Tag Archives: Sprocket Mural Works

What’s coming for Harrisburg in 2021? Development, road work, murals and more

December 30, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

A view of the state Capitol

You can’t predict the future; you can only predict the past. But here’s my best stab at it anyway. Artists, entrepreneurs, engineers and city officials in Harrisburg have big plans for 2021. Below, you will get an idea of what may be coming down the tracks. Take it with a grain of salt. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that plans can change very quickly.

Citizen’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee
This was one of the hottest legislative topics in the city in 2020. Months of town hall meetings and public comments from concerned residents resulted in approval of a board tasked with keeping a check on Harrisburg’s Police Bureau. The nine board members will be empowered to review police documents and records and suggest recommendations to City Council. Council and the mayor are slated to appoint residents to serve during this coming year.

Community policing
Harrisburg substantially increased its Police Bureau budget for 2021, creating new community policing positions. There will be seven “community service aides,” a new civilian position aimed at improving bureau relations with residents and assisting officers. Two more co-responders will add to the one that already works in Harrisburg through a Dauphin County program. The co-responders are trained professionals who assist with police calls where mental health issues may play a role.

Concerts
Oh, the days of listening to live music. Harrisburg University had big plans for 2020 concerts, but COVID derailed all of them. That didn’t stop them from rolling out big names for 2021. Rockers Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are set to perform on May 29 in Riverfront Park. Sept. 23 brings a weekend concert blitz including Cage the Elephant, Dawes and Portugal. The Man. Cancelled concerts from 2020, including Young the Giant and MisterWives, have been rescheduled for 2021, as well.

Development
In his January column, our editor reflected on the many major development plans that popped up during 2020, but didn’t see much action. Developers have big plans for the new year, but when exactly will they come to fruition? The Bridge Ecovillage plans to start construction on Harrisburg’s old Bishop McDevitt High School in the spring. Integrated Development Partners may begin construction on the former Salvation Army building on Cumberland and Green streets, depending on city approvals. They are proposing 16 market-rate condominiums. Also hinging on city approval is a plan to renovate the former Gerber’s Department Store—also known as the “Carpets and Draperies” building for the sign on the front façade—on the 1500-block of N. 3^rd Street. Harrisburg resident Nathaniel Foote hopes to transform it into a small apartment building by the end of the year. TLC Construction & Renovations plans to construct eight apartments in Uptown, and two abandoned buildings on N. Cameron Street are slated for conversion to office and residential spaces by Harrisburg Commercial Interiors. Lastly, Harrisburg University should finally break ground on its 11-story academic building.

New Brews, Eats
A Broad Street Market favorite, Zeroday Brewing Co., is slated to open a much larger location on the 900-block of N. 3^rd St. early this coming year. Radish & Rye Food Hub, which was also a market vendor, should be opening soon just across the road on N. 3^rd Street, the owners confirmed. Also expected early this year is highly anticipated Good Brothas Book Café on the 1400-block of N. 3rd Street. Co-owner Tony Diehl of Denim Coffee, with shops in Carlisle and Chambersburg, said they will likely open their third location at 401 Walnut Street in a couple of months.

Mayoral Race
Following a chaotic presidential election year, Harrisburg will have a race for its own chief executive in 2021. The primary election will take place in May, followed by a general election in November. Current Mayor Eric Papenfuse will likely run for re-election. David Schankweiler, the former publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal and the former chair of the state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, said that he plans to challenge Papenfuse. According to sources, former city council member Otto Banks may be running, as well. Additionally, four City Council seats will be up for election.

Murals
Sprocket Mural Works announced that they will hold a 2021 Mural Festival in Harrisburg. According to their website, they plan to paint more in Allison Hill, create a mural on the Mulberry Street Bridge and would like to create a pocket park in Midtown. However, they may not hold an outdoor celebration, due to COVID.

South Allison Hill Safety Project
Approved in the 2021 city budget was $103,345 for an initiative to improve lighting, safety, blighted properties and vacant lots in Allison Hill. Tri County Community Action, Wildheart Ministries, Power to the Hill and four other organizations decided to take action after seeing an uptick in crime in that section of Harrisburg.

Street improvements
City Engineer Wayne Martin has told TheBurg that 2021 will be busy for road work in Harrisburg. Some larger projects include reducing travel lanes on State Street to decrease car accidents and pedestrian fatalities. This was approved by PennDOT, which owns the road. Other projects coming next year will likely include adding bike lanes, parking and sidewalk enhancements on Chestnut and Walnut streets. Plans for converting 2nd Street to a two-way road, improving 7th Street and extending a pedestrian and bicyclist friendly corridor on Boyd Street from N. 3^rd to N. 6^th street are in the beginning stages.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

December 11, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

Ralph Rodriguez (right) of All You Can Inc. at last year’s Holiday Donation Drive.

Even though you may not be able to eat at your favorite restaurant this weekend, you can still support local businesses. Grab some takeout and catch up on any news you may have missed this past week, listed and linked below.

All You Can Inc. will distribute free holiday gifts to over 600 children in Harrisburg on Dec. 19, our online story reported. Founder Ralph Rodriguez hopes to spread Christmas cheer during a time when many are struggling.

Bethesda Mission’s tree lighting event at Italian Lake on Saturday will be virtual, due to Gov. Tom Wolf’s new COVID restrictions. Tom Russell, chief meteorologist from CBS21, will host the ceremony, and various Bethesda community members will be involved, our online story reported.

TheBurg Podcast closes out the year with a special focus on the arts in Harrisburg. We hear from Amie Bantz, who designed TheBurg’s cover this month and Megan Caruso, co-founder of Sprocket Mural Works. Harrisburg band Yam Yam and art blogger Bob MacGinnes make an appearance, as well.

COVID-19 cases soared over the past week in the commonwealth, our online story reported. The average new case count has reached over 10,000 per day.

Dauphin County announced another round of funding for businesses, our reporting found. Another $1.15 million is available through the Dauphin County COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Grant Program.

Faith organizations in the Harrisburg area are gearing up for the holidays in the midst of COVID. Our magazine story tells how local communities have adapted their traditions to fit with the times.

Gov. Tom Wolf tightened restrictions on some businesses and indoor gatherings on Thursday, our online story reported. The restrictions include a ban on indoor restaurant dining and the closure of gyms and entertainment venues, such as theaters, museums and casinos.

Harrisburg City Council voted on Thursday to begin collecting trash from Penbrook and Paxtang boroughs. Mayor Eric Papenfuse said this would result in over $2 million in annual revenues for the city, our online story reported.

Harrisburg’s City Council race began to take shape this week, as council member Ben Allatt said he would not be running for another term. The race for mayor has also begun as David Schankweiler, the former publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal, indicated that he planned to run, our online story reported.

Joy to the Burg celebrations will continue this year, with a twist, our magazine story reported. Instead of a live concert, “Good Day PA” will broadcast musical performances and interviews to raise money for homelessness programs provided by Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area.

Open Stage is virtually presenting “A Christmas Carol” this month. In a Burg Review, our writer described this version as a creative take on the traditional Dickens classic.

Police Bureau funds have been the main topic of discussion within the proposed 2021 Harrisburg budget. During a budget hearing on Tuesday, residents pushed back against what would be a significant increase in funds for community policing efforts, our online story reported.

Portugal. The Man will play in Riverfront Park in September 2021 as part of Harrisburg University’s concert series. Bands Cage the Elephant and Dawes are slated to perform the same weekend, our online story reported.

Sara Bozich has some holiday gift ideas and fun things to do around Harrisburg this weekend in her Weekend Roundup!

Sprocket Mural Works has been busy creating five new murals for Harrisburg between September and October. Check out the artists’ work in our magazine story.

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Departing 2020, with Art: The Burg Podcast, December 2020

December 10, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

In this special holiday edition of TheBurg Podcast, we wrap up 2020 by unwrapping some creative “gifts” from an artistic lineup of guests.

Artist Amie Bantz explains her inspiration behind TheBurg’s December magazine cover.

Megan Caruso, co-founder of Sprocket Mural Works, previews the 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival—an expansion of our magazine story, “Walls of Hope.”

Three of the Yams, from Harrisburg band Yam Yam, stop by with an exciting holiday gift: They debut a new song from their upcoming album, on the podcast.

Bob MacGinnes, who writes Bob’s Art Blog for TheBurg, paints a picture of “the year in art.”

And editor Lawrance Binda pops by with his “most Harrisburg thing” for December.

TheBurg Podcast is hosted by Karen Hendricks, a lifelong journalist who also dabbles in PR/Marketing. Visit her website here.

TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren ([email protected])

Meet some of the Harrisburg area’s most fascinating people, and hear their own authentic stories, expanded from every month’s magazine, on TheBurg Podcast—because there’s always “more to the story.”

Walls of Hope: Despite COVID, Harrisburg has five new murals to gaze upon

November 30, 2020 | by Ayanna Totten

While COVID-19 and social upheaval continue to ravage the nation, Harrisburg artists are atop scissor lifts and three-story walls to restore joy through the city’s well-known medium: murals.

Most of 2020 has been a dry spell for art in Pennsylvania’s capital, but it was a matter of timing and opportunity.

Through collaborations with Make Something, Zeroday Brewing Co., Harristown Enterprises and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District (HDID), Sprocket Mural Works was able to produce five new murals between September and October.

“Public art has always been proven to be a sign of a healthy city,” said Megan Caruso, Sprocket president and co-founder. “The whole point of why we’re doing this is to make people feel good and make people proud.”

Artist Samantha Sanders kicked off the season in late September, painting a mural in the rear courtyard of Zeroday Brewing Co.’s future location in Midtown. October started with Steve ESPO Powers’ mural, an extension of his Early Bird Vote project with Make Something.

Then, as part of HDID and Harristown Enterprises’ partnership with Sprocket, three murals were painted along Blackberry Street by artists Dizz Gavins, Tara Chickey and Emily Matusz.

“As we become an even more attractive destination, these murals really add a level of interest that most communities don’t have,” said Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown.

The artists, some of whom have worked with Sprocket previously, had significantly different creative visions and were eager to undertake a new challenge.

Samantha Sanders

Found right off N. 3rd Street, Sanders’ mural for Zeroday Brewing Co. is an autumnal forest scene highlighted by a neverending creek that bends space and time.

The piece was Sanders’ first solo mural, presenting the opportunity to further explore her plant-based art style.

“It’s kind of like getting a college degree in all of eight days,” Sanders joked.

Sanders wants the mural to transport visitors beyond the courtyard. The creek, inspired by the hometown waters she played in with her niece, doubles as a trail, and all the elements are born from the sun, making the mural seem bigger than it is.

Steve ESPO Powers

Splashed along the 1000-block of N. 3rd Street is Powers’ mural. In contrast to the season’s other work, his piece is more of a community tribute.

“He’s a fickle cat,” said Aaron Rose, Make Something co-founder. “He doesn’t like to give up too much information about what he’s going to do before he does it.”

In an Instagram video posted by Juxtapoz Magazine, Powers explained how the mural became a diary of his conversations with the community. Specific elements, such as the hair clippers and Chinese takeout container, represent local businesses.

Dizz Gavins

Gavins’ mural is a melting, multicolored wall that stays true to his “dripped gawd” moniker.

Finding his niche through doodling, Gavins began experimenting with texture and the “drip-style” in 2008, and it took a life of its own.

Like much of his work, the mural isn’t intended to convey a specific message.

“It’s just there to help you explore your own creativity,” he said. “So, whatever I created is not necessarily what somebody else sees.”

Tara Chickey

Chickey’s mural is an abstract landscape inspired by dreams and travel memories.

For example, the geometric shapes at the bottom represent a motif she discovered on the edge of a cliff in Iceland.

She also reimagines landscapes through vibrant color selections.

“I think it’s because I have a 4-year-old daughter, and she’s just full of joy and vibrancy,” said Chickey “And even in this dark time, she brings such beauty to my life.”

Chickey hopes her mural holds the same joy for others.

Emily Matusz

Defined by the unwavering glare of a peregrine falcon, Matusz’s mural is an ode to a nearby treasure. For 20 years, falcons have nested in the same spot on the 15th floor of the nearby Rachel Carson building.

The mural is sharp, veering away from abstractions and reflecting Matusz’s background in realism and digital illustration.

However, she also hopes the mural raises environmental concerns.

“I just want [people] to feel at ease, more connection to nature,” Matusz said. “Who knows how long those falcons will perch out there?”

Looking Ahead

Sprocket’s next project is an indoor mural at GLO-Harrisburg, a community resource center for LGBTQ+ men of color and trans women of color. The mural will be painted by Dionn Reneé, an artist who has been longing to create a larger piece with Sprocket.

Reneé’s approach to the GLO mural considers the community’s values first.

“I look at: Where’s their heart? What is their purpose?” she said. “Developing a concept and theme and color story for them is going to be based off of…the heroes. What are they fighting for?”

Aware of the exclusion that sometimes occurs among different sectors of the LGBTQ+ community, Reneé hopes her completed mural promotes inclusion, empowerment and encouragement.

Caruso explained that the remainder of 2020 will be dedicated to finding new walls and funding, then there will be a call for artists in spring for the 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival.

The plan is for more murals to go up, but the process might look different due to COVID-19. An outdoor mural festival might not be possible because of the high number of attendees, and the small businesses that normally contribute to Sprocket are recovering from financial losses.

“So, our plan is to do our best, fundraise, shoot high, and see where we land,” said Caruso.

Sprocket Mural Works is planning a summer 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival, with fundraising efforts beginning on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, with tax deductible donations welcomed. For more information about Sprocket or to contribute, visit www.sprocketmuralworks.com and follow @sprocketmuralworks on Instagram.

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Harrisburg soon will have 5 new murals to add to cityscape, mural trail

October 18, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A new mural by Dizz Gavins (left) complements an existing mural along Blackberry Street.

During these pandemic days, we all can use more color in our lives.

Fortunately, Harrisburg residents soon will have five new murals to help cheer them up even as the cold and dark of winter approaches.

The mural action started late last month, when artist Samantha Sanders brought bright colors and a beautiful landscape to a wall off of James Street, just behind N. 3^rd Street, in a rear courtyard for the future home of Zeroday Brewing Co.

Artist Samantha Sanders last month at work on her mural.

The projects continued in early October when renowned Philadelphia-based muralist, Steve “ESPO” Powers, working with the arts group, Make Something, used inspiration from the community to paint a wall on the 1000-block of N. 3^rd Street.

Steve “ESPO” Powers used community suggestions for his whimsical mural.

And, now, three more murals are going up downtown, under the auspices of Sprocket Mural Works and in collaboration with Harristown Enterprises and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District (HDID).

Those three murals are all along Blackberry and Dewberry streets, two alleys off of Market Street. They’re being painted by York-based artist Dizz Gavins, Gettysburg-based artist Emily Matusz and Harrisburg’s own Tara Chickey.

“We are extremely excited to have these three local artists add to the portfolio of work in our neighborhood,” said Todd Vander Woude, executive director of the HDID.

The murals by Sanders, Powers and Gavins are completed. Matusz began work on her mural last week, and Chickey will start her project this week, said Brad Jones, Harristown’s president and CEO.

“Our partnerships with the Downtown Improvement District and Sprocket Mural Works strengthen and beautify our community,” Jones said. “With the addition of these three murals, Blackberry Street will now become a central corridor for the mural trail.”

Artist Emily Matusz works on her mural on Blackberry Street beneath the Chestnut Street parking garage.

The McCormick Foundation has also contributed to some of the projects, Jones said.

Over the past few years, Sprocket has painted, commissioned and collaborated on some 85 mural projects in the greater Harrisburg area. This includes two, 10-day long mural festivals that resulted in dozens of works of new art throughout the city.

“Murals promote a sense of identity, belonging and attachment, strengthening community identification,” said Megan Caruso, Sprocket president and co-founder.

For more information about Sprocket Mural Works, visit their website.

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Harrisburg Council OKs agreement with Swatara Township as city continues quest for permanent composting site

July 7, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A screen shot of Tuesday’s virtual City Council meeting

Harrisburg’s leaves, grass and branches are headed to Swatara Township, as the city continues a longstanding quest to find a permanent place for its compostable waste.

City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to enter into a two-year intergovernmental cooperation agreement to use the Swatara Township Yard Waste Composting Facility.

“The city is no longer taking any of its woody waste to the incinerator, so we’re looking to make sure we’re disposing of this properly,” said council member Westburn Majors.

Since 2017, the city has tried to get approval to build its own composting facility on land owned by the Harrisburg school district, just over the city line in the Edgemont section of Susquehanna Township. However, township officials have rejected that proposal, a decision the city has appealed to the courts.

“As we are in continued litigation regarding the potential set up of our own composting facility, this hopefully will be a short-term solution as we continue to work through those issues so that the city can finally have a place to dispose of its leafy and woody waste,” Majors said.

City Solicitor Neil Grover on Tuesday said that the appeal could easily take more than two years to wind its way through the courts and come to a conclusion.

In the meantime, the city already has been sending its compostable waste—vegetative material like leaf waste, grass clippings and garden residue—to the facility in the Oberlin section of Swatara Township. The resolution approved on Tuesday formalizes that arrangement, Grover said.

Harrisburg will pay the township $2,945.10 per year, starting on Jan. 1. Christopher Nafe, the city’s sustainability officer, said that amount was proposed by Swatara Township, a figure, he added, that the city deemed reasonable.

Also on Tuesday, council unanimously passed a resolution entering into a reimbursement agreement with Capital Region Water to fund the installation and construction of ADA-compliant curb ramps, curb extensions and other streetscape improvements as part of CRW’s South Allison Hill Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project. Under the arrangement, the city will provide $150,000 to reimburse CRW for certain improvements it is making as part of its extensive stormwater project in South Allison Hill.

City Council on Tuesday also:

Approved use of $250,000 from federal Community Development Grant Fund program to help fund a new “Chutes & Ladders” playground in Reservoir Park. At its last meeting, council approved a grant application for another $250,000 to the state Department of Community and Economic Development to fund the $1 million project. The CDBG funds will serve as a city match for the DCED application.
Approved the submission of a grant application for up to $150,000 to the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Our Town” program for the installation of murals on Derry Street in Allison Hill. If the grant is received, Sprocket Mural Works and Tri County Community Action would oversee the mural project.
Approved the submission of a grant application to the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program for up to $9 million to fund substantial renovations to Harrisburg’s MLK Jr. City Government Center.
Approved the appointment of residents Leland Nelson and Richard Martinez to serve on Harrisburg’s Environmental Advisory Council.

Harrisburg City Council now will go on its annual summer hiatus, with the next session slated for Aug. 25. Harrisburg Council member Ausha Green, though, said she plans to hold public hearings in the interim on two ongoing measures–a proposed police use-of-force resolution and a proposed citizen’s police advisory committee.

Harrisburg residents bust out the rakes, brooms, shovels on a chilly MLK Day of Service

January 20, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A volunteer rakes up trash and weeds from Patrick Alley.

A bitter wind swept through a narrow Harrisburg alley on Monday, but Puja Gellerman had springtime firmly in her sights.

Over here, she said, would be some hardy plants; over there, native perennials.

“We want to bring more beauty to this place,” said Gellerman, a master gardener and Midtown Harrisburg resident.

Little-known Patrick Alley, which sits in back of a strip of businesses along the 1300-block of N. 3rd Street, could be called a lot of things—neglected, forlorn—but “beautiful” is typically not among those words.

Today, though, about 35 people took a first step toward reclaiming this patch of land as volunteers from Friends of Midtown, Sprocket Mural Works and the Junior League of Harrisburg took up rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows to clear out the trash, litter and weeds as part of the annual Central Pennsylvania MLK Day of Service.

Throughout the city, hundreds of volunteers similarly spent their day off painting, scrubbing, sweeping and helping others, gathering at sites that ranged broadly from The Bridge’s new home at the former Bishop McDevitt High School to Paxton Ministries on Paxton Street to Gospel Fellowship Church in Uptown Harrisburg to the main gathering point at Commonwealth Charter Academy.

Down 3rd Street, Keisha Ordaz set up a table outside of Gifted Hands Barber Studio with bottles of water, blankets, gloves and other items so that people could stop by and pick up whatever they needed.

Inside the shop, they gave away free and discounted haircuts and served chicken noodle soup donated by the neighboring restaurant, Pastorante. Two doors down, craft ice cream vendor Urban Churn offered delicious hot cocoa for anyone who asked.

“So far, we’ve had a pretty decent turnout, considering it’s so cold and no one is really outside,” Ordaz said.

These businesses were part of a more informal MLK Day effort to combine resources in the neighborhood to help people in need.

Urban Churn owner Adam Brackbill said that he hoped that the businesses on his block would continue their partnership, perhaps holding similar donation events every couple of months.

“Folks have been in and, I think, this afternoon, it will get a little busier,” he said.

Manager Keisha Ordaz and owner Mike Payne stand outside Gifted Hands Barber Studio, where a table was set up with items for those in need.

Back up on cold Patrick Alley, Nate Lotze, co-chair of the Friends of Midtown beautification committee, said that he hoped their cleanup would be a first step in a major transformation of the narrow, usually deserted and unkempt street.

Sprocket Mural Works, along with Friends of Midtown, has approached the city to potentially create a pocket park on Patrick Alley and a small, adjoining section of Sayford Street. If they get the go-ahead, they would like to create a snug urban oasis with a garden, planters, seating and murals.

“No matter what the end project looks like, this is a great start for this space,” he said. “It lays the groundwork for what will come.”

Megan Caruso, Sprocket co-founder, said she was impressed with the turnout, especially given the sub-freezing temperatures and biting wind.

“We have a ton of people who came out,” she said. “It’s all happening very quickly.”

MLK Day of Service volunteers pose on a newly weeded and cleaned Patrick Alley.

Councilman Dave Madsen also was in the thick of it on Patrick Alley, shoveling up dirt and debris as other volunteers raked out the weedy area that, come warmer weather, will become flowerbeds.

“It’s great to see people not just sleeping in but coming out and serving their community on MLK Day,” he said.

Stories on environmental topics are proudly sponsored by LCSWMA.

Happy Newsy Year: Join me in the time machine way back to–2019.

December 30, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

With the flip of the calendar, most people turn their focus to the year ahead, making resolutions and plans for the next 12 months.

Not this guy.

Each January, I use this space to review what made headlines in the year just ended. So, without further delay, here’s my look into the rearview mirror, a wildly subjective ranking of the top 10 local news stories of 2019.

10. So Many Murals
Historically, I’ve kicked off my annual top-10 list with a good news story—so why stop now? Last year, Sprocket Mural Works mounted its second Harrisburg Mural Festival, bringing world-class muralists into Harrisburg during the first 10 days of September. The result: big art, beautiful art, permanent art. Not long ago, a stroll up 3rd Street was a dull trek indeed, but now there’s so much to see, admire and Instagram. Who’s up for a selfie?

9. Going Up
Harrisburg has seen precious little new construction in many years, ever since the Reed administration’s creatively financed downtown projects. That’s now changing as a new federal courthouse rises on Reily and N. 6th and, a mile or so down the road, the 17-story Harrisburg University tower gets going. Last year, Harristown announced that it would like to join the party with a new office building on Market Street. However, it appears that this addition to the city skyline remains on the drawing board as the company awaits an anchor tenant.

8. Closing Time
In 2018, the Susquehanna United Methodist Conference announced it would close most of its churches in the Harrisburg area and consolidate congregations. Then, last year, it actually happened, with six churches hitting the market at the same time. You can add that inventory to several other churches, a couple of firehouses and a few school buildings, creating a mass of institutional properties for sale all at once. Brewery? Art space? Community center? What says you, Harrisburg?

7. In the Zone
Here’s how much of a city nerd I am—I love me some zoning (and some planning!). Variances, special exceptions, I can’t get enough. Seriously, land use interests me greatly, sometimes because there’s a fascinating underlying issue, but mostly because it typically means building, renovation and development. Planning and zoning issues really hit the news late in the year after a company called Seven Bridges Development asked the city to rezone a prime swath of Midtown Harrisburg, with an eye towards constructing mixed-used buildings. Soon after, the city itself introduced an ordinance to allow greater density in most residential zones. Both ordinances were later withdrawn, but they’re not dead yet. Watch for these planning and zoning issues to hit the burner again in 2020.

6. Off-Off Year
The 2019 primary election came in hot, with interest way up for the usually sleepy off-off-year contest. The campaign was marked by numerous debates with sizeable crowds, especially for the five contested school board seats. Residents responded, voting for accountability by tossing out all the school board incumbents. However, by the time November’s general election rolled around, the cause had lost its mojo, as, in the interim, state receivership had stripped the board of most of its power. It now will be interesting to see, for 2020, if Receiver Janet Samuels involves the new, reform-minded board members or continues to rule by decree.

5. 3rd and Done
What’s up with 3rd Street? Over the last few years, residents and readers have asked me that question again and again. Their concern is understandable, as the 3rd Street corridor project has taken much longer than expected. But, finally, it’s finished—milled, paved and striped. Some of you may have even grown to like the bump-outs (or maybe not). In any case, I consider 3rd Street just a warm-up for a question I expect to be asked during 2020 (and 2021 and maybe 2022): what’s up with 2nd Street?

4. Road Gluttony
In editorials, I’ve often criticized PennDOT for sitting on its collective hands while cars crash and pedestrians get picked off on its roads in Harrisburg. But, this year, the state transportation agency showed that it can be equally obtuse when it decides to take action. In a scheme that only Robert Moses could love, PennDOT proposed doubling the footprint of I-83, which would further devastate south Harrisburg, already cut to ribbons by roads and ramps. The city fought back with a consultant’s report that recommended modifying the plan to ease the negative impact. Some Harrisburg officials claimed that PennDOT was listening, but, as past is often prologue, I remain skeptical until shown otherwise.

3. Fiscal Fortune
Over the years, Harrisburg finances have been the most consistent topic on this annual list. I believe it’s made my top-10 each year since 2011, when I started the ritual. However, whereas the city’s fiscal situation was once a bad (OK, horrible) news story, it’s now verifiably good news. In 2019, the city again ran a substantial budget surplus and, in June, finalized a five-year financial plan with the state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. Looking ahead to 2020, Harrisburg plans to use its surplus to boost pay for police officers and to pay down debt. It also expects to exit Act 47 this year, finally shedding the moniker of “distressed city.”

2. Water Everywhere
News-wise, I once regarded Capital Region Water as something of a backwater (pun intended)—until, suddenly, it wasn’t. In the spring, I heard rumors that the water/sewer authority planned to implement a new stormwater fee to help fund its 20-year plan to drastically reduce pollutants into area waterways. Then CRW briefed me on the proposal. Then the mayor, in response, told me he might sell the whole darn water system. Then all hell broke loose. For the next two months, upset residents urged the city not to privatize the water system. In a surprise ending, the parties suddenly de-escalated and agreed that a stormwater fee would be imposed but not until July—and that privatization was off the table. So, heading into 2020, there seems to be peace in the (Susquehanna) valley.

1. School Daze
In recent years, I’ve struggled with what subject should rank as my No. 1 news story of the year. Not this time. Without question, the biggest local story of 2019 was the unceasing tumult in the Harrisburg school district. The year began with the appointment of a controversial district solicitor, proceeded with city voters giving the sitting school board the heave-ho and culminated with the June takeover of the district by the state. Since then, the news tempo has moderated, as the state-appointed receiver has ruled essentially by decree. However, a November financial update, which revealed a substantial budget deficit, again underscored the prior administration’s profound dysfunction.

As I said above, this list is my own subjective ranking of the local news for 2019. How subjective? Apparently, very much so, as none of these stories were among our most read online, as judged by readers voting with their clicks.

What were the most popular? Here are TheBurg’s top-five, most-read online (not necessarily magazine) stories of 2019:

5. A January online feature that Elementary Coffee would build out a new, brick-and-mortar location on North Street.
4. A May story on the sale of H*MAC.
3. A November story about major redevelopment plans for the old Bishop McDevitt building.
2. A September feature about the closing of a homeless camp on Cameron Street.
1. A May story on the sudden death of Naed Smith, the long-time manager of the Catholic Worker House on Allison Hill.

So, here we have a business story, a couple of development articles, a community feature and, basically, an obit—not a single wonky city government story among them. Oh, heck, what does your editor know anyway?

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

TheBurg, Jeff Woodruff to receive 2020 Arts Awards

November 25, 2019 | by Scott Tilley

TheBurg and Jeff Woodruff are the 2020 recipients of the Awards for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region.

Theatre Harrisburg announced its selections last week, citing TheBurg and Woodruff, the long-time executive director of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, for their contributions in advancing the arts in central Pennsylvania.

“This is a tremendous honor for TheBurg staff,” said Lawrance Binda, editor-in-chief of the award-winning community magazine and news organization. “It helps validate our belief that the arts play an essential role in a healthy and thriving community.”

Theatre Harrisburg established the “Arts Awards” in 1989 to honor artists and arts leaders, philanthropists and visionaries, educators, organizations and companies. Each year, a panel of past recipients selects one individual and one company/organization to receive the award.

“Deeply embedded in the community, and believing that the arts are a fundamental part of a healthy community, TheBurg has become particularly noted for both its arts coverage and its artistic design, with each issue featuring stories about painters, illustrators, theater, musicians, performers and other artists, as well as art spaces,” according to the Theatre Harrisburg announcement. “TheBurg also commissions the work of local illustrators, painters, photographers, cartoonists and designers.”

TheBurg also was praised for its role in organizing 3^rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and cultural event in Harrisburg, and its core support for the Harrisburg Mural Festival, a Sprocket Mural Works project that has resulted in dozens of murals in Harrisburg over the last few years.

Woodruff (pictured) was lauded for his 17 years at the helm of the HSO.

“Under Woodruff’s leadership, the HSO has grown substantially,” according to the Theatre Harrisburg announcement. “He has overseen the expansion of the HSO Pops series from three concerts to five, collaborative efforts between the HSO and several other arts organizations in the region, and dramatic expansion of the HSO’s educational programs into the schools.”

Woodruff plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.

TheBurg and Woodruff join an impressive roster of past recipients, including such distinguished people and organizations as Anne and Don Alsedek, Marcia Dale Weary, Clark and Melissa Nicholson, WITF and Market Square Concerts.

The Arts Awards will be presented on May 31 in a gala at Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in downtown Harrisburg. The event is open to the public with proceeds benefitting Theatre Harrisburg. Visit www.theatreharrisburg.com.

Pictured above: TheBurg staff members Lauren Maurer, Lawrance Binda, Kelsey Tatge and Megan Caruso.

Bob’s Art Blog: 3rd on 3rd

October 21, 2019 | by Bob MacGinnes

The oil painting, “Nelsted Concrete Plant,” by Valeri Larko, at the Susquehanna Art Museum

At one end, the Susquehanna Art Museum spans most of the block. At the other, a cluster of shops, services and spaces comprise a charming collective.

Friday’s 3rd in the Burg felt like Halloween came early this year. Like dutiful “trick or treaters,” we went door to door, and we must have passed the test. As it turned out, it was all treats and no tricks, with some surprises along the way. The best of which was when stepping out of our first stop, we were swept up in a flurry of fleet-footed faithful, following the Sprocket Mural Tour up 3rd to view the latest installations. Whoosh! For a second, this group of 20 to 30 flew by like “The Flash.”

That first stop, the Nyianga Store at 1423, proved to be a great jumping off point for art. A native of Cameroon, the proprietress, Chantal Nga Eloundou, was espousing the merits of her all-natural shea butters while handing out samples to visitors stopping by. It was her first 3rd in the Burg opening. The colorful shop, “where fashion meets nature,” is filled with art, clothing, jewelry, leather goods and much more, presented in a rainbow of colors regal and rich, all created by artists from her homeland.

Artwork at the Nyianga Store on N. 3rd Street, Harrisburg.

“Stretching” to 1417½ , we met up with our unofficial tour guide, the “Quicksilver Quixote” of 3rd Street, Erika Malorzo, the force behind commUnity yoga space. She has provided Harrisburg with a wellness space for all the right reasons. Beyond the “pay what you can” philosophy, she also subscribes to the altruistic anthem of community caring in that, for the community at large to be healthy, “it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other” (Millard Fuller). The art there was on the yoga mats filled to capacity, chilling out to Chelsea Caroline and her daughter Selah Bowman’s entrancing escapism on the handpan drum.

A quick pause for sweet sustenance at Dalicia Bakery and Coffee Shop at 1419 allowed us to meet the owners Ajla and Samra Alic behind the counter while taking in the local art on their walls (pictured, the alley courtyard at Dalicia). Malorzo stepped away from her entrepreneurial duties long enough to escort us to Hertrich Fine Art at 1421. After all, she knew the secret passage. Going in the door leading to Ten Toes Shoes, a men’s footwear store, also gave entry upstairs to a whole new world where owner Michael Hertrich waxed poetic on collecting fine art. Settling in amongst the gallery full of visually virtuosic paintings and photographs set the tone for his discourse.

Hertrich made a cogent argument for being a conscientious collector. Art, like any other luxury commodity, should be its own reward for the purest of reasons—a deep appreciation for the object. Hertrich was enthusiastically engaging and enlightening in his frank discussion about his life’s passion of collecting art. The eponymous gallery provides art from classical to contemporary with the emphasis skewing to the latter. Hertrich, a successful art dealer with a 30-year run in Pittsburgh and an artist himself, moved to Harrisburg, opening the gallery in August. He brought with him a stable of Steel City artists and wants to do the same for Harrisburg. For now, Linda Benton McCloskey and Kevyn Knox hold an inside track upstairs. Both Harrisburg artists, Benton McCloskey is ensconced at Millworks and Knox has works at H*MAC.

An evening out on a crisp fall night, exploring a section of the 1400-block on N. 3rd Street, made for a treat of an evening. Delicious baked goods at Dalicia Bakery, exotic art both wearable and wall worthy at Nyianga Store, catching the “Om” vibe at commUNITY and being educated in the world of fine art at the newly opened Hertrich Gallery were all treats and no tricks.

PS
Sunday afternoon at the Susquehanna Art Museum completed the 3rd “Street” in the Burg weekend. Artist Valeri Larko with her hybrid plein air paintings, fused with her love of abandonment, presented a guided tour of her works for SAM patrons in the lobby gallery. Her work is on view through Nov. 17. A shout-out to arts local “band on the run,” as the Harrisburg Sketchers’ final week at the SAM in the DeSoto Family Vault runs through Oct. 27. A group of impromptu artists, the Sketchers bring a street scene symposium that contrasts with Larko’s studied style of specificity. Thirty-five years of painting the urban landscapes that hide in plain sight of New Jersey and the Bronx has afforded Larko an insider’s cache of commerce. She “trades” in what most would view as unremarkable points of (dis)interest. Abandoned lots, parks and buildings speak to her from the highways and byways that exit to nowhere. She seeks them out amongst the graffiti grafted onto geographical gateways, making “tags” glamorous and galvanizing in the same breath. In the end, Larko states that she “finds beauty in the every day; the extraordinary in the ordinary.”

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