Tag Archives: harrisburg

Smoothie Operator: Cobble Creek adds to the range of healthier options in Harrisburg.

September 30, 2015 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Over the past decade or so, Harrisburg’s dining scene has been a story of continual evolution and growth.

Recently, we’ve seen an emphasis on healthier eating, which is where Jason Jean and Bob Burns enter the picture.

Jean, with his restaurant experience (he once owned Café Vigneto in Hershey), and Burns, a local real estate investor, put their heads together to bring a new dining option to the downtown area.

“We sat down and pitched ideas off each other to determine what would be a good fit for the area,” said Jean.

That’s where the concept of Cobble Creek Smoothies & Eatery took shape, and the two men set to work.

“We stripped it down to the 1865 boards,” said Burns of the historic building across the street from the YMCA on N. 2^nd Street. Construction began in February and ended in June.

The end result is a welcoming, casual space with a beachy vibe painted in pastel hues. Licenses and maps, evocative of travel, adorn the walls of the cozy establishment with seating inside for 16.

Guests can join friends at aluminum tables in the “selfie-corner,” where they can snap pictures for the Web page, while others sit on rattan stools that line a wall-facing bar. Several picnic benches are available outside for al fresco dining during nice days.

When the restaurant opens at 11 a.m., the public begins filtering in for their morning smoothies.

“I enjoy the Popeye shake,” said Stephanie Pugh, who works nearby, referring to one of the more popular smoothies comprised of spinach, kale, mango, pineapple and banana.

Pugh said she likes the protein “enhancer” as an add on, referring to the 99-cent option for additional “boosts” like fish oil, cane sugar, protein and vitamins like C and B12.

A list of 20 smoothie recipes lines the menu, ranging from tropical combos to vegetable/fruit mixes to a nut and coffee concoction—and the variations don’t end there.

“Customers can build their own, as well, choose up to seven different items—all guaranteed fresh since we use no freezers,” said Jean.

Manager Kevin Karpovich, who resides above the establishment, makes it his job to ensure that everything is operating, well, smoothly. The self-described “city boy from Detroit” sees to the unique needs of patrons, and Pugh attests that customer service is a standout at Cobble Creek.

“It’s very friendly and welcoming,” she said. “Kevin is a ‘people person.’ He can strike up a conversation with anybody, and the people love him. He has that personality that customers like.”

Replied Karpovich: “I just want to build that long-term relationship with our customers to keep them coming back.”

In addition to smoothies, Cobble Creek offers a full-page menu of lunch and dinner items. Chili is served daily, along with soups, house and Caesar salads, sliders ranging from beef to fried chicken and a vegetarian Portobello mushroom option. A variety of chicken, turkey and vegetarian wraps comes in both small and large sizes and sides include chips, onion rings and fries (both sweet potato and regular), with everything packed in “to-go” boxes for easy portability.

Maintaining the integrity of the healthy concept is reinforced by certain limitations the operators have imposed on themselves.

“There are no freezers, heat lamps or microwaves on the premises, and, if some of our food tastes just a little different, it’s because we only cook with extra virgin olive oils—no butters,” said Jean.

Children, in particular, love the deep-fried Oreos. When questioned about the healthiness of that option, Jean, Burns and Karpovich erupt in laughter, before arriving at the consensus that it’s a “boardwalk thing.”

After indulging in a delicious smoothie, I headed towards the door before being distracted by one of the workers as he waved a sandwich aloft from the open kitchen located in the back.

“One taste, and it’s a WRAP,” he yelled.

Cobble Creek Smoothies & Eatery is located at 709 N. 2^nd Street, Harrisburg. For more information on hours, menu items and future plans, visit www.cobblecreekbrands.com.

September News Digest

September 30, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

Tax Hike Suggested

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse last month proposed tripling the local services tax to help close an estimated $6 million budget gap for the year.

Papenfuse introduced the idea during the annual State of the City address, saying that the Harrisburg Strong financial recovery plan needed to be amended because some revenues, including parking revenues due to enforcement snags, have fallen short of projections.

Under this plan, the local services tax would increase from $1 to $3 per worker per week. The increase would generate about $4 million a year, according to the administration.

The increase must be passed by City Council and approved by the Commonwealth Court. Papenfuse later said that Fred Reddig, a state official and the city’s Act 47 coordinator, supports the idea.

During his speech, Papenfuse also urged Harrisburg-based businesses to help the city financially by ceasing to use private haulers for trash collection. In addition, he floated the idea that the city should consider Home Rule, which would allow it to have greater control in its own affairs.

Papenfuse said that Home Rule was the “only real way out” of Act 47 financial oversight. Many municipalities in Pennsylvania, including Carlisle, have Home Rule charters, but achieving Home Rule would take years.

Reed to Stand Trial

The criminal case against former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed will go to trial, a judge determined last month.

Following a daylong preliminary hearing, Senior Magisterial District Judge Richard Cashman said the state could proceed with a case against Reed on all 485 counts against him, covering a wide range of alleged corruption.

At the hearing, the prosecution presented evidence that Reed had violated numerous laws, including that he had kept in his possession hundreds of artifacts purchased with city money. Reed allegedly bought the artifacts for several museums that he had proposed building in the city.

The defense team, led by Henry Hockheimer of the Philadelphia-based firm of Ballard Spahr, refuted those charges, stating that the property rightfully belonged to Reed.

Separately, Reed’s attorneys last month filed a motion asking the court to dismiss more than 300 counts against him, claiming they were not valid because the statute of limitations had expired.

Sinkhole Application Favored

The state has ranked Harrisburg first in Pennsylvania to receive federal sinkhole mitigation funds, the city learned last month.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency sent a letter to Harrisburg saying its application for a federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant for sinkhole remediation had been ranked No. 1 in the state.

The city is seeking grants for sinkhole repair and home demolition and buyouts in a hard-hit area of S. 14^th Street.

The state support, while positive, does not guarantee that Harrisburg will receive the award, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Only state emergency management agencies are eligible to apply for grants under the program, but awards are not allocated on a state-by-state basis.

LED Project Gets Green Light

Harrisburg’s plan to upgrade all of its streetlights with long-lasting LED lights is set to begin this month after the City Council approved funding for the project.

Council last month voted unanimously to borrow $3.2 million from M&T Bank for the LED conversion project, the city’s first major borrowing since the financial crisis shut it off from the credit markets. Council then voted unanimously to contract with The Efficiency Network, based in Pittsburgh, to perform the citywide installation of about 6,000 lights.

The administration estimates that the upgrade will save the city about $500,000 annually in energy costs, which should cover the cost of the financing. As part of its contract, The Efficiency Network guarantees the savings for a 10-year period.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said much of the work would be done this fall, but probably would not be completed until early next year.

Council also authorized the administration to apply for a $3.6 million grant from Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit set up as part of the city’s financial recovery plan to assist its infrastructure and economic development efforts. Impact Harrisburg is in the process of hiring an executive director, which it must do before considering applications for grants.

If Harrisburg receives the money, the city would pay off the loan early and use the savings from reduced energy costs for other purposes, Papenfuse said. The loan carries a prepayment penalty of 3 percent.

The city already has received a grant of $500,000 to offset some of the cost of the LED project.

Campbell Gets Probation

Former Harrisburg Treasurer John Campbell last month was sentenced to three years of probation for stealing money from three nonprofit organizations.

As part of his sentence, Campbell turned over a restitution check for $26,230, which will repay Historic Harrisburg Association, the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats and Lighten Up Harrisburg for the thefts.

In all, Campbell pled guilty to one misdemeanor and two felony counts.

Campbell was executive director of Historic Harrisburg and a volunteer treasurer for both Lighten Up Harrisburg and the Stonewall Democrats when the thefts occurred. He was not charged with any crimes in his capacity as city treasurer.

Dauphin County Common Pleas Judge Scott A. Evans is allowing Campbell to serve his probation in the Washington, D.C., area, where he now lives.

Bar Loses Appeal

A Midtown Harrisburg bar targeted for closure by the city has lost its appeal, and now has taken its case to court.

The city’s License and Tax Appeal Review Board rejected the effort by the Third Street Café (formerly Club 1400) to retain its business license and continue operating from its building at the corner of N. 3rd and Calder streets.

The three-person appeals board unanimously sided with the city, which alleges that the bar attracts criminal behavior, especially drug activity.

“The owners and operators of the Third Street Café consented to or allowed behavior on and around the premises that constituted crimes under federal, state and local laws,” concluded the board in its Aug. 28 decision.

The city has tried for months to revoke the bar’s business license. In late March, it sent owner Tony Paliometros a letter stating it planned to revoke the license, giving him 30 days to cease operations. Paliometros appealed the revocation, and a one-day appeals hearing was held in late May.

After losing the appeal, Paliometros immediately appealed that decision to the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas and was granted a stay to remain open. The court appeal is scheduled for Oct. 9.

Housing Market Stable

Housing sales and prices were relatively stable in August, compared to the same period last year.

Throughout the region, 783 houses sold at a median sales price of $165,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. In August 2014, 781 houses sold for a median price of $165,000.

In Dauphin County, 265 houses sold at a median price of $144,900. In Cumberland County, 268 houses sold for a median price of $179,900 and, in Perry County, 27 houses sold for a median price of $165,000.

So Noted

The Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District and Recycle Bicycle last month launched a Downtown Bike Library, which allows people to borrow and then return a bike, a helmet and a lock at no cost from the HDID office at 22 N. 2^nd St. This program is considered a pilot program to the Bike Share Harrisburg initiative that is in the works to bring a bike share program to the city.

The Millworks last month started a lunch service, which begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday to Friday. The Midtown Harrisburg restaurant and art space opened in March for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday. It then added weekend brunch hours.

Bricco halted its lunch service last month in favor of expanding its catering business with Ciao! Bakery, in an endeavor now called Bricco-Ciao! Catering. The menu consists of both Ciao’s sandwiches and Bricco’s Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Bricco, at the corner of S. 3^rd and Chestnut streets, remains open for dinner.

The Kitchen at H*MAC last month announced new lunch and brunch hours. The restaurant, located at 1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg, now is open for lunch on Monday to Friday beginning at 11 a.m. and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 a.m.

Arepa City, which specialized in the Venezuelan sandwich called the arepa, closed last month after more than six years in downtown Harrisburg. Owner Daniel Farias said customers didn’t follow the restaurant after it moved into larger space further down N. 2^nd Street. Farias said he plans to continue his catering business.

Frederic Loraschi Chocolate opened a retail location and production facility at 4615 Hillcrest St. in Colonial Park. For years, the chocolatier has made his high-end confections from a converted kitchen in the basement of his Hummelstown home. The new shop allows consumers to buy directly from him.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2101: R. Pickles to D. Maxwell, $96,500

Calder St., 116: M. DePhilip to D. Goldman, $150,000

Chestnut St., 2100: W. & K. Richards to H. Trauffer, $65,000

Curtin St., 543, 2135 N. 4^th St., 1949 Berryhill St., 545 Benton St. & 2314 N. 4^th St.: Susquehanna Bank to MBHH RE LLC, $107,000

Graham St., 118: B. & K. Elgart & Cartus Financial Corp. to P. Furlong, $219,900

Green St., 1924: D. Miller & R. Finley to G. O’Loughlin, $214,900

Hale Ave., 428: Metro Bank to T. & K. Vu, $42,500

Herr St., 409: W. & F. Moore to D. Jordan, $106,000

Industrial Rd., 3360: Conewago Contractors Inc. to Norfolk Southern Railway Co., $7,500,000

Kelker St., 319: K. Hancock to J. Marks, $60,000

N. 2^nd St., 1311: J. Feldman to T. Gray, $78,700

N. 2^nd St., 1406: F. Magaro to C. Albers, $149,000

N. 2^nd St., 1520: E. Spaar to N. & R. Masterson, $94,000

N. 2^nd St., 1708: D. Shreve to J. Seigle, $171,300

N. 2^nd St., 1829: E. Stuckey to M. Nolt, $126,000

N. 2^nd St., 3206: R. & P. Kotz to S. Margut, $178,000

N. 3^rd St., 1606: Fannie Mae to Anselmo Brothers Partnership, $52,500

N. 3^rd St., 2243: Kusic Financial Services LLC to A. & M. Collins, $58,000

N. Front St., 2609: Supreme Forest of Tall Cedars to A. Hartzler, $225,000

Penn St., 1820: Bayview Loan Servicing LLC to PA Deals LLC, $50,250

Penn St., 1917: S. Stauffer to S. Cline & J. Lemon, $118,500

Penn St., 1920: WCI Partners LP to C. Clabaugh, $159,900

Rudy Rd., 2141: A. McKenna to M. McNelis, $142,900

Rumson Dr., 2586: Beneficial Consumer Discount Co. to PA Deals LLC, $43,299

Schuykill St., 518 & 522: M. & A. Parsons to J. & B. Readinger, $37,500

S. 15^th St., 347, 1529 Catherine St., 1615 Naudain St., 30 Balm St., 1822 Park St. & 22 Balm St.: I. Colon to C. Harp, $30,000

S. Front St., 555: Ashbury Foundation to D. Ogg, $82,500

State St., 115: Pennsylvania Bar Association to Commonwealth Strategic Solutions LLC, $172,000

State St., 231, Unit 504: LUX 1 LP to M. & K. Lastrina, $144,900

State St., 231, Unit 505: LUX 1 LP to M & K. Lastrina, $154,900

State St., 1336: D. Pinnock to D. Vining, $37,000

Susquehanna St., 1833: G. & K. Ender to J. Secrest, $42,500

Swatara St., 2416: M. Gaston et al to D. & E. Davenport, $129,600

Thompson St., 1257: Jamil Karim LLC to Harrisburg Housing Authority, $80,000

Woodbine St., 502: K. Bethea to C. Guerrier, $40,000

Harrisburg property sales for August 2015, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Timely Audit Seen as Small Step in Harrisburg’s Recovery

September 24, 2015 | by Paul Barker

A chart from Harrisburg’s audited financial statements from 2013.

Harrisburg will file audited financial statements on time for the first time since 2007, city officials said this week, marking a small but important step in the once nearly bankrupt capital’s gradual return to normal operations.

Finance director Bruce Weber said the statements would be published by the end of the week, following the completion of a review by the city’s independent auditors, the Harrisburg-based firm Maher Duessel.

That will allow Harrisburg to file them with regulators by a Sept. 30 deadline, set by promises the city made in various borrowings over the years. The city has not met the deadline since 2007, and its struggles with timely filings led the Securities and Exchange Commission two years ago to charge it with securities fraud.

“The capital markets will view this very favorably as yet another step in the city’s recovery,” said Steven Goldfield, a financial advisor to the state team overseeing Harrisburg’s recovery plan.

The audit, though its timing reflects better compliance with regulators, still comes later than a June 30 deadline generally viewed as ideal, said deputy controller Bill Leinberger. And it comes only weeks after Mayor Eric Papenfuse warned of a possible $6 million deficit in 2016 and a city hall that remains “starved for capacity.”

The financial statements give a comprehensive picture of the government’s financial standing and general operations at the close of the prior fiscal year. In addition to providing financial details, they are a font of information about the city, including data like demographic and employment trends and government staffing levels.

Their scope may prove forbidding to the average citizen, who likely doesn’t have the time or expertise to wade through the hundred-plus pages of city hall minutiae. “It’s like drinking from a fire hose of information,” Weber said.

But investors in city-backed bonds may rely on them for an accurate picture of the city’s financial health, which is why the SEC cited Harrisburg’s late statements and notices between 2009 and 2011 in charging the city with fraud.

“Timely and complete disclosure of financial information by state and local governments plays a key role in ensuring a fair and efficient municipal market,” said Lynnette Kelly, executive director of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, which regulates the municipal bond market. “When cities meet their disclosure requirements, investors have the information they need to make decisions that are right for them.”

In various borrowings, Harrisburg promised to provide market regulators with up-to-date financial statements 270 days from the end of each fiscal year, or to notify investors if the city was running late on its filing.

The SEC claimed that, by failing to file timely statements or notices, the city left the market with “incomplete and outdated” information from January 2009 to March 2011. Furthermore, budget reports and public statements in 2009 by then-Mayor Stephen Reed gave “misleading” information at a time when the city government was facing increasing financial difficulties, the SEC said.

The SEC ultimately settled without Harrisburg admitting or denying the charges. The city now operates under a cease-and-desist order requiring timely disclosures to investors.

In recent years, as the city played catch-up, it submitted financial statements after the Sept. 30 deadline but complied with the order by filing a notice with regulators. This year marks the first under the order in which Harrisburg will not have to file such a notice, because the audited statements themselves will be submitted on time.

Liquor Control

September 18, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

The Third Street Cafe, with the Taproom directly next door.

What responsibility does a private business have to its community?

That question came to my mind recently after sitting through a court hearing on the city’s continuing effort to revoke the business license of the Third Street Café (formerly Club 1400).

At the hearing, the city told Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew Dowling of repeated criminal incidents in and around the bar at the corner of N. 3^rd and Calder streets over the past two years.

That’s why, said city Solicitor Neil Grover, the city yanked the bar’s business license, an action upheld in late August by the three-person Business Privilege and Mercantile License Appeal Board.

The bar then appealed that decision to the Dauphin County court, which was why Dowling was now involved. He would decide whether to allow the bar to stay open until the court could consider the appeal.

At the hearing, Grover ticked off allegations against the Third Street Café:

In March, a guy was assaulted at the bar’s front door.
In May, a woman was badly beaten in the alley in back of the bar.
In May, a drug transaction was arranged inside the bar and took place outside.

There was other criminal activity, too, Grover said, eight specific incidents since March 2014.

The bar’s attorney, Christopher Wilson, refuted them all.

He said that the owner, Tony Paliometros, could not be held responsible for actions outside his bar, even if they were at the front door, or in the back alley, and even if they involved his patrons, who he could not control. As for the drug transaction—that was a Harrisburg police setup, he said.

And to the extent there are genuine problems at N. 3^rd and Calder, the bar next door—the Taproom (itself under threat of closure)—is mostly to blame, Wilson said, as are the city and Capital Area Transit for locating a bus stop at the corner.

In the end, Judge Dowling allowed the bar to remain open until the appeals hearing, which he scheduled for Oct. 9.

His decision didn’t surprise me. From his questioning, Dowling telegraphed that he was mostly concerned about the financial harm that Paliometros would suffer if his bar were to close immediately. In his decision, Dowling wrote:

“Appellant has made a strong showing that without the requested relief, he will suffer irreparable injury, that the issuance of a stay will not substantially harm other interested parties in the proceedings and that the issue of a stay will not adversely affect the public interest in any tangible way.” (italics added)

At the hearing, it was clear to me that Dowling had little concern (or perhaps knowledge) of the daily chaos at 3^rd and Calder. The loitering, the panhandling, the fights in the streets, the screaming, the swearing, the litter, the harassment of pedestrians, the drunks stumbling into traffic, the guys sleeping it off on the sidewalk, the smell of urine at the boarded up buildings up the block—all of which I’ve seen and experienced. This dysfunction will now continue at least until the October hearing.

I understand that Dowling is constrained by the testimony in his courtroom, but the problems at that corner go far beyond a handful of alleged criminal incidents. The two bars—which acknowledge the block’s problems, but point fingers at each other through their shared wall—are dramatically affecting the quality of life of the people who live and work there—or who just exercise their right to walk down the street.

Which returns me to my original question: What responsibility does a private business have to its community?

I would argue that a business has a substantial responsibility to its community. Most businesses are significant actors in the places they’re located. They then, at a minimum, have a responsibility to do no harm to that area; at best, they should actively try to improve their neighborhoods, making them better places to be and do business.

Bars, in fact, should have among the highest standards of any type of business. They’ve been granted a remarkable privilege by the state to make money selling an intoxicating substance, one that alters minds and behaviors. That’s a special right that should be approached with deep concern for the bar’s patrons and the surrounding community.

In Harrisburg, most bars (and restaurants that serve alcohol) seem to take this responsibility fairly seriously. Some owners are certainly better than others, and the 2 a.m. scene on 2^nd Street can get rowdy. But trouble is not an all day, every day occurrence. Outside of most bars, people don’t cross the street to avoid walking by or, when they do, fear for themselves or their families, thinking that something bad might happen.

They often do when passing the Third Street Café and the Taproom. While the owners battle the city and sling mud at each other, the people in the neighborhood are being profoundly affected. To those who live, work and walk there, the bars are practically indistinguishable, with a constant flow between them, all day, starting at 7 a.m., when they open. Is one worse than the other? Maybe, but, right now, the two are feeding off each other.

I don’t wish ill to either Paliometros or to Dave Larche, who owns the Taproom (Larche also owns the Brownstone Café on Forster Street, notably a bar with seemingly few problems). However, they have to recognize that there’s an entire community around them that is suffering.

Is that awesome power—the power to diminish a community’s welfare and seal its fate—something that should be granted to two guys who want to sling booze?

Last year, I went with a developer to look at the dilapidated, boarded-up building next to the Taproom owned by the Volunteers of America, a building with a covered entry that is sometimes used as both a bathroom and a crash pad by bar patrons. Parking across the street, he was immediately beset by people shrieking, fighting and swearing at each other on a Tuesday afternoon.

Without even going inside, the developer passed on a building rehab, saying there was no way he’d touch the VOA building with the chaos on the block. How would he rent any apartments? Who would want to live there?

In his order, Judge Dowling showed a concern for one man’s paycheck, while dismissing the threat to the “public interest.” In fact, contrary to Dowling’s belief, the public interest is being adversely affected, profoundly so, and has been for years.

At the Oct. 9 hearing, Dowling may hear again of the city’s allegations against the bar, perhaps in more detail, as well as explanations from the bar’s attorneys. However, if he’s going to invoke the public interest, he should find out what that public interest is so that he can determine, in an informed manner, if it is being “adversely affected . . . in any tangible way.” A good start would be to take a walk up 3^rd Street, check out the action on the corner and then talk to some people who live and work in the immediate neighborhood.

Harrisburg Streetlight Project Approved, Will Begin Soon

September 9, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

A “Cobra-head”-style streetlight along N. Front Street in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg’s plan to upgrade all its streetlights with long-lasting LED lights should begin later this month as the City Council last night approved funding for the project.

Council voted unanimously to borrow $3.2 million from M&T Bank for the LED conversion project, the city’s first major borrowing since the financial crisis shut it off from the credit markets. The eight-year loan carries an interest rate of 3.55 percent.

Council then voted unanimously to contract with The Efficiency Network, based in Pittsburgh, to perform the citywide installation of about 6,000 lights.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said much of the work would be done this fall, but probably would not be completed until early next year.

The city already has received a grant of $500,000 to offset some of the cost of the LED project.

At the council meeting, Councilwoman Sandra Reid expressed concern over borrowing money following the city’s recent financial crisis and its continuing fiscal struggles and added that the city has been duped before by contractors who did not deliver on promises of benefits. She nonetheless voted in favor of taking out the loan to finance the project.

Native Son: Rapper Mazon roots himself in Harrisburg as he eyes the nation.

August 31, 2015 | by Leon Laing

“My town, my heart/How can I forget about my start/My foundation is groundbreaking, the inspiration for my art,” Mazon affirmed on the remix of his song “Sunroof,” an ode to Harrisburg.

Mazon, né Malcolm Mays, 26, said he sees the “potential of the city.” Growing up here, he has absorbed some of the bragging rights of Harrisburg’s status as the state capital.

“If it wasn’t the capital of the state, it would feel different,” he said.

As the local rapper/producer continues to wear the pride of his hometown on his sleeve, he sets to prove he has the ability to become a national recording artist.

Talent and Grind

This area is known to breed athletes who have advanced to the pros.

Mazon, though, would be one of the few urban music artists to emerge from Harrisburg. When asked what it takes to make it to the next level, he compared working for a label to “Shark Tank,” a reality show about aspiring entrepreneurs.

“If you want to be appealing to a label, you have to operate like a business,” he said.

Then he added, “We’re not looking to sign immediately,” referring to himself and The Nosebleeds. In 2011, he founded The Nosebleeds, a collective of like-minded rappers: Cordell, Cool Davis and White. The artist hopes to remain independent for as long as he can. According to Mazon, a business venture with a label is also doable.

Harrisburg’s own Cordell started recording with Mazon about 10 years ago.

“He’s always had a relentless work ethic, even back then,” Cordell said of Mazon. “He’s a master strategist, always plotting. His attention to detail combined with his raw talent and grind is what will allow him to be successful.”

Aside from his Nosebleeds camp, Mazon likes Harrisburg-based rapper Rawston George. “He has the complete package,” Mazon explained.

“I was blown away,” George said when he heard Mazon’s music. “Firstly, he sounded so polished for a person in my age bracket. Secondly, he was a local talent. He was one of the first people from Harrisburg that, to me, had a mainstream sound that was just polished all around. Music aside, I just get good vibes when I’m around Maze.”

Understand Now

While Mazon chills on the couch at his mother’s apartment, his son Domonique, 2, walks into the living room. Then he climbs up his father’s legs and perches in his lap. Mazon said Domonique is feeling under the weather. Domonique wears PJs. Mazon has a 5 o’clock shadow and is clad in Nike slides, sweatpants and a T-shirt. He turns the TV on so Domonique can watch cartoons. A keyboard sits near the TV.

“It’s inspiring and motivating,” he said about parenthood.

His mother helped him become a better lyricist by stressing the importance of reading. “Forcing me to read was huge. I used to hate it, but I understand now,” he said.

His mother’s advice paid off. Today, Mazon, who has been rapping for 12 years, is a wordsmith. His delivery pulls listeners in. His beats are sometimes mellow, mirroring his reserved persona.

Mazon dropped his noteworthy “MOXY” mixtape in spring 2014, which included the melodic song “She Good.” He now is working on his seventh mixtape “The Will.” His music has been featured on Sway’s “Wake Up Show,” a radio show, and he has produced for rising artists such as Atlantic Records’ Lauriana Mae.

By the end of the interview, Mazon’s mother arrives. She seems a tad more extroverted than her son. Mazon helps his mom with some bags. After I reintroduce myself, she beams and reminds me that she attended her son’s performance at Appalachian Brewery Co. in Harrisburg.

Mazon’s advice to the struggling youth in the inner city?

“Get focused and don’t make excuses. The people who emerge are the people who don’t make excuses.”

Well said from a staple in the local community.

To learn more about Mazon and his music, visit www.mazonmusic.com or visit his Facebook page, Mazon717.

Breaking Barriers, Building Businesses: Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central PA offers help, support for Latino entrepreneurs.

August 31, 2015 | by Rebecca Hanlon

Paul Navarro spends much of his free time visiting the Hispanic businesses of central Pennsylvania.

Sometimes, that means stopping in to a restaurant for lunch and chatting with the owner about ideas for bringing in bigger crowds. Other times, it’s mentoring the mechanic across the street who needs guidance on getting a loan for a big piece of equipment.

Navarro understands their struggles. He can relate to their dreams. He has ideas and resources at his disposal to help them reach their goals.

Unique Offerings

A native of Jalisco, Mexico, Navarro moved to the United States in 1975, living more than 30 years in the Harrisburg area. He is the president of New Cumberland-based Navarro & Wright Consulting Engineers, which boasts four offices and more than 80 employees. But he still can recall what the company looked like 19 years ago, nestled in the basement of his house with just three people to help carry the load.

He noticed Hispanic business owners struggling with the same things he did: language barriers, catering to small markets and lacking an understanding of loans, grants and other financial instruments. He was tired of watching these up-and-coming entrepreneurs struggle to get ahead.

With other Latino business leaders, he helped form the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Pennsylvania with the hope of being a resource to the estimated 1,200 Hispanic and Latino businesses in the region.

The chamber started with 10 members in 2007 and grew to about 70 by 2010, but it still wasn’t reaching most of the business owners out there, Navarro said. The group struggled to power through the economic downturn as many members left the area or closed, he said. As things finally started to turn around, both for local business owners and the economy at large, the chamber sought ways to revamp.

“We thought that maybe we could tweak our services,” Navarro said. “What could we offer that no one else was giving?”

Finding out what that meant is still a work in progress, Navarro said, but one the chamber is committed to. Right now, one of the biggest goals is partnering with state agencies to promote business growth and job development and help elevate the well being of the Hispanic community, he said.

The chamber also supports its members in other ways. Officials gather at groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies and place job openings on websites at no extra cost. They offer group insurance discount programs and sponsorship opportunities and host business seminars.

The organization also wants to be a sounding board for startups and business growth—and it’s continued to help its member businesses through those processes.

Helping Each Other

One business that’s been there since the beginning is Herby’s El Mexicano in Bressler, a village nestled in Swatara Township.

Visitors often stumble upon the restaurant, suddenly appearing around a curve on Main Street, with subtle Mexican décor on the outside and a colorful, authentic theme that’s carried throughout the restaurant.

Owner Maria Marroquin refers to Navarro as a good friend, excited to hear that he might be stopping by for a bite to eat and to check in on her. Named after Marroquin’s late husband, the restaurant focuses on authentic Mexican cuisine in a casual atmosphere. Meals are brought out piping hot from the kitchen, filling the whole dining room with the aroma of spices. Margaritas are served in festive glasses with slices of lime floating in the full cups.

Marroquin has always had a focus on family, but that definition is a loose one. Her unofficial family members include the customers who fill the restaurant seats or the members of the chamber who encourage her to succeed.

She often hosts chamber events at the restaurant, hoping that other small business owners will be able to connect and find support, just as she did so many years ago.

While she has a hard time finding the English words to express how grateful she is to Navarro and the chamber, her excitement is clear in her face and tone.

“We want to reach small business people,” she said. “They should understand we’re here. We can help each other.”

And that’s exactly the sentiment espoused by Navarro, who, like Marroquin, knows what it’s like to struggle and then succeed in an adopted country.

“It wasn’t too long ago that I was in the same position a lot of the business owners face today,” he said. “I’ve overcome the barriers that are still holding them back.”

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Pennsylvania is at 112 Market St., Suite 415, Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-963-7219 or visit www.hispanicchambercentralpa.com.

Burg Verse: “Crow at the Lawson Hotel”

August 31, 2015 | by Rick Kearns

When Crow isn’t busy
scheduling the TV lineup for Fall
or sneaking into the Oxycontin dreams
of angry talk-show Radio DJs
he likes to relax
and unwind
in the crumbling remains
of the Lawson Hotel.

He communes with jazz ghosts,
Sarah Vaughn, Bobby “the Sheik” Walker
or Maharaja Lynn Hope and points out
which of their passages
came from him.

The Maharaja asks
“Did I feel your presence
when we played our way
off the stage and into the alley
and then back inside
playing the whole time
wandering through the audience?”

Crow smiles
nods his head
leaves the bar
as Maharaja’s ghost
starts playing
St. James Infirmary.

Crow taunts the homeless guy
who tries to sleep in the sheltered
doorway of the rusting 3 story hotel
that was the down-the-block cousin
of the fabulous Lawson Palace.

Crow thinks of himself
as the new king.
Jumbo Lawson long gone and
so are the windows
so are the patrons
so is the Jazz row of 6th Street
now a stretch of
empty lot, grass, weeds, rats.

I am the new king
Crow proclaims
as the homeless guy
pulls his shopping cart in front of him
lifts his old broom
to defend himself
against Crow and
his army of windmills….

This poem is in tribute to Lawson’s Palace and the Lawson Hotel, important venues in the Harrisburg jazz circuit that included many clubs in an area between N. 6^th, N. 7^th, Forster and Hamilton streets, from the 1930s through the 1950s.

Rick Kearns is the poet laureate of Harrisburg, the first Latino-American to hold that honor.

A Safe Haven: For 2 decades, St. Barnabas Center’s summer camp has given Harrisburg kids a place to be, a place to grow.

August 31, 2015 | by Priscilla Morales

School’s out. Sun’s shining. What’s a Harrisburg kid to do during those warm, restless summer months?

Each summer, starting in early June, St. Barnabas Center hosts an eight-week day camp, offering kids an educational, fun and safe place to be. Located at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, camps gives them an opportunity to thrive, keeping them off the streets and out of harm’s way as they engage in a wealth of activities.

The 22-year-old program has its roots in the joint venture of Bishop Guy Edmiston of Lower Susquehanna Lutheran Synod and Bishop Charlie McNutt of the Episcopal Diocese. Since 1993, it has served as an answer for Uptown Harrisburg residents concerned over idle children during the summer season.

(sub)Good Memories

Each year, kids, 5 to 15 years old, look forward to a full day—five days a week—of mental stimulation, social interaction and spiritual nourishment.

The day starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. Later on, the kids are provided lunch and a snack, taught a Bible lesson, given reading and computer practice and taken on field trips, such as to the Jackson Lick pool in Midtown. Activities conclude at 5 p.m.

Executive Director Rodger Hines said he enjoys spending time with the kids, ensuring they make the most out of the experience. Outside of the summer months, he is a teacher at Rowland Academy.

“I want [the kids] to learn about success stories, as some have come back as counselors,” he said. “These are good memories for [the camp].”

To support the program, local churches donate food for meals and help with the center’s funds. Scholarships are offered and are based on a sliding scale. For $50 a week, St. Barnabas summer camp is one of the most affordable programs in the city.

Aside from trips to the pool, kids enjoy an assortment of other activities, such as Zumba, arts and crafts, firefighter and police speakers, gardening, Lake Tobias Wildlife Park and Petting Zoo, baseball games, playgrounds and a trip to Knoebels Amusement Resort and Doc’s Family Fun Center. Field trips take place every Wednesday.

The program also places an emphasis on academics, such as a recent class focused on the science of the human body. For this, the camp broke into groups, each studying a different body part. A skit was presented to the parents at the end of the program, which gave the kids a chance to highlight what they learned and share what interested them.

Other recent science-related activities involved a garden box, rain barrels and a watch conservation project.

Hines said the children benefit in many ways from the camp, including enhanced self-worth, greater respect for others and more mature social behavior. Regardless of faith and race, all children and youth are welcomed.

(sub)Better Start

Building up life skills, focusing on spiritual development and looking to the counselors as role models have helped encourage the kids to turn from crime and violence, Hines said.

“[I feel the program] provides a safe place for children and benefits the community. It’s a better start in life, [as the children] learn how to build friendships, have fun, be kids and learn social skills,” said board chairwoman Carol Witzeman.

For funding, the program receives donations from the St. Barnabas Fashion Show, Highmark Walk, grants, local churches, families and child sponsorships, said Witzeman. About 10 percent of donations go to administration, with 90 percent directly to the program, she added.

The camp not only acts as a service for the children, but for parents, too. While the parents are working, their kids have a structured, faith-based and academic oasis to retreat to in the summertime.

Looking ahead, Witzeman would like to expand the board, involve more young professionals and set up other sites, such as in Allison Hill.

In the end, Hines believes the kids take away something positive from the experience, whether it’s aspiring to something great, improving personal character or taking steps to becoming successful citizens.

“Meet people to share a dream with. Find the thing you love to do. Don’t care about the pay, the time or how hard it is. Just do it,” said Hines, offering some insight in pursuing the dream that is St. Barnabas.

Visit www.stbarnabascenter.org/summercamp.html for more information on St. Barnabas Center, the camp and its mission of empowering Harrisburg kids and youth.

War of the Worlds: Harrisburg’s mayor and Civil War Museum supporters not only disagree–they don’t even exist in the same reality.

August 31, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

A year ago, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse asked Dauphin County to stop giving a portion of the city’s hotel tax money to the National Civil War Museum.

Then in July, following the arrest of former Mayor Steve Reed, he called on the museum to shut down entirely, saying it was a “monument to corruption.”

“That’s classic Papenfuse,” joked my colleague Paul Barker during an episode of TheBurg Podcast. “When you don’t get what you want—ask for more.”

Indeed, escalation does seem to be one of the mayor’s go-to strategies when faced with a setback. But, for me, Papenfuse’s desire to starve the museum of money, even close it, begs the question—what exactly is his motivation?

A lot of folks in Harrisburg seem to think that Papenfuse’s crusade against the museum is part of his war against Reed—what I call the de-Reedification of Harrisburg.

There’s something to that, given that Papenfuse waged a decade-long battle against the alleged wrongdoing and profligacy of the Reed administration, and the museum, arguably, was Reed’s signature project.

The fight over the Civil War Museum, though, is more than that. It’s as much a clash of worldviews and priorities as it is a tussle over a disgraced former mayor and his legacy.

Simply put, Papenfuse lives in the unforgiving world of being the mayor of a poor, under-populated city that struggles to balance its books and deliver decent services to its people. The museum’s board and its allies live in another world entirely—the museum world—in which Harrisburg (Harrisburg!) has one of the best collections of Civil War artifacts on the planet.

So who has the better argument?

If you’re the mayor, you might reasonably see the museum as a source of funds, as the collection, owned but not controlled by the city, is estimated to be valued north of $10 million.

In his world, that money buys a lot of street repairs, light poles, police patrols, trash pickup and other basic services that the city needs but can barely afford. Liquidating the museum’s assets would allow Harrisburg to better provide for its people, which should be the first priority of any mayor. It’s a this-or-that world in which you can fix your streets, maintain your parks and protect your people—or you can have a sparsely attended, pretty museum on a hill.

Papenfuse also sees the museum as an enormous potential financial liability as the city is on the hook for maintaining the building, which it also owns. Meanwhile, it receives just $1 a year in rent, while $300,000 in city hotel tax money goes directly to the museum. From this viewpoint, the city gets all the downside from the museum and little, if any, of the upside.

Then there’s the museum world.

The museum world does not have to deal with an anemic tax base, sinkholes, bumpy roads or crime. It mostly needs to keep the lights on in a single building.

In the museum world, Harrisburg receives tremendous prestige from having a world-class museum, housed in a stunning building, within its borders. Many of the museum’s board members and allies live in the even smaller world of history and Civil War buffs, collectors and experts.

The museum world is not without its economic case, as the board claims the facility contributes $5.7 million to the regional economy a year. The city disputes that figure and, in any case, says much of the benefit falls to suburban hotels, restaurants and attractions.

But that’s another thing about the museum world. It exists mostly as a suburban phenomenon—its leaders well-educated professionals who largely live outside the city, its chief defenders the Dauphin County commissioners.

Two different worlds, two different sets of priorities.

So, that’s where we are today, caught in a no man’s land between the mayor and the board, the city and the suburbs, one man’s past museum fixation and another man’s present budget fixation.

How should this end? While I respect both sides, as a Harrisburg resident, I find myself more in agreement with the mayor. Likewise, your opinion probably depends upon which world more closely resembles yours.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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