Tag Archives: City Island

Harrisburg Holiday Parade will be a drive-through, due to COVID-19

September 30, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Harrisburg’s Holiday Parade typically marches down 2nd Street, but, this year, the pandemic has forced a change.

Most of us are already anticipating a non-traditional holiday season.

So, it may come as no surprise that Harrisburg has announced changes to its annual Holiday Parade. The show will still go on, just in reverse.

In this year’s format, participants in the parade will remain stationary, while spectators will drive by in their vehicles to watch. It also will take place on City Island, as opposed to the streets of downtown.

“We wanted to do something where we could still keep the holiday spirit alive for the community, but in a safe way,” said Megan Roby, marketing and events manager for Harrisburg.

Although it’s a different format, Roby said there will still be decorated floats, candy and, of course, Santa. The parade takes place Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. People must arrive before noon to participate in the drive-through.

In place of the typical candy tossed for children, the first 150 cars will receive free goodie bags at the end of the parade route.

Roby expects around 40 to 50 entrants in the parade. There will be something fun around each turn on the route, she said.

The event is free to the public, and spectators are also encouraged to join the fun by decorating their cars.

The theme of the parade is “Hometown Holiday,” inspired by the months of quarantining and staying at home, Roby said.

Entrants will receive scores from a panel of local celebrity judges, with the highest score winning a $100 Amazon gift card.

In years past, there has been an awards ceremony in Strawberry Square following the parade. Roby said that will not happen this year.

The Reverse Holiday Parade is sponsored by Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, Explore HBG and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District.

The Reverse Holiday Parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, visit https://harrisburgpa.gov/holidayparade/.

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Food truck festival to help fulfill wishes for children with critical illnesses

August 20, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

A scene from last year’s Wish Upon a Food Truck Festival.

Would you like to support a good cause by eating good food?

Next month, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia, Delaware and Susquehanna Valley will host its annual Wish Upon a Food Truck Festival on City Island.

“Now more than ever, people are looking for ways to engage in the community,” event coordinator Emily Reading said.

On Sept. 19, food trucks will park on City Island in an effort to raise funds for an organization that has long granted wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.

Make-A-Wish across the country has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, Reading explained. Children that have made wishes involving travel have had to wait on their trips during the pandemic.

Reading has been a wish granter with Make-A-Wish for seven years. She meets with kids to help them decide what they want to wish for and helps make it come true.

“If these kids can have one day or one wish where they don’t have to worry about doctor visits or medications, that’s it for me,” she said.

To help support Make-A-Wish kids during the pandemic, Reading said that their chapter has held virtual talent shows and other events.

The Food Truck Festival is one way the public can join in on the wish-granting magic.

While the event is free to the public, each food truck will have a donation jar for the local chapter of Make-A-Wish. There will also be “giving stations” with information on the organization.

Money raised will go towards funding wishes that are safe in light of the pandemic, providing care packages to children, and making sure there are no delays in granting a child’s wish once it’s safe to do so.

Among the 30 or so food trucks attending will be some local favorites including 717 Tacos, Dough Heads Waffles LLC, PA Farm Show milkshakes and Stock’s on 2^nd.

There will also be local musicians, entertainment and children’s activities at the event.

Reading said that they will follow state guidelines regarding the COVID crisis, and masks are encouraged.

“It’s going to be a day you can support local kiddos and spend time with your family,” Reading said.

The Wish Upon a Food Truck Festival is scheduled for Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m on City Island, Harrisburg. For more information on Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia, Delaware and Susquehanna Valley, visit https://wishuponafoodtruck.org/ or their Facebook page.

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Harrisburg Mile gets the green light, with change of date, location

July 20, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

Runners take off from the starting gate during last year’s Harrisburg Mile.

One of Harrisburg’s longest-running summertime traditions, the Harrisburg Mile, will go on in 2020 despite the pandemic.

The 39th Annual Harrisburg Mile will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 19, about a month later than originally planned, the Harrisburg Area YMCA confirmed today.

Besides the new date, the other big change is the venue. Instead of running a mile course down Front Street, runners will compete on a mile-long loop around City Island.

“We’re trying to provide a summertime event that feels like the joy that the Harrisburg Mile usually brings to the city,” said Rosie Turner, the YMCA’s director of marketing and communications.

As of now, the Harrisburg Half Marathon and Marathon are also a go, slated for Sept. 13 and Nov. 8, respectively.

The new Harrisburg Mile course offers synergy with the race’s top sponsor, Turner said.

“First National Bank has been an incredible partner, so to have people run past the ballpark and see their branding at FNB Field—we saw that as a nice tie-in,” she said.

Moving the event to City Island increases the amount of square footage on either side of the race course, Turner said, which allows race officials to put safety and health guidelines first, for all involved—runners, volunteers and staff, as well as spectators.

Given the pandemic’s guidelines for social distancing, runners have the option of lining up on the start line during what are called “rolling start times,” within windows of time, for each age group. For example, runners in the 20-to-29 age bracket can start any time from 6 to 6:15 p.m., while runners between the ages of 30 to 39 may start during the 6:55 to 7:15 p.m. timeframe.

Additionally, there will be an “open time” between 2 to 5:45 p.m. when anyone can run the course and register their mile time, especially if they want to avoid larger groups of competitors.

Every heat will be limited to 150 participants, except for the elite mile heat, which will be run in true competitive spirit with a set start time for a field limited to 30 of the area’s top runners.

Another modification, given the pandemic’s guidelines—all runners must wear masks until they start running. The masks also must be pulled back in place once runners complete their mile, before they leave the finish chute.

All in all, during a time when most running events are being canceled or going virtual, today’s news is welcome news to area runners.

“We’ve seen a lot of races we love canceled,” said Jeff Paladina, 48, of New Cumberland. “I’m disappointed we can’t be on Front Street… but I’m appreciative of the city seeing value in these races so that can all continue in the sport we love.”

Paladina is registered to compete in the Harrisburg Mile, just like last year.

“Even last year, we hadn’t heard of the term ‘social distance,’ and I wasn’t within 6 feet of anyone, so I have no hesitation saying I’ll be safe racing,” Paladina said. “The best place to be during this pandemic is outside.”

In 2019, the Harrisburg Mile attracted 1,638 runners, about 250 volunteers and an estimated 3,200 spectators.

“The event requires an incredible amount of volunteers, and we are trying to assess their comfort level. Many are excited and on board,” Turner said.

This year, registration for the mile was frozen amid the pandemic, but it reopened today.

Registration for the Harrisburg Half Marathon and Harrisburg Marathon continues to be open, with several hundred runners already registered for each race. Turner said she is “hopeful” that plans and registration will soon be announced for the Oct. 3 HopDash 5K at Tröegs Brewery, Hershey, also part of the Harrisburg YMCA’s Race Series.

Between the mile, half marathon and full marathon, net proceeds benefitting the nonprofit YMCA total about $40,000 annually.

“Our races connect people to the Y, to a place of wellness that supports the community and themselves,” Turner said. “This is a way for people to connect outside the building in a way that impacts what goes on inside the building.”

Turner said that the half and full marathons will feature staggered start times to spread runners out along the 13.1 and 26.2 mile courses. She said the events would only be canceled as a “last resort” if health guidelines mandate it—in which case runners would have the option of running virtually or deferring to next year.

Hap Miller of Carlisle has been on the Harrisburg Marathon’s start line every year for 45 years—2020’s event would be his 46th. The 77-year-old Carlisle resident even wrote a book about the Harrisburg Marathon, one of the oldest marathons in the country. The first race was held in 1973. Miller began running in 1975.

“I’m signed up for this year’s race, but I’m not sure if I’ll finish,” Miller said. “I plan on running about a third of it—as I did last year—which ended my streak [of 44 finishes].”

Miller said he’s glad to hear that Harrisburg’s marathon tradition will continue in 2020.

“It’s a small, friendly marathon because of the people along the course and in the race, the camaraderie… you don’t get lost in the big crowds like Boston, Chicago or New York,” said Miller.

Turner realizes the significance of providing race experiences for area runners during a time when so many other plans have fallen by the wayside.

“People use these events to benchmark their lives—there are so many goals around them, and already this year with the pandemic we’ve had so many lost milestones,” Turner said. “To give people back a goal, to finish out 2020 with something that feels like a stamp—what a wonderful gift to be able to give to the community.”

For more information, including registration for the Harrisburg Mile, see ymcarun.com/info-mile2020. For information for the Sept. 13 Harrisburg Half Marathon, see ymcarun.com/info-half. Details for the Nov. 8 Harrisburg Marathon can be found here: ymcarun.com/info-marathon. Hap Miller’s book about the Harrisburg Marathon is available on Amazon.

The Senators make it official, announce cancellation of 2020 season

June 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The Harrisburg Senators last year at FNB Field.

There will be no baseball on City Island this year.

Today, Minor League Baseball officially cancelled its 2020 season, ending any lingering hope that the Harrisburg Senators still could squeeze out a small part of their season.

In a statement, the Senators confirmed that they would not play this year, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic “created too many impediments.”

“In the end, there were just too many obstacles to overcome,” said Kevin Kulp, team president.

The Senators, who play at FNB Field on City Island, are the AA-class affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Only Major League teams are planning to play this year in a shortened, 60-game season that starts later in July.

Kulp said that the Senators are now looking forward to the 2021 baseball season.

“We’re very sad about this news, and there will be many hurdles to overcome between now and opening day 2021 in April,” he said. “However, I assure you, the Harrisburg Senators will persevere and be ready for next season. We are proud of the role we play in the central Pennsylvania community, and, from this day forward, we will be working to make the 2021 season very special.”

Summertime, with a Twist: Harrisburg seasonal favorite activities change, take new form

June 30, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Artwork along Sprocket Mural Works’ Mural Trail

Summer is always busy for Ross Willard. Dozens of kids flock to his shop in Allison Hill in the course of a day to get a hand with a bike repair or pick up a new set of wheels.

Recycle Bicycle is especially busy this summer. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting many indoor activities, families are looking for ways to get outside and entertain themselves.

“People say, ‘Ross slow down,’ but I can’t, there are people in need,” he said.

With the core of Recycle Bicycle’s volunteers in their 70s, the shop had to close for safety reasons, but that didn’t stop Willard’s phone from ringing off the hook. It wasn’t long until the team was back fixing bikes by appointment.

“One day, I went in two hours early, stayed one hour late, wore a mask the whole time and didn’t take a bathroom break,” Willard said.

Just another summer Saturday in Harrisburg.

Out and About

At the start of summer, people were just creeping out of their houses, testing the waters of returning to public life. But with Harrisburg now in the “green” phase of reopening, sidewalks are filling back up and stores are re-opening their doors.

Still, summer will look different this year.

One of the most notable changes was the city’s decision to close its pools. Not unique from many other cities, Harrisburg acted out of caution.

“I know this is going to be a disappointment for many, but there are a couple things that could be seen as positives that come out of this,” Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said in a Facebook Live broadcast.

He mentioned the possibility of maintenance work on the pools and applying for grants to build a spray park in the coming years.

Along with closing the pools, the Department of Parks and Recreation is holding limited events this summer.

Department Director Kevin Sanders said that the city will host a series of movie nights beginning in July.

Although there’s no access to the pools this summer, outdoor activities are not hard to find.

After closing for a few weeks, Water Golf’s mini-golf course on City Island opened in early May.

“The city gave us approval to open whenever we wanted to,” Owner Jeff Palkovic said. “If I couldn’t keep my employees and customers safe, I wouldn’t have opened up.”

Water Golf employees are taking precautions to ensure the safety of their customers. They sanitize clubs and balls after each use, installed a sneeze guard at the front counter and encourage customers to wear masks as well as social distance.

Palkovic said their concession stand has been picking up even more than the golf, acknowledging the desire people have to get out of their homes.

The response from golfers has encouraged Palkovic, as many have been extra supportive.

“Normally we get 999 really nice people out of 1,000,” he said. “This year, it’s even better than that. Everyone is so excited.”

In Session

Even with school out for the summer, students around the city participate in educational experiences—aka, summer camp!

Most are still on for the summer, although their format may look different.

Open Stage, for one, is holding a 10-week virtual theater arts class.

“Things are different this summer, but I think that has given us license to change things up,” Producing Artistic Director Stuart Landon said. “We’ve put together a really cool curriculum.”

While Open Stage summer courses are typically focused on a specific topic, this class will be more general, Landon said. Topics included are musical theater, acting, theater history, design and tech. There will be a group for 8 to 12 year olds and one for 13 and older.

“This situation is not going to keep us down,” Landon said.

Bethesda Mission’s Community Center in Allison Hill is also holding camp, but chose to take an in-person approach.

Starting in June, groups of about 25 kids each have been participating in outdoor and indoor activities. Executive Director Scott Dunwoody explained that the teen group is especially important because it provides internships and job training.

Art & Nature

For those looking to get out and enjoy the sunshine, there’s plenty to do outdoors in the city.

Throughout the pandemic, Harrisburg parks have remained open.

“We are a community in Harrisburg that is fortunate that we made the decision to keep our parks and playgrounds open,” Papenfuse said. “We felt from the beginning that it was important for people to be able to go out to exercise and take walks.”

The Capital Area Greenbelt, Wildwood Park and Riverfront Park are of few of the most popular nature spots in the city. Wildwood is currently holding “Art in the Wild,” the park’s annual environmental art exhibition.

Sizeable trees populate each of these parks, offering shady resting places.

In addition, Sprocket Mural Works is encouraging people to stroll through the city for a self-guided mural tour. There are 40 murals to observe, 14 of which are new this year.

Whether you’re staying indoors and out of the heat or enjoying the summer sunshine, good news—summer is still on in Harrisburg.

Recycle Bicycle is located at 1722 Chestnut St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.recyclebicycleharrisburg.org.

Water Golf is located at 600 Riverside Dr., Harrisburg (City Island). Visit www.h2ogolf.com for more information.

To learn more about Open Stage’s Alsedek Theatre School, visit www.thealsedektheatreschool.com.
Bethesda Mission’s Community Center is at 1438 Herr St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.bethesdamission.org/our-ministries/community-center.

To download a map of Sprocket Mural Works’ Mural Trail, visit www.sprocketmuralworks.com.

Wildwood Park is located at 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg. Visit www.wildwoodlake.org.

Trailing Along: Parents, kids enjoy nature together through Hike it Baby Harrisburg.

March 31, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Heather Das was at the gym when she overheard some parents talking.

They were discussing their hiking group that met regularly in Harrisburg. A Midtown resident, Das was intrigued. She loved the outdoors, but living in the city wasn’t exactly the prime place for tree-lined hiking trails. Besides, she was a mom to two girls. How did other parents make time?

Her inquiry led her to find out the group, with the fitting name of Hike it Baby, wasn’t just for parents, but for their kids, as well.

Das and her girls went on their first hike in Wildwood Park with the group in 2016. Light snow dusted the trail, and a cold air nipped their noses.

“The first time I went, there was a sense of community, regardless of the weather,” Das said.

She had found her community and knew this was where she and her daughters belonged. Almost immediately after joining, Das started hosting her own hikes and became a Hike it Baby ambassador.

City Strolls

Hike it Baby is a nonprofit with more than 300 branches that host over 1,500 hikes each month across North America. Their mission is to connect families with young children to each other and to nature.

Harrisburg formed its own branch of Hike it Baby in 2015. There are currently nine ambassadors for the branch and more than 3,000 members in their Facebook group. Anyone is welcome to join, and they typically host a couple of hikes each week.

“Living in the city, we relied on Hike it Baby as our outdoor time,” Das said. “I’ve been lucky to find a lot of moms that are looking to explore and not just do simple trails.”

Some of the hikes have included White Rocks Trail in Boiling Springs, Lebanon Valley Rail Trail and the Appalachian Trail. The crew also enjoys Harrisburg hikes like the Greenbelt and participates in what they call “urban strolls” around the city and City Island.

Denise Hirn, another ambassador, especially loves trips to small local playgrounds and parks.

“We like to go to smaller parks to bring awareness to them,” she said.

Walk the Trail

When Hirn initially joined Hike it Baby, her goal was to lose the weight from her recent pregnancy and to help cope with the postpartum depression she faced. She bought a framed backpack baby carrier, excited to be part of a group that fit well with her interests.

“I was looking for a community, and traditional mom’s groups didn’t fit me,” she said. “I wanted to be around other like-minded people who wanted to be outside.”

What both Das and Hirn found wasn’t just a community of their own, but one they were happy to involve their children in for the sake of friendship and education.

“A lot of children in the group have grown up together,” Das said. “It’s neat to see newer people come in with babies, and the next thing you know they are teaching them to walk on the trail.”

Both moms also desire to see their kids learn to love and respect nature as they do. Hike it Baby often practices principles of “leave no trace” to keep the outdoors litter-free and does occasional cleanup hikes at local parks.

No matter the time of year, the Hike it Baby crew will be outside. Even in the colder months, they hold workshops to train families on how to layer clothes well.

They also hold food and diaper drives for children in need in the community, and they collect baby carriers for group members to use.

Whether it’s to get their kids away from screens, get their minds off work or to enjoy community, Hike it Baby is all about getting more people in nature.

“We are devoted to getting young children outside,” Hirn said.

And although the group has “baby” in the name, Hirn assured, “you don’t ever really age out.”

To participate in a hike or learn more about Hike it Baby Harrisburg, join their Facebook group or visit https://community.hikeitbaby.com/branches/harrisburg-pa/.

To the Ages: With his death, Steve Reed has gone from former mayor to one of Harrisburg’s most important historical figures.

February 28, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

Three years ago, I was told to “lay off.”

That directive came after I had written a column critical of former Mayor Steve Reed, following his guilty plea to theft-related charges.

It didn’t come from anonymous hate mail (I got that, too), but from someone whom I know and respect.

“Enough already,” she said, sternly, looking me directly in the eye. “Steve did a lot for this city.”

Her comment got me thinking that maybe I had judged the seven-term mayor too harshly, a thought I had again following his death in late January.

In official statements and on social media, city officials, community leaders and ordinary folks spoke fondly of Reed, pointing to all he had done through 28 years in office. They also praised his character, though, as a journalist, I’m most interested in his actions and importance as a political and historical figure.

I suppose that my harsher assessment had something to do with my own timing. I came to Harrisburg at the tail end of his lengthy tenure, so didn’t know him well or experience his achievements, but I did experience the fallout.

I didn’t know of Harrisburg before the Hilton and Whitaker Center and Harrisburg University and a revived downtown, all things many credit to Reed’s vision and hard work. But I did know first-hand of the city’s subsequent financial collapse.

In other words, I missed half the story.

Since I cover and write about Harrisburg, it’s important for me to consider the totality of Reed’s service. He was one of the most significant historical figures in Harrisburg over the past century, ranking right up there with Harvey Taylor, with arguably an even greater impact on the city.

So, I’m going to give another go at writing about his legacy, which, as it turns out, isn’t radically different from my first try three years ago. I consider his mayoralty to be a mixed bag—granted, a very impactful mixed bag.

Stephen R. Reed became mayor in 1982, 32 years old, already a veteran politician, having served in the state Assembly and as Dauphin County commissioner. He immediately attempted to turn around a demoralized city that had experienced little but bad news for 30 years.

Arguably, his first big success came a few years later, when his failed attempt to build a hydroelectric dam threw off enough interest from a bond offering to pay for cleaning and building up then-seedy City Island. Other victories followed: a new flagship hotel downtown, a minor league baseball team, an impressive arts/science center.

Reed dreamed big, but his big dreams came with equally big price tags. To finance his ambitions, he turned the city’s utility authority into an investment bank, surreptitiously diverted bond fees to buy artifacts for museums he hoped to build, and burned through hundreds of millions trying to salvage the city’s debt-laden incinerator. If you’re reading this column, you probably know all how it all ended—with a financial collapse practically unrivaled in U.S. history.

When assessing Reed’s place in history, it’s important to look at both ends of his legacy. His successes were huge, but so were his failures. He was not a man of small measures.

Ultimately, I believe that the bad outweighed the good, but that’s because I believe strongly in fiscal prudence and in transparency. Furthermore, I don’t believe government should micromanage the economy, and Reed often treated Harrisburg as a real-life version of Sim City.

However, I certainly understand if you weigh the man’s actions and reach the opposite conclusion. Heck, I walk around downtown Harrisburg daily, and I look up and see the buildings and institutions he helped create. What if those weren’t there?

Reed was an ambitious builder and used the public purse in unorthodox, sometimes troubling ways. Many of his projects were moonshots. Some failed horribly, some succeeded magnificently, and others survived but still struggle today, as does the city government itself.

The ones that have succeeded most had great leaders who built upon what Reed seeded, even when the foundations were shaky. Harrisburg University may be the best example of that. On the other hand, the city school district, which Reed took over and promised to turn around, fared poorly then and even worse since.

If I’m still around in 10 or 20 years, I should revisit this subject again, with another reassessment of Reed’s legacy. When enough time passes and all the bills finally get paid, I may agree with his supporters that, yes, Reed made some mistakes, but, in the end, he was the leader that Harrisburg needed.

Lawrance Binda is co-publisher/editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Letter to the Editor: Capital Region Water is committed to addressing environmental threats, concerns

September 19, 2019 | by Charlotte Katzenmoyer

The Susquehanna River in Harrisburg

Capital Region Water has put in place a comprehensive work plan to improve the health of local waterways; repair aging infrastructure and reduce combined sewer overflows; address localized flooding and stormwater runoff; revitalize neighborhoods through community greening; and meet mandatory state and federal clean water requirements.

Several measures of success already have been attained. Since 2013, Capital Region Water has invested $110.7 million on capital improvement projects, tackling critical water and wastewater needs while addressing years of deferred maintenance. A total of $315 million in investments are planned over the next 20 years as part of the City Beautiful H2O Program.

No one denies the challenges of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure that is more than a century old in some places, or in finding ways to pay for the work in a city where nearly one of every three residents lives below the poverty line. The affordability to residents needs to be part of the equation, and it has been with the plan Capital Region Water proposed.

Despite this success and these planned investments, the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) on Aug. 22 issued a report that challenges the work of Capital Region Water and questions the innovative measures being adopted to clean up local waterways. The report contains serious flaws that make its findings deficient. Several claims need to be addressed to set the record straight:

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water is to blame for high bacteria levels and problems at City Island.

FACT: There is little correlation between bacteria concentrations at City Island, rainfall events, and combined sewer overflow (CSO) activity within Capital Region Water’s service territory. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) assessment of Susquehanna River water quality, summarized in the 2016 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report, concludes that the shallow and wide physical characteristics of the Susquehanna River in the vicinity of Harrisburg limit mixing across the river. These characteristics create five parallel flow streams, where the center 80 percent of the river width is dominated by three upstream flow streams (the Susquehanna main stem, the Susquehanna West Branch, and the Juniata River). Local discharges hug the east and west banks (each approximately 10 percent of the River width). The DEP study makes clear that the river currents closest to the eastern shore do not mix with the currents along City Island. This same conclusion was reached through water quality sampling and modeling conducted in 2005 for the previous Harrisburg CSO Long-Term Control Plan. Because of these flow patterns, which are demonstrated through monitoring, bacteria concentrations near City Island often are higher than near-shore bacteria concentrations, indicating bacteria sources that affect the City Island beach, and keep it closed, are coming from upstream and not from CSO events. Interestingly, the EIP report contains no upstream or baseline water quality testing to establish the background bacteria concentrations coming from upstream.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water actively chooses to discharge sewage vs. choosing treatment.

FACT: In a permitted combined sewer system (CSS), the same pipes that carry away sanitary sewage or wastewater from household use (such as toilet flushing and bathing) also carry stormwater from rooftops and pavement. During dry weather or light rainfall events, both stormwater and wastewater are carried to Capital Region Water’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF) for treatment before clean water is then released back into the Susquehanna River downstream of the City of Harrisburg. During moderate to heavy rainfall events, the combined system reaches volume capacity and a mixture of very dilute sewage and stormwater overflows into the Susquehanna River and/or Paxton Creek, as was intended by the system’s designer years ago. This is called a combined sewer overflow (CSO) event. Capital Region Water is responsible for 59 CSO structures in Harrisburg. Overflow events are a symptom of a 100-year-old designed combined system and not an operational choice. Capital Region Water’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility is capable of treating up to 80 million gallons of wastewater each day and average flows are just above 20 million gallons each day. By rehabilitating the systems that collect and convey wastewater to resolve issues related to deferred maintenance and structural and/or maintenance deficiencies, as well as developing a Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) to resolve capacity constraints and control the frequency, duration, and the volume of CSOs, Capital Region Water is and will continue to maximize capture and treatment at the AWTF and therefore limit the associated pollution into the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water is not doing enough to address the issues.

FACT: No one denies the challenges of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure that is more than a century old. These problems didn’t surface overnight; they won’t be fixed overnight. To address these challenges, Capital Region Water has employed a parallel plan. One, rehabilitate the sewer system in order to catch up on decades of deferred operation and maintenance needs, including implementation of a comprehensive asset management system to ensure the sewer system continues to provide reliable service to customers. Two, implement wet weather controls to reduce combined and sanitary sewer overflows, including unauthorized releases, MS4 discharges, and eliminate backups onto streets and into basements. This includes both gray and green infrastructure. No one denies more must be done. But there is no easy solution and there is no cheap fix.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water’s plan doesn’t spend enough to fix the problem.

FACT: Capital Region Water can only spend what its customers can afford. We have proposed $315 million in investments over the next 20 years as part of the City Beautiful H2O Program to repair aging infrastructure, address runoff and clean up waterways. A $40 million upgrade to our Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, finished in 2016, made it one of the most cutting-edge treatment facilities in the region, with improved operations to better protect the Susquehanna River. We’re also in the process of rehabilitating our large combined sewer interceptors and our primary pumping station to increase the volume of flow that reaches our AWTF. These are just a few examples of how far we have gone. But with all of these projects, affordability matters. Capital Region Water’s plan has defined implementation phases, with anticipated levels of CSO volume control achieved, and the estimated available level of expenditure within each phase so the authority can maintain wastewater rates at not more than 2 percent of the median annual household income within the city.

A financial capability assessment was completed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements in order to assess the financial capability of Capital Region Water and its customers within the City of Harrisburg to pay for the plan. A high financial burden level, according to federal affordability guidelines, is expected to occur in Harrisburg when the anticipated additional capital costs are incurred by Capital Region Water over the next 10 years. However, some customers in Harrisburg are already experiencing economic hardship and affordability issues, and these conditions may worsen as capital spending continues, and rates increase in the future to support the $315 million level of spending.

The following key customer statistics highlight the limited financial capability:

Unemployment has ranged between 14 percent and 17 percent in recent years, which has averaged approximately 10 percentage points higher than national, state, and county levels.
Approximately 32 percent of the population is living below the poverty level, which is more than double the national, state, and county poverty levels.
The median household income of $33,289 (in 2015) is more than $20,000 lower than that of the national, state, and county, and is only approximately $8,000 higher than the poverty threshold for a family of four.
An estimated 25 percent of the households within the City of Harrisburg currently pay a wastewater bill that is more than 2 percent of their income, and approximately 30 percent of households have a combined water and sewer bill that exceeds 4 percent of income. Federal affordability guidelines state that there is a high financial burden when the total residential wastewater and stormwater costs reach 2 percent of the median household income (MHI).

All of these elements must be factored into Capital Region Water’s plan.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water has avoided paying penalties or fines for CSO or other violations.

FACT: That’s not true. Capital Region Water has been assessed fines and has paid those fines in full. In lieu of more punitive fines that drain already limited resources, Capital Region Water supports investing the money back into the system to fix problems, modernize infrastructure, and hasten compliance. It is better to spend customer fees on improvements rather than penalties.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water’s plan targets 60 percent capture.

FACT: Capital Region Water’s plan targets approximately 80 percent of CSO volume captured over the 20-year plan horizon. (In fact, the chart on Page 33 of the Overview of the full plan shows the 80 percent attainment, and that document is publicly available in Capital Region Water’s City Beautiful H2O Program Plan.) A plan that focuses on Susquehanna River water quality attainment is unaffordable over the planning horizon, estimated to cost approximately $530 million (2017 $), and would force residents out of their homes because of rates they could not afford.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water’s plan relies too heavily on green stormwater infrastructure.

FACT: Capital Region Water evaluated the full range of CSO control alternatives, both centralized and decentralized (i.e. green infrastructure) stormwater control strategies, including deep tunnels, parallel interceptors with increased pumping and treatment capacity, an end-of-pipe satellite control strategy (i.e. large storage facilities), and a complete sewer system separation. The estimated cost of implementing these strategies approaches or exceeds $1 Billion. Decentralized strategies combining green and gray infrastructure within each of the program planning areas helps to solve existing problems regarding uncontrolled CSO discharges, significant structural deterioration, and hydraulic pinch-points presenting a heightened risk of unauthorized discharges (e.g., localized flooding and basement backups) in addition to achieving the larger goal of reducing CSO activity. Decentralized strategies such as satellite storage/treatment and green/gray water projects within neighborhoods maximize triple-bottom-line benefits and leverage non-traditional funding sources; and is the most cost-effective strategy.

Systemwide or centralized strategies do not assist in addressing collection system rehabilitation or neighborhood concerns such as basement backups or street flooding and they have the higher cost of treating the combined sewage when the treatment plant has the capacity to treat after the storm.

A decentralized (green and gray) control strategy, which is widely recognized as an effective approach, is preferred for the following major reasons:

It is affordable and cost-effective, meeting wet weather control objectives and supporting a multitude of multi-objective benefits, with significant opportunity for public-private partnerships to share implementation costs with CRW ratepayers.
It is flexible, installed in small, incremental investments throughout the system, using technologies that can be designed to also address unauthorized releases and integrate with sewer rehabilitation projects, and suitable for integration with a broad range of redevelopment and public works projects. Indeed, with the limited financial capabilities of CRW and the remaining uncertainty in the magnitude of collection system renewal needs, it may represent the only viable strategy to begin meaningful wet weather control.
It is balanced, providing CRW the opportunity to invest throughout the community as well as avoid areas of excessive community impacts. It does not favor or place undue burden on any part of the community and, in fact, is designed to “lift up” the community through strategic investments that benefit water quality, public health and safety, and promote re-investment in the community.
It builds upon the baseline level of control, with its initial focus on the rehabilitation and enhanced reliability of CRW’s AWTF and conveyance system, anticipated to provide significant wet weather control benefits within the first 10 years of program implementation, with deployment of decentralized controls in priority areas to “fill gaps” in existing system performance.
It has community support, consistently demonstrated through public engagement opportunities, and representing the only strategy that “gives back” to the community, potentially providing ancillary economic benefits that enhance the financial capabilities of CRW and its ratepayers.

***

MYTH: Capital Region Water is not doing enough to plan for higher rainfall amounts and more significant storms resulting from climate change.

FACT: Capital Region Water continually monitors rainfall and system performance, including CSO activity. The program will adapt to the reality of climactic conditions. Planning has been prepared using the historic data that is available and will continue to adapt as trends and regulations evolve.

Charlotte Katzenmoyer is CEO of Capital Region Water.

Over a century old, Harrisburg’s Kipona returns with food, fireworks, family activities

August 27, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A fire-eater and a wire-walker demonstrated their skills outside Harrisburg city hall today.

For more than a century, Harrisburg’s Kipona Festival has changed greatly—from a rather genteel rowing event to an end-of-the-summer party.

However, one thing has always remained—a celebration of the Susquehanna River and the city’s relationship with it.

So it will continue to be for the 103^rd year of Kipona, which is slated for this Labor Day weekend. The three-day festival will take place along the river, on the river and, at times, even above the river.

“The end of the summer is almost here,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse during a press conference today. “That means that we are ready the festival of sparkling water.”

Last year, about 70,000 people attended Kipona over three days, and Papenfuse said that he expected at least as many this year.

The event begins on Saturday, and attendees can expect a healthy dose of tradition, which includes canoe and kayak races, an arts market, food vendors, live music on two stages and the annual Indian pow-wow on City Island.

In recent years, the city has added attractions like tight-wire walkers, who balance on wires extended over the river, as well as a beer garden, and both are returning. New this year will be “Holi,” also known as a “Festival of Colors,” a Hindu celebration of new beginnings. Participants celebrate by tossing colorful powder into the air and onto each other.

Other additions include a Pilates class, a roller skating rink in the street on Sunday, a “bubble festival” on Monday and an increased focus on activities both for your children and your pets. The always-popular fireworks are slated for Sunday at dusk, about 8:15 p.m.

Street parking is free on Sunday and Monday. Otherwise, parking will be $5 on City Island and $10 in the Market Square garage downtown. Attendees also can get four hours of free parking on Saturday with the ParkMobile app, using the code, “LUVHBG.”

“This will be an exciting event,” said Papenfuse. “And we are expecting large crowds from Harrisburg and its surrounding regions to join us for what promises to be an incredible 103^rd Kipona celebration.”

For all details of the 103^rd annual Kipona celebration, visit https://harrisburgpa.gov/kipona-2/.

Talent festival, Superhero Day arriving soon, courtesy of Capital Rebirth

August 8, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

You may remember seeing a bunch of superheroes on City Island last October and wondering, “Is there a villain in town that needs defeating?”

It may have looked like the Avengers assembled here in Harrisburg, but that wasn’t quite the case. This anti-bullying community event was sponsored by Capital Rebirth, which has more events coming soon.

“We like to find solutions to all of the issues that are happening in our community,” said Madeline Williams the marketing and media relations director at Capital Rebirth.

The organization, which is made up of seven members, seeks to educate and be a resource for families in Harrisburg, with a focus on kids. Founder and CEO Mikell Simpson explained how their focus is on unifying Harrisburg residents, rather than on one specific issue.

However, this month, Capital Rebirth is hosting a “Stop the Violence & Drug Abuse” talent festival in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. They plan to have local vendors, poetry readings, musical performances, a fashion show and food. All of the performances will be free of references to violence, drugs and profanity—creating a positive atmosphere is important to Simpson.

“It’s entertainment with a mission behind it,” Simpson explained.

In addition to the performances, the line-up includes guest speakers from City Council, the Police Bureau and others who will talk about their personal experiences with violence prevention and the opioid epidemic.

“This isn’t the Harrisburg I grew up in” Williams said. “It’s not just a Harrisburg or central PA issue. It’s a national issue. It’s become too normal for us.”

There will also be onsite resources provided by local businesses and organizations to connect people to services that can help them with an array of issues related to substance abuse and health.

The event is free and hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided to kids.

That is a main focus of Simpson’s—serving Harrisburg kids struggling financially. This is why Capital Rebirth holds free sports camps and children’s events, so that no kid is excluded.

“These kids get left behind, because most things deal with money,” Simpson said.

Funding for all of their events comes directly from the seven members’ pockets. Since they are not yet a nonprofit—but are looking to become one soon—they don’t typically raise money for their events.

All of the members are from Harrisburg, attending Harrisburg or Susquehanna high schools. They hope to serve as role models and mentors to kids growing up similarly to the way they did.

“Many people who are fortunate to go to college or are successful from here, they up and they move,” Simpson said. “There’s not a lot of success left for the youth here to see. We want to stay here. Our whole team is living proof.”

Simpson mentioned that once they become a nonprofit, they will be able to do more of this through after-school programs, summer programs and career path coaching.

“It all goes back to our name,” Williams said. “It’s all about capital rebirth. It’s all about revitalization. We are trying to bring our area back to a place where it was before, where we felt like it was prospering and thriving.”

Capital Rebirth’s “Stop the Violence & Drug Abuse” talent festival will be held on Aug. 24, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Reservoir Park, Harrisburg. Their second annual Anti-Bullying Superhero Day is Sept. 14, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information visit https://www.capitalrebirth.com.

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