Tag Archives: Harrisburg School District

Harrisburg School District hopes to return students to the classroom in April

February 17, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Groups of Harrisburg students may return to the classroom in the spring.

Some Harrisburg School District students could be on track to return to the classroom before summer break.

At a school board meeting on Tuesday, the district offered a new expected date of return to in-person learning, April 6, pushing back what they thought, last month, would be a March return.

“This isn’t just about bringing students back for learning, it’s about re-acclimating our students to a learning environment,” Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said.

The district would use a blended in-person, online model, Celmer said.

They would first bring back special education students and kindergarten through second-graders for a half-day schedule, he said. If that is successful, a second cohort of third- to fourth-grade students may return on April 18, also for a half-day schedule. Depending on how students are doing at that point, additional cohorts may be added.

However, Celmer stressed that families have a choice—return or remain virtual.

According to a survey conducted by the district at the end of January, out of 2,778 responses, 48% of families said they would send their student(s) back, 38% would not and 17% were undecided, Celmer said.

The school will send out a questionnaire in March for families to state their preferences. Those who don’t respond will remain virtual.

If district officials ultimately decide to bring students into school buildings in April, they will keep classroom sizes around 12 students, require masks, check temperatures regularly, and update HVAC systems.

Celmer said that the district would like to see coronavirus positivity rates in Dauphin County below 10% and incidence rates per 100,000 residents trending downward to a daily rate of 100 or less. As of Feb 12, the county was at a 10.8% positivity rate and a daily incidence rate per 100,000 residents of 184.

“The numbers have come down, which is positive,” he said. “We are going to continue to monitor what the health metrics and other factors are that could impact the date we are putting out this evening.”

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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Illness & Inspiration: COVID-19 has greatly impacted Harrisburg’s Black community, but some find hope amid the disease, the loss.

January 29, 2021 | by M. Diane McCormick

Kevin Dolphin and Lisa Burhannan

Kevin Dolphin once watched his friend, Lisa Burhannan, work her magic on a room of teenage girls.

Their nonprofit, Breaking the Chainz, teaches cognitive development in schools, but these particular girls were “having a bad day.” So Burhannan got them to draw how they were feeling.

“By the end of the day, you could see the light in their eyes,” said Dolphin. “They would always come to her for advice. They couldn’t wait for her to get there so they could ask her and talk to her about things. That is more priceless than anything.”

Burhannan is gone now. So is Gerald Welch, who never backed down if it meant keeping children from falling through the cracks.

COVID-19 has plowed through Black America, carving a gash in leadership structures and within families. In Harrisburg, those left behind are finding resiliency in the community and plumbing the legacies of lost loved ones for inspiration.

Dreams Released

The Rev. Dr. Brenda Alton no longer pastors her own church—she is system manager of spiritual care services at UPMC Pinnacle. But in the COVID year, she presided over more funerals than ever before.

Her job, though, still inspires hope. She gets to deliver “good news in bad times” to a community rediscovering its strengths.

“The pandemic has allowed the ‘neighbor’ to return to the ‘hood,’ so we have ‘neighborhood,’” said Alton, who lost dear friends to the pandemic while she and her family were “deathly sick” in March. “We have neighbors who check on each other. We have families that have restored a level of care. They pay more attention. There’s this heightened sense of protection for our elders and maybe even a return of respect for our seniors.”

Quarantines have not halted a renewed grassroots activism, Alton adds. Community leaders organized food distributions and holiday gifting for people suddenly facing the loss of livelihoods, businesses and retirement savings.

Black churches rarely trumpet their good deeds, so the role of the church in sustaining community has long been overlooked, said Ronald D. Holton, Sr., pastor of Lingo Memorial Church of God in Christ in Uptown Harrisburg. The pandemic has changed that. One young man Holton knows had frequently disparaged the church online but is now saying “Amen” to Holton’s virtual sermons.

“In difficult times, individuals turn to the church, and they begin to see the importance of the Black church in the Black community,” Holton said.

And, says Alton, old aspirations that had gone dormant in pre-COVID days are awakening as people collaborate to launch startups and patronize small businesses.

“All those dreams we’ve had locked up, it’s time to work on them and release them,” Alton said.

In the wake of COVID, the Black community is mobilizing on multiple fronts, addressing physical and mental health, economic upheaval and social justice, said Dolphin.

“Coming together has been one of our greatest strengths,” he said.

Essential

When you suddenly can’t smell Clorox, COVID-19 is calling.

Aaron Johnson blames his case on high-fives exchanged with fellow Steelers fans at a Dallas Cowboys’ home game. But the loss of taste and smell didn’t keep him from eating the Thanksgiving dishes that friends dropped off.

“What are we gonna do?” he said. “I’m still gonna eat. I know what it’s supposed to taste like.”

Kidding aside, Johnson’s wife also contracted COVID. So did his sister, who was hospitalized. He lost his stepbrother and several friends. One friend, a bus driver with underlying kidney disease, recovered, but only after being placed on a ventilator.

Through all of this, Johnson wonders—who’s watching out for sanitation workers? As director of Harrisburg’s Department of Public Works, he’s been juggling the schedules of the sick and quarantined. Contact tracing turns one possible case into four or five workers forced to isolate. Test results take days to come back, forcing people off work while they wait.

The people who pick up our trash, a largely Black and Brown workforce, should be classified as essential workers and given priority for vaccines, Johnson said.

“Public works and highway and sanitation, we’re emergency workers,” he said. “Ever since (the pandemic) broke out, sanitation is on the ground.”

A Void

Dolphin and Burhannan grew up together, the children of dysfunctional families from “the wrong side of the tracks,” in Dolphin’s words.

With her “giving and selfless heart,” Burhannan would reach out to help “anyone, anywhere,” especially after the death of her son. Locally, she led chapters of Mothers in Charge and Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, ministered to hospital patients, and supervised a re-entry home for women. Her work took her nationwide.

“Those are a pair of shoes that no one in the city or wherever will be able to fill,” said Dolphin, the founder and president of Breaking the Chainz. “She definitely left something behind. There’s a void.”

Even from the ICU, Burhannan hosted Zoom meetings and helped family. She died from COVID-19 on June 11.

Harrisburg School Board Director Gerald Welch succumbed on April 15. For a man known for his brutal honesty, Welch was “a teddy bear,” says his wife, Donna. They met online. He proposed the first time they met in person. She said yes because “it just felt right.”

Moving to Harrisburg from New York after they married in 2008, Welch worked as a behavior specialist and drug and alcohol counselor. He also grew incensed about the school district’s dismal graduation rate. On his second run for school board, he won a seat, sharing a platform with a group that wanted to oust former Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney.

When the pandemic arrived, he kept working, meeting patients one-on-one. Many joined a long line of mourners in a drive-by tribute on a cold, rainy day in late April. Welch’s ICU nurses displayed a banner saying that it was an honor to care for him. One woman he helped to sobriety made a sign—still in Donna’s yard—showing a black and a white hand coming together in unity.

“People would come and put balloons in my front yard, or candles,” said Donna.

In Gerald Welch’s memory, fellow school board Director Carrie Fowler founded Gerald’s Kids. The scholarship program focuses services on individual children transitioning from first to second grade—an often-overlooked time when children who are struggling to read or who lack adult attention risk lifetime consequences. The first child sponsored is the son of an imprisoned man who Gerald Welch had reached out to.

At Burhannan’s socially distanced service in Reservoir Park, Alton presided for her longtime friend. She reminded mourners to follow Burhannan’s example of a life transformed.

“Lisa gave it her all, 24/7,” Alton said. “There is a void, and I’m hoping that those who are still mourning will say, ‘She is still alive in my heart.’”

Tina Nixon has received “too many text messages and phone calls” informing her of deaths. An aunt died from COVID. So did a cousin.

“COVID has shined a spotlight on the health disparities on communities of color,” said the vice president, mission effectiveness, and chief diversity officer at UPMC Pinnacle. “We’ve been addressing it, but we can’t do it alone.”

UPMC Pinnacle is leveraging existing connections to share messages of staying safe against COVID and getting the vaccine, said Nixon.

The system’s Faith Community Health Connection, which includes many African-American churches, shares education on the impact of the virus. Hamilton Health Center, a UPMC Pinnacle partner, launched a free mobile testing center. UPMC Pinnacle also opened satellite testing sites and helped provide transportation there.

And the Healthy Harrisburg Initiative, planned in 2019 but launched virtually in 2020, targets the underlying conditions—specifically high blood pressure, chronic heart disease, and diabetes—that have intensified COVID’s deadliness in the Black community.

Gerald and Donna Welch

Live On

On Easter Sunday, Gerald Welch struggled to breath but kept procrastinating a trip to the hospital. He spent his time writing names on his “gazillion” beloved watches, instructing his wife to give them to the designees. She refused, insisting that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Since Gerald’s passing, Donna Welch has given watches to his sons and grandsons, but “there’s still a bunch left.” She is helping administer a church scholarship fund that he worked passionately for.

“I just remember him and how much he cared about people, especially children,” she said.

Aaron Johnson’s sister is slowly recovering. His Public Works Department is managing the impact on personnel, even as residential trash pickups rise with more people at home. He and his wife got through their illnesses with prayer and the help of help of family and friends.

“We couldn’t have done it without them,” he said. “For me, it’s sad because there’s a lot of friends and family that I lost.”

Dolphin won’t accept discouragement, especially when he recalls the tireless energy of Lisa Burhannan—the friend who rode with him to countless conferences nationwide.

“She’s always with me,” he said. “When I’m riding, she’s in the seat next to me. She was that spirit. As long as I’m alive, as long as Breaking the Chainz is around, she’ll definitely live on.”

For more information about UPMC Pinnacle’s Healthy Harrisburg Initiative, visit www.upmcpinnacle.com.

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February News Digest

January 29, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Jackson Hotel Collapses

The history-rich Jackson Hotel partially collapsed last month and then was razed to prevent further danger.

Harrisburg Commercial Interiors was working to stabilize the building, located on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street, when the situation became unsafe, according to owner Matt Long. Workers were able to get to safety before the wall facing Herr Street collapsed, Long said.

Staff and customers at the neighboring Jackson House restaurant saw falling bricks hit cars and damage the restaurant’s roof and sign, said owner Dave Kegris. Within a few hours, Long began to demolish the rest of the building for safety.

The circa-1884 Jackson Hotel once catered to African-American patrons who were denied service in Harrisburg’s white-only hotels. When long-time owner German Jackson died in 1998, the building was boarded up and has remained empty since.

In his will, Jackson left the building to Kegris, who owned it until 2015. Since then, the building has changed hands several times and, for the past few years, prominently featured a mural celebrating local Black history.

Over this time, few renovations were done and, eventually, the building’s roof caved in, and the back of the building collapsed. The interior of the building pancaked, leaving it in rubble, and the city condemned it.

Long purchased the building in 2018 with plans to stabilize the foundation and construct a completely new interior and roof. He intended to create apartments and commercial space.

Long said that he now plans to build an entirely new structure on the site, closely replicating the original Jackson Hotel building.

Theater Renovation to Start

Friends of the West Shore Theatre last month announced that they had secured enough funding to begin renovation of the 80-year-old theater in New Cumberland.

The group, as well as borough officials, gathered under the building’s signature marquee to celebrate significant progress in fundraising.

“We realized the value of trying to restore and keep this theater here in New Cumberland,” Mayor Doug Morrow said. “The funding is in place. We are moving forward.”

The West Shore Theatre opened in 1940 with 25-cent tickets. It remained a beloved, small-town theater for years before its doors closed in 2015. Friends of the West Shore Theatre eventually acquired it and began planning to bring it back to life.

Morrow announced that, with several new grants, the board has raised $1.4 million of the $2 million needed for the renovation.

The most significant chunk of funds was $650,000 from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). The PA Department of Community and Economic Development also awarded a $250,000 grant for the project. Other local foundations provided grants, as well.

An extensive renovation is planned, including adding seating and a standing lounge area, stage improvements, new equipment and other upgrades.

Additions to the back of the theater, such as green rooms and classrooms, will likely happen a year after it opens to the public, said Dan Burke of Friends of the West Shore Theatre.

Morrow added that they intend to use the theater for showing movies, live performances, theater classes and community group meetings.

Apartment Plan for Midtown Building

A Harrisburg resident has his eye on one of the last dilapidated commercial buildings in Midtown, with plans to turn it into a small apartment building.

Nathaniel Foote has a contract to buy the former Gerber’s Department Store—also known as the “Carpets and Draperies” building for the sign on the front façade—on the 1500-block of N. 3rd Street.

His plan calls for a five-unit apartment building, along with first-floor commercial space, in the 4,800-square-foot, three-story brick structure.

“I live in the neighborhood,” he said. “I want to see the property restored.”

Foote is an attorney who owns two duplexes in Midtown and, along with his father, a parking facility. He said that his interest in the building arose simply from walking past it nearly every day, so that eventually he called the listing agent for the property.

“I’m not an out-of-town developer looking to make a buck,” he said, estimating that construction will cost about $500,000. “The cost is substantial given the number of units you can get out of it.”

Schnecksville, Pa.-based Mussani & Matz Co. has owned the century-old building since 2007, but it’s sat empty and increasingly blighted for most of that time. It’s been on the sales market for the last few years.

Six years ago, two Harrisburg residents proposed turning the building into a craft distillery, but that project was abandoned after it failed to gain approval of the city’s Zoning Hearing Board.

Foote said that he’s encouraged by a spate of development proposals for the immediate area. Over the past year, several developers have proposed projects for the Reily Street corridor, but none have broken ground yet.

Foote’s plan calls for all two-bedroom units, which would range in size from 750 to 2,000 square feet, along with a 1,000-square-foot commercial space on the ground floor. He expects that he would live in the largest unit on the third floor.

Rents would range from about $1,000 a month to about $1,400 a month, he said, depending on unit size.

Foote expects to put the project on the agenda for the city’s Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board for their February meetings. If the project gains city approval, he hopes to start construction in March for completion by year-end.

The interior is gutted, so it would need to be completely rebuilt, Foote said. He plans for Harrisburg Commercial Interiors to do the construction. The notable “Carpets and Draperies” sign would be restored as part of the project, he said.

The building does not have its own off-street parking, but is surrounded by surface parking lots. Foote said that he expects to lease parking spaces from one of the lot owners.

Classrooms May Reopen

Harrisburg School District officials may be closer to welcoming some students back into school buildings.

If COVID-19 cases continue to decrease in the district, small cohorts of students could resume brick-and-mortar learning in March, Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said last month.

“This is our hope, this is our wish,” he said. “This is what we want to see hopefully happen.”

He said that the focus would be on returning special education and elementary students to the buildings first, as well as other cohorts of students that the district determines are struggling the most.

The district has been operating with a 100% virtual learning model since the beginning of the school year. From the start, administrators have been looking for Dauphin County to meet certain benchmarks in order to bring students back to the buildings. Celmer said that they are still using those markers to determine if they will allow these small groups back to school buildings in March.

These include reduced positivity rates, below 10%, and incidence rates per 100,000 residents trending downward to a daily rate of 100 or less. He also wants to see the wastewater epidemiology tracker, Biobot, project Harrisburg virus cases closer to 100 or less per day.

December Home Sales Strong

Harrisburg-area home sales rose considerably in December, capping off a strong year for the local real estate market.

Home sales totaled 744 units compared to 611 units in December 2019 for the three-county region, while the median price rose to $217,750 versus $187,500 in the year-ago period, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

Dauphin County had 348 sales compared to 279 the previous December, as the median price rose by $20,000 to $185,000, GHAR said.

In Cumberland County, 353 homes sold versus 287 a year ago as the median price increased to $244,820 versus $215,000 the prior December.

Perry County saw monthly sales of 40 units compared to 22 units in December 2019, as the median price dropped a bit to $179,900 from $182,500, GHAR said.

Houses were also selling quickly. The average days on the market plummeted to just 26 days compared to 46 days in December 2019, according to GHAR.

The Harrisburg-area real estate market was strong throughout 2020, especially after pandemic-related restrictions were lifted in May.

So Noted

Civic Club of Harrisburg is seeking donations after thieves stole an air conditioner and caused damage last month to their historic riverfront home, Overlook. To donate to the club’s Vandalism Relief Fund or get more information about the club, contact President Mary Beth Lehtimaki at [email protected].

CommUNITY Yoga Space has moved a few doors down to a new, larger space at 1423 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Erika Malorzo opened the pay-what-you-can yoga studio over two years ago, and recently had to move following the sale of the building that housed her original space.

Harrisburg last month announced that it is requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for city workers. Mayor Eric Papenfuse signed an executive order requiring municipal employees to get the vaccination as quickly as possible in accordance with the state’s distribution guidance.

Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC last month named their board chairs for 2021. Meron Yemane of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management will head up the Chamber’s board, while Mike Funck of Wohlsen Construction will lead CREDC’s board. The two boards also named new officers for the year.

Harrisburg University last month announced that it had successfully sold $100 million in tax-exempt bonds to institutional investors. The money is being used to finance construction of its 11-story academic building at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets in downtown Harrisburg.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2258: D. Bryant to J. & J. Parker, $72,000

Alricks St., 650: Consolidated Holdings International LLC to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $30,000

Bellevue Rd., 2000: G. & N. Payne to E. Gonzalez, $95,000

Boas St., 217: J. & C. Kuntz to L. Wood & T. Miller, $109,900

Boas St., 222: N. Laudeman to F. Cossick, $112,500

Boas St., 264: J. & S. Sempeles to Westfall Real Estate LLC, $185,000

Boas St., 1930: CR Property Group LLC to I. Lenny, $139,000

Calder St., 215: J. Zehring to M. & A. Zehring, $71,500

Camp St., 632: M., A. & C. Little and D. Anderson to D. & J. Porter, $57,000

Chestnut St., 1200, 1202, 1204, 1206 & 1208: Round Rock Investments LLC to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $450,000

Chestnut St., 2112: S. Siciliano to M. Cragle & S. Hughes, $226,900

Croyden Rd., 2807: S. Camaplan LLC FBO Mark Murdoch IRA to A. Blackwell, $100,000

Cumberland St., 213: V. Lefkowitz to W. Hoover & B. Shoemaker, $105,000

Derry St., 1248: Jackson Investment Properties LLC to E. Kelly & M. Alarcon, $55,000

Derry St., 2309: S. Gutshall to A. Nunez & J. Espihal, $73,000

Derry St., 2411: B. Ahmed to B. Arismendy, $46,000

Derry St., 2532 & 2534: K. & R. Gupta to Around the Corner LLC, $163,700

Edwards St., 260: Realm Properties to C. & K. Gehman, $360,000

Emerald St., 233: D. Welliver & R. Harpster to J. & S. Compton, $65,000

Emerald St., 652: D. Fernandez to Z. Williams & B. Jones, $99,900

Evergreen St., 319: NA Capital Group LLC to A. Rivera, $60,000

Forster St., 1928: M. Bair to B. Arias, $66,000

Green St., 2410: KTT Properties LLC to T. Meriweather & S. Nichols, $160,000

Green St., 3230: C. & L. Summerscales to G. Holmes, $130,000

Harris St., 414½: Ravo Rentals to Limitless Possibilities LLC, $50,000

Herr St., 217: K. & V. Land to A. & C. Greenblatt, $180,000

Herr St., 421: F. Washington to T. Ladas & S. Maykovich, $60,000

Herr St., 1726: Mango Properties to Gold Key Properties LLC, $50,000

Holly St., 1914: D. Berhe to SPG Capital LLC, $44,000

Hudson St., 1147: R. Vega & A. Marsico to C. Yourkavitch, $125,000

Kensington St., 2347: T. Thai to C. Grant & M. Rinaldi, $65,000

Kensington St., 2365: H. Grills to C. Woods, $53,500

Kensington St., 2366: J. Robinson Jr. to L. Stewart, $70,000

Lewis St., 327: L. Seidel to 327 Lewis LLC, $76,500

Logan St., 2141: KBT Enterprises to E. Alcantara, $30,000

Maclay St., 239: M. Nelson to Awesome Tenants LLC, $73,500

Manada St., 2003: C. Holvick to Henderson & Sons LLC, $32,500

Market St., 1819: M. Kearney to 77 Estate LLC, $35,000

Market St., 1903: CAR Property Holdings LLC to W. Cajina, $89,337

Market St., 2407: J. Brown to K. Parker, $142,000

Mulberry St., 1820: Alternative Rehabilitation to Archie Group LLC, $160,000

Nagle St., 119 & 709 Showers St.: J. Baer & A. Jury to V. & B. Wagner, $262,599

N. 2nd St., 610: Wyco Investments LLC to N&R Group LLC, $175,000

N. 2nd St., 2304: L. Rapaport to T. Brown, $269,500

N. 2nd St., 2809: W. & E. Steele to E. Larios, $162,000

N. 2nd St., 2830: Equity Trust Co. Custodian Julie L. Burns IRA to J. Davis, $72,500

N. 3rd St., 1201: C. Hull to R. & C. Steele, $100,000

N. 3rd St., 1417½: Long Life LLC to Heinly Homes LLC, $130,000

N. 3rd St., 1624: Sickler Properties LLC to SJL Rentals LLC, $155,000

N. 3rd St., 1820: MMLM Realty LLC & Ian Smith Contracting Inc. to DPS Properties LLC, $150,000

N. 3rd St., 1825: D. Totton to Community First Realty, $45,000

N. 4th St., 2110: A. Clay and M. & M. Corney to NA Capital Group LLC, $30,000

N. 4th St., 3118: M. Shank to J. Kilby & J. Vargas, $105,000

N. 5th St., 1624: B. Davis to K. O’Brian, $168,000

N. 5th St., 1628: Braemer Properties LLC to B. Butzer, $142,500

N. 5th St., 1720: Freedom Mortgage Corp. to Principium LLC, $123,500

N. 6th St., 2720: L. Brown to T. Hardison, $35,000

N. 6th St., 3156: Dobson Family Partnership to J. Ulloa & A. Villar, $80,500

N. 7th St., 3133 & 3205 and 651 Alricks St.: Consolidated Holdings International LLC to DAP 3250 LP, $1,000,000

N. 15th St., 1119: J. & M. Irvin to J. Irvin, $60,000

N. 18th St., 808: C. Lovejoy, M. Miller & PA Property Brothers LLC to G. Almonte, $44,000

N. 19th St., 49: M. McWilliams to Carters Clean Up LLC, $58,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 503: Dowell Group Inc. to J. Davis, $115,000

N. Front St., 2405: J. Hartzler to Serene Spaces LLC, $320,000

N. Front St., 3207: 3207 N. Front St. LLC to S. Juneja, $370,000

Norwood St., 915: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to G. Morris, $108,000

Park St., 1830: A. Caraballo to H. Ngoshi, $42,000

Peffer St., 221: N. Laume to Z. Brady & B. Blessing, $138,000

Peffer St., 435: K. Kessler to R. Clymer, $95,400

Penn St., 906: K. Holtzinger to J. Spatz, $136,000

Penn St., 1409: E. Lohss to J. Freeman, $107,000

Radnor St., 630: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to G. & L. Boone, $46,000

Reel St., 2449: E. Stawitz to SJJR LLC, $48,000

Regina St., 1619: J. Colucci to N. Harris, $55,000

Rolleston St., 1027: R. Castillo & E. Martinez to F. Torres, $98,000

Ross St., 627: Gilligan Realty LLC to Sanhos LLC, $40,000

Rudy Rd., 2405: N. & L. Skulstad to D. Bradford, $174,900

Rumson Dr., 350: L. Rodriguez to M. McAllister, $128,100

Seneca St., 224: R. Boust to D. Daley, $102,990

South St., 105: A. Crompton to 608 N. Third LLC, $70,000

S. 13th St., 1451: RTD Properties & Management to S. Esayas, $75,000

S. 13th St., 1456: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to 1456 S. 13th LLC, $100,000

S. 17th St., 319: 4P Ventures LLC to Pichardo LLC, $200,000

S. 24th St., 710: Equity Trust Co. Custodian Robert L. Burns IRA to D. Boyle, $39,000

S. 25th St., 350: B. Ho & S. Nguyen to R. Lyles Jr., $84,900

S. Front St., 333: 333 Sri Ganesh LLC to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $250,000

S. Front St., 563: K. Bernhard & S. Schwab to T. Youngbluth, $76,000

State St., 223: 223 State St. LLC to PMA Foundation, $445,000

State St., 1310: M. Maniari & Z. Er Roudi to A. Ulerio, $83,500

State St., 1326: C. & T. Semancik to JMR Ventures LLC, $170,000

State St., 1502: S. Kochis to 77 Estate LLC, $30,000

State St., 1909: Atrium Gardens LLC to ZM Penn Group LLC, $59,000

State St., 1951: R. Shultz Jr. to Moxie Properties LLC, $225,000

State St., 2001: R. Shultz Jr. to Moxie Properties LLC, $275,000

Susquehanna St., 913: MR RE LLC to R. Perrego, $132,500

Susquehanna St., 1610: D. Lawyer & S. Flagle to R. Small, $182,500

Susquehanna St., 1708: J. Merx to J. Weinstock, $136,000

Susquehanna St., 2132: J. & C. Sanderson and A. Pletcher to L. de Gonzalez, $48,000

Susquehanna St., 2218: J. Grant to Heinly Homes LLC, $36,500

Verbeke St., 202: B. Hamilton to V. Filbert, $140,000

Verbeke St., 211: J. & S. Bircher to D. Leaman, $207,500

Waldo St., 2711: Mainline Funding Group Inc. to A. Hawkins, $47,800

Walnut St., 1500: E. Salah to J. Rodriguez, $32,800

Woodbine St., 241: G. & W. Banova to E. de Rosado, $117,500

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CARES Act funding under fire, as Harrisburg School District loses students to cyber charters

January 28, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Commonwealth Charter Academy’s building in Harrisburg

Inequity has been an issue for decades, according to Acting Superintendent for the Harrisburg School District, Chris Celmer.

He was referring to what he sees as unfair funding for charter schools—specifically cyber charters.

While he’s spoken on this numerous times, this time had a new edge to it—new meaning.

Allocation amounts of second-round federal CARES Act funding recently were announced, and Celmer expressed his disappointment in what he saw.

When the pandemic hit, the Harrisburg School District had to pivot quickly, like most brick and mortar schools, closing classrooms and doling out laptops.

They scrambled to create options for students, knowing what would inevitably come and trying desperately to stop it.

The district formed the Harrisburg Virtual Learning Academy (HVLA), a cyber-only alternative to their mainstream option in which students will eventually return to the classroom.

“We understand that we need to provide options for our students and families, and we are willing to put in the time, money and effort to do so,” Celmer said.

And yet, that didn’t stop over 200 students from moving to charter schools. He said, without HVLA, which has over 200 students, the number could’ve been closer to 500.

In past years, there’s been a steady rise in students making the switch to charter. Usually, close to two-thirds choose cyber, the remaining, just over one-third, opt for brick-and-mortar, Celmer said. But during the past year, 100% of students who left for charter picked cyber schools.

With each student goes $10,000 from the school district that they must pay to the charter school, he said. For each special education student, that number jumps to $28,000. For the 200 students the district lost this year, Celmer said they are looking at a $2 to $3 million payout.

With another round of CARES funding coming down the tracks, Celmer is not happy with how money is being distributed. Sure, the district is on track to get $25 million, but what sticks in Celmer’s mind is the near $50 million the state is funneling to 12 PA charter schools.

“That is totally inequitable,” he said. “Not only is a cyber charter getting our funding, now they’re getting additional CARES funding. They’re already a cyber charter operation, they don’t have the brick-and-mortar expenses.”

The Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), a Harrisburg-based cyber school, will likely receive the most of the 12 charter schools—possibly $13 million.

But Tim Eller, senior vice president of outreach and government relations at CCA, disagrees with Celmer, saying the funding is fair.

From the beginning of last school year to the beginning of this school year, Eller said the student body has doubled. CCA now serves around 19,000 students.

While the school doesn’t have traditional brick-and-mortar costs, it does have expenses distinct to cyber schools, he explained. CCA supplies students with laptops, curriculum materials, printers and often subsidizes internet costs. Eller said that they also have to pay for services for small cohorts of special education students. During COVID, costs have increased as services must be one-on-one with a teacher and either at home or in a sanitary location.

“Cyber charters have unique expenses,” he said. “Districts don’t want to admit it or just don’t consider it.”

Eller noted that, under Act 13-2020, from March 13 to the end of last school year, districts did not have to pay tuition to charter schools due to the pandemic. He said that the first round of CARES Act funding helped them make up those lost funds and pay for new teachers’ salaries.

He also pointed out that, in total, $2.7 billion of the second-round CARES money is being distributed to public schools in the state, with $2.3 billion going to school districts and only $4 million to charter schools.

“These are public school students, and they deserve the same funding,” he said.

As part of his 2020-21 budget, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed charter school reform legislation that he said would create fair, predictable and equitable funding for school districts. The proposal has not been acted on.

If the reform doesn’t happen soon, Celmer believes it will never happen, given the state of education in PA today.

“This has been an issue, quite frankly, that the legislature has continued to skirt for decades,” he said. “It’s not just about the Harrisburg School District, it’s a statewide issue. Now is the time.”

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 22, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

Mounted officers near the state Capitol building on Sunday.

There was plenty of national news this week, including the presidential inauguration, threats of violent protests at state capitals and, we can’t forget, that Bernie Sanders meme everywhere. Catch up on what happened locally. All our news is listed and linked, below.

BlueCross BlueShield Association reported that Millennials are more likely than Gen Xers or Baby Boomers to have a behavioral health issue, our magazine story reported. According to the report, 92% of millennials say the pandemic is hurting their mental health.

COVID-19 cases fell in Pennsylvania this week, our reporting found. Since last Friday, the commonwealth recorded an average of 5,651 new cases per day, according to the state Department of Health.

Gamers in the Harrisburg area have two board game cafés to choose from. Both Game Table Café and UrTurn Café welcome players of all skill sets, our magazine story reported.

Harrisburg School District officials announced a plan to return small cohorts of students to classrooms as long as COVID cases continue to decrease, our online story reported. According to Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer, elementary students and special education students will be prioritized.

MLK Day looked different this year due to COVID, but the Harrisburg community still found ways to celebrate, our reporting found. The Central Pennsylvania MLK Day of Service group held a full day of virtual events, and Wildheart Ministries hosted a small group of volunteers for a neighborhood clean-up.

Rent and small business relief programs in Harrisburg have taken off, our online story reported. Administrators of both funding initiatives said that they have been flooded with applications and are beginning to distribute money.

Sara Bozich introduced Stock’s on Second’s new hybrid concept, Dinno — “dinner and a show,” which launches on Friday. She also has tips for self-care and ways to stay entertained in her Weekend Roundup.

The state Capitol saw lots of police and PA national guard members, but not many protesters during the days leading up to the presidential inauguration, our online story reported. The FBI reported last week that armed protestors were expected at every state capital. However, it seemed law enforcement’s beefed-up security measures kept people away.

Talking Breads in Mechanicsburg locally sources items for its full menu of baked goods, meats and cheeses. They have everything needed for a perfect charcuterie board, as well as cookies, bagels, chocolate bars and more. Read more about the Mechanicsburg shop in our magazine story.

The Year in Art in Harrisburg is reflected on by our arts columnist, Bob MacGinnes. In the second part of his 2020 summation, he highlights local painters, muralists and designers who made this year in art spectacular.

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Harrisburg School District may return elementary, special education students to the classroom in March

January 19, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer.

Harrisburg School District officials may be closer to welcoming students back into school buildings.

If COVID-19 cases continue to decrease in the district, small cohorts of students could resume brick-and-mortar learning in March, said Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer at a school board meeting on Tuesday.

“This is our hope, this is our wish, this is what we want to see hopefully happen,” Celmer said.

The district has been operating with a 100% virtual learning model since the beginning of the school year. From the start, they have been looking for Dauphin County to meet certain benchmarks in order to bring students back to the buildings. Celmer said that they are still using those markers to determine if they will allow these small groups back to school buildings in March.

Additionally, Celmer noted that the Pennsylvania Department of Education updated its recommendation for schools in regards to COVID on Jan. 7. They previously encouraged completely remote education for counties with a positivity rate above 10% and an incidence rate per 100,000 people above 100. With those same virus rates, they now recommend virtual but with a blended model for elementary students.

Celmer said that all students will definitely continue virtual learning in January and February.

“We recognize and we acknowledge that 100% remote learning is not for every student, and we understand that,” Celmer said. “But there’s an overwhelming safety issue and an overwhelming numbers issue here.”

Part of the concern for how a blended in-person model will pan out comes from the district’s experience with teachers this fall.

Up until early November, teachers were providing virtual instruction from classrooms in school buildings. However, Celmer said that the administration decided to have them work remotely when they saw an increased number of COVID cases among teachers.

“It went from one to two in an eight-week period to really every day we were having some type of COVID-related issue with staff,” he said. “Even with no students in our buildings, we were struggling.”

Celmer said that the district will continue to monitor state, county and city COVID data, but as of now, it is still too soon to consider bringing large numbers of students back.

He did say it was possible that teachers would come back to the buildings in February along with English language learning students for their required language proficiency testing.

“This has been hard,” Celmer said. “There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t think about the impact of this on the families and the children of the Harrisburg School District.”

For more information, visit Harrisburg School District’s website.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 8, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

The historic Jackson Hotel was demolished on Thursday.

Welcome to 2021, Harrisburg! The year has already kicked off with plenty of news–national and local. If you’re tired of the first type, check out this week’s local stories (which don’t include D.C. at all), listed and linked below.

Bob’s Art Blog, “A Year in Art,” showcases the creativity of local artists during 2020. From nature sculptures to paintings to interactive displays, a little bit of everything is highlighted here.

TheBurg Podcast was released today, featuring guests Andrea Karns of Karns Foods, our food writer Stephanie Kalina-Metzger and Harrisburg Bicycle Club’s Cindy Gorski. Our first podcast of the year warmly welcomes you to 2021.

Denim Coffee Company is coming to downtown Harrisburg, our online story reported. Founder Matt Ramsay said that they are excited for their third location and will likely open in February.

Farm Show milkshakes are on the move! The PA Dairymen’s Association rolled out a new food truck that they will use to serve their shakes from, since the Farm Show went virtual this year, our online story reported.

The historic Jackson Hotel in Harrisburg partially collapsed on Thursday after years of deterioration, our reporting found. The owners decided to demolish what was left for safety reasons. In its heyday, the hotel was known for catering to African American travelers who were not permitted to stay at white-only hotels.

Household organization is the subject of a Facebook accountability group, Project 10, started by Stacy Schroeder. Over the past two years, the group has grown to include over 150 people from central PA and beyond who encourage each other in their home projects. Read our story in the January magazine for more.

Lentil and rice soup is on our food columnist Rosemary’s menu this month. The Italian classic, but often overlooked, dish is sure to warm you up this winter.

Local grocers faced unprecedented challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our magazine story reported. Some stores had to adjust to provide online shopping. Others dealt with supply chain issues, but all learned lessons in flexibility.

The national eviction crisis, due to the pandemic, hits home in our magazine story about Harrisburg residents struggling to pay rent. Hear from a resident who fell behind on payments and from local organizations offering assistance.

Retirement communities and group homes have had to get very creative over the course of the pandemic, our magazine story reported. Without family visitors, entertainers or volunteers, staff have found ways to keep residents entertained and fight off isolation.

Sara Bozich has a busy weekend ahead and plenty of ways for you to fill your time, as well. Take a look at her list of weekend recommendations, here.

“The Scarf Bombardiers” exploded through Harrisburg last weekend with scarves for those in need, our online story reported. Each year, they hang them in the downtown area of the city, on railings, bike racks and cow and duck statues.

Winter sports in the Harrisburg School District are back on, Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer announced. Student-athletes were originally benched, due to COVID concerns, but Celmer said they will now play with new mitigation efforts in place, our online story reported.

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Winter sports back on in Harrisburg after athletics freeze

January 6, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Harrisburg’s Lincoln School building

The Harrisburg School District had put a freeze on winter sports, but now they’re back on.

On Wednesday, Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer announced that athletics would resume on Friday with a number of new COVID-19 mitigation measures in place.

“No one can predict how the virus may or may not impact this plan, but we are going to give winter athletics a chance to participate during this very difficult time,” Celmer said in a statement posted on the district’s website.

The district will split practices to reduce the number of participants, limit roster sizes and allow windows of time for a safe transition between practices. No spectators will be allowed. Events will, instead, be live-streamed. Mask wearing will also be mandatory.

Additionally, Celmer said that a parental waiver will be required for each student-athlete.

The district will continue to monitor the spread of the virus and reserves the right to pause workouts and games again, Celmer said. Red flags include increased weekly positivity and incidence rates and COVID-19 cases amongst students or coaches. Recommendations from local health professionals to postpone may also be a reason to pause activities, he said.

At the beginning of the school year, fall sports were postponed originally, but started back up in October. However, when a football player contracted COVID, they were halted again.

For more information, visit https://www.hbgsd.k12.pa.us/.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

December 4, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

A rendering of the exterior of proposed condominiums in Midtown.

Our December issue of the magazine came out this week. If the cover isn’t enough to get you in the holiday spirit, our stories certainly will. Pick up a copy at one of our distribution locations or read online. In the meantime, catch up on this past week’s news, linked below.

CheerNotes is a greeting card company that specializes in representation for underrepresented communities, our online story reported. Founder Asha Banks, of Harrisburg, assures their website has something for everyone.

New condominiums may be headed for Midtown, our online story reported. A Harrisburg-area developer has proposed over a dozen units for the former Salvation Army building.

COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth have reached a new weekly high, our reporting found. The average new case count neared 8,000 per day this past week.

Our editor reflects on this month’s holiday in his December “Editor’s Note”. While many of the stories have a COVID angle, Lawrance highlights the signs of hope they point to.

The Harrisburg School District is educating its students 100% virtually. Our magazine story discusses how students, families and educators are handling it.

Local nonprofits are learning to adapt this holiday season as COVID changes plans. Our magazine story spotlights a few organizations and how they’re keeping the spirit.

McNees law firm will provide free legal services to five Black-owned businesses in south-central Pennsylvania. Businesses that are over 50% Black-owned can apply before Dec. 11, our online story reported.

A medical marijuana dispensary opened this week in Allison Hill, our online story reported. Zen Leaf opened at 137 S. 17^th St., across from Hamilton Health Center, the first of three retail locations that the company plans for Pennsylvania.

New Year’s Eve celebrations in Harrisburg will be virtual this year due to the pandemic, our online story reported. There will be a video countdown to midnight featuring local organizations and businesses.

A rent relief program will be available to tenants in debt, come mid-December, our reporting found. Residents behind on rent payments due to the COVID-19 crisis can apply for up to $5,000.

Sara Bozich has your weekly list of fun activities! Her Weekend Roundup has events to put you in the holiday spirit.

Small businesses’ creativity during COVID was the topic of our editor’s column in this month’s magazine. Inspired by a scene from the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Lawrance compares the passionate businessman, George Bailey, to the many hard-working entrepreneurs in Harrisburg.

News around the state fiscal code bill has our editor feeling grateful. He thanks everyone who worked to allow Harrisburg to retain its current earned income and local services tax rates, which should help the city greatly over the long run.

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Virtually Acceptable: Online learning gets mixed grades from Harrisburg students, families

November 30, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Nazier Taylor

Nazier Taylor was always goofing off in school, self-admittedly.

He liked to “mess with” his friends and teachers. As a teenaged boy, he enjoys having a little fun. Nonetheless, he did well in his classes, he said.

When the Harrisburg School District made the switch to online learning, Nazier was happy. He got to stay home and sleep a little later. But it didn’t take long before things started going downhill.

“I always did good in school,” he said. “I hate computers now.”

At home, Nazier couldn’t focus. He would fall asleep, he said, unless he was looking at his phone. One of the biggest challenges for him was that he couldn’t keep up with his teachers. They went too fast, he said, and his mom was unable to help him.

“I was going to fail,” Nazier said.

It was his first year in high school, and he was lost.

The experience with online education has been vastly different from student to student and family to family in the school district. A few are doing well in their new environment, while others are struggling.

In August, the district decided on a 100% virtual start to the academic year. Students could either attend the new Harrisburg Virtual Learning Academy (HVLA) and commit to online learning long-term or follow the “Pathway to Classroom Instruction,” with the hope of eventually returning to brick-and-mortar learning. Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said that about 285 students enrolled in HVLA.

However, the options aren’t looking too different today, as benchmarks that the district set in order to bring students back to the classroom haven’t been met.

In order to re-open, the district requires a three-week period of sustained COVID-19 positivity rates from 3 to 4% and incidence rates per 100,000 people below a rate of 50 in Dauphin County. There also must be a decrease in community spread of the virus.

As of this writing, these benchmarks have been met. In fact, pandemic trends have been growing steadily worse since September.

“I don’t know when kids will be back,” Chief Academic Officer Susan Sneath said. “We are trying to make the most of the situation. Nobody knows the exact right thing to do here.”

It’s a complex and difficult decision that all school districts have had to make—in-person or online? But every student seems to experience the situation a little differently.

A Challenge

During the pandemic, Nicole Smith, a fourth-grade teacher at Scott Elementary School, has been adjusting to online instruction. It has taken innovation, she said, coming up with songs and activities to engage students through a computer screen.

But it’s still not easy.

Smith has called on students before to answer a question, only to see their screen freeze mid-response.

“How much is that kid receiving from me, if it’s not working on their end?” Smith wondered.

She explained that one of the biggest issues with online schooling in Harrisburg is internet access. Many families, she said, have multiple students sharing a Wi-Fi router, slowing down the system.

When students were in school, the district had an average of one device for every five students. Now, each student needs their own device. Additionally, the district developed a program to provide free internet to students. Even with these extra measures, the district is at about 87% average daily attendance.

“We have to assume that’s 87% with secure internet,” Sneath said. “It’s a challenge.”

To access the internet and electricity, families like the Hodges have had to pay.

“The kids are home all day, every day,” said Angela Hodges, a mother of two Harrisburg students. “We are paying twice the amount we would normally pay for utility costs.”

Angela and her husband Maurice said that the extra expenses have been difficult to bear. However, they are happy to have their kids home and appreciate the district’s attempt to keep them safe.

Smith said that other barriers to effective learning are the responsibilities and distractions that many students have at home. She recalled a student who had to hold her little sibling on her lap during a class session.

“You have to be understanding of those types of circumstances,” she said.

For Nazier, getting out of his house and having a quiet place to do work has been a lifesaver.

Every Thursday night, he goes to Center for Champions, a mentorship program in Allison Hill. When the staff found out Nazier was struggling with school, they offered a desk in their office for him to work during his classes from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. They hope to be able to do that for more students.

Ever since, Nazier has been doing better.

Support System

Phylicia Carter’s son Josiah struggled in his special education classes in the school district. He was behind where he should’ve been academically for his grade level. When the district decided to go online, Carter moved Josiah to Commonwealth Charter Academy.

While still holding her full-time job, Carter has had to help her son catch up to the sixth-grade level he is in.

“The adjustment is very difficult,” she said. “I feel like I’m in class because they are asking me to do so much. But I’m glad I made the decision I made.”

According to Celmer, about 187 students moved to charter schools between March 13 and Aug. 31, due to the pandemic. He said that the district will be reaching out to those students to encourage them to return. Harrisburg’s virtual platform is expanding, and Celmer thinks students will want to come back.

Some students that stuck with the district are doing well in the virtual world.

Siblings Maurice Jr. and Mayah Hodges said that their grades have improved while learning online.

It was a hard adjustment at first, especially for Mayah who missed her friends. But, overall, they’ve had a positive experience and have felt supported by their teachers.

Sneath said that, for most students, grades have stayed relatively stable. She hasn’t seen an “overabundance of failures” or numbers that look much different from last year.

Smith said that the virtual platform has actually allowed her to connect better one-on-one with her fourth-grade students.

She said that students can privately message their teacher if they have a question, and a teacher can do the same if a student isn’t engaged with the lesson.

Although Nazier still hates going to school on a computer, he said that his teachers have been helpful.

“School is never going to be the same again after this,” Sneath said. “So, when students do come back, how can we keep the good parts from this?”

For more information on the Harrisburg School District, visit www.hbgsd.k12.pa.us.

To learn more about Center for Champions or to volunteer, visit www.centerforchampions.org.

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