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PRESIDENT/CEO Darwin Oordt doordt@harrisburgmagazine.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@harrisburgmagazine.com Darcy Oordt darcy@harrisburgmagazine.com
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ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Robert Baranow rbaranow@harrisburgmagazine.com Jo Ann Shover jshover@harrisburgmagazine.com EDITOR Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
IN THIS ISSUE ... 4 6 7 8 12 12 13 14 14
STB HOW TO VOTE INTROSPECTION THE CERCUS CARTOON BARTENDER’S OR BARISTA’S CHOICE BY THE BOOK NOURISHING BITES THE FINANCE HOUND THEATRE THOUGHTS TAILBOARD TALK
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VOLUME 28 NO. 6 JUNE 2022
FOR THE LOVE OF PETS CINEMATIC RAMBLINGS POSTCARDS FROM… POEM #HBGMAG INFLUENCER 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AGNES FLOOD
30 SHORT STORY 32 PROFILE: PHRC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 36 29TH ANNUAL FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: A PREVIEW IN PHOTOS
40 CAITLIN SHOREY: CENTRAL PA’S RISING STAR
42 SUMMER OF SYDNEY 44 ARTFUL INSPIRATIONS 46 ARTFUL INSPIRATIONS
ON THE COVER
Bradley Jones: ‘Planter’ of Dreams See story on page 20.
HARRISBURGMAGAZINE.COM @HARRISBURGMAGAZINE 2 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
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JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 3
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3. For each category, scroll through the list until the bottom to ensure you see all the entrants. Entries are listed alphabetically. Most categories If you can't find the link, go to the voting page have 5 nominees. A few categories where the and click on "Already registered" at the top of the nomination count was tied or very close, may ballot. This will resend you the link. have more than 5 nominees. If you haven't voted before, you will need to register. You can do this by entering your email address when prompted after voting. Email address must be valid and belong to the person casting the vote to be considered valid. Invalid votes will not be counted.
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VOTING ENDS AT 11:59 P.M. ON JUNE 15, 2022. 4 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 5
Introspection
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Shakespeare in the Park
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“[Aside]. Too hot, too hot!” — The Winter’s Tale, Act 1, Scene 2
s I sit in my office on a Friday morning writing this, the Accuweather forecast for the weekend calls for temperatures in the mid-90’s on both Saturday and Sunday. So, I will echo the words of Leontes from Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” though I am quite certain I lament for a different reason: as in, it’s shaping up to be “too hot” for my daughter’s college graduation. That, and I am also dreading the yearly chore of putting air conditioners back in our upstairs windows. All of which sets the stage thematically for our June issue on two fronts: fatherhood, and also the “hot, hot summertime” and everything that accompanies it – good or bad. In the former category, our selected Influencer of the month, Bradley Jones, President & CEO of Harristown Development Corporation, is not only a father of three (all of whom have been taught how to be “both independent and make good decisions”), but he is also a guiding, nurturing force behind much of the current century’s downtown development in Harrisburg, commercial and residential. And Stephanie Kalina-Metzger’s profile of Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Executive Director Chad Lassiter proves that you don’t have to be a father to make a huge difference in the welfare of others. In addition to Lassiter’s award-winning leadership at PHRC, he has mentored youth in the local community and also helped to raise his sister-in-law’s three daughters after she succumbed to pancreatic cancer. By-products of good parenting this month include local 11-year-old actress 6 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
Caitlin Shorey, who’s already achieving “primetime” recognition with a role in the series “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (look for episodes on HBO all month long) as well as the upcoming Netflix adaptation of the Stephen King short story, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.” Plus, the next installment of Summer of Sydney further chronicles the journey of young Sydney Fry as she trains to take her horse Fireball to the next level of rodeo riding success. As for the “hot, hot summertime” … let’s start with the bad and allow David Morrison and Jeb Stuart to take you back in time to the devastating destruction of Hurricane Agnes, which struck the Harrisburg region with once-in-a-lifetime flood waters fifty long years ago, in June of 1972. Their insightful historical perspective and archival photos will have you knocking on wood, wishing for another fifty years without another Agnes. On the fun side … activities that are “hot” in a good way include Gamut Theatre’s annual Shakespeare in the Park (The Winter’s Tale, June 3-18, Reservoir Park), which photographer Will Masters helps us to preview with a montage of late-May rehearsal photos. And Christina Heintzelman’s Artful Inspirations takes you indoors to enjoy some really cool “autodidactic” creations by Tina Berrier, and “west-meets-east” watercolors by Yachiyo Beck. If that’s not enough to cool you down, pay a visit to Texas Roadhouse on Union Deposit Road, where the dynamic “super-mixology” duo of Bethany and Shayla will fight to ward off the heat with one of 15 flavorful Margaritas. On the literary side, Jack Smiles contributes a short story, perfect
for both Father’s Day and baseball season, titled “Great Grandfather” (accompanied by an illustration from another wunderkind, Hempfield High School 11th-grader Mya Grove); and this month’s commissioned poem comes from long-time local poet and performer (and former Harrisburg Poet Laureate) Gene Hosey. Need a good laugh? Brad Maurer is back with his latest The Cercus cartoon; and the “sultan of satire,” Bill Roddey, will double you over (in a good way) with more of his acerbic Off the Cuff one-liners. And don’t forget our columns! In The Finance Hound, Bryson Roof asks “Do I need to pay off my mortgage before I retire?”; Andrea Reed tells you how to have a “very berry summer” in Nourishing Bites; Barbara Trainin Blank previews the 2022-2023 Season Schedules for a trio of local theatres in Theatre Thoughts; Stefan Hawkins’ By the Book suggests some great summertime reads; Film & TV historian Kevyn Knox reveals his picks for favorite all-time movie musicals in Cinematic Ramblings; HACC’s Robert Stakem provides tips for avoiding heat-related health emergencies in Tailboard Talk; in Postcards From … author Steven G. Williams details how to get the most out of a California vacation; and, finally, Kristen Zellner provides guidance on preventing canine gastrointestinal distress in For the Love of Pets. Be thankful for hard-working fathers and never-quitting air conditioners this month … and stay cool! 7 RG
Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
Winners! 2022 Keystone Media Awards Lifestyle/Entertainment Beat First Place, Christina Heintzelman (Artful Inspirations, 6 stories) Headline Writing First Place, Randy Gross (3 stories) Feature Page Design First Place, Laura Reich
2022 PNA Foundation Advertising Contest Best Single Ad Division IV Second Place Laura Reich (Korealicious Restaurant)
Special Section/Niche Publication Division IV First Place Laura Reich (Restaurant Section)
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JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 7
Bartender’s or Barista’s Choice
Dynamic Bartending Duo Team Up to Rescue You from Thirst Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
Photos By Will Masters
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The Porch Rocker 8 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
essica Jones and Ms. Marvel. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Hellcat and SheHulk. The list of female superhero duos is a little too long to list here. But if you haven’t visited Texas Roadhouse at 3529 Union Deposit Road in Harrisburg over the past four years, you’ve been missing out on meeting the dynamic duo of Bethany and Shayla, a pair of hardworking, uber-talented drink-slingers who we’ve selected as this month’s featured bartenders. If you didn’t already guess, they share a “superpower” known as mixology (with a specialty in Margaritas), and rumor has it that customers have been so mesmerized by the gals’ smiles and guaranteed-to-please demeanor that they’re often shocked to discover they’ve been planted on a bar stool for three, goingon-four hours. Like most “superheroes,” Bethany and Shayla have an Origin Story. Bethany was born in Harrisburg and as a young girl dreamed of being a teacher. She began working at Texas Roadhouse eight years ago and started bartending two years after that. “I love the upbeat and friendly atmosphere,” she says when asked what she likes best about her workplace. “I find it incredibly easy to enjoy my job.” When she’s not mixing up drinks for happy customers, Bethany spends time with her family and dogs … oh, and also attends school. (Yes, she’s fulfilling her dream of becoming a “super-teacher!”) Shayla was also born in Harrisburg but was raised in the Florida Panhandle. As a kid, she thought she might eventually pursue a career in IT, but as an adult went in a different direction: “I worked at a restaurant that saw potential in me and asked me to train on their bar … and it went from there!” Approaching her 4th anniversary with Texas Roadhouse, she says she loves the money, but her job satisfaction comes down to more than that. “I love to serve people and make sure they are taken care of,” she exclaims. “We are one of the busiest restaurants in town and I love a fast-paced environment!”
Bartenders Bethany and Shayla - Texas Roadhouse
When not being a “superhero” behind the bar, Shayla is busy being a “super-mommy” to her two-year-old. As a duo, you can find Bethany & Shayla behind the bar Wednesdays, Fridays, and occasional Saturdays, doing what Texas Roadhouse “super-bartenders” are called upon to do on a regular basis: mix up one of the 15 Margaritas the chain restaurant is famous for, and even serve up an appetizer to go with your drink – like a Cactus Blossom – or, of course, a juicy, hand-cut Texas Roadhouse steak. Together, the pair are always prepared to conjure up something seasonally refreshing, but recommended this month are the Porch Rocker (“the perfect summer drink,” says Bethany), the Coastal Key Lime Margarita (available on the rocks or frozen), or the tropical-inspired Blue Hawaiian. “We work well together and flow nicely in a small space,” says Shayla, posing for a photo with her partner in thirst-quenching. “The majority of my shifts on bar are with Bethany, which I always enjoy.” 7
DRINK OF THE MONTH
BLUE HAWAIIAN 1 oz white rum 1 oz Blue Curacao 2 oz pineapple juice 1 oz coconut puree Blend with ice and you have a refreshing twist on a Pina Colada.
Bethany’s Dossier Words of advice to home mixologists: Try it chilled! Inspirations: My guest’s happiness and satisfaction. Favorite spirit straight: Vodka! Anything peach. See Texas Roadhouse on Page 10
Coastal Key Lime Margarita JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 9
Coastal Key Lime Margarita & The Porch Rocker
Texas Roadhouse, continued from Page 9
Recommendations of two or three spirits to try: Ciroc Peach, Pink Whitney, Deep Eddy Lemon Favorite spirit to mix: Vodka! Most commonly ordered drinks at your bar: Margaritas! Philosophy on drinks: I’m always happy to try something new! Thoughts about your cocktails: We have the best margaritas you’ll ever try!
Your day job: School for Childhood Education What days/times do you typically work at the bar: Sunday all day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night. 7 Editor’s note: because coffee has become as – if not more - popular than alcoholic beverages, Harrisburg Magazine decided several months ago to accept nominations for both worthy bartenders and baristas.
NOMINATE A BARTENDER OR BARISTA! harrisburgmagazine.com/submissions
10 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 11
By the Book/Stefan Hawkins
Summertime Fine
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t’s June and all I can think about is one of Will Smith’s most famous songs, Summertime, playing in my car speakers. I think we’ve all been waiting for the day when the weather was sunny, in the high seventies or above. When we could bring out the grills to throw on some hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks, and place the side dishes on the tables ready to start all the cookouts and Bar-B-Ques. When the sun, the nice weather and beaches start calling everyone’s name, asking us to come jump in the water and frolic through the sand. It’s the summertime and we’ve waited long enough for these days to come. I know I have. I’m actually not a fan of extreme heat. Anything over 75 is honestly pushing it for me, but I adjust accordingly and accept that I only have this beautiful time for a few months, so let’s try not to complain and soak up some Vitamin D while I can. I have a few books I’d like to mention for the month of June that I think everyone should check out whether you’re off from school for summer break, at home on vacation from work, or relaxing out on the beach and in need of a good book to pass the time; here’s a small list of books I’d recommend: • Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine • Good Morning, Love by Ashley M. Coleman • We Weren’t Looking to Be Found by Stephanie Kuehn • My Name Is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story. Our Way. by Jason Reynolds & Jason Griffin • Goodnight Racism by Ibram X. Kendi This is a summer for relaxation. We’re not trying to do much of
anything this year since we survived a global pandemic, two weird presidential elections, and just everyday life. I believe each of us deserves a great book, some nice cups of coffee from Good Brotha’s Book Cafe, and some summertime sunshine bathing our skin as we sit out on the beach with one AirPod in, allowing the classic jam of Will Smith’s Summertime play in our ear. I was recently asked to pick the next book for the Harrisburg Young Professionals Book Club, which they’ll be ready to discuss around the time this hits the stands. I didn’t know what book I would pick, so I went out on a limb trying to recommend something that I thought the group would enjoy, and that everyone might be able to align themselves with or find empathy in the author’s characters. In haste I chose Posttraumatic by Chantal V. Johnson. It’s Ms. Johnson’s debut novel on Little, Brown and Company, and it’s something I’m recommending to everyone to read for the summer. You’ll follow along with the protagonist, Vivian, a lawyer that advocates for mentally ill people while trying to cope with and understand her own childhood traumas. I’m enjoying what I’m reading so far and haven’t really taken the time to put the book down. 7 Stefan Hawkins was born and raised in Harrisburg. He opened Good Brothas’s Book Cafe in January 2021 and has been leading a Good Brotha’s Can’t Read Book Club since last summer.
Nourishing Bites/Andrea Reed
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Have A Very Berry Summer
ot only are berries tiny, tasty treats, but they are also packed with antioxidants, dietary fiber, and vitamin C. From breakfast food to dessert, berries are by far one of the most exciting signs of summer. June marks the beginning of berry season in Pennsylvania as strawberries start off the season, with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries soon to follow. The beautiful color of berries comes from anthocyanins, or the blue, red, and purple pigments we see with our eyes. Berries are a member of the flavonoid family, which means they are both beautiful and health-boosting. Berries benefit all parts of our bodies. These stealthy scavengers seek out “free radicals” that damage cells and neutralize them. This may help reduce our risk of different cancers, promote brain health, and alleviate inflammation from existing diseases. Berries are fiber-rich, containing prebiotics that help keep our gut healthy. Keeping our gut healthy is one of the best ways to support our overall immune system. To get all the benefits berries have to offer, we want to vary the different types of berries from day to day. Adult men and women should consume 2-2.5 cups and 1.5-2 cups of fruit per day, respectively. We can estimate this by using our fist, which is approximately a 1 cup serving. For the best berries, we can check out our local farmers markets or make an adventure out of it by visiting a “U-pick” farm to harvest 12 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
our own. Berries do not ripen once picked. Buying local means these delicate berries can be picked and sold quickly without risk of damage in shipping or loss of freshness. While all fruit has nutritional benefits, the nutrient content is highest soon after they are picked. While we might be tempted to wash our berries when we get home, berries store best if they are not washed until right before they are used. Store your berries in a clean, dry container with ventilation to maximize freshness and prevent spoilage. When it comes to foods that taste great and are great for you, it is hard to rival berries. While berries are perfect on their own, they are also the ideal ingredient to practice the concept of ‘eating more’ nutrients instead of ‘eating less’ food. We can continue to enjoy our favorites but pack them with the protective power of berries. Berries make a great addition to cereal, pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt. Throw a handful of strawberries in your salad or blueberries in your blender. Double up on your health goals and focus on hydration by infusing your water with fresh berries. For a sweet treat, serve a cold summer berry salad with meals or
blend berries into some frozen banana chunks and scoop it like ice cream for a nutritious and delicious dessert. So let us go ahead and eat with our eyes this June as we enjoy these naturally sweet treats that come in a variety of vivid colors. 7
Andrea Reed, MPS, RDN, LDN, is a freelance dietitian with a background in agricultural sciences. Growing up in the outdoors of Pennsylvania inspired her to include agricultural education in her nutrition counseling and is the focus of her writing. To find out more about Reed Nutrition visit https://reedrdn.com.
Personal Finance/Bryson Roof
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Do I need to pay off my mortgage before I retire?
he Pennsylvania Dutch Culture has a profound impact on South Central PA, especially with the aversion to debt. While it may seem that you have to pay off your mortgage prior to retiring, there are three situations when paying off your mortgage early may not be your best option. Mortgage rate versus investment returns Whether it was refinancing mortgages to lower interest rate loans or purchasing a house when interest rates were extremely attractive, many South-Central Pennsylvania residents have taken advantage of the low interest rate environment. If your mortgage interest rate is lower than your historical investment returns, it likely does not make sense to pay off your mortgage quickly. For example, if you have a 5-year average investment return of 7% and your mortgage is charging an interest rate of 3.75%, it is in your best interest to pay your mortgage over the standard payment schedule. By investing additional funds at a 7% return rate, you are effectively earning 3.25% above your interest rate. Tax planning With the increased standard deduction, many homeowners can no longer itemize deductions and therefore do not qualify for the mortgage interest deduction. Instead of making additional principal payments above the required amortization schedule, it may make sense to save additional funds into a tax-deferred retirement account, such as a 401(k) or Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Contributions to these retirement accounts often lower tax obligations in the contribution year. As tax laws are constantly changing and individual situations impact eligibility for certain deductions and incentives, it is prudent to consult with your tax advisor or engage a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
invading your retirement investments, paying off the mortgage early typically doesn’t make sense. If you read my column often, you know I emphasize emergency funds. I swear things happen in threes. When something bad happens, inevitably, two other surprises pop up. I jokingly refer to emergency funds as sleep insurance because they are such a stress reliever for many people. Having some cash on hand to cover the unexpected bumps in the road. Be careful about reducing your emergency fund beyond your target levels to pay off the mortgage early. You do not want to be forced into credit card debt to cover short-term emergencies. If you have credit card debt or student loan debt, focus on paying off these higher rate loans prior to paying off your mortgage. Do the Math Try to avoid making the decision solely on a philosophical or emotional reason. Do the math to determine if the interest rate savings is greater than any tax savings from retirement contributions or potential investment returns. When in doubt, ask a specialized professional for their advice. Many loan officers are willing to help you with this calculation. 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.
Increased flexibility Debt is a powerful financial tool if used properly. Mortgages allow homeowners to purchase a house with a promise to pay a monthly installment over a specific period of time. This monthly mortgage payment allows homeowners to achieve other financial goals simultaneously, like saving for their children’s education, investing for retirement, and building an emergency fund for contingencies. If paying off your mortgage before retirement impacts your children’s education accounts, drastically reduces your emergency fund, or you’re JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 13
Theatre Thoughts/Barbara Trainin Blank
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2022-2023 Season Schedule for Local Theatres, Part One hree area theaters have sent in schedules for their 2022-2023 seasons. Stay tuned for more…
Edition, by L. Frank Baum, based on the classic motion picture, June dates/times to be posted this summer. www.openstagehbg.org.
LITTLE THEATRE OF MECHANICSBURG The Odd Couple - Female Version, Neil Simon, September 2-17; Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe, October 14-30, highly theatrical adaptation of four tales Poe considered his best; Ken Ludwig’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, November 26-December 11; Leading Ladies (also by Ludwig), January 13-29; Pippin, a young man’s search for meaning, with score from four-time Grammy winner, three-time Oscar winner and musical theater giant Stephen Schwartz, February 24-March 12; John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, about Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, who takes matters into her own hands when suspecting the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students (winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award), April 14-30; and Picasso at the Lapin Agile an absurdist comedy by Steve Martin, May 26-June 11. www.ltmpa.com.
THEATRE HARRISBURG Featuring works from two Harrisburg-area playwrights, at Krevsky Center. The season begins with David Ramon Zayas’s adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic American folktale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with music, movement, light, and shadow, September 9-18. Then Paul Hood’s original drama, Pieces, February 10-19. Other shows include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, November 4-20, and Sideshow, April 28-May 14, 2023, both at the Whitaker Center. Also at Krevsky will be The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, June 9-25, 2023. www.theatreharrisburg.com.
OPEN STAGE OF HARRISBURG, (season theme: “Adaptation”) Jolene: A Dolly Parton Song Cycle, Italian Lake Pavilion and Studio Theater, September 8-11; Treasure Island, adapted by Bryony Lavery from Robert Louis Stevenson, October 8-29, Main Stage; Who’s Holiday!, one-woman irreverent show, November 26-December 22; A Christmas Carol, adapted by Rachel Landon and Stuart Landon from Dickens’ novel, December 3-23. Puffs: or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic, January 13-22; Into the Woods, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, February 18-March 11. The Diary of Anne Frank, one public performance at The Theatre at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, March 16; Janet Length Cohen’s Anne & Emmett, in which Anne Frank and Emmett Till, victims of hatred, meet, March 17-26; Charlotte’s Web, by OSHKids training program for young artists, April 12-16; Tiny Beautiful Things, April 21-May 7; Poirot Investigates!, based on the story by Agatha Christie, May 27-June 17; and The Wizard of Oz: Youth
Local June 2022 theater productions include: • The Play That Goes Wrong, Allenberry Playhouse’s Keystone Theatrics, June 10-26. • Gretna Theatre features Honkey Tonk Angels (June 9-12) and Sondheim on Sondheim (23-26). • Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Theatre Harrisburg’s Krevsky Center, June 10-19. • A Raisin in the Sun, Susquehanna Stage, June 17-26. • Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, Totem Pole Playhouse, June 17-July 3. • The Winter’s Tale, Gamut Theatre’s Free Shakespeare in the (Reservoir) Park, June 3-18.7 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
The Summer Heat
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.” ummer sun and fun can bring the heat – literally. As we head into the summer months in Central Pennsylvania, let’s review the dangers that are associated with exposure to higher temperatures and ways to alleviate harm. By planning ahead, you can avoid “taking the heat” during the lazy, hazy days ahead. First, a grim statistic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2004-18, there were more than 10,520 reported heat-related deaths in the United States. Although extremely
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high temperatures can be dangerous, many people do not realize that temperatures do not have to be excessive to run the risk of a heat-related emergency. Humidity, sunlight exposure, hydration, exertion, overall health and extended time in certain conditions are all things to consider when dealing with potential heat-related emergencies. Common medical emergencies suffered throughout Central Pennsylvania each summer include sunburn, heat cramps,
heat exhaustion and, ultimately, heat stroke. Symptoms may include: • Muscular pain, spasms or cramps • Red or blistering skin • Dizziness and lightheadedness • Headache • Confusion • Nausea and vomiting • Feeling faint or passing out • Extreme sweating, or in worse cases, the cessation of sweating • Pale and clammy skin, in early stages; followed by red, hot and dry skin in later stages What can you do to prevent those symptoms and avoid heat-related emergencies? First and foremost: • Do not leave children or animals in a car, where temperatures can quickly soar above 100 degrees. • Check on your neighbors and relatives, especially younger children, older adults and those with mental or chronic illnesses. According to the CDC, these individuals are most at risk. Review additional tips below to avoid heatrelated emergencies and share them with your family and others. • Wear comfortable, lightweight and loosefitting clothing. • Stay hydrated with water or sports drinks.
• Avoid sugary drinks, alcohol, soda, tea and coffee, which can cause further dehydration. • Avoid sunburn by wearing sunscreen and protective eyewear. • Plan activities during the morning or late afternoon when heat and humidity are typically lower. • Review prescription medications that may impact heat and sunlight tolerance. • Pace yourself and take frequent breaks. • Have cool, damp rags available to assist with cooling down the body. If you or someone nearby experiences symptoms associated with the heat, move immediately to a cooler area and provide comfort, water and cooling mechanisms, such as a fan. Slowly cool down yourself or the individual. In the case of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, do not wait, call 911. Responding to heat exhaustion and heat stroke emergencies can be complex and require advanced medical attention from trained emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. Now that you’re equipped with these guidelines, enjoy this summer – safely! 7 Robert Stakem is executive director of the Senator John J. Shumaker Public Safety Center at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.
JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 15
For The Love of Pets/Kristen Zellner
It’s Not the Food
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s the weather warms up, dog parks, city streets, and local hiking trails begin to bustle. Dogs love to explore the world, especially with their noses and mouths. There are tons of delicious things to eat, sniff, and roll in. Trash, dead animals, animal droppings and discarded food are delicacies in a dog’s mind. Even if they don’t eat anything off the ground, dogs collect bacteria and chemicals on their paws and ingest them while licking their feet. Merely stepping on the waste of another dog can introduce microorganisms and parasites to a dog’s body that will result in a bout of diarrhea, or something much worse, later. Wiping your dog’s paws after a walk is always a good idea. It’s important to note several other things that can lead to diarrhea in dogs. Anxiety, changes in environment or routine, allergies, changing food, and eating foreign objects can all disturb normal digestive function. In addition, the bacteria that grows on unwashed pet bowls can be a recipe for a belly ache. Always use a clean dish to feed your pets and wash food containers and water bowls each time you fill them. Having a dog with diarrhea is inconvenient and worrisome. Though it’s always better to be safe than sorry, a veterinary appointment can be hard to get in the same day. So, here’s what can you do in the meantime. First, if you know what the dog consumed, remove the source of the problem. If the dog is acting normal and not vomiting, withhold food for about four hours. Without time to rest, additional food and water will stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in more diarrhea. If the diarrhea dissipates in the four hours, introduce a tiny amount of their food and water. Wait another four hours and repeat the process.
If that doesn’t work, withhold food and offer only water for 12-24 hours. Our inclination is to get dogs to eat but it is perfectly safe to have them fast. After the fasting period, introduce a bland diet for a couple of days. Steamed white rice, skinless cooked potato, canned pumpkin, and boiled chicken or ground turkey breast are easier on the digestive system than processed food. Fatty or greasy foods, like bacon or chicken skin, should be avoided. When the digestive tract experiences such a disruption, the balance of beneficial bacteria is thrown off. Adding probiotics and digestive enzymes, formulated for dogs, will help restore that balance and assist in the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Once the dog has fully recovered, you can gradually reintroduce regular food. Simple diarrhea will likely occur several times during a dog’s lifespan and is easily treated. However, if there is blood in the stool, vomiting, drooling, weakness, dehydration, and lack of appetite, make a veterinary appointment immediately. These symptoms can indicate a life-threatening health problem that requires emergency treatment. When in doubt, don’t wait to make a call that could save your dog’s life. 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.
Cinematic Ramblings/Kevyn Knox
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The Five (or make that Six) Best Musicals of All-Time
ummer is here. The birds are chirping. The sun is shining. Everyone is breaking out in song and dance numbers. Wait. That last part is only happening in the movies. It should happen in real life, and I have been known to do it, but for the most part, the random song and dance number is relegated to the movie musical. Which, by the by, is my favorite genre of cinema. So, now that I have laid out my premise, why not go ahead and talk about my five favorite movie musicals of all-time. Good segue, right? Anyhoo, let’s count ‘em down. 5. Moulin Rouge – This may be a controversial pick to start out with, as there are so many big-name musicals left off this list. Granted, Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 extravaganza may be a bit overblown, but the camp sensibilities of Luhrmann and his star Nicole Kidman, and the look of period costumes and settings juxtaposing with the pop hits of the modern era, make it work oh so well. 4. An American in Paris – This movie starts out small. Gene Kelly’s ex-pat artist awakes in his tiny Parisian apartment and does a whole song and dance as he does his morning ablutions and slowly 16 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
transforms his bedroom into a kitchen and living room. As the movie moves along, like a rising crescendo, the passion becomes thicker and the songs become more and more grandiose, eventually leading to one of the biggest, most extravagant musical finales ever put onto film. 3. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg – Jacques Demy’s beautifully haunting 1964 French New Wave musical never stops the music. More of a pop opera than a typical musical, the film is the story of love lost. While all the other movies on this list are (for the most part) happy-go-lucky motion pictures, Demy’s melancholy tale is full of loss and yearning and the idea of what could have been. It is so sad, yet so beautiful at the same time. 2. The Wizard of Oz AND Meet Me in St. Louis – Okay, this is my cheating way of sneaking six movies into my Top 5 list. Get over it. My cinematic love, the great Judy Garland’s two best films – out of a slew
of great films. From the gingham adorned Dorothy hurrying down the yellow brick road (though always making time to stop for a musical number) to the trolly loving St. Louis gal fawning over the boy next door, Garland can bring a smile to your heart and a tear to your eye. 1. Singin’ in the Rain – Often considered the greatest musical of all-time, this may actually be my favorite movie, of any genre, of all-time. I have probably watched this 1952 movie more times than I can remember and every single time it makes me happy. In fact, I defy anyone to watch Singin’ in the Rain and not feel happier afterward. It’s an impossibility. This may be the one perfect movie ever made. That’s it gang. See you at the movies. 7 Kevyn Knox is a Writer, Artist, Pop Photographer, Film & TV Historian, Pez Collector, and Pop Culturist. He has written film reviews for FilmSpeak, Central PA Voice, and The Burg. His reviews & other ramblings can be found on his blog, www.allthingskevyn.com.
JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 17
Postcards From…/Steven G. Williams
Postcards From…
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California
fter a few of these articles, it occurred to me that I have not actually written about a place I’ve been and let me say humbly, I’ve been to quite a few places. To be fair, I would probably have to be well traveled to write a travel column. But this column is not about humble bragging so I’ll do my best to provide as much insightful information as I can. And then humbly brag. In April 2022 I went to California. More specifically, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, then back to Palm Springs. None of those locations are that close to each other and they all required a bit of driving to access. It was two hours from Palm Springs to LA, two hours from LA to Santa Barbara and then almost four hours from Santa Barbara back to Palm Springs. One might ask why I went to Palm Springs first and that is because I was going for a work trip, then added LA and Santa Barbara at the last minute. Despite being required to drive to locations because of my itinerary, it is advised to have a car when visiting California. LA for example is extremely expansive and there is a lot to see. I am a big supporter of public transportation, but I also think you should get the most out of your vacation. Just rent a fuel-efficient car while traveling through California. You won’t regret it. While in California, I ate at some Cali staples like Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles and In-N-Out Burger. This connects back to my first article on value travel. Both restaurant chains are unique to the west.
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And Roscoe’s is only in California. So, to reiterate a point I made a few months ago, research regional specialties. Sure, chicken and burgers are hardly unique to California, but the restaurants serving them are and that adds a certain level of experience you might not get elsewhere. Plus, the food was damn good. Kudos to both those chains. I could go on for hours about this trip, but the last thing I’ll say is that I visited Joshua Tree National Park which is roughly one hour outside of Palm Springs. This was truly something special for me. I don’t think I’ve ever really been in the desert, at least for an extended period. So, the advice I’d give here, is do something you’ve never done before. I think you would be surprised to realize how rarely we all do something for the first time. We fall into routines and that’s ok because routines offer stability, but travel is partly about breaking out of those routines and shaking things up. For me, it was visiting the desert, for you it could be anything but when planning your next trip, look for something you’ve never done before and prioritize it. 7 Steven Williams is an avid traveler, amateur cook, and fantasy author. He serves on the Harrisburg School Board and is the Associate Director for the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/ Youth Development Network. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with his wife Danielle.
Poem/Gene Hosey
Untitled By Gene Hosey
February Unusual winter weather unpredictable this earth is warm beneath our feet following a plan sticking to a schedule the planet shrugs / what to do? / what to do? scattered people everywhere shrugging also what to do
? ? ?
what to do
Maybe June will give us answers we don’t care to know. Long-time poet and performer Gene Hosey resides in Lisburn, PA.
JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 19
#hbgmag Influencer
Bradley Jones: ‘Planting’ Dreams for Harrisburg
Harristown President & CEO builds upon a legacy of redevelopment Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
Photos By Rick Snizik “His mind now misgave him; he began to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched. Surely this was his native village which he had left but the day before.” — from Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”
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uspend your disbelief for a moment and imagine it were possible for someone, anyone, whether their name be Rip Van Winkle or John Doe, to sleep for decades at a time. In Rip’s case it was for twenty years, but let’s say our deep slumberer was in a dream state for fifty and had first laid himself down on a bench in Harrisburg’s Market Square way back in June of 1972. Yes, before that “storm of the century” Hurricane Agnes hit Pennsylvania with a vengeance (so, hopefully, our sleeper’s pajamas were waterproof). Before Strawberry Square and The Whitaker Center. Even before Stephen R. Reed first stepped into the mayor’s office with a “let’s build Restaurant Row” twinkle in his eye. Now, ask yourself the question, “if someone had been asleep non-stop for five decades and was waking up for the first time on that bench … what would be the first thing you might say to prepare them for the way Harrisburg has changed?” This seemed like a perfect question to pose to Bradley Jones, President and CEO of Harristown Development Corporation, a non-profit entity that’s been working hard at revitalizing downtown Harrisburg for nearly 50 years (since 1974!).
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PHOTO SUBMITTED Fifteen@Twenty-Two
“Harrisburg has become a place where people want to live,” answered Jones, “and that has gotten better and better during my tenure here. And Harrisburg is becoming a very popular place for people to move to, too. You see places like Lancaster, Harrisburg, and York becoming popular in terms of people moving out of bigger cities and coming here. And that’s really exciting for us, because we sign all the leases, and we see where people are coming from, and we’re like ‘wow’, they’re coming from California, Texas, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York, you name it.” That excitement, at least in recent times, has been further elevated by Harristown’s creation of 250 new apartments in the last five years, including a 28-unit project on Market Square called The Menaker Project. Additionally, Jones credits a move in the direction of affordable housing as being responsible for attracting college grads. “We took a lot of our student housing off the market a few years ago, renovated it, and put it back on the market as affordable housing,” he exclaims. “So that folks who are making between $15 and $20 an hour can afford those apartments, which is kind of where the sweet spot is that [current mayor] Wanda Williams is looking for.” “I think you’re seeing a real rebirth of college students coming here after graduation. There was just an article in Pennlive, and it was saying that we were second in the country with See Bradley Jones on Page 22 JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 21
Bradley Jones, continued from Page 21
regard to places for college graduates. St. Louis was first, and we were second!” “It’s a wonderful place to live, and I think we’ve been discovered.” Exciting news indeed for any Rip Van Winkles who’ve been napping for the past five decades. And we’re excited to recognize the efforts that Harristown has undertaken to make Harrisburg a more attractive city to people of all ages and income levels by selecting Jones as our Influencer of the month.
PHOTO SUBMITTED Strawberry Square Bridge Entrance
PHOTO SUBMITTED Hilton
PHOTO SUBMITTED The Flats at Strawberry Square 22 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
Seeing the trees through the forestry Call Jones a “woodhead” and he won’t be offended. The Cedar Cliff grad majored in Forestry at Penn State, and that’s a name that was traded affectionately by his fellow forestry students. So, it’s no surprise that, after earning his degree, Jones was soon hired as Head of the Hardwood Development Council at the PA Department of Agriculture, a position he playfully refers to as Chief Woodhead. For 3 ½ years Jones would work to promote Pennsylvania forest products, including furniture. But Jones’ vision for his future wasn’t solely focused on trees and wood. “I figured I wasn’t going to stay at the State too long,” he recalls. “It wasn’t quite entrepreneurial enough for me. And then the former president of the company [Harristown] called me one day and said ‘hey, would you consider coming over here?’ So, it was just ‘wow,’ to get a chance to come in and rebuild the downtown here, in my hometown, it was great stuff. A dream come true.” That dream would begin as a project management position in 2000 (“sort of economic development work with the state,” he says), and within five years he was promoted to Vice President for Community Development. This would lead to “a little higher-level work with more of the senior execs,” which would put him on the radar for an even bigger promotion in 2015. “When my boss decided to retire, he recommended me for the presidency,” remembers Jones. “And the board agreed, and so I was feeling very fortunate to get that opportunity. So, this is my 8th year as President and CEO.” Ideally, an idealist (with ideas) The idealism - and the great ideas - started long before Jones assumed leadership at Harristown. On the one hand, he appreciates and admires all the development projects the company shepherded through the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, and, on the other, he is proud to be serving as a shepherd himself for a myriad of 21st century projects. In the early days, there were the signature projects like Strawberry Square (two phases: 1979 & 1989) and the Hilton Harrisburg (1990), two of the most recognizable and enduring structures in the downtown landscape. And much of the early redevelopment of the capitol city was done with the avid support of late Mayor Steve Reed, who was very helpful in building both the Hilton and the Whitaker Center. “We had a great relationship with Mayor Reed,”
PHOTO SUBMITTED Strawberry Square Atrium
recalls Jones. “When I got here, he was always very supportive. If you knew the mayor, there’s nothing he loved more than a project. You would bring a project over to him in his office, and ten minutes later he would tell you about your project and it would sound better than what you just told him. He was very talented with regard to envisioning a project. He was a visionary.” The vision - and mission - at Harristown has both stayed the same and evolved over the years. As always, says Jones, “we try to approach what we do here asking ‘are we making the city a better place every day?’ But we also want to be able to do that in a way that is sustainable, because every dollar we make we put back into a future project.” Eds, beds, meds ... and peds In a 2018 interview with Blueprint, Jones was eager to talk about what was then a new strategic direction for the city, one which he was eager to lead his staff of over 150 employees in implementing. Something that he liked to call “Eds, Beds, and Meds.” For “Eds” (or Educational development) … Jones cites new Harrisburg University projects, including a new 100-million-dollar Health Sciences Building at 3rd and Chestnut streets, and also the school’s leasing of the old Hallmark gift store for the new Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; the Messiah Harrisburg Institute branch; the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA), a current “anchor tenant” that took over the entire third floor at the Square in 2020; and also the expansion of on-site daycare within See Bradley Jones on Page 24 JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 23
Bradley Jones, continued from Page 23
the downtown educational corridor. For “Meds” (or Medical care development) … there’s the Rite Aid at Strawberry Square (“our biggest retail tenant,” exclaims Jones); UPMC Family Care, the first doctor’s offices in the Square; plus, starting this August, the opening of the Shady Side Nursing School, also inside Strawberry Square, “for 16-month, straight-thru, 200 nurses the first year, 400 the second year,” says Jones. And, for “Beds” (or Residential housing) … there are the aforementioned 250 new apartments in five years, including 24 luxury apartments with 15-foot ceilings at Strawberry Square; plus affordable housing projects for recent graduates. But to truly appreciate the depth and scope of what Jones classifies a “rip-roaring” market for “beds,” visit Harristown’s real estate brokerage firm at www.hbgrealty.net. “We are literally leasing anything we put up,” says Jones. “You know, it’s gone in a few days.” All of which leaves us with an adjunct to Jones’ strategy, first hinted at in the same 2018 interview: “Peds,” or Pedestrian safety project development. In addition to current efforts by the City of Harrisburg to make both State Street (heading West into the city) and Second Street safer for pedestrians, Jones is pleased with the past administration’s “whole redo of Third Street, from basically downtown, Chestnut, all the way up to North of Maclay.” “That beautified the city, it beautified the corridor, and it also really changed the pedestrian mobility issues for the better, 100 percent,” says Jones. “One of the things in our downtown that’s so wonderful is it’s so walkable.” And soon to be more “cyclable,” too. In addition to proposed bike lanes on State and Second Streets, Tri-County Planning recently announced plans to relaunch its highly popular Bike Share Program, which was suspended during the pandemic.
PHOTO SUBMITTED The BOGG on Cranberry
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Planting ‘trees’ As anyone with a background in forestry will tell you, planting trees - or anything that grows - is about much more than the actual planting. There’s also a lot of tending and nurturing, something which isn’t lost on Jones on a personal level, whose three children will be wishing him a “Happy Father’s Day” again this month. He and his wife, Robin, have tried to teach their kids to be both independent and make good decisions. “And” adds Jones, “remember to reach back behind you and help others along the way.” As a former Chief Woodhead, Jones also admits to being “lucky enough to be involved in a number of urban forestry initiatives here in the downtown.” During our interview in his office at Strawberry Square, he pridefully asks us to look out the window to see the many trees he’s had a hand in planting. “I really love urban forestry,” he says, “and nothing is more beautiful to me than a nice little block of shops that’s nicely married with some really nice mature street trees. We’ve got a couple of blocks like that that are really nice. It’s a beautiful tree-friendly city.” As the sitting President and CEO of Harristown Development Corporation, Jones is fearless in setting both short and long-term
development goals for the city he loves. “I think our goal for the next year is to try to understand where this ‘work from home’ issue is headed. And how that will impact the city. We’ve spent the last 10 years really focused on building residences, and the last 5 physically building them. And we know there’s probably a lot more to do on that, because office demand is slow, to put it mildly … and we think there’s going be some retraction of office demand as people’s leases start to come up, and they start to look and wonder ‘do I need the 10 thousand square feet that I had.’” “I think in the next 10 years, I see this as a great city. I think it’s a good city now, I think it could be a great city. We just gotta keep each little thing - every coffee shop, every restaurant, every new apartment complex, every new entertainment venue, every new public place to recreate - all those things are part of that puzzle that make for a great city. I think we have a lot of those components.” “There’s a lot of great stuff coming.” 7
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A “Celebration of Resolve” Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Agnes Flood of June 1972
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Story By David J. Morrison and Jeb Stuart Photos Submitted
ne of the most historic and dramatic episodes of the 20th century in Harrisburg was the Tropical Storm Agnes Flood of June 1972. While the flood’s high-water mark was unquestionably historic and dramatic, it is the history of the flood’s aftermath – an era of steady recovery and revitalization – that warrants a long look back fifty years hence. In late June of 1972, Agnes followed a path directly up the Susquehanna River valley, causing the river cities of Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre to endure the most extensive flood-related 26 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
destruction, although damage across Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey and New York, was significant. Agnes was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane’s death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, with much of the east coast of the United States affected. Pennsylvania endured the heaviest overall damage. The storm, which traveled up the east coast from the Gulf of
Mexico, unusually and unfortunately stalled directly over the Susquehanna, dropping more than a foot of rain over a severalday period. This brought the river’s depth at Harrisburg to 33.27 feet on June 24, a high-water mark that stands as the most significant rise of the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg since records of the river levels have been kept. Flood waters on the Schuylkill, Brandywine, Lackawanna, and Allegheny Rivers as well caused extensive damage, in Reading, Chadds Ford, Scranton and Western Pennsylvania respectively. Across Pennsylvania, more than 68,000 homes and 3,000 businesses were destroyed. Due to the destroyed houses, at least 220,000 people were left homeless. The damage and death toll in Pennsylvania were higher than in any other state, with 50 fatalities and $2.3 billion in losses in the Keystone State alone. Due to the significant and widespread effects, the name Agnes was retired by the National Hurricane Center in the spring of 1973, to never again be used for another Atlantic hurricane. In Harrisburg, whole neighborhoods were inundated, from Shipoke to Uptown. Flood waters in the four-year-old Governor’s Residence (completed in 1968) were several feet deep on the ground floor, and an entire block of row homes in the next block of Second Street was destroyed by fire because firetrucks could not reach the neighborhood. As the summer unfolded, the soggy contents of flooded homes were heaped on sidewalks. A reassuring sight was the spontaneous appearance of groups of Amish women who arrived with mops and pails to help clean up the muck. The City began identifying buildings too damaged to save, and demolition commenced. The task of “urban renewal” would be vast. But it was the demolition of rows of homes particularly in the hard-hit Shipoke neighborhood that prompted the rethinking of what urban renewal should represent. Longtime residents did not want to lose their homes, and new “urban homesteaders” saw opportunity in flooddamaged houses that could be purchased for a few hundred dollars. This triggered a policy shift away from traditional urban renewal wherein entire blocks were razed in favor of a more sensitive and creative See Agnes Flood on Page 28 JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 27
Agnes Flood, continued from Page 27
approach to community conservation and historic preservation, largely driven by grassroots activism. As flood insurance was nonexistent at that time, recovery was advanced through efforts of the Small Business Administration to help homeowners recover losses to their properties. Federal flood recovery “urban renewal” districts were created; namely the Cameron-South Harrisburg Urban Renewal District in Shipoke and along the Cameron Street corridor and the Penn-Susquehanna Urban Renewal District in the city’s Midtown and Uptown areas. The complete about-face in Harrisburg’s approach to urban renewal can be seen most markedly in the Shipoke and Midtown neighborhoods. Rather than wholesale demolition, the City’s work focused on upgrading streets, sidewalks, and related public infrastructure, while simultaneously facilitating and encouraging the preservation of existing neighborhoods and homes. Much of this was due to growing grassroots “back to the city” activism that quickly filled the void in civic thinking. This newly awakened public spirit in the flood’s aftermath sparked the founding of the Historic Harrisburg Association in February 1973 by Shipoke and Midtown residents and others who quickly saw the benefit of organizing and speaking with one
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voice. Historic Harrisburg’s first Candlelight House Tour was presented in December 1973 both to showcase the benefits and attractions of historic city living and to raise funds, dual purposes that have continued in the 49 years since. This led to initiatives from city government in 1973 to establish the first municipal historic districts followed by the overlay of National Register Historic Districts in 1974 and 1975. Shipoke became a focus of this renewal particularly as seen through the development of new townhouse construction interspersed with historically preserved housing stock. Meanwhile, and shortly after the flood, the losses of significant downtown landmarks such as the Penn-Harris Hotel in 1973 and the majestic State Theater in 1974 helped to lead to the efforts of the Greater Harrisburg Movement to establish the Harristown Development Corporation that set forth a plan to redevelop the Central Business District. The steady application of these early community development tools resulted in Harrisburg being recognized as a leader in historic preservation and urban revitalization, while making the city a residential and business location of choice, all owing to the foresight of community leaders awakened by the “watershed” impact of the flood waters of Agnes.
This month, the 50th Anniversary of the 1972 Agnes Flood is being commemorated as a “Celebration of Resolve” by focusing on the half century of historic preservation and urban revitalization that followed the flood rather than on the dramatic and destructive episode itself. Activities include: • On Saturday, June 11, a new outdoor history marker commemorating this “Celebration of Resolve” will be unveiled in Riverfront Park in Shipoke in a 1 PM free public ceremony, with attendees encouraged to bring picnic lunches. The marker is jointly sponsored by Historic Harrisburg, the Shipoke Neighborhood Association, and the Midtown Action Council. • On Sunday, June 12, from 1 to 5 PM, Historic Harrisburg will present its “Secret Gardens of Historic Harrisburg” garden tour featuring some 20 gardens in the Midtown and Shipoke neighborhoods. • On Friday, June 17 (3rd in the Burg) the three organizations will host a public reception and exhibit “A Celebration of Resolve: 50 Years After Agnes” from 5 to 8 PM at the Historic Harrisburg Resource Center, 1230 N. Third Street. • On Monday, June 17, a free illustrated lecture, “A Celebration of Resolve: 50 Years After Agnes” will be presented at the Historic Harrisburg Resource Center at 6 PM.
Information about all these activities may be found at www.historicharrisburg.org/ events, or by calling Historic Harrisburg at 717.233.4646. 7 David Morrison and Jeb Stuart have a long record of collaborating on a wide array of local history programs, lectures, writings, exhibits and tours, mostly under the aegis of the Historic Harrisburg Association which has been “promoting historic preservation, urban revitalization, and smart growth since 1973.”
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Short Story/Great Grandfather
Great Grandfather
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Story by Jack Smiles Illustration by Mya Grove
reat Grandfather loved Jacob, but man, the kid was annoying. Jacob’s Sunday visits to the modest old house in the Pennsylvania coal town where Great Grandfather grew up and still lived always turned into a baseball inquisition. Great Grandfather sat at the kitchen table with his head down picking at the label of his bottle of Bud with a fingernail, while Jacob loomed over him with his damn giant baseball encyclopedia and peppered him with questions. What was it like in San Antonio? Did you ride the rails all over California? Did you know you led the New England League in stolen bases in 1948? Did you know you were teammates with Jimmy Piersall in Scranton, and what was it like there? Great Grandfather spit nails. At least that’s what he said to Jacob, “Answering your questions is like spitting nails.” One Sunday, Jacob wanted to know about great-grandfather’s major league career. “Great-grandfather, tell me about the home run you hit off Warren Spahn and the time you drank beer with Mickey Mantle.” “Home run, no. Mantle, no. Beer, yes. And the beer was half the damn reason I didn’t.” “Didn’t what, great-grandfather?” “Didn’t hit a homer off Warren Spahn or anybody else. Didn’t make it,
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damn it. And stop calling me great-grandfather.” “But you did great-grandfather. You made it to the major leagues, and you hit three home runs and one was off Warren Spahn. It says so right here in my baseball encyclopedia.” Jacob read: “Stanley Bendis, born Benton, Pennsylvania, height 5-11, weight 170, bats left, throws...” “Yeah, blah, blah, blah, don’t it say, too, I only got in 50 games and batted .220?” “Thirty-nine and .207. But great-grandfather you were a professional ballplayer for 11 years. You played in the Baker Bowl. It’s the coolest thing.” “Cool? Oh brother. And stop calling me great-grandfather.” “What should I call you then?” “Pops. Stanley. I don’t know.” “The little kids call you pops. I’m big now, great-grandfather.” “Yeah, you are big. Well, tall, anyway.” One day Jacob brought Brandon with him. “He’s my friend from school and he wants your autograph.” “Autograph? What kind of cockamamie stuff has Jacob been telling you?” “He said you played in the major leagues, sir.” “So did a million other guys, why don’t you get their autographs?” Brandon, who looked half the size of Jacob, shoved his hands in his jean pockets, looked down at his feet, turned red and squirmed. “I don’t know any of them other guys,” he murmured. “Huh, what’d you say, kid?” “Great-grandfather,” Jacob said, “please sign the ball. What’s the harm?” Brandon handed Great Grandfather a ball and pen and he signed it. One Sunday, Jacob brought his little sister Renee. She looked down and shuffled her feet and stammered, “a… would you…” she stopped and looked up at her brother. “She wants to take you to school for show-and-tell,” Jacob said. “Show and tell? I don’t want no damn kids staring at me like I’m some kinda freak. I’ll show ‘em my tongue and tell ‘em to go to hell.” Great Grandfather looked like he might really spit nails. Renee’s smile fell. Her eyes teared up. Great Grandfather couldn’t stand to see Renee cry, so it was off to school. Fifth period. Miss Redding’s sixth grade history class. Jacob and Brandon, dismissed from freshman Spanish, were there, too. Renee stood in front of her classmates. Great Grandfather sat in the teacher’s chair wearing a dirty old, frayed Browns cap. Miss Redding stood by the door. “This is my great-grandfather, Stanley Bendis, and he played baseball in the major leagues for
the St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Phillies,” Renee said. The girls giggled. The boys stared at Renee’s Great Grandfather like he was some kind of freak. Renee said, “You can ask any questions.” Hands shot up. Renee called on Max. “My dad said baseball players are a bunch of millionaires and half of them are on dope. Are you a millionaire,” Max asked. “A millionaire? I’m lucky I got a pot to piss in.” “Mr. Bendis, please, watch your language,” Miss Redding scolded. “Sorry. No, I’m no millionaire. Ballplayers today are, but I played a long time ago. I’m not even a thousandaire.” The kids laughed at that. “And I’m not on dope.” They laughed again. They asked him what position he played. “Catcher,” he said, holding up his gnarled fingers as proof. They asked him how old he was. “Eighty-nine.” They asked him who was the best player he ever saw and who was the worst. “Ted Williams and me,” Great Grandfather said. They asked him if he played Little League. “There was no such thing back in my day. We played in the street or a vacant lot.” They asked him what he did after baseball. “Roofs,” he said. “Roofs?” asked Miss Redding. “Yeah, I put a roof on half the houses in this town and tarred the one above our heads right now.” Everybody looked up. Renee called on Jacob. “Tell us about the first time you batted in the major leagues.” “Can’t remember.” Renee read from her notes. “It was on September 7 in 1950 against Bobby Shantz of the Philadelphia A’s in the Baker Bowl.” Great Grandfather paused and cleared his throat. The room went quiet. “Oh yeah. I was so nervous they said they could hear my knees knocking from the dugout and then I struck out.” The kids all laughed, and Great Grandfather laughed with them. Great Grandfather couldn’t remember the last time he had a good laugh. He looked around the room. He saw Jacob’s friend Brandon showing the awed fifth graders the autographed ball. He saw Renee and Jacob beaming with pride and he thought, maybe this baseball hero stuff ain’t so bad after all. 7 Jack Smiles of Wyoming Borough (Luzerne County) is a retired feature writer and correspondent for Times Shamrock Communications. His published books are three biographies of Pennsylvania coal miners turned baseball Hall of Famers: Hughie Jennings (Pittston), Ed Walsh (Plains Twp.) and Bucky Harris (Hughestown). JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 31
PHRC Executive Director Works to Help Create a Beloved Community Story By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger
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had Dion Lassiter has been at the helm of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) for four years now and considers his role as Executive Director as a calling. “I’m a man of faith, therefore I’ve always had an assignment, but never a job,” he said. The PHRC leader said that he strives to honor that faith in everything he does, from mentoring youth in the community, to stepping in to help his family when a sisterin-law died of pancreatic cancer and left three daughters behind. “I was instrumental in raising them,” he said. Lassiter’s resume is impressive and his dedication to his field is evident by the numerous accolades he’s received over the years, from being named among the “Young Leaders of the Future” by Ebony in 2002, to being recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as “The Most Influential African American Leader from 2010-2020.” More recent recognitions include an induction into the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice Hall of Fame and a “2021 Social Worker of the Year” award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Lassiter is the fifth to serve as executive director of the PHRC, which has regional offices in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. The civil rights enforcement agency was created more than six decades ago and is still adding to the list of goals to accomplish. According to Lassiter, the agency promotes equal opportunity for all and exists to protect individuals from 32 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
PHOTO SUBMITTED Chad Dion Lassiter
unlawful discrimination. “If someone perceives that they’ve been discriminated against, they come to us,” said Lassiter, adding that Pennsylvania has a long way to go when it comes to treating one another with kindness and respect. “According to the Anti-Defamation League, we are eighth in the country when it comes to hate groups,” said Lassiter, explaining why outreach is so important. “When I look at Pennsylvania in context, I believe we have a lot of underreporting when it comes to discrimination. People may not want to report it. Perhaps their culture tells them to put their head down and not make waves,” he said. One initiative that Lassiter has developed
and launched to combat institutional racism is a “No Hate in Our State Townhall,” to address the surge of white nationalism in Pennsylvania. Another is a “Social Justice Lecture Series,” providing an outlet for communities in Pennsylvania to discuss such issues. “We bring in the top people in the field to provide a framework on how to address systemic and structural racism and to spark action,” he said. The PHRC staff also undergoes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training, along with social justice training. “We start with ourselves. How can we advocate for others if we can’t be self-reflexive?” asks Lassiter. See Lassiter on Page 34
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The agency has also developed six PHRC social justice committees, which are jointly led by a senior staff and a commission member. Those committees focus on educational equity, fair housing and commercial property, police and community relations, diversity and inclusion, community outreach and human relations. Lassiter points out that the PHRC exists to make positive changes in race relations in Pennsylvania. “Those who promote hate oftentimes do so due to traumatic experiences that they’ve endured that puts them in that place. I’m not here to point fingers, but to highlight the great stuff we’ve been doing in the past four years to eradicate that,” said Lassiter, who is known as a National Expert in the field of American Race Relations and has worked on race, and poverty issues in not only the United States, but also in Canada, Africa, Haiti, Israel, and Norway. He brings this experience to the PHRC to push for improvements in race relations and to combat misunderstandings as well. “We exist for ALL people, because all people can be discriminated against,” 34 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
he said. Another controversial issue he tackles is the right/left divide. “We can be Democrats and Republicans, but we need to be civil towards one another,” said Lassiter. Then there’s the question of the PHRC and its relationship towards policing. “I’m always articulating that we aren’t anti-police. We are anti-corrupt police; we need to recognize the humanity of law enforcement and vice-versa,” said Lassiter. “In the end, it’s learning from people like Martin Luther King and Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel and striving to create what King deemed ‘the beloved community,’” he adds.
Mentoring as a Mission Lassiter said that he can’t stress enough the importance of mentoring as he, himself, was also once mentored. “The late Arlen Specter shared with me the importance and the value of mentoring. Planting that seed in the life of a young person can really make a difference,” he said. Lassiter put this into practice when he co-founded a mentoring group where he currently serves as president. The University
of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice’s Black Men at Penn is known as the first Ivy League black male group of social workers. Part of their mission is to recruit black males into the social worker profession. Additional initiatives are providing anti-racism and violence prevention training to urban and suburban schools around the country and offering diversity and inclusion training for corporate entities and penal systems. Lassiter said that mentoring has made a difference in the lives of countless young people, and he hopes that they will take the initiative to pay it forward like he has. As for those nieces he stepped up to raise and consequentially mentor, he said that he has enjoyed watching them grow into adulthood and that they are thriving. Two are married and all three are mothers, active in their respective churches and making inroads within their chosen professions. “Losing a parent to pancreatic cancer was beyond a challenge but having a strong spiritual support system and a healthy village got them through,” he said with a smile. 7
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“A sad tale’s best for winter. I have one of sprites and goblins.” Mamillius (“The Winter’s Tale,” Act 2, Scene 1) 29th ANNUAL FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: A PREVIEW IN PHOTOS What: “The Winter’s Tale” Where: Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park When: June 3-18 – Wed thru Sat, 7:30 p.m. Our Will (photographer Will Masters) sought to capture the spirit of another Will (as in “The Bard”) during Gamut Theatre’s preparations for their June production of “The Winter’s Tale.” Free admission, but canned goods will be collected for Bethesda Mission. More information at https://www.gamuttheatre.org/fsip.
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I just got a land line phone call from William Roddey, which happens to be my name and, to my knowledge at the time, I was not calling me. It’s messin’ with my head. The next time I call I think I’ll answer it, just to see what I want. I dream of a better world where Goofy is not judged as to what kind of animal he is. A dog? A giraffe with arms? A person of questionable lineage? I lost my cool about the heat today, but I found it murmuring and bubbling in the attic of my mind beside old age rants, feelings of frustration trying to open my pills’ child proof caps, drivers getting mad at me going the speed limit instead of roaring like a jet down the runway, my inability to find words to finish whatever the hell I was talking about and the dwindling of old friends, pets and parents as they slip slide away in the murky mists of my memories. Bill, Once a Tropical Storm, Is Expected to Weaken Further. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.” EVER. It’s so hot today that my home-grown tomatoes turned into ketchup on the vine.
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11-year-old actress goes from Gamut Theatre to HBO and Netflix in just 4 years! Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
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Photo By Jonathan Pushnik
veryone enjoys a good success story. Especially when it’s a “local kid makes good” kind of success story. And Central PA native Caitlin Shorey has had her share of success over the past four-plus years. But for someone so young – just 11 years old – it’s amazing just how fast her star has begun to rise. “For stage acting, I’ve been doing that since I was six years old,” she says, “a lot of stuff with local theatres. I’ve done stuff at Gamut … the Jewish Community Center … Open Stage. Gamut was my first show – the first onstage show that I ever did: The Adventures of Robin Hood.” “But, for on-camera acting,” she continues, “I’ve only been doing that for a little over a year.” That’s right, it’s only been a little over a year since Caitlin began doing auditions for film roles, and yet after just her third attempt – “my third audition that I had ever done,” she says – she landed the part of the younger Clare Abshire (Rose Leslie) in the HBO series “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Pretty darn impressive. Not to mention exciting. “I just did the audition, and I didn’t really expect anything from it,” Shorey recalls. “And then I waited for a little bit, and then I got a call back. So, I was really excited, because it was my first call back ever … and then I waited, and then I did a director’s session. And then, my parents were actually watching “The Time Traveler’s Wife” the [2009] movie when we got the call that I got it. So, it was just a weird coincidence.” But it certainly is no coincidence to be cast in a second on-camera role within the same year! Later in 2022, Shorey will make her feature film debut in “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” Netflix’s adaptation of the Stephen King short story, which Blumhouse and Ryan Murphy
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Productions finished filming in Connecticut this past December. The film stars veteran actor Donald Sutherland and former child actor Jaeden Martell, who ironically landed his first major film role at age 11 (opposite Bill Murray in “St Vincent”). Though she “can’t say a whole lot” about the yet-to-be-released “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” Shorey is confident in talking about the reaction to “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” an adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s intricate and magical novel. Mere days after the premiere episode aired on HBO on May 15th, Shorey is aglow: “I think people like it. I think that it’s just such a great story, and I think that it’s just really got people ready to see the rest of it.” Whether the limited series will become more than limited and return for a second season remains to be seen. In the meantime, Shorey will continue doing what she loves best - “putting personality to characters” – while continuing to help raise money and awareness for metastatic breast cancer and Inheritance of Hope, a nonprofit charity that helps families with children under 18 who have a parent with a terminal illness. It’s a way of “giving back” to those who helped Shorey deal with the loss of her own mother, who succumbed to breast cancer in 2021. “She was a huge influence for me,” Shorey says of her mother. “She supported me with whatever I was doing, whether it’s acting, or pageants, or singing … and I still feel like she’s with me and that she would absolutely love the show [“The Time Traveler’s Wife”] … and that she’s just very proud of me.” With a goal of eventually becoming a fulltime film and TV actor, Shorey is determined to continue making her late mother – and her entire family and community – proud. “I think my dream would be to just be a part of anything with a kid’s ensemble cast,” she says, “like Stranger Things, It, The Sandlot … and anything Lin-Manuel Miranda, where I can sing and act, because those are two of my favorite things.” All six episodes of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” are available for watching on HBO Max and Hulu (Premium Subscription). Netflix has yet to announce an official release date for “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone.” 7
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Summer of Sydney Story By Sydney Fry Photos Submitted Editor’s note: Sydney Fry is young, enthusiastic, and determined to make it in the world of rodeo riding. If she hadn’t reached out to us a couple of months ago, seeking some recognition and support for her quest, perhaps we wouldn’t be providing her this opportunity to tell her story so soon, but we guarantee we would have eventually noticed her rising star status. With that said, we hope you enjoy reading these regular updates on her progress.
PHOTO SUBMITTED Chiropractor Dr Keri L. Halderman working on Fireball
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Hello! It’s Sydney Fry again! My 2022 rodeo season did not start out as planned. Here is why. At the beginning of March, Fireball busted down part of the pasture fence and cut up his legs. This is every horse owner’s biggest nightmare! Fireball was lucky and only had skin rubbed off his front legs and one small cut on his upper leg. No stitches were needed, but I have never been that terrified for my horse until that day! Dr Clyde McMillen, VMD from Tri County Veterinary Services in Landisburg, PA, had to sedate and shave Fireball at the areas where the cuts were, give him an antibiotic and some pain medication. We were so thankful for Dr. McMillen and his knowledge. Now we just needed to keep the wounds clean, and Fireball would be able to run at the show the next weekend! WRONG! Fireball’s injuries were not fatal nor were they bad enough that he needed to be bandaged or have a cast, but the kicking he did to get his legs torn up caused him to have muscle tightness in his rear end and lower back. We had to call our horse Chiropractor Dr Keri L. Halderman to work on Fireball to remove tightness and make sure he was not out of alignment. We had to have several appointments before Keri felt Fireball was ready to start running again. Fireball was coming along slowly but healing well. During this time, I could not ride him, and we could not attend the first NBHA show at the end of March. We had worked really hard to be ready for the 2022 season and now we would have to start all over. This can be very frustrating for both horse and rider. Performance horses need to stay busy and have a job and it doesn’t take long for them to get out of shape if not worked on a strict schedule. I ran my first Rodeo on April 8-10 at a new facility at The Keystone Horse Center owned by Steve Wright and Adele Stevens in Bloomsburg, PA. We did our first run Friday with poles. We ran a 25.9, landing in the top 10 of the 3D bracket. Saturday’s schedule was open barrels, youth barrels and an evening pole run. This arena has a long run from the starting gate to the third barrel. This can be confusing to people who do not understand that each place you run you get a different time. I was hoping to be in the 18’s in barrels. Our first run in the open barrels we scored 18.7. It was a clean run! Next was youth barrels where we got a score of 18.2, landing us in the top 10 2D placing! No money, but progressing! Saturday evening poles, Fireball ran 24.8, landing us 1st place in 3D poles with a payout of $47.00! Way to go Fireball! I was over the moon with Fireball’s progression. Sunday, we ran an 18.1 in the open barrels. No money, but just getting better and better! Our last run of the weekend I made a bet with my mom that if I got a 17, she had to buy me these expensive
jeans I wanted. Well, guess whose pocketbook is $100.00 less? Fireball and I ran a 17.88, landing 8th place in 2D barrels! This is my personal best at Keystone! So, we had a great weekend! We absolutely loved everything about Keystone arena! No, we are not getting the big money pots, but what is the saying? Slow and steady wins the race? Fireball and I are working our way to win the race one clean run at a time! Until next time, keep kicking up the dust! 7
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Artful Inspirations
West Meets East in Artistic Narrative Story By Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com
Photos Submitted By Artist
“No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction; a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than others.” — Martha Graham Yachiyo Beck’s artwork defies categorization of genre or media. She has modified Martha Graham’s quote for herself and says, “Satisfaction is death to an artist.” She understands her need to evolve as an artist by being agile enough to move in a different direction with her work when necessary to keep it fresh and compelling. Born and raised in Kobe, Japan, her watercolors are often evocative of the delicacy and traditional imagery that Westerners think of as Japanese art. But her oils are often bold 44 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
in design – still lifes using rich, vibrant colors, often with a background coming from the artist’s imagination that becomes part of the story told in the painting. Her figurative and portrait art done in oils, watercolors, and, at times, graphite bring the subjects to life before your eyes. Yachiyo came to painting later in life. “Although many types of art were taught all through school and I enjoyed it very much, I gravitated toward the fashion industry when I finished school,” she says. Ultimately, she became the general manager of an international modeling agency because of her ability to speak English. In 1993 Yachiyo came to the United States with her family. They settled in Eugene,
Oregon, her husband’s family’s current home. She found an article in the local paper advertising a small life drawing class and realized that this was a pivot point for her creativity. She later moved on to watercolors, studying both at Lane Community College and privately with a local watercolorist, and found success by exhibiting her work at a local coffee shop and later at the Hult Performing Arts Center in their annual visual art exhibit. She joined the Oregon Watercolor Society and exhibited with them in their annual shows. The move to Southern California, which happened next, was a huge advancement for her artwork. She was accepted into Art-AFair, one of Laguna Beach’s well-known juried shows. “I received a wonderful response to my work and the following year, on my first try, I got into the Festival of Arts, which only accepts 140 of Southern California’s finest artists,” she states. “Not only that, but my first exhibit was practically a sold-out show,” she adds. She continued to exhibit yearly in these juried shows. In 2010, Yachiyo and her family moved to Mechanicsburg, and she became involved with the local art scene. “This is when I became interested in oils, which is a totally different game from watercolors.” She realized early on that everyone has a different way of mixing and applying oils and she would need to find the way that worked best for her. By watching videos, attending workshops and demonstrations, and experimenting with various techniques, she found what suited her. A 2017 article and interview with Yachiyo in Harrisburg Magazine, written by Scott Campbell, has a quote by her: “I expect my work to evolve, to loosen up as time goes by . . . in the future I want to emphasize emotion and sentiment.” Viewing the artist’s current work,
it is apparent that she has followed through on her original words. Although she still works with Realism in her landscape art and portraiture, her interpretive pieces encourage you to exercise your imagination by leaving something out of the finished piece. The individual viewer can then imaginatively participate in the viewing. This interpretive style could be defined as Yugen, a Japanese aesthetic which is often translated as ‘mysterious profundity’. It is conceptualized as suggestiveness, lingering memory, aftertaste, or implication. It is the beauty we can sense in an object even though it is not being seen directly. Yachiyo’s ability to paint in a style that encourages the viewer to exercise emotion and sentiment is a rare beauty to behold. Yachiyo’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Japan through juried exhibitions with the American and National Watercolor Societies, Oil Painters of America, Japan Watercolor Society, and others. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (SGG Medal Award winner), and the Baltimore Watercolor Society. Her work has also been seen locally at The Millworks, Art Association of Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg Art Center, Whitaker Center, Central Penn College, Garden Gallery in Carlisle, and Carlisle Arts and Learning Center. Yachiyo has studio space #320 at The Millworks, located on the third floor of the restaurant, and artist studios located at 340 Verbeke Street, Harrisburg. You can also find examples of her artwork on her website www. yachiyofineart.com, Facebook @yachiyobeck and on Instagram as Yachiyo Beck. 7 JUNE 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 45
Artful Inspirations
The Autodidactic Artist Who is Loving Her Artful Life Story By Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com
Photos Supplied By Tina Berrier, Artist “Oooh, the audience loves me... and I love them. And they love me for loving them and I love them for loving me. And we love each other. And that’s because none of us got enough love in our childhood . . .” Renee Zellweger’s character Roxy in the movie Chicago “I am always expressing myself,” says Tina Berrier, laughing as she references part of a quote from the movie Chicago, “Because none of us got enough love in our childhood.” She muses on that statement and adds that this is a common feeling by many in life, whether it be true or not, so we search for the validation. Tina’s validation comes through art as she has always loved painting, drawing, and dancing. But she also loves science and talks about the book A Beautiful Question by Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek: “Beauty has a purpose, and my question is does the world embody beautiful ideas?” She then adds, “Arts and sciences used to be together, and I feel as if they should not be torn apart. Beyond the beauty seen in nature and science, I love the scientific properties of paints and how they work together, and my goal is to express all of it.” When Tina isn’t thinking about the relationship between art and science, she is thinking about pop culture and what it does to us. She asks the question, “What is our culture and what have we appropriated from others and how do I show the juxtaposition of this?” Some of her newer art suggests this juxtaposition with her use of brilliant colors and paintings of Aztec mythological beings with added advertising phrases taken from her childhood. One of the paintings feature Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god along with the words, “They’re magically delicious” which is taken from a jingle for the kids cereal Lucky Charms. This
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The She Serpents
juxtaposition is interesting in that Tlaloc causes the grains to grow because of the rain he brings – perhaps he is responsible for that sugary Lucky Charms cereal! Part of the impetus to create the mixture of Aztec mythology and American Pop Culture are her trips to Oaxaca, Mexico, as part of a series of art adventures with Michael deMeng, a well know assemblage artist. She also travels to New Orleans as part of this group as a way of adding additional color, locality, and perspective to her work. She is part of the artistic group Nothing Pretty, headed by Ted Walke with artists Sean Arce and Krissy Whiski. Nothing Pretty is known for their surrealistic and low brow art styles which has its roots in the street art of Los Angeles in the ‘60’s. Nothing Pretty will be exhibiting again in 2023 at Art Association of Harrisburg. Tina also writes poetry and says, “Sometimes my poetry becomes a painting and other times my painting becomes a poem.” In this vein she adds that she sees her main style of painting as Expressionist because she paints from personal history and life. “It has to come from me – sometimes it is more painterly art but other times it may be more graphic.” It is her goal to create works that have meaning to both herself and to others, knowing that the meanings will differ between viewers. Sock Monkeys? Yes, Tina has them covered, or rather painted, too. “I love to create personas with these little creatures, and I question myself ‘am I all of them, from Goth Sock Monkey to Frida?’” Her art also includes assemblages made from items she has found or created – but let’s save that for another story. “My first real break in the art world was a painting called Selfie. I created a painting from the real-life photo of Zeus the Blind Owl. His huge blind eyes seem to create the universe and I was able to capture that in my painting,” she says. Because Zeus is blind, he couldn’t be released into the wild, so he now lives in a trunk on the filing cabinet next to Wildlife Learning Center founder Paul Hahn’s desk. This painting of Zeus was exhibited at Susan Scofield’s gallery HIVE artspace, located at 126 E.
King Street, York, PA. Tina and Susan have formed a lasting bond because of the painting, and Tina’s work is often on view there. Tina is an avid dancer. “I danced at clubs as soon as I turned 21 and then I started taking various classes in jazz and hip hop but when my daughter turned three, I took my first belly dancing class.” She seemed to be a natural at this and began studying dancing in earnest. She also formed a troupe of belly dancers called She Serpents and she has a student troupe called Neptune’s Daughters. She taught these classes at the East Pennsboro Township Recreation Center for ten plus years and now does a drop-in belly dancing class at Community Yoga located on Third Street in Harrisburg. “Don’t call this a hobby – I am serious about this,” she admonishes. She also is studying portraiture in an online course but is doing it her way bypassing hyperrealism in her work. If this sounds like a full schedule, keep in mind that she also works full time at Highmark Blue Shield as a business analyst. She started there fresh out of high school as an underwriter and slowly worked her way up. She says, “I love patterns and I can see this in data and data analysis, which also adds proof of the scientific being part of art.” As a parting story, she talked about her experience in applying for a summer art class at HACC: “I was totally into sad clowns painted on velvet. I guess I was feeling very sad in life. That was what was in my portfolio - well what I thought was a portfolio because I had no idea what I was doing.” As it turns out, her portfolio was to be judged by Li Hidley, a famous Abstract Expressionist in Harrisburg. “He looked through my work, picking up each piece of velvet by the tips of his fingers and then saying rather scornfully, ‘velvet?’ How I got into that class I will never know.” But when you see Tina’s art and her depth of feelings and range you will most certainly know why she is now a sought-after artist in our area. Tina does not have a website, but you can find her on Instagram @Artiislife52 and on Facebook @Tina Berrier. In addition to having works at HIVE, she has studio #319 in The Millworks. 7
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It’s so hot out the paint is peeling off our bidet in the front yard. It’s so hot my dry wit is dripping and my ears have wilted. It’s so hot out that a thought stuck to the roof of my mouth. My namesake storm Bill, or as I like to call it Billy Boy, petered out and never made it to hurricane status. Maybe my last chance to make a name for myself wimping out and becoming just a light spring breeze, not even brushing the shore. Wandering aimlessly out to sea. Like me getting lost in my own backyard. I am heartbroken. A hummingbird just returned looking for his missing bird feeder on our porch from last spring. He swerved and flew away when he couldn’t find it, but what a bird brain! It sure puts me to shame as I can’t remember where I left my car keys last night. The bottom line is too low to hang clothes on. Mystery solved.
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