Tag Archives: harrisburg

Harrisburg Eyes Membership in CapCOG, a ‘Costco’ for Local Governments

August 28, 2014 | by Paul Barker

Harrisburg is contemplating membership in CapCOG, whose joint bidding program may be able to produce savings through bulk purchases.

Anyone who has shopped at a wholesale retailer like Costco or Sam’s Club is familiar with the economy of scale. You can save a lot of money buying almonds one 3-pound bag a time—assuming you will need 3 pounds of almonds.

A similar idea is behind a recent push for Harrisburg to join the Capital Region Council of Governments, or CapCOG, which operates much like a members-only shopping center for municipalities.

Membership in CapCOG costs $1,500 per year. In exchange for that sum, local governments gain access to CapCOG’s joint bidding process, through which the council purchases bulk items as varied as road salt, street signs, line paint and golf-course sand and then passes on the savings to individual members.

Those savings often compare favorably to other joint-bidding programs, like the statewide COSTARS program, according to CapCOG Executive Director Ann Simonetti. For example, last year, the council’s bidding process on road salt secured a current price for its members of $58.51 per ton—about $7.50 cheaper than the COSTAR program’s listed price of $65.97 per ton for members in Dauphin County.

CapCOG members also gain access to the council’s joint board of appeals, a roster of architects, plumbers, electricians and other qualified professionals who can hear appeals of decisions by member governments on building and construction projects.

Harrisburg city government will consider becoming a member this month, following a presentation by Mayor Eric Papenfuse at City Council’s legislative session Tuesday.

During the brief presentation, Papenfuse said he expected membership to confer savings well in excess of the cost of joining. Council members, who had questions about the voting rights accompanying membership, placed the item in committee.

Simonetti, reached by phone on Thursday, explained that member municipalities each send one representative to monthly board meetings. Past meetings have featured presentations on issues like stormwater management, she said, as well as visits from state legislators to discuss bills relevant to local governments.

Board meetings will also occasionally involve member votes on resolutions for or against legislation being considered at the state level.

CapCOG was formed in the 1970s as the West Shore Council of Governments. It changed its name in 2005, following the addition of members from Dauphin County. The council currently has 40 municipal members from Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry and York counties.

Simonetti, who served 14 years on the Marysville borough council and is a past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Governments, runs the organization with one other part-time staff member out of rented space in the Hampden Township municipal building.

She first introduced Mayor Papenfuse to her organization back when he was campaigning for office. The two sat beside each other at a Harrisburg Regional Chamber committee meeting, where they exchanged business cards, she said.

More West Nile Virus Found in Harrisburg

August 1, 2014 | by TheBurg Editor

Two additional samples of West Nile virus have been discovered in Harrisburg, the city said today.

The following is a release announcing the discovery of the samples, what is being done about it and actions that residents can take:

The Dauphin County West Nile Virus Control Program says it has collected two more samples of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus in the city of Harrisburg.

The samples were collected Thursday and as a result of the additional positive samples, the county will expand its efforts to kill mosquito larvae in city catch basins in the areas where the mosquitoes carrying the virus were discovered.

The first mosquitoes with the West Nile virus were discovered in Harrisburg on July 23. No cases of humans being infected with the virus have been reported in Dauphin County. The city has been working closely with county officials to try to prevent the virus from spreading.

Capital Region Water teams have used bleach to clean water inlets to kill larvae that may be in stagnant water. The Dauphin County Conservation District is continuing to collect mosquito samples in Harrisburg to track the presence of the West Nile virus.

The Dauphin County Conservation District monitors mosquito populations throughout the county and says the discovery in Harrisburg is the 11th positive result this year for the presence of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus.

The virus can cause encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all residents of areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis. Although the risk of contracting WNV from an infected mosquito is small, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are advised to take precautions to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus.

The county’s West Nile Virus Control program is increasing surveillance and control measures to reduce the mosquito population and contain the virus.

Residents are urged to take the following precautions:

· Use products with Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis)–a naturally occurring bacteria that kills mosquito larvae but is safe for people, pets and plants–for stagnant pools of water in the lawn and garden.

· Remove any standing water in pots, containers, pool covers, tires, wheelbarrows, wading pools, roof gutters and other containers that hold water.

· Make sure screens fit tightly over doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out of homes.

· Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, or in areas known for having large numbers of mosquitoes.

· Reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito periods, usually April through October.

· Use insect repellents according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An effective repellent will contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Consult with a pediatrician or family physician if you have questions about the use of repellent on children, as repellent is not recommended for children under the age of two months.

To learn more about WNV and prevention, visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/westnile. For more information about Dauphin County’s WNV Control Program, contact Christopher Hooper, program coordinator, at 717-921-8100.

Central PA as Classroom: International students & their hosts find that learning goes both ways.

July 31, 2014 | by Deanne Shirey

Many international students visit central Pennsylvania to learn about America, whether they are a high school exchange student, a college student taking classes, or a college student working an internship with a local business. And we learn from them, too.

One of the most valuable experiences I have had was serving as housing host to Polish graduate students. Over the past 10 years, I have opened my home to five young ladies who were between the ages of 21 and 23. These particular students have traveled extensively throughout Europe and could speak three different languages. It was my duty to make sure they had a ride to and from their jobs and to provide them with a nice home environment during their stay in central Pennsylvania. As the students practiced their English language skills, I shared my way of life with them while being exposed to their traditions.

Although the students have been screened to participate in such international programs, you never know what an individual will be like until they are actually living in your home. But that’s life…meeting new people and learning to appreciate different lifestyles. People often get stuck in their own circles of family and friends. In Europe, it’s very common to let a stranger stay in one’s home. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to expand my horizons, and I am glad that I embraced it.

The young women I hosted valued faith and family. They attended church every Sunday. The students were kind and especially well-mannered. I was amused that, after I asked my first student to take off her shoes when coming into my home, she and her friends would leave all of their shoes at the bottom of the stairs every time they entered the home—I never had to ask again. And every new student who stayed with me followed suit. They were happy to do so without any rumblings. I do not have any children of my own, but these students were a real treat to be a part of our temporary family.

Foreign students are fascinated by American history. Since my boyfriend is a history buff, we always had fun taking the students exploring noteworthy sights in Harrisburg and the surrounding areas. Places like the National Civil War Museum and Gettysburg broadened the students’ knowledge of the area. The students also went on weekend trips to Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York, and they often made the excursions on their own.

On the flip side, they shared stories of their lives and travels. My most recent student and her family vacationed in Trou-aux-Biches, Mauritius, an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It was exciting to hear about a beach—a place on the other side of the world, that I never imagined visiting myself.

Christmas is a major holiday in Poland. While in Harrisburg, the students contributed their culinary talents to celebrate the holiday by making pierogies from scratch, and bigos (hunters stew), made of sauerkraut and meat, that is a Polish national dish. The meal was a delicious variation from American traditions. In addition, we exchanged gifts and attended Mass on Christmas Eve.

Although they were thin, the students were concerned about gaining weight while living in the United States. They were not accustomed to eating processed foods. Even the local bread was too sweet for their taste buds. Other observations from the kitchen: The students preferred to drink water without ice, they liked dark beer, and frowned upon using plastic sandwich bags when packing their lunches, which were considered to be harmful to the environment.

Ten years ago, a European student could only make an occasional phone call to hear the voices of family abroad. Now, Skype allows face-time with loved ones. It’s instant communication from anywhere. And, thanks to Skype, the Polish students would talk for hours, especially with their boyfriends.

With every new student I hosted, I learned something new. I take pride knowing that I enhanced the lives of these young ladies. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have made these friendships. When you open your heart and your home to someone different, you will be surprised by the rewards.

Become a Host

If you have an interest in sharing your life with an international exchange student, here are several organizations to check out.

Nacel Open Door, Inc.
www.nacelopendoor.org

Pennsylvania Partnerships Abroad, Ltd.
www.ppa-ltd.org

AFS-USA
www.afsusa.org

Making “The Ask:” A new column seeks to add diverse voices to TheBurg.

July 31, 2014 | by Wendy Jackson-Dowe

Wendy Jackson-Dowe

In November 2013, I was having coffee in the downtown location of Little Amps when I was introduced to Lawrance Binda. Well, my mind immediately starting racing and I thought, “Yep, I’m going to ask him!”… so I did.

I knew Lawrance was editor-in-chief of TheBurg, a magazine I really enjoyed reading and looked forward to each month. However, each issue seemed absent of a perspective that, in my opinion, was and is quite necessary to share, particularly in central Pennsylvania. The perspective I’m referring to is that of the progressive and professional black population in our region.

As I have shared with some who cared to know (and perhaps some who didn’t), most of my adult life has been lived outside of Harrisburg in places like Nashville, Chicago and Maryland. You may wonder, “What does this have to do with anything relative to TheBurg?” It is, in fact, the impetus of the “ask” I made of Lawrance—or LB as some call him.

Although Harrisburg is my hometown and my family has deep roots here, I sometimes struggle with the realization that I now live here and am raising my impressionable children in this region. When I left Harrisburg in 1980 to go to Fisk University as an impressionable, eager college freshman, I soon was exposed to—and interacted with—black folk who owned banks, motels and insurance companies; who published national magazines and were transplant surgeons; who owned multiple luxury car dealerships and investment banking firms; who leased their sprawling acreage to railroad companies. This exposure left quite an impression on me, as it would anyone.

So my “ask” of LB was to add a perspective to the magazine that highlights success stories from the greater Harrisburg black community, past and present, as they relate to intellectualism, economic empowerment, fiscal leadership, the sciences, banking, etc. We embody incredible intellectual capital, and, too often, it is omitted, overlooked, slanted or simply spoken about within an insular setting.

As stated in my first article published in the magazine, too often black folk are lauded for our superior athleticism or our exceptional ability to entertain. We are barraged with the negative images of black boys and men in the news. Now, people certainly should be held accountable for their actions. However, I feel these images cannot be the only prominent images of black men, young and old, that my children and members of the greater population believe to be true.

This dynamic also added to my eagerness to make “the ask.”

There is no stopping the “browning of America,” and, if we are to live together, we must have constructive dialogues that work toward the greater good, work in teams that are efficient and productive, hire one another, take direction from each other, provide constructive criticism, successfully apply for business loans, and rely on one another to protect our communities. We must teach our young, award contracts to each other, and promote those who may look a little different to positions of power. We must make a greater effort to get to know each other outside of often-superficial workplace relationships.

You won’t read about a victim mentality in my articles. You will read stories of hard work, stories of a tenacious desire to reach a goal, stories of pride, stories of economic empowerment, stories of a dignified people. My hope is to inspire, to move people to engage one another, to open minds to make considerations where one may not have before. Some may call it bold; I call it common sense.

So, again, I say, thank you to Lawrance Binda who saw value in my “ask” and who provides me a platform to do my part to make a positive difference in my space of the world in central Pennsylvania and beyond.

You can reach Wendy Jackson-Dowe at [email protected].

Yes, And: Life unfolds at a silly pace at the Harrisburg Improv Theatre.

July 31, 2014 | by Lori M. Myers

HACC student Haad Naqvi of Hummelstown remembers being on his way to visit a professor on campus when a flyer caught his eye.

It was for a class—sans grades and credit points—to learn a comedy form known as improvisation. The place? The new Harrisburg Improv Theatre in Midtown Harrisburg. The instructors? Its resident troupe known as The HIT Squad.

“I was hesitant to participate,” Naqvi recalls. “I actually didn’t have any acting, singing, comedy, performing skills. At the same time, I know these things work better with everyone participating, so I decided that my hesitance should die right away.”

But that “hesitance” took a little while to make its exit. Naqvi had told The HIT Squad members that he would perform only if it were a requirement to take the class. After all, his initial intention was simply to think quicker on his feet, but Naqvi ended up performing, found it valuable and was hooked.

“The experience was fantastic,” he says. “I felt performing completed the experience.”

Intimate, Artsy

Harrisburg already lays claim to several improv groups that perform around the region, but now the comedy form has a home of its own. Go on over to the Midtown space—a former shoe repair and tailor shop and then an art gallery—now repurposed as a theater by Perry County native Jake Compton and his wife, Somers, a native of Etters. The Harrisburg couple are amazed that their dream of offering a place for improv and other creative endeavors has come true.

About 10 years ago, Jake got hooked on improv and took some classes in New York after inviting himself along when friends wanted to give it a try. He discovered that he loved it, but got busy with other things and put it on the back burner.

“I knew it would cycle back in my life,” Jake says, as he relaxes on one of the cushioned pews in this cozy theater. “We launched classes at MakeSpace and got a full house.”

That evidence of interest was all Jake needed. It fueled his need for a space where creativity and the improv mantra of “yes…and…” (meaning that performers always affirm each other’s contributions) could flourish. At the end of last year, Jake was online and noticed that a building on 3rd Street was available, and, when the price dropped, he and Somers were able to make that dream a reality.

It was perfect—intimate, artsy, filled with potential. Jake wanted a niche space for improv; Somers sought a place where people could rent the storefront building for events like birthday parties and bridal showers, as well as poetry slams. They compromised. It was going to be all of those things.

“We look at this and laugh,” Jake says. “How legitimate we must look to other people.”

Open, Welcoming

The theater officially opened in June, but not before hitting an unexpected snag. After taking ownership of the building, the Comptons decided to paint over a mural on an outside wall facing a community garden. At the time, they didn’t know that the mural was a commissioned work that had become a cherished part of the neighborhood.

A brief media kerfuffle ensued, and the Comptons suddenly found themselves facing TV news cameras, explaining and apologizing for their oversight. The controversy now seems to have receded, allowing them again to focus on the potential of the theater.

“We’re very excited about what the future holds,” Jake said.

So is Jennie Adams of Hummelstown, a seven-year improv performer/teacher, member of Gamut Theatre’s TMI Improv Troupe and a performer with and co-owner of the all-female No Artificial Sweeteners. She took a class at MakeSpace with Jake last spring and enjoyed it so much that she signed up for Level 2.

“Jake and Somers Compton have been very open and welcoming to the already strong Harrisburg improv community and are open to collaborating with all the existing troupes here,” Adams says. “In fact, No Artificial Sweeteners and The HIT Squad did a joint show that benefited their improv class scholarship program.”

The young improvisers scholarship is for young people ages 17 to 19 who are interested in taking a class but for whom price might be an issue.

“We are hoping it helps to draw in young people who otherwise would not become involved,” Jake says. “I lucked into getting involved with improv when I was 19. I’m excited at the chance to give young people the same opportunity I had.”

On Aug. 15, the Harrisburg Improv Theatre will present a Level 1 class show at 6 p.m. and a Level 2 class show at 7 p.m. Then The HIT Squad will take to the stage at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., there will be a free mini class and mixer for those who want to try improv.

“If it terrifies you, you should take a class,” Jake says. “It will help you with life.”

The Harrisburg Improv Theater is at 1633 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. See www.hbgimprov.com for more information on classes and shows.

To Good Use: 3 years ago, Harrisburg’s main post office closed its doors. Now, a new owner is seeking clarity about what he can and can’t do there.

July 31, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Adam Meinstein sweeps his arm forward as he speaks of his vision.

A restaurant here. Small-scale manufacturing there. Maybe a rental car office or workshops or a showroom.

We’re standing at 815 Market St., a cavernous building that once was the Keystone branch, Harrisburg’s main postal facility. For decades, millions of letters and parcels passed through, heading into town and out to who-knows-where. It was a noisy place, with the buzz and hum of sorting machines, conveyors and hundreds of employees.

Today, the building is mostly quiet, the silence broken up by an occasional voice or some tools banging. But Meinstein says he’s working hard to fill the building once again with the sound of commerce—people working, people creating, customers being served.

“This is an interesting property,” he said, “We’re sitting in the middle of an industrial zone, but we know there is long-term potential for many uses for the property.”

Meinstein is president of Equilibrium Equities, a suburban Philadelphia investment and development company that bought the facility in 2011 for $600,000, after the U.S. Postal Service wound down 50 years at the site. In addition to the 240,000-square-foot building, 700 parking spaces sit amid an 11-acre property that’s the equivalent of eight city blocks.

After the purchase, Meinstein invested about $1.5 million in improvements that included everything from paving, lights and security cameras outside to removing heavy postal equipment, sealing floors and knocking down walls inside.

The easiest sell was, as one might expect in Harrisburg, the parking. Under the name TransitPark, Meinstein’s company lets spaces on both a short-term and long-term basis at a deep discount to rates charged by Standard Parking, which took over city garages and street parking late last year as part of Harrisburg’s financial recovery plan.

Meinstein now does a lot of business with state and downtown workers who don’t mind walking a few extra blocks, including beneath the Market Street underpass, to save a fair chunk of change. Amtrak riders, downtown residents and short-term visitors represent other groups of customers.

Adam Meinstein

But it’s inside the building where both the opportunities and challenges lie. After the post office closed in 2011, the doors were locked, and the only indication of activity was some new landscaping and a sign that said, “815 Market Street.”

But, says Meinstein, that outward perception was deceptive. Following some improvements and marketing, the building began to find occupants.

Harrisburg-based Exhibit Studios had run out of space at its main facility on Cameron Street, so took some space—and then some more. Restaurant Auction Co. needed a place to stash some equipment, as did Appalachian Brewing Co. Meinstein donated room to store 80 murals that used to line the Mulberry Street Bridge, which is undergoing a complete rehabilitation.

As of this writing, about 80,000 square feet of space was leased, with another 40,000 or so under negotiation, Meinstein said.

Who knew?

“Usually, I like to keep a low profile,” he said.

That, however, began to change in June, when the Papenfuse administration reintroduced a new zoning code that had been moldering on the shelves for four years.

The code rezoned the old post office site from industrial to a new zone called “Downtown Center,” as the city tried to push the boundaries of downtown up Market Street towards Cameron. With the change, industrial uses would not be permitted in the area by right.

“This building went from a single tenant, the U.S. Postal Service, to a living, breathing, mixed-use building, including industrial,” said Meinstein. “The new code takes away industrial use.”

He objected. His building, “grandfathered” in, would be exempt from the restrictions of the new zone as long as the existing uses were unchanged. But he feared negative consequences if a future tenant wanted to propose other industrial uses. The fact that the building was constructed for industrial purposes—with 40 dock doors, 22-foot-high ceilings, a large truck court and massive freight elevators—made that scenario likely, he said.

In fact, he said his building already housed a wide variety of uses, as tenant Exhibit Studios was using it for assembly and fabrication, in addition to storage. Therefore, all these uses should be grandfathered, he insisted.

“We were just trying to make sure that on Wednesday morning, we were allowed to do the same things we were doing on Tuesday night,” he said.

The city disagreed, insisting that the site served primarily as a warehouse.

“We’d have to have a more thorough understanding exactly of what economic activity is going on there, but it’s my understanding that it’s primarily storage or warehousing at this point,” said city Planner/Zoning Officer Geoffrey Knight at a City Council meeting last month.

To try to make changes to the code, Meinstein took a public stance, speaking his piece at several public hearings. He also saw it as an opportune time to let the people of Harrisburg know what had become of their old post office, that he was putting back into productive use an enormous, strategically located building that the federal government no longer wanted.

He received only slight satisfaction. Several City Council members tried, but failed, to pass a narrowly targeted amendment that would have continued to allow a full array of industrial uses at 815 Market by right, including manufacturing, assembly and distribution.

In the end, council agreed only that assembly would be allowed in the new Downtown Center zone—and not by right. The Zoning Hearing Board would have to agree to a special exception for the use.

Still, Meinstein plans to continue trying to change minds by suggesting amendments to the new zoning code during the six-month review period. Otherwise, he’ll operate on the belief that the building’s historic industrial uses—including warehouse, distribution and assembly/fabrication—are grandfathered uses for his building.

“We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing,” he said.

In his view, the city’s stance represents wishful thinking. The administration and council may want to extend downtown to Cameron Street, but there’s currently no demand for new offices or housing there—and may not be for many years, he said. What is there demand for? The industrial uses that his building was designed for.

“It was not a great message for the business community at large that these uses did not just get clearly approved in a highly functional, well-maintained industrial building,” he said.

In fact, 815 Market is one of the few decent structures left in a corridor that once housed thriving industrial concerns as diverse as a brewery, a print shop and the Patriot-News press and distribution facilities. Abandoned buildings and large surface lots now dominate the area between the railroad tracks and Cameron Street.

“Look around here,” he said, gesturing into the distance towards Market Street. “What do you see? There are vacant buildings, distressed properties. That one building has trees growing out of the roof.”

Then he pointed back to his building.

“This property has long-term potential,” he said. “We have a lot of room to do what we need to do, what the city needs to have happen.”

Art of the State: A Summertime Ritual

July 31, 2014 | by TheBurg Editor

A summertime ritual in Harrisburg, Art of the State has returned to the State Museum, showcasing some of the finest painting, photography, sculpture, craft and work on paper in Pennsylvania.

The juried show features 122 works from 30 counties, culled from more than 1,700 submissions. We’re only able to highlight a fraction of the art here. So, please, motor on over to the museum and check out the exhibit, which runs through Sept. 14, the day of Harrisburg’s annual Gallery Walk.

A Meal, a Memory: Caruso’s may be gone, but the melody lingers.

July 31, 2014 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Harrisburg’s restaurant scene has changed so much in recent years.

The places we considered “landmarks” in the city are gone: the Maverick (great steaks and a lobster fest in June), Italian classics at Lombardo’s (seafood fra diablo), the Esquire Room in the old Penn Harris (great burgers), and Santanna’s on 2nd Street with the fish tank at the door and hard shell crabs by the bushel.

We have new places to love now: Carley’s and Stock’s; Mangia Qui and Char’s; Café Fresco and Home 231; Bricco and El Sol; and many wonderful casual spots like the Federal Taphouse, Arepa City, Pastorante, Alvaro and Crawdaddy’s.

But driving on Chestnut Street in downtown Harrisburg always brings back memories of a little bistro that was very dear to my heart. Many years are gone since Dennis and Terry Snyder opened Caruso’s not far from the train station near what now is Bricco. It was a tiny place with a front-facing window, forest green walls decked with Italian art, and, on weekdays, the sounds of opera softly playing in the background. Caruso’s smelled like an Italian restaurant should smell, in my view: of olive oil and garlic.

It was the early ‘80s, and our children were very little back then. When my family could babysit, we would sneak out to Caruso’s for a late dinner, usually on a Saturday night. The little bistro was always bustling and, on weekends, Carl Iba, violinist for the Harrisburg Symphony, would stroll and play all night. I can never hear music from “Fiddler on the Roof” without thinking of him.

The food was wonderful: homemade pasta, fresh fish from Baltimore, chicken and meat dishes, all prepared in classic Mediterranean style. Terry made all the desserts herself. Her specialty was zuccotto, a chilled cake, brandy, chocolate and cream dessert prepared in a rounded mold. It was always on the menu. Lacrima Christi and Cortese di Gavi were always available for perfect wine accompaniments.

I still remember my first meal at Caruso’s: homemade spinach fettuccine with gorgonzola cream sauce and chicken with vinegar peppers. It was delightful. And, after that, we were regulars.

For this month’s column and as a tribute to Caruso’s, I searched and searched for a recipe for chicken with vinegar peppers to share with TheBurgreaders that was reminiscent of that first meal. I found a recipe by Bobby Flay called “Chicken and Peppers in Balsamic Vinegar Sauce”and decided to give it a try:

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over moderately high heat (I used my cast iron Le Creuset) until it shimmers.
Pat dry 8 chicken thighs (bone in or boneless) with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the thighs in batches (give them room!) until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove each batch to a clean plate until the others are done and before adding the peppers.
Cut 3 bell peppers (I used red, yellow and green) into thin strips and add to the casserole. Cook the peppers about 5 minutes until slightly soft. (August is a great month for peppers.)
Add 4 cloves chopped garlic and toss with the peppers about 1 minute.
Then add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook for another minute, working the paste through the pepper mixture.
Add 1 cup balsamic vinegar (I used a good white balsamic) and cook the pepper mixture until the vinegar is reduced by half.
Add 2 tablespoons honey and a cup of low sodium chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes more. The heat should still be moderately high.
Return the chicken to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and cover the lid. Simmer the chicken until completely cooked through (at least 30 minutes) and then remove the lid.
Remove the chicken to a platter and then boil down the sauce a little to thicken.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley.

We loved this dish. I served it with rice for him and creamy mashed Yukon gold potatoes for me. Sliced summer tomatoes with chopped basil would be a nice accompaniment to the chicken, along with chilled melon slices.

Now, as a matter of full disclosure, this dish was very different from my first cherished entree at Caruso’s. (I will have to keep searching.) But writing this column brought back wonderful memories of that special place. Here’s to a little restaurant on Chestnut Street that was decades ahead of its time. Salute!

Known Unknowns: With a little digging and networking, you can find answers to your many questions.

July 31, 2014 | by Tara Leo Auchey

I get asked a lot of questions about Harrisburg.

Sometimes, they are basic questions with easy answers. “What’s the rule about trashcans in the city?” Per the ordinance, all garbage must be placed in plastic or metal receptacles with tight-fitting lids, securely fastened and watertight. There. Answered.

Sometimes, though, the questions are more complex. “How did the city get into such a financial mess?” My response to this one inevitably starts with a deep breath and includes sundry chapters and digressions.

I get questions about city rules, ways of life and states of being.

I get questions asked in sincerity, curiosity, confusion, frustration, facetiousness and indignity.

The fact is many people have many questions about the city of Harrisburg. They want answers and the scoop.

It isn’t a problem that there’s a plethora of questions. The problem is that people just aren’t quite sure how to find answers when they need them.

That’s because there really isn’t a centralized source for information about Harrisburg. The exact who, what, when, where and how can be elusive. As a consequence, a significant number of people feel excluded and frustrated with the entire system, which hardens divisions.

Sure, there is some information in some places, but people complain those places aren’t necessarily familiar or accessible or up-to-date or accurate. The city’s website would seem the logical place to go, but, as of now, it’s still a work in progress. And a call or visit to City Hall doesn’t guarantee clarity.

Overall, people have to work hard to access information. Questions end up coming my way because I have made it a mission of sorts to acquire information and share it.

I try to discover it and impart it massively, which can be a daunting task indeed. Often, I get the comment, “I was told to ask you because you would know.”

That’s not true. I don’t always know. And, in matters that reach beyond factual answers, I’m not constantly poised to engage. Although, there are times when I do share my theories and perspective. In those instances, I’m sure to support my positions with evidence and reasoning. The rest is open to a spirit of fair debate.

That being said, the thing I think I do well is find out what’s going on.

I seek the answers. I go places and talk to people. I ask questions and verify responses. I read. I listen. I engage.

Over the years, it’s gotten easier. I know more people and am aware of more points of view. I know where to find reliable sources and documents. I’ve learned processes and protocols. If I don’t know the direct route to answers or explanations, I’ve figured out which direction to look.

Harrisburg is a small place. When it comes down to it, it’s a manageable place with manageable information.

I came to that realization with time and effort, though. I had to make an effort to know where to go, who to ask or how to find out things. I had to gather information and try to make sense of it all.

Much of my knowledge comes from spending hours and hours in a variety of places around the city. While I may spend much more time in locating information than the average person, I’d argue even a bit of effort by anyone could make for a better informed citizen.

City Council meetings, zoning hearings, and press conferences—even going once in awhile—puts you in touch with several resources. Public projects, initiatives and gatherings are other good places to meet people and exchange information. Even sitting on the front porch and walking around the neighborhood help make connections and expose you to multiple types of knowledge. Participating in community endeavors unavoidably gives you an earful, much of it valuable and useful.

By doing all of the above, I discovered an incredible network of people and resources. I met people who care, people who are accomplished and who want to make Harrisburg better. They, too, want to know more.

Plus, they are willing to share what they do know.

It’s a network of rich diversity of perspective, experience and information.

Of course, serious trust issues exist, but that can’t be surprising for a city in reconstruction.

It takes some determination to tap into the network. When I first moved here eight years ago, I didn’t know how to do that. When I researched, I found that most of the information came from the top down. There lacked a mass community exchange, especially one that stretched across the city. Accurate information was some sort of privilege granted a few. The network seemed small, tight and exclusive.

Fortunately, it’s not like that anymore. That system crashed and can’t easily be rebuilt because now there are too many people paying attention. More of us share knowledge and willingly pass it along. There’s more engagement and consensus on what the facts are. More people are participating and expanding the system of communication in Harrisburg.

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

An Optimist Strikes Back: Good things are happening right before our eyes. So, what’s with all the cynicism?

July 31, 2014 | by J. Alex Hartzler

I meet people every day who love living and working in Harrisburg.

Often, just having a coffee at Little Amps or grabbing lunch at Café Fresco, I enjoy the fun and excitement of urban spontaneity. One meeting leads to two or three other conversations as people have unplanned interactions throughout the course of the day.

The essence of urban living and working is being out and about, walking around, meeting new people and reconnecting with friends and colleagues. Some of the best ideas spring from these chance encounters and enriching conversations, occasionally leading to actions and projects, both large and small.

This past month, a major new business joined Harrisburg when the Philadelphia Macaroni Co. took over operations at the former Unilever plant on S. 17^th Street. This is but one of numerous new businesses and residents in Harrisburg recently. While this news was surprising to some (who generally have a cynical outlook of the city), it should not be a surprise to anyone who has been following all of the positive activity going on over the last year. Here is a list of just some other projects (and folks to talk to) if you want to hear the story of what is really happening this summer in Harrisburg.

WebpageFX recently moved 65 employees into a renovated, 9,000-square-foot building at 1705 N. Front St. Bill Craig and Karie Shearer have led the company since its inception. They said that moving to Harrisburg from a business incubator in Carlisle was a natural next step in the growth of their company and was essential for their recruitment efforts. WebpageFX has generally young and tech-savvy employees who prefer city amenities—like the beautiful view of the Susquehanna River right out their front window. (My company, WCI Partners is the developer and landlord of WebpageFX’s building.)

Speaking of views, Char’s Tracy Mansion, just up Front Street from WebpageFX, is having a record-breaking year. I spoke to Char Magaro this week, and her business is outperforming all the expectations that she had when she expanded from her prior location in Shipoke. At the time, many were skeptical that any restaurant on Front Street would be successful. However, her food and setting are as good as any in the region and state.

While I’m talking about restaurants, Harrisburg boasts not one but several national-class dining experiences. Qui Qui and her partner Staci, the long-time owners of Mangia Qui and Suba, are set to more than double their restaurant space when they open Rubicon this summer. Sitting in the shadow of the Capitol dome at N. 3rd and North streets, Qui and Staci have re-invested substantial new capital into their business and are excited to expand their offerings in the city.

Derek Dilks recently gave me a tour of the LUX condominium building that he and Dan Deitchman redeveloped at N. 3^rd and State streets in Harrisburg. Consisting of 44 units, about half of which are already reserved prior to their opening, the building is a terrific redesign and conversion of vacant, rundown office space. Formerly a non-profit association headquarters, the building sat empty for years. Dan and Derek are working on a restaurant for the first floor and offer amazing views of the Capitol building and downtown for their residents from the building’s rooftop. When fully occupied, the building will add vibrancy and foot traffic in the downtown.

Josh Kesler recently gave me a tour of his ambitious new project across from the Broad Street Market. Over the winter, Josh and his team sandblasted and refinished the old wood timber in the historic Millworks building, which had sat empty for years. Now, they are putting finishing touches on 23 workspaces that have been 100-percent pre-leased to artists who will both make and market their wares in the new space. Josh and his wife are also adding a farm-to-table restaurant and beer garden inside the space. By removing part of the roof, they have created a very unique indoor/outdoor space unlike any other in the region. It is sure to be a new hot spot when it opens this fall.

Nick Laus is opening a new wine bar and upscale brick-oven pizzeria called Cork & Fork at the corner of N. 2^nd and State streets this fall. Expanding on his already very successful city businesses at Café Fresco and Home 231, Nick’s additional investment shows his continued faith in Harrisburg. (WCI will be the landlord for Cork & Fork.)

And the reasons for optimism keep on coming:

Emma’s on Third recently opened an organic spa and yoga studio on 3rd Street in Midtown near the new Susquehanna Art Museum.
Yellowbird Café was packed this weekend when I swung by for take-out for some friends visiting from out of town.
Aaron Carlson at Little Amps tells me that his business has had its best three months running since it opened.
The team at The MakeSpace continues to impress with all their artistic and community endeavors.
Dan Webster (with an assist from Liz and Dani Fresh) recently produced a Harrisburg version of their magazine, Local. If you haven’t picked up a copy, please do—it is worth the read.
Out-of-town investors recently purchased the long-vacant properties previously owned by Mary Knackstedt and have started work, vowing to be the latest residents to make their home on N. Front Street.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. This is truly an exciting time for Harrisburg. There is much more to be done, but our worst days are behind us and many terrific things are happening, if you just look and walk around.

Unlike the cynics, don’t be surprised. Just read TheBurg every month (and daily on the Web) to hear about the stories you won’t find elsewhere.

J. Alex Hartzler is publisher of TheBurg.

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