Harrisburg Magazine December 2021

CONTENTS

b enchmark Media, LLC.

D EC E M B E R 2 021

18

26 December 2021 • Volume 27 No. 11

PRESIDENT/CEO Darwin Oordt doordt@benchmarkmediallc.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com Darcy Oordt darcy@benchmarkmediallc.com

INSIDE

36

4

SIMPLY THE BEST CATEGORIES

6 INTROSPECTION 8

BARTENDER’S OR BARISTA’S CHOICE

12 BY THE BOOK 12 NOURISHING BITES 13 THE FINANCE HOUND 14 THEATRE THOUGHTS 14 TAILBOARD TALK 16 FOR THE LOVE OF PETS 18 #HBGMAG INFLUENCER

ON THE COVER

19 LOCAL CHARITIES 22 HARRISBURG HISTORY/

COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY 25 SHORT STORY 26 MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHTER

EDITOR Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laura Reich lreich@benchmarkmediallc.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Anthony Bui abui@harrisburgmagazine.com — Jo Ann Shover jshover@harrisburgmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Richard Eppinger reppinger@harrisburgmagazine.com WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN Markeshia Wolfe CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dimitri John Diekewicz Christina Heintzelman Paul Hood Kevyn Knox Stephanie Kalina-Metzger David Morrison Bill Roddey CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Rick Snizik

28 Q&A: GERALD DICKENS 32 NON-CHRISTMAS MOVIES 34 SHOPS AROUND THE CORNER 36 ARTFUL INSPIRATIONS: THINKING

OUTSIDE THE (GIFT) BOX 40 EAT SWEETS, DRINK, & BE MERRY! PHOTO COURTESY OF CASSEL VINEYARDS Mighty Fine Wine! (And Candy & Beer), see page 40.

44 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 46 THE GIFT OF TASTE 47 TASTE THIS

Visit us online at: HarrisburgMagazine.com Harrisburg Magazine® is published monthly at 3400 N. Sixth St., Harrisburg, PA 17110. Phone: 717.233.0109; Fax: 717.232.6010; harrisburgmagazine.com. Subscriptions, $10.95 per year. Single copies, $3.75. Back Issues, $4.00 at office or $7.00 by mail (postage and handling included). Send change of address forms to Benchmark Group Media, 3400 N. Sixth St., Harrisburg, PA 17110. This issue or any part thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Harrisburg Magazine®, Inc. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, photographs and disks if they are to be returned, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights in letters sent to Harrisburg Magazine® will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as such are subject to a right to edit and comment editorially. Name and contents ©2021, Harrisburg Magazine, Inc. Printed by Freeport Press, Freeport, Oh.

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HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 3

SIMPLY THE BEST 2022

CATEGORIES

Nomination Round Begins January 1, 2022 AUTOMOTIVE Auto Body Shop Auto Dealer (New Domestic) Auto Dealer (New Foreign) Auto Dealer (Preowned/Used) Auto Detailer Auto Repair Shop Body/Repair by Auto Dealers Salesperson BEAUTY & FITNESS Aesthetic Physician Office Barber Shop Beauty/Hair Salon Dance Studio Dermatologist Facials Fitness Center/Gym Hair Stylist/Barber Laser/Skin Care Massage Place That Helps You Lose Weight Plastic Surgeon Plastic Surgery Clinic BUSINESS Dry Cleaners Insurance Agency Place to Work Real Estate Agency Real Estate Agent Real Estate Team Specialty Service Staffing Agency/Services

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DENTAL Cosmetic Dentist Dental Assistant Dental Hygienist Dentist General Dentist Oral & Maxillofacial Clinic Orthodontist Clinic Specialty Dentist FINANCIAL Accounting Firm Bank Credit Union Financial Planning Company Investment Company Mortgage Company Stockbroker Tax Preparation FOOD & DRINK Bakery Barbecue Breakfast Burger Coffee Deli Desserts Local Brewery/Distillery Local Pub Overall Bar Place For a Craft Beer Place For a Night Out Sports Bar Sweets & Treats Takeout Vineyard/Winery Wings

HARRISBURG AREA LIFE Animal Rescue or Charity Child/Day Care Center College/University Local Television Personality Nonprofit Organization Pet Adoption Agency Pet Groomer Pet Supply Store Radio Personality Radio Station Senior Living TV Station Veterinarian/Animal Hospital HEALTH & WELLNESS Acupuncturist Alternative Medical Specialist Clinic Counseling or Therapy Office General or Family Physician Clinic Hospital In-Home Health Care Medical Specialist Clinic Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic Ophthalmologist or Optometrist Clinic Pain Specialist Clinic Pediatric Clinic Physical Therapist Podiatry Psychologist or Psychiatrist Office Walk-In Urgent Care Facility

HOME BUILDING Architect Building Supplies Contractor/Remodeler Countertops & Cabinetry Decks & Porches Door & Window Company Fence Company Flooring Sales & Installation Gutter Company Home Builder/Developer Home Improvement Specialist Interior Design/ Window Treatments Roofing Company Siding HOME MAINTENANCE Electrician Heating & Air Conditioning Co. Home Accents Home Repair/Handyman Kitchen &/or Bath Remodeling Company Landscaping &/ or Lawn Service Maid/Cleaning Service Painters Pest Control Plumber Pool/Spa Service Renovations & Restoration Services Security Company Tree Service & Stump Removal LEGAL Business Law Attorney Criminal Defense Attorney Divorce Attorney Employment Attorney Estate Planning Attorney Family Law Attorney Law Firm Personal Injury Attorney Workman's Compensation Attorney

LOCAL INTEREST Customer Values Family-Owned Business Minority-Owned Business New Business One-Man Operation Veteran-Owned Business Woman-Owned Business RECREATION & LEISURE Art Gallery Community/Charity Event Entertainment Center Golf Course Historical Site Library Museum Must See Place in Harrisburg Park Place For Kids to Have Fun Place To Spend a Day Off Place To Take a Date Place To Take a Tourist Place To Volunteer Travel Agency RESTAURANTS Affordable Place to Eat American Restaurant Asian Chef Diner European Food Trucks Italian Latin American Restaurant Overall Dining (Downtown) Overall Dining (East Shore / Suburban) Overall Dining (West Shore) Pizza Place Restaurant Service Steakhouse Sunday Brunch Vegetarian/Vegan

SHOPPING Antiques Clothing Boutique Farmers Market Framers Jewelry Store Local Store Place To Shop for The Home Specialty or Hobby Store Supermarket Thrift or Consignment Stores WEDDING & EVENTS Birthday Party Services Bridal Shop/Formal Store Caterer DJ/Event Entertainment Event Coordinator Event Transportation Event Venue Florist & Event Decor Party Rentals Photographer Wedding Cakes Wedding Planner

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SIMPLY THE BEST VISIT harrisburgmagazine. com/simply-the-best/

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 5

Introspection

PHOTO BY © IAN DICKENS

Gerald Dickens

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

– Charles Dickens.

T

hose words, by one of history’s greatest authors and humanitarians, ring as true today as they did 156 years ago.

They also serve as a fitting prelude, both to this “season of giving” we have now entered, and our December issue.

Lightening the burdens of the less fortunate is something that is often more top of mind this time of year, perhaps largely in part to the effect Dickens’ seminal holiday tale, “A Christmas Carol,” has had on the public psyche for well over a century. Nary a year goes by without a new film or theatrical version of the heartwarming story of redemption, and someone who figures prominently in the effort to keep the author’s words – and yes, spirit – thriving is non-other than Charles’ great-great grandson, who has been performing a one-man version of “A Christmas Carol” in the U.K., the U.S., and elsewhere for nearly 30 years. I was able to sit down with Gerald Dickens (virtually) for an enlightening and, I hope, entertaining Q&A, which will be shared in these pages.

On the local level, someone who figures prominently in the lightening of burdens – and, moreover, the war against hunger – is our “Influencer” of the month, Joe Arthur, Executive Director of the Central PA Food Bank. With a spirit of volunteerism first sprouted from childhood adversity, Arthur’s leadership skills are manifested in the millions of meals served to the area’s hungry every year (over 57 million in 2021 alone!) As a sidebar, Stephanie Kalina-Metzger 6 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

examines the numerous local charities that are waging battles of their own against social ills and lists their current needs during the holidays.

For many, the holiday season is a time for remembering, and that’s what David J. Morrison, Executive Director of the Historic Harrisburg Association, does in his article tracing the strong tradition of “Civic Generosity” in the capital city. And perhaps nothing serves up a better portion of Christmastime “hearth and home” memories than Mechanicsburg’s Sweet Remembrances tea house and its “sister” business, The Rosemary House herb and spice specialty shop. We sit down with owners Nancy Reppert and Susanna Reppert Brill, as well with faithful customers Judy, Diane, Marie, and Julie, Navy Depot retirees who are vowing to talk Nancy out of retirement.

Christina Heintzelman suggests that “Thinking Outside the (Gift) Box” – by buying local at area art galleries – is the best way to shop this year; Dimitri John Diekowicz highlights some of Central PA’s most dazzling Christmas light displays, including Koziar’s Christmas Village, which has been “making spirits brighter” in Bernville since 1948; area candy stores, wineries, breweries (and even a beer distributor) help you to “Eat Sweets, Drink & Be Merry!”; and local film buffs Paul Hood and Kevyn Knox join me in choosing a list of Christmas movies that aren’t commonly thought of as Christmas movies (but that you’ll enjoy watching during the Christmas season nonetheless).

Fiction lovers will surely be impressed by this month’s short story, “Freeze,” penned by local Bishop McDevitt High School Senior Walker Carnathan. Equally impressive is this month’s “Bartender’s Choice” bartender – or, actually, the bartending team of Jared, Leslie, Janeane (and manager Renee) at popular Enola eatery, Center Street Grille. And the Harrisburg Magazine staff was definitely impressed with the food we sampled for “Taste This Friday,” served up fast and fresh

by Teriyaki Express in the Capital City Mall.

Don’t forget our regular columns: Dani Baer pours drinks that will both comfort and warm you in Nourishing Bites; Stefan Hawkins’ By the Book previews Khristi Lauren Adams’ “Unbossed: How Black Girls Are Leading the Way”; in The Finance Hound, Bryson Roof discusses “How to Budget for the Holidays”; Barbara Trainin Blank previews local holiday stage productions in Theatre Thoughts; HACC’s Robert Stakem devotes his Tailboard Talk to holiday safety tips; and, in For the Love of Pets, Kristen Zellner helps to keep your pets anxietyfree during the holidays. Need to laugh? Look for more pithy Off the Cuff one-liners by humorist Bill Roddey throughout the magazine.

Have a joyous December! And actually, why stop there, when you can emulate Ebenezer Scrooge’s words: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year!” 7 R.G. In life, I not only didn't stick the landing, I also fell off the mat.

Sometimes I wonder if the hot wings I ate belonged to the Aristotle of chickens and, being the first true scientist, he would have found the cure for cancer. If he had not been a victim of wing night.

In this world two wrongs still don't make a right, but they do set a precedent.

Gourmet artisan Spam. In the mystery meat aisle of your less than supermarket.

It’s not been a very vibrant fall foliage. It’s safe to say that the hills are alive with the colors of rust and mud.

There are so many shortages these days that the Everything Bagel is now the Nothing Crouton.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 7

Bartender’s or Barista’s Choice

It’s a bartending team effort at this popular Enola eatery Story By Randy Gross

rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

C

Maple Bourbon

Bartender Leslie Yeager – Center Street Grille 8 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Photos By Rick Snizik

enter Street Grille is the kind of place Guy Fieri might stop by on a dare. It may not be the Taj Mahal of restaurants from the outside, but once inside and sampling the ultra-creative fare and award-winning wings cooked up by Chef Matt Mager, it’s certain Guy would be saying something along the lines of “I could put this on a flip-flop and it would taste good!”

But this article isn’t about Chef Matt’s food. His culinary creations will have to be highlighted on a different day, in a different issue. That’s because this month it’s Center Street Grille’s homey barroom atmosphere and, more specifically, the bartenders who work so hard to make it so, that is our focus.

For starters, there’s head bartender Jared Strayer, who’s been working at the restaurant for over 6 years and bartending for the past 4. Having worked in various management positions before coming to Center Street, he’s a master at multi-tasking, both at the bar and at home, where he somehow singlehandedly cares for two young children on his days off. A beer afficionado, he’s also a true “people person,” and prides himself on providing “a great customer experience to keep them coming back.”

Then there’s Leslie Yeager, a veritable spark plug when slinging drinks who transitioned from a career as an auditor to back-up bartender at Center Street 4 ½ years ago and has grown to love working with “our crazy quirky team that works so hard.”

And don’t forget manager Renee Fiscus, who acts as sort of a “den mother” to the Center Street family and isn’t afraid at times to “show off a bit” behind the bar herself. She also is a good resource for anyone desiring knowledge of the restaurant’s history (or at least knows which long-time regular to ask when she doesn’t have an answer to a question herself).

On a recent visit, Fiscus shared the story of the Center Street’s somewhat “fiery” beginnings: as a combination grocery store, casino, and yes, home to the West Enola Fire Company back in the late 1940s. Shortly after the fire company exited in 1949, the property transformed into Joe’s Bar and Grille, and continued as a popular hub for beer, roasted chicken, and the occasional brawl until 1994. Four years – and multiple renovations - after that, Center Street Grille was born.

Together, Strayer, Yeager, and Fiscus (along with another part-time bartender, Janeane Miller) manage to keep all patrons happy, both at the restaurant’s extremely well-populated wrap-around bar, and at the various low and high-top tables. The drinks keep flowing, especially – and perhaps surprising to some – the glasses of wine (“we’ve always been a heavy wine place,” says Fiscus), plus the team regularly comes up with new quarterly cocktail ideas, including recent concoctions like a Blood Orange Margarita, a Butter Toffee Martini, and a Maple Bourbon, as well as December’s featured drink of the month, the Red Queen (recipe follows) a refreshing new take on a gin and tonic featuring a hint of elderberry and a twist of cranberry.

Jared Strayer’s Dossier Words of advice to home mixologists: Don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know what different ingredients can do when combined.

Inspirations: I don’t know exactly what inspires me, but I always love connecting with customers and making them become lifetime repeat visitors.

Butter Toffee Martini

“We’re a very small unit,” exclaims Yeager with a smile. “But it’s a lot like a family in here.” And that “family,” in the form of customers, is finally getting back to postCovid normalcy. “It’s starting to go two-deep at the bar again,” says a thankful Fiscus. “And that’s promising.”

Perhaps it’s a cliché, but if you stop by Center Street Grille, at 4 Center Street, off Wertzville Road in East Pennsboro Township, you’ll surely be treated like family, too. And keep your eyes peeled on their website for an all-new Chef Matt menu in the near future (maybe even by the time your eyes peruse this article): www.centerstreetgrille.com. 7

Favorite spirit straight: I’ve always been into craft beers mostly (sours, stouts, IPAs, etc.) but when it comes to spirits, I would have to say whiskey when it comes to straight up. Vodka when it comes to making drinks.

Recommendations of two or three spirits to try: Jameson Stout Caskmates, Jameson IPA Caskmates, Basil Hayden’s.

Most commonly ordered drinks at your bar: While most of our customers enjoy domestic beers and common cocktails like Captain and Cokes, our most common other cocktail would be our Blood Orange Margarita.

See Strayer on Page 10

Bartender Jared Strayer

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 9

The Red Queen

Blood Orange Margarita

Strayer, continued from Page 9

Philosophy on drinks: Make them fun and tasty. Not every drink is for everyone, but it’s fun trying new drinks -depending on a particular customer’s palate.

When Strayer works at the bar: I work Wednesday thru Saturday from 3 till close, and all-day Sunday. Every other Saturday they allow me to be off for a “family” day! 7

Thoughts about your cocktails: I just hope to make a drink to get the customer to come back (and at least order another drink when they do!)

Editor’s note: because coffee has become as – if not more - popular than alcoholic beverages, we have also begun honoring the men and women who work their magic at the region’s coffee shops. Therefore, nominations are being accepted for both worthy bartenders and baristas.

Your day job: Mr. Mom. I take care of my 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter during the day. Working this job has given me the opportunity to be there for them and watch them grow.

NOMINATE A BARTENDER OR BARISTA! harrisburgmagazine.com/submissions 10 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Leslie Yeager’s drink for December Red Queen 1 1/2 ounces Bluecoat Gin 1 ounce Elderberry Tonic 1 ounce cranberry juice 1/2 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce lemon or lime Juice DIRECTIONS: Shake and strain into martini glass or serve on the rocks with a lemon or lime twist.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 11

By The Book/Stefan Hawkins

A

Bossed Up and Making a Difference.

s the weather gets colder, and the days seem to get shorter, I find myself stuck in the house a little more. Sitting around trying to catch up on shows on Netflix that I haven’t seen or started and didn’t finish yet. I like to think that I’m busy but, in reality, I’m always having a lazy moment. I also told myself that I’d finish a few books so that I could tell a good friend of mine if they should take the time to read one themselves. I’m already a big procrastinator when it comes to doing things, but when I continue to add a lot more things on my plate, man oh man, the train never starts for me to accomplish needed things around my house, in my life, or when assignments are due in school. I mustered up the energy to knock out two books this fall and was able to finish one show so far on TV. That’d be it for me, until the New Year.

But then I thought to myself, why not knock out this advance copy of a book I was offered from an author by the name of Khristi Lauren Adams entitled “Unbossed: How Black Girls Are Leading the Way”?

It’s her second book on Broadleaf Books, with a release date of March of 2022, and most people will recognize her name from her first book, “Parable of the Brown Girl: The Sacred Lives of Girls of Color.” I was able to conquer the 172-page book in a day and half of consistent reading - after I told myself over and over that I needed to actually sit my butt down and read. I certainly wasn’t mad that I took the time to dive into the stories of these eight young black ladies and how they’re ready to take on the world and make an everlasting, meaningful impact. I took a lot from Adams' book, things that I always felt like society needs to be constantly reminded of.

When you picture activists, demonstrators, and protesters, who are a few people that come to mind? Depending on what era you grew up in, you’ll conjure up a rough idea of someone or some moment in time that stands out. A lot of times, I picture the 1960’s and the civil rights movement, Dr. King, Malcolm X, and black men that we’re taught to us in history class, and a few others. You may recall Rosa Parks, Harriett Tubman, and a few black women throughout history, but you never think about the young men and women of today.

Especially within the last two years, there’s been a need to pay more attention to the ones that helped ignite a fire within our nation like

there hasn’t been seen in a long time. That is what Khristi Lauren Adams does with her book. She helps to bring recognition to some young black girls that are making their way into the world with some boss moves - and they’re not asking for permission to make them. As one of the black girls mentioned in the book, Tyah-Amoy Roberts, is quoted as saying “I feel like Black women are literally at the helm of every movement.” And it goes without saying that she’s right. There isn’t a movement, revolution, march, or protest within the modern era that doesn’t have a black woman partaking in it. Then, we think, do black women get the recognition they truly deserve at times? Or are they always overlooked because of a better-known black man placing himself in the limelight? Or maybe there’s an ally from another race that overshadows black women throughout history as well, so that they never receive their share of credit for helping to change and inspire our country behind the scenes.

“Unbossed” is going to be one of many books to be written that will shine a light on these black girls and their efforts at making change possible through volunteering, business ventures and social demonstrations. “Unbossed” is worth taking the time to read once it hits shelves in March of 2022. I believe these young black girls will have a household name in a few more years, and we can credit Khristi Lauren Adams' book as the one to plant the seed. Ssanyu, Hannah, Grace, Jaychele, Amara, Kynnedy, and Stephanie will all have you shaking your head, and marveling at their accomplishments. These are the future leaders of our country, and “Unbossed” lets you know that they’re coming to make a difference, while being young, fearless, inspired, and unbothered by the naysayers. 7 Stefan Hawkins was born and raised in Harrisburg. He opened Good Brotha's Book Cafe in January and has been leading a Good Brothas Can't Read Book Club since last summer.

Nourishing Bites/Dani Baer

Hot Drinks Offer More Than Just Comfort and Warmth

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older weather is blowing in and, whether we love it or not, it’s here to stay. When the weather outside gets frightful, there’s nothing quite as delightful as cozying up with a warm drink.

Not only are they good for the soul, but they can also support our health. With that in mind, I’m sharing some benefits to consider and a recipe for warming up from the inside out.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate Avoiding dehydration is more often emphasized in warmer weather.

When we’ve been sweating, it seems straightforward that we’re losing fluids, right? Even in the cold we’re always losing water. Our bodies use it, and thus lose it, for various biological processes. Plus, we lose water through our skin (even if we don’t see it) and when we breathe (that’s why we can “see” our breath).

When we’re already feeling cold, it is not as appealing to grab a cold drink. Luckily, warm drinks hydrate us too! We can use this to our advantage in the wintertime. Even coffee, which has been considered 12 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

dehydrating because of its diuretic effect, adds to our daily fluid intake if we are regular drinkers. Occasional coffee drinkers may experience the diuretic consequence; however, our bodies can adjust quickly, offsetting this dehydrating effect.

Up your nutrient game I often gravitate towards a steaming beverage for the warmth it provides and for an energy pick-me-up. Many of these drinks also boast components that support our overall health. Tea, coffee, and cocoa serve as the base for numerous tasty drinks. These bases in particular contain many essential nutrients, including B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

We can also get an antioxidant boost when we sip. Coffee, tea, and cocoa are rich sources of phytonutrients that can have antioxidant effects. One study even showed that, for some, coffee may be their biggest source of antioxidants! While I don’t want to take emphasis away from getting nutrients from whole foods (like fruits, veggies, and

whole grains) it is comforting to know that a hot beverage can do more than just warm us up.

Pumpkin Spice Latte to warm the soul A good friend of mine, Ann Fulton from the fabulous Fountain Avenue Kitchen blog, created this recipe with inspiration from the perennial fall favorite – Pumpkin Spice Latte. It can be made with tea or coffee, both of which will provide the benefits described above. A more detailed explanation of the recipe and loads more can be found at fountainavenuekitchen.com.

INGREDIENTS: • ½ cup water • 1 chai tea bag OR 1-2 shots espresso OR ½ cup strong coffee • 1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin puree • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice • Pinch of finely ground black pepper • 1 tablespoon sweetener of choice (to taste) • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 cup milk of choice • Optional for serving: whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS: For tea – heat water in a saucepan over high heat until little bubbles start to form (before boiling). Place tea bag in a large mug and pour in the hot water. Steep for about 4 minutes. For coffee or espresso – brew accordingly. While the tea is steeping or coffee brewing, add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and black pepper into the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until it is hot. Add the sugar and stir just until it melts (this will take seconds!). Whisk in the milk and vanilla and cook, while stirring, until hot. Pour the milk mixture over the coffee or tea in the mug. Add toppings of your choice and enjoy! 7 Danika Baer, MPS, RD, is a recent master’s graduate in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State.

The Finance Hound/Bryson Roof

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How to Budget for the Holidays

hether you are planning for eight nights of consecutive gifts in front of the menorah, or you are saving for gifts under the family Christmas tree, budgeting for the holidays is much more complex than just setting aside funds for presents. Many South-Central Pennsylvania families travel over the holidays or host family members from out of town. Let’s discuss how to budget for costs such as travel, lodging, large-scale meal preparation, and entertainment.

Develop a Budget: It is easy to get caught up in the holiday festive spirit and splurge.

Hopefully, you have been planning for the holidays and saving for the upcoming celebrations. Many families create a separate bank savings account for vacations, family gatherings, and holiday celebrations. This is a very successful approach, especially if you can outline your holiday expenses for the upcoming year and space out the savings over multiple months. But it’s not too late to start saving now.

Limited Funds? There Are Other Options: Don’t worry, there are other options if you haven’t planned ahead.

One of my close friends runs a local plumbing company. As an employee benefit, he provides a year-end holiday bonus to his employees. If you’re lucky enough to work for an employer with a year-end holiday bonus, you can add these funds to your holiday budget!

It may be a little extra effort, but there are various sales during the holidays that allow you to celebrate on a limited budget. Instead of flying, you can elect to drive to see family. Instead of going out to eat, you can host a family gathering and have everyone bring a dish, bonus points if everyone brings their favorite family recipes!

Many South-Central Pennsylvanians are struggling to navigate employment during Covid-19. Holidays may be a little lean this year, but it doesn’t mean you have to forgo celebrations. Depending on your financial struggles, various local non-profits aid with meals during the holidays or help you acquire gifts for young children.

Avoid Credit Cards during the Holidays: Small indulgences like a special meal or an extra toy for your grandchild will likely not have a massive impact on your overall finances. But be very mindful of frequent overindulgences with your credit card. It is amazing how quickly multiple small purchases on a credit card add up to a balance that becomes a financial burden.

With increased television advertisements, holiday sales on Amazon, and friends talking about gifts they are buying, it can be extremely challenging to stick to your budget. Simply adding purchases to your credit card is not a viable solution because you will still be responsible for paying your credit card balance. Budgeting your expenses based on your personal finances is paramount to successfully navigating the holiday season.

The Importance of Maintaining an Emergency Fund: The holidays have many important meanings: religiously, spiritually, and even family bonding. It shouldn’t all come down to the money spent throughout the season. You may recall the August Finance Hound column outlined the importance of an emergency fund.

However, depleting an emergency fund to celebrate a holiday is not fiscally responsible. Having funds set aside to cover unexpected expenses is critically important to your long-term financial security. So don’t let unplanned spending become an “emergency” this year. Enjoy the holiday season! 7 Bryson J. Roof, CFP®, is a financial advisor at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Harrisburg, and has been quoted nationally in various finance publications including CNBC, U.S. News & World Report, and Barron’s.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 13

Theatre Thoughts/Barbara Trainin Blank

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Raising the curtains on holiday cheer o matter how bleak and cold the weather, December holidays have the capacity to bring good cheer. Here are some performing spaces - and shows - that help:

A Christmas Carol Yul Brynner played the King of Siam more than any other Broadway role. Nicholas Hughes doesn’t hold so impressive a record, but 2021 marks his 22nd season as Ebenezer Scrooge in Open Stage of Harrisburg’s dramatization of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.”

(Dec. 4-23, www.openstagehbg.com) Dickens penned many fine novels, but this story of how the stingy, anti-social Scrooge is transformed by three ghostly beings may be the most popular. “Nick is a spectacular actor, but this is possibly his most iconic role,” says Rachel Landon, Open Stage’s office manager who co-adapted the novel along with Stuart Landon, producing artistic director. “In general, our ‘Christmas Carol’ features some of the area’s finest actors. And though the underlying theme is ‘redemption,’ what makes our production unique is its reliance on the ghost story.”

In a very different vein is Open Stage’s “Who’s Holiday!” by Matthew Lombardo. Starring is Rachel Landon as Cindy Lou meeting the Grinch.

For mature audiences only. (Nov. 26-Dec. 22) The Nutcracker Another highlight of the holiday season — and a particularly magical one for those who love classical dance and even those who don’t— is this ballet of a dreamy girl, a mouse-turned-prince, and a Land of the Sweets, with luscious music by Tchaikovsky. When the ballet premiered on December 17, 1892, in Russia, it was considered a failure by the public and critics. The composer died less than a year later, not knowing what a huge international success the ballet would become.

“The Nutcracker” is a staple for virtually every ballet company and school, displaying the talents of the youngest as well as mostaccomplished dancers. What makes it special at the prestigious Carlisle-based Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet is that it is the only school in the world (as opposed to professional dance company) that has the rights to the choreography by George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet and a luminary of the American ballet world. It is the responsibility of Darla Hoover, CPYB’s artistic director, to see Balanchine’s choreography is honored.

After a pandemic-ridden audition and rehearsal season, “The Nutcracker” production has come together gloriously, said Hoover. This year there are two Sugar Plum Fairies, Kloe Walker and Annie Smith.

The guest artist, starring as the Cavalier, is the former principal dancer of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seth Orza. (Dec. 11-12, Whitaker Center; Dec. 18-19, Hershey Theatre. www.cpyb.org)

Elf: the Musical Ubiquitous on TV and videos this time of year is “Elf,” a 2003 American Christmas comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum, and starring Will Ferrell in the title role. “Elf,” in turn, inspired the 2010 Broadway show “Elf: The Musical,” which is a “musical adaption with minor changes [from the movie],” said Dustin Le Blanc, who is bringing it to Allenberry Playhouse through his Keystone Theatrics. “It’s very catching, hilarious — a true holiday classic. This modern-day classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner ELF.” Allenberry’s production stars Ryan Boyles as Buddy. Jim Moyer is Santa. LeBlanc directs; Janet Gleeson choregraphs. Mary Butler George is vocal director, Gregg Mauroni is music director, and Carol McDonough stage manages. (Dec. 3-19. https://keystonetheatrics.com.)

A Little Women Christmas Hardly a youngster has missed reading the book entitled “Little Women” nor seen the many movie versions of Louisa May Alcott’s classic Civil War-timed novel. Her heartwarming coming-of-age book concerns a family with four daughters who undergo the joys and sorrows of life as well as love and its foibles.

One of the dramatized versions of the novel, and holiday-related, will be presented by the Shining Lights Players at Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg. Entitled “A Little Women Christmas,” an original work by Stephen Joseph Burke, it features these actresses as the March sisters: Megan Giles (Meg); Reilly Wilcox (Jo); Audrie Noll (Beth); and Aurora Hicks (Amy). Directing is Meredith Hensel, who said the family-friendly show is “suitable for all ages.”

(Nov. 27-Dec. 12. https://ltmpa.com/auditions/little-women/) Oh, Hanukkah Hanukkah is a joyous holiday built around lights, religious freedom, and latkes. The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg will host its 2021 Chanukah Extravaganza for children 2-12 (and parents) on Dec. 5, 1011:30 a.m., featuring crafts, games, edible Menorah kits, and more. In collaboration with Gesher, Ohev Religious School, and the Silver Academy. Register at https:// jewishharrisburg.org/community-calendar/ chanukah-extravaganza. 7 Barbara Trainin Blank is a freelance journalist, book author, editor, and playwright.

She grew up in New York City in a house rich in the arts, which are a major focus of her writing.

She lived in Harrisburg for 24 years and continues to contribute to regional publications.

Tailboard Talk/Robert Stakem

Tis the season for being safe instead of sorry Editor’s note: Public safety professionals often hold informal discussions on the back bumper or tailboard of an ambulance or fire truck. Hence, the column’s tagline, “Tailboard Talk.”

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ith all of the busyness and distractions that can come up during the holiday season, the possibility for crime rises.

Changes from our normal routines mean that while we celebrate this time of year, we should also remain vigilant for the safety 14 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

of our loved ones, possessions, and property.

Traveling As we travel to visit family and friends during the holiday season, it is important to increase security at home. Ask trusted neighbors to keep an eye on your property and maintain the sidewalks or driveway in the event of snow. Keeping some lights on a timer will also help make the property appear occupied.

Many municipal police departments offer “vacation checks” of your home if you will be away for an extended period of time. Check with your local department for the availability of these resources.

Overflowing mailboxes are also a sign to would-be criminals that no one has been at the property for some time. Be sure to contact your local post office to hold mail deliveries until your return.

Before you leave, ensure all doors and windows are closed and locked. Finally, use caution posting about your plans and location on social media. These posts can alert criminals to the vulnerability of your property.

Shopping While outside your home, always be aware of your surroundings and watch for distractions that may make you a victim of crime. Park your vehicle in a well-lit area. Ensure your valuables - including packages, gifts and shopping bags - are removed from sight or covered to prevent attracting anyone to the contents in your vehicle.

When you return to your car, use a cart so that you are not carrying too many items. If your hands are occupied by many bags or boxes, you may become an easy target. Don’t be afraid to ask the appropriate store employee for assistance carrying your items. You may also ask for a security escort to your vehicle. Carry a whistle or other auditory device in the event you feel threatened. Be sure to check around your car and in the back seat before entering your vehicle. If you are in your vehicle and feel threatened, lock the doors, honk your horn or activate your car alarm to bring attention to your vehicle.

When shopping, avoid carrying large amounts of cash, and consider using a reloadable credit card. Carry purses and wallets close to your body or in an inner/front pocket, and avoid large purses or handbags.

When you pay for your purchase, keep your credit card out of sight until you are asked to pay. This will prevent any would-be criminals

from either looking over your shoulder or taking a picture of your card.

Online shopping brings additional security concerns. If you will be shopping online, be sure to update your computer’s security software.

Only shop on websites you trust, preferably from stores you recognize.

When you place an online order, print receipts and track the packages until they arrive. If you are not home at the time of the delivery, ask someone you trust to pick up the package, or consider shipping the package to another address where someone can receive it.

New televisions, computers and other electronics are special purchases commonly made during the holiday season. Be mindful about keeping those empty boxes out of sight. Keep them hidden until garbage day, or consider keeping those boxes for projects or storage.

Placing these items curbside advertises your investment and creates an easy target for possible criminal activity.

Celebrating Finally, for many, the holiday season is a time to celebrate with good food and drinks. Please remember to celebrate responsibly, as impairment begins with the first drink. There are plenty of resources in our region that provide rides during the holiday season. Your loved ones will appreciate your responsible decisions when you return home safely.

Enjoy this upcoming holiday season, but as always, please be mindful of your safety and the safety of those around you. 7 Robert Stakem is executive director of the Senator John J. Shumaker Public Safety Center at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 15

For The Love of Pets/Kristen Zellner

Keep your pets from feeling anxious during the holidays

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he Holidays are here! For thousands of pets, this will be the first time to experience this festive season in their new homes. From a national poll of 5,020 households, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported that nearly one in five households acquired a cat or dog since the beginning of the pandemic. For many people, it has been the perfect time to train a new pet, and those pets have reaped the benefits of their people being at home a lot. Now that the time has come for parties, visitors, and special events, pets will experience disruptions in their routines and more time alone. This can often lead to undesirable behaviors.

The following is a familiar scene: You come home from a holiday party, ready to unwind. A foul smell hits your nose, and you aren’t greeted by your best pal. You locate the origin of the smell but still, no sign of the dog. You call for your pup and she sheepishly slinks out from her hiding place, head held low, tail wagging nervously between her legs. You kneel and say, “It’s ok, girl,” and gently take her outside. She relaxes her body and revels in your return because you are kind and don’t dwell on her mistake.

Do you recall the days when people thought it was a good idea to “rub the dog’s nose in her mess” in order to “teach” her not to go in the house again? That just never seemed right to me. Now we know better because we understand that dogs don’t associate that punishment with them doing something wrong. Instead, punishment teaches them to be fearful of us. I often hear people say that their pets are “trying to get back at them” for one reason or another. Sometimes it seems so, but it really doesn’t work that way. Pets are instinctive and sensitive creatures, unable to hatch intricate plans to get us back for leaving them.

It is imperative to understand that dogs don’t choose to go to the bathroom in the house unless there is a very good reason. They may be nervous, scared, sick, or not completely house trained, none of which are their fault. Any pet’s bathroom habits can be affected if there has been a change in routine, a different type of pet food, people visiting, house renovation projects, unfamiliar noises, and being left alone too long. Anxious pets have a more difficult time adjusting to changes, making them more likely to display irregular behaviors.

16 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Cat litter box habits can shift because of the above factors as well, or a new brand of litter, change in access to the litter box, type of litter box, a dirty litter box, change in direction of the wind, etc. Okay, maybe not that last one, but cats are especially sensitive to change. Also remember, as all pets age, their bladder and bowel control become weaker and they need to relieve themselves more frequently, sometimes not making it to an appropriate location.

Planning ahead for pet care over the holidays will ensure that your pets are more comfortable whether you are hosting the festivities or going away. If you’re hosting, give your pets a quiet space in the house to eat and rest. Even the most social dogs and cats should be offered a quiet retreat where they can get away from the crowd, especially if they are not used to noise, visitors or the activity level of children. Play soothing music, provide fresh water, turn the lights down, and have someone check on them periodically. Stick to their feeding, medication, and bathroom schedule as closely as possible. If you’re away for the day, hire a pet sitter or ask a friend to visit, feed, clean the litter box, and give dogs a bathroom break.

For overnight travel you may consider having someone stay in the house with your animals or scheduling them at a trusted local kennel. In my experience, providing in-home care for older and anxious pets is a lot less stressful for them and reduces their risk of illness.

No matter how you plan, keep in mind that pets won’t always respond as you would expect. Try to be patient, kind, and understand that they experience the world differently than humans. They can’t articulate how they feel in our language. If we live with the expectation that pet care needs may sometimes interfere with our plans, we will likely be less disappointed when it happens. 7 Kristen Zellner owns Abrams & Weakley General Store for Animals, est.

1986, Central PA’s first health food store for pets. She helps customers keep their pets healthy through better nutrition.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 17

#hbgmag Influencer

Central PA Food Bank Executive Director has a 12-month a year mission Story By Randy Gross

rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

Joe Arthur, Executive Director of the Central Penn Food Bank

18 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Photos By Rick Snizik

t is a disheartening yet undeniable truth in this world of ours: every single night someone goes to sleep hungry, and every single morn another someone wakes up with that same hunger. Even sadder is the fact that those “someones” are multiplied by the millions.

Thankfully, it is also undeniable that there are forces at work to remedy the unrelenting problem of hunger. And, in Central PA, there is perhaps no force that is equally unrelenting in attacking the social ill of hunger than the appropriately named Central PA Food Bank and its leader, Executive Director Joe Arthur.

It is because of the undeniable impact that the Food Bank has had under Mr. Arthur’s leadership that he is being profiled as this month’s “Influencer.”

December is undeniably the month of the year when, as Dickens said, “Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.” But, contrary to popular belief, the month doesn’t necessarily bring a spike in the number of mouths that need fed. “It does get busier for the holiday season, traditionally,” says Arthur, “but I’m not sure there’s more people in need. But

awareness raising is in abundance.” Noting that “hunger is a 12-month a year, 365-day scourge,” Arthur seeks to make the Central PA community aware that “we need everyone’s help throughout the year.”

“But right now,” he concedes, “we do need help for the holidays, in terms of support, and also volunteerism, which thankfully continues at a high level.”

It is Arthur’s own spirit of volunteerism, evolved at an early age, which has made him ideally suited for his current occupation.

Financial challenges beget empathy Living as a child in anthracite coal territory, just north of Scranton, Arthur recalls “growing up in a family that was challenged, financially and some other ways.” Needing to rely on others for help “helps you to be more thankful,” he adds, “and so I think my perspective was, there are a lot of folks who need help.” After marrying and moving to the Midstate, he embarked on a community banking career, during which time he was encouraged to volunteer with organizations

A guide to local charities and their needs providing that same kind of help – including the Central PA Food Bank.

“As a volunteer, I just really fell for the work we were doing, and just fell for the mission,” he proclaims. “It was no preconceived thing, not a childhood wish … but I do think having some struggles opens you up to understanding that anybody could be struggling at any time.”

For the next twenty-plus years, Arthur would find himself moving from volunteer to board member, to board president, and finally to his current position as Executive Director of the Food Bank, and the work has not only provided sustenance for his family, but also plenty of self-fulfillment. “I think the most fulfilling thing about the work is the work,” he says with pride. “You get to go to bed every day, no matter how challenging your day was, knowing that you’re helping a lot of people.

That our team is leading a mission that is helping hundreds and hundreds of people every single day that are struggling.”

He continues, “We’re really the means that people help people, by providing financial support, donations from our food businesses, from volunteers, from other friends of the food bank, and we’re in the middle kind of coordinating that support that gets to our neighbors in need.”

“And that’s just really uplifting work.”

Which isn’t to say that Arthur and the Food Bank haven’t been facing challenges. In fact, they were already working to overcome one of those challenges when an additional unexpected one hit.

See Central PA Food Bank on Page 20

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Story By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

here’s no getting around the fact that practically everything has been negatively affected by the Covid pandemic, not the least of which are the charities in our region.

Joe Arthur, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, said that his organization, which serves approximately 1,200 partner agencies that provide food to those who are struggling, has seen a significant uptick in those who are in need of services.

“From June of 2020, to June of 2021, we’ve seen an incredible increase in households applying for help, many for the first time, through job loss and other challenges. We’ve shot up about 40 percent in distribution, which took us to providing over 57 million meals in 2021,” he said. The holiday season is, according to Arthur, quite busy for the Food Bank. Meanwhile, federal supports are tapering down, so every dollar given to the Food Bank is bound to make a difference. “The best way to help is to make a monetary donation through our website at centralpafoodbank.org. That’s our number one ask,” he said.

Downtown Daily Bread has been a gateway to basic human services for hundreds of hungry and homeless individuals in Harrisburg for 38 years now and demand for their services is also high this time of year.

The organization runs a soup kitchen with weekday breakfasts and daily lunch meals, a day shelter with cots, computers, phones and staff counselors, a winter season night shelter for men and numerous assistance programs, such as showers, lockers, mail delivery, laundry cars and vouchers for clothing and other personal hygiene items.

The charity is a mission project of Pine Street

Presbyterian Church and is reliant on financial donations, according to Susan Cann, Director of Development, Downtown Daily Bread.

“Each year we rely on donations to operate the shelter and soup kitchen and our first priority is financial contributions to put towards our general operations,” she said. Cann mentions that they are seeing more newly homeless and chronically homeless. “In the winter we have an overnight shelter at 310 N. Third Street for men from December through March. We also offer breakfast from 7 to 8 a.m. and lunch from 12 to 1 pm every day. Women, too, are hosted by Christian Churches United located about a block away.” Those who are interested in contributing a monetary donation should send the check to: Downtown Daily Bread, 310 N. Third Street, Harrisburg, Pa, 17101.

Additional charitable organizations who depend on the generosity of others, especially during the holidays, are listed below, along with the services they provide and instructions on how to contribute. Through your generosity, you can make someone’s holiday season just a bit brighter this year.

Bethesda Men’s Mission, established in 1914, provides shelter, food and clothing for needy and homeless men. They also offer life coaching services, assistance in locating housing and medical, dental and mental health assistance. A “needs” list can be located at https://www.bethesdamission.org/ take-action/needs-list/.

Bethesda’s Woman’s and Children’s Mission has been serving the community for 34 years and offers a 12-month addiction recovery program, after which women have the option to go into transitional housing See Local Charities on Page 21 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 19

partners like Downtown Daily Bread and St. Patrick’s Cathedral to aid “the most vulnerable citizens,” the homeless are only a small There are many stigmas when it comes to the subject of hunger. The percentage of the people they actually serve.

Of course, “serving” anyone once Covid-related supply chain issues most common seems to be the embarrassment people feel because they don’t want anyone to know they are seeking help. People who, as arose became even more of a challenge.

“For the Food Bank, we’ve been able to manage,” says Arthur, “and Arthur puts it, “are kind of suffering in silence.”

“We try to reach through that and make sure people know that if that takes a lot of work and it takes donor support, which thankfully you need help, it’s okay. Pick up the phone, reach out to us, call our has been very strong, even as we sort of come into this recovery helpline. If you have access to the internet, go to centralpafoodbank.org. that’s been happening even though it’s been a bit choppy.” Due to We have plenty of support. We just need to find you, and we need you that generous donor support, the Food Bank has been able to pay the higher prices for the truckloads of food they need, plus, with a little to reach out.”

In addition to the stigma, Arthur continues working hard to dispel creative substituting, Arthur happily says, “our shelves are stocked misconceptions, including the fact that much of the area the Food pretty strong going into the holidays.”

Among the surprising substitutions: Bank serves is rural, not urban. “We fresh potatoes and sweet potatoes in talk about it all the time, but that place of canned potatoes. is something that is a long-held Arthur explains: “We found that we kind of a myth, that need is in the needed another channel of food supply cities,” he asserts. Citing the reason for fresh healthy food. So, we started for hunger in rural areas as job loss, an endeavor in 2021 that we call Arthur places the blame clearly on FARM – Farm and Agency Resource economics: “the investment hasn’t Market – so what that really means is, been there,” he says, adding “and that we’re coordinating with smaller farms, just creates this environment where and our local partner organizations more families are struggling.” to connect them together locally …

Another notable misconception and then provide grant dollars to our was brought to the forefront with partner agencies to allow them to the advent of the pandemic. Prior pay those local farmers, or local farm to Covid, says Arthur, “the majority markets – to be able to offer that farm of the households that we served were working, had working adults in “I think the most fulfilling thing something for the seconds - that’s good food that doesn’t have a primary the household, but just not making about the work is the work!” market - rather than that go to waste.” enough money to afford all of life’s Next year, the Food Bank plans on financial burdens, and I think that’s - Joe Arthur scaling the FARM program up, with a surprise to some people, because it donor funding used to provide the grants. was almost 60 percent.” With such a large number of families already “struggling to make ends meet and therefore keep their refrigerators stocked,” needs only became more amplified with Covid and the Hope for the future Though Arthur remains concerned that post-pandemic and postresulting layoffs.

Even more shocking to some people is the statistic that shows that stimulus food insecurity may continue in Central Pennsylvania for as 98 percent or more of those working – or formerly working – adults long as two more years (“we are now starting to see a slow creeping have homes or apartments. “People tend to link directly hunger and up of demand”) he tries to maintain a “prepare for the worst, and homelessness,” says Arthur, and while the Food Bank works with hope for the best” attitude. That positive attitude is top to bottom Central PA Food Bank, continued from Page 19

Overcoming stigma, misconceptions, and the pandemic

20 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Local Charities, continued from Page 19

in the organization, from the board room to the packing facility, where volunteers continue to pack so-called Recovery Boxes six days per week.

“We’re hopeful,” Arthur says. “We’ve actually had conversations recently with our board as we look at our strategic plan, and our goal was, by 2025, to make sure that everyone who is struggling with hunger in Central Pennsylvania, that we would be able to make sure they have 3 healthy meals every day.”

“But” he continues, “we also said that we would start working on making progress toward actually ending hunger, which is a different thing. So, we committed as a leadership team and our board to elevate that work around ending hunger … so that means working in partnership with others who are doing that work, to help people not need our Food Bank in the first place.”

With such lofty, but certainly not unattainable, goals in mind, Arthur stays true to his share-the-credit nature when he makes a closing request: “If you can find a way, make sure you thank all the people who are helping in this mission in any way, whether they’re donating or volunteering, as friends of our Food Bank’s mission. We simply couldn’t do it without them.”

Thank you, one and all.

To find out how you can aid in the battle against hunger, visit www.centralpafoodbank.org. 7

before moving out on their own. Directions on making a financial contribution can be found on their website at https://www. bethesdamission.org/take-action/donate/.

The YWCA Greater Harrisburg was founded in 1894 to create a safe place for young, working women to live and gather.

Today the agency provides housing and comprehensive services for women, men and children. The organization is accepting preowned cell phones, which are reprogrammed into 911 emergency phones for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The organization reaches 30,000 individuals a year and is currently accepting monetary donations in the form of a check, which can be sent to: YWCA Greater Harrisburg, 1101 Market Street, Harrisburg, Pa, 17103.

ISGH APPNA. The Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg operates a food pantry at 407 N. Front Street, Steelton, Pa, 17113.

According to manager Zain Qureshi, the pantry accepts non-perishable foods as donations, provided that they are unexpired and unopened. Contact Qureshi at 717-7288888 to make arrangements to drop off donations at the Steelton address.

The Lifeline Pregnancy Care Center in Millersburg was established in 1989 to help individuals and couples cope with the challenges of unplanned pregnancies and the responsibilities of parenting. The organization is in need of diapers, wipes, baby supplies, boys’ and girls’ clothes up to size 6, baby gates, monitors and cases of water. Contact Heather Weaver at 717-6922183 to coordinate donations.

Rebuilding Together Greater Harrisburg helps low-income home owners with home repairs free of charge. Volunteers are in need of paint brushes, rollers, drop cloths and gift cards to Lowe’s and Home Depot. Contact Susan Gebhart at 717-574-2639 to contribute.

Gaudenzia, Inc. is one of the largest nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment and recovery centers in the United States, with 51 facilities operating in Pennsylvania, D.C., Maryland and Delaware. The organization serves approximately 19,000 individuals annually and operates counseling centers and addiction prevention education for youth and adult groups. They are in need of housewares, personal care items, cleaning supplies, sheets, blankets, towels, coats, mittens, hats, scarves, board games, gift cards and more. Contact Jim Ingolio at 717-238-4200 to donate.

The mission of the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area is to build a better community for pets and people through collaboration, compassion, protection and education. Monetary donations can be made at their website at https://humanesocietyhbg. org/get-involved/donate/. Individuals are also encouraged to use the Humane Society of

Harrisburg Area as their charity of choice at Amazon Smile, where a portion of the money for items purchased automatically goes to a charity of one’s choice. Items on their wish list include: unopened pet food, litter, towels, blankets and sheets.

An Amazon wish list is also available at https://smile.amazon.com/hz/charitylist/ ls/2IFKT6WC2GAUT/ref=smi_ext_lnk_lcl_cl.

Castaway Critters’ mission is to save the lives and provide new beginnings for lost, sick and abandoned animals through rescue, adoption, rehabilitation and spay and neuter programs. They are currently in need of volunteers and foster parents.

Learn more at their website: https://www. castawaycritters.org/volunteer.

Shalom House is a 21-bed Harrisburg shelter for women and children. As an emergency shelter, Shalom House provides basic needs like a bed, assistance with food resources, health and hygiene supplies, and a temporary address and phone number. Services include case management, referral services, life skills training and computer facilities for resume and skill enhancement. Monetary donations are accepted through their website at https://shalomhouse.net/involved.

New Hope Ministries Inc., a Christian social service agency that helps neighbors in time of need and supports their efforts towards stability, is accepting turkeys, personal care items, Christmas gifts and gift cards. Arrange to donate by contacting Molly Helmstetter at 717-432-2087.

Perry County Literacy Council helps move individuals from dependency to selfsufficiency through credentials that support family sustaining wages and benefits. They are accepting cash donations for textbooks and support services, along with donations of copier paper, paper towels, toilet paper, notebooks, diapers, wipes, pens, pencils and paper goods for their kitchen. Arrange to donate by contacting Leslie Heimbaugh at 717-567-7323.

The Helen Krause Animal Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter for dogs and cats in Dillsburg. Items included on their wish list are dog toys, cat condos, small cat trees, Friskies canned food (pate—non fish varieties), brooms, mops, paper towels, copier paper, stamps, facial tissues, dryer sheets, laundry detergent and gift certificates to Staples, Walmart, Giant, PetSmart and Boiling Springs Animal Hospital. Monetary donations are also appreciated. Items can be dropped off during adoption hours on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 813 S. Baltimore Street, Dillsburg, or call 717-6973377 to leave a message. 7

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 21

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The Commonwealth Monument, completed in 2020, memorializes four prominent 19th-Century African Americans. The project was spearheaded by a group of local volunteers, whose work was administered by The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC).

Civic Generosity is a Longstanding Harrisburg Tradition: The Foundation for Enhancing Communities Enters Second Century

By David J. Morrison

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he history of community philanthropy in Harrisburg is nearly as old as the history of Harrisburg itself. In fact, it was an extraordinary act of civic generosity that resulted in Harrisburg being designated as the Capital of Pennsylvania in 1810.

At the turn of the Nineteenth Century, with the Revolutionary War in the rearview mirror and America’s western frontier expanding to the far reaches of the original thirteen states and beyond, there was growing sentiment to relocate state capitals away from the Eastern Seaboard, inland to central locations more accessible to all citizens, eager to participate in their newly established democracy.

Thus, the Capital of Virginia, moved not once but twice, from Jamestown to Williamsburg and ultimately to Richmond.

Citizens of Central and Western Pennsylvania clamored for a similar accommodation. Hamlets up and down the Susquehanna River, including Marietta and Dauphin, were considered. Before the matter was settled, Lancaster served briefly as the Pennsylvania Capital, from 1799 to 1812. It was the family of pioneer John Harris, Sr. and Harrisburg founder John Harris, Jr. who had grandiose visions for what was then the Borough of Harrisburg.

Grandson Robert Harris and his brother-in-law, William Maclay (who had been one of the two original Senators from Pennsylvania in 1790) were sufficiently connected in the worlds of real estate and politics to facilitate Harrisburg’s rise from frontier town to Capital of the Keystone State. Although Maclay would not live to see the outcome, Robert Harris followed through on his father’s offer, first made in 1785, to donate four prime acres for the use of the State Legislature.

The Harrises originally had hoped to make Harrisburg the United 22 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

States Capital! Placing it in the middle of the Keystone State, where the Harris Ferry crossed the Susquehanna River, was a logical proposition.

Alas, it was President George Washington who interceded. He preferred locating the new capital on the Potomac River, just a few miles upstream from Mount Vernon. The matter was settled.

THE HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS The immediate aftermath of the Civil War prompted several significant acts of civic generosity. Harrisburg, like many other places throughout the North and the South, having suffered many casualties, suddenly had large numbers of widows and orphans for whom no “social safety net” existed in the middle of the Nineteenth Century. In December of 1866, the Harrisburg Patriot called attention to "the large number of children who are daily to be seen on our streets in a ragged, forlorn condition."

To meet the need, in May 1867 “The Society for the Home for the Friendless” was chartered and work soon started on construction at Fifth and Muench of the building that today is the nucleus of the Homeland Center, a licensed not-for-profit Continuing Care Retirement Community.

Around the same time, in addition to providing for survivors of the Civil War, Dauphin County was one of the first places in America to erect a monument to its Civil War veterans, living and dead. At 111 feet tall, the Civil War Obelisk initially erected in the middle of Second and State Streets was a 1/5th version of the Washington Monument.

Its location, amid the broad expanse of State Street, halfway between the Capitol’s west entrance and Front Street, was decidedly suggestive of the Washington Monument on the U.S. Capital Mall.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The “Home for the Friendless” was erected through charitable contributions in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War as a home for widows and orphans of the war. Over the next 150 years, it was expanded several times, evolving into today’s Homeland Center, a Continuing Care Retirement Community filling an entire block of Uptown Harrisburg.

Harrisburg’s obelisk was completed first.

The Washington Monument, although started in 1848, sat half finished for a period of 23 years (politics, funding and the Civil War all interfered), and it was not completed until 1884, some 15 years after the Harrisburg version. By 1960, with increasing vehicular traffic on Second Street posing safety risks, the Civil War Obelisk was relocated to the vicinity of Third and Division Streets, opposite Italian Lake.

HARRISBURG: “THE CITY BEAUTIFUL” Another noteworthy instance of civic generosity occurred at the start of the 20th Century with the launching of the “City Beautiful” movement in Harrisburg.

Instigated by the recently formed Civic Club of Harrisburg, this comprehensive investment in city parks, urban planning, paved streets, street lighting, bridges, and modern water and sewer systems transformed Harrisburg from a polluted eyesore into a highly functional and attractive urban metropolis.

Although the City Beautiful funding came from the issuing of municipal bonds and not philanthropic sources, its success would not have been achieved without the tireless volunteer efforts of the ladies of the Civic Club who campaigned for the initiative. A ripple effect occurred through charitable funding of monuments and public artworks, such as the World War I “doughboy” at Front and Cumberland Streets, whose centennial is observed in 2021.

AMERICA’S 18TH OLDEST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION It was at this time, however, that a truly extraordinary milestone in community philanthropy occurred. In 1920, executives at the various trust companies in Harrisburg made plans to create an entity initially

known as “The Harrisburg Foundation.”

Donald McCormick, whose family’s ownership of the Dauphin Deposit Trust Company dated to 1839, made the founding contribution ($300,000) on September 12, 1920. Thus, on Sept. 30, The Harrisburg Foundation was formally established by the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce and organized as a community trust by a trust instrument entitled “Declaration of community trust.”

A Trustees committee was formed, consisting of representatives of all 11 trust companies then in existence in Harrisburg.

To promote “public confidence” and “impartial administration,” donors could place their contributions in the hands of any of the 11 institutions. Also, before the year ended, a Distribution Committee was formed, consisting of Mrs. Lyman D. Gilbert, Edwin S. Herman, David Kaufman, Edward J. Stackpole, A. Carson Stamm and David E. Tracy.

For the first 25 years, the Harrisburg Foundation did not own assets. Monies that were donated or bequeathed were held in trust by the donors’ designated trust company, which made charitable distributions at the direction of the distribution committee. For example, Donald McCormick’s founding gift of $300,000 was simply shifted from his personal account at Dauphin Deposit Trust, where it was held in trust, wisely invested, and made subject to the decisions of the distribution committee.

Starting in 1945, the Harrisburg Foundation began to acquire assets, with $22,240 recorded on its books that year. By 1965, through donated principal and growth, the amount had doubled to $43,360. By 1975, it was $509,210, and by 1985 it was $1,058,086.

In 2020, the Foundation’s 100th anniversary See Civic Generosity on Page 24 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 23

Civic Generosity, continued from Page 23

year, assets stood at more than $120 million, but many intervening milestones and accomplishments were responsible for that extraordinary growth.

In 1972, the Foundation’s “Declaration of Community Trust” was amended and restated to meet Treasury regulations governing community foundation requirements. That same year, the Harrisburg Foundation was officially renamed the Greater Harrisburg Foundation (GHF).

Remarkably, it had no staff until 1981, when Diane Sandquist was hired as a part-time executive director through a grant from the Junior League of Harrisburg, as the Foundation became a hybrid of half trust and half corporation.

In that same year, the organization was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation with trust power, becoming the Greater Harrisburg Foundation, Inc. Around this time, Lois PHOTO SUBMITTED Lehrman Grass, legendary as The gift of land by the founders of Harrisburg resulted in their town becoming the Capital of Pennsylvania. The Harrises almost persuaded the U.S. both a generous philanthropist Government to move here, but George Washington had other ideas. and an expert fundraiser, was invited to join the GHF Board

by Meade Detweiler. “We had raised money for the United Way together,” she recalled.

“He wanted me to help raise money and build the endowment. All the other board members were bank presidents.”

From this point on, assets grew exponentially. Lois Grass served 10 years as Board Chair, with assets growing to $4.5 million. In addition, the GHF expanded its reach by establishing three regional foundations: the Mechanicsburg Area Foundation in 1986, and the Franklin County Foundation and Perry County Foundation, both in 1987. In 1996, the Camp Hill Foundation was established.

In 1993, GHF established the HIV/AIDS Fund, the first in the region, and it would continue to be a trailblazer for this and other causes meeting the needs of disadvantaged or marginalized populations. Grantmaking and scholarship programs increased.

Other initiatives addressed LGBTQ issues, homelessness, early education, and other evolving issues.

Two key personnel changes occurred in 1994. Lois Grass recruited Conrad Seigel, one of the nation’s most astute actuaries, to join the board and soon follow her as chairman. Janice Black became the second PHOTO SUBMITTED executive director, a position she holds to The Civil War Obelisk, erected by Dauphin County in 1869 at the corner of 2nd & State Streets, is a 1/5ththis day. “I knew Janice through the Rotary scale replica of the Washington Monument. Its position on the State Street “mall” a block from the Capitol Club of Harrisburg. She was the second or Building hints at Harrisburg’s “copy capital” tendencies.

24 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

third woman in the (previously all male) club,” said Seigel. “She was well networked in the community, and she knew how to ask for money. It was during this period that Seigel orchestrated an overhaul of the GHF computer systems, previously “a mishmash of donated equipment.”

William Lehr followed Seigel as chairman in 1996; while serving together, they authored and implemented the “Total Return Investment Policy,” a mechanism that evens out risk while maximizing return. They also reorganized the investment committee.

GHF BECOMES TFEC In 2005, after periodic tweaking of the legal corporate entity, the foundation became “fully incorporated,” while changing its name to “The Foundation for Enhancing Communities,” (TFEC). With this change, the governing “distribution committee” became a full-fledged board of directors. Assets reached $50 million in 2006 and $100 million in 2019. Today, with assets of over $120 million, and a team of 17 fulltime staff members, TFEC, having crossed its centennial threshold in 2020, is nationally respected as a leading community foundation, the 18th oldest in the country.

Total grants made by TFEC in recent years have been between $6 million and $10 million annually. Community development, education, health, human services, and arts & humanities are the primary program areas. New initiatives and new areas of emphasis are established regularly. Management services are offered to nonprofit organizations and to other foundations where TFEC is paid a fee to provide “back room” services.

“One hundred years after its inception, TFEC continues to provide simple, effective and personalized services to help donors achieve their charitable goals and create a lasting impact in their communities,” says Janice Black.

Noting TFEC’s prompt action to establish a COVID fund, Black continued, “As the community evolves, TFEC evolves. Our mission remains the same: to inspire giving by partnering with donors to achieve their charitable goals, and to strengthen our local communities by investing in them, now, and for future generations.”

David Morrison last wrote for Harrisburg Magazine on the history of Dixon University Center and its future as the new headquarters of the Jewish Federation of Harrisburg. 7

Short Story/Freeze

Freeze

Snow coats our large, dingy window, creating the beguiling illusion …

F

Story By Walker Carnathan • Illustration By Georgia DuCharme

or the love of me I cannot remember what force drew my body to this cold, forsaken corner of the apartment, yet I have lingered here for hours. It offers no luxuries and serves no purpose until a guest requires it to. Not that we have ever fielded a visitor. No room has a purpose until a person requires it to.

Nonetheless, I am the one currently supplying the aimless, unattractive space with a reason to have space at all. For in this moment, I exist within it, and therefore depend upon it, and will continue to do so until I build up the courage to leave and enter another space and depend upon it, or journey outside and — heaven forbid — depend on myself.

Dust adorns the eggshell walls, a flaw born of my own sloth. When we bought the flat, fully furnished, every surface was gleaming and proud.

The smiling old woman who handed us the keys neglected to mention the heating problem. I doubt she meant to mislead, but cold is cold.

I clench my teeth to ward off the shivers that descend upon me, apparitions warning of my declining temperature. A restrained breath, faintly visible, escapes my lungs. I exist within the guest bedroom. I depend upon it, so I accept the painful conditions of its snare.

The front door groans open. I cannot see the figure filling its frame, but know it to be Lloyd’s, like always.

“Angela!” he calls out with mild annoyance.

Again, “Angela!” his voice now cutting through the walls like a frosted dagger.

“ANGELA, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

“In here,” I say feebly, secretly hoping to embarrass his thunderous tone with my soft squeak.

With a sigh I am not meant to hear, Lloyd marches over to the guest room and joins me.

He moves with an icy stiffness, bereft of the silky motion that defined him when he first entered that restaurant in the country. Back when the day was warm, and a guest bedroom seemed a necessity in any apartment. His once perfect posture has hunched, a victim of his desk chair, and the light from his eyes has lost the battle to the unforgiving fluorescence of his blue screen.

He sits down on the bed with a plop, shaking the frame we mutually agreed to relegate to guest bedroom exile after I complained it strained my back. It was so loose, so free. Like a patch of powdery snow. Every position was a sinking one. My spine twisted and crunched into a crooked mess of its own design. I prefer much more support. I need much more support. My spine cannot be left to its own design.

“Why are you in here?” he asks, externally calmer. “You’re usually there to greet me when I come home. I thought something might have happened.”

“I’m not sure, really,” I reply. “I have to be somewhere. And this seems like a fine place to be.”

Instinctively, he reaches down to grab my hand. His fingers protrude like icicles, gangly and thin, sending waves of cold up my body when they prick me. But I allow it to happen. It chills me to the core, encasing me in a rimy prison that I have neither the means nor desire to escape from.

Lloyd closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again. They are a boring but acceptable brown, moving slowly from one of the room’s tacky art pieces to the other. Then they shift to me, my plain face and pulled-back hair, similarly unspectacular. I exist within his eyes.

At last, I succumb to whatever force draws my body to his. I slide my arms around his coarse jacket, allowing the weight of my existence to rest upon his narrow chest. He takes one breath in and one breath out.

I move with him. I depend upon his chest.

A car horn blares from the street below. Shrill, violent. Snow coats our large, dingy window, creating the beguiling illusion that the world outside has been swallowed by winter’s chaos. I do not have the courage to go out and check. We moved to the city almost a year ago at Lloyd’s request. He sought opportunity and found it. I work from here. Lloyd makes most of the money. I don’t go outside very often.

“I love you,” Lloyd says softly.

Those words, those previously exalted words. A confirmation of the status quo. I know you loved me in the past and hope you will love me in the future. But, in the present moment, there is no way for me to know if the love endures than if you tell me so. Those words fill the gap that actions leave behind. Once glorious, chestpounding, they now exist to fill space, to ensure there is noise even after the yearning to create it has dried up.

Total quiet is not an option.

I love him. I must love him, because without him, the weight of my existence would have nothing to rest upon.

“I love you, too.”

My skin begins to crystallize.

I have to be somewhere, and this seems like a fine place to be.

Walker Carnathan is a 17-year-old senior at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg. 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 25

Story and Photos by Dimitri John Diekewicz hen the man in the red suit makes his annual appearance at the conclusion of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it truly marks a momentous occasion. The moment Santa’s sleigh is spotted by eager spectators and he greets them with a jubilant smile and a wave of his hand, it signals the official beginning of the holiday season. From now till the New Year, days will be absorbed with numerous activities such as family gatherings, shopping trips to find the perfect gift for that someone special and a quest for the quintessential Christmas tree. During this time, homes are filled with the scent of baked annual pleasures wafting from bustling kitchens as garlands, wreaths and ribbons arranged with decorations of every type create a mood of merriment. This is especially true at night.

Evenings during the month of December are distinctive in that one of the most vibrant expressions of holiday cheer can be seen in the lights that adorn neighborhood houses, commercial buildings, trees, and walkways. Wherever you look, incandescent and LED bulbs bursting with colors of every variety arranged in every imaginable configuration transform ordinary interior and exterior sights into breath taking scenes of holiday jubilation. The glow of all this brilliance would even warm any Grinch’s heart. Lighted decorations are the Yuletide ingredients that accentuate the season and there are magical places in the mid-state that present dazzling displays which enhance the splendor of the season and elevate holiday excitement.

These electric dreamscapes captivate crowds every year and in some cases have been doing such for so long they have become cherished family traditions prompting annual visits. Since 1948, Koziar’s Christmas Village has been entertaining holiday visitors, both regional and from around the world, with an amazing decorative light presentation. Sonia Koziar, daughter of founder William M. Koziar and current President of the family owned attraction, explains, “In the 26 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

beginning we were a working dairy farm. My parents and three siblings would just decorate the windows of our house with lights, but things grew quickly with lights on the barn, pathways and we even had live reindeer on the property. Local farmers would come to see the lights and decorations. Eventually we had themed displays. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ was our first and us kids contributed to it. My doll from childhood and my brother’s bicycle are still part of the display!”

Over the years, the spectacular display grew even grander and awards were presented to the Koziar family in recognition of their cherished achievement. Sonia shares, “In the mid-1950’s we were awarded ‘Best Outdoor Christmas Display in the World.’”

“And” she adds with a laugh, “we were chosen over IBM and their display, which had a little more money than us.”

These fascinating walk through wonderlands with glimmering tree trimmings take an incredible amount of dedication and effort to assemble.

Placement of each luminous detail is exacting, but attention to details are true labors of love for those involved. Nancy Heiser, Program Director of Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge Park, describes, “Christmas Magic began in 1984 with about 10,000 lights and currently we have about 600,000 which are wrapped around trees, over and along walkways and used on animated figures. We begin putting lights up in late August and it takes three months to complete; about 6000 hours altogether and we’re adding new props every year.” A substantial undertaking like this is a familiar component to weaving illuminated wonder. Sonia Koziar describes, “I can say definitively we have over one million lights and it takes months to set up everything. I said I would stop at one million,” she muses, “but when all of them were counted, we already went over.”

When completed, these radiant presentations represent the endeavor of not only workers on staff, but volunteers as well. As Nancy Heiser shares, “In addition to County Park Personnel, we have volunteers

from York College who help wrap trees and retirees who help with decorating. One lady has been helping us with setting up for over 30 years. People enjoy being part of it.” The experience of collective involvement is not uncommon. Sonia Koziar adds, “People actually donate items to our exhibit. A lady came to the village every season for years and always went first to our Raggedy Ann house. One day she gave us a Raggedy Ann doll from her youth and asked if it could be included in the display. It’s been part of the display ever since.”

In addition to these enduring lighted locales which have become festive fixtures for families and friends, new attractions continue to switch on their lights. This year the Adams-Ricci Community Park in East Pennsboro will unveil Holiday Lights in the Park….a drive through experience. Produced by the non-profit group FOR EP Parks, this site will allow visitors to motor their vehicles through a brilliant Christmas celebration landscape. Board Member Mike Powers says, “It will be a potpourri of lights. Pavilions will be trimmed in white lights and the butterfly garden will actually be decorated with butterfly lights. We’ll also have a church choir singing near the entrance to greet visitors.”

Whether delighting guests for generations or just presenting the debut of an exhibit, these attractions not only share an illuminated celebration of Christmas and the holiday season, but they also all have another common distinction: strong community support from neighbors and organizations. Mike Powers illustrates this connection, “The school bus company donated a bus to be decorated and the local fire company is providing Santa and Mrs. Claus to greet people.”

While you tour these gardens of glitter and goodwill you begin to realize that the brightness produced by so many strands of brilliantly lit bulbs is only exceeded by the smiles beaming from other people’s faces which mirror your own. Welcome to the “most wonderful time of the year!” 7

Here’s a List of Regional Holiday Light Displays: • Holiday Lights in the Park … a drive through experience www.visitcumberlandvalley.com/event/holiday-lights-in-the-park%3a-adrive-through-experience/45817/ • Koziar’s Christmas Village koziarschristmasvillage.com • Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge Park ChristmasMagicYork.com • Hersheypark’s Hershey Sweet Lights www.visitpa.com/region/dutch-country-roads/hersheyparks-hershey-sweet-lights • Knoebels Amusement Resort – Joy Through The Grove www.knoebels.com/events/knoebels-amusement-park/joy-through-the-grove • National Christmas Center & Christmas Light Drive-Thru stonegablesestate.com/event-calendar/#christmas_events Additional locations can be found at: www.onlyinyourstate.com/pennsylvania/christmas-light-displays-pa/

L

ocals and far-away visitors alike wait, buzzing with excitement. A chill is in the air – possibly the anticipation of the season’s first snow. With a flick of a switch, the giant tree in the center of town illuminates every corner, storefront and the rosy-red cheeks of all that have gathered. The sweet sounds of Christmas carols soon fill the air. It’s officially the holiday season in Gettysburg, Pa. Talk of Civil War history and the autumn air turns to that of shopping, holiday getaways and great dining next to the fireplace in one of the town’s historic inns.

The holidays are a very special time of year in Gettysburg – when the past comes alive in festive celebration. It’s the ideal way to experience the town’s incomparable history, enduring charm, endless recreational fun, and mouthwatering foodie opportunities.

Gettysburg perfectly blends its rich American heritage with the spirit of the holidays as thousands of visitors cherish the season of a bygone era. The holiday season kicks off in late November and early December with the opening of historic homes – the Shriver House, Jennie Wade House, and other Civil War-era houses – each which decorates like Christmases long, long ago.

From house tours, to concerts and the annual tree lighting, to the unique shopping through the downtown, it’s a great getaway for those looking to celebrate the holidays a little differently.

Gettysburg features a variety of cozy accommodations including historic bed and breakfasts, charming hotels and lodges that make the holiday season a great time to get away. Visitors enjoy the holiday decorations around town, shopping throughout the region including the tax-free outlet mall, and dining at some of Gettysburg’s most popular restaurants.

The holiday calendar is filled with festivals, special house tours, concerts and other seasonal favorites.

Throughout the Adams County countryside are many opportunities for holiday fun, including cut-your-own Christmas tree farms, and craft beverage makers offering both new varieties and old seasonal favorites to warm the soul.

Make your own holiday history – right here in Gettysburg!

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 27

q&A with: gerald dickens

from scrooge to crowing roosters, christmas puddings to the muppets …

Story By Randy Gross

rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

Editor’s note: actor, director, and producer Gerald Dickens, the great-great grandson of author Charles Dickens, has been bringing his one-man theatrical performances of “A Christmas Carol” to stages around the world (including Pennsylvania) for decades. The spirit of both his acclaimed show and the season moved me recently to sit down with him for a virtual Q&A. RG: You created your very first one-man performance of “A Christmas Carol” back in 1993. Were you making your living as an actor before that, or did you have a different occupation?

Gerald: (laughs) I was an actor before that. I can’t say I was making a living of it. I’ve always been involved in theater ever since I was a kid.

At seven years old, I was in a Nativity play at school and got absolutely hooked by being on stage. There was never anything else I ever wanted to do - other than being a world champion Grand Prix auto racing driver, but that never happened. Yeah, that’s always been my background. But ever doing one-man theater before in the way that I started doing then, I never even considered that possibility.

RG: Charles Dickens certainly populated his stories with a tremendous number of characters, and all of them with very unique traits (and very unique names, too). How challenging was it to not only take on so many different roles, but also condense the story into such a finite time frame?

Gerald: Well, I’ll take the second part of that first. The condensing the story into that timeframe was very easy because Charles Dickens had already done it for me. In his lifetime, he went on the road and he gave readings of his works and the most popular performance he did was of “A Christmas Carol,” and he edited it down very, very carefully understanding that his readers knew the story so there was a certain amount of give and take between performer and audience. So that was my starting point. When I did it in 1993, it was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of “A Christmas Carol” being published. I was asked to give a reading in the way that Charles Dickens had done it to raise money for a local charity in Britain, and I knew nothing about Dickens’ readings at that point. So, I took his script and then looked at it and I thought, “well I can’t just stand and read a Victorian novella for ninety minutes … This is an audience that gets their entertainment from movies and television and drama so I’ve got to perk it up a bit.”

So, I started working on all of the characters to give them all very distinctive personas and the first one has to be Scrooge because he's at the center of the whole story. The first description of him in the book is, “he was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! He was hard and sharp as flint … he was secret, and self-contained, solitary as an oyster." So, you just get to the end of the sentence and you’ve become him. You can’t help it! And that is the brilliance of Charles Dickens, that he gives you these characters fully formed. They’re there on the page, all you have to do is read. My dad gave me a bit of advice back then. He said, “You don’t need to try too hard because Dickens has done the work for you.” And he’s absolutely right. So, that’s where that came from. My input into that was to making sure the voices were different enough from each other so that it’s very clear to the audience who is talking, and you can play a few theatrical tricks with that as well, by which way you’re facing, and how you’re standing, and what your hands are doing, and all these sorts of things. So, it was just a question of building slowly level upon level and finding each of these characters, but on the whole, as dad said, Dickens had done all the work for me.

28 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

PHOTO BY © IAN DICKENS

Gerald Dickens

RG: How long did the process take from when you first started?

Gerald: It’s still going on! Its wonderful. I’m still playing with it. Every time I get up on stage I think, “well maybe I can just try and do that a little bit different.” It’s always evolving, and that’s why it still is exciting to do it 26 years on as it was when I first started. I was performing yesterday and I tried a few little new things that I thought might work, and yeah, it’s always exciting.

RG: It’s apparent to anyone who’s studied Charles Dickens that he had a love for theatre, and a strong desire to be an actor. Do you feel, in a sense, that you are fulfilling your great-great grandfather’s dream of making a living on the stage?

Gerald: I don’t see it like that, but I think he’d be delighted that a member of the family is still performing his works because he did fulfill that dream.

For the last five years of his life, or a little bit longer, he was almost a fulltime performer. In the years between 1865 and 1870, he didn’t write a single novel. He was just on the road giving these performances. He toured extensively in Britain, he traveled to America and performed over here as well. So, you wouldn’t say it was an unfulfilled dream of his. It actually was fulfilled. As a young man he wanted to be an actor. That was his big ambition, and writing sort of almost happened accidentally. It sort of stopped his theatrical ambitions in their tracks a little bit, but as soon as he could come back to that, he did.

RG: I, for one, am glad that he didn’t give up his writing for his acting.

Gerald: There’s a lovely quote: a stage carpenter in London was heard to say, “Mr. Dickens,” he said, “it was a great loss to acting when you took up writing.” (laughs) I think we’re glad we had him as a writer.

RG: Is there a character in “A Christmas Carol” that you wish had been fleshed out more by Dickens? If I had to choose one myself, it might be somebody like Dick Wilkins, Scrooge’s co-apprentice at Fezziwig’s.

Gerald: There are so many little questions that can be asked. You’re right, Dick Wilkins we know nothing about. He comes in and Scrooge says, “oh he was my fellow apprentice, he was very fond of me” and that was all we know. So, that would be interesting. The other character that fascinates me, and you can’t say this character isn’t fully formed because he takes center stage for a large chunk of the book, that’s the Ghost of Christmas Present.

And as he is about to disappear, just before he brings Ignorance and Want in, he says, “my life on this globe is very brief. It ends tonight at midnight.”

I want to know what happens in all these other globes!

RG: Yeah, exactly.

Gerald: He very specifically says, “my life on this globe.” So, there’s a big story to be told there about the Ghost of Christmas Present. The other backstory I’ve invented for myself, and there’s no basis in fact on this, is the charity collectors. They come to Scrooge’s office on Christmas Eve and are surprised when he says “I am not giving you anything, go away, I pay my taxes, I’m not interested, let them die, let them go to prison, let them do whatever, I don’t care.” Now, why are these charity collectors surprised?

Because presumably, this happens every year. Presumably, everybody knows Scrooge. So, my feeling is that these guys are new in town and people in the charity have said, “okay, you take that one … you take Scrooge and see how you get on, because we’ve all been trying.” So, they go in and they get slammed in the face and they go, “oh, okay, I see what they mean.”

But next morning, Scrooge finds them out and says, “look, actually, Merry Christmas. I’m sorry, I apologize, here is all my wealth, take it!” You can imagine those two swaggering back into the office and saying “well, I don’t know what the problem is.”

mix everything. And then you steam it, and you wrap it in cloth, and you hide it away in a dark closet. Then on Christmas morning, you take it out still wrapped in a cloth and you put it in water and you steam it for about six hours. And then you unwrap it just as you’re about to eat it. So, when you unwrap it, the last time you saw it was in August. You have no idea if it’s gone bad or moldy, or it just hasn’t worked. So, an English mother panicking about a Christmas pudding is absolutely genuine. So, I love Mrs. Cratchit going through that because I can identify my mom doing exactly the same thing.

RG: Makes you wonder if maybe you shouldn’t prepare a backup pudding in case the first one goes bad.

Gerald: Very few people do it properly now. We all go and buy a readymade one from the local store and put it in the microwave.

RG: Yes, everything is instant now. You certainly have a knack for using both your vocal and physical talents to bring so many different characters to life. Have you had any special training that prepared you for your very demanding performances?

Gerald: Not particularly. When I started in theater, I didn’t go to a formal drama school, but what I did was make sure I got involved in any RG: (laughs) Yeah, you can kind of picture them every year drawing straws production that was going. Whether it was a school production, or an for who’s going to be the ones to approach him. amateur production, or semi-professional, or professional, and I just watched. If I wasn’t in the show I just sat back in the theatre and watched Gerald: And then these two guys come and do it for the first time and and worked out what you could do. Someone asked me this the other then suddenly get it. (laughs) The other interesting one is the nephew, day, he said “what do you like about being an actor?” The answer I came Fred, who we know little about. But what out with was rather alarming. It was “I we do know about is his mother. We like manipulating people.” That’s sort “I think he [Charles Dickens] would be are told about his mother by the Ghost of the truth, you’re manipulating their delighted that a member of the family is of Christmas Past. That’s interesting perception of what they’re seeing. still performing his works …" because Scrooge has such an affection for They’re seeing one person on a wooden her. Then when they’ve seen the vision stage in a big room, but what they are, of her as a little girl, and the ghost is questioning him about her and says, they’re in Victorian London and they’re in the slums or they’re in a wealthy “she died a woman and had, I think, children,” and Scrooge says, “she has merchant’s house … and that’s all down to how you can use the language one child, my nephew.” And then suddenly, that connection, that guilt. So, and to control. That’s what I meant earlier when I said it’s still evolving I think Fred is left fairly two-dimensional on purpose. because you’re always learning new things. When I very first started, the performance was a reading. The thing about that was if it’s a reading, you RG: Yeah, I think you’re right. In your stage version of “A Christmas have a book in your hand. That hand is tied up, you can’t do anything with Carol,” you portray more than thirty different characters. I’ve heard you that … with my left hand. Everything has to come from the right hand. say that Scrooge is probably your favorite role. Is there a second-most And I developed, in those very early readings, different ways of using my favorite character? And which character do you find the most challenging hands to create the different characters. Scrooge is slightly arthritic and, to pull off? “bah, humbug,” … so he’s harsh. Marley is not quite skeletal, but it’s also quite light, it’s sort of floating, it’s ethereal. The Ghost of Christmas Past Gerald: The only reason I say that Scrooge is the favorite one is that he is completely ethereal and is never quite in one shape or the other. So, it’s is the only one that undergoes a process of change. And you’re with him always on the move. through the whole journey. As an actor that’s the biggest challenge and Going back to Marley, he never looks at Scrooge … so I never let him therefore the biggest satisfaction is taking him from beginning to end but have eye contact with where Scrooge is on the stage. He’s always looking making him recognizably the same person. You can’t just have a completely somewhere else even though he’s talking directly to him. Whereas Scrooge different persona at the end than you had in the beginning. I mean, only is always looking directly at this figure. That’s something I concentrate very twelve hours have gone by. He’s got the same voice, he’s got the same hard on as well: placing the different characters on the stage so if there’s frailties, he’s got the same physicality. That’s the challenge from Scrooge. a dialogue between them it’s very obvious who I’m talking to and how tall I’ve got lots of favorite characters for different reasons. I find the Ghost they are. The three gentlemen on the street in the future scene, the three of Christmas Present fascinating because he actually changes quite a bit businessmen who are having a conversation at Scrooge’s death, I have them as well, from being this bonomi, cheerful, jolly giant in the beginning. He as three different sizes, and the last one is very tall and is sort of looking becomes very dark by the end of his visit and is tormenting Scrooge, and down on the others. So, you can create all sorts of little pictures like that. teasing him about Tiny Tim dying. “Well so what?! If he dies, let him! That’s Just using your body and your eyeline and all these things just helps create what you want.” And then he almost becomes a ghost of the future as well. little tricks, helps create the picture.

He suddenly starts looking into the future saying “if these shadows remain unaltered” then this will happen. So that’s an interesting character.

RG: You’ve been performing “A Christmas Carol” for nearly 30 years. In all Did the others sort of just pop in for their little cameos and out again? that time, what is the most unique or out-of-the ordinary venue or locale No. I love doing Mrs. Cratchit. Mrs. Cratchit is lovely. She’s panicking about that you’ve performed at? I imagine that Byers’ Choice, with its immense her Christmas pudding, God bless her, and whether it’ll cook or not or factory floor, might rank high on your list? whether anyone has stolen it, or whether it’s broken. And the lovely thing about that is, as an Englishman, every mother, on every Christmas day, Gerald: Oh, it’s a wonderful venue and it’s one of the biggest venues I do in has that panic because if you’re cooking a Christmas pudding traditionally, my entire year. It’s beautiful to perform at Byers’ Choice. The lovely thing is you start it back in the summer. You start it in August, that’s when you See Dickens on Page 30 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 29

PHOTO BY © IAN DICKENS

Gerald Dickens

Dickens, continued from Page 29

so many of the audience are just coming back year on year and it’s become part of a big family tradition. Other venues that are very special to me are venues where Charles Dickens himself performed. To actually stand on the same stage and say the same words, that’s quite remarkable.

RG: Is that only in the U.K. or in America too?

the workers, and he was making speeches and he was galvanizing lots of other famous people to join the campaign. In October of 1843, he was making a speech in Manchester, and he stood up and as he was talking he suddenly thought, “Why, I could do so much more. What is my skill set? I am one of the most popular novelists in the country! If I can turn this into a novel, that is going to get the message out much, much more effectively than just writing political pamphlets and giving speeches.” So, almost straight away he went back and he started writing “A Christmas Carol” and he wrote it in about six weeks. Now, if you’re ever lucky enough to get to New York and to see the original handwritten manuscript, which is in the J. Pierpont Morgan Library, you can see the energy, and the pace with which he wrote, and crossings out and little notes in margins - he was absolutely passionate about it.

There’s also the fact that he was quite scared at the time that his current novel, which was “Martin Chuzzlewit,” wasn’t selling well. Dickens had an absolute fear of financial ruin because that’s what he’d experienced as a child through his own father. Now, he was very wealthy, he lived in beautiful houses, but that was an expensive lifestyle, and suddenly seeing his popularity decline, he thought, “I need to get something out there to get myself back in the frame again.” So “A Christmas Carol” also did that, it also helped put him back into the spotlight, but the real driving force, as you say, was this wish to highlight the plight of the downtrodden and the poverty-stricken, and the characters of Ignorance and Want shown by the Ghost of Christmas Present are the central core theme of the book. If we leave children ignorant, if we leave them in want of food, education, money, health, whatever, we lost. And it’s interesting, Scrooge asks the Ghost of Christmas Present “are they your children?” He says, “no, they’re man’s but they cling to me because the present is all they’ve got, they have no future, so they cling to the present.” And the present is fading away. By that time, he’s almost gone. So, yeah, that’s a very important part of it.

And it worked.

Gerald: No, over here as well. Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts, I’ve performed there twice … and there’s a lovely story about Dickens performing there. Mechanics Hall is a very beautiful hall, but it’s on three levels. So, you come in on street level and on the next floor up there’s a fairly basic hall, and on the top floor that’s the Grand Hall with the stage where Dickens performed. Worcester, at the time Dickens was there in 1867 or 1868, was very rural farming community.

Dickens was due to perform on a Friday night, and on Saturday there was to be a poultry sale in the city. So, all the farmers came in and brought their chickens, and their roosters, and their ducks with them RG: It’s very admirable that he did that. Undeniably, there are a lot of film and these all housed on the second level, the basic hall. Dickens was versions of “A Christmas Carol” – some estimates have the number at 135.

Is there one, in particular, that is your performing on the top, everyone came favorite? And any that you feel missed in, they were all in their beautiful “I always feel very sad for Ebenezer Scrooge. the mark? clothes. Eight o’clock arrived, which is He went through all that journey … and yet the time his shows always started. He all we remember is the mean old Scrooge.”

Gerald: I’ve never seen one that misses used to travel with his own gas lighting the mark. It’s fascinating, because the rig. So, just before eight o’clock, his gas fan would come on and open the valves and the lights would start story itself is just so perfect. If it’s a film version of “A Christmas Carol,” to glow. Because they shone down through the floor boards, all the you can’t go wrong. You can upset purists with the way they treat some roosters in the whole below thought it was morning. So, as Charles of the characters, or what they include or what they leave out, or what Dickens walked to the stage, he was just greeted onto the stage by this they add, but the absolute central idea of the story always wins through. cacophony of roosters calling. He couldn’t start the show for a while So, whether that’s Mr. Magoo or Bill Murray, it always wins through. The until everything calmed down. (laughs) The first time I performed BBC did a new adaptation last year which was very dark, and very bleak, there the organizers found an audio soundtrack of roosters crowing and and had lots of profanity and swearing, and it was really unpleasant, but then played that as I came onto the stage. (laughs) So yes, anywhere it was another telling of the story and it was very effective. Now, purists hated it. I liked it for its theatricality. I’m probably more of a purist Dickens performed is very, very special. theatre man than I am a purist Dickensian. But I thought it was very effective. Back to your main question, I don’t really have one favorite, I RG: That would make a great scene in a movie about Dickens’ life. have three, for different reasons.

The first one is the Alastair Sim one, which is just a classic telling of the Gerald: Wouldn’t it! I’m surprised they didn’t use it in “The Man who story. You can’t go wrong with it. If you just want to sit down and have Invented Christmas” your “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment, then watch Alastair Sim. The second RG: Your great-great grandfather certainly was an advocate for the one is George C. Scott as Scrooge. Not so much the whole film … there’s poor and downtrodden. Do you believe that advocacy was the primary a lot about it that’s a little bit too sweet and Hollywood for me. George motivating force for writing “A Christmas Carol” and also self-funding the C. Scott as Scrooge I think is brilliant because he plays Scrooge as a real businessman. A real tough businessman, which he would’ve been. He story’s initial publication? would never have been a pathetic, weaselly, weak character. And the other Gerald: Yeah. Very much. He was campaigning very strongly one, and I don’t say this in any way, in any affectation, to get a cheap laugh, throughout that year on the issue of children of poverty-stricken but that’s The Muppets version, which is such a great telling of the story workers. So, we had the industrial revolution surging into life. A lot again. Because by using The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Rizzo the of the employees in the mills and the factories were living under very, Rat next to him, they are able to narrate the story. And they really do stick very difficult circumstances. Dickens realized that, yes, we’ve got to truthfully to the book. They take whole chunks of Dickens’ original work look after them, but we might be too late. What we’ve got to do is look to tell the story. Okay it’s a green frog and a pig, but who cares … It’s such after their children because if we don’t provide for that generation a good telling of the story and it introduces the works of Dickens and “A then we’re lost. So, he was campaigning on the rights of children of Christmas Carol” to a whole new generation.

30 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

RG: Yeah, who cannot like the Muppets? You mentioned Mr. Magoo, which leads to my next question. Everywhere you turn during the holiday season, there are depictions of Ebenezer Scrooge – from magazine ads to TV commercials, and even cartoon embodiments ranging from Mr. Magoo to Scrooge McDuck. If Charles Dickens were still alive today, what do you suppose he would make of such depictions, as well as the continued popularity of “A Christmas Carol”?

Gerald: He’d be delighted by the popularity.

He was nothing if not a good businessman, so he’d by very pleased with that. (laughs) I’m not quite sure about the, well you know [cartoons] … He probably is a purist Dickensian, the purest of the purist Dickensians, so I don’t know quite what he’d make of some of the adaptations. But I think he’d be delighted that the story is still so popular that people want to do this and want to keep retelling it. But I always feel very sad for Ebenezer Scrooge that he went through all that … Christmas 1843, he went through that whole journey, and underwent such a process of self-examination and then reformation, and yet all we remember is the mean old Scrooge. (laughs) Poor guy. He might as well say, “why did I bother? All anybody wants is the old Scrooge.

I’ll go back to doing that.”

RG: You now have a film version of your oneman show produced and available for rental.

And I see that you have a variety of other oneman shows in your repertoire. What other adventures does the Ghost of Christmas Future say Gerald Dickens has to look forward to?

movie of it. Who knows? I just wait for an opportunity to arrive and then follow it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s an exciting way to go about it.

RG: I watched the trailer of your film. I really want to check it out.

Gerald: We’ve got to get it back up for rental this season, but we will, and then link it to my website.

RG: Do you care to close things out with your favorite quote from “A Christmas Carol” – and maybe one that you feel speaks most to our contemporary society?

Gerald: There are two. First, Marley’s words to Scrooge when they’re talking. Scrooge says to him, “but you were always a good man of business,” and Marley says, “Business! Mankind was my business.

The common welfare was my business.” And that’s so important … especially in these days. You know, we can see how fragile we are as a population now. We’ve been shown that, so we need to look after each other. Again, Marley says, “the spirit of every man should walk abroad among his fellow men, and if he goes not forth in life, he is condemned to do so after death.” To share, to be one, to drop these barriers, to be a fully functioning society, not a fractured society! So, those words of Marley’s. And then, Scrooge is at the end, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year round. I shall live in the past, the present and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me.” Again, it’s opening eyes, it’s “I will, I will try, and embrace what you’ve taught me. What you’ve shown me.”

So, I think probably those two.

RG: That’s very fitting especially considering how divisive American society is right now.

Gerald: If this isn’t a sign to us that we all need to pull together … We really do need to pull together.

A pretty big sign.

Where to see Gerald's show this December: • Country Cupboard, Lewisburg, PA – 12/7 • Winterthur House and Gardens, Winterthur, DE – 12/8-12/9 • Shakespeare Festival, Lewes, DE – 12/10 • Byers’ Choice, Chalfont, PA – 12/11-12/12 (www.byerschoice.com/dickens-weekend) Keep up with Gerald’s future tour dates and book releases here: www.geralddickens.com 7

Gerald: I don’t know. I just take each opportunity as it comes. Making the film version was purely thanks to Covid. Thanks to the pandemic, I couldn’t travel last year. A lot of audiences, especially over here, wanted their little fix of “A Christmas Carol.” And there was a brief window in Britain between lockdown periods where I could film. So, I hooked up with a videographer and editor who had been recommended to me by a mutual friend of both of ours. We were originally just going to film my show on a stage and I then I thought “this seems a bit of a waste, let’s try and do something else.” So, I sourced a number of locations, all of which are featured in Dickens’ books, not necessarily “A Christmas Carol,” but in other of his books. That became the center of the film. We filmed a lot of it in a church yard that inspired Dickens to write the opening chapters of “Great Expectations,” when little Pip meets the convict. That gave us some really nice, dark, Gothic sort of background to do the narrative from. And then some other lovely buildings in and around the cities of Rochester and Chatham and where Dickens grew up as a child and where he then moved back to at the end of his life. So, I would’ve never had done that if the bizarre Covid-19 situation had never presented itself.

I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. If you’d talked to me two years ago, I never would’ve thought I was gonna make a HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 31

A DOZEN FILMS THAT MAY NOT PUT THE “HO-HO-HO” IN HOLIDAYS Story By Randy Gross, Paul Hood, & Kevyn Knox

T

hey’re called Christmas-adjacent, incidental Christmas, or sometimes even non-traditional Christmas movies. Those films that maybe are set during the holidays but possess no overt, warm-and-fuzzy holiday message; or maybe have one “killer” (sometimes in more than one sense) Christmas scene, but the remainder of the movie is totally devoid of anything even remotely resembling a holiday flick. Some aren’t even associated with the holidays at all but are the kind of feel-good family fare that are nonetheless perfect for warming hearts, which is all the more important following a year shrouded in upheaval. Movie fans and buffs have almost come to fisticuffs arguing whether their favorite horror or thriller or action film (think “Die Hard”) deserves to be on a December viewing list, but you know what they say about opinions and pie holes … everyone’s got one.

Which is why Harrisburg Magazine is going out on a limb this month by allowing three local Harrisburg-area film buffs who definitely have opinions on the matter – Paul Hood, Kevyn Knox, and yes, your friendly neighborhood Editor – to open their pie holes for speaking about four of their choices for favorite Christmas adjacent/incidental Christmas/ non-traditional/totally non-holiday movies (and yeah, that’s a lot of words for any pie hole). Without any further ado …

KEVYN KNOX’S CHOICES:

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) This classic Vincente Minnelli film takes place over a year in the life of a St. Louis family from 1903 to the 1904 World’s Fair, so only a small portion of the film is set at Christmas Time. But what a time that is.

32 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

When Judy Garland belts out “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” tears will come to anybody with a heart. Her voice alone will move you, but the sad circumstances of such a strangely melancholy holiday tune, are the figurative heart and soul of this classic movie. Sure, there’s an elongated Halloween sequence, which is brilliant as well, but “Meet Me in St. Louis” will always be Judy making me cry Christmas tears with her voice.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime.

THE APARTMENT (1960) One of Billy Wilder’s most acerbic comedies, and possibly his darkest as well, this film has little to do with Christmas, but the holiday spirit, both the elation and the inevitable sadness that comes with the time of year, is still at the heart of this film. Company schlub CC Baxter, who lends out his apartment for his boss’s illicit affairs (like he has a choice) falls for elevator girl Fran Kubelik, who happens to be one of those aforementioned illicit affairs. But the sadness that emanates when Fran is left alone at the office Christmas Party, shows the real, very un- Hollywood pain of love – a thing that the holidays, as merry as they may seem through the frosted glass of a storefront window, bring out in us all.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime.

THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) When one thinks of Christmas movies, one of course thinks about a post-Watergate spy thriller. Ok, so there are Christmas themed action

films (Die Hard is a Christmas movie no matter what the bah humbug crowd says!) but this film is different. It uses its soundtrack (there are four Christmas songs on there) to show Robert Redford’s anguished spy turned fugitive’s descent through sorrow. Hey, I never said it was all a merry little Christmas.

Where to watch: Hulu & HBO Max. TRADING PLACES (1983) A pair of billionaires ruin Dan Aykroyd’s life on a bet. Not exactly happy holidays, but this hilarious film, also starring Eddie Murphy in one of his first film roles, and Jamie Lee Curtis as the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold, does have a tie in with the Christmas season. The most obvious one is when a ragged Aykroyd crashes his old firm’s Christmas party, dressed in a shabby Santa outfit, drunk as a skunk, and shoves meat into his pants. Yet that is not the only tie in with the holiday. The overall feel of the film almost makes it play out as a wicked cover of “A Christmas Carol,” replete with a holiday redemption.

Where to watch: Hulu and Amazon Prime.

PAUL HOOD’S CHOICES:

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) When you think of Christmas, you’re sure to think of candy. Too much candy, to be exact. But what if that candy comes with a moral message and the idea of family and sacrificing one's own needs to help other’s dreams come true? Then you may want to add “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (not the dreadful “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) to your list of Christmas movies you may have shelved under Granny’s fruitcake surprise. This classic film takes a risk by not (forgive the pun) sugar coating its themes for audiences by exposing things within human nature that don’t quite work: greed, obsession, and selfishness are just a few of the driving points in this beloved Roald Dahl adaptation, along with a few laughs, quirky visual effects, and Oompa Loompas.

Where to watch: HBO Max. YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998) Ah, love. It’s the ultimate driving force behind many holiday films, but love spanning the country and from happenstance is best. And who doesn’t love that Seattle and New York City come into play as we meet a plucky Meg Ryan as independent bookstore owner Kathleen Kelly, and an earnest Tom Hanks as Bookstore Magnate Joe Fox in this throwback Hollywood classic. As the two come upon each other online (something fairly new at the time) we begin to root for them to meet and begin their story because good love stories during the holidays are indeed timeless.

Where to watch: Hulu Plus, Peacock, and HBO Max. TOY STORY (1995) Woody and Buzz continue to show us the true meaning of Christmas by learning to put aside their differences to band together with other misfit toys. The ultimate goal: returning to their rightful owner, Andy.

But not without a heaping dose of external and internal conflict, a smattering of comedy and much needed self-reflection, which everyone knows is what takes place (or should take place) during the holiday season. “Toy Story” still induces the “feel-goods” and inspires.

Where to watch: Disney+ and Amazon Prime.

GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) Yep, Ghostbusters. Yeah, I’m sure you’re thinking “Halloween.”

But let’s think about this and agree: Holiday elements are there for these three famous underdog parapsychologists removed from their university only to save the biggest city in America. A tale of falling and getting back up and plugging through comes through in this classic comedy, disintegrating all doubt like a blast from a proton pack!

Where to watch: DIRECTV and fuboTV.

RANDY GROSS’S CHOICES:

COVER UP (1949) There’s always a certain amount of “mystery” associated with Christmas, right? Especially when we’re kids and wondering how all those wrapped packages appeared under the tree over-night. Well then why can’t a film noir that, by the genre’s nature, is filled with mystery, be considered a holiday movie? “Cover Up” not only has a visible undercurrent of Christmas from start to finish (even a plot-shifting town Christmas tree-lighting ceremony), but the mystery surrounding the apparent suicide of a small Midwestern town’s most despised citizen really holds your interest. Somewhat ironically, the producer, Ted Nasser, felt the film’s subject matter was unsuitable for a Christmas setting and wanted to change the time, but lead actor Dennis O’Keefe, who also co-wrote the screenplay, strongly objected and won.

Where to watch: stream for free (with ads) on Tubi.

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990) Director Tim Burton’s reputation as a filmmaker seems to revolve around his ability to give credence to the bizarre, which he has done time and again in over 40 movies. But it’s the way he creates oddly sympathetic characters to inhabit those bizarre worlds that I find most intriguing, and in my mind no character is more sympathetic - and I confess, able to stir emotions - like the lead character (ably played by Johnny Depp) in “Edward Scissorhands.” Yes, there are a few fleeting Christmas scenes in the film, but it’s the magical, nearly ethereal “snow” scenes – and in particular, Winona Ryder’s twirling-anddancing-in-the-snow scene – that make this highly-original film feel the most holiday-like. Add in the legendary Vincent Price as Edward’s creator, in a role foreshadowing the end of both his film career and life, and it’s the perfect little package of poignancy – for any season.

Where to watch: Hulu.

THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (1996) The tall and beautiful Geena Davis dressed up as Mrs. Claus? That’s an image, early on in this Renny Harlin actioner, that’s not only striking, but sticks with you for a little while. Well, at least until necks start to break and buildings to explode. Davis plays an average suburban mom suffering from a bout of amnesia who ends up being forced away from her average family’s holiday festivities to confront some lethal memories from her past life as an assassin. The script by Shane Black (“Lethal Weapon”) is often hilarious, sometimes coarse, and you can’t beat Samuel L. Jackson as a con-man foil for Davis’ bravura good girl/bad girl split personality dual role of Samantha Caine/Charly Baltimore. Throw in at least a half dozen Christmas songs – plus, yes, a couple of snowy landscapes - and you have to ask yourself “isn’t this just as much a deserving Christmas movie as Die Hard?”

Where to watch: stream for free (with ads) on Redbox on Demand.

BETTER WATCH OUT (2016) Okay, so maybe there are other Christmas horror movies that some critics rate as better (1974’s “Black Christmas” immediately springs to mind) but how can anyone resist a film that can be summed up as “Home Alone” meets “The Bad Seed”? Which is essentially what “Better Watch Out” turns out to be. Without spoiling any of the plot’s twists and turns, just know that, of my four chosen films, this one is surprisingly the one with the most evident Christmas season setting and, if you’re willing to overlook (or look away from) a couple of the over-the-top scenes of violence, you might find director Chris Peckover’s second feature – and, most notably, young actor Levi Miller’s provocative lead performance – quite appealing. Trivia: what do “Home Alone” and “The Bad Seed” have in common? Actor Macaulay Culkin, who starred as Kevin McCallister in the former, and as psychopathic kid Henry Evans in 1993’s “The Good Son,” a clone of the latter.

Where to watch: stream for free (with ads) on Crackle, Tubi, Redbox, Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Peacock, and Peacock Premium. 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 33

Sister businesses in more ways than one Story By Randy Gross

rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

Photos By Rick Snizik Sisters, sisters There were never such devoted sisters …

Those song lyrics, sung by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen as crooning sisters in the 1954 film “White Christmas,” have long been part of America’s cultural fabric. You can’t watch the movie or listen to its full soundtrack without being caught up in the holiday spirit.

All kinds of weather We stick together The same in the rain or sun …

Nancy Reppert and Susanna Reppert Brill, real-life sisters and proprietors of, respectively, the Sweet Remembrances tea house and The Rosemary House herb and spice specialty shop, have been part of Mechanicsburg, PA’s fabric for decades. Once you step inside either of the side-by-side businesses on Market Street, you can’t help but feel the warmth of community spirit.

Two different faces But in tight places We think and we act as one …

It’s undeniable that Nancy and Susanna have been much more than just sisters to one another. Friends, of course, as all siblings, ideally, should be.

But also entrepreneurial partners always willing to lend a helping hand in staffing and event-planning for each other’s business. It is their camaraderie and general stick-to-itiveness that has allowed Sweet Remembrances and The Rosemary House to endear themselves to so many faithful fans of afternoon teas, tea events, herbs, and herbal products.

There is no better time of year to tell a heart-warming story of hearth and home, and no better story to tell than the “hearth and home” spirit residing within the pair of post-Civil War era brick row homes which Nancy and Susanna have turned into Central PA institutions.

That spirit has its beginnings in 1968, when Bertha Peplau Reppert,

"I can remember playing with my dolls and my Teddy bears and having afternoon tea with them.” - Nancy Reppert

Nancy and Susanna 34 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Nancy and Susan’s late mother, opened The Rosemary House with the goal of making her herbal expertise available to everyone. Immediately setting a goal of adding a dozen new herbal products every year, those so-called Rosemary House Originals have helped to earn the business it’s reputation as a go-to place for herbs for all uses – medicinal, culinary, and incense.

Though Susanna would eventually go to college (to study Public Policy), it was the education she received at her mother’s side that would most mold her future.

“I grew up in the shop,” she says, “and so when I finished my degree, I really knew by then that I liked it over there.” Hence, when her mother was ready to retire, Susanna was ready to step into her shoes, taking over The Rosemary House in 1985.

“I think having an entrepreneurial mother sort of guided us,” adds Nancy, “or influenced us certainly in being in the business.” Nancy also pursued a college degree (in Spanish Secondary Education), but again it was time spent by her mother’s side – only, in this instance, in the kitchen – that would have the biggest impact on her future career. “I picked up her skills,” she says. “One day I said ‘mom, I want to bake a cake,’ and she said, ‘go ahead.’ I was 9 or 10 at the time and I remember it was lopsided, and the icing was sliding off … but it still tasted good!”

That same year when she turned “9 or 10” also was to be impactful in another way: “I received a small children’s tea set, presented to me by my aunt as a Christmas gift,” Nancy says with a gleam in her eye. “And that’s probably where my interest in tea started. I can remember playing with my dolls and my Teddy bears and having afternoon tea with them.”

The die thus cast, when 118 South Market Street – the property next door to The Rosemary House – became available, Nancy jumped at the opportunity. She explains, “There was a demand for women’s clubs, and church groups would come

to visit Rosemary House because it was a destination, and they would ask ‘where is there a good place to eat, where can we go for lunch.’” So, she adds, “it was like the next logical step.” Since The Rosemary House was named for one of the oldest and most versatile herbs – the herb of “remembrance” – Nancy’s love for making “sweets” lead to the perfect title for her new business. And her love for tea sets would lead not only to special afternoon teas, but also tea events especially for children, including the annual Fairy Festival on the first weekend after Labor Day. That festival, and many other events, are planned and run side-by-side with Nancy’s “baby” sister, who also keeps herself plenty busy selling the teas served at Sweet Remembrances – “and all the accoutrements to make a good pot!” – plus herbal mixes that her husband David Brill, a clinical herbalist and chief computer consultant, helps ready for sale, both in-store and by catalog (“we’re about the only ones to sell herbs in bulk,” she asserts). Plus, there is unique artwork for sale, including original shadow boxes designed by one of the sisters’ two older siblings: Marj, who not-so-surprisingly runs a business of her own in Jim Thorpe, PA, called Rosemary Remembrances II. Oh, and don’t forget the carefully maintained gardens around back, which seamlessly continue the connection between The Rosemary House and Sweet Remembrances and provide an additional space for everything from retirement parties to the yearly Tea Festival.

What does the future hold for the pair of “sister” businesses?

Susanna plans to expand on class offerings, starting in January with a new 10-month herbal course. And Nancy? Rumors have begun to circulate that she may be retiring soon, and in fact she’s already uttered a pronouncement to that effect. “But” she says, “the closer it gets, it’s like ‘hmmm …’ I think I still need to keep my hands busy and in the kitchen,” adding that she plans to reassess things come January.

If long-time customers like Judy Fox, Diane Shreiner, Marie Laterra, and Julie Felix – a friendly group of Navy Depot retirees – have anything to do with it, their favorite tea house will stay in business indefinitely.

“Every month we come and have tea,” says Judy, “it’s just a nice getaway. Nancy just spoils us.” The others in the group quickly echo those sentiments: “This place is just wonderful,” adds Marie, “we’re so lucky to have it here in Mechanicsburg.”

Marie recalls first coming to Sweet Remembrances with her 5-yearold niece in 2000 for a “Please Read to Me” tea and has been returning ever since, while Diane simply enjoys “joining the girls for tea.” And Dorothy King, part of a separate group at another table, boasts that her “Tea Tribe,” as she affectionately calls her friends, “met as part of a doll club meeting 3 years ago” and remain inseparable.

There are two things that all the women in attendance seem to agree

upon. First, when asked which Sweet Remembrance’s menu item they would choose if they were somehow awarded a lifetime supply, the response was instantaneous and pretty much unanimous: “The scones!”

The second thing is their plan (and it’s a secret, so please don’t tell anyone) to prevent Nancy from giving up her shop: “We’re going to keep her [event] calendar filled,” muses Judy, “so she can’t say ‘I just don’t have the business.’”

‘Business’ is something that neither Sweet Remembrances or The Rosemary House seem to be lacking these days, and more likely than not that can be attributed to “a combination of the two businesses,” says Julie.

“The sisters,” concludes Judy, “work together very nicely.”

Those who've seen us Know that not a thing can come between us.

The Sweet Remembrances tearoom is fully booked for the remainder of 2021, both for private events and public teas, and at this point they are not accepting reservations for 2022 (since that may well be Nancy’s transition year). Watch for future announcements at www.

SweetRemembrancesTeaRoom.com. When/if you are lucky enough to reserve a table, be sure to try one of their signature teas: Blue Lady (their most popular!) a combination of strawberry, coconut, and kiwi; or French Caramel Crème Brulee. Oh, and of course, don’t forget Nancy’s scones (who could!) which are always fresh-baked while you wait! Also, check out the selection of unique herbal items and gifts (plus, when the new schedule comes out, future lectures, classes, and events) at www.TheRosemaryHouse.com; and keep up with Susanna’s blog at www.TheRosemaryHouse.blogspot.com. 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 35

Artful Inspirations Around Us

The Millworks - studio fo Pamela Black, Moonrise Candles and Lupine Ceramics

Buy local – and check out these amazing local artists and galleries Story and Photos By Christina Heintzelman

B

cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

e on the look-out for Scrooges out there warning us about supply chain failure along with postal delay ruining the upcoming holidays. We have been warned about shortages from many Grinch-like characters hoping to put a negative spin on this holiday season. But if we all think outside the (gift) box, there will be no worries about supply chain delays, and our fears of not receiving our ordered goodies before that crucial day or days arrive will not be a problem.

What is the super-secret to making this happen? Must we hone our mysterious skills or pull out that magic wand? Nope – all we need to do is to buy local and check out all the amazing local artists who are at the ready to make this season and every season a delight with their oneof-a kind dazzling products - not only for gift giving to others but also as a special gift we may have been desiring for our homes or ourselves.

And if the thought of buying something so personal for another person worries you, think outside the (gift) box again and purchase a gift card from your local gallery or artist for your special someone.

The list is long for local places to shop and here are just a few to get you started on your journey of supporting our local artists and finding unique, covetable, and special items for you and the lucky people for whom you are shopping.

Many artists are named in this article and a few minutes spent Googling them or the galleries to find webpages and Facebook accounts can lead to an abundance of gift giving ideas and immediate gratification by being able to purchase the item directly from the artist or the gallery representing the artist. When was the last time you had the pleasure of buying an item and meeting and speaking with the person who created it?

36 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Harrisburg Flea Market is a once a month pop-up pleasure.

Check out their Facebook page for exact details of upcoming events or a plethora of photos of some of the wonderful items for sale. Some vendors are a constant presence at this event but be on the alert for new vendors just waiting to show you their amazing products.

Everything is in abundance here, from essential oils and candles to beautiful handmade jewelry and accessories. Greeting or note cards?

Yes - you will find them here also.

For your December shopping delights, Harrisburg Flea will be at Strawberry Square on Saturday, December 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be an abundance of shopping opportunities from the more than sixty vendors who will be gathered there. Please check their Facebook page The HBG Flea and their website hbgflea.com for the most current information on pop-up dates and vendors.

As Doug Koozer, co-owner of Brain Vessel pointed out to me, “The name Brain Vessel came from the idea of the brain being the talent and the vessel being the container used in helping us distribute the vast talents of our artists.” Brain Vessel is owned by Doug Koozer and Jason Kreiger who are both artists with stores in Hershey and Mechanicsburg.

Many of the artists you have read about in Harrisburg Magazine are represented in this gallery, including Toby Bouder, woodworker; Librada Vagnozzi, jeweler; and Jason Lyons, sculptor. In addition, the works of Wayne Fettro, oil painter; John Guarnera, potter; Stuart Leask, acrylic painter; and Jon Carraher, who illustrates playing cards, can be seen here along with the works of many other artists from

Harrisburg Flea Market

various parts of the country. Whatever your artful desires may be there is bound to be something here that you will want for gift giving or as a treat for yourself. And while you are visiting, ask for a cup of their delicious locally made teas.

Brain Vessel not only represents artists, but they are also ‘artists helping artists’ by offering a host of other services such as branding, web and print designing, and marketing campaigns and strategy.

And throughout the year various classes are held for you to unleash your hidden artistic talent. Other events also take place throughout the year and the listings can be found on the website.

You can visit Brain Vessel at 4704 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg or 102 W. Chocolate Ave, Hershey. Please check their website brainvessel.com for their hours, which will be changing during the holiday season.

Founded in 1926, Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH) will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary of providing the best of local artists and art classes to residents of our area. Located since 1964 in the beautiful Governor Findlay Mansion along Governors’ Row on Front Street in Harrisburg, it has become a long-standing staple of our community. Many local artists and members exhibit their art on a regular basis, not to mention teach classes to both children and adults.

Carrie Wissler-Thomas has been the President of AAH since 1986. In 1988 Carrie founded Harrisburg Gallery Walk, a popular yearly event. She is a free-lance writer and local artist herself, and states that everyone who is employed by AAH is also an artist. Carrie works tirelessly to promote the visual arts in Central PA. and has made major sales of local artists’ works to area businesses.

A new exhibit is curated every 5 weeks and townspeople are always anxious to attend the openings and see what new artists are being displayed.

Brain Vessel

Brain Vessel

Almost all the art on display is for sale and there is also a large gift gallery displaying local artists’ treasures. In addition, gift certificates may be purchased for works of art and art classes. A membership to AAH is always a great gift idea, too.

Local artists Steve Wetzel, Jonathan Frazier, Hannah Dobek, Joanne Landis, Ted Walke, and Reina 76, who have all appeared in the pages of Harrisburg Magazine, have also exhibited at AAH. AAH is open daily with an assortment of hours, depending on the day. You can get an upto-date listing of hours for gallery operations or upcoming exhibits and classes by visiting their website artassocofhbg.com. AAH also has a Facebook page, Art Association of Harrisburg.

See Buy Local on Page 38

Brain Vessel HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 37

Vivi on Verbeke

Buy Local, continued from Page 37

Nyeusi Gallery

Nyeusi Gallery 38 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Vivi on Verbeke is the bricks-and-mortar dream of potter and painter, Vivian Stertse Brandler and her partner Jeb Boyd, photographer. Vivi also has her clay studio in the basement of this historical gem on Verbeke St near the Broad Street Market.

A wide array of pottery items is available, which include Vivi’s Susquehanna River series and other one-of-a-kind hand thrown and kiln fired pieces. And yes, custom orders are taken with a deposit. She also has an assortment of oil paintings that she creates in between her clay work. You may even find an assortment of handmade soaps and greeting cards mixed in with the other treasures.

Jeb’s photography adorns the walls and is available in many sizes. Mostly all his pieces are printed to canvas for a beautiful presentation. The genre is wide and varied and it would be nearly impossible not to find something for yourself or as a gift.

Gift cards are available for artwork and for one-on-one pottery classes.

The studio is open Friday through Sunday, or you can call and leave a message to set up an appointment – 717-961-9826. Visit the website vivionverbeke.com or the Facebook page @258Verbeke.

Tara Chickey, Arts Director at The Millworks, has a huge job on her hands overseeing the seventeen studios and forty-two artists who make their home there.

In addition, she supervises the gallery gift shop located near the front entrance. The gallery gift shop provides an overview of the many artists’ works who call Millworks their home, so if a particular studio is closed you may be able to purchase a piece from the gift shop. In addition, there is an art exhibit hung in the main corridor which rotates every month and features artists residing in the various studios. “Our artists range from fine art to functional art and every studio gives you a very different view of art and artists in our surrounding area,” Chickey states.

Hours for the Millworks vary according to the day of the week, and artists’ studios may not be open during all the regular hours of the restaurant located in The Millworks.

Most studios are open during 3rd in The Burg and First Saturdays throughout the year.

Weekends are good times to catch various artists hard at work in their studios, too. If you are interested in purchasing a particular piece of art and the artist is not available in his/her studio, you can ask someone at the main desk to accompany you to the studio for a purchase to be made. An email sent to Chickey (tara@millworksharrisburg. com) can also get you quick results for contacting a particular artist.

Many artists have aligned their personal websites and/or Facebook page with the webpage for The Millworks (millworksharrisburg.com). There is a sidebar listing all the artists located in The Millworks as part of this article. The Millworks is located at 340 Verbeke St in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg’s latest addition to the gallery scene is Nyeusi Gallery. “Nyeusi Gallery showcases artists of color who create art which speaks to the black experience,” gallery co-owner and co-winner of Harrisburg Magazine’s “Simply the Best” Artist of the Year award, Michelle Green, states. Dale Dangleben is the other half of this dynamic duo in the art gallery community. Dangleben provides photographic art and is also a novelist who writes about the Black experience. In addition, he oversees Nyeusi Print which offers high quality printing services to artists who wish to create limited edition prints of their original works.

A trip to this gallery will surely convince you of the abundance of black talent in our city and the surrounding area. Original pieces of art, art prints, sculpture, books, and jewelry all await your perusal and purchase.

Metropolis Collective

In addition to Green’s and Dangleben’s art you can find works by Paul Hood, Larry Lenzz Washington, and Brian King Prolific Hickman, who all are alumni of Harrisburg Magazine’s ‘Artful Inspirations’ monthly stories. Works by Harrisburg Magazine’s “Simply the Best” Artist of the Year co-winner, Bethany Nicholle, Michele Hairston, Donnie Lyons, Redpatch Studios, Steve Barber, Kwatei, and Stephanie Lewis are also exhibited.

AAH - gift store gallery Hours vary according to the day of the week, but you can find this listing on their Facebook page and on Instagram @nyeusigsallery. Nyeusi Gallery is located at 1224 North 3rd St, Harrisburg.

Metropolis Collective is owned and operated by artist Hannah Dobek and rock raconteur Richard Reilly. Metropolis is a contemporary fine arts gallery and hosts live performances with a twist. It is the home of Trash Art Gallery, Stage Noir, and the newly launched Shocking Horse Designs created by Ivy Compton, teenage daughter of Dobek. Dobek is another alumna of Harrisburg Magazine and appeared in an article in the July 2021 issue.

Artists and exhibits change regularly so check out their Facebook page, Metropolis Collective, for hours, updates, and live performance information.

Metropolis Collective has a cool and edgy vibe but can surprise with a collection of realist and representational pieces which make this a place for everyone to stop and shop.

In addition to Dobek’s art (about which she states “I don’t want to be genrefied – I am an intuitive artist who does not approach my art with an absolute idea. I am just the channel of the voice my art creates”) you can explore the art of local artists such as Paul Nagle, Paul Kostabi, Rochelle Lowe, the Huckle Buckle Boys, and Chris Cash.

Metropolis Collective is located at 17 W. Main St, Mechanicsburg. 7

Millworks Studios

• Fennec Design – clothing and jewelry • Ann Benton Yeager – painting (Ann is also Harrisburg Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” award-winner for artist in 2021) • Linda Benton McCloskey – painting • Bob McCloskey – collage • Pamela Black – painting • Moonrise Candles – candles • Lupine Ceramics – ceramic pieces • Tami Bitner – painting and jewelry • Paul Gallo – painting • Rexmake – paper goods • Paul Vasiliades – photography • Elaine Elledge – print making • Karma Shanti Love – textiles • Lyes & Lathers – body products • Phil Wells – functional sculpture • Art of the Earth – ceramics • Rachelle Lowe – ceramics

The Millworks

• Mod Sew – plush sculpture The Millworks • Susan Bailey – mixed media • Kelly Curran – painting and glass • Pat Frese - enamel • Averil Shepps – enamel • Marsha Souders – clay monotypes • Richard Souders – photography • Huckle Buckle Boys – print making and mixed media • Reina Wooden – painting • Tina Berrier – painting • Mary Gelenser – mixed media • Yachiyo Beck – painting • Basil Marouki – glass • John Davis – mixed media • Julia Iaraia – painting • Amie Bantz – painting and printmaking • Lauren Castillo – illustration • Tara Chickey – painting • PD Murray – painting • Caleb Smith - photography

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 39

Your Guide to Local Holiday Candies, Wines, & Beers Story By Randy Gross

rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

E

verywhere you turn this time of year, whether it’s to the internet or a well-meaning friend, it’s the same words of advice: “better not over-indulge during the holidays, or you’ll be sorry!” But seriously, it’s December everyone. A time for sharing good times with friends and family. As long as you’re confident you can get back on track by the start of the New Year, what’s a day or two (okay, three tops) of eating a few extra sweets, or drinking an extra glass of wine or beer? After all, 2021 was a bust, 2020 was an even bigger bust, and now that you can finally get together with loved ones again, you deserve to … well, bust. (As in bust loose, or bust the top button on your pants, take your pick).

Therefore, as sort of a public service to everyone eager to overindulge, here’s a brief preview of some of the special candies, wines, and beers featured this holiday season at area candy stores, vineyards, and microbreweries. Enjoy the read … and then enjoy!

Visions of sugarplums “The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.” Clement C. Moore Okay, nobody quite knows what Moore was talking about in “A Night Before Christmas.” Nevertheless, here are some of the sweetest, and most festive “sugarplums” you’ll find in Central PA this season: SWEET 717 Broad Street Market, Harrisburg, PA https://www.sweet717.com • Peppermint Fluffs – handmade marshmallows infused with pure peppermint oil, dipped in dark chocolate, rolled in crushed peppermint candy, then topped with a mini candy cane (perfect for hanging over the rim of a hot chocolate mug!)

• Peppermint Fudge – handmade fudge infused with pure peppermint oil and topped with crushed peppermint candy.

• Peppermint Nonpareils – dark chocolate discs with crushed peppermint candy in place of the traditional sprinkles.

• Chocolate Bark – a handmade chocolate bar available in a variety of delectable flavors: peanut butter, peppermint, toasted coconut, and salted caramel.

Ask about their Holiday Gift Sampler Boxes, including Peppermint Lovers!

BRITTLE BARK CO & COCOA CREEK CHOCOLATES 50 W. Main St, Mechanicsburg, PA https://www.brittlebark.com

MACRIS CHOCOLATES 40 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

• Peppermint Bark – hand broken slabs of dark chocolate swirled with peppermint-flavored white chocolate and then topped with crushed candy canes.

• Peppermint Pretzels & Cookies – hand-dipped chocolate-covered pretzels and OREOs topped with crushed candy canes.

• Chocolate Covered Lollipops – available in fun Christmas shapes that kids will love, including Rudolph, Frosty, Xmas trees and wreaths – perfect stocking stuffers!

• Christmas Truffles – handmade and beautifully-decorated (a boxed assortment makes for a great gift for the person who has everything!)

Gift boxes, trays, and baskets also available!

SPENCE CANDIES 558 E. High Street, Elizabethtown, PA 17022 https://www.spencecandies.com • Giant Peppermint Crunch Marshmallow Pop – soft, giant marshmallows dipped in chocolate and covered with crushed peppermint candy.

• Nutter Butter Rudolph – a chocolate-coated Nutter Butter cookie with icing eyes, pretzel antlers and a red chocolate candy nose.

• Choco-Caramel Pretzel Rod – a pretzel rod dipped in caramel, coated in chocolate, and sprinkled with holiday icing decorations.

• Cookie Cutters - snowflakes, trees, candy canes and gingerbread men filled with chocolate and decorated with nonpareils and chocolate.

MATANGOS CANDIES 1501 Catherine Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104 https://matangoscandies.com • Chocolate Santas and Christmas Trees – made with that creamy milk chocolate that has made Matangos both a local institution and an annual family tradition since 1947.

• Clear Candy Christmas Toys – an old-fashioned treat that kids love to find in their stocking!

• Assorted Chocolates – all your favorites, from nuts to creams, packed up in a gift box as you make your selections - for someone else, or for enjoying yourself!

• Figaro – a hazelnut truffle that blends hazelnut butter and milk and dark chocolate that’s “to die for!”

ZIMMERMAN’S NUTS AND CANDIES

SWEEET! THE CANDY STORE

SWEET 717

MATANGOS CANDIES

BRITTLE BARK CO

CHOCOLATES BY TINA MARIE

SPENCE CANDIES

BRITTLE BARK CO

GEORGIE LOU’S RETRO CANDY 56 W. High St., Carlisle, PA https://georgielousretrocandy.com • Customized Gift Boxes – available in more than a dozen themes, from Harry Potter boxes to the retro “Delicious Decades” box, which can be upgraded to include a retro metal lunchbox!

• Stocking Stuffer Candies – traditional, modern, or those favorite retro candies (from Candy Dots on Paper to Zotz!); no matter your choice, guaranteed to please the kiddies!

When visiting, don’t forget to check out owner Stephanie’s holiday window displays, greatly-anticipated every year by the locals!

SWEEET! THE CANDY STORE IN GETTYSBURG, PA 100 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325 https://www.sweeetgettysburg.com • Retro Candies & International Chocolates & Treats - from Circus Peanuts and Marshmallow Cones to Gold Coins, Candy Cigarettes, and Toxic Waste! Plus, even candies from Poland, Iceland, Japan, & Italy!

• Soda, soda & more soda! – a wide selection of crazy flavors, old school favorites, or fun new ones, including the full line of Avery “Totally Gross” sodas. Something different to put in their stockings!

Speaking of a different kind of “stocking stuffer”: Sweeet! Also has fun-and-crazy “Sock It to Me Socks”!

CHOCOLATES BY TINA MARIE 16 S. Rosanna Street, Hummelstown, PA 17036 Or Farmstead Market 1976 Laudermilch Road (Rt 743), Palmyra, PA, 17078 https://chocolatesbytinamarie.com • Christmas Oreos - holiday themed Oreos in regular and gluten free.

Various Holiday shapes to make gift giving and stocking stuffing fun!

• Peppermint Bark - the perfect blend of dark and white chocolate with crushed peppermint mixed in. Smooth and creamy!

• Holiday Gift Box of Assorted Chocolates - in 6 count, 12 count and 24 count boxes. Great for gift-giving!

Be sure to check out their delicious, handcrafted Artisan Truffles, too!

ZIMMERMAN’S NUTS AND CANDIES 2701 Elm Street, Harrisburg PA 17103 https://zimmermansonline.com • Fresh Roasted Nuts – Blistered Peanuts, Cashews, and Mixed Nuts, all roasted daily.

• Wilbur Chocolate Buds – a local old-fashioned favorite, made of quality American milk or dark chocolate.

• Boxed Chocolates - chocolate covered Creams, Jellies, Clusters, Cherries, Marshmallows, Peanut Butter, Almonds, Toffee, Coconut and Caramels.

• Clear Toys – in lollipops and individual holiday figures. (Yes, in this case, it’s okay to have them play with their food!)

GROVE’S BRITTLE WORKS 1424 E. Chocolate Ave., Hershey, PA 17033 http://www.grovesbrittleworks.com • Gourmet Ultra Thin Brittles – made from a secret recipe for over 65 years, and available in a multitude of tasty flavors, from traditional Peanut to Crispy Bacon, plus seasonal ones like Macadamia and Cranberry English Walnut.

• Assorted Milk or Dark Chocolates – from Cherry Cordials to Peanut Butter Cups (in milk, dark, or white chocolate) – all handmade and oh-so creamy!

• Gourmet Snack Tubs - choose from Caramel Corn PUFFS, Buttercrunch popcorn, or Shueys Hand twisted Hearth baked PA Dutch Pretzels – perfect snacking for your holiday get-together!

MACRIS CHOCOLATES 1200 Market St #20 (In the West Shore Plaza), Lemoyne, PA 17043 https://www.macrischocolates.com • Pecanettes, Almondettes and Cashettes - pecans and caramel covered in chocolate; almonds and caramel covered in chocolate; cashew nuts and caramel covered in chocolate.

• Dark Chocolate Dipped Orange Peel - sourced from Italy and paired with Macris’ large milk and dark chocolate assorted gift box.

• Milk and Dark Chocolate Tray - filled with honey chips, coconut clusters, Macris’ popular sea salt caramels, truffles, croquettes and Jordan Cracker biscuits.

• Signature Croquettes - butter cream center hand rolled in milk chocolate and freshly roasted peanuts.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 41

Mighty fine wines "Fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine." — Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop Stay in good humor with friends and family this holiday season by sharing a glass of these fine wines from local wineries: CASSEL VINEYARDS

ARMSTRONG VALLEY WINERY & THE WINERY AT THE LONG SHOT FARM

J&P WINERY

FINE WINE & GOOD SPIRITS 42 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

CASSEL VINEYARDS OF HERSHEY 80 Shetland Dr., Hummelstown, PA 17036 https://www.casselvineyards.com • Winners Circle White Reserve – one of Cassel’s most versatile whites with a crisp clean finish that tastes great with holiday meals like Turkey and mashed potatoes.

• Homestretch Red - while others are paying high prices for light, French blends to complement their cranberry salad, Cassel introduces their version of Beaujolais Nouveau at half the price!

• Chocolate Ruby Royale’ Port – enjoy your holiday eggnog or hot chocolate with a splash of this delicious, fortified port, perfect as a mixer or a stand-alone dessert drink.

• Ruby Royale’ Port – not a fan of chocolate and wine? Try sipping this Ruby Port by the fire on a cold holiday evening and warm up both inside and outside.

Ask about Cassel’s Spiced Wine or Mulled Cider Gift Sets!

ARMSTRONG VALLEY WINERY 212 Rutter Road, Halifax, PA 17032 http://armstrongvalleywinery.com • Cranberry Wine – made from real cranberry juice, with a slight sweetness balanced by a delicious tart berry flavor. It’s like ‘Thanksgiving in a bottle!’

• Spicy Apple Wine - made with a variety of freshly crushed apples from Adams County, PA, this versatile wine can be served cold or, on those chilly nights, slightly warmed up, bringing out the clove, cinnamon, and citrus peel flavors.

• Cha-Cha – Armstrong’s version of Champagne, it’s made from a combination of Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc. Slightly carbonated and off dry, with just enough bubbles to tickle your nose. Toast the New Year right with a bottle (or two)!

Place an order online and get free shipping with 3+ bottles in PA! CROSSWINDS WINERY AT HERSHEY 621 Hershey Road (On Route 39, 2.5 miles north of Hershey Park) Hummelstown, PA 17036 www.crosswindswinery.com • Fly Boy Rose – made from Crosswinds’ Chambourcin grapes, a great compliment to your turkey and sausage stuffing!

• Semi-Dry Riesling – for those who wish to stick to

white wine, a great choice to pair with turkey and vegetables.

• Chambourcin – a dry red wine bursting with flavor notes of the Chambourcin berries; perfect with your Christmas dinner prime rib.

J&P WINERY 10417 Mountain Road, Grantville, PA 17028 https://jpwinery.net • Red Raspberry Merlot - A full bodied smooth semi dry red wine, with a blend of Red Raspberry.

• Midnight Romance - a semi-dry wine, blended with a sweet wine. The first sip you taste the citrus, then the second sip the sweet wine bursts open and has a smooth finish. Pairs well with brie.

• Vidal Blanc Ice Wine - smooth, sweet, sweet wine just like you would find in Canada. A nice after dinner drink!

• Chardonnay Barrel Aged - dry buttery barrel-aged wine aged in American oak for approximately 1.5 years.

THE WINERY AT THE LONG SHOT FARM 1925 McClures Gap Road, Carlisle, PA 17015 https://thelongshotfarm.com • Winter Blend - a sweeter red wine made from Chambourcin grapes and Apple wine.

• Semi-sweet Apple Wine - enjoyable as a cold wine, but also great when served warm and spiced.

• Mulled Wine (served on-site only) – a merging of Winter Blend wine, apple cider and a bit of cranapple juice and spiced with cinnamon and cloves.

Ask about their Apple Wine Slushies, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (if desired)!

Recommended by the experts at FINE WINE & GOOD SPIRITS www.finewineandgoodspirits.com • Wine Chat Ugly Sweater White Wine - soft and fruity with a slightly sweet finish. Pairs well with chicken, seafood, and light pasta dishes.

• Wine Chat a Grown Up Stocking Stuffer Red - this fruity and warming wine has a hint of spice that makes it perfect for the holiday season. Enjoy it with meat or game.

• Natura Organic Pinot Noir - this is bursting with berry aromas, spice, and cocoa. On the palate, it is full of flavor with soft tannins, well-balanced acidity, and a fresh finish.

• Bonterra Organic Chardonnay Mendocino County - on the nose, fruit aromas of red apple and pear are interlaced with a luscious bouquet of nutmeg and flower blossom. The rich and creamy palate is framed by a backbone of clean minerality and uplifted acidity. Vibrant lemon zest is underscored by subtle notes of toasted oak and creme brulee on the finish.

Precept Wine Can Wine Advent Calendar 2021 Edition – 24 Days of Wine Advent Calendar with one 375 mL can each: • Day Drinking Rose Bubbles • Day Drinking Southern Peach • Day Drinking Watermelon Rose

BEER EXPRESS

BURD’S NEST BREWING COMPANY

BEER EXPRESS

• House Wine Brut Bubbles • House Wine Rose Bubbles • House Wine Rose Bubbles Rainbow • House Wine Rose • House Wine Chardonnay • House Wine Sauvignon Blanc • House Wine Grapefruit • House Wine Tropical Mango • House Wine White Peach Nectarine • House Wine Raspberry Lemonade • House Wine Old Fashioned Lemonade • House Wine Paloma • House Wine CasaRita • House Wine Red Sangria • House Wine Ginger Mule • House Wine Cranberry Cosmo • Ste Chapelle Black Cherry • Ste Chapelle Wild Huckleberry • Ste Chapelle Blood Orange • Ste Chapelle Raspberry Rose • Ste Chapelle Mountain Berry

Raise your pint glasses!

“There is an ancient Celtic axiom that says, ‘Good people drink good beer.’

Which is true, then as now. Just look around you in any public barroom and you will quickly see: Bad people drink bad beer. Think about it.” — Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Relax! We’re only focusing on really good beers, for really good people, here: TROEGS Independent Brewing 200 East Hershey Park Drive, Hershey, PA 17033 https://troegs.com • Mad Elf - the essence of this legendary holiday ale, along with its ruby red glow, is born from five varieties of tree-ripened cherries. Local wildflower honey sweetens the celebration, and a spicy Belgian yeast adds subtle notes of cinnamon, clove, and allspice.

ABV: 11% | Availability: 12oz. bottles & cans; draft • Blizzard of Hops – a Winter IPA created to toast hop growers around the world for another successful harvest. This storm of hoppy citrus and pine notes is a bright reminder the end of the Hop Cycle is only the beginning.

ABV: 6.4% | Availability: 12oz. bottles & cans; draft • Mad Elf Cru - If you know Tröegs, you know The Mad Elf. In your hands is the Director’s Cut. Tart Balaton cherries make all the difference. Flush with supporting notes of brown sugar, cinnamon and clove, this beer begs to be shared.

ABV: 11% | Availability: 12.7 oz. cork & cage bottles • Double Blizzard - This is Blizzard of Hops… turned up to 11. For Double Blizzard, Troegs uses a cooler temperature for the kettle hop additions, softening the character of the Centennial, Chinook, and El Dorado.

ABV: 8.3% | Availability: 16oz. cans; draft • Blood Orange Cranberry Tart Ale – inspired by the classic Madras

cocktail and brewed with 17 pounds per barrel of real fruit and fermented with Hornindal Kveik yeast, this beer is a refreshing balance of sweet citrus and the tangy bite of cranberries.

ABV: 4.5% | Availability: 12oz. cans; draft BURD’S NEST BREWING COMPANY 19 N. Hanover St., Carlisle, PA 17013 https://www.burdsnestbrewingco.com December’s Featured Beer: • GREEN JAY This year's seasonal winter beer is a decadent peanut butter s'mores dessert stout with local cold brewed coffee and oat milk. It has a silkysmooth mouth feel with subtle roasty and caramel notes. Stop by the tasting room at Burd's Nest Brewing Co. in historic downtown Carlisle for a pint (while supplies last).

TROEGS

BEER EXPRESS 4949 Queen Street, Harrisburg, PA 17109 https://www.beerexpresshbg.com Because many people in Central PA participate in office beer exchanges this time of year, here are some of the most popular beers (old and new) that you’ll find at longtime Harrisburg beer distributor Beer Express (established 1990, owner: Tom Bowman).

• Southern Tier Frosted Sugar Cookie – cozy TROEGS up to this delicious spectacle of pure sweetness that is sure to sprinkle your wintry days with joy. You won’t believe it’s beer and not a tin full of iced confections. Full of soft and airy vanilla and cake notes, iced to perfection.

Style: Imperial Ale | ABV: 8.6%.

• Guinness Gingerbread Stout – Baltimore’s Guinness Open Gate Brewery’s latest regional release, this flavorful stout showcases warming spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and, most importantly, ginger.

Style: Imperial Stout | ABV: 6% • Long Jawns (Yards Brewing Company) – when it's cold as a kegerator outside, you need a smooth and delicious winter lager to warm up your insides. Which is where this new brew from one of Philly’s most prominent craft brewers succeeds.

Style: Winter Lager | ABV: 6.0%.

• Victory Merry Monkey – this Belgian-style holiday ale combines the beloved flavor profile of golden monkey with notes of cranberry, orange peel, cinnamon, and nutmeg to deliver a delightfully smooth finish, perfect for merry gatherings with family and friends.

Style: Belgian-Style Ale | ABV: 10.0%.

• Saranac Caramel Porter – a traditional dark English style porter with a sweet caramel flavor, potentially making it very attractive to people who don’t usually like dark beer.

Style: Porter | ABV: 5.4% 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 43

44 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Getting ready to go on the dinner booze cruise boat in Myrtle Beach and the captain told us about the cash bar and asked if we were ready to party. The universal answer was a loud "Yes!" Next he asked if there were any anniversaries to celebrate before we boarded. A man said it was his 40th wedding anniversary and everybody applauded. I said that I had an anniversary too. The captain asked me what it was.

And I joked, "Two days sober!"

There was confused silence as he changed his question to "Any birthdays to celebrate?"

I sleepwalked so much last night that I walked into someone’s else's dream where I saw a mob hit, and I've been running ever since.

I can't fall asleep for fear I'll get whacked by Guido "Pizza Crusted One Tooth" O'Hara because I'm a material witness. The material was mohair baby doll pajamas.

My new imaginary friend is the man in the moon who moons you every night, whether you can see him or not.

I don’t know what the hell is happening to Facebook. I did a Facebook search for “Wile E. Coyote” and got “Hitler Won.” Whenever I run into someone I haven't seen for a while I immediately tell them that I lost 57 pounds, even though I've gained tonnage since I retired.

That way they'll go back and tell people I've lost weight and not that I'm big as a barge. Hmmmm, by posting this in the Harrisburg Magazine I've told everyone my secret strategy. Oh well, secrets were meant to be shared.

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The Gift Of Taste SHOP LOCAL RESTAURANT GIFT CARDS

46 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Taste This/Teriyaki Express

Secret sauce is the secret to why teriyaki lovers keep coming back Story By Randy Gross

rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

Photos By Anthony Bui

T

he word “teriyaki” derives from two combined words: “teri,” meaning luster or gleam, and “yaki,” meaning grilled or broiled.

Put it all together and you come up with a tasty Japanese cooking method that’s been pleasing palates for centuries – and happy customers of the Teriyaki Express for the past 7 years.

That’s how long owner Ricky Liu and his team have been cooking up their popular Chicken, Beef, or Shrimp Teriyaki (or try a combo of two or all three!) to hungry mid-staters, all served with a choice of white rice, brown rice, fried rice, or Hibachi Noodles – and, of course, topped off with a homemade Secret Teriyaki Sauce that’s so rich and flavorful that most customers can’t help but ask for “extra” with their order.

But Liu himself credits more than just his special teriyaki sauce for attracting repeat customers. Moreover, it’s the “fresh-and-hot” teriyaki cooking method that he and his staff are so adept at that make diners with a healthy appetite stop by the Capital City Mall food court for a quick lunch or dinner.

Liu likes to lay out the routine thusly: First, once the customer chooses a protein, it’s cooked on a 60” commercial stainless-steel griddle – at high heat. Next, the chefs quickly season the protein while it’s still on the hot griddle, before swiftly moving from heat to a bed of rice or noodles. Add the Secret Teriyaki Sauce, and an optional side of shredded cabbage, carrots, and broccoli, and then it’s off to the front counter for pick-up.

Oh (and this is extremely important to Liu): all prepared without any MSG!

Not in the mood for teriyaki? Liu has you covered there, too!

Poke Bowls (all the rage right now) come with either raw sashimi or cooked proteins (chicken, coconut shrimp, beef, salmon, tuna) and your choice of ingredients like mixed greens, pickled veggies, mango slices, and choice of rice. Planning a holiday party for home or office?

Order a Teriyaki Express Family Tray! It easily pleases from 5 to 8 people with that “fresh-and-hot” teriyaki chicken, beef, or shrimp – for just $34.99.

The menu at Teriyaki Express might not be huge – but the flavor is – plus ordering and pickup (or delivery from Grubhub) is fast and easy from this conveniently located eatery.

Don’t forget to ask for “extra sauce!” You’ll be sorry if you don’t. 7

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Harrisburg Magazine’s staff reviews Teriyaki Express I equally enjoyed both the Beef & Shrimp Teriyaki and Chicken Teriyaki – I find it hard to choose one over the other. Overall, I think each dish had all the right flavors, and I would definitely go there for lunch on a regular basis. - Laura Reich, Graphic Designer The Beef & Shrimp Teriyaki was delicious! Seasoned perfectly, and the beef was tender and not fatty (like some other places). I added duck sauce, which made my meal even more fantastic!

Though I’ve walked by their restaurant at Capital City Mall in the past I never ate there. But I will definitely visit in the near future! - Jo Ann Shover, Account Executive The Beef and Shrimp with Noodles was quite good. Tasty seasoning and plentiful quantities of both beef and shrimp! - Christina Heintzelman, Operations Director

Teriyaki Express

Website: https://www.grubhub. com/restaurant/teriyaki-express3506-capital-city-mall-drive-camphill/1328710 Address & Phone: 3506 Capital City Mall Dr Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-761-3562 Hours: Monday thru Saturday: 10 am to 9 pm Sunday: 11 am to 6 pm Takeout/Delivery Info: Call for pickup.

Delivery via Grubhub Owner: Ricky Liu Best known for: Chicken, Beef, or Shrimp Teriyaki

48 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Traditionally, when I want Japanese food, I go for a sit-down experience. But now that I’ve tried Teriyaki Express, when I’m in the mood for some well-seasoned, freshly prepared teriyaki, I will definitely make the drive to the Capital City Mall. - Darwin Oordt, President/CEO Sometimes I think people get the wrong impression about “food court” food. It’s not always a “one-size-fits-all” dining venture, and Teriyaki Express proves that. I could tell that the food was freshly prepared by using my “3 T’s” test: texture, temperature, and most importantly taste!

Teriyaki Express passed on all counts with flying colors, and I thoroughly enjoyed sampling both the Beef & Shrimp Teriyaki and Chicken Teriyaki. - Randy Gross, Editor I tried the Beef & Shrimp Teriyaki, and it definitely was what I expected out of teriyaki. The seasoning was good and paired well with the noodles. I’m sure Teriyaki Express will satisfy anyone’s cravings for teriyaki. – Alyssa Ray, Account Executive Teriyaki Express is your ideal takeout food. If I’m in a rush and need to grab a quick and delicious meal, I would definitely stop there. I loved the Beef & Shrimp Teriyaki with Noodles.

The noodles were cooked to a perfect texture, and the secret sauce is “the boss!” I’d drink that by itself! – Anthony Bui, Account Executive 7