Tag Archives: harrisburg

Kipona: A Review

September 3, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

With Kipona 2014 located on City Island, the Native American pow wow took its rightful place as a centerpiece of the Labor Day weekend celebration.

There were canoe races, a pow wow, fireworks. There were vendors, food, music.

The things that make up Kipona were at Kipona again this year, though people most wanted to talk about something apart from the chili cook-off, the martial arts demonstration and the basketball tourney. The number-one topic of discussion: the relocation of most activities from Riverfront Park to City Island.

I spent much of last weekend at Kipona, helping to man the information table for 3rd in The Burg. When I wasn’t chatting up Harrisburg’s monthly arts event, I listened to people opine (at length) on how they thought things were going. For the most part, attendees and participants seemed positive about the annual Labor Day weekend festival. That said–they were not shy in sharing with me possible areas for improvement.

I agreed with much of what I heard. In my opinion, the city got many of the big things right. Most activities went off well, and attendance was solid. The relocation to City Island was (sorry, Kipona traditionalists) a very pleasant surprise. Before last weekend, I regarded under-utilized, under-visited City Island as a huge surface parking lot, a baseball stadium and a random smattering of other stuff that seemed only loosely connected. Now I know the potential that City Island has.

I’ll admit to not much liking Kipona’s old format. Yes, there are uniquely Kipona activities, but, over the years, it came to closely resemble Harrisburg’s other summer festivals along the river. By the time Labor Day rolled around, did you really want to trudge up that narrow, asphalt path one more time, hemmed in on all sides by booths, battling sweaty crowds and having largely the same experience that you did over the Memorial and Independence Day weekends?

I found City Island to be tailor-made for hosting Kipona. It had close-by, ample (free!) parking, a variety of landscapes, open spaces, refreshing breezes, easy access to the river and beautiful views of the city. The loop around the island seemed to be a perfect length and format, and the permanent structures–from the stadiums and restrooms to businesses and pavilions–anchored the festival and provided necessary amenities. Larger-scale events, such as the fascinating and funky Festival of India parade, were easily accommodated.

City Island also allowed more natural groupings, so that children’s activities, for instance, were all together, arranged comfortably, and there was ample spacing between festival booths and themes. In addition, the excellent and interesting Native American pow wow fittingly became a centerpiece of the celebration, not the hidden, out-of-the-way event-in-exile it was before. And kudos to Capital Region Water, which hosted a variety of educational and creative activities. Who knew that learning about water and waste could be so much fun?

It’s understandable that downtown bars and restaurants would prefer Kipona to remain in the park, closer to them. However, based solely on the festival-going experience, City Island is a better place–much better.

Now that I’ve gotten all the accolades out of my system, let me turn to some of the shortfalls. I don’t mean to gratuitously criticize the organizers, who were working within very tight budget and organizational restrictions. However, even several administration officials told me that, while certain things went well, others did not. Here are, in my mind, the areas that most need to be improved.

Arts Walk. For two days, I was trapped inside the stifling Carousel Pavilion with my fellow arts hostages. There were a couple of photographers, two wood craftsmen, an author, another arts group–about a dozen people total–stranded inside a cavernous space that can hold many hundreds. On Sunday, Appalachian Brewing Co. gave away free beer samples, but even that brought in only a trickle of takers, as thousands walked past just outside, seemingly oblivious that people were within the forbidding building. A stage was set up there, and a lineup of talented musicians played to an audience of two or one or zero. Strangely, that stage was maybe 50 feet from the main music stage just outside the pavilion, which led to a cacophony of competing sounds, complaints from the musicians and the shutting of several pavilion doors, adding to the stifling heat. In my opinion, the Arts Walk, with little art, few patrons and nothing much to walk to, was the weakest part of Kipona.

Traffic. Cars, trucks and vans motored around City Island all weekend long, weaving in and out of crowds of people. For the duration of Kipona, Riverside Drive should have been pedestrian-only, the only exceptions for festival staff on golf carts and for emergency workers. Lax enforcement, however, led to something of a vehicle vs. walker free-for-all and created a very dangerous situation on the island.

Signage. Signage was almost non-existent, and the poorly designed Kipona program–if you could find it at all–did not identify several major venues, had no schedule of performers and didn’t say where most acts would be. More people seemed to wander into the Carousel Pavilion to ask us for directions, or if we knew what the music schedule was, than actually wanted to see art.

Fireworks schedule. Fireworks are a highlight of Harrisburg’s festivals, with people often organizing their evenings around going to the waterfront to watch them. The Kipona schedule said the fireworks would go off at 9:30 p.m, but they actually started about 45 minutes earlier. Rain or no rain, you just can’t do that.

Riverfront Park. The split festival between Riverfront Park and City Island did not work. People complained about walking across the bridge, park vendors complained about weak customer traffic, and City Island had empty spots that could have used more vendors to create a critical mass. The city needs to choose a single location and stick with it.

This year, Kipona turned 98 years old, so you would think Harrisburg would have it down by now. Kipona 2014 showed that this is not the case, and, in fact, all of Harrisburg’s summertime festivals have been in flux for years now. At least one good thing, though, seemed to come from this turmoil–the rediscovery of the wonderful resource that is City Island. It’s my hope that, now found, this beautiful, accessible and festival-friendly place will stay found.

Mayor Again Presses County to Cut Civil War Museum Funding

August 29, 2014 | by Paul Barker

Harrisburg’s National Civil War Museum in Reservoir Park.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse took another shot at the National Civil War Museum’s tax subsidy late Friday afternoon, suggesting that the Dauphin County commissioners were taking an excessively long time to conduct a legal review of his request that they freeze the museum’s funding.

In a press release, Papenfuse is quoted as saying that the commissioners have clear authority under a county tax ordinance to withdraw their approval of the museum’s estimated $300,000 subsidy per year.

“This is not a complicated legal question that requires weeks of review,” the mayor is quoted as saying. “It is fully within the commissioners’ authority to stop the National Civil War Museum’s misuse of hotel tax dollars on salaries and general expenses.”

Dauphin County Chief Clerk Chad Saylor, however, said by phone Friday that lawyers for the county “basically don’t share that view.”

“He raises an important issue, and we’re taking it seriously,” Saylor said of the mayor’s request. “But we’re going through our process.”

Saylor added that the current funding arrangement, which involves a combination of state hotel tax law, county ordinance, and separate contractual agreements between various parties involved, is more complicated than the mayor suggests.

Saylor also said that the mayor should not expect a decision from the county until the commissioners have heard from museum representatives at one of their public hearings. Such a presentation by the museum is not yet scheduled, he said.

Friday’s press release is just the latest in the mayor’s sustained efforts to reclaim the museum’s portion of county tourism dollars for city use. He first raised the issue at a county commissioners’ hearing July 30, at which time he also critiqued the museum’s $1 annual rent for the use of millions of dollars worth of city artifacts and a facility whose fair market value is estimated at $633,000 per year.

The press release, with its reference to spending on “salaries and general expenses,” follows a line of argument that the mayor’s office advanced on Wednesday, when it released a report from the National Civil War Museum regarding the museum’s use of hotel tax funds.

According to that report, which only covered the museum’s 2010-11 fiscal year, the museum spent 66 percent of its $270,696 in county tourism dollars on salaries and another 18 percent on utilities.

Only 15 percent was spent on marketing, although the report also identifies the salaries as being for “3 full-time sales and marketing staff.”

The mayor’s office did not provide any reports on the museum’s marketing expenditures in more recent years.

Friday’s press release also draws a distinction between the museum’s share of hotel taxes and the city’s, noting that the county ordinance permits a broader variety of uses for the portion the city receives directly each year.

Among those permitted uses for the city is payment of debt service on bonds issued for the construction of tourism-related facilities, which the mayor’s office says more than consumes the city’s portion—around $750,000—of hotel taxes each year.

“The money the city receives directly from commissioners for tourism is less than the annual debt payments on bonds that helped originally construct the National Civil War Museum and other tourism related facilities,” the mayor is quoted as saying. “I don’t think the public is aware that the city is still paying off debt for this venture.”

In a phone call placed shortly after the press release was issued, the mayor’s spokeswoman, Joyce Davis, was unable to clarify which bond issues the release referred to. But Neil Grover, the city solicitor, said in a subsequent phone interview that they comprised general obligation bonds that were partly used to fund tourism projects, which the city is still paying off.

These bonds include a 1997 series that indirectly financed the Civil War Museum through projects related to Camp Curtin and improvements in Reservoir Park, Grover said. An additional portion of general obligation debt went to finance the construction of the stadium on City Island, which Grover said fits the description of a tourism-related facility.

Saylor, the Dauphin County chief clerk, said Friday that the county would also like to review these expenditures by the city out of its share of hotel tax funds. “Did the mayor mention the 2.5 million?” Saylor said, referring to an estimated $2.5 million the city has received in direct revenue from the tax since 2011. He said the county would like to get information from Harrisburg on how that money was spent, though he acknowledged the county had not yet made any formal request for that information.

Friday’s press release was the mayor’s third substantive action against the museum this week, his first back from a two-week vacation. In addition to the report on marketing expenditures, Papenfuse brought a resolution to City Council Tuesday night asking for its support of his request to county commissioners, which council passed unanimously.

A phone call to Wayne Motts, the National Civil War Museum’s CEO, was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.

This story has been updated to include comments from the Dauphin County chief clerk.

Water Colors: The river, nature offer renewal, inspiration for artist Jonathan Frazier.

August 29, 2014 | by Lori M. Myers

If you’ve visited Riverfront Park lately, you may have noticed a lone figure behind a canvas examining his surroundings with a keen eye for detail, color, shape and feeling.

He’s a painterly type; an artist who views the world uniquely, a bit differently from those nearby who may be walking through the park after a typical workday at the Capitol or a runner adhering to an exercise regimen as the sun is just about to set. For Jonathan Frazier, Riverfront Park is not just a place leading to somewhere else—it is that place.

“There are always a variety of folks out for an evening stroll/jog/bicycle ride,” he says. “Whenever they comment, their words are always very positive and encouraging.”

Sometimes, they see the early stage of a painting he’s working on when they’re going somewhere earlier in the day. Later, it may be more developed, and they’ll notice the progression.

“People are always amazed that something can start as large blocks of abstract color and turn into something that they recognize,” Frazier adds. “Children are particularly fascinated, as it seems to be their first time witnessing such a thing. People often take photos, which is fun. I have encountered people for the first time who recognized my name and work from the galleries, which is a neat way to bring it all full circle.”

Those artistic “full circles” are transformed into lush landscapes, the angular bends of historic buildings, perhaps a Provincetown sunset in his collection of Cape Cod paintings. That’s right. His “studio” reaches beyond Harrisburg.

“I’ve often traveled fair-to-long distances to paint, such as my annual trip to Cape Cod, my trips to Gettysburg and the Shenandoah, and even Montana last summer,” Frazier explains. “I love travel, but the nice thing about living on the river is that I have a range of great scenes within a five-minute drive. Sometimes I just walk out my front door.”

Frazier’s work has not gone unnoticed. One of his Montana paintings, “Glacial Lake,” was included in the recent Lebanon Valley College 43rd Annual Juried Art Exhibition. His river painting “Calm (but not boring)” won first place in the faculty category at the Art Association of Harrisburg’s Annual School Show in July. Another was selected for inclusion in the Washington County Museum of Fine Art’s 82nd Annual Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition. He also has a body of work at Gallery@Second, where he often performs musically for 3rd in The Burg.

Musically? Frazier has been a musician for years and, despite his lack of formal education in the subject, relates to rhythms and textures in songs because of his visual thinking as an artist. He doesn’t care about the words or a flashy solo—he just likes the sounds.

“So, naturally, I gravitated initially towards the keyboard as it allows me to play with sound and shape in all sorts of ways,” he says. “There were always guitars around the house, as my father plays, so I learned that, as well.”

He’s now on an instrument-collecting spree, as he calls it, gathering such unusual items as a triple flute, Irish penny whistles, a couple of Chinese hulusi “gourd flutes,” a melodica, various harmonicas and a theremin.

“It’s the first electronic musical instrument and perfect for Halloween,” Frazier says. “I have ordered a Thai khim, which is a form of hammered dulcimer popular in Thailand and should be a great fit for my monthly gigs at the Bangkok Wok.”

Frazier has even begun to give evening talks about the native flutes, along with other exotic wind instruments, to local groups that feature speakers. He explains a bit of history, talks/demonstrates a little theory along with playing technique. His listeners are lucky enough to get a talk and a concert all wrapped up into one. And, as if that weren’t enough, he lends his musical talents to Hershey Medical Center, where he plays flute and piano in patient entrances and waiting areas—a connection to his past in the medical field, when he served as a medical lab tech in the Air Force.

“I’ve always felt that my artistic and musical interests feed off each other, though it’s hard to articulate how,” Frazier says. “For me, it’s all about openness to process. They both involve the expressive manipulation of a group of known parameters to create interest, movement and a sense of place or mood.”

While Frazier loves the sounds emanating from his musical menagerie, it’s the river that speaks to his artistic soul. And, besides, it’s only a few steps away.

“These river images have been so popular that some never even reach the commercial galleries as they are snatched up by folks who see them on social media,” he says. “They tend to be smaller canvases, which enable me to complete a painting ‘alla prima,’ all in one take.”

Jonathan Frazier shows his work at many galleries in central Pennsylvania, including at Gallery@Second, 608 N. 2^nd St., Harrisburg, where he also frequently performs music during 3^rd in The Burg. His painting, “Looking Down the Hill from Reservoir Park,” graces the front cover of this month’s Burg. For more information on the artist, visit www.jonathanfrazier.com.

Found Art: What does it take to get an old house to divulge its secrets?

August 29, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Lori Fortini has been in some truly awful houses in Harrisburg.

Animal droppings. Water damage. Actual wild animals.

That’s what you find when you’re in the business of rehabbing old houses, many of which have not been lived in—or cared for—for many years.

1908 Penn St. was like that, too.

Last year, Fortini bid on the property at the Dauphin County tax sale for her employer, WCI Partners LP, which has redeveloped large swaths of Olde Uptown, including the 1900-block of Penn Street.

This time, as she opened the front door, she discovered something shocking among the trash and ruined floorboards and squirrel nests that she expects to find.

Stepping gingerly inside, she shone a light around the living room, which had been shrouded in darkness since the previous owner locked the door and left abruptly 15 years before.

Through a haze of dust, she glimpsed splashes of color on a far wall. Bright colors, as if they were painted yesterday. Stepping closer, she saw an entire mural, figures in ecstatic motion—happy, dancing people, a celebration of life that was in profound contrast to the dank, dirt and decay of the room around her.

She then cautiously ventured upstairs and, peering into the front bedroom, saw that someone had painted a similar scene on a ceiling. There were more beautiful, vibrant works of art on a door, a doorframe, in the bathroom.

“I was stunned,” said Fortini, who, days later, giving a tour of the house, still seemed amazed by the discovery. “It’s not every day you find this.”

And so began a mystery.

Her Name

I suppose that many people who buy an old house have a dream of finding some treasure inside—within a wall, beneath the floorboards. As the owner of three Victorian-era houses, I’ve had that fantasy myself, though never found much in the empty houses I bought except, once, an old, cut-glass lampshade and, another time, an ancient bottle of baby powder.

Fortini, though, was fortunate.

The previous owner had changed almost nothing about the house. In fact, he left a vast collection of his own things behind, most dingy, some decaying, not touched for more than a decade.

There was clothing, furniture, frames, a grubby suitcase, a skateboard, ledgers, a crudely installed jetted tub, a motorcycle seat, a 30-year-old Lower Dauphin football schedule among hundreds, maybe thousands, of items. Dozens of martial arts trophies lined the front window.

Fortini took it upon herself to find the prior owner, to see if he wanted any of these things before WCI started the interior demolition.

“I had tried to locate the owner to negotiate a price before the tax sale, but I wasn’t able to locate him,” she said.

Finally, she tracked him down to Enola, where he had moved many years before. Touching upon several subjects related to the house, she took the opportunity to ask about the murals.

“He said that he hadn’t done them, but they were painted by the woman he had bought the house from,” said Fortini.

Fortunately, he remembered her name.

On Trial

In 1972, a young, idealistic woman named Toni Truesdale arrived in Harrisburg from Detroit.

It was the height of the Vietnam War, and Truesdale had come here to attend the trial of seven peace activists, six of them Catholic priests and nuns, accused of conspiring against the U.S. government. The case had nothing specifically to do with Harrisburg, but was assigned to the federal courthouse downtown, earning the defendants the moniker, “The Harrisburg 7.”

To the government, The Harrisburg 7 represented nothing less than a threat to national security. They were accused of, among other things, conspiring to bomb steam tunnels in Washington, raid government offices and kidnap then-National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger.

To anti-war activists, The Harrisburg 7 trial was a trumped-up sham, a case based upon flimsy evidence, illegal government wiretaps and the paranoid fantasies of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. They flooded into the city to protest the trial, protest the war and protest the government.

Truesdale took on an added role. A courtroom illustrator for the Detroit News, she brought her talents as an artist to Harrisburg. When she wasn’t in the courtroom illustrating the trial, she joined other activists in teach-ins, forums and acts of street theater held throughout the city, turning Harrisburg from staid to colorful almost overnight.

“I ended up doing a lot of anti-war activity, as a lot of other people did at the time,” she said, speaking on the phone from her current home in Pecos, N.M.

However, there was one main difference between Truesdale and the legions of other activists who, for a short period, turned Harrisburg into a center of the anti-war movement. After the three-month trial ended, they vanished, onto the next battle in the cause. Truesdale stayed.

“I ended up making a lot of friends in Harrisburg,” she said. “There were a lot of artists already living there then.”

Life on Penn Street

1972 was a watershed year for the sleepy capital city.

The Harrisburg 7 trial ended in mid-spring, after prosecutors failed to secure any meaningful convictions in the case. The media mobs left with it. Two months later, however, they were back.

In June, an early-season tropical storm, Agnes, stalled over the northeast, dumping copious rains that led to the most severe flooding in the city’s history. Much of what is now Olde Uptown was underwater, and, after residents of the working- and middle-class community dried out, they fled en masse, taking their federal flood dollars with them.

On their way to the suburbs, they sold their Harrisburg properties for whatever they could get. A huge amount of housing hit the market, crashing prices.

Slumlords grabbed much of the bounty, but others also bought, including always-broke artists who could purchase a place for next to nothing. Truesdale paid $150 for her snug, three-story, two-bedroom house at 1908 Penn.

For 10 years, she made a life there, even raising her young daughter, Maia.

“In that era, it was a very exciting place to be,” she said. “There were a lot of artists living in Harrisburg, and there was a lot of political activity going on, both locally and nationally.”

Truesdale converted the third-floor attic into a studio, where she spent long hours working, struggling to support herself on artist’s commissions. There, she did sketches, paintings, a lot of poster work. In fact, she used several of her posters, with such titles as “Welfare Rights” and “Miami Warpath,” as a kind of wallpaper in the kitchen. Yellowed, peeling and faded, they were still hanging there 40 years later.

In the larger community, Truesdale became best known for her mural work. She led a number of projects throughout the city, often working with neighborhood children. Many of the murals focused on African-American history, including perhaps her most famous work that exists today, a towering mural, now faded, depicting the history of the Underground Railroad in central Pennsylvania. Painted in 1979, the prominent work takes up the entire side of a building near N. 6^th and Maclay streets.

Other works had a more overtly religious bent, addressing the influence of the black church.

“They were themed as spirituals,” she said. “I did a whole series on the African-American spiritual experience with help of my extended family at that time.”

In all, Truesdale completed more than 35 murals in Harrisburg, including an interior work celebrating the history of the Neighborhood Center, two murals inside William Penn High School, one on the Capitol complex and another at the old Boas School.

Sadly, few remain today—painted over, torn down or locked inside inaccessible buildings.

A Movement Reborn

The murals inside the little house at 1908 Penn St. survived in near-pristine condition for two reasons.

First, they were sheltered from the elements, even escaping the water that damaged other parts of the neglected house. Secondly, the next owner let them be, and, after he locked up, everything stayed exactly as he left them, lost in time.

At this writing, both Fortini and Megan Davis—the head of a new group in Harrisburg called Sprocket MuralWorks—were hoping to save at least the large work in the living room. That mural, which shows people dancing ecstatically, is a wonderful example of Truesdale’s work: vibrant colors, a studied sense of movement, a deep spirituality.

“I’ve been in touch with people who do art restoration, and we hope to remove the mural and display it publicly,” said Davis.

Unfortunately, other art in the house probably will be lost. It may be impossible to remove the unfinished painting on the second-floor bedroom ceiling, which appropriately features angels and a god-like figure bestowing life. Another wall mural is in the bathroom, half-hidden behind wall framing from an uncompleted renovation. Truesdale’s ephemera—the fraying posters in the kitchen—may fall to pieces once anyone touches them.

“Sadly, not all artwork is savable,” said Jeff Johnson, a Harrisburg resident and professional art conservator who was brought in to see and assess the Truesdale murals. “Either because of structural or material flaws inherent to the artwork itself and how it was created, or as in the case of the 1908 Penn wall and ceiling murals, not all artwork is made to last. I think that some of the artwork painted directly on the walls of 1908 is savable, but it’s really up to the current owners of the artwork and their budget.”

The house also contains whimsical pieces, several deeply nostalgic. Truesdale’s daughter Maia features prominently in these—a little girl joyously dancing, holding balloons, praying—on walls, ceilings, doors. The most touching work may be a vertical piece of wooden molding between the living and dining rooms, where Truesdale painted a lovely sunflower reaching towards the ceiling. Green petals are marked 9½ months, 1 year, 21½ months, etc., a brightly artistic interpretation of the age-old practice of marking a child’s height against a wall.

“I did those in my spare time, just for our pleasure,” she said.

Truesdale lived a decade in the house, years she described as happy, though impoverished. She reluctantly left Harrisburg in 1982, when Maia was about 5 years old, to take a teaching position in Philadelphia so she could better support herself and her daughter.

“One thing I remember about Harrisburg was that it was very integrated and had a lot of artists,” she said. “But it was very hard to make a living.”

After 10 years in Philly, she moved to New Mexico to teach art. She since has gained a considerable reputation for her illustrations, paintings and murals, recently finishing a series on the everyday lives of women and another depicting 14^th-century medieval life for St. Botolph’s Church in the United Kingdom.

Despite being 2,000 miles away, Harrisburg continues to pop into her life. She said she sometimes hears from people who remember her mural work, and she still has friends still in the area.

Then there was the time she bumped into former Mayor Stephen Reed.

It was at a market in Santa Fe, N.M., where some of her Native American students were showing and selling their art. There, she spied Reed, who was making his way through the booths. She introduced herself, they spoke, and he spent about $20 to buy one of her student’s pieces.

“A short time later, he sent me a certificate in the mail naming me an honorary citizen of Harrisburg,” she said, with a chuckle.

The recent interest in her work has rekindled memories of her time here and also left her astonished that a random event—a house bought at tax sale—led to a reporter finding her and contacting her and to an appreciation of her work by a new generation of Harrisburg artists.

Davis, in fact, would like to find funding and a location for a retrospective of Truesdale’s art—perhaps even have her participate in a new mural project in Harrisburg.

Truesdale said that she would love to come back and, if the money could be found, would even consider serving as an artist-in-residence.

“This has been a delightful surprise,” she said. “After all these years, it is very wonderful that there continues to be such interest in my work.”

Learn more about Toni Truesdale at www.tonitruesdale.com and about Sprocket MuralWorks at www.sprocketmuralworks.com.

Disclosures: Megan Davis is the creative director of TheBurg. Alex Hartzler, a principal at WCI Partners LP, is publisher of TheBurg.

A Healthier Lifestyle: Highmark, partners team to promote wellness for Latino community.

August 29, 2014 | by Jessica Sprajcar

Lupe Sidhu is worried—about her husband Sansar’s high cholesterol and high blood pressure, about their lack of medical benefits.

Originally from Mexico and India respectively, the Sidhus moved to Harrisburg for employment. With so many health questions, Lupe initially didn’t know where to go, but then a program offered through Highmark and her church opened up opportunities to learn.

“Before, I wasn’t interested in learning about healthy living,” said Lupe. “But now I need to learn more about issues of the heart, for my husband.”

Highmark’s Health Equity and Quality Services (HEQS) team provides services to diverse populations throughout the Harrisburg region and beyond. To share the message of healthy lifestyles with these audiences, the team tailors health education programs for various cultures and works with faith-based, community and social organizations to reach community members. Their newest endeavor, geared toward the Latino community in Harrisburg, is called “Seven Steps to Good Health.”

According Dr. Oralia Garcia Dominic, Highmark health equity and quality consultant, the first step in creating the Seven Steps initiative was to “meet with community leaders to find out if there are any needs, and, if so, what would the program [to meet those needs] look like?”

Dr. Dominic and fellow HEQS team member Esmeralda Hetrick met with numerous community leaders who serve the Latino population in the greater Harrisburg region. Some of their recommendations surprised Highmark staff. Health research and statistics already show that residents in the Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg deal with high incidences of diabetes, colorectal cancer, hypertension and obesity. Less obvious was the importance of oral healthcare, as well as proper skin care and hygiene habits. And, when it came to diabetes, their concerns were very specific.

“Know the facts, know your numbers, and learn how to lower your risks. That was a new perspective,” explained Hetrick.

Staff from St. Francis of Assisi and the Bilingual Christian Church, both located in Allison Hill, partnered with Highmark to start the Seven Steps to Good Health initiative in the Harrisburg area. These organizations already had a health program in place, so Highmark knew they were committed to the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles. From the start, Highmark “depended 100 percent on the churches,” said Dr. Dominic.

“We have to meet the people where they are and provide culturally appropriate and tailored health education programs for the members of both churches,” she said. “We focus on four behavioral change strategies: education and awareness, skill building, health screening and follow-up treatment.”

Father Orlando Reyes of St. Francis Assisi was interested in working with Highmark on the Seven Steps program.

“We need a lot of social services,” he said. “Many of our members are immigrants from Central and South America, and also Africa.”

Two such immigrants are Manuel and Blanca Romero. This couple moved from El Salvador to New York, where they lived for 16 years. Just last year, they moved to Harrisburg and immediately became members of St. Francis of Assisi. They participated in the Seven Steps program in order to “make friends and get to know their fellow church members,” said Manuel. He added that the event was a lot of fun too, with food, singing and dancing. Learning about healthy living and the resources available to them was a useful secondary benefit.

The Romeros and more than 100 other church members participated in the first program event at St. Francis of Assisi, held on May 18. This festive kick-off event celebrated healthy cooking and honored mothers for their role in families’ healthy eating and cooking habits. At the event, attendees received bilingual, healthy-eating cookbooks featuring Latino recipes, as well as other handouts and giveaways. A meal was prepared by church members, including Juan Garcia,owner of El Sol restaurant in Harrisburg, using recipes from the cookbook, such as pupusas revueltas (Salvadoran-style stuffed masa cakes) and encurtido salvadoreño (Salvadoran pickled cabbage).

“In the Latino culture, parents are highly respected, and they serve as guides for the best interest of their families,” said Father Reyes. “Mothers especially look out for the health and physical well-being of family members, and Mother’s Day provided the perfect occasion to applaud them for their efforts. My hope is to educate our community members on all the seven steps, to have them take it personally, to make them their best, and to help future generations. We are so grateful to Highmark for reaching out to the poor communities in the Harrisburg area and helping meet their needs.”

What’s next for Highmark and the Seven Steps to Good Health initiative? At the two Allison Hill locations, the next steps “will be dictated by the churches,” said Dr. Dominic. “After the December program, we will see if there are new needs to consider or if the steps should stay the same” in the coming year.

Other parts of Pennsylvania, as well as neighboring states, are considering the adoption of the program, as well. Dr. Dominic and the rest of the Highmark staff involved with the Seven Steps initiative are excited that the program is taking off elsewhere.

“This program provides you with the information and resources about staying healthy and sends the message that small steps make a big difference,” says Dr. Dominic. “Empowering people to make lifestyle changes to improve their overall health—and encouraging Latinos to visit their doctor regularly—is what this initiative is all about.”

Other organizations interested in joining the Sevens Steps to Good Health initiative, or in receiving cookbooks, pedometers and other healthy lifestyle materials for their members, should contact Highmark HEQS by calling 1-866-260-1709.

Insuring Community: Property pride is a key component of a healthy city.

August 29, 2014 | by Andrew M. Enders

Andy & Megan Enders

“You live there on purpose?”

This used to be the most common reaction after acknowledging that my wife and I live in the Engleton neighborhood of Harrisburg. Thankfully, it has become less frequent, but it still appears regularly. Describing Engleton’s geographic location (Reily to Kelker; 2nd to 3rd) is its own endeavor, prompting me to resort to Lion Ambassador tour guide tendencies developed at Penn State. I trust that a positive message resonates more often than it might fall on deaf ears.

To the surprise of many, we live here by choice, but no differently than a family might choose to settle in Hummelstown or Mechanicsburg. As young professionals in the infancy of our careers, we love the dynamic that our neighborhood has to offer. Neighborhoods throughout the city offer a similar sentiment. Harrisburg is full of people who actually want to live here. These people create the sense of community we are so fortunate to foster. It is an understatement to say that the city continues to face challenges. We are a city that is on the cusp of renaissance based on the strength of its core—our people. It is vibrant, friendly and safe, but we have room to improve. One example is the disparate condition of our properties.

My professional career as an insurance broker relies upon the clear communication of information. Harrisburg continues to suffer from an image problem attributed to years of bad press. As a result, I have additional obstacles to overcome in order to effectively provide insurance coverage to my clients.

This is not some randomly manifested issue. I regularly encounter insurance carrier underwriters (the people who judge insurability) who have become wary of insuring city properties. While many of these underwriters have never set foot within the city, they have relied on newspaper articles, NPR stories and national television broadcasts that have revealed Harrisburg’s past financial despair. Maligned and misguided opinions on the condition of our city have been formed as a result of this information. Suddenly, I no longer only have to sell the quality of the particular account, but also justify its location in Harrisburg.

Fortunately, the insurance carriers we partner with encourage open dialogue throughout the underwriting process and are adept at supporting clients through loss control and risk management, especially those requiring property coverage in Harrisburg. A strong relationship with your insurance carrier creates a mutually beneficial relationship.

Insuring a property within city limits presents unique challenges. Building construction, proximity to other structures, years of ownership and condition are all factored into premium rates. City properties typically showcase a vast array of physical construction and historical elements that will substantially impact premiums. A property’s insurability is directly dependent upon its condition, regardless of its age. You have the ability to improve the condition of your property, whether as a property owner or tenant. Structures that fall into disrepair present serious complications.

Within the last year, we have witnessed a frighteningly large number of Harrisburg buildings collapse. Old masonry buildings that are not maintained are highly susceptible to becoming structurally compromised. When a building is abandoned, that risk is exponentially increased. This impacts my ability to help clients protect their investments, whether a home or business.

Harrisburg property ranges from ambitious new commercial construction to residential properties owned by individuals who don’t even know the color of their front doors. They all deserve the opportunity to be properly insured. While conducting property inspections, I have encountered angry dogs, massive amounts of debris and structures that should require hardhats to enter. I have also experienced LEED-certified buildings, century-old units on the historical register, and lovely homes on quaint streets. In Harrisburg, you can experience nearly every exposure contemplated by a policy form. It is typically a challenge to implement coverage on a city property compared to a nondescript building in a business park in the suburbs.

However, it is not buildings that develop a community. You do not need to invest thousands of dollars, let alone millions, to demonstrate commitment to a place. Sometimes, it is as simple as pulling some weeds, repairing a broken window or planting a few flowers. Once we acknowledge the power of individual responsibility to effectuate positive change, we will all benefit. Each of us has the ability to encourage the maturation of our community. It can start with taking care of your property, which can provide direct economic benefit on your property insurance.

As a city resident, I feel an obligation to be an ambassador for my city. Whether you live in the city or are a daily commuter, you should, too. No single person, elected or otherwise, can fix Harrisburg. Successful change requires commitment from the community as a whole to consistently promote positive behavior, rather than make excuses for its shortcomings. Doing so can have a positive impact on the long-term insurability of our city.

I’ve taken to handing out copies of TheBurg and recounting personal anecdotes to my clients. I have even been known to mail a hard copy of TheBurg to an out-of-state insurance carrier for positive reinforcement, when reading it online just isn’t enough. Remarkably, I am no longer the only person in my office doing this. The monthly allocation of TheBurg that we receive doesn’t last long. Even though our business is located in Linglestown, our entire team recognizes the importance of Harrisburg to our region.

We must not aspire to be average. We should aspire to achieve the positive recognition that our neighbors in Lancaster, Lititz and Pittsburgh (each recognized as a “best”) have received. Let’s embrace the nuances that already make Harrisburg a city worthy of its own recognition. A good place to start is to demonstrate pride in our property—whether you own it or not. In the meantime, I will continue to promote Harrisburg’s positive attributes, while acknowledging its areas of growth opportunity.

Andrew M. Enders, Esq. is a third generation insurance professional with Enders Insurance Associates, one of TheBurg’s Community Publishers. Andy and his wife, Megan, happily reside in Harrisburg.

5 Myths about Harrisburg: From Midtown to Allison Hill–it’s debunking time.

August 29, 2014 | by Tara Leo Auchey

To talk about the City of Harrisburg is to talk about a variety of issues, people, places and perceptions.

Some of that talk is tainted with misconceptions, though. Here are a few common myths that I’ve heard said by people both outside and inside of the city.

Myth #1: “You take your life into your own hands if you go to Harrisburg.”

Harrisburg is not that crime-ridden.

Yes, there is crime in the city. Because a city is a greater concentration of people, there are greater opportunities for crimes to be committed. Crime is everywhere; this is unarguable.

However, urban places have urban issues. More people are coming in and out, more people are moving about, and more people are impoverished, economically and morally.

That’s city living. It means to be more alert, aware and prepared. It’s strategy and tactics, such as how to walk, where to venture and what to do should villainy occur.

Anyone who visits the city should have a similar state of consciousness. Street crimes like theft are more likely to happen when someone seems unfamiliar, unsure or vulnerable in some way—that is, lost, alone or intoxicated.

Be aware, and you exponentially minimize your chances of becoming a potential victim.

Homicides, though, are another thing.

The city statistics show that the majority of the most violent incidents happen because of an altercation over some conflict, not necessarily reported or discussed.

The headlines lead because they bleed. Therefore, details are lost, and the real nature of the disputes isn’t necessarily conveyed or understood.

While there’s no absolute safety net around any part of the city, it’s fair to say that where and when this brutality occurs is not where and when most residents and visitors frequent.

Myth #2: “Harrisburg isn’t a real city.”

Despite the scorn, Harrisburg is a city, a real city. Not only do the city’s charter and the state define it so, but Harrisburg also has many attributes of a city—multiple neighborhoods, a variety of people, several centers of business, and access to miscellaneous services and utilities. Harrisburg has tall buildings, traffic, public transit, schools, colleges, churches of various faiths and denominations, stadiums, museums, concert halls, art galleries, restaurants and a multitude of organizations, clubs and groups.

Yet, one of the most significant characteristics of Harrisburg that designates it a city is that it’s always evolving.

From the time it was first settled by John Harris through the turn of the 20th century and City Beautiful, surviving Agnes, up our current time of uncertainty and potential—Harrisburg’s dynamics are myriad with people always coming and going.

It has stood a long test of time and deserves to be called a city.

We should all appreciate and seriously seize the opportunities that come from being in a city, that come from having such a concentration of people in an area. It means a plethora of cultures, languages, faces and random conversations. It’s potential for variety and choice without standards or exclusiveness.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “Call it a city and it’ll act like a city.”

Myth #3: “Midtown gets better city services than other neighborhoods.”

As far as many long-time residents are concerned, Midtown is basically the area around the Broad Street Market in what is considered “historic Midtown.” However, per the city’s map, Midtown is the district that spans from Forster to Maclay streets and Front to N. 7^th streets.

Traveling this entire area, you’ll see that there is indeed retail, restaurants, building rehabilitation and new development.

But you’ll also see indications of the broken infrastructure and neglect that plagues the entire city—potholes, broken streetlights, overgrowth, blight, illegal dumpsites and destitution.

Along with these problems, there are frustrated residents who share the same issues and concerns as other residents who live throughout the city. Everyone is dealing with a long-deficient government that’s financially strapped and lacking resources.

And, just like other parts of the city, several Midtown residents are doing what they can to take care of their blocks because no one can really count on city services to fix things right now. At least not quickly.

Myth #4: “There is nothing good about Allison Hill.”

First and foremost, Allison Hill is a big place. It’s comprised of three main sections—North, Central and South Allison Hill. Each of those sections is broken up into smaller neighborhoods, too.

Like Midtown and Uptown, there are quiet streets and troubled spots. The most challenged section of Allison Hill is South Allison Hill, which has a reputation for high poverty and high crime. According to a 2009 Dickinson College student study, its reputation is undeserved. Statistics show it’s not as impoverished or unsafe as many people think. South Allison Hill’s greatest virtue is its diversity, but its greatest handicap is its lack of retail and economic development.

There are still spots worth visiting, including Matango’s Candies on Catherine Street and the Stone Soup Library a few blocks away.

There are a multitude of urban gardens and murals throughout Allison Hill. There’s Reservoir Park, the Harrisburg Cemetery, Mexico Taco Lindo, the Hilltop Restaurant, PM Bistro and the Manna Café on Sundays. There is the secondhand furniture store on State Street, the Harrisburg Doll Museum, Joshua Farm and the Bethesda Mission Youth Center. There are beautiful churches, small ethnic groceries and some of the best views of the city.

Without a doubt, Allison Hill is in need of improvements, but it’s a beautiful place.

Myth #5: “Harrisburg will never get better.”

If someone truly believes this place will never get better, then they’re missing out on the renaissance, reconstruction and collaboration that are happening here.

More people are working together than ever before, and that’s the key. They’re crossing entrenched divides and establishing new ways of doing things. It’s the one significant component that trumps previous attempts and takes out the naysayers.

The fact is Harrisburg will get better. It already is.

Tara Leo Auchey is creator and editor of today’s the day Harrisburg. www.todaysthedayhbg.com

Peace, Love & Pooches: It’s a doggie (and kitty) love-in at Woofstock.

August 29, 2014 | by Amy Worden

Last month, America celebrated the 45^th anniversary of the iconic music fest known as Woodstock. This month, Harrisburg marks the 10^th anniversary of its own end-of-summer festival of peace and love—with canines, that is.

From its soggy start in 2004, when a few hundred hardy folk and their dogs braved a chilly, rain-swept day by the Susquehanna River, Woofstock has grown into one of Pennsylvania’s premier pet events.

This year, expect droves of people and their furry friends to head to Riverfront Park along Front Street on Sept. 28 to celebrate our animal companions.

“This is a big festival for people and dogs,” said Zella Anderson, founder and president of Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance (CPAA)—and she’s not exaggerating.

Adoption Option

My four-legged gal pal Olivia and I made our first Woofstock trip last year. It was snout-to-tail crowded, throngs of happy pet people and dogs of all shapes and sizes.

This year, there will be about 100 vendors peddling every kind of dog toy and treat imaginable along with veterinarians, groomers and doggie day care facilities.

But the primary focus of the event is pet adoption. With tens of thousands of cats and dogs euthanized in Pennsylvania’s shelters each year, animal advocates hope to sell potential adopters on giving unwanted pets a second chance at a happy life.

“It’s a great day for adoptables,” said Anderson. “We have rescues and shelters come out and promote adoption and urge people not to buy from pet stores or puppy mills.”

Some 40 rescues and shelters will have booths this year, including breed-specific rescues and others that help find homes for disabled dogs, seniors and puppy mill survivors.

One of them, A Tail To Tell in Lancaster County, plucks some of the most horribly abused and neglected dogs from Pennsylvania’s puppy mills. The group has had a booth at Woofstock since the beginning, but often comes only with before and after pictures of the dogs they have for adoption.

“Some have been so emotionally damaged we can’t bring them,” said founder Cindy Myers, who has been rescuing breeding dogs and puppies that are too old or too sick to sell for more than a decade.

She credits Woofstock with helping her group shed light on the horrors of the puppy mill industry. Every year, at least one or two dogs that might have spent their lives confined to small cages find new homes as a result of Woofstock, she said.

This year, a Tail to Tell plans to bring several happy, 7-month-old puppies and a senior dog that, Myers said, is un-phased by almost everything,

Woofstock also is designed to spread the message of spay/neuter throughout the region. Proceeds from the event go toward CPAA’s low-cost and no-cost spay/neuter programs, including the memorably named “De-Sex in the City,” which offers low cost spay/neuters to residents of Dauphin, York, Perry and Cumberland counties.

Packed with Pooches

Organizers had to reduce the number of vendors this year because Riverfront Park simply got crowded to the point where visitors could not reach the booths for the people and dogs, Anderson said. But there still will be something for everyone, and you don’t have to have a dog to enjoy the festivities.

There will be a doggie ice cream social, canine makeovers and $5 nail trims, along with a pet costume contest and caricaturist who can create a souvenir of the event with you and your furry BFF.

Time for your pet’s annual vaccinations? Woofstock’s got you covered with an afternoon clinic providing low-cost vaccines for rabies and other contagious diseases, as well as flea and tick treatment and microchipping for your cat or dog. (Registration is not required but some paperwork is. See website for details.)

Perhaps you’ve seen him on “The View,” now Woofstock is your chance to chat with celebrity pet expert Harrison Forbes, who will be on hand to answer your most pressing behavior or training questions. Also attending will be bloodhound teams showing off their tracking skills and agility dogs.

And organizers did not forget pet moms and dads. Got a leash-puller who has just about yanked your shoulder out of the socket? Is your back sore from lifting your 80-pound Labradoodle? HACC massage students will be on hand for free shoulder and neck therapy.

There’s always live music (the event is going all acoustic this year) and plenty of people food; new vendors include makers of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and specialty burritos.

But, most of all, it’s a great day to interact with fellow animal-lovers, spread the love of pets and perhaps learn something new about your own dog or animals in general.

My most memorable Woofstock moment happened quite serendipitously as we were heading out after a long day last year. We were walking past the beautiful St. Stephens Episcopal Cathedral just as the blessing of the pets was getting underway. Olivia and I took a little detour and moseyed in with the other pet owners. One man’s Rottweiler had parked himself right next to his owner sitting on the pew.

One by one, the dogs and their owners made their way to the altar. Rev. Churchill Pinder dipped down on one knee, gently laid his hand on each dog’s forehead and blessed them. There were a few short prayers, soul soothing music and hymns (“All Things Bright and Beautiful”), and we all headed back into the sunlit afternoon feeling refreshed and, well, blessed.

And, good news, Rev. Pinder says the church will be hosting the blessing again this year at 1 p.m.

Get the Most Out of Woofstock

So, you and your pet plan to rock Woofstock? Here are a few pointers to help make peace (not war) amidst the crowd.

First, leave the retractable leash at home.

If you’ve ever been caught in one, you know these types of leashes can pose hazards to humans and pets. They also are a top reason dogs flee because, if you drop the leash, that noisy plastic handle clanking behind can send them scampering away in fear. Anderson says if their volunteers see folks with retractable leashes, they will ask that they remove them and will provide them with a regular leash.

If you have a dog-aggressive or people-aggressive dog, leave them at home. There are plenty of dogs to pet at the event. Surprisingly, despite the crowds, there have been very few incidents.

Hydrate and be careful to keep paws off the hot pavement. There will be plenty of dog watering stations throughout the event, and there’s help if you need it. Last year, a dog collapsed from heat exhaustion and was quickly whisked by golf cart to be seen by the attending veterinarian, Anderson said.

Arrive early. That way, you can take time to browse the booths and meet all the dogs. In the afternoon, the crowds can be intense.

CPAA Woofstock is Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Riverfront Park, Harrisburg. Free admission. Dogs not required. Volunteers are still needed, particularly with set up and staffing booths. Please drop a line to Zella Anderson at [email protected] if you are interested. More information is at www.cpaawoofstock.com.

A Doll’s Cause: For the Modified Dolls, it’s animals, activism and ink.

August 29, 2014 | by Rebecca Hanlon

Amber Hlavaty & Fawn

Amber Hlavaty has always tried to prove she’s more than she appears. She wants people to look beyond the 16 piercings that often draw attention to her body, and instead use that attention to drive awareness to various causes and charities.

The 22-year-old Harrisburg woman is part of the Pennsylvania Modified Dolls, a newly formed group of about 10 women that has invaded central Pennsylvania with its soft hearts encased in tough exteriors.

Each member, or “doll,” sports numerous piercings, tattoos or both, living up to their modified standard.

“But we’re more than the stigma people associate with tattoos and piercings,” said Hlavaty, head of public relations for the group.

The Dolls have been going out on monthly charity events not only to spread the news about their new club, but to get people to think differently about those with body modifications.

They hope people can see beyond the gauged earlobes and colorful tattoos as they serve the community, particularly the cuddliest of creatures.

The Dolls recently participated in a “Paws for a Cause” fundraiser to help provide a service dog for a handicapped man. They also plan to visit Woofstock at Riverfront Park in September to benefit the Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance.

While the dolls love helping animals, they also reach out to other charities and causes, including hosting skateboard art shows, car rallies and concerts to raise money.

The president of the group—or head doll—Erin Naylor, 25, of Harrisburg, said she was drawn to the Dolls because she wanted to find like-minded women.

“I’ve always been involved in charitable events,” she said, “but there is absolutely power in numbers.”

And of those numbers, most agree that they’re animal lovers, said Naylor.

Naylor helps her sister run an animal shelter out of Tamaqua, and a few others help with the Humane Society of Harrisburg. One member even rescues chinchillas.

“It’s extremely important to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves,” she said.

Naylor finds comfort in her two cats, Monster and Zombie, who love her “whether or not I’ve fixed my hair, showered, have 400 tattoos or none,” she said. “I’ve made it a personal mission to help as many living things as I possibly can.”

The compassion that drives these women is surprising to some.

“We get a lot of different responses,” Hlavaty said. “They see us working these charity events, and sometimes it’s hard for people to understand because they expect us to be lazy or doing illegal things. We’re not like that at all.”

Naylor said she’s been asked numerous times why she’s pierced and tattooed herself.

“The only answer I can give is, ‘because it’s my body,’” she said.

Naylor has 13 tattoos that called for more than 20 hours of work, as well as two piercings.

But each one has a special meaning, whether it’s the shamrocks representing her Irish heritage, the dragonfly for the loss of her mother when Naylor was just 14, or the salt shaker that goes to the pepper shaker tattooed on her best friend.

“Modified women helping people is huge,” she said. “We need to get away from the stigma that tattooed and pierced individuals are troublemakers.”

Most of Hlavaty’s 16 piercings were gifts from her parents on a birthday.

She couldn’t get her septum, or space between her nostrils, pierced until she was 16, she said.

When she wanted her lip pierced, she was told to wait until she was 18.

Erin Naylor & Sadie

Naylor hopes the people who see them at events are reminded it’s not OK to make hurtful comments toward the Dolls.

“The only thing that has changed about me since I’ve become tattooed and pierced is I don’t judge people without tattoos or piercings,” Naylor said. “Every single person is fighting battles you know nothing about. Be kind to everyone.”

The Dolls have grown the most through their relationships with each other.

“I absolutely couldn’t do it without them,” Naylor said. “These girls are my family.”

Because some of the women live outside of Harrisburg, they keep in touch through the group’s Facebook page, sharing encouraging messages or posting photos of their tattoos and piercings.

The more than 1,100 fans share stories of job discrimination, fashion trends and events.

They also connect with more than 30,000 Facebook followers on the national page, who work just as hard to spread the message abroad.

Despite normal jobs, educations and children of their own, the Modified Dolls are still seen as different, Hlavaty said.

“We’re not what you may think we are,” she said. “I’ve watched these girls do so much good in Harrisburg. And I think people should see that.”

Check out the latest on the Pennsylvania Modified Dolls at their Facebook page: PADolls.

Fiesta on the Hill: LHACC’s annual block party brings together Latino, American cultures.

August 29, 2014 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Scenes from last year’s LHACC block party.

When is a block party more than a block party?

When it’s a culturally rich event that launched a regional organization and kicks off a national commemoration every year.

The block party, sponsored by the Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC) in South Allison Hill, began in July 2010.

“It started as a celebratory event to mark the opening of our center and was attended by about 250 people,” recalled Gloria Vasquez Merrick, executive director of LHACC.

Now in its fifth season, the block party soon evolved into an annual celebration that marks another successful year at the center. By moving the date to September, LHACC also turned the party into a kick-off event for Hispanic American Heritage Month.

Observed Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year, Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

This year, the block party takes place on Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Derry Street between S. 13^th and 14^th streets.

Attendance at the block party, which is open to everyone, has grown every year. Last year, about 1,000 people from the community and the region participated.

LHACC aims to empower, promote and advocate for the Latino-American community of greater Harrisburg by offering information and referral services concerning basic human needs, educational needs, housing, financial services, healthcare, employment, transportation, bilingual services, immigration and legal referrals.

The block party represents a different aspect of the center’s mission, in that it brings the community together. It also offers an opportunity for those from the wider area to learn about Latino and Hispanic culture.

Those attending can listen to Latino music played by “Los Monstros,” a local band; eat Spanish foods sold by vendors; watch salsa dancers; dance themselves; and possibly win a door prize—a number of which will be announced throughout the day. This year, children’s activities have been added to the mix.

“We also are working on having a professional mariachi band from Philadelphia to add to the excitement,” said Vasquez Merrick.

Organizations that serve the Latino community have a chance at the block party to do outreach. For example, Hamilton Health Center will hold screenings; organizations such as Highmark, which reach out to the Latino community, will be present. Churches, colleges, private businesses and non-profit agencies also have traditionally set up stands at the block party.

“This is an opportunity for our collaborating/partner agencies and for newcomers to connect with our community. It is a win-win for both the community and those who connect with LHACC to help make a difference,” said Vasquez Merrick.

TheBurg takes part, as well. In conjunction with the block party, the publication has announced the second annual “Lo Mejor de lo Mejor”—“The Best of the Best”— awards. These will be presented at the event to companies and businesses making strides in serving greater Harrisburg’s Latino community.

At 11:30 a.m., there will be a brief program. Mayor Eric Papenfuse or a representative of his office will be in attendance, as will other special guests and signature sponsors.

Due in large part to the success of the block party, Harrisburg’s Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism is teaming up with LHACC this year. “We are excited, since this will help us, the only Latino center in the region, to expand our outreach throughout the greater community,” said Vasquez Merrick.

The annual Latino block party is “quickly becoming one of the most anticipated events in Harrisburg,” said Joyce Davis, Harrisburg’s director of communications. “We are so grateful to LHACC for the services it provides to the Latino community and look forward to strengthening our collaboration and cooperation in the coming years.”

There are so many reasons for people to come to the block party, said Vasquez Merrick. “So mark your calendars.”

The LHACC block party takes place Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Derry Street between S. 13^th and 14^th streets.

The Latino Hispanic American Community Center is at 1301 Derry St., Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-232-8302 or visit www.lhacc.org.

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