Tag Archives: Harrisburg City Council

The Week that Was: A summary of news and features around Harrisburg

June 14, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Lenwood Sloan speaks as the pedestal for “A Gathering at the Crossroads” is unveiled in Strawberry Square.

The news and the arts shared equal time this past week in our coverage. Did you miss a story that we published? If so, catch up on what happened over the past week.

Art Association of Harrisburg will hold five “summer soirees” this season in its annual series of summertime art and fundraising events. Click here for the full story.

Brain Vessel Gallery opened its latest show, “Along the Painted Journey,” an exhibit of works by the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. Read what our arts reviewer had to say about the exhibit and about Brain Vessel’s unique collection of items.

Harrisburg City Council last week voted to spend $72,500 for a study as the city tries to lessen the impact of a planned widening of I-83. At the same meeting, council approved the final land development plan for Harrisburg University’s new downtown high-rise. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg River Rescue received a check for $45,000 from Harrisburg Beer Week. The River Rescue is the beneficiary of the annual, 10-day tribute to the local craft beer community.

Harrisburg school district furnished its response to the state’s petition to put the district into receivership, denying many of the state’s claims. The court hearing on the petition is slated for Monday. Click here for the full story.

Judge William Tully issued his formal order stopping the Harrisburg school district from entering into contracts until he rules on receivership for the district. Click here for the full story.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore will host author Casey Cep this coming week, as she discusses her new book, which finishes the story that renowned author Harper Lee never completed. Click here for the full story.

Rapper Geniuz was the first central PA musician to be profiled as part of TheBurg’s new series in honor of African American Music Appreciation Month. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has assembled a long list of things to do around Harrisburg during this early summer weekend. Click here for the full story.

Strawberry Square last week hosted the unveiling of the first part of a new monument meant to honor both voting rights and Harrisburg’s long-missed Old 8^th Ward. The pedestal portion of the monument will be publicly displayed through the summer. Click here for the full story.

Also in TheBurg Daily last week:

Central Pennsylvania athletes make their mark at the National Senior Games.

The Eastern Hellbender is more than just the state amphibian; it’s also an indicator of environmental health.

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Harrisburg hires consultant in effort to rein in I-83 widening proposal

June 11, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Aerial view of I-83 in Harrisburg from 19th Street to the Susquehanna River. A PennDOT proposal would double the width of this segment of the highway.

A split Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday night approved hiring an outside consultant to study the proposed expansion of I-83, with an eye towards possibly slimming down the project.

Council voted 5-2 to spend $72,500 to hire Harrisburg-based Kittelson & Associates to conduct a traffic and community impact study of the current state proposal to double the number of lanes running through the city.

The study would review PennDOT’s widening plan, which envisions as many as 12 lanes and new interchanges, and determine whether alternatives exist to reduce the project’s footprint and the impact on the community.

Before the vote, Councilman Westburn Majors said that the city had received a letter from PennDOT stating that it would take into consideration Kittelson’s findings.

“It looks like they’re open to further analysis,” Majors said following the meeting. “They trust Kittelson to be a straight shooter with them.”

At a work session last week, several council members requested such a letter prior to the vote today.

The letter wasn’t enough to sway council President Wanda Williams, who maintained her opposition, which she first publicly expressed at the work session. Before voting no, she reiterated that she believed that the expenditure was a waste—that it ultimately wouldn’t change PennDOT’s plans and that the money would be better used elsewhere.

“I don’t think that the city of Harrisburg should be committing $72,000 when I have potholes all up and down my streets and my pools haven’t opened yet,” she said.

PennDOT’s current widening plan would have a significant impact on areas of South Harrisburg, displacing as many as 28 city residences and 20 businesses.

The city plans to pay for the study from its large fund balance, Mayor Eric Papenfuse has said previously.

In other decisions on Tuesday night, City Council:

Unanimously approved the final land development plan for Harrisburg University’s new academic tower, hotel and restaurant, which allows HU to begin the project at S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets.
Voted 4-3 against the appointment of Franchon Beeks as the city’s new director of Housing and Development.
Voted 5-2 for the appointment of David Baker as the city’s new director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities.
Unanimously passed a resolution closing several “paper” streets (streets that exist only on paper) on the future site of the state Archives building near N. 6^th and Hamilton streets.
Unanimously passed a resolution supporting U.S. congressional efforts to enact the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019.

The Week That Was: A summary of news and features around Harrisburg

June 7, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A meeting of the Harrisburg school board

It was a big news week in and around Harrisburg this past week. Here are some of the stories and features you may have missed.

Harrisburg City Council reacted warmly to Harrisburg University’s plan for a 17-story downtown tower. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school district is set for a state takeover, as PA Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera filed a petition to place the district into receivership. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school district played a bit of a cat-and-mouse game with the state Department of Education, which acted several times to prevent the school board from entering into new contracts ahead of a hearing on possible receivership. For the story, click here, here and here.

Lancaster’s Jonathan Burns appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” bringing his twisty routine to a national audience. Click here for the full story.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore’s stage is the scene of “Drag Storytime,” a national trend that has come to Harrisburg. Click here for the feature story.

PennDOT’s plan to wide I-83 is opposed by Harrisburg, but should the city spend money to try to influence the final design? City Council seems divided on the issue. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has more than 100 ideas for things to do during this early summer weekend. Click here for her full list.

“Free Shakespeare in the Park” opened last weekend, and our reviewer recommends that you catch the annual production in Reservoir Park, this year featuring “Much Ado About Nothing.” Click here for her review.

Additional stories from TheBurg over the past week:

Ephraim Slaughter was one of the last surviving veterans of the Civil War, and his ancestors now carry on his legacy in Harrisburg.

Music is a big part of our lives in the Harrisburg area, and our music columnist shares her can’t-miss shows for the month in her monthly “Musical Notes” column.

Urban Churn has some of the best craft ice cream you’ll ever taste, and now, with a new shop, you can walk right in.

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Harrisburg Council voices support for new Harrisburg University tower

June 4, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg University gave a final push on Tuesday night for its 17-story, mixed-used tower downtown, as officials offered a project presentation to City Council.

Council got a detailed look at the final design plans for the project (rendering left), which includes an academic tower, a hotel and a restaurant.

“That area where you’re building has been underutilized for many years, so thank you for that,” said Council President Wanda Williams, echoing general council support for the project.

Council is expected to vote next week on the final land use plan, which would allow HU to break ground at its site at S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets, a move currently planned for August.

The $135-million project includes a 10-story hotel and restaurant, in addition to an academic tower, which would house as many as 1,000 students in health sciences, advanced manufacturing and interactive media.

The 386,200-square-foot building is expected to take two years to complete, opening in time for the 2021-22 academic year, said HU President Eric Darr. A 197-room hotel and a restaurant are also parts of the project.

The hotel will front Chestnut Street, and the hotel and academic portions of the building will be separated by an atrium in the first 10 stories of the building, according to HU.

The three portions of the building will be owned and financed separately. The university will own and finance the academic portion, estimated at $100 million. Harrisburg-based HHM will own the hotel, projected to cost $33.5 million. The restaurant, expected to cost about $1.5 million, also will be owned separately. HU has not yet announced a restaurant operator.

University officials on Tuesday emphasized the contractor events they’ve held to try to attract local workers for the complex construction project.

“We would like our efforts to go as much as possible to the development of the workforce,” said Darr, who pledged that the university would periodically release data on the makeup of the project’s workforce.

Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. and Harrisburg-based Reynolds are the principal contractors for the project.

Worthy Expense? Harrisburg council debates value of conducting highway study

June 4, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Aerial view of I-83 in Harrisburg from 19th Street to the Susquehanna River. A PennDOT proposal would double the width of this segment of the highway.

Can Harrisburg convince PennDOT to alter its planned expansion of I-83? Should it spend money to try?

City Council debated those points on Tuesday night, as it discussed hiring Kittelson & Associates to perform a study of the project.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse tried to convince council members to allocate $72,500 so that the Harrisburg-based engineering firm could perform a traffic and community impact study on PennDOT’s proposal to double the number of lanes coming off the South Bridge, a plan that would profoundly impact South Harrisburg.

Papenfuse said that he hopes that, following a study and recommendations for changes, PennDOT would be receptive to reducing or adjusting the footprint of the project.

“It’s true that it’s a done deal that there will be a widening of I-83,” he said. “It’s not a done deal in that the design is final.”

Last October, PennDOT unveiled a plan to widen I-83 from six to 12 lanes from Shipoke through South Allison Hill, which would displace as many as 28 city residences and 20 businesses, mostly in low-income and minority neighborhoods. The project also envisions a new highway ramp, which would doom the city’s current Public Works facility on Paxton Street.

Council members all seemed to oppose the project. However, a disagreement ensued over whether the expenditure for the study would be a good use of money.

“I just don’t want to spend $72,000 for a useless study,” said council President Wanda Williams. “Do you think you’ll have that much power over the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that they’re going to change their design?”

Papenfuse responded that PennDOT officials indicated to him that they would be open to design changes to lessen the impact of the project. However, the city would need to back up any proposals for change with data, thus requiring the study.

“Yes, it costs $72,000, but you have to have a study,” he said. “You have to have data.”

The money would come from the city’s substantial fund balance, Papenfuse said.

Currently, the project is in the preliminary engineering phase, and actual construction, assuming it occurs, would be years away.

Councilman Dave Madsen said he’d feel more comfortable with the proposal if the city received written confirmation that PennDOT would consider making changes in response to the city-funded study.

“We can play around with the verbiage, but something that says, ‘We won’t ignore this,’” Madsen said.

In the end, council seemed split on the proposal, which should come to a vote during next week’s legislative session.

“It’s still relatively early in the process,” said Councilman Westburn Majors. “Yes, $72,000 is a lot of money, but I think it would benefit us to do this.”

May News Digest

May 31, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Challengers Sweep School Board Incumbents

Voter turnout may have been light, but the impact on Harrisburg could be huge, as challengers for city school board swept the Democratic primary last month.

The four challengers on the reformist slate known as C.A.T.C.H. (Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg) were all victorious: Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Steven Williams and Doug Thompson Leader. Challenger James Thompson, a former member of the school board, also picked up a nomination for one of the five, four-year seats at stake.

All four incumbents lost, some by a lot: Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy, Lionel Gonzalez and Patricia Whitehead-Myers. Three other challengers, Lewis Butts Jr., Cory X. Williams and Ralph Rodriguez, failed to secure nominations.

The victorious challengers had all run campaigns broadly critical of the policies of the current school board majority and the district administration led by Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney.

“This feels gratifying. It feels like mission accomplished,” said Buchwach, the top vote-getter for city school board. “But it’s not my win. It’s a win for Harrisburg, and that’s what feels great to me.”

Buchwach said that, once seated, the new board would have to get to work improving the district’s finances, bettering its academics and rebuilding trust with residents.

“We have to be transparent. We have to be accountable in everything we do,” she said. “We have to tell the citizens of Harrisburg, ‘This is what we will do and why.’”

No Republicans ran in the primary election for Harrisburg school board, meaning that the winners likely will prevail in the general election in November.

In the six-person race for Harrisburg City Council, incumbents Westburn Majors, Dave Madsen and Danielle Bowers easily won nomination for three, four-year seats, defeating challengers Christina Kostelecky, Dionna Reeves and Brianna Smith.

No Republicans ran in the primary, meaning that the winners likely will prevail during the general election in November.

In Dauphin County, incumbent commissioners Jeff Haste and Mike Pries ran unopposed for the two Republican nominations. On the Democratic side, incumbent George Hartwick won a spot on the November ballot, as did challenger Diane Bowman, who prevailed over challenger Tom Connolly.

In the general election, voters will select three commissioners from the two Republican and two Democratic nominees.

For other county offices, all of the Republican incumbents had no competition in their primaries, so won nomination: District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti, Clerk of Courts Dale Klein, Recorder of Deeds Jim Zugay, Treasurer Janis Creason, Controller Timothy DeFoor and Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court Jean Marfizo King.

On the Democratic side, four candidates ran unopposed and therefore won their party’s nominations: Cole Goodman for Recorder of Deeds, Brad Koplinski for Clerk of Courts, Tim Butler for Treasurer and Bridget Whitley for Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court.

The general election is slated for Nov. 5.

School Tax Hike Proposed

For a second straight year, Harrisburg property owners would see their tax bills shoot up under a proposed budget by the city school administration.

The district is proposing a 3.4-percent tax hike that would increase the millage rate from 28.8 mills to 29.78 mills.

The average city homeowner, with a median property value of $42.800, would see the school portion of their property tax bill increase by $41.91, according to budget data. The hike would raise $1.37 million for the district.

Property taxes support about one-quarter of the district’s annual budget, with the remainder originating from a variety of other taxes and fees, as well as state and federal government support.

“I don’t agree with raising taxes to make up for the budget shortfall,” said board member Carrie Fowler, who added that she opposes the proposed budget. “We’ve been taxed enough. We don’t need to be taxed more for this over-bloated administration.”

The $155.5 million proposed budget for the 2019-20 school year is about $5 million more than the current, 2018-19 budget and about $9 million more than the 2017-18 budget.

The greatest increases in expenses originate from faculty pay and retirement contributions. The district, which has 6,540 K-12 students and 936 faculty and staff, also proposes dipping into its reserve (savings), reducing that fund by some $3 million.

Last year, school property taxes rose 3.6 percent, the maximum amount allowable under state law.

5-Year Plan Unveiled

Harrisburg officials last month dug into the details of a proposed, five-year financial plan for the city, a critical step to fulfill a state mandate and ultimately exit Act 47.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse made a presentation of what he called a “responsible” long-range budget, which assumes “no significant growth” in the city’s tax base, yielding a flat operating budget of about $64 million through 2023.

“This is, in my opinion, a fiscally responsible plan,” he said. “It doesn’t call for the raising of taxes.”

The commonwealth required Harrisburg to draft a five-year financial plan as part of legislation passed last year that allowed the city to retain its elevated local services and earned income tax rates for another five years.

That plan must be approved by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), the state-created body tasked with overseeing the city’s financial recovery.

After the budget plan passes muster, both the ICA and City Council must approve an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement. Papenfuse said that he hoped that step would occur by early July, before council takes its traditional six-week summer recess.

At that point, the city would be able to exit Act 47, the state’s program for financially distressed municipalities, Papenfuse said. The city has been in the program since 2010.

While revenues are assumed to remain mostly flat over the five-year period, expenses are expected to increase by several million dollars per year, with the gap made up by tapping the city’s substantial fund balance.

Over the next five years, the fund balance is projected to decrease from the current $21 million to about $3.3 million, leveling out at about 5 percent of the operating budget, which, according to Papenfuse, is the city’s target level.

In recent years, the city has built up a large fund balance mostly by under-spending its budget over successive years.

HMAC Sale Pending

A major arts and entertainment venue in Harrisburg is poised to exit bankruptcy, in a move that promises to bring significant change to the House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC).

Judge Henry W. Van Eck, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, has approved the sale of the sprawling Midtown venue, its liquor license and other assets for $6 million to a new partnership called HMAC LLC. This will enable the current controlling entity—Bartlett, Traynor & London—to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Chuck London, a founding HMAC partner, is a minority owner in the new entity. His founding co-partners, Gary Bartlett and John Traynor, will have no ownership in the new company.

“I feel we’re at a turning point with the promise of a new beginning,” London said, in a telephone interview. “We need to take all the lessons we’ve learned from the past and make them our future.”

Bartlett, Traynor & London LLC entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy last August following a loss of business that Traynor blamed on a social media firestorm directed at the venue. He also said that the bankruptcy filing would allow the company to reorganize its finances in preparation for a sale.

Under the new ownership, Traynor said that he will step down as the day-to-day manager of HMAC, which, until a rebranding, was known as the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. He expects to stay on for about six months to help with the transition and to help supervise a period of construction.

That construction will include the renovation of the basement level into a third music space, a rooftop deck and a “major facelift” to the front of the building, Traynor said. Much of the construction will be funded with a $1 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant that HMAC received in late 2017, he said.

“Now that we have new ownership, it’s going to be a bright new future for this building and for this community,” Traynor said.

In late 2007, Traynor, Bartlett and London purchased the former Harrisburg Jewish Community Center and Police Athletic Club building from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority. At the time, the sprawling, 34,000-square-foot building had been long abandoned and was badly blighted.

A lengthy, costly renovation followed that eventually yielded the Stage on Herr bar and performance space on the lower level, a restaurant and bar on the main level and the spacious Capitol Room upstairs.

Area Home Sales Strong

The Harrisburg area’s housing market had a solid start to the spring buying season, as inventory dropped and prices crept up.

For April, the median sales price increased 2.9 percent to $180,000 from $175,000 in the year-ago period, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

The number of unit sales dropped to 573 from 623, which GHAR blamed on a lack of inventory. Indeed, “average days on market” dropped significantly, to 50 days from 67 days in April 2018, GHAR said.

In Dauphin County, the median sales price increased to $168,000 versus $156,450 in the year-ago period, while unit sales fell to 265 from 296, according to GHAR. In Cumberland County, the median price fell slightly, to $200,000 from $205,500, with sales falling to 281 units from 300 units in April 2018.

Perry County saw a significant increase in the median sales price, $189,900 compared to $160,000, while sales were flat at 27 units, GHAR said.

So Noted

Alexis Singleton-Robinson last month was named the recipient of the Harrisburg Area Civic Garden Center Inc. scholarship. A graduating senior of Sci-Tech High, she plans to attend North Carolina A&T State University.

Fredricksen Library cut the ribbon last month to its new lower-level entrance, which will allow easier access to the children’s library and public meeting rooms on the ground floor, according to the library. It also debuted its new, main-floor Business and Career Center @ Fredricksen, which will bring workshops, programming and technology assistance for employment and career goals. A final phase, a “reading plaza” on the Walnut Street side, should be completed this fall.

Harrisburg University last month named Jay Jayamohan as executive director for its new Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. An engineer, product manager and entrepreneur, Jayamohan brings more than 20 years of experience developing startup companies and tech products, according to HU.

Historic Harrisburg Association last month named two new members to its board of directors: Dr. David Bronstein and Michael Waterloo. Bronstein has practiced medicine locally for more than 63 years and has served on numerous other nonprofit boards. Waterloo works as a content manager for Bravo Group. They join 17 other members of the board of HHA, which is dedicated to historic preservation, urban revitalization and smart growth.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore will be expanding into a nearby storefront located at 1324 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Co-owner Catherine Lawrence said that she her husband, city Mayor Eric Papenfuse, purchased the long-time location of Fornwald’s Shades to house their discount book retail operations.

Orrstown Bank last month named Zachary “Zack” Khuri as its new executive vice president and market president for the Capital Region. In this role, he’s responsible for overseeing the bank’s business development and community engagement efforts throughout Dauphin and York counties, as well as the West Shore community in Cumberland County.

The Storm, Harrisburg University’s varsity e-sports team, captured the ESPN Overwatch National Championship trophy last month, defeating three other teams in the inaugural Collegiate Esports Championship. The victory closed out The Storm’s undefeated 33-0 season.

Three Mile Island plans to proceed with a plan to shut down the nuclear energy facility by Sept. 30. In a news release, TMI owner Excelon Generation stated that hoped-for legislative relief would not come in time to save the plant, which is located in Londonderry Township.

In Memoriam
Edward “Naed” Smith Jr., the long-time manager of the St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House in Harrisburg, died suddenly last month. Smith, 52, was born in Wilkes-Barre, where he began his career advocating for social justice and serving the poor. He moved to Harrisburg more than 20 years ago, serving the Allison Hill community and anyone who needed help. Friends are encouraged to make contributions in his memory to the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1439 Market St., Harrisburg, Pa., 17103, or to the St. Martin de Porres Catholic Worker House, 1440 Market St., Harrisburg, Pa., 17103.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2306: Jiang Brothers Realty LLC to D. Dang, $43,000

Brookwood St., 2610: University Park Plaza Corp. to Harrisburg Mini Storage LLC, $239,000

Briggs St., 1941: V. Rivas to A. Reyes & F. Narvaez, $65,000

Crescent St. 243: M. Redding to ICE Properties LLC, $32,500

Cumberland St., 261, 263 & 265: J&S Estates to A. Himalaya PA II LLC, $355,000

Delaware St., 263: R. & C. Steele to K. Chaney, $139,900

Derry St., 2505: C. Johnson to M. Ousley, $62,000

Fulton St., 1726: R. & K. Lloyd to T. Reinhart, $110,000

Fulton St., 1939: R. Bowman to Wells Fargo Bank NA, $65,985

Graham St., 304: S. Walther to J. & K. Pianka, $120,000

Green St., 1114 & 221 Sassafras St.: L. & L. Raver to R. Snyder, $148,000

Green St., 1117: PNC Bank NA to A. Nebbou & C. Myers, $55,500

Green St., 1804: C. & R. Stevens to S. Serafini, $140,000

Green St., 2031: WCI Partners LP to M. & M. Doughty, $237,000

Green St., 2046: M. Hochberg to HAMR Property Services LLC, $108,000

Greenwood St., 2239: AADE RML LLC to Rental Link LLC, $33,100

Hamilton St., 232: A. & M. Fretz to J. Serra Jr., $164,900

Hamilton St., 336: S. Heredia to J. Pierre, $35,000

Herr St., 312: M. Kraemer to M. Harris, $133,000

Hudson St., 1131: R9 Holdings to T. Smarsh, $45,000

Lewis St., 228: C. Moss Trust to J. & C. Bisel Trust, $68,500

Logan St., 2222: Jakk B Ventures LLC to B. & K. Saltzgiver, $44,250

Logan St., 2235: Jakk B Ventures LLC to B. & K. Saltzgiver, $44,250

Logan St., 2305: Jakk B Ventures LLC to B. & K. Saltzgiver, $44,250

Logan St., 2157: Jakk B Ventures LLC to B. & K. Saltzgiver, $44,250

Maclay St., 324: R. & S. Keller to J Elias Holdings LLC, $37,500

Market St., 1903: Federal National Mortgage Assoc. to CAR Property Holdings LLC, $62,000

Market St., 2019: T. & T. Black to Harrisburg Community Partners LLC, $140,000

Market St., 2101: E Street Properties LLC to C. Good & B. Mengel, $60,000

Muench St., 273: WCI Partners LP to S. Eicher, $143,000

N. 2^nd St., 1205: L. Smith to S. & J. Toole, $80,000

N. 2^nd St., 1611: A. Skocik to S. & J. Toole, $140,000

N. 2^nd St., 1708: J. Seigle to Harrisburg Redevelopment Group LLC, $176,000

N. 2^nd St., 1710: G. Miller to Harrisburg Redevelopment Group LLC, $182,700

N. 2^nd St., 2522: A. Graham & J. Hays to G. Narehood, $120,500

N. 4^th St., 1911: M. Demeo to D. Bukowski, $80,000

N. 4^th St., 2428: D. Leaman to A. Norris, $51,500

N. 4^th St., 2635: Jhonleo Home Renovations LLC to A. Sload & M. Drake, $121,000

N. 6^th St., 2500, 2502 & 2504: J. & E. Cooper to Harvest DCP of Pennsylvania LLC, $750,000

N. 6^th St., 3203: Premier Property Solutions LLC to Wylie and Wylie Enterprise LLC, $41,000

N. 14^th St., 228: J. Johnson to G. Brown, $47,000

N. 15^th St., 1609: Cama Sidra LLC FBO Shirley Mitrovich IRA to T. & D. Yuncker, $49,000

N. 16^th St., 805: Premier Property Solutions LLC to M. Temba, $39,738

N. 17^th St., 29: D. & L. Godoy to S. Mercado, $39,485

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 405: S. Freet to C. Crago, $153,000

N. Front St., 1701: R. Simons & T. Bissey to 1701 N Front LLC, $350,000

Penn St., 1908: K. Smyth & D. Smith to T. Palmieri & S. Russell, $172,500

Penn St., 2119: G. Neff to DHS Team LLC, $40,000

Race St., 568: E. Fultz to Green Book Enterprises LLC, $142,100

Rudy Rd., 2406: P. & R. Brehm to J. Cruz & C. Proctor, $195,000

Rudy Rd., 2482: N. Wright to F. Sisuc, $52,000

Rumson Dr., 2965: Reverse Mortgage Solutions Inc. to T. Jones, $52,900

Shellis St., 2102: A. Bintavihok to E. Lillo, $52,000

S. 13^th St., 330: A. & R. Stoltzfus to S. Fisher, $35,000

S. 13^th St., 421: B. Nguyen to D. Nguyen, $34,000

S. 16^th St., 943: L. & D. Burkhart to Dowling Management Co. LLC, $35,250

S. 17^th St., 137: D. Peffley Sr. to WH RE LLC, $230,000

S. 25^th St., 434: T. Thompson to W. & C. Eubanks, $95,000

S. 26^th St., 633: M. Tucci to Q. & L. Tran, $75,000

State St., 1510: J. Ansell to Shizzymac 717 Homes LLC, $36,000

Susquehanna St., 2246: University Park Plaza Corp. to Harrisburg Mini Storage LLC, $114,500

Swatara St., 2039: J. Stoltzfus to JPC Property LLC, $49,350

Sycamore St., 1705: K. Jarrett to C. Faicon, $38,000

Waldo St., 2610: W. Foutres to Tassia Corp., $35,000

Walnut St., 120 & 122: Tang & Perkins Property Management LLC to A. Himalaya PA II LLC, $455,000

Zarker St., 1423: T. Freeman & Habitat for Humanity to C. Waters, $64,000

The Week that Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

May 24, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A polling place on primary day in Harrisburg

What happened around Harrisburg over the past week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

Art Association of Harrisburg debuted its latest exhibit, “International Juried Show,” at its Front Street gallery. Our art critic has the lowdown on the new show. Click here for the full story.

Artsfest takes place this weekend in Riverfront Park in Harrisburg. The annual juried art show also will feature food, music, vendors, a kid’s area and the annual Moviate film festival. Click here for the full story.

Cappy took a bow last week as the newest member of the state Capitol police force. She’s a pit bull mix and will serve as the department’s community service dog. Click here for the full story.

Elementary Coffee Co. was the site of a rally for pay equity and raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania. State Rep. Patty Kim joined Elementary owner Andrea Grove and others in the push for fairer pay. Click here for the full story.

Fredricksen Library last week cut the ribbon a new entrance and a new business/career center. The Camp Hill library also plans a new outdoors plaza to finish up the improvement project. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg ranks No. 4 in the nation among best cities for recent college grads, according to a new study. Realtor.com, a leading real estate website, commended the city for its many amenities, outdoors life and relatively low cost of living. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school board challengers swept the primary election last week, defeating four incumbents and capturing all five seats at stake. In the race for City Council, the opposite occurred, as all three incumbents prevailed. Click here for the full story.

HMAC (House of Music, Arts & Culture) sold for $6 million last week to a new controlling partnership, allowing it to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The new owners plan to begin immediately on another round of renovations and improvements. Click here for the full story.

Lower Dauphin School District students took on a mural project that will be hung in the adolescent wing of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. You can contribute to it during this weekend’s Artsfest in Harrisburg. Click here for the full story.

Open Stage of Harrisburg debuts its newest production, “Ragtime,” this weekend. The intertwining stories of America at the turn of the 20th century runs through June 16. Click here for the full story.

Parking will be the topic of the evening on Tuesday when the Park Harrisburg Advisory Board meets in the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will feature both a review of the system and a public portion, where comments can be aired. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has dozens of ideas for things to do this weekend—that is, when you’re not at Artsfest. Check out her “Weekend Roundup.”

TheBurg’s editor weighed in with his post-mortem on the race for Harrisburg school board, saying it was the third “change election” in Harrisburg over the past decade. Click here for the full blog post.

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Challengers sweep Harrisburg school board race; incumbents prevail for City Council

May 21, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The polling station for Harrisburg’s Ward 4

Voter turnout may have been light, but the impact of Tuesday’s election on Harrisburg could be huge, as challengers for the city school board swept the Democratic primary.

All four incumbents lost, some by a lot. Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy, Lionel Gonzalez and Patricia Whitehead-Myers were all defeated, as were three other challengers–Lewis Butts Jr., Cory X. Williams and Ralph Rodriguez.

The victorious challengers had all run campaigns broadly critical of the current school board majority and the policies of the district administration led by Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney.

Buchwach said that, once seated, the new board would have to get to work improving the district’s finances, bettering its academics and rebuilding trust with residents.

“We have to be transparent. We have to be accountable in everything we do,” she said. “We have to tell the citizens of Harrisburg, ‘This is what we will do and why.'”

Unofficial results for today’s primary race for Harrisburg school board.

No Republicans ran in the primary election for Harrisburg school board, meaning that tonight’s winners likely will prevail during the general election in November.

In the six-person race for Harrisburg City Council, incumbents Danielle Bowers, Westburn Majors and Dave Madsen easily won the nomination for three, four-year seats, defeating challengers Christina Kostelecky, Dionna Reeves and Brianna Smith.

No Republicans ran in the primary, meaning that tonight’s winners likely will secure seats during the general election in November.

Unofficial results for today’s primary race for Harrisburg City Council.

In the general election, voters will select three commissioners from the two Republican and two Democratic nominees.

For other county offices, all of the Republican incumbents had no competition in their primaries, so breezed to victory: District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti, Clerk of Courts Dale Klein, Recorder of Deeds Jim Zugay, Treasurer Janis Creason, Controller Timothy DeFoor and Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court Jean Marfizo King.

The general election is slated for Nov. 5.

The Week that Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

May 17, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

It’s election season in Harrisburg

What happened around Harrisburg over the past week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

The campaign for the May 21 primary is nearly over, and it’s been a more active, engaged and interesting campaign than usual in Harrisburg, according to our editor. Click here for the full blog post.

Harrisburg school district expects a 3.4-percent jump in the school portion of the local property tax, according to a preliminary budget. The final budget must be passed by June 30. Click here for the full story.

Naed Smith, the long-time manager of the Catholic Worker House in Harrisburg, died suddenly. Smith worked tirelessly for more than 20 years to improve the lives of the city’s poor and destitute. Click here for the full story.

Riverfront Park in Harrisburg soon will be the site of a new, nature-themed sculpture, as chainsaw artist Brad Heilman began to carve a scene featuring native fish from a large tree stump. Later this year, he’ll begin work on another stump on City Island. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has plenty of suggestions for things to do around Harrisburg this weekend, both indoors and outdoors. And, don’t forget: 3rd in the Burg is Friday (May 17). Click here for her long list of events.

The Storm, Harrisburg University’s varsity e-sports team, captured the ESPN Overwatch National Championship trophy, defeating three other teams in the inaugural Collegiate Esports Championship. The victory closed out The Storm’s undefeated 33-0 season.

Additional stories from TheBurg Daily over the past week:

Bube’s Brewery has upped its game for beer and food but remains a fun, quirky place to visit.

Harrisburg City Council candidates share their visions for the city prior to the primary election next week.

Joel Burcat is a local author who just published his first book, despite an unexpected and profound personal setback.

Make-your-own-snacks is a fun, unique way to spend a day around central PA.

Peyton Walker Foundation was founded to fight sudden cardiac arrest, especially among young people.

Seasonal Grounds has opened in the Broad Street Market, offering gourmet and hard-to-find hot and cold teas.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily email digest of news and events? If not, subscribe here!

Burg Blog: In a Race

May 15, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs outside of HMAC, where many of the candidate debates were held.

If you’re a regular reader of my columns and blogs, you may be aware of an annual complaint of mine.

When an election comes around, Harrisburg candidates, too often, run what I’ve called “invisible” campaigns. Local races have tended to start late, been low energy and even have featured candidates who never seem to show up for their own campaigns.

As I’ve said many times, if you’re not going to make the effort, why run at all?

This year, though, has seen a marked improvement.

With less than a week to go before the primary, I thought I’d give a quick nod to a number of candidates who have been running solid campaigns—showing, through their actions, that they want the votes and the office.

By far, the most energetic race has been for city school board. However, all that energy has been on one side—the challengers for the five seats at stake in the May 21 primary.

So, kudos to challengers Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Cory X. Williams, Lewis Butts Jr., Steven Williams, James Thompson and Doug Thompson Leader. They attended every debate that was held, were respectful of one another and gave the public hours of engagement and thoughtful commentary.

Hundreds of people heard the candidates explain, live, what they would do as school board directors—from Buchwach’s insistence on transparency and accountability to Welch’s emphasis on graduation rates to Butts’ predictably imaginative proposals.

Indeed, attending a debate was like taking an advanced course in possible ways to fix the Harrisburg school district. And, while the press coverage (including ours) tried to capture the essence of the events, a few 700-word stories simply can’t do justice to all the information conveyed in the lengthy, two-hour sessions.

Many of these candidates also have campaigned vigorously outside of the debate hall, going door-to-door, engaging voters and showing, through their time and effort, how much they want to serve the district, its students and its residents.

Not all of the candidates have demonstrated equal commitment through their campaigns. Incumbent Lionel Gonzalez burst onto the stage for about 15 minutes of the last debate, then disappeared just as suddenly, and incumbents Patricia Whitehead-Myers, Lola Lawson and Ellis Roy didn’t attend any.

Candidate Welch recorded the final school debate, which was hosted by Friends of Midtown. I strongly urge all Harrisburg voters (who are Facebook users) to watch it before heading to the polls next week. https://www.facebook.com/gerald.welch1/videos/10218918978944656/

The Harrisburg City Council race hasn’t been as high profile, but several of the candidates have been actively campaigning and engaging voters.

Arguably, the highlight of the council campaign was the Friends of Midtown debate, which was attended by four of the six candidates: current office-holders Westburn Majors, Dave Madsen and Danielle Bowers and challenger Christina Kostelecky.

All four, in my opinion, showed considerable knowledge of the issues, concern for the city and a desire to play a role in moving it forward.

I believe that the next four years will be a critical time in the history of Harrisburg, as the city shakes off the last of its post-industrial funk and firmly enters a new, more promising era. Progress, though, comes with its own challenges, with inevitable concerns over growth, housing, traffic, fairness and, of course, finances and taxation (among other issues), especially as the city exits Act 47.

Through their campaigns, the candidates have addressed these issues and many others. In my opinion, it’s too bad that there are only three seats at stake, meaning that one of these qualified candidates will not be able to serve on council–at least not until the next election two years from now.

I’ll conclude this blog with something I’ve said in similar posts before. High-quality, conscientious, energetic candidates often make high-quality, conscientious, energetic office-holders. I stand by that.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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