoes, drained)

Red pepper flakes

Several handfuls chopped Italian parsley Pasta

Rosemary’s Pasta All’Amatriciana

Chop the onion, garlic and bacon into medium dice. Combine all three ingredients in a large skillet with several splashes of good olive oil and sauté until soft and golden in color (you will love the smell as this cooks).

Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes to taste and stir well. It is best to keep the heat at medium-low to avoid burning.

When the mixture is almost cooked, add the parsley. Only cook a minute or two to keep the parsley a bright green.

Toss with your favorite pasta and serve with a salad or fresh vegetable (even if your spouse sees no need for something green especially after eating “veggies” all week).

I usually add extra olive oil or some of the pasta cooking water as I’m tossing all the ingredients together to keep everything moist.

Rosemary Ruggieri Baer, a first generation Italian-American, grew up in Harrisburg and has spent her life perfecting her mother’s country cooking.

It’s All in the Name, Smoke: A Barbecue joint that keeps it simple.

May 14, 2013 | by Erica Moffitt Dicks

Even after the lunchtime rush, the dining room at Smoke BBQ Joint is bustling. The trendy eatery that opened in February is a dream come true for owners

Josh and Jenna White, who say they spent years imagining what their own restaurant would be like.

There’s been a “huge response, it’s unbelievable,” said Josh.

The couple, both from the Harrisburg area, call themselves “homegrown,” and—true story—they first met at a barbecue restaurant. They bonded over a shared love of food and, together, kept a journal of what worked and what didn’t at the many restaurants they visited throughout the country.

They were living in Miami when they came up with the concept for Smoke. At the time, Josh was working in the music industry, and Jenna was pursuing a career in psychology. They decided to leave it all behind in hopes of bringing good eats to people back home. Josh says he created a draft of the restaurant’s menu, and, a week later, they were back in Pennsylvania.

“We like to make things happen,”he said.

All of 2012 was spent developing a business that aims to serve up killer barbecue, while keeping a focus on being local, sustainable and organic. They originally had their sights set on Route 22 or Linglestown Road for their business. However, they ended up in a plaza on Patton Road outside of Linglestown after a few other locations fell through.

They chose the site because it’s heavily traveled, and Josh describes the space as nothing more than four walls when they moved in. They basically had a blank canvas, which gave Jenna, who is behind all of the design, free rein to do exactly what she wanted.

“We wanted it open and inviting,” she said. “We kept it simple.”

Mason jar light fixtures hang from the ceiling, the colors are warm and earth-toned and feel-good- food ideals are written on chalkboards. Josh says the open, simple design allows customers to “bring their attention back to the table.” And, on the table, patrons will experience what the Whites describe as “modern American barbecue.”

A must-have on the menu is the pulled pork sandwich. The meat is organic, comes from a farm in Mount Joy, along with all the other pork and beef the restaurant serves, and is smoked to perfection. And why wouldn’t it be? After all, the couple says they have a foundation in smoking meats and even own a smoker at home. The pork is topped with Carolina sauce and coleslaw and comes accompanied by hand-cut fries.

Besides the main course meats on the menu, there are a lot of “small bites.” Not to be confused with appetizers, this section of the menu includes everything from fried green tomatoes, cheddar grits, “awesome mac and cheese” and fried chickpeas to pork belly, cheese steak egg rolls and crispy pig’s ear.

Everything served at Smoke is made from scratch, right down to the dressing and sauces. Ninety percent of Smoke’s food comes from within a 25-mile radius, and the Whites say one of the main things they love about returning is access to all of Pennsylvania’s fresh resources. The couple now looks forward to “the growing season” as local farms soon will be overflowing with a variety of fresh food choices.

The cost to dine at Smoke is modest, as small bites range from $3 to $9 and sandwiches cost $8 to $11. “Our restaurant is sexy and the food is sexy, but it doesn’t need to be super-expensive to be sexy,” said Josh.

Right now, Smoke is open Tuesday through Sunday and serves lunch and dinner, but the Whites may add a brunch menu down the road. Also on Josh and Jenna’s list of things they’d like to do: opening a butcher shop or a restaurant on the West Shore. For now, though, they are simply soaking up the success of their first restaurant and staying very, very busy.

“‘I’ll sleep eventually,” Josh says with a laugh.

Smoke BBQ Joint, 2308 Patton Rd., Harrisburg. Open Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday. Contact 717-695-3148 or visit www.hickorysmokedgoodness.com.

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