Tag Archives: Sara Bozich

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

LeRon McCoy and Ryan Sanders, developers behind the Jackson Square project on N. 6th Street.

Making Harrisburg a better place to live was a common thread running through the news this week. Residents spoke up for change, the city introduced new initiatives, and some people took on important projects themselves. In case you missed any of our coverage, we have it all listed and linked below.

African American developers in Harrisburg are highlighted in our magazine article. Find out what inspires these men to give back to their community through revitalization projects.

Bob took a trip to Paxtang this past weekend and has all the must-see spots for art lovers. Read about the quirky Tiger Eye Coffee Co. and the beach-inspired gallery in his online art blog.

At the Broad Street Market, Gov. Tom Wolf announced a new grant program for food providers struggling from the COVID crisis. The initiative is meant to help small farmers markets, corner stores and other shops provide fresh food to low and moderate-income areas across the state. Check out our story here.

Choose Harrisburg campaign will launch in August to encourage people to buy local. Read more about how the city hopes to support small businesses that took a hit from the COVID crisis.

Compost waste from Harrisburg has found a temporary home after a long, frustrating search. Read our online story for more information about the new agreement with the Swatara Township Yard Waste Composting Facility.

COVID-19 cases rose again this week, we reported in our weekly coverage. The state reported an average of over 700 new diagnoses daily over the last seven days.

Electric bikes soon will roll out in Strawberry Square. Our online story tells about the city resident who is bringing Pedego Electric Bikes to our area.

Harrisburg Urban Growers is helping city residents start their own gardens. Our magazine story reveals why they believe gardening is good for the body and mind.

Harrisburg City Council will interrupt their summer hiatus to hold public hearings on the proposed citizen’s policing advisory board. Our reporting found that many residents are not pleased with the proposed bill as it stands and want the board to have more power.

Harrisburg University had planned to conduct classes fully online, but had to make a major change when new guidelines were imposed by the federal government. Our online story tells how the school shifted to include in-person instruction to avoid the risk of losing its international students.

Paper Moon Flowers has opened in Midtown for all your floral and décor needs. In our magazine story, owner Shawn Durborow-Bowersox described how he started his successful business in Hershey before opening a storefront in Harrisburg.

TheBurg Podcast this month focuses on maintaining a sense of community throughout strange times. Hear from guests Blake Lynch of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, writer Deb Schell who talks about community gardening and 3rd in the Burg coordinator Kelsey Tatge.

Sara Bozich has everything from flower picking to art therapy on her to-do list for this weekend. Check out all the summer fun in store for Harrisburg in her weekly blog.

Unity Festival is taking over Reservoir Park on Saturday. Local activist Kevin Maxson and his group Voices for the Voiceless will host the day of fun, featuring free food and games. Find out more information in our online story.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Just about that garden life, might do that Thrive workout on Sunday even though Jimi told me the last one involved 100 Burpees and that’s terrifying.

Need a new socially distanced idea? Paulus Farm Market in Mechanicsburg is now open 6 days a week for U-Pick Fresh Flowers. Build your own bouquet to brighten your living space — these are the kind of perks we need right now. Pick one for yourself, then one for a friend, parent, or neighbor. While you’re there, feed the animals and grab some fresh produce.

Hey, have you happened to declutter and are selling or looking to sell your goods online? My BFF (and total #MomGoals) Betsy is hosting this FREE Side Hustle 101-Reselling From Home class via zoom on Saturday. Sign-up! She’s amazing.


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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

Harrisburg’s Saturday Nights in the City outdoor dining event has been extended through August.

The coronavirus pandemic continued to have a major impact on local news this past week. Some stories showed progress in our gradual reopening, while others demonstrated the continuing destructive effect of the disease. In case you missed any of our coverage, we have it all summarized and linked below. Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Blake Lynch related his personal story of growing up as a Black man in America, part of TheBurg’s “Voices of our Community” feature. Read Blake’s compelling account in our July magazine or click here to read it online.

COVID-19 cases ticked up in the past week, though daily cases continued to be far below the early April highs in PA. Get the latest data from our weekly summary.

Harrisburg City Council began debate on a proposed citizen’s police advisory board. The discussion centered around how powerful the new board should be, as our online story reports.

Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival began this past week in a virtual format. The viewing experience may be different than usual, but the quality remains high, as our magazine story relates.

Harrisburg Senators threw in the towel on a 2020 baseball season, as Major League Baseball cancelled the minor league schedule. The Senators promised to be back next year, better than ever, as our online story details.

Harrisburg’s MLK City Government Center will re-open next week after being closed to the public since March. Per our online story, the city still encourages residents to avoid visiting unless unnecessary and to employ safety measures if they do.

Independence Day is this weekend, and the city has numerous events planned. Therefore, we’re relinking to our story from last month so that readers are reminded what’s happening in Harrisburg for the Fourth.

Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority lost another of its original members this past week. The resignation underscored the friction between Harrisburg and its state-appointed financial oversight board, which, according to our story, has been escalating over time.

Jeff Woodruff has stepped down after many years as executive director of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. Our feature story explains what’s next for him and for the organization he led.

Middletown’s Press & Journal printed its final issue this past week, ending a publishing tradition stretching back more than 160 years. In a blog post, our editor paid tribute to the venerable weekly, which fell victim to several forces of destruction.

“Out in Central Pennsylvania” tells the history of the Harrisburg area’s LGBTQ+ community and its struggle for equality. To get the gist of the new book, we covered Midtown Scholar’s virtual author talk, which was held recently.

Resilience is a key trait for muddling through these difficult pandemic times. Our magazine feature interviews therapists and families who offer advice on how to cope with this huge disruption to our lives.

Sara Bozich has the skinny on the July 4 weekend, with many special events planned in her weekly to-do list. So go out, but mask up and be safe, she says.

Saturday Nights in the City has been extended throughout the summer. Our online story states that Harrisburg cited the success of the outdoor dining event in announcing the extension.

TheBurg distributed our July issue this past week, revving up the printing press once again as most our of delivery locations reopened. You can find a copy at hundreds of locations around the Harrisburg area or read it online here.

TheBurg’s editor welcomes our readers to the July issue with his editor’s note, with the welcome news that life seems to be creeping back to some sense of normalcy, even if it is a strange new kind of normal.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

Happy Fourth of July Weekend! Hey, 2020 is halfway over. Fireworks are a weird thing. Please wear a gd mask when you’re in public. Get a tie-dye or themed one for the weekend. We’re heading to the in-laws for a holiday picnic, I’m wearing this sweet new chill set from Harrisburg-based Pretty Girlz Shop, and planning to pick up some local beer for the shindig. Let’s talk food for the weekend. Grilling? Get to Hummer’s ASAP (they’re closing early on Saturday) for all your burgers, dogs, sausages, and more. Cornerstone Coffeehouse will be cooking all day, too. Order a whole meal or just some sides to go with your own grilling specialties. Meanwhile, Greystone (both locations) has full Clam Bakes available — just order by Friday; pickup Saturday.
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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

Forster Street may be in for substantial improvements if a grant application approved by City Council is accepted.

This week may not have been quite as jam-packed as last, but there was still plenty of news, including several proposals meant to improve life in Harrisburg. Now’s a great time to catch up on the latest stories you may have missed from this past week.

Capital Region Water is delaying stormwater fees for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. We shared, in our online story, that the payment will begin on Oct. 1, rather than July 1.

Citizen’s advisory board was proposed by City Council on Tuesday to improve relations between the Police Bureau and residents. In our online story, we outline the power that committee members would have and how they will be chosen.

COVID-19 cases have plateaued for now in Pennsylvania, according to the latest data from the state Department of Health. In our weekly update, we show that cases haven’t fallen further, but they’re not generally rising either.

Deterring illegal firework usage is the goal of a new plan to open Harrisburg parks on July 3 as a place for residents to set fireworks off safely. Our story highlights the four parks that will be supervised by Fire Bureau officials from 7 to 10 p.m and the new mapping system that will pinpoint illegal-use hotspots.

Forster Street may be getting a facelift. City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to submit a grant application for improvements to Forster Street. Our online story details that council hopes to get $832,437 to reduce the width of the street and improve safety between the Harvey Taylor Bridge and N. 2nd Street.

Harrisburg school district Receiver Janet Samuels approved on Monday a budget of $158.2 million for the 2020-21 school year. Our online story explains how the district originally faced a $4.2 million deficit caused by the COVID-19 crisis, but received one-time CARES Act funding to fill the gap.

“Out in Central Pennsylvania” by William Burton details the history of the LGBTQ community in the region. We reported on Midtown Scholar’s virtual book talk in which Burton and co-author Barry Loveland discussed the story.

Sara Bozich is laying low this weekend, enjoying some good local food and chilling out. Don’t miss her list of things to do this weekend to get out of the house while still relaxing.

UPMC Pinnacle is launching “Healthy Harrisburg,” an educational course for those dealing with chronic illness. It aims to help residents of color and those lacking adequate access to healthcare in the city. Check out what they have planned and how you can register to participate.

Young Professionals of Color of Greater Harrisburg have almost reached their goal for their 2020-21 Adopt-a-Classroom fundraiser. They’re looking to raise $15,000 to support 30 Harrisburg school district classrooms. More information and ways to give are shown in our online story.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend! I’m checking out a soon-to-open restaurant today and have a day of photo shoots (and fun) with my girls on Friday, but otherwise, plans are sparse. We’re still laying low AND like, we have a toddler, so … Hoping to visit a friend’s pool to cool off at some point and get some cheddar wurst on the grill with a fresh salad from my garden! Hiya, Are you on the email list? In addition to getting this weekly update directly in your inbox, I load it with a bunch of other fresh, original content. Sign-up here. I also recommend following me on IG.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

A local family poses for the “Front Steps” project

What a week! This past week, the news never seemed to stop around the country with major stories breaking, especially out of the U.S. Supreme Court. In case our local coverage got crowded out, you can catch up now, as all our stories are listed and linked below.

Allison Hill Farmers Market is up and going for its inaugural year. Our magazine feature story shows how a community group is bringing local, fresh food to an underserved area of Harrisburg.

Bethesda Mission started work on its new women’s shelter, with a ceremonial sledgehammering to the old building. Our online story offers the details on where, when and how.

Black Lives Matter protestors once again gathered at the state Capitol. Our photo gallery offered a look at the scene as people rallied and marched.

COVID-19 new case count continued to slowly fall across PA. We published our daily updates for another week, as Dauphin and Perry counties finally turned green. We’ll now switch to a weekly update unless events warrant.

Harrisburg school district this week marked one year under state receivership. So, how has it gone? In our online story, we found that the receiver and her team received pretty good grades for their performance, though student academic achievement remains a concern.

Hope is making a comeback, at least around TheBurg newsroom. In his editorial, our editor cites this past week as potentially historic and certainly a step in the right direction as people continue to struggle and strive for equality and rights.

Juneteenth is upon us, with celebratory events taking place all over Harrisburg. Our preview story showed what was planned for this celebration of Black history, culture and freedom. We then shared an online story of one of the day’s activities, as the city took possession of a bronze map replica of the Old 8th Ward from the forthcoming Commonwealth Monument Project.

Lebanon County is the state’s wallflower, the only county to retain “yellow” status as all remaining yellow counties turn green next week. In our story, Gov. Tom Wolf says the decision is based on health policy, but health Secretary Levine hinted at additional motives.

Modern Rugs combines artistry and utility, the magic taking place in a completely renovated building in Midtown Harrisburg. Our arts writer went for a visit and, in his blog, expressed threads of delight with what he found.

Roger Baumgarten made the most of life under lockdown, using his photography skills to snap people under quarantine and, in the process, raising money for Salvation Army Harrisburg. Our online feature story tells how this one man was able to use his idle time to make such a difference.

Sara Bozich spend her first full week in the green zone, slowly getting used to life at 50 percent. Check out some of her best ideas for things to do this weekend around the Harrisburg area.

Shawan Rice and her band, Shawan and the Wonton, are arguably one of the best-known Harrisburg-based bands. Fittingly, we profile Rice as part of our series on local musicians for African American Music Appreciation Month.

Summer camp may look a bit different this year, but, well, doesn’t everything? Our online feature story explains how several popular local camps are adapting to pandemic times.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

Okay, now we’re all in the green (tonight at midnight I think). What does that mean? You can probably get a haircut, a sugaring, a facial, continue to shop locally (but now in person, where you can), and dine inside and out! NOTE: For the love of god, can you people PLEASE be kind, follow the rules, and cut employees everywhere a break? Honestly. Everyone is doing the best that they can. Don’t forget Sunday is Father’s Day! I always recommend consumables as gifts — local beer, cheese, wine, spirits, pastries, coffee. Hiya, Are you on the email list? In addition to getting this weekly update directly in your inbox, I load it with a bunch of other fresh, original content. Sign-up here. I also recommend following me on IG.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

Hundreds of protestors rallied and marched at last weekend’s Black Lives Matters protest.

Judging by this week’s news, life seems to be returning to normal around the Harrisburg area. Yes, COVID and protests still predominate, but we’re increasingly seeing a greater mix of stories. We have all our coverage listed and linked below, in the greatest number of online stories we’ve ever published in a single week.

African American Music Appreciation Month continues locally, with an online profile of musician Sourface. So, who is this masked stranger, and what about his unique style of “bedroom rap?” Our story contains some revealing details.

Black Lives Matters movement showed its strength again around Harrisburg last weekend, with a rally and a march. We were there to cover the protest, which centered around calls for unity, action and peace.

Calobe Jackson Jr. has seen it all in his 90 years—and, when it comes to Harrisburg history, he definitely knows it all. In our June magazine, we profiled this local legend, the connecting tissue between a city past, present and future.

COVID-19 continues to affect the commonwealth, despite slowly dropping case numbers. We followed the ups and downs in our daily updates, the most recent of which is found here.

Dauphin and Perry counties will enter the green stage of reopening next Friday, joining most of the rest of the greater Harrisburg area. What does green mean? Our online news story has the details.

Harrisburg was worried that a “large number” of groups planned to converge on the city on Monday, perhaps in conflict with one another. The city closed several streets as a precaution, but the rally ended up being small and calm, as our news story described.

Harrisburg Bike Share has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the operator running it has called it quits. The three-year-old program gained thousands of supporters, but, as our online story explains, couldn’t overcome the larger economic forces at play.

Harrisburg City Council has hired Wildheart Ministries to disassemble an enormous solar array at the former headquarters of D&H Distributing. The property’s new owner is donating thousands of solar panels, but needs them removed immediately. Our online story tells the tale.

Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC held a webinar examining issues of systemic racism in the business community. As our online story states, it contained advice for businesses dedicated to fighting racism and ensuring equality in their organizations.

Home sales in the Harrisburg area predictably took a tumble in May, but prices held firm. The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors released its monthly report, and we have the local data in our online story.

Hudson Building has a new owner and a new plan, as a Harrisburg-area native plans to gut and rehabilitate the long-dilapidated building. What’s in store? Our online feature tells the story.

Independence Day celebration in Harrisburg will go on this year—mostly as normal. The city announced plans for its fireworks show and food truck festival, though the latter will move to City Island. For all the information, check out our online story.

Nonprofits have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, along with United Way of the Capital Region, has been trying to patch financial holes until better days arrive, as described in our online feature story.

Sara Bozich is finally breaking free from her house, and she has some ideas for people itching for something fun to do. Check out her list of both in-person and online activities and events.

“Saturday Nights in the City” was so successful last weekend that Harrisburg decided to expand it in hours and scope. What’s new for this weekend? Our online story has the details you’ll need before venturing out.

Small businesses have had to get creative in order to survive during pandemic times. Our June magazine feature describes what some Harrisburg businesses are doing until times return to normal.

Summer camp is an important part of the school break for many young people, but COVID-19 has greatly affected this rite of passage. Our online feature describes how some Harrisburg area organizations are adapting to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

TheBurg Podcast, June edition, dropped into feeds everywhere this past week, expanding upon several features from the June magazine. And, yes, it includes an interview with the ubiquitous, yet still mysterious, Sharkman! Tune in and find out what motivates the skating fish, and hang around for other segments, as well.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

We’re (mostly) green! What does that mean? Not much different from yellow but hey, now’s the time to (finally) get yourself cleaned up, continue to shop locally (but now in person, where you can), and dine outside! Are you on the email list? In addition to getting this weekly update directly in your inbox, I load it with a bunch of other fresh, original content. Sign-up here.

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