Tag Archives: Tom Corbett

At ceremony, adaptive bikes donated, provided to children with disabilities

March 28, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

An adaptive bike recipient rolls through the atrium of Capital Blue Cross headquarters.

Eight central PA children are the new owners of adaptive bikes and strollers, which were distributed on Monday at a ceremony at Capital Blue Cross headquarters.

Capital Blue Cross, based in Susquehanna Township, and Pittsburgh-based Variety, the Children’s Charity joined forces to distribute the equipment during a ceremony in conjunction with Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

“Today was a touching and poignant reminder of how important it is for all of us to feel like we belong,” said Capital Blue Cross President and CEO Todd Shamash.

Variety, the Children’s Charity funds and delivers medical equipment and services to children who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability. Capital Blue Cross provided a donation for the bikes.

“Variety’s programs align wonderfully with Capital’s values and mission,” Shamash said. “Variety goes above and beyond to empower children with disabilities to live life to the fullest, and Capital goes the extra mile every day to improve the health and well-being not only of our members, but of the communities they call home.”

Former Gov. Tom Corbett and several area officials were also on hand during the presentation and donation.

During the ceremony, several children rode their new bikes and strollers around the Capital Blue Cross building atrium, as dozens of employees looked on.

In all, five children received bikes and three received strollers. Among the stroller recipients was 7-year-old Thomas of Elizabethtown. His mother, Charlotte, said the stroller will keep him safer.

“This is more suited to his needs,” Charlotte said. “Thomas runs off a lot when the opportunity arises, because he can get out of the stroller he currently uses. He needs something that will keep him safer as he grows, so the adaptive stroller will make a big difference.”

Variety the Children’s Charity began its adaptive bike program in 2012 and now serves 59 Pennsylvania counties. It has presented more than 6,100 adaptive bikes, strollers, and communications devices, and provides the equipment at no cost to qualifying children and families.

For more information on Capital Blue Cross, visit their website. For more information on Variety, the Children’s Charity, visit their website.

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PA STEAM Academy files court petition in effort to overturn rejection by Harrisburg school board

April 26, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Midtown 2 building in Harrisburg

The board of a proposed charter school in Midtown filed a court petition on Friday to try to overturn the Harrisburg school board’s denial of its application.

The filing by the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy contains 1,844 signatures, far exceeding the 1,000 signatures required to appeal the denial, said Carolyn Dumaresq, president of the charter school board.

“We feel very confident that we have the sufficient numbers,” she said. “We are very pleased with the outreach and the response from the community.”

If the Dauphin County Court of Common Appeals validates the signatures and issues a decree, the matter will go to the state Department of Education’s seven-member Charter School Appeal Board, which will make a decision to affirm or overturn the school board’s decision.

Dumaresq said that she hopes that PA STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) will get on the state appeal board agenda in June or, at the latest, July. At the hearing, representatives from both the proposed charter school and the Harrisburg school district will get a chance to make their cases for and against, respectively, the PA STEAM application.

“I’m confident that we have a strong application and will get a fair hearing,” said Dumaresq, who served as state education secretary under former Gov. Tom Corbett.

In February, the Harrisburg school board voted down PA STEAM’s charter school application. So, for almost two months, school supporters have been gathering signatures at city events, the Broad Street Market and other gathering places.

One thousand valid signatures of city residents, 18 and older, were required to show sufficient community interest in the public charter school.

PA STEAM hopes to open in time for the fall semester with 120 students, grades K-2, in Midtown 2 at N. 3rd and Reily streets in Harrisburg. The 115,000-square-foot building is currently occupied by HACC, but the college’s lease expires in 2022, and it is slated to begin moving programs out of the building.

If they’re able to open, PA STEAM plans to expand on an annual basis, adding a grade level each year until it becomes a K-8 school. It also expects to grow horizontally, so that each grade level eventually would have 80 students.

Dumaresq said that the charter school plans to hold informational meetings in June and July for parents of prospective students. It also will begin to recruit faculty and staff, in the expectation that the state appeal board will rule in its favor.

“We’re proceeding as if we’ll get approved because the clock is running,” she said.

Proposed STEAM charter school launches petition drive to reverse school board denial

March 4, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The proposed PA STEAM Academy would move into this building, Midtown 2, in Harrisburg.

A group denied permission to open a new public charter school has begun a petition drive to overturn the decision of the Harrisburg school board.

The board of the proposed PA STEAM Academy needs to gather valid signatures from 1,000 city residents, 18 years and older, to force the matter to the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas.

“The bottom line is—what’s in the best interest of the kids?” said Susan Kegerise, a former Susquehanna Township school district superintendent and now a member of the proposed charter school’s board. “We’re going to keep going because it’s in the best interest of the kids.”

PA STEAM Academy has until mid-April—60 days following the city school board’s unanimous denial of its charter application on Feb. 19—to gather the signatures for its appeal. If the court validates the petitions and issues a decree, the matter goes to the state Department of Education’s seven-member Charter School Appeal Board, which will make a final decision to affirm or overturn the school board’s decision.

To coordinate the petition drive, PA STEAM has contracted with Maverick Strategies, a Harrisburg-based consultant and lobbying shop. Over the next six weeks, Maverick will lead the effort to gather signatures during city festivals, on 3rd in the Burg nights, in Strawberry Square and at the Broad Street Market, among other places, according to PA STEAM board members.

Canvassers will also go door-to-door to gather signatures, with the goal of substantially exceeding the 1,000-signature mark, they said.

In the meantime, PA STEAM is still moving forward with a planned opening for the fall semester, said Carolyn Dumaresq, president of the charter school board and a former state secretary of education.

To do so, board members will need to hire a principal, six teachers and support staff, in addition to accepting the first round of students.

PA STEAM plans to open with 120 students, grades K-2, in Midtown 2 at N. 3rd and Reily streets in Harrisburg. The 115,000-square-foot building is currently occupied by HACC, but the college’s lease expires in 2022, and it is slated to begin moving programs out of the building later this year.

PA STEAM plans to expand on an annual basis, adding a grade level each year until it becomes a K-8 school. It also expects to grow horizontally, so that each grade level eventually would have 80 students.

Kegerise said that the PA STEAM Academy would feature small class sizes of 20 students, with a teacher and an aide per classroom, along with a strong creative component, community involvement, alignment among curriculum areas, skills integration and an emphasis on the use of technology. STEAM itself stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

Doug Neidich, another board member, said that he believes it’s vital to offer educational options to young parents, many of whom leave the city when their children reach school age. He said that he envisions PA STEAM Academy as a possible feeder school for the city’s well-regarded SciTech High and for the arts-focused CASA charter school.

“We spent a ton of time getting this right, and we look forward to launching it,” said Neidich, CEO of GreenWorks Development, which owns the Midtown 2 building.

Dumaresq served for about 18 months as the state’s education secretary under former Gov. Tom Corbett. However, she said she doesn’t believe that her tenure necessarily will give the PA STEAM Academy an edge if the matter does go before the Charter School Appeal Board.

“It might seem like an advantage, but they’re very independent thinkers,” Dumaresq told TheBurg.

Elizabeth Hardison of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported today the Appeal Board remains populated with holdovers from the Corbett administration, as Gov. Tom Wolf has not made his own appointments.

For more information on the charter school appeals process, visit https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Charter%20Schools/Pages/Charter-Appeals.aspx.

For more information on the petition drive, contact Amanda Boris at amanda@themavericks.com.

A Loss, a Purpose: Hershey woman advocates for greater newborn screening laws.

June 29, 2018 | by Karen Hendricks

Lesa and Brennan Brackbill with Tori. Image by Katie Bingaman Photography

Lesa and Brennan Brackbill of Hershey have endured something no parents should—the death of a child.

Their daughter Victoria (“Tori”), born in July 2014, passed away on Easter Sunday 2016, 14 months after being diagnosed with a severe neurological condition called Krabbe (“crab-ay”) disease. Even though Tori’s time on earth was short—fewer than two years—her mother Lesa is determined to create a lasting legacy by advocating for changes to Pennsylvania’s newborn screening laws that could have prevented Tori’s death.

Even So, Joy

One in every 100,000 people is diagnosed with Krabbe. One in 125 people carry a gene mutation for Krabbe. Carriers only pass the disease to children when both parents carry the mutation.

Unbeknownst to Lesa and Brennan until Tori’s diagnosis at Hershey Medical Center, they are both carriers. According to the NIH, if Krabbe is caught at birth through newborn screening tests, it can be treated. If the disease is allowed to progress, children rarely survive past the age of 2. These statistics roll off Lesa’s tongue easily. She says that, before this experience, she had no medical knowledge, nor did she consider herself a writer.

“Unfortunately, we aren’t going to be the only ones to ever lose a child, or lose a child to Krabbe,” she said. “So, we felt like we owed it to people to write about how to survive the worst loss.”

Her book, “Even So, Joy,” was published earlier this year and chronicles her family’s experience with Krabbe.

“The first months after diagnosis, we were in a daze, and we grieved the most as we struggled with what the diagnosis meant,” she said. “But then we came to the decision that we weren’t going to cry every day and make her life miserable. We were going to choose to be joyful and make her life as full of joy as possible. That’s where the title comes from.”

Lesa cites the legacy of Milton S. Hershey as one of her greatest sources of inspiration. Her husband, Brennan, is employed by Hershey, and she has worked at The Hershey Story. The couple serves as relief house parents for the Milton Hershey School.

“When we first learned about the school and why it was created, we learned that Mr. and Mrs. Hershey couldn’t have children of their own and, instead of wallowing in that, they used it to start a school,” Lesa said. “Sometimes, you’re put into a situation to act for the greater good. It’s inspiration for us to further Tori’s legacy by making a difference.”

She is donating a portion of the book proceeds to Hunter’s Hope, a foundation established by NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly and his wife Jill, whose son Hunter also had Krabbe. The foundation is dedicated to awareness of the disease, support for families like the Brackbills, research and advocacy. According to Hunter’s Hope, only five states currently screen all newborn babies for Krabbe.

Like a Victory

Currently, Pennsylvania hospitals are mandated to screen for nine dried blood spot conditions—tested by a simple heel prick—all paid by state funding. However, the technology exists to test for additional diseases. So, some Pennsylvania hospitals test for as many as 32 conditions with hospitals or insurance absorbing the additional cost.

“Hershey is the only hospital that screens for Krabbe in the state,” Lesa said. “In Pennsylvania, if you have one of these diseases, your zip code literally determines life or death. The inconsistency is mind-blowing. My goal has been to change this. The average [number of diseases on newborn screening panels] is usually in the 40s for other states.”

Rep. Angel Cruz (D-Philadelphia), Democratic chair of the House Human Services Committee, has become a champion for newborn screening laws. He introduced Act 148, named “Hannah’s Law,” for a Philadelphia-area girl diagnosed with Krabbe in 2013. Hannah’s Law, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in 2014, called for the expansion of the state’s mandatory newborn screening list, including Krabbe.

However, according to Cruz’s staffers, the legislation has yet to be enacted due to two key issues. First, it mistakenly bypassed the Newborn Screening and Follow-Up Technical Advisory Board (TAB), mainly comprised of state medical experts who provide guidance and recommendations to the state Department of Health. And, secondly, implementation requires a funding source.

“What really needs to happen is creation of a dedicated funding source that would not need to be part of the budget process that would fund the program every year,” said Rachel Romanofsky, research analyst for the Human Services Committee.

House Bill 1081, introduced by Cruz in April 2017, would impose a fee on “birthing facilities,” paid to the state for every baby’s screening tests, including those identified under Hannah’s Law, as well as future tests recommended by the TAB. Romanofsky says 47 states already have such a fee system in place.

At the latest TAB meeting, held in Harrisburg in May, some of the state’s brightest medical minds discussed funding and advocacy. That’s because Department of Health officials say the program needs $6 to 7 million to launch.

“The [newborn screening] program is in a difficult position,” said Chairman Jerry Vockley, a physician at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “There are things we are mandated to do but cannot [due to lack of funding].”

Despite the continued delays, Lesa is positive.

“Today was encouraging because it’s no longer a matter of whether or not the advisory board feels that screening for Krabbe has merit, but rather a matter of how to pay for it and for any other diseases that may come along in the future,” she said. “That validates our fight and feels like a victory.”

While the fate of newborn screening in Pennsylvania remains cloudy, the Brackbill family recently announced happy news. Lesa gave birth to twin baby boys on April 24—and they are both Krabbe-free and healthy.

To learn more, visit www.HuntersHope.org. Lesa Brackbill’s book “Even So, Joy” is available through Amazon.

“Worst Municipal Finance Disaster”: Commonwealth files lawsuit against actors in HBG incinerator debacle.

May 21, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

Inside the Harrisburg incinerator, just before its sale in 2013.

The commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed a civil lawsuit on Monday against numerous companies involved in Harrisburg’s disastrous incinerator retrofit, seeking compensation for some of the $360 million in debt that the project piled up.

The lawsuit, filed in Commonwealth Court, names many of the law firms, finance companies and consultants familiar to those who have followed the 25-year saga of the incinerator, which nearly bankrupted Harrisburg and led the commonwealth to impose a receiver to help set the city’s finances straight.

“It is time to hold those responsible for the failed incinerator debt scheme accountable and recoup the taxpayer dollars wasted by their negligence and deception,” said Gov. Tom Wolf, in a statement. “This project, started in 2003, represents the worst of how lobbyists and special interests bilk taxpayers for their own gain. My administration is standing up to these interests on behalf of the taxpayers, and we will continue to fight to stop anyone that uses deception or fraud to take advantage of taxpayers.”

The incinerator dates from the late 1960s. However, much of the facility’s crippling debt began to accumulate with its 1993 “sale” from the city to the city’s own utility authority, the Harrisburg Authority. The state’s lawsuit mostly concerns itself with the period starting in 2003, when under the administration of former Mayor Steve Reed, the authority made the disastrous decision to “retrofit,” or upgrade, the facility using largely untested technology from Minnesota-based Barlow Projects. (Click here for a detailed history of the Harrisburg incinerator.)

In its lawsuit, the commonwealth calls the Harrisburg incinerator debacle, “. . . the worst municipal finance disaster in the history of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

The respondents named in the suit include RBC Capital Markets Corp.; Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel LLP; Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC; Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellot LLC; Public Financial Management, Inc.; Buchart Horn Inc.; and Foreman and Caraciolo PC.

The lawsuit charges that members of these firms formed a “working group” that allegedly did not act in the best interests of the city. Among the allegations, the lawsuit states that:

“The Working Group’s dual representation of the [Harrisburg] Authority and the city created destructive conflicts of interest.”
“In their efforts to close the debt transaction and collect their compensation, the Working Group’s members provided the city with false and misleading information, concealed material facts and aided others in breaching their duties to taxpaying citizens. Consequently, the city signed onto imprudent and illegal debt guarantees that rendered it insolvent.”

Because of this insolvency, former Gov. Tom Corbett declared a fiscal state of emergency and placed the city into receivership.

The lawsuit also alleges that:

The working group convinced Harrisburg City Council to guarantee $130 million in debt that the city could not afford.
The working group’s disclosures understated the financial burden of the reconstruction project and its financing.
The working group did not disclose to council or to residents the “unreasonable assumptions” supporting its financial analysis.
The engineering consultant failed to identify “key defects” in the original incinerator retrofit design by Barlow Projects.
The working group “falsely” advised the city that the incinerator debt complied with laws meant to prevent excessive municipal debt.
The working group told the city to classify debt as self-liquidating (able to pay for itself out of revenue), “even as the incinerator is about to shut down.”
The working group advised the city to classify new incinerator debt as self-liquidating “based on unreasonable assumptions and despite contrary evidence.”
The working group submitted “incomplete and inaccurate information” to obtain state approval of city debt guarantees.
The working group “violated” laws requiring contractors to post financial security.

In the end, the lawsuit charges that the working group was responsible for adding some $60 million to the incinerator’s debt.

“The professionals involved in these transactions reaped rewards at the taxpayers’ expense,” the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit further makes charges against some of the respondents, including allegations of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, legal malpractice, aiding and abetting fraud, professional malpractice and unjust enrichment.

In its suit, the state is requesting both actual and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial.

“The action taken today by Governor Wolf is welcome news for the city of Harrisburg,” said Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse in a statement. “I’m thrilled the governor is taking the necessary step to hold accountable those responsible for the failed incinerator debt scheme. Our residents also are pleased the commonwealth is continuing to fight to secure revenues for the city.”

In 2013, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority agreed to purchase the Harrisburg incinerator, relieving about half of the outstanding debt on the facility. Tax increases and the long-term lease of the city parking system covered much of the rest of the debt.

The state exited its receivership in early 2014, though the city remains in the state’s Act 47 program for financially distressed municipalities.

In 2015, the commonwealth filed almost 500 criminal counts against Reed, many in relation to incinerator financings. However, many of the counts were eventually dismissed because a judge ruled that the statute of limitations had expired. Last year, Reed pleaded guilty to 20 theft-related counts arising from city-owned museum artifacts that were found in his possession, and he was given probation.

“I thank Gov. Wolf for his willingness to take tackle the tough issues and take on special interests to do what’s right for Harrisburg residents and Pennsylvania taxpayers,” Papenfuse said.

To Protect and Preserve: Historic black cemeteries are top priorities for preservationists, caretakers.

January 31, 2018 | by M. Diane McCormick

Midland Cemetery

Richard Baker’s grave tells you his tale.

Born a slave in Shippensburg in the 1790s. Freed at age 28 under Pennsylvania’s “Gradual Abolition of Slavery” law. Barber, minister and prominent member of the community. His right to vote, assured when he was freed, was stripped away in the 1830s and restored when he lived to see passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments after the Civil War.

Dr. Steven Burg shares the story at Baker’s gravesite in downtown Shippensburg’s Locust Grove Cemetery.

“People always imagine slavery as something that happened far away and happened in the South,” said Burg, chair of Shippensburg University’s Department of History and Philosophy. “To be standing in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, at the grave of a man who was born a slave and lived 28 years of his life as a slave in Pennsylvania, especially for young people, forces them to rethink what is slavery, what is freedom, what is the community where I live?”

And that, says a cadre of Pennsylvania historic preservationists, makes cemeteries “ground zero” for weaving more threads of African-American life into the tapestry of American history. They are partnering with the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office to implement a $30,000, two-year National Park Service grant to study Pennsylvania’s historic African-American sites.

The grant supports a project providing historical context to churches, schools, cemeteries and fraternal buildings, reports the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission. But Burg and two other grant partners representing the Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds Project—Barbara Barksdale of Steelton and Brenda Barrett of Harrisburg—really want to talk about cemeteries.

Much of the built environment where African Americans lived their lives and contributed to communities has disappeared, but cemeteries “allow us to show that we’re part of the fabric of the United States,” said Barksdale. “Most people don’t look at us as contributors when, in fact, we are the blood, sweat and tears of America.”

Thorny Issues

Barksdale is legendary for leading the transformation of Steelton’s Midland Cemetery from an overgrown lot to serene hilltop resting place for her grandfather, Buffalo Soldiers, U.S. Colored Troops and Negro Leagues legend Herbert “Rap” Dixon,” the first African American ever to hit a home run in Yankee Stadium.

Barksdale’s work led her to found the PA Hallowed Grounds Project, which convenes caretakers of African-American burial grounds statewide to share resources and tell their stories.

Barrett has held high-level state and federal preservation posts, and, as current board member and a committee chair for US/ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), evaluates places worldwide for World Heritage Site designation.

African-American cemeteries deserve National Register of Historic Places status, Barrett said, but the criteria for inclusion can be insurmountable. The nation’s abundance of cemeteries prompted the National Park Service, administrator of the National Register, to determine that they “ordinarily” don’t deserve listing unless they have architectural or design significance, “and that’s not the case with African-American cemeteries.”

“We have the wooden headstones,” said Barksdale. “We have the markers that are chiseled in by someone in the family. We have a lot of graves that don’t even have markers because people couldn’t afford it.”

Which leaves African-American cemeteries vulnerable to destructive forces. Barksdale has seen the U.S. Postal Service install a mailbox over grave sites. In Carlisle, a cemetery was turned into a “park” by the simple act of removing headstones. The resting places of many Buffalo Soldiers are known because the U.S. government issued official headstones in the late 1800s. This created a boon for historic preservationists but also a smokescreen for at least one developer who exhumed three Buffalo Soldiers for reburial at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery while conveniently overlooking other likely graves underfoot.

In the early 2000s, state efforts cataloged 42 Pennsylvania USCT cemeteries—a big step on the way to broader recognition—but they ground to a halt with Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration in 2010, said Barrett. Today’s grant project builds on what remains and tackles the “thorny issues” confronting cemetery caretakers seeking National Register status, she said.

The funds can support such purposes as putting cemeteries on state mapping systems, helping caretakers build their capacities for education and submitting National Register applications, and “getting people engaged in identification, interpretation, education and eventually stewardship” of cemeteries.

“The goal is to set up a framework so properties can be inventoried, documented and nominated to the National Register, so we don’t have a culture of ‘no’ but a good, reasoned argument why these cemeteries should be recognized and seen as important,” said Barrett. “It’s not just listing in the National Register. That’s important, but when that post office box comes along, or that highway, we need to be able to say this is important. If it’s not evaluated, it may not be preserved.”

Sense of Place

Burg noted that National Register listing is “no guarantee” of a site’s protection.

“But there’s definitely a greater value and a greater consideration before destroying those kinds of resources,” he said.

Within a broader discussion of revising National Register criteria to reflect growing understanding of African-American cemeteries’ significance, the grant project helps caretakers “not just tell the local story but put it in a larger context,” he said.

That’s consequential because National Register applications require placement of nominated sites within the broader trends of their eras. For time- and resource-strapped caretakers, the larger context to accompany their meticulously researched local stories can be “something they don’t have at hand.”

“If we do this right, people will be able to take what they know about their local site, plug in this broader story and context and have the majority of the nomination completed,” Burg said.

Using that context-meld, the project should yield test nominations in a submission process that winds through PHMC and the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Office on its way to National Park Service consideration. Burg’s students are working on a nomination for the restored Locust Grove Cemetery, the final resting place of Shippensburg’s Richard Baker, in what Burg hopes will be “at least one of the test cases.”

Cemeteries revive the stories and contributions of African Americans in some surprising places, said Barrett and Barksdale. African Americans lived in rural areas, working in long-gone or now-diminished industries, like charcoal making and logging, before migrating to large cities in search of jobs, neighborhoods that would house them, and restaurants that would serve them.

“There was a little town called Little Washington in Perry County,” said Barksdale. “Cumberland County had one of the largest populations of African Americans until the turn of the 20th century.”

Cemeteries document eras when segregation wasn’t the norm, and they myth-bust in this age when “people get caught up in what they hear because they don’t bother to research or read,” said Barksdale.

“There was integration of schools in the 1800s right here in this region,” she said. “Because people are stuck in that separation mode and what they think they know, they don’t know how to reintegrate themselves. The cemeteries allow you to expose that.”

People might appreciate the importance of history in the abstract, but they are likelier to connect “when it applies directly to their family, their community, their neighborhood,” said Burg.

“Cemeteries are important places where you can bring people and physically connect them to that sense of history, that sense of place, the diversity and richness of African-American history that a lot of people don’t realize, especially in small towns, is woven into these places,” he said. “If we choose not to protect and preserve these places, the only physical sites that tell the story of African-American history in Pennsylvania may be wiped off the map.”

To learn more, read Brenda Barrett’s blog on the PA Hallowed Grounds Project, “A Landscape of Hope,” at www.livinglandscapeobserver.net. And read about PA Hallowed Grounds at www.housedivided.dickinson.edu.

Grinding the Mill: Are PA’s efforts to combat puppy mills effective?

June 30, 2016 | by Gina Napoli

When we added our Labrador retriever puppy, Stella, to our family in 2002, we purchased from a licensed, first-time breeder Mennonite family. Their paperwork came from the American Kennel Club. A litter of eight pups romped with kids in a temperature-controlled garage full of clean bedding and toys.

We met Stella’s mother in the backyard. The breeders gave us a picture of Stella’s father, a Labrador from a neighbor’s farm. All were active and healthy. We took Stella home after eight weeks. We felt confident the breeders responsibly bred the litter.

We were only minimally educated on how to spot a responsible breeder. Mostly, we were just lucky.

Those who buy puppies from non-reputable breeders are often not lucky. Their puppies tend toward health and behavioral problems from inbreeding and poor conditions common in puppy mills.

Kept in cramped, unhealthy conditions with little interaction, the dogs aren’t pets. They are profit-driven commodities. Females are bred one litter after another with no recovery time, physically depleting them. When females can no longer breed, they are discarded.

Desired Effect?

Basil Merenda, chief deputy attorney general, director of Bureau of Consumer Protection, cited rural Lancaster County as having a particularly large puppy mill and unregulated backyard breeder presence. Merenda’s office regulates the “Pet Lemon Law,” adopted in 2008, which stipulates that sellers must provide health and registration records.

Unfortunately, that law has not proved very effective in helping buyers or in battling puppy mills, said certified dog trainer Amy Powell.

It gives buyers just 10 days to document that the animal has a contagious or infectious disease and 30 days for a congenital defect. (Some hereditary conditions take more than six months to manifest themselves.)

Buyers must initiate the complaint to the attorney general’s office. They may demand a refund of the purchase price, minus sales tax, plus any veterinary expenses. Sellers, who must be USDA-licensed, can be fined $1,000 for each violation.

Many buyers, though, don’t know about the law, find the process burdensome or don’t realize they have a troubled animal until it’s too late. Also, the law addresses the symptom of puppy mills—how to return a defective puppy—but it does not attack the root cause: irresponsible breeding.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell championed and signed another protection measure—the “Dog Law” in 2008—which implements stricter provisions for kennel conditions, prevents dog abuse and mandates humane euthanizing. It also covers licensing, sale, transportation and estimates for damages.

Under Rendell, Pennsylvania budgeted for dog wardens to enforce the law, with the Department of Agriculture responsible for conducting regular facility inspections. However, where there were once ample wardens to cover a region, there are now not enough, according to Powell.

“That funding went away with Gov. Corbett,” she said. “The enforcement for ‘Dog Law’ is not there anymore. Puppy mills fly under the radar in rural areas. Rescues are over-full. We would like to see puppy mills being held accountable.”

Changes to the “Dog Law,” made in February, still do not provide for socializing the animals, she said. The law also does not specifically address inbreeding or the numbers of dogs being bred.

Meanwhile, for registered boarding kennels and breeders who comply with the “Dog Law,” the increase in regulations has had a negative effect, decreasing the number of registered facilities and driving costs higher for the remaining.

“We were gung-ho activists and rescuers at first,” said Powell. “Then lobbying became costly, ineffective and heartbreaking. Our choice was to lobby for stricter laws or rescue more dogs. We can’t save them all.”

Enter special interest groups. Humane PA is a political action committee that supports candidates who further animal protection legislation. In addition to caring for animals hands-on, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Humane Society both lobby and politically advocate for animals nationally and at the state levels. The groups also educate.

“Buyers need to be educated about how to spot responsible breeders and also dog laws,” Powell said. ”Buying from backyard breeders is keeping puppy mills in business.”

Hard Decision

The state’s efforts, unfortunately, have had other unintended consequences. For instance, when buyers return a defective dog, it is destroyed or sent to an animal rescue, which are both unwelcome outcomes.

“We often get dogs from puppy mills,” confirmed Denise Durkay, who runs The Dogs’ Den, a rescue in Grantville.

Meanwhile, it remains tough to do battle against puppy mills, as many charged with offenses simply change their business name to a family member’s name, Durkay said.

“They post ‘No Trespassing’ signs,” she said. “They get away with [continuing to operate].”

Bobbie Ditzler, certified veterinary technician at Mechanicsburg-based Rossmoyne Animal Emergency Trauma Center, often sees the results of puppy mill dog breeding.

“We see a lot of parvo[virus],” Ditzler said. “The breeders tell buyers the puppies had fecal tests, but they didn’t.”

Highly contagious, parvovirus can infect an entire kennel. Treatment costs anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000, with only a 50-percent survival rate.

In the end, many owners decide to keep their puppy mill-bred dogs—healthy or not.

“We tell owners about the ‘Pet Lemon Law,’” said Ditzler. “Buy many are too attached to consider returning them. It’s a hard decision.”

A number of websites offer additional information on efforts to combat puppy mills, including www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/lemon_mn.html, www.unitedagainstpuppymills.org, www.thedogsden.rescuegroups.org and www.mlar.org.

TheBurg Podcast, Nov. 7, 2014

November 7, 2014 | by Admin

Welcome to TheBurg Podcast, a weekly roundup of news in and around Harrisburg.

Nov. 7, 2014: This week, Larry and Paul discuss the election of Tom Wolf as Pennsylvania’s next governor, Paul’s story in the November issue about a top-ranked Harrisburg public school and Larry’s column on three kinds of government: good, bad and Italian.

Theme music by Paul Cooley, host of the PRC Show podcast.

May News Digest

May 29, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Baltimore Named Councilman

The Harrisburg City Council last month named Jeffrey Baltimore as its newest member, filling a seat left vacant by the sudden death of Eugenia Smith.

Baltimore bested a field of 12 candidates, but not before a deadlocked vote was broken by Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

For six rounds, the council split its vote between Baltimore, accountant Alex Reber and former Councilman Kelly Summerford. After Summerford dropped out, the council remained torn between Baltimore and Reber, a key aide to former city controller and mayoral candidate Dan Miller.

Papenfuse then cast the tie-breaking vote for Baltimore, lauding him for his “dedication to education and youth,” his community spirit and his “extensive background in economic development.”

Baltimore once served in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development under former Mayor Stephen Reed. After leaving the administration in 2000, he worked for the state Department of Community and Economic Development and for the York County Economic Development Corp.

Currently, Baltimore is a postal worker, a building contractor and heads up BMORE U, a “personal training enterprise” that teaches that healthy living is key to a successful life.

The council seat had been vacant for about a month following Smith’s death on April 11.

Kim Takes Democratic Primary

Incumbent state Rep. Patty Kim is set to claim a second term after handily beating back a primary challenge.

Kim tallied 4,251 votes versus 1,172 for challenger Gina Johnson-Roberson in the Democratic primary for the 103rd legislative district, which includes Harrisburg, Steelton, Highspire and part of Swatara Township. She is likely to win re-election as the Republican Party failed to run a candidate for the seat.

In other local races, former Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson won the Democratic primary for the fourth Congressional district after running unopposed. She will face incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Perry in the Nov. 4 general election.

Harrisburg Councilman Brad Koplinski placed fourth in a field of five in his bid for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania lieutenant governor. The victor, Philadelphia state Sen. Mike Stack, will run with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tom Wolf against Republican incumbents Gov. Tom Corbett and Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley in November.

City Plans Light Fixes

Harrisburg plans to replace most of its streetlights by the end of the year, fixing a years-long problem that has left many streets in the dark, the city said last month.

Shortly, Harrisburg will issue a request for proposals to install energy-efficient LED lights for its 4,269 “cobra-head” light fixtures, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

“I believe [the installation] can be done before the end of the year,” he said.

The $2 to $3 million project will be paid through funds from the city’s infrastructure silo, which was set up as part of its economic recovery plan.

The city also has 1,131 “acorn-style” fixtures. Those lights will be replaced in a later phase of work.

LED lights should save the city about $250,000 a year in energy costs and are as much as 10-times brighter than the existing lights, said Papenfuse.

In addition, Harrisburg has begun repairing and replacing the 72 broken light fixtures in the city, many of which have been downed by auto accidents or age. So far, seven fixtures have been fixed. This work will continue over the next few months, independent of the RFP.

Harrisburg also is asking for help from the community. On June 7, two groups—Historic Harrisburg Association and Lighten Up Harrisburg—will sponsor a Glow Run to help raise money to defray some of the cost of the light replacement. A new bulb costs $75 to purchase, plus the cost of labor, said city Treasurer John Campbell.

To find out more about the Glow Run 5K, see our story in this issue or visit https://historicharrisburg.com.

Trash-Cleanup Campaign

City Councilwoman Sandra Reid last month unveiled a new program of aggressive enforcement of Harrisburg’s trash and litter ordinances.

The program, nicknamed Operation C.O.P.E., would encourage citations for landlords and homeowners who improperly dispose of household waste or allow unsightly garbage to pile outside their properties.

“The days of you throwing out anything you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, are over,” Reid said at a press conference in City Hall.

Under Operation C.O.P.E., for “Clean Up, Observe/Organize, Provide, Enforce,” tickets would be issued for anything from leaving trash curbside on a non-pickup day to setting out garbage that is not properly enclosed in a lidded trashcan.

The program also would encourage volunteer groups to organize cleanup days in city neighborhoods.

Reid has also planned for a new position of “solid waste education enforcement technician,” who will bear primary responsibility for ticketing property owners for improper disposal.

The position, which was budgeted for in 2014 at a $40,700 salary, is currently unfilled and will remain so at least until the city lifts its temporary hiring freeze. Nonetheless, Reid said she hoped to begin stepping up enforcement in late July or early August.

City Hall Donations Received

Harrisburg last month received several donations to improve City Hall and the Public Safety Building.

Penn National Insurance donated $5,000 to help make repairs and renovations to the downtown building and will repair the flag post in the courtyard that was damaged recently when a car struck it, said city spokeswoman Joyce Davis.

Touch of Color Flooring soon will re-carpet the public hallway on the second floor, she said. Harrisburg-based Touch of Color already has installed new carpeting in the Public Safety Building’s Emergency Operations Center and walkway from City Hall, as well as in the main elevators.

In addition, the College Club of Harrisburg recently donated $100 to the City Hall Beautiful Fund, which has received other donations from individuals throughout the Harrisburg area, according to the city.

The family of the late Gov. George M. Leader has donated labor and materials to renovate the police bureau’s roll call and break rooms, in addition to providing new appliances for the break room, the city said.

“We continue to see area businesses and individuals step up to show support for Harrisburg’s recovery,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “The outpouring of local and regional support to help our capital city thrive is truly heartening. We encourage other civic-minded businesses throughout the region to join in this important program to maintain our government center.”

West Shore Hospital Opens

PinnacleHealth’s West Shore Hospital opened last month in Mechanicsburg, the first new hospital to be built in central Pennsylvania in decades.

The five-story, 188,000-square-foot facility features 108 private rooms, seven operating rooms and a 12-bed intensive care unit. Services offered include acute and emergency care, cardiology, orthopedics, surgical services and chronic disease management.

“We are excited about the opening of the West Shore Hospital and our ability to provide area residents with access to world-class care close to their homes,” said Michael A. Young, PinnacleHealth president and CEO. “The hospital represents a new chapter in healthcare that will touch the lives of West Shore residents for decades to come.”

The hospital campus offers a walking trail available to the public. The scenic, paved footpath is divided among its one-mile distance for exercise and respite.

West Shore Hospital is expected to create 500 new healthcare jobs by 2017, said PinnacleHealth.

Changing Hands

Barkley Lane, 2510: U.S. Bank National Association to Nish Properties, $35,000

Bellevue Rd., 1901: Anthony Properties LLC to Lynn & Ryan Investment Properties LLC, $67,500

Benton St., 543: PA Deals LLC to L. Shoffner & T. Samsel, $37,500

Berryhill St., 1701: Unilever Manufacturing US Inc. to Philadelphia Macaroni Co., $1 million

Boas St., 302: J. Hammer to M. Cantwell, $134,900

Briggs St., 209: J. & S. Brellos to C. Delozier, $39,900

Derry St., 2336: Mahe Enterprises LLC to E. Hernandez, $48,000

Green St., 1801 & 1803: B. Winpenney to Heinly Homes LLC, $190,000

Green St., 1834: L. & A. Lara to WCI Partners LP, $55,000

Green St., 1839: SCS Partnership to WCI Partners LP, $1.8 million

Green St., 2047: T. & J. Leonard to A. & A. Selkowitz, $175,000

Hoffman St., 3221: S. & S. Keo to W. Wood, $75,000

Holly St., 2020: B. Budesheim to W. & L. Brown, $51,000

Kelker St., 435: A. Krawczyk to E. Gish, $112,500

Kensington St., 2128: W. Scott to T. & S. James, $58,000

Kensington St., 2240: S. Lascara to D. Murphy, $31,000

Kensington St., 2316: D. Andres Jr. to B. Kelley, $40,218

Lewis St., 309: H. Lonon et al to J. Laing, $65,000

Market St., 315: Susquehanna Bank to 26th Street LLC, $82,000

Muench St., 210: K. Kingston et al to WCI Partners LP, $225,000

Muench St., 236: Bank of New York Mellon Trustee to WCI Partners LP, $53,500

North St., 260, 262: R. & T. Hanna to TJC East Properties, $370,000

N. 2nd St., 1901: Pharma Enterprises LLC to WCI Partners LP, $225,000

N. 2nd St., 2131: M. Owens & S. Luci to J. & R. Miller, $87,500

N. 3rd St., 2317: Centric Bank to Sam Hill Properties LLC, $49,636

N. 3rd St., 2319: Centric Bank to Sam Hill Properties LLC, $61,091

N. 3rd St., 2419: S. Pierce to M. & S. Kreines, $138,000

N. 7th St., 1641 & 1803: Aizen LLC to US Recycling LLC, $350,000

N. 16th St., 520: Trusted Source Capital LLC to M. McWilliams, $30,000

N. Front St., 2837, Unit 201: M. Seipos to R. & L. Barry, $77,000

Paxton St., 1640: J. Booth to C. Barboza, $52,000

S. 4th St., 19: Mater & Mater to S. Mater, $175,000

S. 14th St., 361: J. Rodriguez to Urena Diaz Property, $33,000

S. 14th St., 400: D. Boyle to J. Rodriguez, $40,000

S. 15th St., 916: D. White to R. & A. Mortha, $83,000

S. 25th St., 610: M. & B. Sumy to I. Yolov, $57,000

State St., 1624: M. Guerrero to WLW Holdings LLC, $58,000

Summit St., 160: P. Bayer to J. & J. Domenico, $30,000

Swatara St., 1316: D. & J. Boyle to K. Daniel, $32,000

Verbeke St., 252: A. O’Neal to A. Kennedy-Shaffer, $169,900

Vernon St., 1451: D. & J. Boyle to J. Rodriguez, $30,000

Wyeth St., 1403: S. Guszick III to M. Miller, $116,000

Harrisburg property sales for April 2014, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Corbett: Same-Sex Marriage Here to Stay

May 21, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

A scene from yesterday’s celebration of same-sex marriage rights at the Pennsylvania Capitol.

The right for same-sex couples to marry will not be taken away, as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett today said he will not appeal the federal court ruling that struck down the state’s prohibition on gay marriage.

Corbett today released the following statement. It says that, while he personally does not support same-sex marriage, he would not appeal yesterday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, as an appeal likely would not be successful.

Statement Regarding the Opinion of Judge Jones in the Whitewood Case

“I have thoroughly reviewed Judge Jones’ opinion in the Whitewood case. Given the high legal threshold set forth by Judge Jones in this case, the case is extremely unlikely to succeed on appeal. Therefore, after review of the opinion and on the advice of my Commonwealth legal team, I have decided not to appeal Judge Jones’ decision.

“As a Roman Catholic, the traditional teaching of my faith has not wavered. I continue to maintain the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. My duties as Governor require that I follow the laws as interpreted by the Courts and make a judgment as to the likelihood of a successful appeal.

“Throughout the debate on this important and meaningful issue, I have maintained that Commonwealth officials and agencies would follow the provisions of Pennsylvania’s marriage law unless or until a court says otherwise. The court has spoken, and I will ensure that my administration follows the provisions of Judge Jones’ order with respect for all parties.

“It is my hope that as the important issue of same-sex relationships continues to be addressed in our society, that all involved be treated with respect.”

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