Tag Archives: harrisburg

Harrisburg residents brace for possible protests, some fearful for their community

January 15, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

The city closed downtown streets during protests over the summer.

When Kevin Maxson led a Black Lives Matter rally in June at the state Capitol, it was important to him that it was peaceful and centered on unity and healing relationships.

Hearing of a possible armed gathering at the Capitol this weekend, Maxson was disinclined to compare it to the type of event he held.

“These are not really considered protests, in my opinion,” he said. “They’re rebellions. This is an angry mob. Nothing gets done if you react violently and negatively.”

It’s yet to be seen what will happen in the days leading up to the presidential inauguration on Wednesday, but, according to a memo from the FBI, things could get volatile.

The memo stated that evidence led them to believe there would be protests in all 50 states, especially at state capitals, and that some protestors planned to come armed.

For months, Harrisburg has seen protests, one after another, whether it was Black Lives Matter, Reopen PA, or post-election marches. Most were peaceful, though a few had tense moments.

On Thursday, local and state law enforcement officials announced their plans to curb potential violence with the upcoming protests.

Superintendent Jo Jacob of the Capitol police said that special response team members are patrolling the Capitol building. Additionally, he said that there are over 400 PA National Guard troops ready to be sent throughout the state. Pennsylvania State Police Deputy Commissioner of Operations Scott Price said that aircrafts, drones, mounted units and bomb technicians will be on standby.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse confirmed on Friday, during a Facebook Live conversation, that the city plans to close 3^rd Street in front of the Capitol, the 200-block of State Street and Commonwealth Ave on Sunday.

“I’m well aware of the anxiety many residents have, including myself,” Papenfuse said. “We will make it through this together.”

Protesters are expected to include far-right extremists, like those who raided the U.S. Capitol last week. However, long-time Allison Hill resident Beau Brown said they are not representative of his party.

“There’s a general depiction that, if you are registered with a certain party, you are in agreement with what’s happening at the Capitol,” Brown said. “But I wholeheartedly disagree with what they are doing.”

Brown said that he is a registered Republican and a gun owner who supports the Second Amendment, yet he believes protesters bringing guns to the Capitol will only do harm.

“Please do not take them; do not inflame this,” he said, speaking to other gun owners. “People in this city are afraid.”

Many residents of Harrisburg, especially those living near the Capitol complex, have experienced fear this year.

Some past rallies, including a Reopen PA gathering in April, bled into the surrounding neighborhoods and gridlocked streets, and, in late May, the initial Black Lives Matter protest saw several clashes between police and people marching through the downtown neighborhood, though later protests were peaceful.

Then, last week, the day the U.S. Capitol was stormed, a group of armed men, some wearing “Proud Boys” jackets, walked the neighborhood streets around the Capitol, chanting slogans that included, “Who’s Streets? Our Streets.”

One person even posted on a Midtown Harrisburg Facebook page on Friday, offering up a spare room in her Mechanicsburg home for anyone afraid to stay in the city.

Pam MacNett, head of the Capitol Area Neighbors group, reflected on protests from the past spring and summer.

“There’s security camera footage from my house of someone walking down the street with an assault rifle,” MacNett said. “This is interfering with all of our livelihoods.”

She also recalled seeing another armed person walking past the elementary school in her neighborhood.

In the coming days, she said she plans to hunker down at home. She advised others to lay low as well.

“I hope people will respect everybody and get through this safely,” McNett said.

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Harrisburg, Center Stage: TheBurg Podcast, November 2020

November 12, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

Harrisburg takes center stage in this episode.

First, Lawrance Binda provides his insights, as editor of TheBurg, into the capital city’s unique role through 2020’s pandemic and political landscape.

Expanding on two stories within the pages of our November issue:

Wendell Hoover of Iron Valley Real Estate describes Harrisburg’s sizzling hot real estate market and explains why the city is perfectly positioned to capitalize on pandemic lifestyles.

Although he’s helped to furnish Harrisburg homes for nearly 10 years, Sam Levine of Red Door Consignment Gallery has never experienced a business boon like 2020’s pandemic-induced one. He explains what Harrisburg homeowners and buying and selling—and why.

Additionally, we head north along the Susquehanna River to chat with Central Pennsylvania podcaster, Peterson Tuscano of Susquehanna Life Out Loud. Reciprocally, TheBurg Podcast’s Karen Hendricks is a guest on his winter episode.

TheBurg Podcast is hosted by Karen Hendricks, a lifelong journalist who also dabbles in PR/Marketing. Visit her website here.

TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren ([email protected])

Meet some of the Harrisburg area’s most fascinating people, and hear their own authentic stories, expanded from every month’s magazine, on TheBurg Podcast—because there’s always “more to the story.”

Show Notes:
“Headed to Harrisburg”
“A Season Like No Other”

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Burg View: Progress on Forster

September 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Around midday on Wednesday, Forster Street between N. 2nd and Front streets was mostly devoid of traffic.

Many U.S. cities hit their population peaks in the 1950s.

Harrisburg, for instance, tallied about 90,000 residents in the 1950 census, though the population is only about half that number today.

The decline, in part, was due to the federal government’s often-ruinous transportation policies. For more than a decade, highways ripped through urban centers, making cities increasingly undesirable places to live, while simultaneously feeding the growth and sprawl of the suburbs.

Harrisburg, the commonwealth and a regional planning body now have taken one small, yet very important, step to repair some of the damage wrought more than six decades ago.

Last week, the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study decided in favor of Harrisburg’s application to use federal transportation funds to narrow and improve a dangerous, ugly stretch of Forster Street between the Harvey Taylor Bridge and N. 2nd Street.

Kudos to all involved for this wise decision.

A rendering of the planned improvements to Forster Street.

In Harrisburg, Forster Street is a poster child for reckless, shortsighted transportation planning. The mid-1950s road widening—combined with similarly unwise changes to N. 2nd and Front streets that turned those local roads into highways—tore lower Harrisburg to shreds, sealing the fate of a city already suffering from post-war industrial decline.

Today, Forster Street is a ridiculous eight lanes wide, nine in some places, from the bridge almost to N. 7th Street.

Over the years, I’ve heard many city officials and local business people ponder how to “fix” Forster so that it ceases to divide the heart of Harrisburg. Suggestions have ranged from building a pedestrian bridge over the road to burying it in a tunnel.

These aren’t bad ideas, but let’s face it, they’re never going to happen, given their complexity and expense. The easiest and most elegant solution has always been narrowing the road by eliminating two lanes and adding pedestrian-friendly features like improved crossings, medians and bump-outs.

That’s now what’s basically ahead for Forster from the bridge to N. 2nd, with work slated for next year. That stretch then will be much better integrated into its urban environment. Harrisburg will never get its little local road back, but there will be a far better balance between cars and pedestrians, between the needs of commuters and residents.

The best news may be that we now seem to have a solution for Forster Street, with the city and PennDOT finally on the same page, at least for this project. A narrower, more city-friendly street will facilitate the flow of people between Midtown and downtown, benefitting residents and businesses in both neighborhoods, while improving road safety and the quality of life here.

So, one long block of Forster Street will be fixed—five more to go . . .

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

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Harrisburg announces pop-up bike lanes on 6th Street for “Bike to Work Week”

September 18, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Mayor Eric Papenfuse brings awareness to Harrisburg’s “Bike to Work Week” by riding to City Hall.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse strapped on his helmet and mounted his bike this morning to kick off “Bike to Work Week” in the city.

The week designated to cycling begins Monday, but a pop-up bike lane is already being set up along N. 6^th Street.

“We recognize more people will ride bikes if roadways are more accessible,” said Jim Buckheit of Bike Harrisburg at a press conference Friday morning. “This effectively demonstrates how we can improve options to allow people to use multiple modes of transportation getting to and from work.”

The popup lane is made of traffic cones and features “sharrows” painted on the street, which indicate that motorists share the road with bikers. The temporary pathway stretches from Linglestown Road to Reily Street to provide a corridor from Susquehanna Township to downtown Harrisburg.

“It’s very important we share the road and do it responsibly,” said Frank Lynch, president of Susquehanna Township’s board of commissioners.

The temporary lanes connect to the new dedicated bike lanes that Harrisburg added on N. 6^th Street, just past Reily Street. Cyclists can ride through the state Capitol Complex and onto Chestnut Street if they are looking to go downtown.

The Capital Area Greenbelt can be accessed from these lanes, as well.

“We’ve essentially bisected the city and provided a safe street [for bicycling],” Papenfuse said during his “Community Conversations” livestream last week.

“Bike to Work Week” is nationally recognized by the nonprofit, the League of American Bicyclists.

Harrisburg, Susquehanna Township and Bike Harrisburg collaborated to provide the pop-up lanes for the week.

At Friday’s press conference, Papenfuse told the story of Donald Welsh Jr., a former employee of his at Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Welsh biked to and from work each day, until one day in 2017, when he was hit by a car and killed on State Street.

“When I went to the funeral and spoke to his parents, I promised them that we are going to do everything in our power to make that street safer,” he said.

Harrisburg is in the midst of a project to reduce traffic lanes and add bike lanes on State Street, part of the city’s “Vision Zero” initiative to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.

The temporary bike lanes for “Bike to Work Week” and the new lanes being added on streets like N. 6^th and Chestnut are part of “Vision Zero,” as well.

“I’m really excited; I ride almost every day,” said Harrisburg resident Lou Searles. “To get places safely is really important. I thought I’d never see this day.”

Buckheit said that bicycling has increased greatly in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes it will remain popular for recreation and transportation.

“We hope this model will be expanded to the other municipalities that surround Harrisburg, to have this ongoing network that allows for people who wish to bicycle in and out of our capital city to do so in a comfortable and safe manner,” Buckheit said.

Harrisburg’s “Bike to Work Week” runs from Sept. 21 to 27. For more information on Harrisburg’s “Vision Zero” initiative, visit https://visionzerohbg.com/.

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Jordan Dandy has a message for Harrisburg: “I value you”

September 18, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Jordan Dandy stands at Front and Forster streets.

It’s been two weeks since Jordan Dandy began standing on the corner of Front and Forster streets with a message of positivity.

Now, his appearance has become a regular sight, helping to cheer up hazy-eyed commuters during their routine morning drives.

Each morning, he stands at the side of the busy road and holds a sign reading “I value you” on one side and “You’re so important” on the other.

“I care about people a lot,” Dandy said. “I feel like my purpose on earth is to love in a way that is tangible and people can feel valued. I want people to have some sort of light in the midst of literally parts of our country on fire.”

A little over two weeks ago, Dandy was in the hospital with a serious infection. During that time, he found out his hero, actor Chadwick Boseman, died.

This, combined with everything else going on in the country, had Dandy feeling down.

After listening to a speech by Boseman on finding your purpose, Dandy came up with the idea to make the sign.

“I want to give people hope,” he said. “I’m not just going to give up on this year. I’m going to make this year good.”

When Dandy first started going out each morning, people were confused, he said. Some tried to give him money. One man asked if he was hitchhiking, and others stopped to ask why he was there.

Eventually, he started recognizing people. He waved to kids on the school bus and shouted, “Have a nice day!” to commuters. Dandy said that one woman even wrote him a card saying how she had just moved to the city and seeing him every day made the move easier.

“That’s what it’s about,” he said.

He said that he chose the words for his sign very carefully. He didn’t want his message to be political.

“I think it’s good to have your opinions and to have a strong belief, but, if at the end of the day that leaves you hating your neighbor, I don’t think that’s good,” he said. “I want the best for someone else, no matter what their stance is politically.”

Dandy and his brother Cory Dandy make up the indie-pop band Dandy. They performed virtually at Harrisburg’s July Fourth and Kipona Festivals.

Even as the band is hard at work making music, Dandy said that he plans to continue going out with his sign through the end of September, at least.

Occasionally his friend Bobby Bohr joins him with a sign saying “I care about you” and “You’re worthy of love.”

While Dandy’s message is for the people driving by, he said the experience has given him hope, as well.

Although not everyone has the guts to stand on the street with a sign, Dandy said it’s the simple things that make a difference. He encouraged people to say thank you to their mail carrier and trash collector or be intentional about showing kindness to a stranger.

“People want to feel appreciated and valued,” he said. “Just be sincere in simple acts of kindness.”

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

August 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

A cow is groomed at the 2020 PA Farm Show. In 2021, the event will be virtual.

The start of the school year is just around the corner, and fall plans are taking shape. If you missed any of our coverage while back-to-school shopping (or shopping for PPE), we have all of our stories of the past week listed and linked.

A “Community Classroom” program was introduced by Rep. Patty Kim on Monday. Under the program, local organizations will open their doors to Harrisburg students whose parents work outside the home, and volunteers will supervise and help with online classes, reported our online story.

New COVID-19 cases fell substantially this past week in PA, as there were fewer than 700 new cases each day on average. For more information and the numbers by the county, read our weekly online pandemic reporting.

A food truck festival is scheduled for Sept. 19 to support Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia, Delaware and Susquehanna Valley. Check out our online story for more information on the event happening on City Island.

The Harrisburg School District wants to help close the online connectivity gap for students and their families. The district will partner with Tri County Community Action to provide free Wi-Fi for 1,500 families, our online story reports.

Hemauer Brewing Company opened in Mechanicsburg in May. Our magazine story tells of owner Brooks Hemauer’s quest to open his own brewery.

The PA Farm Show will be virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our online story has more information about why the state made the decision to cancel the live show.

Rosemary has a fresh, summery meal for you to try in her August magazine column. A grilled baby eggplant dish is her pick of the month, inspired by chef Bobby Flay.

Sara Bozich plans to take a trip to Paulus Farm Market this weekend. What do you have planned? If you need some ideas, check out her Weekend Roundup.

“Saturday Nights in the City” is being extended through September. Our reporting has an updated list of restaurants participating in the al fresco dining experience in downtown Harrisburg.

The South Central PA Sickle Cell Council plans to hold educational programming for national Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September. They will hold a series of four online seminars to help familiarize people with the disease and inspire them to donate to the cause, our online story reports.

Sports in the Harrisburg School District have been canceled for the fall. Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said he understands that this will impact student athletes, but feels it would be unsafe to play, our online story reports.

The tourism industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic just as it was looking forward to the typically busy summertime. In our magazine story, hear from Destination Gettysburg, Visit Hershey & Harrisburg and other tourism organizations on how they’ve been affected.

A town hall meeting was held by the city on Tuesday to hear from Harrisburg residents on a proposed citizen’s police advisory board. The discussion focused on who should have the power to choose board members, our online story reports.

The old William Penn High School has long sat vacant, but some organizations have ideas for what it could be. Read our magazine story to learn more about the building’s history and what is happening with it now.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

August 14, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

People gathered at Kesher Israel Congregation on Wednesday to support Harrisburg’s Jewish community.

The COVID-19 crisis has shown us just how connected we all are. This week’s stories mirror that, demonstrating how community members and leaders are pulling together to support one another. In case you missed any of our coverage, we have it all listed and linked below.

Bob’s Art Blog highlights how local artists spent their summer. Find out how and from where painters, sculptors and photographers are drawing their inspiration.

Café 1500 and food blogger Corinne Foster have teamed up for a fundraiser to support Feeding Pennsylvania. Their special menu item will be available from Aug. 19 to Sept. 6, with part of the proceeds going to the organization to help with relief during the COVID-19 crisis. Find out more in our online story.

“Chairapy” is a new YouTube series featuring a Mechanicsburg barber and the stories his clients share while in his chair. His main client base–emergency service personnel–tells stories of bravery and struggle, our online story reports.

A community vigil was held to show solidarity with Kesher Israel Congregation. Local faith leaders spoke out against the hatred shown towards the Jewish community when swastikas were found painted on the synagogue. Read our online story for more on the event.

COVID-19 cases increased in the state this week with an average of just over 800 new cases daily. Our weekly pandemic reporting has information on testing, total deaths and cases per county.

Free internet access will be given to about 1,500 families in the Harrisburg School District through the school’s partnership with Tri County Community Action. Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer described the initiative as an effort to help close the digital divide for district students, our story reports.

Gamut Theatre announced its fall season show schedule on Monday. The theater will feature three live productions, with pandemic-related precautions in place, our online story reports.

The Harrisburg School District finalized plans for a 100% virtual start to the school year. Our online story has the details of what parents can expect and the options they have to choose from.

The March on Washington is later this month, and local resident Karla DeJesus plans to host a bus trip to D.C. Our online story discusses the impact that George Floyd’s death had on a group of residents and why they want to march for racial justice.

Midtown Redevelopment LLC proposed a project for Midtown Harrisburg that includes building nearly 100 townhouses. Their project would fill long-empty lots just north of the Broad Street Market, our online story reports.

TheBurg Podcast for August is out! This month, organizers of the Black Lives Matter mural in Midtown explain their motivation for the project. Tim Eller of the Commonweath Charter Academy and Mary Smith of Visit Hershey & Harrisburg provide updates on their organization, as well. Listen to the podcast here.

The “Weekend Roundup” is full of events to keep you busy. Sara Bozich lists the best places for takeout, virtual entertainment and outdoor fun in her blog.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

July 24, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

The Firehouse Restaurant is re-opening under new ownership.

The past week felt like one hot, rainy blur with temperatures in the 90s and nighttime showers. Still, our reporters were out in the heat and humidity covering the local news. If you missed any of our stories, we have them all listed and linked here.

Bob’s Art Blog showcased Kelly McGee, an expressionist whose paintings display her dreams and visions. Read more about McGee and another artist who is using her talents to help feed the hungry in this week’s column.

COVID-19 cases keep climbing in PA, with an average of 800 new daily diagnoses over the past week. Our weekly reporting on the pandemic has the details.

Dr. Kimeka Campbell shares her story of finding joy in justice during a time of nationwide and local Black Lives Matter protests. Read her magazine piece to learn more about why community work brings her peace.

The Firehouse Restaurant is re-opening under new ownership. Much of the downtown Harrisburg restaurant’s character will remain the same with a fresh menu to choose from. Our online story has more information.

The Harrisburg Mile will go on this year despite the pandemic. Our online reporting explains the new modifications to location and rules.

Lenwood Sloan reflects on being a Black historian in Harrisburg and the search to find his “people” in the community. His submission for this month’s “Voices of Our Community” section recounts his efforts to uncover and highlight the city’s African American history.

Maestro Stuart Malina extended his contract with the Harrisburg Symphony for another three years. Our online story tells of his decision to stay and why the symphony feels he is such a great fit.

Paper Moon Flowers is Midtown’s newest flower and décor shop. Owner Shawn Durborow-Bowersox simply wants to make people happy by giving them a local place to buy a bouquet, a candle or a birthday card. Read the story behind the shop in our magazine article.

Peyton’s Law, which seeks to bring awareness to Sudden Cardiac Arrest, including the signs and symptoms, was passed into law. Read more about The Peyton Walker Foundation’s efforts to save the lives of at-risk student-athletes.

The Parkway apartment complex has stood tall for 100 years, still as popular and elegant now as it was when it was built. Read the story behind the landmark building and why it still attracts tenants to this day.

Running has acted as therapy for many people, especially during the pandemic. Our magazine story shows the psychological and social reasons behind that and discusses what running in races looks like during a crisis.

Summertime shrimp is on the menu for Rosemary this month. Fire up the grill and find this “Spicy Calabrian Shrimp” recipe in this month’s issue of the magazine.

A town hall was hosted by activist group The Movement to give Harrisburg residents the chance to ask questions and provide input to city officials. Our reporting discusses the big questions people had and how officials responded.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

July 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

LeRon McCoy and Ryan Sanders, developers behind the Jackson Square project on N. 6th Street.

Making Harrisburg a better place to live was a common thread running through the news this week. Residents spoke up for change, the city introduced new initiatives, and some people took on important projects themselves. In case you missed any of our coverage, we have it all listed and linked below.

African American developers in Harrisburg are highlighted in our magazine article. Find out what inspires these men to give back to their community through revitalization projects.

Bob took a trip to Paxtang this past weekend and has all the must-see spots for art lovers. Read about the quirky Tiger Eye Coffee Co. and the beach-inspired gallery in his online art blog.

At the Broad Street Market, Gov. Tom Wolf announced a new grant program for food providers struggling from the COVID crisis. The initiative is meant to help small farmers markets, corner stores and other shops provide fresh food to low and moderate-income areas across the state. Check out our story here.

Choose Harrisburg campaign will launch in August to encourage people to buy local. Read more about how the city hopes to support small businesses that took a hit from the COVID crisis.

Compost waste from Harrisburg has found a temporary home after a long, frustrating search. Read our online story for more information about the new agreement with the Swatara Township Yard Waste Composting Facility.

COVID-19 cases rose again this week, we reported in our weekly coverage. The state reported an average of over 700 new diagnoses daily over the last seven days.

Electric bikes soon will roll out in Strawberry Square. Our online story tells about the city resident who is bringing Pedego Electric Bikes to our area.

Harrisburg Urban Growers is helping city residents start their own gardens. Our magazine story reveals why they believe gardening is good for the body and mind.

Harrisburg City Council will interrupt their summer hiatus to hold public hearings on the proposed citizen’s policing advisory board. Our reporting found that many residents are not pleased with the proposed bill as it stands and want the board to have more power.

Harrisburg University had planned to conduct classes fully online, but had to make a major change when new guidelines were imposed by the federal government. Our online story tells how the school shifted to include in-person instruction to avoid the risk of losing its international students.

Paper Moon Flowers has opened in Midtown for all your floral and décor needs. In our magazine story, owner Shawn Durborow-Bowersox described how he started his successful business in Hershey before opening a storefront in Harrisburg.

TheBurg Podcast this month focuses on maintaining a sense of community throughout strange times. Hear from guests Blake Lynch of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, writer Deb Schell who talks about community gardening and 3rd in the Burg coordinator Kelsey Tatge.

Sara Bozich has everything from flower picking to art therapy on her to-do list for this weekend. Check out all the summer fun in store for Harrisburg in her weekly blog.

Unity Festival is taking over Reservoir Park on Saturday. Local activist Kevin Maxson and his group Voices for the Voiceless will host the day of fun, featuring free food and games. Find out more information in our online story.

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

Would you like to support our journalism and get some great benefits to boot? If so, become a Friend of TheBurg!

Activist group to hold Unity Festival this weekend in Reservoir Park

July 10, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Kevin Maxson led a rally at the state Capitol in early June.

Throughout recent Harrisburg Black Lives Matter protests, activist Kevin Maxson always emphasized unity.

On Saturday, Maxson, leader of the group Voices for the Voiceless, is planning a whole festival around that theme, hoping to create a space for Harrisburg residents to talk through differences and have fun together.

“Due to the atmosphere of our society, I thought it’d be best to unify our community,” Maxson said.

The festival will be held from 12 to 8 p.m. in Reservoir Park and is open to the public. There will be speeches, poetry readings and other live entertainment, along with games and free food.

Maxson said that Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse will attend, along with other local leaders and officials.

Other themes will include anti-drug and anti-gun violence messages.

“Even though there’s tension between law enforcement and the community, also affecting the minority community is drug use and violence,” Maxson said. “If we don’t acknowledge it, it’ll get overlooked.”

He hopes to highlight minority-owned businesses in Harrisburg by having them as vendors at the Unity Festival. Voter registration information will also be available.

The momentum gained through the rallies and protests will continue to bring people together through events like the Unity Festival, Maxson believes.

“What I have done is change the narrative,” he said. “I want to keep having this conversation until we work to correct and fix it.”

The Unity Festival is on July 11 from 12 to 8 p.m. at Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

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