Tag Archives: Palmyra

New Chapter: Palmyra turns the page with Book Bar

January 30, 2025 | by Rachel Curry

Brittany Haynes

Walk past the charming signs outside of Palmyra’s The Nerd Place and The Oldies Laundromat, and you’ll find a newer sign that reads Book Bar.

The bookstore-café is a recent venture by local Brittany Haynes, who opened it in late October, taking over the space from the former K&G Hardware.

Step inside the space, and remnants of the hardware store remain, though disguised. The same pegboard is on the wall, painted a dark, moody green to evoke the “dark academia” vibe that Haynes was going for. Surrounded by antique furniture, a fireplace and a cherry wood bar, it’s easy to see that Haynes achieved her aesthetic goal.

Beyond just surface level, Book Bar offers the community a third space, or a place to go outside of home and work or school.

“I’m really glad to be a meeting place for people to come and share ideas and talk about books,” Haynes said.

Haynes formerly worked for the academic publishing industry, making her way here from her home state of Missouri through a circuitous route that included Spain and Ohio. Her husband Nicholas Frank, Spanish teacher for Hershey High School, came with her on the journey.

“He’s always wanted to be a teacher, and now I’m following this dream,” Haynes said.

The two, it seems, have found their callings. Frank even helps out behind the café bar on the weekends, getting to see his students and their families outside of the school atmosphere.

With a bar that offers coffee and mocktails, plus treats from Quentin Confections, Haynes’ two-part establishment is more than just a place to buy books. It’s a place to gather through groups like Kids’ Hot Cocoa Story Time or Recommendations Book Club, the latter of which is a book club where you give and get recommendations (and it doesn’t require any advance reading).

Since the opening, Haynes feels like her shop fits right in.

“People are excited,” she said. “They want something local, and I can tell they want to support independent stores, us and others. I get that probably once a day so far.”

To prove her point, a woman knocked on the door during our interview, when the shop was closed, to donate a barely used book for Haynes’ high-quality used book section.

“I love to support people who are trying to do good,” the woman said on her way out.

“We do take limited donations,” Haynes explained. “I hope to do some kind of program at some point, maybe giving a discount.”

She is picky, though, to make sure used books are in good condition, without water damage or other faults that could jeopardize her existing inventory with mold or bugs.

At large, Haynes’ new book collection is primarily fiction with a smattering of nonfiction. Fiction is her bread and butter, her two favorite books being “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. Her favorite part of the job is recommending books to others based on their reading preferences.

“I can jump out from behind the counter and be like, ‘Let me give you a couple,’” she said.

Haynes did just this for me, asking me my favorite genres or authors. Among other writers, I noted a soft spot for Kristin Hannah. Then she asked if I’m more of an adventure or romance person. “Adventure,” I responded. I ended up with recommendations like “If The Tide Turns” by Rachel Rueckert, “Saving Krakow” by K R Kiehl and “The Warm Hands of Ghosts” by Katherine Arden.

With a collection of titles on the smaller side (at least compared to larger bookstores), Haynes is still building up her inventory, but the books are adeptly hand-curated based on her own experience as a reader and general book lover. Popular titles like “James” by Percival Everett and “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians,” a nonfiction title from James Patterson, are available, along with titles from both renowned and up-and-coming local authors like Lucy Score and K. Iwancio.

All of the titles sit on sustainably secondhand bookshelves that came from Cupboard Maker Books of Enola. This is a solid example of the supportive community among booksellers in the area and beyond. When planning her business, Haynes shadowed bookstore owners around the country and touched base with local owners, joining a community that helps each other out.

The number of independent bookstores doubled from 2016–2023, bucking the force of big-time institutions like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Haynes is just one of many people deepening the plot for the industry and local communities. Still, for Palmyra, Book Bar is special, and Haynes feels the love.

“We moved here just a few months before the pandemic. We were fresh out of our grad program, and we didn’t know anyone,” she said. “We had no money. We were a little forlorn, because everything closed down.”

With those days behind her and a third space for the community up and running, she couldn’t be more satisfied with the denouement.

Book Bar is located at 50 N. Railroad St., Suite 1, Palmyra. For more information, visit www.bookbarus.com or @BookBarUS on Facebook and Instagram.

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The Road Back: Treatment and recovery programs bring hope to those suffering addictions

January 30, 2024 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

Samantha Osterlof & family

It took four years of addiction to opioid painkillers and heroin to transform Samantha Bixler from a wholesome, high school honors student and athlete with a bright future into a drug-addicted, 22-year-old hospital ventilator patient with a 10% chance of survival.

Thankfully, the 2005 Palmyra High School graduate’s story did not end in an intensive care unit.

Today, Samantha Osterlof—her married name—is a wife, working mother of three and a passionate advocate for treatment and recovery programs like the one that she said saved her life.

In 2021, more than 46 million Americans had at least one substance use disorder, while just more than 6% had treatment, according to the National Institutes of Health.

About 107,000 people died. The economic burden of drug-related productivity losses, medical costs, crime and more is close to $530 billion, according to Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.

“No matter how you calculate it, substance abuse disorder is an enormous disruption to the lives of the employees and others,” said Karie Batzler, Capital Blue Cross’ director of behavioral health. “Anytime is the right time for companies to open up a clear dialogue with employees about the issue. Put it out there. Let it become a topic of discussion. The more we talk about it, the more we work to reduce the stigma and support treatment and recovery.”

Capital Blue Cross’ Health Promotion and Wellness team works with employer groups on ways to create awareness of substance use disorders.

Some companies, including Capital, offer an employee assistance program (EAP) that makes it easy for employees to access mental health professionals for any issue.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders Services Administration (SAMSHA) publishes an evidence-based resource guide that educates employers on the merits of creating recovery-friendly employment policies.

The Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan created, among other things, a Recovery-Ready Workplace Resource hub through the Department of Labor.

“Just letting the employee know that their recovery comes first is important,” Batzler said.

Osterlof’s 10-year addiction took her right to the cliff’s edge.

A 37-day stay at an addiction treatment center, seven months of outpatient therapy and group meetings pulled her back from that edge, and a lifetime of being in recovery will keep her from falling down again.

Clean and with a new chance at life, Osterlof set out to redefine herself.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Elizabethtown College in 2016, and a master’s degree in criminal justice and behavior management from Saint Joseph’s University in 2017, all while working as an outreach specialist and therapist at the same recovery facility that helped save her life.

In March, took a position as a marketing director with a company that specializes in outpatient treatment and recovery at several locations in southeast Pennsylvania.

She is certified as both a recovery specialist and a family recovery specialist and is an approved trainer who works with the Pennsylvania State Police and other organizations.

The tragedy of substance use disorder is well documented. By eagerly sharing her story of addiction and recovery, Osterlof hopes to let the world hear another message.

“Everything good in my life today, I have as a result of my recovery,” said Osterlof, who hasn’t taken a mood or mind-altering substance since Dec. 21, 2011. “The message is hope. The promise is freedom. Treatment works, and recovery is possible.”

For more information, visit www.capitalbluecross.com.

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Forge This: Our writer pounds away at the Drunken Smithy.

November 29, 2019 | by Gina Napoli

Gina Napoli

Having stemmed from a strong and well-populated family tree of metal workers, I half-expected the spirits of my ancestors to whisper instructions during my metal-forging class at the Drunken Smithy.

Though I had some good instincts, the Napoli millwrights and boilermakers of yore remained decidedly silent. My higher goal then became not to scald my lily-white hands.

The Drunken Smithy, a.k.a. Eitri Jones, also has steelworkers in his lineage.

Jones grew up playing in scrap metal yards in western Pennsylvania. His education and chemistry background made him a natural for demonstrating blacksmithing at various festivals and the Renaissance Faire, as well as teaching weapons forging in his Palmyra workshop.

The workshop lies within whistling distance from the railroad tracks in downtown Palmyra. Listening to the whirring and huffing of trains going by adds to the ambience. The basement-level workshop vents its heat upward, making breathable the jeans and steel-toed boots, with added sweaty safety layers of gloves, goggles and masks.

While safety is paramount, so is common sense, with a little humor to wash it down. Completely clad in regulation safety gear, Jones said, “If you see me wearing my gloves, it’s because I got complacent and recently burned myself.”

Like most of the guys in the class, I chose to draw out a railroad spike into a knife. It looked like the simplest of the beginner projects, and I wanted an excuse to use the verb “brandish.” My husband George chose to make an axe from a template that already had an unrefined axe shape to it.

Of the 7:1 male-to-female ratio in the workshop, Jones said, “Typically, we have more females in the class. We’ve even had some bachelorette parties here.”

Jones’ assistant, Red Chandler, had a grandfather who was a farrier, and she used to give demonstrations in Colonial Williamsburg. “Now I make swords,” she said, helping the one sword-forger in our class find room in the communal forge furnace.

Agitate It

Because metal must be orange-hot in order to reshape it, we spent almost two hours of the class alternately heating the metal and pounding it out, heating the metal and pounding it out. The pounding wasn’t anything like hammering a nail.

I flexed both arms, raising a sledgehammer above my head, forcing use of muscles unused since high school band camp. And I had to get as many strikes as I could with only a short window of orange metal time. As soon as the metal turned reddish black, back into the furnace it went.

“If you pound the metal, and it’s not hot enough, it could break off,” Chandler said.

While my metal was reheating, we pulled George’s axe out of the furnace. I felt like a medieval dentist learning how to handle the lava-hot metal with blacksmith tongs. I held the metal to the surface of the anvil while he hammered. It remains the only anvil I have seen outside of a Looney Tunes cartoon.

Four metal shards heated to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit chipped off the spike’s surface, sizzled through my arm hair, and branded my forearms like a badge of honor. If those teeny blisters were still there, I would be pointing to them as proof that I’m a self-proclaimed warrior princess.

In truth, I cheated a little. Using the hydraulic hammer shortened the hand-pounding time by probably half. If we waited on my arm strength to finish the flattening process, we would still be there.

A moment converged when our weapons were flat and thin enough, our arms too rubbery to continue, and the scent of meat wafted under our noses. The gathering space for break time included one forge furnace dedicated to roasting hot dogs on metal rods.

Jones’ apprentice Reuben set out a fetch-your-own, family-style picnic dinner on a rustic table. I washed my hands in the industrial sink and ripped off a paper towel to create a makeshift paper plate. We were also invited to grab a home-brewed something out of the cooler.

We spent the second half of class sanding and grinding the rough edges. We stood side-by-side along an impressive row of 10 sanders, each running our blades along the edges, dipping often in water to cool it down. As with sandpaper, rough grit came first, fine grit second. I paused often to inspect my blade. This was for effect only. I had no idea what it should look like when complete. One of the tools, used by Jones alone, was a two-belt sander designed to evenly create double-edged blades.

Once my knife was sharp enough, Chandler dipped it in brine, and it was ready to brandish. But the axe and sword, made from an iron-carbon alloy, required tempering for strengthening. The metals were heated to between 400 and 700 degrees then dipped (or quenched) in oil. While George dipped orange-hot metal into a bucket of oil, I held my breath and scanned for emergency exits.

Chandler said, “If it catches fire, just stir and agitate it until the fire goes out.”

Say what?

Catch fire it did, and the fire dissipated with a little stirring, just as she said in her tone of “nothing to see here.”

At the end of the evening, the two women in the class finished the final sharpening of the weapons. (Truth: Chandler sharpened five knives, an axe and a sword in the time it took me to finish my own knife.)

The men convened in the break area to sit in rocking chairs, listen to Celtic music, finish their drinks, and throw axes at a target. On my second axe throw—ever—I hit the business card and won a prize.

Don’t be too impressed, though. My first throw hit the ceiling. This likely caused the spirits of my ancestors to smack their palms to their foreheads. But I am hopeful that my first hand-forged weapon made them proud.

The Drunken Smithy is located at 61 W. Front St., Palmyra. For more information, call 717-448-5911 or visit www.drunkensmithy.com or his Facebook page.

One Fish, Big Fish: Rare stripers snagged in Harrisburg.

August 16, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Mike Sholley and his catch in front of the Dock Street Dam.

The Susquehanna River is not exactly a chasm, averaging just a few feet deep in Harrisburg.

So, what the heck was a 35-inch, 20-pound striped bass doing there?

“It really is rare for something like this to happen,” said veteran angler Mike Sholley, who snagged the fish earlier this month near the Dock Street Dam. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Sholley, of Palmyra, has been fishing the river since he was a boy and said that never before had he caught a “striper,” a fish usually found in the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. But he’s caught four this year.

“For them to get all the way up here, it’s amazing,” he said.

Geoff Smith, Susquehanna River biologist for the state Fish and Boat Commission, said that several stripers had been observed passing upriver by the Holtwood and York Haven dams. The stripers, which can live in both salt and freshwater, also may have come downstream from Raystown Lake, a large reservoir in Huntingdon County where they’re stocked, or even from a hatchery on Brunner Island in York County, he said.

“There are likely not many striped bass in the Susquehanna River and tributaries, and the angler was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time,” Smith said.

Sholley and Smith agree that this season’s copious rains and relatively high water levels may have contributed to the unusual catch.

Smith said that Raystown Lake has been releasing more water than usual into the river, and Sholley added that higher river levels have meant cooler summertime water temperatures, which stripers prefer. Both agreed that ample stocks of smaller species, such as shad and herring, this year also may have attracted the predatory fish.

“They’ll stick around as long as the food supply is there,” Sholley said.

And they may still be around, as Sholley released the fish soon after catching them.

In a broader sense, Sholley said he was delighted to see the stripers because it says something positive about the health of the river. He’s out on the river nearly every weekend and, in fact, with a few river-loving friends, runs an online apparel company called Susquehanna Native.

“If a fish of that caliber can live in the river, right now the river is doing pretty well,” he said.

Author: Lawrance Binda

It’s Not All That Bad: A response to the column, “Printing Pressure”

October 26, 2016 | by William S. Jackson

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

In the October 2016 edition of TheBurg, Editor Larry Binda bemoaned the decline of the newspaper business and the projected end to some publications.

He decried the woes of the local daily (turned three days a week), The Patriot-News, and its something-to-be-desired online product, PennLive, version of the news.

I couldn’t agree with him more, but please don’t tar the entire newspaper industry with one brush.

Reason? Here at The Sun, which covers Hershey, Hummelstown, Palmyra and the surrounding townships, things are just fine. How fine? In 2007, when wife Rosemary and I sold The Sun, then covering Hershey, Hummelstown and Lower Dauphin County, we had just experienced the best year of the 37 years we owned the paper. This was in spite of the fact that The Patriot-News was more than 10 times larger than us and still had full-time reporters covering our coverage area.

Today, The Patriot-News’ circulation is less than half of what it was in 2007, and The Sun’s circulation has increased by 44 percent, with advertising revenue at record levels.

Why? Because we never forgot our mission. I had a standard phrase when we owned, and I edited The Sun—nobody gave a damn what I thought about Red China. They wanted to know what I thought about the Derry Township supervisors (the governing body that runs Hershey).

We recognized that no one bought The Sun to get their national, international or even state news. They wanted to know what was happening right around here and about their neighbors. You know—the mom and pop stuff—local government, school news, church news, local high school and Little League sports, police news, who bought and sold their house, etc. Also, lots of really good pictures and, oh yes, four-color availability throughout the paper. In other words, all the news they couldn’t get anywhere else.

We sit right in the middle between The Patriot-News and the Lebanon Daily News, and both papers left us with lots of local news they didn’t cover.

The dailies just didn’t get it. They continue to fill their front pages with national and international news, which most readers got last night on the television 11 o’clock news and pushed state, county and local news back further and further in their product with less and less detailed coverage.

Take The Patriot-News, for example. They are sitting right here in the seat of state government and should be the authority on what is happening on the Hill in all branches of state government. Yet that title belongs to the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. That, plus the fact they seemingly haven’t yet realized half the population of Harrisburg city is black, but you’d never know it except in the police and crime reporting. African-American social news? What’s that?

To the east of The Sun, our circulation now exceeds that of the Lebanon Daily News, which is suffering some of the same maladies as The Patriot-News.

Yes, The Sun is fortunate. We only have three school districts and the Milton Hershey School to cover, while The Patriot-News probably has 10 times that many. We also have the Penn State M.S. Hershey Medical Center (now the area’s largest employer) and the Hershey Company, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and Hershey Trust (now No. 2 employer), while The Patriot-News and Lebanon Daily News try to cover those and many more businesses, hospitals, etc. But we work with them—most have a PR person—and give them good, if not always to their liking, coverage.

Yet, for example, The Patriot-News continues to cut staff, even some of their best. Guess what? Some are now writing for The Sun. Not full-time, mind you, but part-time or as stringers. We also continue the program I started many years ago of utilizing budding young high school journalists, who get their first taste of the business with us and get some good clippings in the process for those college entrance interviews.

So, Editor Larry, it’s not all that bad. You point to the demise of your competition, Fly and Mode, as major competitors. And why? Because you’ve obviously done some market research and are producing a better product, especially under new Publisher J. Alex Hartzler. Your competitors, and ours, are just pumping out the same old product.

William S. Jackson is the former owner/editor of the Sun.

Editor’s Note: Editor Larry agrees with much of the author’s argument that some newspapers have made a critical mistake, both to their missions and their businesses, by dialing back local coverage. Like The Sun, TheBurg’s circulation and revenue figures will hit record highs this year.

September News Digest

September 30, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

Courthouse Clears Hurdle

A proposed new federal courthouse for Harrisburg took a significant step forward last month, as a Congressional panel approved funding for the project.

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta said the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee approved full funding for the $194.4 million courthouse at N. 6th and Reily streets. Congress has already appropriated about $55 million for land acquisition, feasibility studies and design.

“This has been a long time coming, with various baby steps along the way, but now the Harrisburg courthouse will finally become a reality,” Barletta said in a statement.

The full House and Senate still must pass a final bill appropriating the money, but Barletta spokesman Tim Murtaugh called House committee approval the greatest obstacle.

“This was the major hurdle,” he said.

After many years of searching, the federal government selected the Midtown site in 2010, acquiring the land and razing a few old buildings. However, the site has sat empty since, as the project has awaited funds for construction.

Barletta said that he had re-considered the scope of the project, perhaps in favor of an annex to the existing federal courthouse downtown. However, he finally agreed that a new facility was needed.

The 243,000-square-foot building will contain as many as eight courtrooms, including three for district judges, two for senior district judges, two for magistrate judges and one for bankruptcy judges. The plan also calls for about 43 parking spaces.

Assuming that Congress appropriates the money, several years will likely pass before construction begins. Earlier this year, the U.S. General Services Administration released a priority list for new courthouses and annexes around the country, putting eight other projects ahead of Harrisburg’s.

Sinkhole Money Secured

Harrisburg last month secured nearly $1.7 million in federal funds to help remediate a sinkhole-ravaged stretch along the 1400-block of S. 14^th Street.

In its award letter, the Federal Emergency Management Agency specified that

Harrisburg must provide $550,000 in matching funds, which may come from other grants the city hopes to receive for the project.

The city envisions acquiring and tearing down 52 homes along the block. It then would fill in the sinkhole-prone area with backfill and soil, before turning it into permanent green space.

This was the second time that the city attempted to secure FEMA funds. Last year, the agency turned down the city’s request, directing money for sinkhole remediation to Palmyra. Harrisburg then asked FEMA to reconsider its project, which resulted in the award.

Giant sinkholes began opening up on the block in March 2014, making many of the houses uninhabitable and the remainder virtually worthless.

Council Weighs Market Contract

The Broad Street Market took a step towards a long-awaited restructuring last month, as City Council held a hearing that could lead Harrisburg’s historic market to become a nonprofit entity.

Most council members seemed to favor the proposal, which would permit a new nonprofit called the Broad Street Market Alliance, to enter into a lease agreement with the city, which owns the 150-year-old market. The lease would run for five years with an option for a 10-year extension.

Under the agreement, the city would rent the two market buildings for $1 a year to the nonprofit, which then would be responsible for maintenance and repairs. Under this structure, the market would be eligible to apply for numerous grants reserved for nonprofits and also could raise money, said market Manager Beth Taylor, who estimates the buildings have $1.5 to $2 million in deferred maintenance and capital improvement costs.

Currently, the market operates within a complex structure, in which the city owns the market, but the for-profit Broad Street Market Corp. manages it under the supervision of the Historic Harrisburg Association. The city also charges $1 per year in rent, but is obligated to pay for maintenance and improvements.

Under the restructuring, the alliance would have a 13-member board, and its efforts would be supplemented by the creation of a new support and fundraising group called Friends of the Broad Street Market.

At press time, council had not scheduled a final vote on the lease agreement.

Midtown Project Receives Funds

A key renovation project in Midtown Harrisburg is expected to move rapidly to completion, as the state announced last month that it will release funding to help finish the block-long historic rehabilitation at N. 3rd and Boas streets.

In a press conference, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that the developer, WCI Partners, will receive $3.5 million from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, a state initiative that focuses on culturally and historically significant projects.

“We’re going to make sure that this project works, that courageous, hard-working people succeed,” said Wolf, who praised WCI for taking a risk to restore the long-vacant properties along the 900-block of N. 3rd Street.

The $8 million project consists of four buildings—the historic Harrisburg Moose Lodge Temple and three smaller townhouses, as well as a large parking lot.

WCI acquired the properties last year for $900,000 from Atlanta-based Mosaica Education, which had operated the Ron Brown Charter School there for five years. After its charter was not renewed, the school shut down in 2005, and the buildings have sat empty and increasingly dilapidated.

The 92-year-old, 38,000-square-foot former Moose Lodge opened last month as a fully renovated, mixed-use building consisting of 33 one-bedroom apartments and commercial space. The 6,500-square-foot ground floor is occupied by st@rtup Harrisburg, a city-based co-working space.

WCI Principal Alex Hartzler said that much of the RACP money will go towards finishing the project, especially the renovation of the three townhouses.

The back portions of the townhouses were chopped off years ago to expand the Ron Brown School’s parking lot and provide a play area. However, the long-empty buildings were not properly sealed, resulting in extensive water and infrastructure damage, Hartzler said.

More than 100 years ago, the townhouses were constructed with commercial space on the ground floors and apartments upstairs. WCI will return them to this mixed-use format, and TheBurg plans to occupy the ground floor space of two of the townhouses, which should be ready for occupancy early next year.

The state had not released RACP money since 2014. Several other Harrisburg-area groups, include Gamut Theatre Group and the Harrisburg City Islanders, have applied for funds. Wolf said funding for other projects would be announced soon.

Disclosure: Alex Hartzler is publisher of TheBurg.

Treasurer Criticizes Report

Harrisburg Treasurer Dan Miller last month gave a generally unfavorable assessment of a report that criticized the operations of the city treasurer’s office.

Before City Council, Miller said that the report, drafted by consultant Alvarez & Marsal, was correct in some of its conclusions, but incorrect in others. For instance, the report stated that the department lacked written procedures and policies, which, Miller said, was not true.

The report became controversial earlier this year when city Controller Charles DeBrunner made it public over the objections of Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who said its release was premature and unwise.

The city contracted with Alvarez & Marsal after former Treasurer John Campbell resigned following his arrest on theft charges not related to his city position. The report found no wrongdoing by Campbell as treasurer, but pointedly criticized how the office was run.

This was Miller’s first significant appearance before council since he was named treasurer in June to fill the unexpired term of former Treasurer Tyrell Spradley, who resigned the post.

“I have complete confidence in the city Treasury Department and operations,” Miller told City Council.

Home Sales Jump

Harrisburg-area home sales increased significantly in August, rising by 21 percent from the year-ago period.

Homes sales totaled 947 units compared to 783 units in August 2015, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors.

The median price rose to $169,900 from $165,000 in the prior year, said GHAR.

In Dauphin County, 311 homes sold compared to 265 last August. In Cumberland County, sales totaled 336 units versus 268. Sales in Perry County increased to 38 units versus 27 in August 2015.

GHAR’s area covers all of Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and parts of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

So Noted

Capital Joe Coffee has opened at 418 Forster St., Harrisburg, across the street from the state Capitol complex. Capital Joe serves Square One Coffee of Lancaster and pastries from Brew Crumberland’s Best of New Cumberland.

Impact Harrisburg last month awarded the city $250,000 in emergency funding to upgrade its IT infrastructure after city workers experienced system failures that prevented access to email and other shared files. The award should allow the city to migrate certain mission-critical functions to a cloud-based solution, thereby improving performance and reducing the risk of crashes.

Whitaker Center has announced the planned retirement of its long-time CEO and president, Dr. Michael Hanes. Hanes will retire at the end of next year, prompting the board to initiate a search for his replacement.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2418 & 610 Fillmore St.: T. Le to D. Nguyen, $30,000

Benton St., 545: MBHH RE LLC to Triple Play Properties LLC, $30,000

Benton St., 601: M. Munro to S. Harrison, $102,000

Briggs St., 216: M. & P. Parsons to J. Vingsness & A. Posner, $205,000

Briggs St., 2024: S. Chapman to S. Maurer, $35,450

Brookwood St., 2213: PA Deals LLC to Mid Atlantic IRA & C. Hampton IRA, $50,000

Calder St., 268: K. Ciminello to B. Roller, $107,500

Chestnut St., 2048: S. Reyes to A. & R. Hart, $103,000

Chestnut St., 2215: J. & H. Kelly to J. & E. Colt, $179,900

Credit Union Place, 1: Pa. State Employees Finance Dept. to Commonwealth Charter Academy Charter School, $5,000,000

Derry St., 1316: Sandra Feigley Inc. c/o Thelma Johnston to S. Khan, $34,000

Derry St., 2035: S. Nagle to J. Guzman & M. Rodriguez, $89,900

Derry St., 2354: T. Pham to H. Pham & N. Le, $45,000

Emerald Ct., 2451: H. Conrad to J. & S. Theodorou, $82,000

Fillmore St., 610: T. Johnson to D. Nguyen, $30,000

Forster St., 1621: M&T Bank to PA Deals LLC, $47,000

Fulton St., 1738: PA Deals LLC to D. Reinhart, $124,900

Green St., 1623: B. Christine to S. Vemula & M. Chada, $115,000

Kensington St., 1952: J. & J. Belfonti to Tout USA LLC, $65,000

Lenox St., 1918: J. Zellers to A. Rosario & S. Castillo, $54,300

Lenox St., 1922: T. & J. Santiago to T. & B. Nguyen, $32,500

Lenox St., 1930: V. Bria to A. Perez, $62,500

Linden St., 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 117½ 119, 119½ & 100, 112 N. 13^th St.: Habitat for Humanity Greater Harrisburg Area to CPenn Patriot Properties Midtown LLC, $131,000

N. 2^nd St., 1618: K. Robinson to D. Payne, $249,900

N. 2^nd St., 2531: S. Mirza & F. Jabari to H. & S. Johnson, $157,500

N. 2^nd St., 2539: D. Garber to E. & A. Stockstill, $165,000

N. 2^nd St., 2812: M. Macholtz to T. Brinkley, $280,000

N. 2^nd St., 3016: S. Trent to D. Marcheski & L. Boykin, $156,000

N. 3^rd St., 1122: S. & G. Giambalvo to G. & K. Tennis, $197,500

N. 3^rd St., 1935: T. Stutzman to Monte Design Studio LLC, $40,000

N. 3^rd St., 3104: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & ISN Corp. to M. Horgan & R. Kushner, $45,000

N. 4^th St., 1627: GWD Capitol Heights LP to J. Parfitt, $103,000

N. 5^th St., 2313: K. & D. Izer to BCR 2 Properties LLC, $30,000

N. 5^th St., 2437: Willowscott Investments to K. Hurst & N. Howze, $68,900

N. 6^th St., 1625: S. & C. Lane & New Heights South LLC to A. & A. Gee & PA Department of General Services, $42,000

N. 6^th St., 1633: HarrisPenn Trust to PA Department of General Services, $554,500

N. 6^th St., 2130: S&T Bank to N. Mitaka, $46,000

N. 13^th St., 146: L. Ware Jr. to W. Banks, $80,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 606: A. Moscato to J. Scarnati, $117,900

N. Front St., 1711: A. Haroundzadeh & D. Dohner to Harrisburg Redevelopment Group LLC, $1,065,000

Penn St., 1602: P. Larsen to M. Dinicola, $159,900

Penn St., 1916: WCI Partners LP to D. O’Hagan, $161,000

River St., 122: A. Rhoads & D. & S. Shatto to J. & G. Souders, $57,500

Rudy Rd., 1952: S. Schmidt to W. Zhang, $50,000

Rudy Rd., 2256: W. Ryan to Z. Rothfus, $176,900

Seneca St., 641 & 645: D. & K. Howard to DAP 7 Curtin LP, $55,000

Showers St., 615: J. & D. Groff to E. Hobbs, $155,000

S. 13^th St., 1400: J. & E. Cavitt to I. Medina & J. Culcay, $76,500

S. 20^th St., 209: R. Doerfler & J. Moffitt to J. & B. Readinger, $48,300

S. 27^th St., 710: D. & C. Howe to D. Barrick & A. Toci, $199,000

S. 28^th St., 728: S. Oscilowski to M. Marcus, $84,000

State St., 1604: Mid Penn Bank to C. Valdivieso, $37,000

Swatara St., 1523: Tri County HDC Ltd. To J. Macias, $102,900

Swatara St., 2145: S. & E. Reeves to M. Thompson & J. Longe, $64,900

Whitehall St., 1939: R. Miller Sr. to R. Howard, $50,900

Author: Lawrance Binda

November News Digest

November 30, 2015 | by Admin

New Council Members

Harrisburg City Council will have a fresh look next year, as voters last month elected three newcomers to the city’s seven-member legislative body.

Cornelius Johnson tallied 3,383 votes, while Westburn Majors took 3,343. Jeffrey Baltimore, the only incumbent running, earned 3,563 votes.

All three were running unopposed for the three, four-year seats after topping a crowded Democratic field during the May primary. No Republicans ran.

Destini Hodges tallied 3,514 votes running unopposed for the lone, two-year council seat.

Three council seats were open after councilwomen Susan Brown-Wilson and Sandra Reid decided not to run and Councilman Brad Koplinski lost in the primary.

For city treasurer, Tyrell Spradley earned his first full term, taking 3,545 votes in the general election.

School Board Shakeup

Harrisburg voters last month elected several new members to the district school board last month.

Meanwhile, newly re-elected board President Jennifer Smallwood announced her resignation from the body.

Ellis R. Roy, Lionel Gonzalez, Matthew Krupp and Melvin Wilson Jr. each earned four-year seats, as did Smallwood. Judd Pittman, who recently was appointed to the board to fill an opening, took the lone two-year seat.

The candidates all ran unopposed for their seats after emerging victorious in the May primary. Krupp was the only candidate on the Republican ballot, having been nominated by both parties.

The board now must appoint a replacement for Smallwood. That person will serve until the next school board election in 2017.

County Commissioners Re-Elected

The makeup of the Board of Commissioners will be unchanged as Dauphin County voters last month retained the three incumbents.

Voters returned Republicans Jeff Haste and Mike Pries, as well as Democrat George Hartwick, to office. Democrat Tom Connolly lost his challenge.

In other competitive county races, Republican Nick Chimienti beat Democrat Tim Carter for county sheriff, and Republican Timothy DeFoor defeated Democrat Eric Gutshall for county controller.

Several incumbents won re-election running unopposed, including District Attorney Ed Marsico, Clerk of Courts Dale Klein and Treasurer Janis Creason.

Water Rate Hiked

Customers of Capital Region Water will pay 9.7 percent more next year for drinking water, as the board last month passed a rate increase.

The new water rate will be $7.88 per 1,000 gallons, as opposed to $7.18 in 2015. The “ready to serve” charge also will increase 9.7 percent

“We don’t take rate increases lightly, and our board of directors is sensitive to the burdens already placed on the people and places we serve, but the systems that our customers rely on to deliver safe drinking water every day and to clean wastewater before it reaches the Susquehanna River were long ignored,” said Capital Region Water CEO Shannon Williams.

Sewer rates will remain unchanged at $6.05 per 1,000 gallons.

“After years of deferred maintenance and lack of investment into our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems, we continue to build up to necessary staffing levels and to make long overdue improvements to our aging infrastructure to prevent the even higher costs of failure,” Williams said.

County Taxes Steady

For the 11^th straight year, Dauphin County property taxes are expected to be unchanged, the county commissioners said last month.

The county portion of the property tax should remain at 6.876 mills for 2016, according to a statement by the commissioners.

The county commissioners are expected to pass a 2016 budget this month, which will affirm their tax plan.

Managers Get Payouts

Five Harrisburg department managers will receive payouts for unused off-time following approval last month by City Council.

Council authorized the city administration to spend almost $29,000 to compensate these managers for unused sick and vacation time from 2013. It was about $7,000 more than the administration was requesting.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that, following negotiations, the managers had agreed to take 75 percent of the amount owed them for the unused time. Council, however, authorized Papenfuse to reimburse them for up to 100 percent of that time.

Sinkhole Relief Denied

Harrisburg received disappointing news last month, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected its application for sinkhole relief funds.

FEMA notified Harrisburg that it had turned down a request for $4.1 million to buy out homeowners in a sinkhole-ravaged area of S. 14^th Street.

In the competition for funds, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency had ranked Harrisburg’s request first in the state, but, instead, FEMA approved a $2.1 million application from Palmyra, which was ranked second.

PEMA appealed the decision, and Mayor Eric Papenfuse also wrote a letter asking FEMA to reconsider.

Housing Data Strong

Home sales showed continued strength in October, sustaining a yearlong trend in the Harrisburg area.

For the month, 791 housing units sold, compared to 671 in October 2014, with the median price increasing to $162,900 from $156,500, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors.

In Dauphin County, sales totaled 245 units versus 229 units in the year-ago period, with the median price inching up to $139,000 from $138,000, GHAR reported.

Cumberland County sales actually dropped slightly, to 297 units from 303, but the median price increased to $185,000 from $175,000, said GHAR. Perry County followed a similar trend, with sales decreasing to 28 units from 43, but the median price rising to $129,250 from $115,000, GHAR reported.

In addition to all of Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties, GHAR’s coverage area includes parts of York, Juniata and Lebanon counties.

So Noted

Little Amps Coffee Roasters last month opened its third location, a kiosk on the main floor of Strawberry Square in Harrisburg. Little Amps was founded in 2011 at a location on Green Street in Olde Uptown and later opened a downtown café at N. 2^nd and State streets.

Allen Distribution has signed a 321,333-square-foot lease at 100 Capital Lane, part of the newly renovated Capital Logistics Center in Middletown. The logistics company has leased the entire building, one of six comprising the 1.55-million-square foot industrial complex.

Level 2 is making changes going into 2016. The popular Latin Night will move to Friday and combine with the monthly Latin Fuzion party to create Fuzion Fridayz. Level 2 also is responding to increased demand for private events, with the space available for fundraisers, rehearsals, receptions and more. For information and updates, visit www.level2.us or their Facebook page.

Changing Hands

Alricks St., 638 & 651: Central Dauphin Realty Co. to Coho Spawning Industries & Meridian Recycling LLC, $650,000

Boas St., 235: L. Dempsey & B. Hartlage to C. Guy, $171,500

Calder St., 115: L. Paige to A. & M. Anselmo, $42,500

Derry St., 2436: M. Miranda to M. & I. Collins, $63,000

Forster St., 416 & 418: Pennsylvania Psychological to ITSM Specialties LLC, $145,000

Forster St., 1844: D. & D. Hall to S. Martin, $75,000

Fulton St., 1400: C. Krobath to PA Deals LLC, $90,000

Green St., 1617: A. Doherty to A. Calvano, $124,000

Green St., 3214: M. Traxler to D. Bartels, $105,000

Hale Ave., 397: J. & G. McCarchey to J. Gonzalez, $62,000

Hamilton St., 235: R. Swartz to G. Huggens, $168,900

Hamilton St., 238: LSF8 Master Participation Trust to J. Manzella, $63,900

Hamilton St., 326: K. Stratton to R. Hadrick, $110,000

Hanover St., 1701: C. Cheam to S. Chen, $400,000

Hoffman St., 3206: Skynet Property Management LP to J. Ostrander, $75,000

Kelker St., 315: N. Schock to C. Clymire, $109,900

Kensington St., 2313: Skye Holding LLC to J. Meas, $45,000

Locust St., 110 & 112: Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to Locust Company LLC, $140,000

Market St., 1811: B. Vorndran to HE Pressley Properties LLC, $33,000

N. 2^nd St., 717: M. Hilden & S. Farzin to BCRA Realty LLC, $150,000

N. 2^nd St., 806: Pennsylvania Council of Republican Women to H. Fang & K. Zhu, $77,000

N. 2^nd St., 1200: W. Moyer to Harrisburg Second Street Apartments LLC, $65,000

N. 2^nd St., 2403: CNC Realty Group LLC to AON LLC, $470,000

N. 2^nd St., 2517: 8219 Ventures LLC to AXL Realty Group Inc., $42,000

N. 2^nd St., 3002: B. & K. Elgart to E. Stailey, $152,000

N. 3^rd St., 1100 & 268 Herr St.: Triple Ace LP to AON LLC, $352,000

N. 3^rd St., 2248: M. Coleman to N. Hartwig, $85,000

N. 4^th St., 2737: T. Murphy to Mountaincrash Investments LLC, $37,000

N. 5^th St., 3208: W. & R. Bragunier to K. & D. Roberts, $61,760

N. 6^th St., 2610: S. Wright to J. Shutter, $34,650

N. 18^th St., 120: G. Neff to D. Geiger, $35,000

N. Front St., 2233: Mancke and Wagner Real Estate to J.A. Hartzler & K. Werley, $300,000

Penn St., 1110: G. Latasha to A. St. John & R. Wagoner, $180,000

Penn St., 1111: D. Cooper to H. Landenberger, $114,000

Rolleston St., 1013: R. & A. Showers to W. & J. Wirfel, $30,000

S. 13^th St., 240: NJR Group LLC & Touch of Color to A. Radon, $460,000

S. 19^th St., 1111: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to K. Saqib, $31,500

S. Front St., 315: JGPA Realty LLC to S. Eicher, $146,650

S. Front St., 605: B. Glazier & E. Tsumura to J. & C. Fabian, $152,000

Valley Rd., 2313: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to K. & E. High, $78,000

Waldo St., 2708: Freddie Mac to Tassia Corp., $30,000

Wilson Parkway, 2734: PA Deals LLC to G. & C. Rodda, $80,000

Wiconisco St., 611 & 2641 Agate St.: Thompson LLP to Stop & Store Inc., $175,000

Wyeth St., 1417: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to D. Drabik, $71,000

Drive-By Band: No Last Call–They have trumpets, and they’re not afraid to use them.

December 30, 2014 | by Laura Good

Is that . . . could it be . . . “Rock Lobster?”

On a warm fall evening, notes from that discordant, circa-1980 B-52s song drift down North Street in Harrisburg. Interpreted through horns, woodwinds and percussion, it sounds even stranger than the strange original.

Little by little, the sound gets closer to the restaurant where you’re dining al fresco. Before you know it, a large group of youngish, middle-age-ish musicians gathers around you, dressed in eclectic outfits that can best be described as high school marching band meets Mad Max.

You’ve unwittingly been sucked into the vortex of Harrisburg’s only “hit and run” street band, No Last Call. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll end up having half the fun that they’re having.

“There’s an edge to [hit-and-runs], not knowing what to expect from either side,” said Doug Wilburne, a No Last Call founder who also happens to be vice president of public relations at industrial giant Textron. “We’re building its momentum with a focus on routine and choreography as it becomes a permanent fixture in the landscape.”

On the “other side,” listeners greet No Last Call with a mixture of enthusiasm, discomfort, delight and puzzlement. Should you sing along? Ignore them? Tip them?

No Last Call is made up of 32 members identified as professionals by day and performers by night. Band members include doctors, attorneys, former music teachers, computer programmers and one-time band geeks, to name a few.

It all started about five years ago, when a rowdy group of musicians stumbled out of a bar in Providence, R.I., awakening Wilburne, who owns an apartment there. The ruckus later inspired him to team up with Ted Reese (also known as the director of development for the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra) to replicate that band’s loud, spontaneous, ragged performance for greater Harrisburg.

A few years ago, No Last Call—not knowing what to expect—hit the streets of the city for the first time. They chose a busy night, when there were lots of outside diners along restaurant row on N. 2nd Street.

“While we were waiting to be chased away by the police, people were so surprised to see a marching band in downtown with fairly decent musical quality,” Reese said. “When money started coming into our bucket and people were hiring us to perform at events, Doug and I realized this was not a joke.”

On a recent evening, I attended a band rehearsal on the second floor of the Hummelstown American Legion. Members were preparing for the winter season of parades and holiday honks, their sounds mixed in with the rattle and clash of pool sticks and balls from downstairs.

Without warning, a thunderous BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR erupted from a trombone in the left corner. Immediately, sounds from tubas, clarinets, trumpets and saxophones filled the room among chatter and laughter between friends and acquaintances. There was an energetic and contagious vibe with full camaraderie, like a stadium of sports fans during a rival game.

“Our relationships are strong,” Wilburne said. “We’re building friendships that provide support and reinforcement with exposure in front of a lot of people.”

Musical Director Brant Kenny, a satellite office support specialist at Lincoln Intermediate, gave the band credit for becoming more polished over time.

“There are different playing levels with a variety of skills that add to the diversity of the group,” he said. “Some people take lessons just to be in the band, so we encourage those interested in playing, as well as new, experienced musicians.”

Typically, the band purchases arrangements, but trumpeter Jim Neidinger and soprano sax player Jamie Mosher have arranged a few songs to supplement No Last Call’s unique style. The band finds ways to reinterpret the tunes of performers like James Brown, Lady Gaga and the B-52s. On the night I heard them, the roundup featured familiar melodies like “Thriller,” “Timber,” “Centerfold” and “Dance to the Music.”

After a break, Kenny stepped back into his role, fortifying a circle of musicians awaiting cues from his lead. His talent in matching and correcting tones unfolded as the overall music quality improved through balance, sound and rhythm with each song. There was discipline and creativity during sets, as the band became more discerning but also friendly and collaborative.

“I didn’t expect how much I would enjoy adults rediscovering music and instruments,” Reese said. “For some, it’s been 10 to 20 years since they touched an instrument. It’s gratifying.”

This sense of gratification shows in their impromptu street performances, which fuels the passion behind No Last Call. The band, though, has found it an increasing challenge to live up to its reputation as a “hit-and-run” band.

“We can’t bolt anymore,” Reese admitted. “It’s more of a ‘meander away’ when you have 20 people come out and play.”

In addition to its signature street act, No Last Call performs at booked events like the Dillsburg Farmers Fair in October and Palmyra’s Holiday Parade in November. The band relies on its Facebook page and website to connect with its members and fan base. For “hit-and-run” shows, they notify followers the day beforehand with a general location of their expected whereabouts.

So, don’t be surprised if you see and hear a rambunctious street band playing outdoors once the weathers warms up. No Last Call is just adding to the music of the city.

Learn more about No Last Call by visiting www.nolastcall.net or the band’s Facebook page.

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