Tag Archives: Tri County Area Community Action

Park Plan: A proposed Allison Hill park is generating neighborhood enthusiasm—along with some concern

May 30, 2024 | by M. Diane McCormick

Friends and neighbors Ty’rez Johnson, Malissa Gaddy, Tracy Daouda and Elijah Whitcomb pose in front of the volleyball net built by Malissa Gaddy.

Malissa Gaddy longs for a better view from her home in Harrisburg’s Allison Hill. At the moment, she sees a vacant block and occasional dumping ground.

“If they don’t put something here, it’s going to continue to be a dumpster,” she said. “I don’t like looking out my back door, and I think it’s time for the Hill to actually have some greenery. If we don’t have educational things for these children to learn from, as in what plants actually do, they’re going to continue to walk by a flower and stomp on it.”

If all goes as planned, Gaddy’s wish will come true. Private citizens, nonprofits and the city government are collaborating to transform a scrubby, vacant plot at 15th and Swatara streets into a public park. The proposal met some resistance from housing advocates, but neighbors are excited. Tucked into Allison Hill’s sloping back streets, Swatara Street Park could bring a green oasis to a tight-knit, under-resourced community.

Park Dreams

The park project began around 2021, when Char Magaro, restaurateur and environmental activist since 1988, retired and sold Tracy Mansion, home of her last restaurant. She crossed the street and sat on a Riverfront Park bench dedicated to her climate-change fight.

“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘I’m 73 years old, and I want a win,’” she told TheBurg on a tour of the proposed park.

Magaro found the site through Tri County Community Action’s resident-driven action plan, “Heart of the Hill.” There at 15th and Swatara, blighted homes had been demolished, and new homes built on the next block were generating momentum. The 700 residents surveyed said they wanted a park there, with a playground and flexible green space.

The Swatara Street Park plan aligns with the residents’ core values of housing and public space, sense of community, safety and engaging youth, said Tri County Community Action CEO Jen Wintermyer.

And when those values collide, such as housing vs. public space, it’s a matter of managing “a delicate balance,” she said. Existing homes tucked throughout Allison Hill can be rehabbed or demolished for new-builds, while an empty block creates an “opportunity zone.” Magaro’s approach—bringing in dollars from private donors and grants while respecting the community’s wishes—presents “a win across every level.”

“Every community needs green space,” Wintermyer said. “It raises property values. It gives people a reason to want to move into a community. It makes it more family-centric and family-friendly, versus an urban house after house after house.”

Phase one will bring passive recreation to eight of the housing lots in the plot—seven donated by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, and one bought from Tri County Community Action.

Two remaining lots, when purchased from their private owners, are earmarked for phase two, with active recreation for children developed with residential input, Magaro said.

In plans drawn by Debra A. Kirkpatrick of Dauphin County-based Landscape Architectural Design, native pollinator perennials line a handicapped-accessible pathway. A rain garden absorbs stormwater. Kids hop across stepping stones.

Alex Reber & Char Magaro

The red dawn cedar tree at the center is non-native, Magaro admits, but “it’s durable.”

“The trunk looks like something out of a fairy tale,” she said. “I can see the kids getting that connection with nature.”

When Alex Reber, secretary-treasurer of the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority and owner of a Harrisburg-based accounting firm, joined the effort, he helped the park win a $72,000 Dauphin County gaming grant. Funds raised from private contributions, grants and donated land currently total about $218,000, and organizers are seeking a matching grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The project aligns with city and county comprehensive plans, and “Heart of the Hill” shows public support, said Reber, who lives in Millersburg.

“The really exciting thing about this is I think it could become a model of a public-private partnership,” he said.

Especially in a city that can’t afford to take on another park, the collaboration of private citizens, nonprofits and government is “the perfect way” to develop and maintain neighborhood assets, said Wintermyer. Each brings pieces that complete the puzzle.

“The government can’t do it by itself,” she said. “There’s not enough dollars, and there’s too much need.”

Uplift Not Displacement

With two members absent, Harrisburg City Council unanimously ratified the park’s DCNR grant application, but the plan initially encountered some skepticism. Council member Lamont Jones told TheBurg that he would have preferred dividing the lot between a park and badly needed housing.

Parks can become gentrifying when they raise property values and entice landlords to sell their rental homes—and push out residents, Jones said. From New York City’s Central Park to Harrisburg’s Capitol Park, history shows marginalized communities displaced in the name of beautification, he said.

“One thing we do know, it will beautify the community, but I’m just hoping the people there will be able to continue to live there and grow as that community grows,” Jones said.

Beautification “absolutely can” gentrify when improvements price out residents from their homes, said Wintermyer. That’s why Tri County Community Action performs dual duty in community development and social services.

“While the physical and built-in environment is being improved, we’re also making those investments into the families, to strengthen them and grow their economic prosperity,” she said.

With funding in place, work is slated to begin in spring 2025. On an adjoining lot, Capital Region Water is building a community garden, part of its City Beautiful H2O initiative to reduce Harrisburg’s runoff water pollution.

Park rendering by Debra A. Kirkpatrick

A park complements Capital Region Water’s green infrastructure and plans for controlling combined sewer overflow, reducing backups into streets and basements and complying with the Clean Water Act, said External Affairs Manager Rebecca Laufer.

“Green spaces help to reduce stormwater runoff and mitigate the risk of flooding by absorbing and filtering rainwater,” she said, in a statement.

Eventually, the city of Harrisburg is expected to take over the park. The administration of Mayor Wanda Williams has been “100% supportive” while protecting the city’s interests, said Reber. A five-year maintenance plan—a condition for moving forward—shows ongoing fundraising to generate the $10,000 needed annually for seasonal landscaping. The rest of the year, volunteers from South Allison Hill Homeowners & Residents Association, Tri County Community Action, Wildheart Ministries and the Rotary Club Environmental Committee, co-chaired by Magaro and Reber, will conduct regular cleanups.

Wintermyer views Tri County’s cleanup responsibilities through a community-building, shared-ownership lens.

“Part of our role is, yes, to make sure maintenance is done, but let’s get the neighbors who are using the park engaged in the process, as well,” she said.

Asked how the park dovetails with Wildheart Ministries’ revitalization efforts in Allison Hill, Director Tannon Herman called the project’s momentum “bittersweet”—bitter for its lack of housing, sweet for its “promises fulfilled.” It is a place for adults to rest and for kids to “just run around and be kids,” he said.

“When Char said, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’ and it happened, it may not be what everybody wanted, but she at least followed through,” Herman said. “I have a lot of respect for anybody who’s going to do work in the community who’s actually going to do what they say. Having a space that has a vision to not just become beautiful but also to stay beautiful is something to celebrate.”

Green Vision

From the future park site, Magaro can see the spot where she started her first catering business. Today, she lives in East Pennsboro Township, across the river from Harrisburg. She tells potential backers from outside the city, “This is our community.”

“It’s easier to get things done on a community level,” she said.

As the project moves forward, next-door neighbor Gaddy believes in her village of Harrisburg. She plans to help the park with whatever is needed, “as long as it’s not growing anything. I’m not a grower.” On Saturdays, she plays volleyball with kids on a net she erected there.

The park is for children, she said, because “kids are our future.”

“The main thing is to give the kids not just another playground, not just another basketball court, not just another something that’s going to go to waste or the kids are going to misuse, but something they can educate themselves on as well as be a part of the community, something they might see as beautiful,” Gaddy said.

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Diggin’ It: Earth Day falls on April 22, but the Harrisburg area is down with earthy events all month long

March 30, 2023 | by Karen Hendricks

Wetlands Festival at Wildwood Park.
Photo courtesy of Dauphin County Parks and Recreation.

This month, New Cumberland is ground zero for local Earth Day happenings.

“We’re surrounded by natural resources here—the Susquehanna River, the Yellow Breeches Creek—so Earth Day events feel like a natural tie-in,” said Drew Lawrence of the New Cumberland Collective, a community nonprofit planning month-long celebrations.

Events kick off April 1 with a “Repair Fair” at Weist Hardware. Handy community helpers are willing to fix small appliances, make electrical, carpentry and plumbing repairs, and offer bike and car maintenance. Mending and fixing things are sustainable habits, Lawrence said, that reduce landfill volume.

Earth & Arts

The borough’s signature event is the New Cumberland Earth & Arts Festival, April 16, both inside and outside the New Cumberland Library.

“We came up with different ways to include the arts in environmental messages,” Lawrence said.

For example, festival-goers can learn about sustainable fashion through workshops on thrifting and natural dyeing.

“We’ll have live music that’s very natural—songs about trees and a beat-making performance using cool sounds from nature,” Lawrence said.

Food trucks, art vendors and a recyclable art contest will add to the festive atmosphere. Booths, talks and bird walks will be offered by the West Shore Wildlife Center and American Audubon Society.

On Earth Day, April 22, Mayor Thad Eisenhower will exert pedal power, for a “Bike the Borough” ride.

Later, Litter

Over the years, volunteers with the Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup have found everything but the kitchen sink.

Oh wait—as unlikely as it might sound, they actually have found old kitchen sinks, along with old construction materials, plus plenty of bottles, cans and typical litter. You name it, they’ve probably found and picked it up—all by hand.

It adds up. Hundreds of volunteers have removed a grand total of 380 tons of litter from the city over the past 10 years. Last year alone, volunteers properly disposed of 450 tires.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling,” said Charlie Miller, with event organizer Tri County Community Action. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of illegal dumping that happens in Harrisburg, and this is a chance for residents to reclaim their neighborhood and to communicate that they want vibrant, safe, clean places to work and play.”

This year’s 11th Annual Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup is set for Earth Day, April 22. The cleanup operates from three locations—South Allison Hill, Midtown and Uptown. The public is invited to participate by registering online, with free T-shirts for early registrants.

“The event is meant to bring residents and friends of Harrisburg together, as a community, to take on litter and be engaged in their city’s beautification,” Miller said.

Barrels of Fun

Sustainability is on tap, April 15, at the 12th Annual Mechanicsburg Earth Day Festival, where rain barrels are star attractions.

“The highest bidders go home with functional rain barrels that are also works of art,” said Susanna Reppert, festival coordinator.

Like a spring ritual, professional artists and area art students transform the barrels with colorful paint.

Rain barrels help gardeners conserve water and reduce water bills, potentially hundreds of gallons’ worth. The auction has another sustainable feature—profits underwrite the event, planned under the umbrella of the nonprofit Downtown Mechanicsburg Partnership.

The downtown festival typically draws 1,800 people for its earth-friendly vendors, entertainment such as drumming, environmental nonprofits and unique community recycling.

Faded American flags, unused prescription drugs, print cartridges and old eyeglasses will be collected by the American Legion, Mechanicsburg Police, Simpson Library and Mechanicsburg Lions’ Club, respectively. Mechanicsburg fifth-graders with the Green Team Environmental Club are accepting Styrofoam, aluminum cans and old markers. Bicycles in any condition are being collected by Operation Wildcat, an organization that supports Mechanicsburg Area School District’s families in need.

“Since the Earth Day Festival is on Tax Day, April 15, you can even bring and shred all your documents you no longer need,” Reppert said. That’s thanks to a booth run by PSECU.

Reppert, owner of longtime downtown business, Rosemary House, is collecting old crayons for The Crayon Initiative, a nonprofit that creates new crayons distributed to hospitals.

“People like the vibe at our event,” Reppert said. “We have a strong ‘zero-waste’ commitment, so there’s minimal waste and trash. People really appreciate that.”

Celebration of Remediation

MycoSymbiotics, a mushroom research lab, was one of the first businesses to occupy offices to The Bridge Eco-Village.

A $40 million project, The Bridge plans to convert the former Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg into an eco-friendly community hub mixing residential units with co-working spaces and a large event space. The school’s former stadium has been transformed into tiered garden beds.

“The Bridge is really the perfect ecosystem and space to show the world that any land can be remediated for the good of the earth and the people,” said Leslie Avila of MycoSymbiotics, organizer of the 2nd Annual Earth Day Fest at The Bridge, April 22 and 23.

Free festival events include a seed swap, live music and community mural painting. Tickets are required for overnight camping and educational workshops, such as how to develop a solar greenhouse.

“There’s been a new awakening—a shift in our consciousness,” Avila said. “Our ways of doing things, culturally, isn’t really sustainable. The Earth Day Fest offers the opportunity for people to learn how to live more sustainably so the earth can be a healthier place.”

Nature Treasure

Many people developed a newfound appreciation for nature amid the pandemic.

“Our visitation spiked—we had 100,000 visitors in March of 2020, and previously we had 100,000 visitors in a year,” said Savanna Lenker of Dauphin County’s Wildwood Park. “The Wetlands Festival gives them the chance to learn more about what makes Wildwood so special.”

Live animals—including turtles and frogs—science experiments, environmental groups, music and food are planned for the 23rd Annual Wetlands Festival on April 29. The family-friendly event is traditionally one of the park’s two busiest days of the year, attracting some 1,500 people. Guided nature walks will help visitors identify the park’s birds, trees and wildflowers.

Additionally, the 11th annual “Art in the Wild,” an outdoor natural art exhibit, is set to open on April 2.

“Our wetlands are very special,” Lenker said. “The park serves as a huge flood control device for the city of Harrisburg because Wildwood Lake absorbs floodwater and prevents it from making its way downtown.”

Digging Deeper

There’s a lot more to learn about the Earth Day events featured in this story:

New Cumberland Collective’s month-long events, including the April 16 New Cumberland Earth & Arts Festival, newcumberland.co
Mechanicsburg Earth Day Festival, April 15, mechanicsburgearthdayfest.com
Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup, April 22, cactricounty.org
Earth Day Fest at The Bridge Eco-Village, April 22-23, thebridgeecovillage.com
Wetlands Festival at Wildwood Park, April 29, explorewildwoodpark.org/event/wetlands-festival

All events mentioned are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

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Cultivating a Community: Meet a few unsung heroes beautifying Harrisburg with random acts of kindness

October 29, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Abdel Karim Ouard

I met Abdel Karim Ouard at the Heart of the Hill Community Garden in Allison Hill in September. It was a sunny day, and teenagers were hanging out near a pull-up bar while other adults sat on benches talking.

Ouard walked just a few blocks down Derry Street from his house to meet me at the park and pointed out a building he owns adjacent to the garden. He also told me that this was his first time coming to the garden to sit.

Every other time, he’d visited to help clean and maintain the neighborhood garden, he said.

Originally from Morocco, Ouard immigrated to the United States and came to Harrisburg about 20 years ago, followed by his wife a few years after his arrival. The family was looking for a better life, he said. But he admits it hasn’t been easy. Ouard previously sold hotdogs at a food cart in downtown Harrisburg, but has recently opened a new food truck in Allison Hill.

“I like cooking for people and feeding people,” he said.

He’s been a busy man, working hard, long hours to provide for his family, he explained. But over the years, Ouard has been known to help around the neighborhood whenever he can. That has included participating in trash cleanups, painting fences, helping people in need of food and inviting neighbors to backyard cookouts. Often two days per week, Ouard volunteers at Fountain Gate Church’s food pantry on Derry Street.

It’s often the organizations, those who run nonprofits or movements, and their vocal leaders who we look to. We make the charismatic figures our heroes. All the while, people like Ouard fly under the radar, dedicatedly caring for their corners of Harrisburg.

And the thing is, many of these people don’t really care to be heroes—several people I reached out to for this story didn’t even want to be interviewed.

For Ouard, it’s more important what his family and neighbors think of him. It all stems back to a promise he made to his mother before she passed away last year.

“I promised her that I would help people,” he said. “I’m doing my best.”

Keith Edwards

Welcoming Environment

About three days per week, Keith Edwards crosses Forster Street, between Green and 2nd streets, but only halfway. For a few hours in the mornings, he plants himself in the narrow median, careful to keep his arms and legs inside the little island refuge, safe from the street’s speedy traffic. There was a close call with a truck’s side mirror once.

Although maintenance of the median falls under the city’s responsibility, Edwards has stepped in over the past year to pick up the slack.

Harrisburg Young Professionals used to take care of the median until the pandemic hit. Edwards picked up the baton and, for the past year, has taken it upon himself to weed, trim and plant in the island.

Edwards, a 72-year-old retiree, traces his service-mindedness back to grade school. He remembers learning the importance of civil service from his sixth-grade teachers. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, in which he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country,” still sticks with him.

“I’m a child of the ‘60s,” he said.

Over the years, Edwards has helped with neighborhood gardens in Harrisburg and picks up trash around his downtown neighborhood, as well.

With the words of Kennedy still ringing in his head, Edwards said that he doesn’t just feel inclined to take care of his neighborhood, but obligated to.

Seeing the importance of a clean, well-kept street to welcome residents, commuters and visitors into the city, Edwards began dedicating time to the median on Forster Street.

“It would be great if, someday, we had blocks of trees and plants to welcome people into the city,” he said. “If nothing else, I hope it gives people a glimpse of what can be done.”

Bill Holland

Stand Out

Like Edwards, Allison Hill resident Bill Holland is a child of the 1960s, and his upbringing impacted the way he sees his responsibility to his community.

As a young man, he was involved in ROTC where he was taught the values of leadership and service to the community.

These days, he does that by cleaning up trash in the neighborhood and helping Tri County Community Action with beautification projects. He’s weeded and cleaned many local parks, and recently adopted a few of the new planters to maintain on Derry Street that were installed by Tri County and painted by Sprocket Mural Works.

“As I walked through the neighborhood, all the litter bothered me,” Holland said. “That’s why I started cleaning up. I feel like God has placed me here.”

Holland is known around the neighborhood not just for what he does, but for how he looks. Although he was in jeans when we talked, blinged out in a cross pinky ring and a praying hands gold chain, Holland said he is usually dressed much classier.

“I’m a shirt-and-tie guy, and I smoke a pipe,” he said. “So I stand out. I’ve been wearing suits since I was 7.”

He’s been known to wear this ensemble even when picking up trash, he said.

People may not be dressing to the nines like he is, but since Holland has been out cleaning, he’s noticed local homeowners following his example and picking up trash around their properties.

“I’m hoping I can show a different way,” he said. “It’s about having pride in where you live. I’ve been seeing change.”

Ouard, Edwards and Holland aren’t widely known Harrisburg celebrities, their names aren’t circulating on Facebook, and they aren’t making the news (until now). But to them, it’s the little day-to-day actions, the commitment to being a good neighbor that drives them. If they receive any attention, their only hope is that it inspires others to try to do good, too.

“When people look back, I want them to say that I wasn’t a great man, but a good man,” Holland said. “I would like to leave a legacy of helping people.”

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Painting Pride: Local artists invest in their neighborhood through beautification project

June 30, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Althea Lynn King remembers painting her boots with nail polish as a kid growing up in Harrisburg. She was always DIYing, sketching and creating.

Now, she has her own son, whom she homeschools along with her nephew. King still loved art, but, with two little boys running around, time for her own interests often got pushed to the back burner.

“I definitely got lost in being a mom and forgot about me,” she said.

That began to change when King spotted a flyer—a call for artists for an upcoming painting project in Allison Hill. Local nonprofits Sprocket Mural Works and Tri County Community Action were seeking artists to leave their mark on a number of flower planters installed throughout Allison Hill.

King decided to apply, but admitted that she was doubtful she’d get chosen. Little did she know, a few weeks later, she’d be kneeling on Market Street, paintbrush in hand.

King painted what she knew was important to her and to her community—family.

“I wanted to bring the power of mom into it,” she said of her “mom squad” painting.

In both English and Spanish, the phrase “protect our kids, teach our kids,” is painted on the planter.

“For my son to be able to walk by and say ‘that’s something my mom did,’ it’s huge,” she said.

The planter-painting project was meant to add to the beauty of the Allison Hill neighborhood, explained Sprocket co-founder Meg Caruso. But the effects reached further. For King, and many of the other artists, the experience was one of empowerment and pride in their roots.

Stroke of Hope

What began to happen among artists and in the community is exactly what Tri County had hoped for when coming up with the project.

“This is encouraging people to take pride in their community,” said Danielle Krebs, communications manager at Tri County. “It also gave artists the opportunity to be creative and give back to their community.”

Tri County supplied the canvas—large cement planters—along with flowers, and Sprocket helped connect with artists and provided paint. The project kicked off Sprocket’s 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival, which includes many other projects throughout the summer.

Krebs also saw this as a way to address an aspect of Tri County’s Heart of the Hill Community Action Plan, which they developed with residents’ input. As outlined in the plan, which was updated in 2020, community members expressed a desire for public art and beautification projects in the neighborhood.

For this project, Sprocket looked specifically for artists from the neighborhood and successfully gathered a group of 20 artists, ranging in age and experience.

One of the younger artists is 20-year-old Kiara Dawson, a Harrisburg High School alum.

Dawson has always loved art, she said. She helped design the cougar head painting inside Harrisburg’s Rowland Intermediate School, designed school T-shirts and painted a mural at the high school for her senior project.

But when her former art teacher, Rachel Aslan, encouraged her to apply for the planter project, she was nervous. She doesn’t like being in the spotlight, she said.

However, Aslan successfully got Dawson, as well as two of her students from this past year, to apply. All three were selected.

“We try to talk to our kids about the importance of public art, and this was the perfect opportunity for them to get involved in their community,” Aslan said.

Dawson rose to the occasion, creating a piece that celebrates individuality and showcases her own journey towards overcoming depression and accepting herself.

“My mural gives people hope that things will get better,” she said.

Community Beauty

Artist Tristan Bond is known locally for his art, with murals on the sides of HMAC and Ciervos Pizza. His painting on the planter on Market Street is much smaller than some of his other work, but carries a lot of significance.

Bond has memories of that spot where his artwork now sits. He remembers being a kid, walking with his mom to the fried chicken shop and the five-and-dime store just off the sidewalk. At the bus stop nearby, he used to take a crayon to his coloring book while they waited.

“It’s like it’s come full circle,” he said.

Bond’s mother passed away in February, but sitting on that corner, he could still picture himself up on her shoulders, walking through the neighborhood.

“Being able to touch on the memory of her—it means a lot,” he said.

His painting shows robotic hands planting and watering flowers. He hoped to capture the importance of organic growth alongside continued technological advancement. On one side of the planter, Bond painted “The Hill,” what many of the neighbors call Allison Hill, he said.

“It brings a sense of pride to the community,” he said. “There’s art and beauty in this community. It’s rough around the edges, but there’s so much beauty in it.”

To learn more about Sprocket Mural Works, visit www.sprocketmuralworks.com.

For more information on Tri County Community Action, visit www.cactricounty.org.

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South Allison Hill Safety Project to engage community on addressing blight, crime

December 23, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

A view of Hummel Street in Allison Hill

It was back in June when staff at Tri County Community Action started noticing an uptick in crime in their Allison Hill neighborhood in Harrisburg.

Nationally, they saw a similar issue arise as the COVID-19 pandemic continued, leaving people unemployed, completing school virtually and with more time on their hands.

This is what spurred Tri County and six other organizations to create a plan to increase safety and quality of life for Allison Hill residents.

“In any community, these are natural needs and desires for the place that you live in,” said Veronica Kelly, neighborhood revitalization coordinator at Tri County. “We just want to make that very clear that we value that alongside of all these partners.”

The “South Allison Hill Safety Project” was passed as part of the city’s 2021 budget. Harrisburg gave $103,345 towards the first year of the three-year project.

The project aims to improve lighting, address vacant lots and homes and upgrade security, all while fostering community engagement, said both Kelly and Julie Walter, neighborhood revitalization manager.

A civic engagement organization, Power to the Hill, will lead efforts in trimming overgrown trees that cover light posts and exchanging out old bulbs. They also hope to distribute new LED light bulbs for residents’ front porches.

Tri County will also cut back overgrowth on vacant lots to increase visibility, Walter said.

“We are addressing the physical environment and how that plays into criminal activity being looked at as OK to be done in those locations,” she said.

Over the next three years, Tri County officials said they hope to repurpose two vacant lots, with one due to become a volleyball court with seating. The community organizations will also board up 10 vacant homes each year and cover the boards with murals, Kelly said.

Working with Brethren Housing Association, Tri County officials said they will increase surveillance on Hummel Street. Eventually, they will distribute 50 Ring Video Doorbell security systems for residents in Allison Hill.

Wildheart Ministries will work on creating a virtual neighborhood watch app for the community, as well.

“We want to make sure we are following the trends in the community,” Walter said. “We want to take the interventions to where the data and the community take us.”

The organizations may work with a new crime analyst that will be hired into the Police Bureau in the coming year, she added. This would help them determine what the needs are in the community.

Tri County expressed their desire to work with community members on the Safety Plan throughout the process. They plan to appoint “street captains” who can serve as communication agents for residents on their block in Allison Hill.

Other organizations collaborating on this plan are Tri-County HDC, Harrisburg Housing Authority and the Latino Hispanic American Community Center.

“We are hoping this project can serve as a model for other neighborhood organizations,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said at his budget presentation on Nov. 25.

Ultimately, Walter sees the project improving the quality of life for residents in the neighborhood.

“Residents and organizations are all in to do what they can to improve the community,” she said. “That’s one of the greatest strengths of our neighborhood.”

For more information on Tri County Action Community Action, visit their website.

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Harrisburg School District announces plan to close connectivity gap, offers free internet access

August 14, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Harrisburg school district Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer (right) has announced a partnership that will give students free internet access. (file photo)

The Harrisburg School District is bringing free Internet access to students and their families through a new partnership with Tri County Community Action.

About 1,500 families will be given free access through next August, according to the district. For many families, this is necessary as the district announced recently that all students will begin the school year virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This timely partnership is a tremendous step toward closing the digital divide […],” Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said. “With the generous support of Tri County Community Action, this partnership helps to make significant progress toward equitable technological access.”

Funding for the $160,000 connectivity initiative will come through Tri County Community Action’s Community Services Block Grant, as well as federal CARES Act funding.

“One of the best ways to disrupt and permanently break the cycle of poverty is through education and investing in our youth,” Tri County Executive Director Jennifer Wintermyer said. “Tri County Community Action is thankful to be part of the solution, and we are committed to working in partnership with the Harrisburg School District to meet the educational needs of children.”

According to Celmer, 84% of district students in the city come from families that are considered low-income or economically disadvantaged. This program will help close the digital divide, he said.

In a spring survey, the district found that three out of 10 students had questionable internet access to support online schooling, Celmer said. He added that the gap has closed slightly since then, but it’s still an issue for many families.

“Our priority is those families who have absolutely no access,” Celmer said.

The program will provide in-home Comcast Internet Essentials Services, Verizon Hot Spot access and Xfinity Wi-Fi Hot Spots at designated business and outdoor locations. Families do not have to be Xfinity Internet subscribers to access this, and it will be provided at no cost, according to the district.

More details on how to apply for the free wi-fi will come next week, Celmer said.

For more information and updates on the Connectivity Partnership, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

Buyer Ready: 3 Harrisburg houses hit the market following building blitz

July 29, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Newly built homes line the 1500-block of Swatara Street in Harrisburg.

Today, three houses sit ready for purchase on the 1500-block of Swatara Street in Harrisburg, filling formerly empty land and adding to the many new homes popping up on the block.

Last June, 160 volunteers from Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Maryland came to Allison Hill in Harrisburg to build three houses in just five days. They were brought to the city by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg with the mission of creating more affordable housing.

“A year ago or more, these homes were blighted,” said Rob Keith, board president of Tri-County Housing Development Corp. (TCHDC). “This is just an example of how people can work together for a common good.”

Keith was talking about the partnerships between Habitat for Humanity, Tri-County HDC, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), the city of Harrisburg and others.

According to Lyndsey Sturkey, Habitat’s executive director, the WoodsWork team from the Maryland church did the majority of the framing for the houses, while Habitat volunteers and Tri-County staff brought them to completion.

“The homeownership mentality is so important and it transforms neighborhoods,” explained state Rep. Patty Kim, who attended the unveiling.

While units 1511, 1513 and 1515 on the street are the most recent additions, TCHDC has been working to transform the entire block. With the new houses, the organization has reached 13 new homes.

Gary Lenker, executive director at TCHDC, noted that more than $5 million of federal, state, county and local dollars have gone into development on the street.

Each house is 1,600 square feet, including four bedrooms, one full bath and two half-baths, rear parking and a security system. Although construction costs exceeded $150,000 each, eligible families can purchase the houses for $101,900, Lenker explained. Buyers will also see building improvement taxes forgiven for the first 10 years.

Lenker added that a family’s median income must fall in the 51- to 80-percent range for the area, which equates to $45,450 and $70,100, in order to qualify. Buyers will also need to attend first-time homebuyer classes through TCHDC or PFHA.

Lenker mentioned that, while no one has moved in yet, “We have a lot of interested people.”

A property at the corner of 15^th and Swatara streets was also removed and TCHDC hopes to begin development on the 1400-block next, according to Lenker. A new South Allison Hill police substation has also recently opened down the block.

In the coming weeks, TCHDC also will unveil two, six-unit townhouses in Steelton.

For more information, visit Tri-County HDC at www.tchdc.net. To purchase one of the homes, contact Barbara Kauffman of Iron Valley Real Estate at 717-608-1284.

October News Digest

October 31, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg to Leave Act 47

A bill passed by the state legislature last month allows Harrisburg to preserve its current tax rates and exit Act 47, a state oversight program for financially distressed municipalities.

The House and Senate both voted overwhelmingly to pass House Bill 2557, which allows Harrisburg to maintain its current local services tax (LST) and earned income tax (EIT) for five years after it exits state oversight. The bill also prohibits the city from enacting a commuter tax and convenes a five-member Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) to monitor Harrisburg’s finances.

After the vote took place, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse thanked the lawmakers who supported its passage, including its sponsor, Rep. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland County, and Harrisburg’s lawmakers in the House and Senate, Rep. Patty Kim and Sen. John DiSanto.

“While I wish we had been able to achieve a permanent solution for the city and the region, Harrisburg’s immediate fiscal crisis has lifted,” Papenfuse said. “I look forward to working with the new members of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority—as it’s time to roll up our sleeves and continue to work for the long-term success of Harrisburg and the capital region.”

The bill is the culmination of a 10-month lobbying effort by Harrisburg officials, who have long said the city needs stronger taxing powers to support the capital city. It will allow Harrisburg to preserve about $12 million in annual revenue that would have been lost in a traditional Act 47 exit.

Act 47 allows Harrisburg to levy a 2 percent EIT on all residents and a $156 LST, even though state law caps EIT rates at 1 percent and LST at $56 per year. Without HB 2557, Harrisburg would have been forced to cut its EIT in half and slash its LST by two-thirds when it exits state oversight.

Local officials say those rates are untenable in Harrisburg, which supports large swaths of tax-exempt properties and a daily population of some 50,000 commuters. Mayor Eric Papenfuse had told lawmakers that the city’s emergency services and infrastructure would be in jeopardy if the city had to cut its taxes.

With HB 2557 in place, Harrisburg will also be spared high property tax increases that were prescribed in a proposed three-year Act 47 exit plan.

The city did make one significant sacrifice in the final bill, which was amended in October to put a five-year time limit on the enhanced taxing power.

The original legislation only required Harrisburg to retire its tax rates once its surpluses partially funded a post-retirement benefit fund for its employees. Projections estimated that could take up to 20 years.

Rep. Kim called it “the best we can do” in a Republican-controlled legislature. She hopes that the five-year timeframe will still give Harrisburg enough time to increase its tax base.

Bowers Named to City Council

Danielle Bowers, a lifelong Harrisburg resident and state government staffer, is the newest member of Harrisburg City Council.

Last month, Bowers beat out 14 other candidates, including one past council president, to take the seat formerly held by council member Cornelius Johnson.

Bowers works as an executive director for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Tourism and Recreational Development Committee. She previously held researcher roles with the Democratic Policy Office and Legislative Black Caucus and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Pennsylvania State University.

Her appointment to council creates a vacancy on the Zoning Hearing Board, where she has served for the past three years.

Fifteen candidates appeared before council last month to share their qualifications and ask for a chance to serve on the city’s legislative branch. But only four were invited to participate in the interview phase, where sitting council members asked candidates about their skills and goals for public service.

During her interview, Bowers touted her legislative experience and her knowledge of the city’s finances. She said she would like to pass legislation to bolster public safety and hopes to see the city’s Police Bureau return to its full complement.

Candidates Josiah Yonker, an IT professional, Gloria Martin-Roberts, a former council president and mayoral candidate, and Airis Smallwood, a healthcare administrator and musician, also received nominations and sat for interviews.

City Releases Housing Study

The results of Harrisburg’s first citywide housing study are in, and they predict a shortfall of more than 200 rental units at all price points over the next three years.

Representatives from the consulting firm that prepared the study presented their main findings to City Council last month. The authors said demand for rental housing in Harrisburg will outpace supply through 2020, even as development projects put new units on the market.

As a result, Harrisburg will face a shortage of about 244 rental units across the city—a figure that accounts for the city’s existing housing stock, new units coming onto the market and old units becoming uninhabitable.

The study also considers population projections, which anticipate that Harrisburg will gain 300 households in the next three years, mostly in the Allison Hill and Uptown neighborhoods.

The study didn’t offer any policy recommendations, but city hall officials intend to use its findings to develop long-term development strategies and housing policy proposals.

3rd Street Study Released

Harrisburg’s 3rd Street corridor is headed in a positive direction, though it remains a work in progress in terms of redevelopment, economic activity and walkability.

That’s the general conclusion of a study by the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Land Institute (ULI), a nonprofit research and educational organization that recently examined the corridor from Reily Street in Midtown to Chestnut Street downtown.

“The 3rd Street corridor possesses a great deal of momentum and potential for continued development,” stated the report, titled “TLC for Harrisburg’s Third Street Corridor.” “Strategically bridging the gap between the downtown and Midtown neighborhoods can put Harrisburg on the map as a vibrant capital city with a strong urban core.”

ULI visited Harrisburg for two days in April, walking the two-mile stretch then interviewing stakeholders who live, work and own businesses there. Their analysis and report were sponsored by Harristown Development, which owns Strawberry Square.

The 14-page report lauds the recent redevelopment and adaptive reuse that has occurred along the stretch. However, it states that much work still needs to be done so that the corridor can achieve a fuller potential. It cites three specific challenges:

“Dead Zones”: Many buildings have been restored, but many have not. There is still too much blight and too many empty storefronts.
Forster Street: Forster Street is too wide, busy and inhospitable, cutting off downtown from Midtown and deterring pedestrian activity.
Aesthetics: Aesthetics are inconsistent. Some areas appear pleasant, while others do not, both in terms of streetscape and the condition of structures.

The study then offers a variety of recommendations, such as incentivizing homeownership, encouraging pop-ups in empty storefronts, increasing police visibility, enforcing maintenance codes, improving the streetscape and better connecting downtown and Midtown.

Two suggestions stood out as especially ambitious.

The first recommended improving the intersection of N. 3rd and Forster streets by employing traffic-calming measures, making it more pedestrian-friendly and possibly reducing the number of lanes. The second proposed forming a “Third Street Coalition,” which would help promote, brand and advocate for the corridor.

Environmental Council Reconstituted

After more than two years of dormancy, Harrisburg’s Environmental Advocacy Council is back in action.

City Council repopulated the all-volunteer body recently when it voted unanimously to approve five appointees nominated by council members and the city administration. One appointee, Rafiyqa Muhammad, is a holdover from the former EAC that dissolved in 2016.

She’s joined by new members Tanya Dierolf, Christine Proctor, Molly Cheatum and Melanie Cook.

The five-member body will advise the mayor and other city officials on matters related to the environment and sustainability. As an advisory group, it does not have the power to manage or disburse money, but it will make recommendations on how to spend the money collected by Harrisburg’s “host fee.”

Harrisburg collects more than $250,000 a year in fees for hosting a regional incinerator, which is owned by the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA). State law allows cities with regional waste sites to assess a $1 per ton fee on the waste processed there. That money must be used to make environmental improvements in the city.

Christopher Nafe, the city’s new sustainability coordinator, will manage the EAC and attend all of its meetings, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

Papenfuse hopes that having a designated city hall staff member will help the EAC avoid the dysfunction that felled it in 2016, when most of its five members resigned.

Nafe hopes that the new EAC will advise the city on existing and new initiatives. Those include working with the Tree Advisory Council, which monitors the city’s tree population, and developing educational programs at the city’s new composting facility in Susquehanna Township.

New CRO for Harrisburg Schools

A retired Philadelphia-area superintendent will serve as the new state oversight officer for the Harrisburg School District.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education appointed Dr. Janet Samuels as the district’s new chief recovery officer in October.

She will oversee the implementation of a new, long-term recovery plan aimed at raising the district’s academic performance and financial health.

PDE put the school district under a financial recovery designation in 2012. State law requires every district in recovery to have a state-appointed recovery officer.

Samuels replaces Audrey Utley, who retired in June after serving as Harrisburg’s CRO for three years.

Her salary is capped at $144,000 annually and will be paid by PDE.

Last June, Samuels retired as the superintendent of Norristown Area School District, where she oversaw a $150 million annual budget and nine schools enrolling 7,400 students. She previously served as a regional superintendent for the Philadelphia Area School District. Her career in public education spans 35 years and includes experience as a principal and classroom teacher.

So Noted

Donald E. Schell has been named the new chair of the Homeland Center’s board of trustees. Schell, who has served on the board since 2001, takes over from Morton Spector, who will continue to serve on the board as immediate past chair.

Jeanne Troy is the new development director for Tri County Community Action, it was announced last month. In the newly created position, Troy is responsible for advancing the mission of TCCA by developing donor strategies and increasing fundraising opportunities.

Justin Roth has been named marketing manager for Capital City Mall, leading the marketing efforts for the Camp Hill shopping center. He previously served as the marketing and communications manager for the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC.

Minuteman Press is relocating to larger space next door to its current location on the first block of S. 3rd Street in Harrisburg. Franchise owner Charlotte Todd recently purchased the Original Copy Shop, which had operated for 32 years, and converted it to a Minuteman shop.

Robert W. Morris & Co. last month celebrated the grand opening of its new office at 510 N. Front St., Wormleysburg. This is the second location for the CPA firm, which also has offices in New Bloomfield, Pa.

Three Little Birds Boutique opened a second location last month at the new Hershey Towne Square. The shop, which specializes in women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, joins businesses like Iron Hill Brewpub, Starbucks and several other restaurants and shops at the mixed-use retail and office project in downtown Hershey.
Changing Hands

Bigelow Dr., 22: E. Johnson to T. Henry, $55,000

Briggs St., 214: X. Chen to Around the Corner LLC, $135,000

Capital St., 909: M. Dietz to J. Canamucio & J. Block, $130,000

Chestnut St., 1836: G. Norman to A. Nebbou, $30,000

Crescent St., 219: Anpat LLC to J. Le, $47,000

Croyden Rd., 2926: S. McDougal to A. Guerrero, $74,900

Cumberland St., 260: J. Bane to M. Mueller, $122,250

Delaware St., 266: WCI Partners to D. Taylor, $124,900

Fillmore St., 622: J. Hoch to KAB Rental Properties LLC, $40,000

Fulton St., 1729: J. Tanjung & W. Leyu to M. Gleason, $112,500

Grand St., 924: L. Searles to N. McClure, $79,900

Green St., 1818: J. Lightner to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $110,000

Greenwood St., 2151: Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of PA Inc. to Edwin L. Heim Co., $320,000

Holly St., 1811: Wells Fargo Bank NA to R. Murphy, $32,500

Holly St., 2009: PA Deals LLC to E. Shelly, $65,900

Hunter St., 1535: P. & F. Kehler to S. Costa, $35,000

Kelker St., 231: Cartus Financial Corp. to E. Bliman & H. Hamilton, $180,000

Kelker St., 332 & 1821 N. 3^rd St.: Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority to Pennsylvania National Fire Museum, $125,000

Kensington St., 2302: X. Weng & C. Yang to Fowler Investments LLC, $39,500

Kensington St., 2348: M. Hardison to N. Terry, $66,000

Kent Lane, 198: Neidlinger Enterprises to F. Manzanillo & S. Rodriguez, $75,000

Lenox St., 1910: RTD Properties and Management to R. Do, $40,000

Lewis St., 321: D. Licciardello to R. Neely, $114,900

Luce St., 2354 & 2356: L. Salcedo to C. Santiago, $102,000

Market St., 1829: D. & S. Parikh to G. Allen, $69,000

Market St., 2211: G. Dunn to S., J. & M. Buckham, $84,400

Muench St., 402: M. Huynh to SA Home Solutions LLC, $30,000

Mulberry St., 1842: A. Woolridge to A. Faican & E. Sumbra, $49,900

North St., 1609: W. Davis to R. Cantave, $120,000

N. 2^nd St., 901 & 903: W. & J. Hobbie to B. Golper & WG PA Holdings LLC, $365,000

N. 2^nd St., 907: D. Pong to R. Anspach Jr., 173,900

N. 3^rd St., 1636: MJ Trust Properties LLC & C. Jurasits to Fratelli Property Investment LLC, $110,000

N. 4^th St., 2443: T. & K. Malesic to W. Lawrence, $80,000

N. 5^th St., 2605: Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC to NGDGR Company Inc., $48,000

N. 6^th St., 2605: A. & P. Ashenberg to R2 Property Group LLC, $43,000

N. 7^th St., 2400: J. Holmes & BAS Tax Services Corp. to DAP 7 Curtin LP, $270,000

N. 7^th St., 2640: Q. Higgs to Riley Residential Real Estate LLC, $35,000

N. 15^th St., 1121: Golden Lover Realty LLC to B. Shephard & N. Cook, $39,000

N. 15^th St., 1415: J. & O. Hearn to E. Mantilla, $43,500

Peffer St., 613: K. Timmons to J. Santiago, $46,000

Penn St., 1336: H. & L. Roberts to J. O’Neill, $36,100

Penn St., 2105: G. Hanslovan to T. Hage, $45,000

Penn St., 2139: PA Capital Area Investments LLC to DHS Team LLC, $30,000

Reily St., 333: Dobson Family Partnership to ADS Investments LLC, $89,900

Seneca St., 241: J. Williamson to CR Property Group, $32,500

S. 13^th St., 1403: M. Stewart to B. Price Jr., $38,000

S. 14^th St., 916: 916 S. 14^th Street Partnership to Harrisburg Housing Authority, $1,150,000

S. 14^th St., 1435 & 1400 Randolph St.: A. Ingram Jr. & W. Blankenship to City of Harrisburg, $43,000

S. 20^th St., 1100: Paxton Street Home Benevolent Society Inc. to Paxton Place I LP, $250,000

S. 21^st St., 922: A. Mariluz Jr. to D. Ramos, $68,000

State St., 231, Unit 304: P. Brommer to BCRA Realty LLC, $102,000

Susquehanna St., 1805: HBG Rents LLC to V. & C. Vergara, $61,000

Sycamore St., 1711: Leonard J. Dobson Family LP to H. Yunis, $70,000

Valley Rd., 2305: J. Dunn & A. Meyers to J. Alpert, $179,900

Verbeke St., 233: D. Varno & C. Johnson to E. Herrmann & L. Hall, $126,900

Walnut St., 1232: Valley Real Estate Holdings LLC to C. & C. Hinckley, $33,000

Wayne St., 1517: J. Alvarado to A. Sweet Sr., $120,000

From Trash to Grass: Allison Hill residents renovate vacant lots with sustainable fixes

October 30, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Volunteers install fencing at a vacant lot on Evergreen St. on Oct. 28. Photo courtesy of Jay Domenico.

Are new seeds and fence posts the solution to Harrisburg’s illegal dumping problem?

That’s the hunch of a group of homeowners in Allison Hill, who recently rehabbed parcels of vacant land on Hummel Street and Evergreen Street with durable fencing and low-mow grass.

According to project leaders, the improvements were designed to keep trash at bay, and could become a model for how community members address the problem of vacant lots.

Julie Walter, neighborhood revitalization coordinator at the Tri-County Community Action (TCCA), said that the project marks the pilot phase of a community initiative called Reseed and Transform, which is part of TCCA’s comprehensive community plan for Allison Hill.

Walter estimated that there are close to 280 vacant lots within the same half-square-mile as the Hummel Street lots. Many of them languish as overgrown eyesores and crime magnets.

The 13,000-square-foot lot on Hummel Street became haven for illegal trash dumping after houses there were condemned and demolished, Walter said. The parcel on Evergreen St. suffered the same fate on an adjacent block.

TCCA worked with the South Allison Hill Homeowners and Residents Association (SAHHRA) to finance and execute its renovation. TCCA obtained $5,825 in grants from the AARP and donated $1,800 from its own funds. Construction company Michels Corp. donated $4,200 worth of service and materials.

Over the course of two eight-hour workdays on Oct. 13 and 28, more than 15 volunteers cleared the lot of trash and weeds, spread topsoil, planted grass and installed reinforced PVC fencing. The two parcels they transformed represent a total of eight vacant lots.

Now, the finished lots are neat, open spaces with shade trees, full grass coverage and, most importantly, minimal litter. Jeremy “Jay” Domenico, vice president of SAHHRA, said it was designed to stay that way without too much upkeep from residents.

The finished lot on the corner of Hummel and Reese Streets.

The sturdy PVC fencing encircling the lots prevents people from parking and unloading trash, which drastically reduces how much they can dump, Domenico said. Walter added that the low-mow grass reduces the burden of landscaping.

When the grass reaches maturity in the spring, TCCA and SAHHRA will know how effective it is as a maintenance tool. If it proves sustainable, the group will present the findings of the pilot program to Harrisburg officials.

Walter suggested that demolition crews working for the city could plant low-mow grass as they raze houses, which would prevent lots from becoming overgrown with weeds. Both she and Domenico emphasized that vacant land is much more likely to be abused if it appears to be neglected.

SAHHRA has overseen the conversion of vacant lots into community parks before, and Domenico said it helps prevent vandalism.

“When we do community parks, nobody messes it up,” he said.

Domenico personally maintains four parks in Allison Hill by landscaping and picking up trash. He and his wife Jenniene also clear their own street of litter once a week.

Domenico recognizes that the city has limited resources to respond to community problems and thinks that all residents have a role in improving their neighborhoods.

“The city is still recovering financially, and we as citizens could and should do a lot more to help,” Domenico said.

He said that resident-led projects like the one on Hummel Street are a necessary step in the city’s fight against blight.

“This is providing one thing that my neighbors haven’t had in a while – hope,” he said.

June News Digest

June 30, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Dog Park Proposed

Terriers and hounds soon may displace groundhogs and squirrels from a block of long-empty land in Midtown, as plans are afoot for Harrisburg’s first public dog park.

The community group Friends of Midtown is raising about $18,000 to cover two years of expenses for the off-leash park, which would be created on a grassy, three-quarter-acre expanse at N. 7th and Granite streets.

“We have the enthusiastic support of the city, the planning bureau,” said Annie Hughes, who is spearheading the effort for Friends of Midtown with her husband Andy. “Everybody’s all in, essentially.”

The Vartan Group owns the lot and has agreed to a two-year commitment, Hughes said. Friends of Midtown should hear soon on the fate of a grant application from PPL Electric and also is soliciting funds from individuals. It hopes to have the park, which would be free and open to the public, ready by spring 2018.

Plans call for a fence to ring the lot, which would be divided into two areas—one for large dogs and the other for small dogs. Dog waste bags would be available on site, and signs would be posted with the rules of the park.

The desire for a dog park in Harrisburg has come up repeatedly in recent years. Two years ago, it was the fifth most-popular suggestion among 1,200 ideas for inclusion in the city’s comprehensive plan, Hughes said.

She added that the dog park would be temporary, serving as a pilot for the city, which may use data collected from this effort to build a permanent park.

Jackson Hotel Mural

A new mural will celebrate Harrisburg’s African-American history, adorning the side of a building that once hosted such luminaries as Louis Armstrong and Pearl Bailey.

Sprocket Mural Works announced the project last month for the former Jackson Hotel and Rooming House on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street, a building that, decades ago, catered primarily to a black clientele refused service in the city’s major, segregated hotels.

“It will be an African-American historic mural, playing off the history itself,” said Sprocket co-founder Jeff Copus.

The Jackson Hotel painting is one of 10 murals that will be created during the Harrisburg Mural Festival, which Sprocket is organizing for the first 10 days of September.

Copus last month told the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board (HARB) that the mural will feature people who stayed at the hotel, possibly including entertainers like Armstrong, Bailey, Cab Callaway and Ella Fitzgerald. It may also incorporate images of important Harrisburg figures such as Ephraim Slaughter, an escaped slave who fought in the Civil War and later settled in the city.

In August, Sprocket will seek public input for the mural design, Copus said.

Sprocket is commissioning artist Cesar Viveros to paint the mural. Locally, Viveros is best known as the artist-in-residence who helped design and lead the creation of the Mulberry Street Bridge murals.

Stop the Drop

A small change to trashcan lids may cut the amount of litter on Harrisburg streets.

That’s the idea behind “Stop the Drop,” a campaign to turn home trashcans into, essentially, public trashcans.

The new lids are bright orange with a hole in the center that residents can attach to their trashcans, replacing their existing, solid lids. Pedestrians then can put litter into the can through the hole, rather than toss it in the street, said Julie Walter, neighborhood revitalization manager at Tri County Community Action, a part of the grassroots coalition Clean and Green Harrisburg.

A successful, three-month pilot run on 6th and Market streets convinced the coalition to roll out the lids citywide, Walter said.

“[We were] excited that people were actually using the lids,” she said about the trial run. “When we would go check them out, there would be coffee cups and chip bags in the cans. You can tell that there was actually a need.”

Later this month, residents citywide will be able to volunteer to swap their lids out with the new lids. These new lids work well with rowhome residents who place their trashcans at the front of their houses, she said.

King Mansion Sells

Harrisburg’s iconic Horace King Mansion sold last month, purchased by an engineering firm that plans to relocate there.

K & W Engineers, under the holding company name 2201 NFS LLC, purchased the building at 2201 N. Front St., along with several adjacent parcels, for $1.8 million from a group called 2201 Partnership, which had owned it since 2003.

The 10-person engineering and consulting firm expects to leave its current offices in Swatara Township and move into the building once renovations are completed this fall. To that end, CREDC provided a $325,000 Enterprise Zone Loan for improvements to the second floor.

The building also houses the marketing firm Sacunas, which moved into the first floor late last year.

Home Sales Up Again

Area home sales continued a years-long climb, as unit sales rose 4.4 percent in May, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors.

GHAR said that May sales totaled 948 units versus 908 houses in the year-ago period. The median price dipped to $170,000 compared to $174,900 in May 2016.

Dauphin County sales were strong, with 355 units sold versus 297 in the year prior, with the median price unchanged at $155,000. In Cumberland County, 310 houses sold compared to 326 in May 2016, with the median price falling to $190,125 versus $193,950, said GHAR.

In Perry County, 43 houses sold versus 30 in the year prior, and the median price fell to $127,000 against $151,500 in May 2016, said GHAR.

GHAR covers Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and parts of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

So Noted

Andrew Guth of Harrisburg took first place in the category of “Work on Paper” at the 2017 “Art of the State,” a juried exhibit held each year at the State Museum of PA to honor the commonwealth’s best artwork. Guth is a Millworks and Burg artist, contributing the cover art for our May issue. You can see his winning entry, “Where We Used to Go When Everything Was Wrong (I Watched the Lilies Grow Until They Got Old),” with the rest of the exhibit, which runs through Sept. 10 at the State Museum.

Anna Rose Bakery & Coffee Shop opened last month at Walnut and N. 2^nd streets in Harrisburg, featuring doughnuts, cupcakes, cookies and espresso drinks. The business, owned by Ron Kamionka, is located in the rear portion of the former Molly Brannigans Irish Pub, which closed almost three years ago.

Excelon Corp. is making plans to shutter Three Mile Island in 2019 absent policy reforms by the state legislature to make nuclear power more competitive. TMI employs 675 workers, most of whom would lose their jobs if the facility closed.

Freshido, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in Asian cuisine, is expected to land this fall in Strawberry Square, at the corner of N. 3^rd and Market streets. The 50-seat eatery will occupy the 2,200-square-foot storefront long vacated by Plum Sport.

Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District launched “Discover the Ducks Downtown,” an outdoor art and beautification exhibit for the summer. Along with HDID, Harrisburg-based Sprocket Mural Works commissioned artists to paint 15 fiberglass ducks, which now can be seen throughout the downtown.

Harrisburg Hoopla, a field day of track-and-field activities, raised $5,500 last month for local nonprofits. Fourteen groups with 101 participants competed for select organizations in this first-ever charitable event, sponsored by Emerging Philanthropists Program, a partnership of TFEC and HYP.

Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitor’s Bureau last month received a Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation from the Public Relations Society of America. The award was for “Tourism in Your Town,” a series of advertorials that appeared in TheBurg throughout 2016.

PFM Asset Management signed a lease last month for 63,133 square feet of space in an office building at 213 Market St. in Harrisburg. By year-end, the firm plans to relocate its 150 employees from 100 Market St., where it has been for the past 20 years, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE Group, which represented the company.

Rite Aid has opened in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. The new, 14,000-square-foot store moved from cramped quarters across Market Street after a yearlong build-out.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2418: G. Brown to R. Ivey, $30,000

Balm St., 60: Kusic Financial Services LLC to OJK Enterprises, $32,000

Bellevue Rd., 1921: CNC Realty Group LLC to J. Romelfanger, $55,000

Berryhill St., 2202: PA Deals LLC to R. Narinesingh, $62,500

Berryhill St., 2316: D. & Y. Jiang to D. & L. Nguyen, $30,000

Boas St., 1925: P. Long to Resistance Properties LLC, $38,000

Camp St., 521: G. & S. Gallagher to K. Moralez, $30,000

Conoy St., 123: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & Information Systems Network Corp. to E. Fultz, $73,000

Elliot St., 1080, Lot 2: R. & C. Berger to A. Gerges, $250,000

Fox Ridge Ct., 307: B. Miler to C. Hoover, $121,500

Green St., 1007: R. Nicoli to J. & C. Nunley, $110,000

Green St., 1915: J. & K. Johnston to S. Williams, $207,900

Green St., 1930: A. Miller to I. Bailey, $205,000

Green St., 2013: L. Binda to M. Didone, $214,000

Green St., 2137: Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Trustee to N. Morrison, $32,694

Green St., 2321: J. Yoder to Willowscott Investment LLC, $37,500

Hale Ave., 447: K. & L. Torres to D. Norris, $62,000

Hamilton St., 242: J. & J. Collins to P. Christensen, $150,309

Harris St., 207: MTGLQ Investors LP & Selene Finance LP to K. Clark, $117,900

Harris St., 344: MidAtlantic IRA LLC Phillip Sachs IRA to M. & A. Gilbert, $108,500

Herr St., 269: G. Thall to M. Berlin, $115,000

Hoffman St., 3221: W. Wood to N. Consagra & L. Umberger, $109,900

Holly St., 2006: W. Thompson III to SCC Ward Inc., 32,000

Kelker St., 427: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & Information Systems & Networks Corp. to I. Jordan, $32,500

Kensington St., 2110 & 2116: Donald L. Pong Trust to M. & A. Robinson, $59,000

Lewis St., 237: J. Toro to M. Horgan & Innovative Devices Inc.., $43,500

Locust St., 202: AMTO LLC to Sturges Property Management LLC, $300,000

Luce St., 2320: EAD Associates LLC to S. Ginder, $38,000

Muench St., 278: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development & Information Systems & Network Corp. to H. & C. Foley, $44,06

N. 2^nd St., 1522: J. Cantarell & A. Meck to K. Reiter, $164,000

N. 2^nd St., 2323: LSFP Master Participation Trust to M. Horgan & CR Services Inc., 63,900

N. 2^nd St., 2528: A. & C. Broadus to E. Pine & S. Ransome, $145,000

N. 4^th St., 3119: R. & C. Steele to T. Gottshall, $123,500

N. 4^th St., 3213: A. Semancik to G. Erdman & S. Ukodie, $120,000

N. 4^th St., 3227: Central Penn Properties to T. Barnes, $142,000

N. 5^th St., 2515: 2013 M&M Real Estate Fund LLC to T. & V. Williams, $129,900

N. 5^th St., 2600: PA Deals LLC to S. & S. Aiken, $69,900

N. 7^th St., 2714: M. Owens to L. Owens, $45,158

N. 14^th St., 1206, 1314 N. 15^th St. & 603 Benton St.: Kirsch & Burns LLC to Equity Trust Co. Custodian John Spencer IRA, $165,000

N. 15^th St., 1340: MidAtlantic IRA LLC James Yeager IRA to Z. Yap, $39,000

N. 16^th St., 1216: R. Urrutia to W. Jones, $110,000

N. 17^th St., 1102: C. & N. Finnell to J. Martinez & T. Kobayashi, $33,500

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 605: A. Lenda to C. Carter, $173,500

Peffer St., 219: N. Braun to D. Wendt & S. Shultz, $122,000

Peffer St., 317: 1515 Associates to D. Berhe, $75,000

Penn St., 1605: R. Daniels to L, D. & R. Olenowski, $87,500

Reel St., 2416 & 2418: 24 Reel Street LLC to American Rental Home LLC, $52,000

Rudy Rd., 2454: J. & S. Merlina to J. Howard, $57,500

Sassafras St., 269 & 1112 Susquehanna St.: R. & J. Ruth to Major League Properties LLC, $60,000

Showers St., 605: H. Madsen to J. Moore, $163,900

South St., 122: Tang Liu Realty LLC to FA Realty LLC, $126,000

S. 2^nd St., 316: WK Rentals to Diamond Real Estate Solutions LLC, $32,000

S. 13^th St., 1456, 1460 & 1466: Davden Property Investments Inc. to 4880 East Prospect LLC, $66,000.

S. 16^th St., 947: R. Splawn to L. Jackson, $30,000

S. 24^th St., 623: K. & D. Brown to S. Jordan, $72,200

Swatara St., 2055: G. Barlow to S. Thomas, $34,500

Swatara St., 2413: J. Garisto to PI Capital LLC, $85,801

Verbeke St., 300: Kidder Wilkes LP to Silverstone Enterprises LLC, $215,000

Watson St., 2815: R. & A. Gates & C. Windham to LJ Realty Trust, $59,800

Harrisburg property sales for May 2017, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Author: Lawrance Binda

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