Tag Archives: Camp Curtin YMCA

Harrisburg, nonprofit leaders address ways to help vulnerable citizens during health crisis

April 3, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, Tri County Community Action’s Jennifer Wintermyer, Harrisburg Area YMCA’s Rosie Turner and Momin Bhatti, the city communications director

So much of life seems uncertain these days.

In light of the COVID-19 health crisis., local leaders gathered online on Friday to offer guidance to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

In another edition of “Community Conversation,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse spoke today with Rosie Turner, director of marketing and communications for Harrisburg Area YMCA, and Jennifer Wintermyer, executive director of Tri County Community Action.

Papenfuse, Turner and Wintermyer discussed new resources for businesses and individuals.

The mayor announced a new Economic Injury Disaster Loan sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“This is a terrific opportunity that every small business in Harrisburg should be applying for and taking advantage of,” he said.

The loan can provide an advance of up to $10,000 for small businesses and private nonprofits, Papenfuse said. He added the loan does not need to be repaid as long as the money is used for eligible expenses, such as paid sick leave, maintaining payroll and making rent or mortgage payments.

For individuals facing difficulty, Wintermyer explained that Tri County Community Action, a nonprofit assisting families with home ownership, budgeting and child development, is still functioning online.

“The more we can support our families, the we can help prevent a crisis situation down the road,” she said.

While the mayor did announce that evictions will not be taking place during the COVID-19 crisis and utilities will not be shut off, he did note that they will need to be paid eventually. Wintermyer explained that, through the PPL OnTrack program, her group can help with the cost of electricity.

For PPL Electric customers living at or below 150 percent of poverty, the assistance program gives families a reduced payment for a time until they can get back on their feet.

“If you think you may miss utility payments, apply sooner rather than later,” Wintermyer said. “It’s OK to say I need a hand up during this time.”

To make sure they’re doing their part for the community during the crisis, the Harrisburg Area YMCA has moved many of its classes and resources online.

The Y’s Livestrong class for cancer survivors, Healthy Weight and Your Child, Tobacco Cessation and Prevention and Diabetes Prevention Programs are meeting online to continue promoting healthy lifestyles and reduce feelings of isolation, Turner said.

“By helping people stay connected, we have gotten a lot of really beautiful feedback about what that means to those populations who otherwise would be completely isolated,” she said.

Both the Camp Curtin and Northern Dauphin County YMCA are working with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, as well, providing meals for the community.

The East Shore YMCA has faced a unique challenge, as it contains dormitory style affordable housing for 86 men.

“When we first started hearing things coming out, our very first instinct was—these men are not going anywhere, how do we help them?” Turner said. “The first thing we thought about was food availability.”

Through YMCA employees’ personal donations and the help of the Camp Curtin YMCA, food is being delivered three days a week.

For anyone in need of assistance related to human services, Wintermyer encouraged calling 211.

This week’s Community Conversation can be found on Facebook. They are held each Friday at noon through Facebook Live. For more information, visit the City of Harrisburg, The YMCA and the Tri County Community Action’s websites.

Residents voice concerns over parking, contracting, environment as developer explains proposed Uptown office project

February 24, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Jonathan Hudson of Hudson Companies (left) speaks to Harrisburg residents at a community meeting at Camp Curtin YMCA.

Parking, traffic and local contracting were among the concerns of Harrisburg residents on Monday night, as the builder of a proposed state office building presented an overview of the project.

About 50 people attended the community meeting at the Camp Curtin YMCA, where Jonathan Hudson of Hermitage, Pa.-based Hudson Companies offered an overview of the three-story office building planned for the 2500-block of N. 7^th Street.

Several residents asked pointedly about opportunities for disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) contractors, including Harrisburg-based companies.

“I want to know about accountability as far as dealing with jobs,” said one resident. “A lot of developments have come here, and there’s no accountability to the local contractors.”

Hudson said that his company, which is the general contractor, planned to reach out and try to connect with local subcontractors and vendors, including at a March 18 meeting specifically for this purpose.

“The entirety of that is working and connecting with local vendors, minority-owned businesses, women-owned business enterprises and other distressed business entities,” he said. “That’s a very special, important task for us. We’re taking it very seriously.”

Hudson Companies plans to construct a 130,000-square-foot office building on the former headquarters site of D&H Distributing, which last year moved to a new location in Lower Paxton Township.

The company will build and own the building, Hudson said, for a single tenant—the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which plans to locate about 850 Department of Human Services and Office of Administration workers there. Most employees will move from offices at the former Harrisburg State Hospital grounds, which the commonwealth is trying to sell.

Hudson plans to demolish the existing, low-slung building and construct a modern-style, mostly brick-and-glass building in its place. The company then plans to retain ownership, leasing it to the state for 20 years, with potential lease extensions.

A slide shows artist’s renderings of the proposed building.

Demolition, he said, would take place in late March. The project would wind its way through the city approval process in April and May, with groundbreaking expected in June. Construction should be complete in the third quarter of 2021.

Many other questions from neighbors in the largely residential Uptown neighborhood concerned parking and traffic.

“Do you plan to widen the road?” asked one resident. “Will you have street parking?”

Hudson said there were no plans to widen 7^th Street, but that enough parking would be built on site to accommodate more than 1,000 cars. He further said that he expected no more traffic than was generated by D&H, which had about 750 workers at the location.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who attended the meeting, said that the city would like to make road improvements to the N. 7^th and Division Street area.

He also said that the city hopes, at some point, to be able to build a bridge to connect Division Street with the Farm Show complex area, which might alleviate some of the traffic concerns. The city has been trying to obtain state funding for this project.

Other residents had questions about environmental issues.

“Will you be incorporating green infrastructure in your building, like a permeable parking lot, taking care for the solar array and a green rooftop garden, for instance?” asked Garvey Presley, secretary of the board for Capital Region Water.

Hudson said that the plan doesn’t include a rooftop garden or a permeable parking surface, but that the company plans to reduce the current percentage of impermeable surface on the 10.5-acre site from the current 99 percent to about 75 percent.

The site also houses a vast solar array farm put in place by D&H. Hudson said that the project would not utilize those panels, but Papenfuse said that the city hopes to repurpose the panels, potentially raising them in places such as the city’s Public Works property and on City Island.

Hudson said that the building would meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards.

“It will perform to LEED standards,” he said. “We’re just not pushing for buying the LEED symbol. We’ll perform just like a LEED building, only without certification.”

The building, he added, would be set back on the site, not near the street like the current D&H building. That would make the property more aesthetically appealing, he said.

The other main area of discussion involved the economy and taxes. Because the building will be privately owned, Hudson Companies will pay property taxes on the site, Hudson said.

Papenfuse added that the 850 workers would pay a total of about $125,000 a year in local services taxes to Harrisburg. That revenue would be new as most of those employees currently work in Susquehanna Township, not the city. Hudson and Papenfuse both mentioned that they believed that businesses in the area would benefit, including at the struggling Uptown Plaza.

“We know this is a big project in the city, a big project in the neighborhood,” Hudson said. “We want to make sure we’re good stewards of our development.”

For more information about Hudson Companies, visit www.hudsoncompanies.net.

CRW receives $13 million state loan, will begin greening projects Uptown, Allison Hill

October 17, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

This catch basin in front of the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg was recently installed as part of Capital Region Water’s green infrastructure program.

Capital Region Water is in line to receive a multi-million-dollar state loan that should provide a boost to its ongoing battle against stormwater runoff.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office announced on Wednesday that Capital Region Water (CRW) would receive a $13-million, low-interest loan for green infrastructure projects in several Harrisburg neighborhoods, including South Allison Hill and Uptown.

“On behalf of Capital Region Water’s board of directors, we wish to express our gratitude for the financial assistance provided through PENNVEST,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of CRW. “This funding will help Capital Region Water protect public health and the environment while offsetting the financial burden placed on our customers.”

CRW’s loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) constituted a fair chunk of the $98 million in water infrastructure funding announced on Wednesday by Wolf’s office. In all, 11 counties received funding for a variety of drinking water and wastewater projects.

In Harrisburg, the loan, which carries an interest rate of 1 percent, will allow CRW to initiate two major projects next year, said Tanya Dierolf, CRW sustainability and strategic projects manager.

The first project will take place in the heart of Allison Hill around the intersections of Derry, 14^th and 15^th streets. There, CRW will install a variety of green infrastructure, including tree trenches, planter boxes and catch basins, along with new, ADA-compliant ramps, Dierolf said.

These improvements are expected to capture 50,750 gallons of stormwater per year, she said.

The second project planned for 2020 will take place Uptown near the Camp Curtin YMCA. That project will include planters, bumpouts, inlets and catch basins, as well as new ADA-compliant ramps, Dierolf said.

This project is expected to capture some 100,000 gallons of stormwater a year and result in four additional green acres in the neighborhood, Dierolf said.

From 2021-24, the loan will fund additional stormwater projects in Uptown Harrisburg and near the Paxton Creek, she said.

CRW is under a partial consent decree with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection to slash pollutant levels flowing into area waterways. Much of the problem lies with Harrisburg’s obsolete combined sewer system, which allows untreated stormwater and wastewater to flow into the Susquehanna River during moderate and heavy rainfalls.

CRW plans to invest $315 million over the next 20 years to upgrade its sewer system and install green infrastructure, which is a major part of its plan to reduce stormwater flows through its system.

Dierolf said that CRW’s plan includes implementing 50 acres of greening throughout the city, which should capture 20 to 40 million gallons of stormwater per year.

In central Pennsylvania, in addition to CRW’s loan, several projects in Lancaster County were funded, including a $11.2-million loan to Lancaster city to upgrade a wastewater conveyance system. Like Harrisburg, Lancaster is under a federal consent decree to reduce pollutant flows into local waterways.

“PENNVEST funding has provided much-needed financial assistance to Pennsylvania’s communities for decades, but as the need for costly infrastructure improvements continues to grow, so must our responsibility to be a commensurate partner in those investment increases,” Wolf said, in a statement.

For more information about Capital Region Water, visit their website.

A Garden Grows: Veggies, learning take root at Camp Curtin Y.

June 19, 2018 | by Yaasmeen Piper

Gardeners in action in the Camp Curtin Y’s new community garden.

What’s growing at the Camp Curtin YMCA’s new Community Garden project?

Sustainability, fresh produce and education.

The program aims to provide S.T.E.M. Summer Camp students with the tools and resources needed to understand and create organic foods. In 2017, Giant Food Stores awarded the YMCA a multi-year, $20,000 grant to help launch the program for its 65 participants.

“The goal for the garden is the have the kids actually be able to plant, grow, understand what they are growing, and for us to take the food back and actually implement it into their meals,” said Jamien Harvey, the YMCA’s executive director.

Only three weeks into the project, and the garden is already sprouting green. Located at the back of the 6th street building, the community garden features peppers, tomatoes, squash, sunflowers, corn, basil and other herbs and produce.

The learning doesn’t stop with growing the food. Rafiyqa Muhammad, the garden manager, is teaching the kids sustainability by incorporating recycled materials into the garden and teaching them how to solarize—use the sun’s rays—to kill harmful plants like poison ivy.

And the students aren’t the only ones learning. Muhammad said this type of gardening was foreign to her. Reading, workshops and practice taught her what she needed to know to relay the information to the kids.

“It’s something that God just put on my heart a couple years ago,” she said. “My husband told me I would figure it out, so I figured it out.”

Harvey said that, besides gardening technique, students also are learning a work ethic.

“I did not know how much went into this until we got knee-deep in truckloads of mulch,” he said. “We’ve been working these last three weeks. Just to get it to the point where it is now, we’ve been working.”

The community garden is only part of the YMCA’s sustainability projects. The organization also has partnered with Capital Region Water to create a water catchment, or collection, system.

With the permission of a neighboring resident, the YMCA will attach an object to the back and front gutters of the home. When it rains, the water will go through the gutters and into a compartment, where the water is stored and used later to water crops.

“It’s part of a neighborhood initiative around sustainability, specifically when the water runs off, where does that water go?” said Rosie Turner YMCA’s director of marketing and communications. “We’re teaching [the students] about their own consumption and how they can impact the planet.”

According to Turner, programs such as the garden help the YMCA connect with its community and the youth within it.

“I think, you walk around and you see the kids and they’re smiling and they’re happy and they’re engaged,” she said. “It’s summertime, and they’re at a place where they feel safe and protected, and that’s really the goal of the Y.”

The Camp Curtin YMCA is located on 2135 N 6th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit ymcaharrisburg.org.

February News Digest

February 28, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

CRW Releases Infrastructure, Rate Plan

Capital Region Water last month announced plans to spend more than $315 million over the next 20 years upgrading the city’s antiquated sewer system, which will bring Harrisburg into compliance with federal guidelines and carry a cumulative 150 percent increase to water and sewer rates.

Known collectively as the City Beautiful H2O plan, the improvements come following years of deferred maintenance to Harrisburg’s centuries-old combined sewer system. CRW says the updates will reduce sewer discharge into natural waterways, enhance sewer efficiency, and improve neighborhoods through the implementation of green storm water management systems.

The improvements also will significantly raise the rate burden for city households. The draft plan includes an extensive affordability assessment that helped CRW set rate projections for the duration of the project. The analysis concluded that many CRW ratepayers have significant financial limitations that preclude aggressive rate hikes.

As a result, CRW decided to seek the lengthiest improvement schedule permitted by federal environmental agencies, giving the authority 20 years to complete the projects. Water and sewage rates are set to increase by a cumulative 150 percent over that time period.

The rate increases will be most dramatic in the next decade, with annual 10 percent hikes projected from 2019 to 2022. After reaching a 106-percent cumulative increase in 2027, rate hikes will level off to just 2 percent a year from 2027 to 2038.

CRW set rates so that an average household will not spend more than 2 percent of its annual income on water, but households earning less than the median income could face significant burdens

“It is anticipated that there will still be affordability issues for some customers within the City, with some customers experiencing wastewater and storm water costs as a percentage of income exceeding 3.0 percent,” the report says.

The draft plan is part of CRW’s response to a partial consent decree it negotiated with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection in late 2014. Earlier that year, the EPA alleged that sewage runoff in Harrisburg violated the federal Clean Water Act and PA Clean Streams Law.

Like many old cities, Harrisburg has a combined sewer system, in which storm drains connect to the same sewer system as toilets and showers.

When it’s not raining, all the contents of the sewer system flow to a treatment plant on Cameron Street, where they are cleaned and then discharged into the Susquehanna River. But heavy rain can cause the system to overflow, sending untreated water into the river and Paxton Creek.

Under state and federal environmental laws, Harrisburg would have faced financial penalties for those runoff incidents. After a year of negotiations, the EPA agreed to spare the city financial penalties as long as CRW agreed to update its long-term plan for the city’s sewer system.

A public meeting on the proposal is slated for March 1, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Camp Curtin YMCA.

Fight Against Dogfighting

Citing concerns over animal welfare and illegal gambling, Harrisburg is asking its residents to help stop a scourge of illegal dogfighting.

City communications Director Joyce Davis announced last month that Harrisburg obtained a $20,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to launch a public information campaign about dogfighting. So far, city officials have purchased ads on Facebook that explain the warning signs of dogfighting and ways to report it to law enforcement.

Davis said that the campaign did not arise as a response to a single incident or spate of reports. Rather, it seeks to curb an on-going animal abuse problem that also enables illegal gambling.

“We want to stamp this out,” she said.

The issue of dogfighting came to the fore locally in June 2017, when Harrisburg police officers staged a raid on a dogfighting ring on S. 14^th Street. Since then, the bureau has issued charges on three counts of illegal dogfighting in the past year, as well as one count of possession of dogfighting paraphernalia, according to animal control officer William Sandstrom.

If city residents suspect dogfighting, they can call 311 from within city limits to report it. Reports that result in charges are eligible for a $5,000 reward from the Humane Society of the United States.

Zembo Shrine to Sell

The historic Zembo Mosque and Shrine is set to sell after almost one year on the market.

The 65,000-square-foot property at Division and N. 3rd streets will be sold to Arkansas-based TempleLive LLC, which plans to operate the building as a meeting, gathering and performing arts venue, said city communications Director Joyce Davis.

“The goal is to make it a more culturally active space,” Davis said

TempleLive currently owns two Masonic temples similar to Zembo, one in Cleveland and one in Fort Smith, Ark. The company runs both properties as multi-purpose event spaces, according to the venues’ websites.

Mike Brown, vice president of acquisitions for Beaty Capital Group, TempleLive’s parent company, expects the sale to close at the end of March or beginning of April. He hopes the site will be operational by the fall.

Zembo went on the market in February 2017 with a $950,000 asking price. Davis could not confirm the property’s final sale price, which was reportedly reached at a special meeting on Jan. 11.

The deal includes 396 parking spaces adjacent to the building.

Since its opening, Zembo has been home to the Shriners, a fraternal organization affiliated with the Freemasons. The Shriners continue to meet there, but the group’s declining membership, coupled with the building’s high operating costs, forced them to sell the historic property.

Zembo was constructed in 1930 in a Moorish Revival architectural style. The building features interior arches, hand-painted motifs and ornate stone detailing. It houses large meeting rooms and a theater with a 2,500-seat capacity.

Youth Center Approved

The Harrisburg City Council last month approved the expansion of a teen center in North Allison Hill, which will double the facility in size.

Bethesda Mission plans to renovate an old printing plant on Herr Street adjacent to its current Youth Center, adding a full-size gymnasium, classrooms, office space and an event hall with a full-service kitchen.

The result will be a full-service community center with classes and amenities for all age groups, said Cindy Mallow, director of development at Bethesda Mission. The current youth center only serves children and teens.

“We’re hoping to involve families and expand out into the community even more,” Mallow said.

Bethesda Mission hopes to break ground on the $2.8 million project this summer and finish it by the end of 2018, Mallow said.

Bethesda Mission has operated its teen center from a former fire station at 1428 Herr St. since 1990. It purchased the former Kurzenkabe Press facility at 1424 Herr for $275,000 in 2015, according to Dauphin County property records.

The 10,000-square-foot space needs extensive renovations, Mallow said, including an overhaul of its HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. Contractors will also raise the ceilings to accommodate the gymnasium and construct a connection between the print facility and the youth center.

Since Bethesda Mission announced its plan to renovate the printing facility back in 2015, it has raised more than $1.5 million from the community and private foundations, including $600,000 from the York-based Stabler Foundation.

The expansion will also allow the mission to double or triple the enrollment in its after-school program and summer programs for youth, Mallow said.

“There’s just a need for a place for the kids to go,” she said. “Our center gives them the opportunity to be with other kids and have a mentor.”

Grant Input Sought

Is there a nonprofit that’s doing good in your neighborhood?

That’s one of the questions that city administrators will pose at a public meeting this month, as Harrisburg begins to chart its priorities for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money over the next five years.

CDBG funds are allocated annually to organizations that help build community and stabilize neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income areas. The city received $1.9 million last year and expects the same this year, according to city communications Director Joyce Davis.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which disburses CDBG money, requires each municipality receiving grants to have a “consolidated plan” describing its development priorities and goals.

Harrisburg’s current three-year plan is set to expire in September. Roy Christ, Harrisburg’s director of Building and Housing, said that development projects started during Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s first term require a new plan with a longer duration.

In past years, CDBG funds have supported organizations such as the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg, the Latino Hispanic American Community Center and MidPenn Legal Services.

City departments can also apply for grants. Last year, the Harrisburg Police Bureau received $90,000, which paid for a community policing van and helped launch the police cadet program.

For this planning cycle, Christ said Harrisburg hopes to target projects in “tipping point” neighborhoods.

“These are neighborhoods that need a bit of help to bounce back and become self-sustaining,” he said.

City residents can contribute input at the public meeting or through an online survey. The meeting will be held on March 5 at Jackson-Lick Tower at 5:30 p.m.

Strawberry Square Apartments

Harrisburg City Council last month gave the green light to another set of apartments inside Strawberry Square.

Council unanimously approved a land development plan submitted by Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Enterprises, which will convert vacant office space in Strawberry Square into 13 apartment units. The project will add to the 24 apartments already inside Strawberry Square, the result of a 2016 office-to-residential conversion by Harristown.

It’s also the third project that Jones has put before council just this year, as, in January, council approved two other downtown projects proposed by Harristown: a new office building on S. 2nd Street just off Market Square and a small office-to-residential conversion at 221 N. 2nd St.

Approval came despite recent statements from some council members that they are concerned about affordable housing in the downtown district.

Earlier in the month, Jones defended his pricing structure, telling council that 15 percent of Harristown’s apartment units could be rented by someone with an annual income of just $25,000 to $40,000 a year, while another 40 percent could be afforded by someone with an average income of $60,000 a year.

Council has not proposed any plans to regulate rents in Harrisburg. In January, however, council President Wanda Williams said that she would continue to monitor housing development and advocate for affordable options.

Comp Plan Chugs Forward

The Harrisburg Planning Commission last month made plans to advance the city’s comprehensive plan towards completion, a process that could last into the summer.

City officials and business developers excoriated the plan at a meeting in January, saying it limited the discretion of private property owners. Mayor Eric Papenfuse called the document “unsalvageable” and urged the commission to reject it in favor of a plan proposed by the city.

Last month, though, commissioners hardly mentioned the planning document submitted by the city, except to ask if and when it had been published online.

“We’re moving ahead with our product,” said commissioner Vern McKissick, referring to the document that the commission developed with local architect Bret Peters and his assistants at the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture.

The commission will host monthly workshop meetings for the next three months to incorporate public feedback and professional advice into the draft document, which is published online at BeHBG.org. They hope to reengage some of the consultants that Peters hired while drafting the plan in 2015 and 2016.

To do that, however, they’ll need to secure additional funding. They already have $10,000 allotted by City Council in the 2018 city budget, but McKissick said they will likely need more to consult with subcontractors and see the plan to completion. Commissioners will evaluate grants and other funding opportunities at a workshop later this month.

Spradley Chosen for School Board

The Harrisburg school board last month selected Tyrell Spradley, a tax consultant and former city treasurer, to serve an appointed term until 2019.

Spradley replaced Matt Krupp, a board director who resigned in January to serve as Dauphin County prothonotary.

After two rounds of voting, the board picked Spradley over three other candidates: newcomer Mariah Rodriguez and board veterans James Thompson and Kia Hansard.

In his interview before the board, Spradley touted his financial background and his two years of experience working in the district’s accounting department. He said he thinks many of the issues facing the district can be resolved, given the improved fiscal health he has seen since he worked as a district accountant.

“A lot of the issues I see are administrative issues, communication,” Spradley said. “Money isn’t a problem like it was before. We’re stronger now and have a stronger administration.”

Spradley joins the board as it braces for a number of contentious discussions, including the annual budget process and the expiration of Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney’s contract this June. The board must decide soon whether it will renew Knight-Burney’s contract or open an application process in which she may participate.

So Noted

AAA Central Penn last month named Jodie Daubert as its new president and CEO. In this position, Daubert will lead the nine-county club composed of 290 employees serving 11 offices. She succeeds David Meckley, who served as interim CEO.

Brandalynn Armstrong, co-owner of Harrisburg-based Zeroday Brewing Co., has been elected to the Brewers of Pennsylvania board of directors. The trade association works to protect and promote the brewing industry in the state.

Excel Interior Concepts & Construction last month announced two new hires. Thomas Fogie joined the Lemoyne-based company as project coordinator, and Alicia Mirando came on as designer.

The Harrisburg Senators last month signed a two-year extension with the Washington Nationals, their player development agreement now extending through 2020. The Senators are the Nationals’ AA-affiliate Minor League baseball team. Separately, the Senators announced that Dan and Michael Schwab, co-presidents of Harrisburg-based D&H Distributing, along with their sister, Amy Silfen, have joined the team’s ownership group as minority owners.

S&T Bank has named Jeffrey Scoutelas as vice president, private banker for central Pennsylvania region. Scoutelas, a graduate of Lynchburg College, has 12 years of private banking and management experience in the area, said the company.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2155: L. & D. Sandoe to M. Macas & C. Pulla, $55,500

Boas St., 1826: Z. Weist to S. Henry, $59,900

Brookwood St., 2448: Wilmington Savings Fund Society to HT Properties LLC, $35,500

Capital St., 907: A. Sheaf to E. Ashenfelder, $148,000

Capital St., 1200: 8219 Ventures to R. & C. Steele, $76,000

Croyden Rd., 2951: K. & M. Zinn to A. Smith, $70,000

Derry St., 1433: A. Vaughn to Aum Investments LP, $32,000

Derry St., 1901: L. Nguyen to T. Nguyen, $150,000

Derry St., 2022: M. Khatoon to A. Saeed, $30,000

Emerald St., 226: C. Shokes to HBG Rents LLC, $210,000

Forster St., 1815: Blackscotch LLC to C. Burke, $50,000

Green St., 914: P. Vanitem to C. Williams, $138,900

Green St., 1401½: C. & C. Kellar to R. & F. Armetta, $80,000

Green St., 1623: S. Vemula & M. Chada to B. Golper & J. Wu, $132,000

Green St., 3118: US Bank NA Trustee & PA Housing Finance Agency to Hawk Vesta LLC, $65,750

Hale Ave., 436: M. Davis to J. Sayed & S. Sherin, $40,000

Hanna St., 103: S. Brown to DLK Properties LLC, $63,500

Harris St., 434: Alta Reo LLC to B. Parfitt, $83,000

Herr St., 1001: Harsco Corp. to Capital Region Economic Development Corp., $505,000

Hanover St., 1312 and 1283 & 1285 S. 13^th St.: Y. & C. Lee to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $50,000

Hoffman St., 3131: G. Hanslovan to O. Perry, $63,000

James St., 1315: J. Brinks & C. Wise to S., J. & N. Kindler, $95,000

Kensington St., 2101: Nationstar Mortgage LLC to HT Properties LLC, $48,500

Kensington St., 2103: PA Deals LLC to L. Myers, $65,900

Lawton St., 1416: M. Maloney to J. Foote & R. Tompkins, $429,500

Luce St., 2365: T. Nguyen & H. Truong to M. Phan, $30,000

Maclay St., 332: S. Hite & L. Ware Jr. to JTA Consulting Group LLC, $51,000

North St., 1836 & 1838: Reyart Properties to B. & R. Lomax, $72,000

N. 2^nd St., 1404: Tang Liu Realty LLC to C. Albers, $121,000

N. 2^nd St., 2323: M. Horgan & CR Services Inc. to A. & A. Mathew, $147,500

N. 2^nd St., 3118: P. & M. Rowan to D. Inghilterra, $203,000

N. 2^nd St., 3303: C. Myers to J. Myers, $90,000

N. 4^th St., 2735: S. Patrick to T. & L. Lydell, $107,900

N. 6^th St., 3111: R. & S. Hopkins to C. Morel, $62,000

N. 13^th St., 142: J. Forsyth LLC to 37 Estate LLC, $41,000

N. Front St., 1125: D. & J. McEnany to RMK Management Group LLC, $233,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 301: W. Cohen to W. Krenz & P. Meehan, $135,000

N. Front St., 3029: Pumphouse Partners LP to BXF Real Estate LLC, $450,000

Penn St., 1324: D. Stridacchio to S. Olsen, $117,000

Penn St., 1715: BencMarq Holdings LLC to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $116,000

Race St., 568: R. Hunter to E. Fultz, $157,968

Rolleston St., 1239: G. Neff to J. McCloud, $45,000

Seneca St., 330: J. Runion to M. Saldana & R. Zavala, $87,500

S. 14^th St., 1418: R. Scott to City of Harrisburg, $52,000

S. 14^th St., 1422: G. Neff to City of Harrisburg, $48,500

S. 14^th St., 1424: C. Gamble to City of Harrisburg, $45,000

S. 14^th St., 1433: Z. Owens to City of Harrisburg, $51,000

S. 14^th St., 1440: G. Neff to City of Harrisburg, $51,000

S. 19^th St., 850: S. & N. Fulginiti to City of Harrisburg, $60,000

S. 23^rd St., 616: R. Bowers to D. & N. Gonzalez, $89,900

S. Front St., 601: A. Poindexter to R. & L. Firestone, $174,900

State St., 1504: A. Sandoval to 77 Estate LLC, $37,000

Susquehanna St., 1612: K. O’Neill & PA Housing Finance Agency to T. Weaver, $146,500

Susquehanna St., 1723: G. Neff to J. Hirt, $104,000

Valley Rd., 2308: L. & N. Eikenberry to Bean GST Trust II, $218,000

Washington St., 103: R. Bray to Q. Tran, $32,000

Don’t Dump Here: Harrisburg concludes city codes meetings.

October 20, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

A Harrisburg resident asks a question during last night’s meeting about city codes and codes enforcement.

Who do you call when a neighbor is dumping trash illegally? And how do you find out if the apartment next door is an unlicensed flop house?

City officials answered these questions and others in a meeting at Hamilton Health Center last night, where residents were invited to ask about the city’s code enforcement process. A similar event was held one night earlier at Camp Curtin YMCA.

Councilman Cornelius Johnson said the purpose of the meetings was to correct public misconceptions about the codes process and gather ideas for amending Harrisburg’s code handbook. Here’s what emerged as common questions throughout the evening:

Illegal dumping
Dumping trash on city streets and vacant lots is a criminal act that requires response from the Harrisburg Police Bureau. But since Harrisburg’s non-emergency police line routes to the Dauphin County dispatch, some residents said they’ve been referred to the codes office instead.

If you see illegal dumping in your neighborhood, Johnson recommends calling Harrisburg’s 311 number during normal business hours. Ask the switchboard officer to direct you to Harrisburg police and log your complaint there.

Blighted properties
Harrisburg has more blighted properties than it can manage. City codes officials can board up properties that are unfit for human habitation, but residents report that squatters break into the sealed homes and establish residence there.

City Codes Administrator David Patton said that his department is fighting blight with a limited budget. The city maintains a list of condemned properties slated for demolition, which currently has more than 250 properties on it, Johnson said. He estimated that the city’s $120,000 demolition budget only allows it to tackle between 17 and 25 properties a year.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city hopes to significantly increase the demolition budget for the 2018 fiscal year. Raising it to $250,000 from its current $120,000 would allow the city to demolish closer to 30 or 40 properties, he said.

Patton asked residents to remain vigilant in reporting blighted properties. The codes office triages its demolition list and acts first on the properties that pose the greatest public safety risk. If squatters have broken into blighted properties, file a complaint with the codes office so they can seal it again.

Filing a codes complaint
Johnson said that the city clearly needs an electronic system for submitting codes complaints. Right now, residents can download the paperwork to file a complaint online, but must submit the form in hard copy to city hall. Johnson said that creating an electronic submission system is a long-term goal. He also hopes the city can implement a way for citizens to track the status of the complaints they’ve filed.

Finding property owners and rental licenses
If you want to know who owns a property, you can search its address on www.dauphinpropertyinfo.com. Sometimes, however, the owner listed on the deed is a company that no longer exists or an investor who has changed his contact information. If the property is a rental unit, you can try to search the owner’s rental license through the city’s Mercantile Office.

There is more information about codes enforcement on the city’s website.

Going Green: Capital Region Water unveils a green solution for city’s storm water problem

December 7, 2016 | by Danielle Roth

Capital Region Water Community Outreach Manager Andrew Bliss speaks with a resident about CRW’s storm water plan.

Harrisburg’s water infrastructure has a problem that affects nearly every resident.

When even moderate rain falls, the combined sewer system overflows. This overflow causes storm water to mingle with sewage, which leads to pollution and flooding caused by system backups.

On Tuesday, Capital Region Water released a draft of its long-term community greening plan to address these storm water issues. It’s called “City Beautiful H20,” a play on words from the City Beautiful movement, which added parks, sewers and basic infrastructure to turn-of-the-century Harrisburg.

“We want to be a community-driven plan,” said City Beautiful H20 Program Manager Claire Maulhardt. “We are 100 percent behind that statement. We want projects to happen organically and in the aesthetic that the city want to happen.”

Green infrastructure uses nature as a model to filter storm water. Streets lined with specially designed trees, planters and pervious surfaces filter and reduce storm water runoff. Business and residential property owners are also encouraged to plant rain gardens and install vegetation on their roofs. Larger businesses and institutions might install wetlands, basins or bioswales, a down-sloped landscape installation, to filter the storm water, according to the draft.

Starting next year, three pilot projects will kick off City Beautiful H20, Maulhardt said.

In the draft, a rain garden, two storm water planters and porous basketball courts will be installed at the 4^th and Dauphin playground near the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum. A bioswale will remove pollution from the runoff water. Along N. 6^th Street, storm water planters, rain gardens and a storm water storage trench are planned for the Camp Curtin YMCA and the adjacent block.

Jamien Harvey, executive director of the Camp Curtin YMCA and member of CRW’s community ambassador workgroup, said the proposed draft will “build what’s been the cornerstone of this neighborhood.”

“The environment we raise our kids in is crucial,” Harvey said. “They deserve the best of everything.”

The third project features water bump outs, rain gardens, tree trenches and a community garden in the Summit Terrace neighborhood along N. 12^th and N. 13^th streets.

Maulhardt said partnerships with existing community organizations and community input led to the decision for choosing these three pilot projects.

“We want the community to drive what they want to see,” Maulhardt said. “Our vision is to be a key facilitator in helping find partnerships, link it up with potential funding and be that player in moving the pieces around to make projects happen.”

Funds from CRW’s 2017 rate increase and grants will support the three pilot projects. CRW also is developing a fee system to support long-term storm water management.

CRW Community Outreach Manager Andrew Bliss said the community voted for a fee that reflects the amount of storm water a property generates, which would incentivize green infrastructure. Bliss said CRW will work to educate the community before any fee is decided on or implemented.

CRW’s board will review The City Beautiful H20 Community Greening draft later this month before moving forward with projects.

“This [draft] is a snapshot of the process that we’ve been going through the last 18 months,” she said. “We will continue to update this. It’s a living document”

To learn more about Capital Region Water’s City Beautiful 2.0 Community Greening Plan draft, visit https://capitalregionwater.com/cbh2o/#sthash.4m3xRick.dpbs To provide input on the draft, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YYGQVV8 or attend the next meeting on Dec. 15, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Lincoln School, 1601 State Street.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Impact Harrisburg awards more than $4 million in grants for economic development

October 21, 2016 | by Danielle Roth

Impact Harrisburg Executive Director Sheila Dow-Ford announced more than $4 million in grants on Thursday.

Impact Harrisburg announced the first recipients of economic development grants yesterday. Eight organizations received nearly $3 million total in economic development grants. Five organizations received a bit more than $1 million total in grants for community building.

A total of 24 organizations applied for economic development grants. The nine-member board of directors chose to award these 13 organizations the full amount requested rather than giving partial grants.

“When we saw what applications came in, we really did not have a reason not to,” said Neil Grover, chairman of the Board and city solicitor.

Grover said that the grant-giving process is relatively new for the nonprofit.

“We really were forming from scratch,” he said.

The Harrisburg Strong Plan created Impact Harrisburg, a private nonprofit, in 2013 to distribute $13 million in economic development and infrastructure funds as a part of the state-sponsored recovery plan. In July, Impact Harrisburg awarded its first grants – about $5.5 million – for infrastructure projects.

Executive Director Sheila Dow-Ford said releasing nearly $4 million in grants will act as a catalyst in the city.

“These applicants really spoke to the needs of the community,” she said.

Impact Harrisburg broadly defined economic development. Many of the grants will support construction projects that will improve quality of life in the city, Grover said.

“These projects will be bringing people into the city and keeping people in their neighborhoods,” he said.

Jamien Harvey, executive director of the Camp Curtin YMCA, said he expects 500 to 800 kids will be able to attend judo, gymnastics and indoor soccer programs thanks to the $500,000 grant, which will expand program space. Also, adults will have more space for exercise classes that the Camp Curtin location previously could not offer, he said.

Monitoring the grant-funded projects will be the next step.

“There’s a lot that got started here that never got finished,” Grover said.

The monitoring process will differ depending on the project, but will ensure that all projects finish in the manner that was proposed, he said.

After these grants, the nonprofit has $1 million in reserves for economic development, Dow-Ford said.

“We don’t know If we will have a second round of funding,” she said.

Another round of funding would depend upon if Impact Harrisburg receives more funds to distribute.

Eight organizations will receive grants for economic development:

$500,000 to the Salvation Army for the completion of a community center on 29^th Street
$500,000 to Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority to remediate blighted property
$250,000 to the Harrisburg and Capital Region Water Playground Resurfacing Collaborative to resurface playgrounds
$500,000 to the Camp Curtin YMCA to resurface a pool and expand usable space
$500,000 to WebpageFX to complete the construction of their expansion project
$81,369 to Harrisburg River Rescue to complete the construction of a facility on Derry Street
$500,000 to TLC Construction and Renovations for an incubator project for veteran- and minority-owned businesses
$100,000 to Paxton Street Home Benevolent Society to start construction of a senior living facility

Five organizations will receive grants for community building projects:

$350,000 to the Tri County Housing Development Corporation for Derry Street corridor development
$138,592 to the East Shore YMCA for façade improvement
$250,000 to the Gamut Theatre to complete the rehabilitation of former church to theater space.
$350,000 to the Community First Fund to set up a pool of loan funds for minority-owned small businesses

Author: Danielle Roth

State of the City Address reflects on past successes, supports nonprofits

October 19, 2016 | by Danielle Roth

Dr. Roma J. Benjamin left the Camp Curtin YMCA this morning with a little something extra.

The nonprofit she founded and directs, New Sound Literacy and Technology Center, won a raffle at the State of the City address. Benjamin, a former educator, called the unexpected donation “a blessing” for literacy in the community.

“It’s my call, it’s my mission, to give our kids support making it through school,” she said.

Dr. Roma Benjamin’s nonprofit, the New Sound Literacy and Technology Center, received a donation from a raffle held at today’s event.

More than 200 community and nonprofit leaders filled the YMCA’s auditorium to hear Mayor Eric Papenfuse speak about his administration’s accomplishments during his three years in office. Proceeds from the event benefitted seven nonprofits, in addition to the New Sound Literacy and Technology Center.

Traditionally, mayors have held State of the City addresses downtown at the Hilton Harrisburg. Past addresses benefited the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) and the Harrisburg Chamber.

This year, the venue change highlighted the work of Harrisburg nonprofits, 23 of which were represented at the event.

“Camp Curtin is a stellar example of how people come together to nurture our city and inspire our youth,” Papenfuse said.

Papenfuse credited much of the city’s success to Harrisburg’s balanced budget. He said his administration has been “watching every penny” and that the city has amassed a $10 million nest egg this year.

With the budget surplus, the city will purchase body cameras and more Tasers for the police department, he said. Police Chief Thomas Carter said his department is looking for the latest technology, but does not have a timeline for the purchase or implementation of the devices. Tasers and body cameras will increase visibility and accountability, the mayor said.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse addressed a croud of more than 200 nonprofit and community leaders at today’s State of the City address.

Papenfuse included other highlights from the past year:

Nearly 1,500 new business licenses in the city
A $3 million state grant for revitalization in a blighted area of Allison Hill dubbed MulDer Square
Federal government support for residents affected by sinkhole damage
A $50,000 state grant to improve Reservoir Park
Increased community policing programs such as the Police Recreation League
The Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program to reduce crime in the Camp Curtin neighborhood

While Papenfuse reflected on his administration, Benjamin looked forward.

“I have lots of new books to purchase,” she said with a smile.

Author: Danielle Roth

Hoops & Hopes: Coach Smallwood leads with basketball, follows with life.

July 29, 2016 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

For Harrisburg Coach Kirk Smallwood, basketball is the “carrot” that leads city youth to his mentorship.

Smallwood, a 1973 Harrisburg High School graduate, is considered a legend in the school district. He served 16 years as the district’s athletic director and has coached basketball there for as long as anyone remembers.

“I love this school district, and I’m willing to do anything to help the kids here,” Smallwood proudly noted. “I was in the second class to graduate from Harrisburg High School.”

To the hundreds of young people that Smallwood has mentored over the years, he is far more than a basketball coach.

“Coach Smallwood is like a father figure to me,” said Tony James, 16, an incoming 11^th-grader at Harrisburg’s SciTech High School and a third-year player on the Smallwood Summer League. “He always helps us out and always has our back.”

The Smallwood Summer League is a Harrisburg youth basketball team that Smallwood has run for seven weeks every summer since 1991, in addition to serving as the high school’s basketball coach during the regular school year. The league competes against 34 school districts from throughout the state, including Williamsport, Hazleton and Shamokin.

“Coach Smallwood is a great coach,” said Elijah Barrett, 18, an incoming Harrisburg High senior and a second-year Smallwood Summer League player. “He teaches us to become great men.”

Coach of the Year

Smallwood, of Susquehanna Township, began his coaching career in 1978 as an assistant coach at Harrisburg High. It was the same year he started working as a substitute teacher in the school district—just two days after receiving a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Kutztown University. He was hired full-time later that year, continuing as a “general teacher” in the district until 1989, when he left for the Central Dauphin School District.

Smallwood taught alternative education at Central Dauphin East High School in Lower Paxton Township for four years while serving as CD East’s head basketball coach. In 1993, he returned home to Harrisburg High School as a teacher and coach. In 1999, he was appointed the high school’s athletic director, a position he maintained until retiring at the end of the 2014-15 school year.

“I just felt it was time to retire,” he explained. “I was dealing with some health issues that deserved a lot more attention than I was giving them. It helped me to better monitor my sleep and eating patterns.”

Smallwood didn’t entirely retire, however. He’s still Harrisburg’s head varsity basketball coach and runs the summer basketball league. He also heads a free Kirk Smallwood Skills Clinic at the Camp Curtin YMCA in June and July for boys in grades 8 to 11.

During his school coaching tenure, Smallwood has overseen 19 Mid Penn Championships, nine District Championships and two State Championships. He was also awarded the 1998 and 2002 AP Big School Coach of the Year.

The Carrot

Mentoring youth carries no trophies, but Smallwood finds this as rewarding as winning any championship.

“Today’s kids are different than when I went to school here,” he said. “They need more help and assistance to succeed. There’s less parental involvement. They need assistance from many other entities. Sometimes, kids get distracted. They’re not being attended to as much.”

Smallwood said he builds relationships with his players through honesty and caring. The biggest challenge, he noted, “is that they just need so much of you.”

“We may walk across the street together for a burger or I may visit their homes,” he said. “Basketball is the carrot. Every kid is different. You never know what baggage they’re carrying.”

Wes Bair, Harrisburg’s assistant basketball coach for 20 years, said it’s not only kids who respect and admire Smallwood. Adults feel the same way.

“Coach Smallwood is very knowledgeable, well respected and very fair,” he said. “He gives his staff a lot of freedom to operate within the system. He doesn’t micromanage and welcomes suggestions from others.”

Bair added that, over the years, he’s seen Smallwood “help hundreds of kids get into college or get jobs.”

So what does Smallwood hope that young people will take away from his basketball court?

“I hope they know that I work hard every day,” he said. “I’m consistent. I try to give my all every day.”

Author: Phyllis Zimmerman

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