Tag Archives: Linda Thompson

Primary field set for Harrisburg-area PA House seats

March 29, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda

Rep. Patty Kim

Several familiar names around the Harrisburg area plan to make a run for a PA House seat, as the deadline passed to submit nomination petitions for the May primary.

The race for the redrawn 103^rd House district may prove to be especially hot, as it attracted five candidates in all.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Patty Kim will go up against a former mayor of Harrisburg, Linda Thompson, as well as Camp Hill resident Heather McDonald, in the May 17 primary.

The Republican primary is also competitive, as former Harrisburg mayoral and City Council candidate Jennie Jenkins-Dallas will face off against David Buell of Camp Hill, a former Cumberland County prothonotary.

The 103^rd district has been significantly redrawn to now include about half of Harrisburg and the west shore communities of Camp Hill, Lemoyne, Wormleysburg and East Pennsboro Township. It currently includes all of Harrisburg and several communities to the east of the city.

The 104^th district also has a new look, comprising the eastern part of Harrisburg and several adjoining east shore towns. In that race, Harrisburg council member Dave Madsen will compete against Shaela Ellis, a Swatara Township commissioner, and two-term Steelton council member Keontay Hodge for the Democratic nomination. No candidates filed to run for the Republican nomination.

Two Democrats are running in the primary for the new 105^th House district: long-time activist Eric Epstein of Lower Paxton Township and Susquehanna Township Commissioner Justin Fleming. No Republican filed to run in the race, a seat now held by a Republican, Rep. Andrew Lewis.

For the 106^th House district, Republican incumbent Tom Mehaffie is running unopposed for his party’s nomination. He seems poised to serve another two-year term, as no Democrats chose to run for the seat.

The winners of the primaries will go on to represent their parties in the Nov. 8 general election.

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50 Ways to Bide Your Time: Still stuck at home? We have a little Harrisburg-themed distraction.

January 29, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

About once a year, I take a break from my usual conceit of trying to think great thoughts about our fair city and attempt to do something a little different.

So, one year, I tongue-in-cheeked it through a list of Harrisburg “gotta knows” for city newcomers and, another year, I set out to lure overwrought Washingtonians to our smaller capital city.

February seems as good a time as any to distract myself—and you—with more foolishness. So, I’ve compiled a list of 50 “very Harrisburg” items, events and nuggets. This list is designed with residents in mind, though anyone who’s spent time in the city should be able to answer a bunch. Please know that this isn’t a serious competition—it’s just some silly fun.

Award yourself two points for each one accomplished/answered then visit our Facebook page and tell us how you did.

If nothing else, this little exercise may allow you to chew up a few minutes as we all sit around and wait our turn at the vaccine.

The List (each item is worth 2 points)

Harrisburg & You

1) You’re born and raised.
2) You attended school here.
3) You’ve taken a class at HACC (extra point for earning a degree).
4) You’re a happy transplant.

Official HBG

5) Identify the tropical storm that devastated Harrisburg in 1972.
6) Name a Harrisburg mayor not Reed, Thompson or Papenfuse.
7) Name more than one current member of City Council.
8) Correctly name the entity that conducts city street sweeping.
9) Name the entity that owns Harrisburg’s parking system.
10) You own an artifact that once belonged to Steve Reed.

Down on the Corner

11) You know how to properly pronounce “Muench” Street.
12) You’ve almost been hit crossing Forster or State streets.
13) You know the common name of the neighborhood that was destroyed to expand the Capitol complex (extra point for correctly naming the park that now dominates the area in back of the Capitol).
14) You’ve never complained on social media about parking.
15) You’ve been on a Harrisburg house tour (extra point for showing your house).
16) You’ve heard shots fired (another point if you later realized it was duck hunters).
17) What’s the nickname of the Walnut Street Bridge?

Chow Down

18) You’ve eaten at all three: Mangia Qui, Suba and Rubicon.
19) You’ve had pizza at Subway Café.
20) You’ve patronized the taco truck at 15th and Market streets.
21) You’ve brunched at Crawdaddy’s.
22) You’ve held the door open at the Broad Street Market for a long, long line of strangers.
23) You have memories of one of the following long-gone eateries: The Spot, Alsedek’s, Santanna’s or Harry’s Tavern.
24) You can name one previous restaurant in the building that now houses Note Bistro & Winebar (extra point for naming a prior occupant of Ted’s; and yet another point for naming a prior occupant of Los Tres Cubanos).
25) You dined in the street during 2020.

Parks & Rec

26) You’ve picnicked in Reservoir Park (another 2 points for sledding in Reservoir Park).
27) You’ve run an organized race along the Harrisburg riverfront.
28) You’ve walked, run or biked the entire 3.1-mile loop in Wildwood Park.
29) You’ve played Water Golf.
30) You’ve biked the entire Capital Area Greenbelt (extra point if it was during the Tour de Belt; extra two points if you can identify the section of the Greenbelt that features the MLK Jr. Memorial).
31) You’ve attended at least two summer festivals in Riverfront Park (extra point for naming two memorials or statues located in Riverfront Park; extra two points for naming the organization primarily responsible for the Peace Garden)

Harrisburg Critters

32) You’ve waded through a cloud of mayflies (extra point if this happened at a Harrisburg Senators game).
33) You’ve swallowed a gnat while running/biking on the river walk.
34) You’ve had it already with all the spider webs!
35) You’ve dodged geese in Riverfront Park or Italian Lake.
36) You’ve dodged goose droppings in Riverfront Park or Italian Lake.
37) You’ve had some type of mouse, groundhog or squirrel issue.
38) You’ve posted on social media about a stray cat (extra 2 points for adopting the cat; another 2 points for visiting the Friends of Midtown Community Dog Park).
39) You know about the Harrisburg beaver and its vital role in city history.

Hometown Tourist

40) You’ve toured the state Capitol as an adult (add 2 more points for also visiting the State Museum as an adult).
41) You’ve been inside the Harris Cameron Mansion (extra point for touring the Fort Hunter Mansion).
42) You’ve attended at least two PA Farm Shows (extra point for going to “Food Court” day; another point for going in a snowstorm).
43) You’ve explored Harrisburg Cemetery, for fun.
44) You’ve attended a 3rd in the Burg event (extra point for hosting one).
45) You have a favorite Harrisburg mural (extra point for naming the artist.)
46) You’ve been on a pontoon boat on the Susquehanna.
47) You’ve kayaked on the Susquehanna.
48) You’ve sailed on the Pride of the Susquehanna.
49) You have a regular spot where you pick up TheBurg magazine (extra point if you subscribe to TheBurg Daily and another point if you’ve listened to TheBurg Podcast; two extra points if your name has been in TheBurg).
50) You heart Harrisburg.

Extra Credit: Award yourself two more big points if you’re a “Friend of TheBurg!”

How’d you do? We’ll link to this column on Facebook on the day the print issue drops (Jan. 29), so you can share your feedback with us. Sorry—there are no prizes, but I hope this column offered you a brief mental vacation. Now, where’s my vaccine already?

Your Score

Fewer than 20 points: What’s a Harrisburg?

20-30 points: You run the lights on Forster Street to vamoose.

30-40 points: You might show up—if the parking’s free.

40-50 points: Currently scrolling Trulia, hoping to find “deal.”

50-60 points: Asking around for “reliable” contractor.

60-70 points: You know where to get the best food at Kipona.

70-80 points: You eagerly anticipate each new issue of TheBurg.

80-90 points: You should have your own stand in the Broad Street Market.

90-100+ points: You’re John Harris.

Most responses are personal or subjective, but some items have actual answers. These include:

5: Agnes
6: There are too many to name here, but, believe it or not, there’s an informative Wikipedia page that lists all of Harrisburg’s mayors since the city incorporated—check it out.
8: Capital Region Water
9: The city technically owns the system but leases it.
11: “Min-ick” Street
13: Old 8th Ward and, for extra point, Soldier’s Grove
17: Old Shaky
30: The MLK Jr. Memorial is located on the Greenbelt’s Cameron Parkway.
31: The local chapter of the Physicians for Social Responsibility spearheaded creation of the Peace Garden.

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

Illustrations by Rich Hauck.

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7-term Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed dies; sentiments pour in following his passing

January 25, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Long-time Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed has died, the seven-term, often-controversial mayor defining an era of Harrisburg’s history.

Reed, 70, died following a long battle with prostate cancer. He left behind a complicated legacy, one marked both by the city’s nascent renaissance and its eventual financial collapse.

Born in Chambersburg, Reed later moved to Harrisburg and attended Bishop McDevitt High School. As a teenager, he already was involved in Democratic politics and left Dickinson College to pursue his political ambitions.

At just 25 years old, he was elected to the state Assembly, serving five years, and also was elected Dauphin County commissioner. His true desire, though, was to lead his struggling hometown, and he was elected mayor in 1981.

At the time, Harrisburg was suffering from decades of deindustrialization, depopulation and disinvestment, as well as devastating flooding. He immediately made big plans for change.

Through 28 years in office, Reed had many successes, including reviving City Island, attracting a minor league baseball team, opening the National Civil War Museum and reinvigorating the moribund downtown.

Over time, though, questions arose over how the city financed these and other projects. In the early 2000s, a bungled retrofit of the city’s troubled incinerator revealed Harrisburg’s fragile financial state and very high levels of debt. It also was discovered that Reed had spent millions of public dollars buying artifacts for a series of museums he hoped to build.

In 2009, Reed lost a bid for an unprecedented eighth term, and, soon, the city was placed into the state’s Act 47 program for financially distressed municipalities then put directly into state receivership.

Meanwhile, the state launched an investigation into Reed’s dealings and, in 2015, charged him with 499 criminal counts, most later dismissed due to statute of limitations restrictions. In 2017, he was given probation after pleading guilty to 20 criminal counts related to museum artifacts found in his possession.

Reed left behind a complex legacy, one of rebuilding and distress, one the city lives with to this day.

Since his death was announced on Saturday, many key players in the city, including those directly impacted by Reed, have issued statements on his life and legacy.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse
“Mayor Reed dedicated his life to the citizens of Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania. His transformative vision left an indelible mark on every major development project in our capital for over a generation. Harrisburg mourns his loss, and on behalf of our City, I extend my deepest condolences to his family. The flags at City Hall, Riverfront Park, and City Island will be lowered to half-staff in honor of his life of public service.”

Dr. Eric Darr, president of Harrisburg University
“Mayor Stephen R. Reed was a visionary whose foresight changed the landscape of Harrisburg. Under his leadership, Harrisburg University was created as a hub for STEM learning and economic development. He lived to see today’s HU recognized as a model of higher education and civic impact. The legacy of Steve Reed includes lives changed and a region transformed, in part because Harrisburg University emerged from his vision of a vibrant city full of opportunities.”

Ted Black, CEO of Whitaker Center
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and Emeritus of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, we would like to express our deep sadness on the passing of Mayor Stephen Reed. Mayor Reed was an outstanding leader who, along with other community, government, legislative and business leaders, spearheaded the collaborative effort to create a first-of-its-kind visionary institution 20 years ago. We are forever grateful to Mayor Reed for the instrumental role he played in helping with Harrisburg’s revitalization and in establishing Whitaker Center as Harrisburg’s “Crown Jewel.” His legacy will live on in the dedication, guidance and inspiration for the next generation of children who are introduced to science and the arts through Whitaker Center. We send our condolences to his family and the region, and thank one of our most valuable founders.”

Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown Enterprises
“Harristown salutes Stephen R. Reed for his lifetime of service to the City of Harrisburg. He had a way of making us all believe that anything was truly possible with vision and tireless persistence. Reed was a partner with Harristown on a myriad of major economic development projects including the Hilton Harrisburg and the recreating of Market Square Plaza, the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, the Penn National Headquarters office tower, Strawberry Square Phase II, the International House, the creation of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District, Bricco restaurant, and so much more. Steve Reed was the master of absorbing the details of any new project and then reciting it back to the public with all the colorful details that would bring it to life. He had an incredibly bold sense of optimism for the City of Harrisburg and was a consummate cheerleader and champion for the city.”

The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
Steve Reed was a rare visionary whose 35 years of elected public service, 28 as mayor, was focused on restoring and re-inventing Harrisburg as a great city. Our city, our region is simply a better place because of Mayor Reed. He was a friend and a champion of the Chamber & CREDC. He was a catalyst for our region in the truest sense of the word. On behalf of our members, our boards and staff, we offer our sympathies to his family and those men and women who worked with him throughout his life of public service to the city he loved.”

This story has been updated several times.

Harrisburg will provide sanitation services to Steelton under new intergovernmental agreement

June 18, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Members of Harrisburg City Council in session on Tuesday night.

Harrisburg soon will provide sanitation services to Steelton, as the city on Tuesday night agreed to begin trash collection in the neighboring borough.

Harrisburg City Council unanimously voted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement so that the city will begin picking up Steelton’s residential trash and recyclables starting the week of July 1.

Steelton’s council approved the same agreement on Monday night.

“This is a really exciting and positive development for the city of Harrisburg and the borough of Steelton,” said Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Borough Manager Doug Brown said that Steelton wanted to make the change because of residents’ dissatisfaction with the service provided by long-time hauler Republic Services, as well as a proposed price increase by the company.

“It was significantly more money,” Brown said. “That, plus the problematic service we were getting.”

Therefore, Steelton had the idea of approaching Harrisburg to see if the city had the interest and ability to take on its trash removal.

Harrisburg Public Works Director Aaron Johnson described the arrangement as “all positive,” since Steelton’s trash has been picked up on Wednesdays, the one day when Harrisburg has enough spare capacity to handle the borough’s 2,500 residential customers.

“It couldn’t happen on a better day,” he said. “For us, it’s just like adding another route.”

The agreement calls only for residential, not commercial, trash pickup, which is handled privately in Steelton.

Papenfuse said that Harrisburg does not expect to have to add any personnel or equipment to handle Steelton’s trash, because Wednesday has been a slow day for the city’s sanitation workforce.

Under the agreement, Steelton households will pay Harrisburg $25 a month for pickup, or $300 per year. Residents now pay Republic $24.45 a month, but that price would have increased by $13 to $15 a month under the company’s renewal proposal, Brown said.

Papenfuse declined to describe the agreement as a potential revenue generator for the city, but said it would offset some costs.

“It will pay for part of our employees’ time and the truck’s time, which will free up money for other uses,” he said.

Papenfuse also pointed out the turnabout from several years ago, when, under the “Harrisburg Strong” financial recovery plan, the city almost privatized its trash pickup to Republic Services. City Council pushed back on the deal brokered by then-Mayor Linda Thompson, and sanitation remained a city-provided service.

Notably, the sanitation charge for Steelton residents will be less than that for Harrisburg residents, who receive a monthly sanitation bill of $32.34. The difference, Papenfuse told council, is due to the vastly different amounts that the two municipalities pay for refuse disposal at the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) facility in south Harrisburg.

Steelton pays a “tipping fee” of $85 per ton, while Harrisburg, due to the terms of its agreement with LCSWMA that helped resolve its financial crisis, pays $195 per ton.

The agreement reached between Harrisburg and Steelton is only a temporary measure that runs through Dec. 31. Both municipalities will need to hammer out a longer-term deal in the fall.

Council members said they were pleased with the agreement, both because it represented an efficient use of the city’s resources and because it offered a rare example of cooperation and shared services between local governments.

“It seems like a no brainer,” said Councilwoman Danielle Bowers. “I hope this is the first of many cooperation agreements between us and neighboring municipalities.”

Harrisburg and Steelton officials plan to make a formal announcement of their agreement during a press conference tomorrow afternoon.

Burg Blog: They’re Out

May 22, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A recent meeting of the Harrisburg school board

I’ve been covering politics in Harrisburg for a decade, and, during that time, there have been three “change” elections in the city.

The first came in May 2009, when Linda Thompson defeated (extremely) entrenched incumbent Steve Reed in the mayoral primary. The second came four years later, when voters turned on Thompson. The third arrived last night.

Yesterday, Harrisburg voters firmly rejected the four sitting school board members on the primary ballot, delivering a strong message that they want new leadership in the school district.

It wasn’t even close.

The four candidates running on the “C.A.T.C.H.” reform slate beat the sitting incumbents by a margin of greater than 2-to-1. I’d call that a landslide, especially for a low-turnout, off-year primary, which often favors incumbents.

Similarly, Reed’s defeat—and then Thompson’s—were by unexpectedly (to me) large margins.

In my opinion, common threads have run through these elections. First, the losing candidates all conducted terrible campaigns, barely engaging the voting public. But, perhaps more importantly, these incumbents had come to be regarded as arrogant and out of touch, whistling past an electorate that clearly was unhappy with their performance.

Let’s focus on the school board.

Over the past year or so, I’ve remarked numerous times that the school administration and its supporters on the board seemed to be going out of their way to tick off residents.

Examples are many: fights with the state Department of Education, issues discussed behind closed doors, re-votes when the administration didn’t get its way, financial waste never properly addressed, tax hikes, the appointment of divisive figures on the board, for solicitor, for principal, for superintendent.

This list just scratches the surface.

Many residents came to conclude that the guiding principle of the school administration wasn’t fiscal responsibility or even education but the protection and continued employment of the top, well-paid school administrators, including the superintendent.

To make the situation worse, the incumbents refused to engage voters who had legitimate concerns. At debate after debate, they had numerous opportunities to explain to upset residents why they did what they did and voted as they voted—and make a pitch for their election. Instead, they simply didn’t show up—perhaps out of arrogance, perhaps out of fear. Or maybe invisibility was part of some weird electoral strategy.

In any case, the ballot box was the one way for residents to demonstrate that they were dissatisfied, even angry—and they did. And now they expect big changes to be made.

Let this be a lesson to other elected officeholders. When you’re a public servant, you need to act like one. Those tax dollars, that budget, those buildings—they aren’t yours. They belong to the people, and that remains true despite our profoundly flawed governing bodies.

To paraphrase one of the great American political sayings—you can fool some of the people some of the time. But eventually those people will get spitting mad, and they’ll gleefully toss you aside for someone, they believe, will prove to be better.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Arm Candy: Cuff Links–the strongest link in your look.

July 31, 2018 | by Dave Marcheskie

While chatting between bites of a bagel at a recent conference, my boss, Judy Rader (Exelon Generation VP of communications) commented on my cufflinks—light bulbs. The energy company brass suggested I write about them for my next column.

Kissing-up aside, she has a point. I’ve never broached the topic here. They’re not exactly a new trend. Nonetheless, I do have an affinity for this contraption that conjoins my cotton-covered wrists. So, I present—an ode to cufflinks.

I vividly remember my grandfather plopping a Ziploc baggie in my hand with a bunch of tarnished thingies. I had no idea what they were. My dad showed me what they were from a Sinatra album cover. I figured out I had inherited a collection of art deco cufflinks.

I didn’t go through some awkward teenage Rat Pack phase. Problem was—department stores didn’t sell French-cuff shirts. Not until a slick Don Draper stepped on screen, wearing those same art deco cufflinks, did retailers reinvent our mainstream again.

Throughout history, simple versions of the cufflink held sleeve cuffs together. Usually ties, clasps or ribbons were used to tunnel the cuffs. European aristocrats of the 1800s changed formalwear forever, which included ornate and gemstone cufflinks to complete starched cuffs and collars.

Towards the 20th century, Paris shirt-maker Charvet offered buttonless barrel cuffs that used affordable silk knots. This is how the “French cuff” became widely available to the common man. The fashion infiltrated American culture, but again, mostly for the wealthy. The Great Depression and WWII followed. Excess wasn’t largely celebrated until the 1950s and ‘60s, when prosperity, futurism and guys like Sinatra became icons of cool. Art Nouveau worn on wrists.

I used those ol’ Nouveau cufflinks during proms in high school, when I wore tuxes. I once splurged on a French cuff shirt at a hometown men’s store for college formals and job interviews. Still, these shirts were expensive and hard to find. When I began my TV news career, I could order the shirts online. As my time on the tube increased, so did my cufflink repertoire. It was my way to add creativity and a detail that other guys weren’t doing. People noticed.

While covering the 2008 presidential campaign, future Veep Joe Biden chuckled at a pair of bananas peeking through my outstretched arm holding a microphone. They matched my yellow tie that day. Cufflinks became an icebreaker during interviews. Harrisburg mayors Linda Thompson and Eric Papenfuse would take lighthearted inventory, asking, “What are you wearing today?” I put the fun in functional (ba-dum-tis).

Cufflinks are now easy to find. Cuffdaddy.com, Etsy and Amazon seem to have endless variations for any profession or hobby. Scour antique stores, and you’ll score ones like my grandfather gave me. Boardrooms don’t have to be boring! Even off-air, I still wear them and people still notice. Between the gifts, gotta-haves and souvenirs over the years, I enlisted the assistance of a vintage chocolate mold to house each pair of memories.

No creative cocktail recipe this time around. Instead, in honor of my late grandfather and dad, just grab a glass of Jack and wear cufflinks while you sip. Nothing is cooler than that.

Dave Marcheskie, a former reporter and anchor for abc27 News, is our Sharp Press Man.

Harrisburg School Board appoints Patricia Whitehead-Myers as new member; delays action on dozens of personnel items.

July 12, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

School board member Patricia Whitehead-Myers (right) shortly after she was sworn in by Magisterial District Judge Sonia McKnight (left).

The Harrisburg School Board gained a new member tonight when it appointed Patricia Whitehead-Myers, a former board member and charter school employee, to serve a two-year term.

Whitehead-Myers fills the seat vacated by Percel Eiland, who resigned in June after just six months on the board. She was sworn in tonight after a three-and-a-half hour board meeting.

As a board director from 2010-16, Whitehead-Myers was one of the first members of the reformed school board that wrested the district back from mayoral control. Former Mayor Stephen Reed took direct oversight of the school district in 2000, the first arrangement of its kind in the commonwealth.

Mayor Linda Thompson assumed his role briefly in 2010 before community members reconstituted the elected board of directors.

Whitehead-Myers served with board vice president Danielle Robinson from 2012-16. Robinson nominated her tonight, and voted with board directors Tyrell Spradley, Melvin Wilson, Lionel Gonzalez, and Ellis Roy to secure her appointment.

The former Premiere Arts and Science Charter School employee beat out four other candidates for the seat: Cornelius Chacere, a non-profit director; Claude Phipps, a retired business executive and community leader; Steven Williams, a researcher for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; and James Thompson, an architect and fellow board veteran.

Chacere had the endorsement of the Harrisburg Education Association president Jody Barksdale. After Williams was knocked out in the first round of voting, Chacere secured votes from board directors Carrie Fowler, Brian Carter and president Judd Pittman.

Phipps did not receive a nomination, and Thompson was unable to appear at the special meeting for an interview. Robinson, Spradley, Wilson, Gonzalez, and Roy voted to deny Thompson the right to interview via telephone.

Just before adjourning, the board president was alerted that Whitehead-Myers’ job at a charter school in the district disqualified her from board service. During a last-minute recess, Whitehead-Myers assured the board that she no longer worked at Premiere Arts and Science. She was sworn in shortly after.

Whitehead-Myers told a reporter that she stopped working at Premiere Arts and Science at the end of the most recent school year. But a school website still lists her as an employee.

After filling the vacant seat, the board tackled an agenda that included dozens of personnel and fiscal actions. Some board directors and members of the public objected to last-minute amendments to the personnel actions, which were in flux as of late this afternoon.

The district is in the process of shuffling employees after eliminating 52 positions in its most recent budget cycle. Some union teachers are still waiting on reassignments, but the district did determine today that it could avoid teacher furloughs.

Fowler motioned to table all of the personnel items at the start of the meeting. She argued that directors and HEA teachers had not had time to review the outcome of human resources meetings that lasted late into this afternoon.

Copies of the updated personnel actions were not available to the public at tonight’s meeting.

The board voted 5-3 against Fowler’s motion, but later decided to postpone the votes anyway.

After Robinson motioned to table a single item that reduced a full-time administrative post to part-time, Fowler insisted that they should exercise the same scrutiny on personnel actions affecting teachers and support staff.

“This is a slap in the face to our teachers,” Fowler said. “I made this motion at the very start of this meeting.”

Pittman agreed, and after a series of procedural missteps, Robinson amended her motion so it would postpone all personnel actions. The board passed it in a rare unanimous vote.

The employees awaiting personnel action include scores of summer school teachers. But HR Director Curtis Tribue said that none of their appointments, reassignments or resignations will be interrupted, since the board can retroactively approve them at an Aug. 6 meeting.

The board also shot down a resolution that would have appointed a professional search firm to find qualified candidates to replace its business manager and chief financial officer.

Robinson said that the resolution was unnecessary, since the jobs were publicly posted on the district’s website.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education [PDE] requested in June that the district find a permanent, full time CFO and business manager. Current CFO Jim Snell works part-time, and business manager Bilal Hasan lacks the certifications for his role.

Robinson previously said that she does not think the district needs to replace Snell or Hasan. Spradley agreed with her tonight, saying that people who previously held those roles left “clusterbombs” for the district.

“We have a CFO and business manager that didn’t rely on credentials, but put in the work — and now we want to look for someone else?” Spradley said. “I can’t support that.”

The board voted 5-3 against the resolution, but Tribue and Pittman confirmed that the district has already hired a search firm that will fulfill its contract.

The resolution by the board was a formality, Pittman said, meant to codify its approval of the professional search.

“We need to make a good faith effort,” Pittman said. “I don’t want [PDE] to to say to us that we didn’t do our due diligence and introduce a receiver.”

New for the City: Harrisburg hires Blake Lynch as community policing coordinator.

March 7, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg has hired a new community policing coordinator who will hit the streets later this month, Mayor Eric Papenfuse confirmed this morning.

Blake Lynch, who formerly worked as director of development at the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg, will start his new role with the city on March 26. The city’s 2018 budget calls for a $48,000 salary for the civilian position.

Harrisburg has not employed a full-time community policing coordinator since David Botero vacated the position last year. During budget talks at the end of 2017, police officials said that filling the position would be top priority with the new year. Harrisburg Director of Communications Joyce Davis said that the city received 160 applications for the position.

As the community policing coordinator, Lynch will serve as a liaison between the bureau and the Harrisburg community. This entails representing the police department at neighborhood meetings, schools and community events, as well as advising officers on community issues.

“He has excellent communication skills, and I think he’ll be a great asset to the city,” Papenfuse said.

Lynch has worked for Harrisburg once before, having served as a programs administrator under former Mayor Linda Thompson from 2011 to 2012. He hopes that his professional network and knowledge of the city, as well as his experience working with youth, will be assets in his new role.

“This job allows me to work with various partners and people I’m friends with and have worked with before,” Lynch said. “I’m very passionate about our community and ensuring that our next generation is better than the one before it.”

Lynch said that his primary goal as community policing coordinator is to continue building trust between Harrisburg police officers and residents. Doing that, he said, will require patience and a “long term approach.”

“The first thing I want to do is listen to a lot of different people,” he said. “We have to find out what things are really affecting them in their neighborhoods.”

Lynch also said he’s brushing up on his Spanish skills. He doesn’t speak the language fluently, but knows that learning it will be “vital” to working with Harrisburg’s Spanish-speaking population.

Lynch grew up in Steelton, graduated from Susquehanna Township schools and attended Messiah College. He currently lives with his family in Middletown. He spends his spare time volunteering with the Harrisburg Rotary Club and Harrisburg Young Professionals, and he and his wife also serve as relief house parents for the Milton Hershey School.

City Council Update: Park updates, police contract approved.

May 24, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

green grass in bckground, playground in foreground. Blue sky, rowhomes behind it.

The park at 4th and Emerald streets is slated to receive two trees.

Harrisburg may be a step closer to fixing its two city pools, which have struggled for years to open on time and stay open all summer.

Last night, City Council approved a measure to examine the feasibility of renovating its existing pools or constructing a new one. Council approved other measures for city parks, too, including planting trees at four parks, and a police contract.

The city will begin the pool feasibility study after checking that former Mayor Linda Thompson’s administration did not already conduct a similar study. Parks and Recreation Chair Destini Hodges added an amendment that the administration will search for the previous study before the June 6 council meeting.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said it’s possible that the previous administration conducted a similar study, adding that current city officials did not know of any study. Papenfuse and Council President Wanda Williams both said they would ask the previous administration about the existence of a prior study.

The pools, built in the 1960s, have experienced maintenance issues that have caused closures or delayed openings in the past ten years. This year, both pools will open mid-June.

In other action, four parks are slated to receive a total of 25 trees after council approved a $3,750 grant from TreeVitalize, a program established by the state to increase urban canopies. The trees will be planted in Riverfront Park and in parks at 4^th and Emerald streets, 19^th and Forster streets and 7^th and Radnor streets.

In a 5-2 vote, Council also approved a new labor agreement with the Bureau of Police. In March, the administration and police officers’ union negotiated a contract designed to encourage young officers to stick with Harrisburg’s force, in addition to rewarding seasoned officers.

Councilman Cornelius Johnson, public safety committee chair, voted against the contract. He said the contract had “wins” for the administration and the police officer’s union, especially under Act 47 constraints. However, he said he voted against it because the negotiating process excluded city council until the final stages.

“While I do commend the administration, I vote no [because] we need to include council when moving forward,” he said. “In the future regarding all union contracts, [we should] make sure that council is a partner. This puts us in a position when we are unable to make changes.”

Author: Danielle Roth

Final Mayoral Debate: Candidates throw last punches, address campaign issues

May 12, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

Harrisburg’s five mayoral candidates made a final push for votes last night in a concluding mayoral debate that turned heated at times.

Moderators Blake Lynch and Mark Hall, an ABC27 reporter, kept the debate civil, though the town hall-style event at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center kicked off to a feisty start.

Moderators Blake Lynch, left, and ABC27 Reporter Mark Hall, right, stand in front of mayoral candidates, from left to right, Lewis Butts, Gloria Martin-Roberts, Mayor Eric Papenfuse, Anthony Harrell and Jennie Jenkins.

Challenger Gloria Martin-Roberts started her opening remarks by separating herself from two former mayors, who both have indicated support for her, as well as her campaign treasurer, James Ellison.

“My name is not Linda Thompson, it’s not James Ellison and it’s not Stephen Reed,” Martin-Roberts said. “Some of you may be confused by the negative mailers that you have received over the past couple of weeks…They’ve had their time.”

She then criticized a PennLive article about a letter that Reed sent to encourage a friend to donate to the Martin-Roberts campaign. She said she did not ask Reed to write the letter to request the donation.

Likewise, incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse responded to campaign rhetoric from the Martin-Roberts camp. He referenced a Facebook post from Ellison that claimed Papenfuse purchased properties while mayor.

“I have not purchased any investment properties since taking office,” he said, adding that his wife also has not purchased any properties since he was elected mayor in 2013. “This is a ridiculous falsehood of my character.”

He asked Martin-Roberts to admit to the falsehood and have Ellison take down his Facebook post.

Martin-Roberts said she would not have Ellison take down the post. She pulled out several mailers sent by Papenfuse’s campaign that link her to Harrisburg’s old guard, while saying, “This is lack of character.”

Later in the debate, Martin-Roberts did say sorry.

“I apologize for losing my temper,” she said.

Challengers Jennie Jenkins, Anthony Harrell and Lewis Butts also addressed issues that have arisen over the course of their campaigns, as moderators fired questions from the community during the second half of the 90-minute event.

Jenkins addressed her termination from her position as police officer with the city. Last year, Jenkins entered a county program meant for first-time offenders charged with nonviolent crimes. This came after the city suspended her in 2013 after accusing her of taking $7,000 from the Police Athletic League.

Moderators asked why she entered this program if she maintained her innocence in the theft case.

“It was a way I could move on with my life,” she said, adding that she spent two-and-a-half years without income while tied up in the lawsuit.

Moderators bluntly asked Harrell, “Who are you, and where have you been?” They followed up and asked specifically about his community or church involvement aside from his two well-known biographical details: that he served in the armed forces and now studies full-time at Central Penn College.

“I lived in the community, purchased from stores, and I send my children to schools,” he said.

Butts touted his Harrisburg First plan, which includes a citywide Wi-Fi network, a shopping mall at PennDOT and, most notably, a hydroelectric dam in the Susquehanna River.

He called himself the “revenue candidate.”

“The hydro-power dam [would bring in] a lot of extra money for roads, scholarships and anything that we need,” he said.

With the final mayoral debate complete, voters get the last word on Tuesday, May 16, with the primary election.

Author: Danielle Roth

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