Harrisburg Magazine March 2023

PRESIDENT/CEO

Darwin Oordt doordt@harrisburgmagazine.com

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Darcy Oordt darcy@harrisburgmagazine.com

GENERAL MANAGER / DIRECTOR OF SALES Chris Aloia caloia@harrisburgmagazine.com

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING

Jennifer George jgeorge@harrisburgmagazine.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jo Ann Shover jshover@harrisburgmagazine.com

MANAGING EDITOR Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@harrisburgmagazine.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Shane Carino scarino@harrisburgmagazine.com

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Richard Eppinger reppinger@harrisburgmagazine.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Steven McKenney

Emily Murtoff Bill Roddey Abigail Wild

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Brad Maurer Allison Juliana

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Will Masters Paul Vasiliades

SALES

Okay, I confess. I have precipitated my fair share of eye rolls over the years, and most of them from my wife. All to say, that doesn’t necessarily make me a great man; hopefully a good one. But having a wise woman (and Lauren is practical to a tee) to keep me in check and tell me when I’m being silly and, yes, impractical, has made a huge difference in my life.

Eye rolls aside, there are so many wise and excellent women in the greater Harrisburg area, raising a solitary eyebrow when something is silly or impractical, and not standing behind but, often, in front of a man – so many women in leadership or mentoring roles making a huge difference in our communities, that we certainly can’t recognize them all in our limited number of pages. But, seeing as it is Women’s History Month, we’re going to do our damnedest.

The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg has certainly made our task much easier by singling out a brand-new list of 27 prominent Central Pennsylvanians for induction into their Women of Excellence, Class of 2023. Once again, we are proud to partner with the YW by shining a light on those mentors, role models, and volunteers who have demonstrated such a high degree of integrity, strength of character,

“Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.”

- Jim Carrey

and leadership, both professionally and philanthropically. It will be our great pleasure to join them on March 29th at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center for a most excellent celebration of these wise and strong women.

Women not only continue to exceed expectations but are often outliers. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the local radio scene. Our feature article on the Women of Harrisburg Radio profiles six dynamic DJ’s working behind the mic for the cluster of stations owned by Cumulus Media, whose staff of on-air personalities is comprised of 46 percent women – exceeding the national average of 35 percent. Sue Campbell and Jen Shade (pictured above), past Simply the Best honorees, are joined by Venetia, Jenna Clay, Diane Grey, and Christine Ricci for an insightful Q&A about what it’s been like “living on the air” in Harrisburg.

In this month’s Artful Inspirations, Christina Heintzelman profiles multitalented artist Julie Riker, whose observational, representational style has made her a popular attendee at juried plein air workshops up and down the eastern seacoast – where her exhibited artwork has also garnered her a following.

In our ever-expanding Food & Fun Section, the focus is on three different women of varying culinary talents: Aleah Watson, our Barista’s Choice selectee, who is as gifted at poetry and music as she is at mixing lattes; Jacqueline Ferrentinos, owner of Valley Bistro in Enola, where tasty items ranging from Chicken and Waffles to Crab Hash and Eggs earn the eatery this month’s Toast of Harrisburg status; and, finally, our Compliments to the Chef is devoted to Linda Gauvry,

founder and owner of Tastebuds Personal Chef Service, LLC, and a rising star in the world of healthy, nutritious cooked meal catering and delivery.

On the literary side … in a piece that’s both personal and powerful, local poet Emily Murtoff says “I’m Not Afraid of Me Now”; and former Harrisburg resident Steven McKenney’s “Remember When” is a short story about an aging Central Pennsylvanian who’s at once reluctant and eager to rejoin his late wife. Humor is once again provided this month by Brad Maurer, whose The Cercus cartoon takes a bug’s eye view of Women of Excellence; and satirist and former newspaper columnist Bill Roddey, who continues to jab and poke at modern conventions with more Off the Cuff one-liners.

On the more sobering side of things … Abigail Wild, creative director at She’s Somebody’s Daughter, contributes a brief call-to-action for anyone wondering whether sex trafficking happens in Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, and the surrounding area. (The answer, sadly, is “yes”).

Don’t forget our columns! Stefan Hawkins gives props to both the women who have impacted his life (his mother!) and the books that recognize impactful women in By the Book; Barbara Trainin Blank highlights area theaters presenting shows that place girls and women at center stage in Theatre Thoughts; Andrea Reed espouses the importance of strong bones to a woman’s health in Nourishing Bites; Kristen Zellner pays tribute to animal activist Caroline Earle White in For the Love of Pets; HACC’s Robert Stakem honors local women in law enforcement in Tailboard Talk; in Cinematic Ramblings, Film & TV historian Kevyn Knox asks “why are only 22% of Hollywood Films Directed by Women?”; and, finally, Bryson Roof fondly recalls the financial lessons learned from his grandmother in The Finance Hound.

If you’re on the receiving end of an eye roll this month … relax, you probably deserve it!

JUST SHADOWS

Once a friendship so hot, now not.

Instead, so cold. Just another sign of more decline when growing so old.

When did “spill the beans” become telling secrets? When did spilled beans become secrets and not just a kitchen accident?

A new one: Why not “toss the avocados,” meaning to lie under oath? Equally obscure.

Once in London I saw on a side street dead end at 10 Downing Street, the English Prime Minister’s home, behind a big gate with one Bobbie protecting it. It’s probably close to a Burger King Charles joint now. That’s like having the White House in a one house gated community near a Taco Bell with a single secret service agent guarding it.

The Cercus reserves all reproduction rights, including the right to claim statutory copyright, in the above published Work . The Work may not be photographed, sketched, painted, or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express, written consent of The Cercus.

WOMEN OF HARRISBURG RADIO These Six Loquacious Ladies are Broadcasting Outliers

History hasn’t always been kind to female radio personalities. In fact, like many industries, radio broadcasting has long been dominated by men. Sure, in the formative years, there were brief moments in the sun for female DJ’s. For instance, Mary Margaret McBride, who hosted an NBC interview program in the 1940’s, commanded an audience of millions and a reported salary of $52,000. And then there was WHER, a station that was launched in 1955 by Sam Phillips (of Sun Records fame) – with an all-female staff! But it wasn’t until the 1970’s that barriers to hearing women on the air gradually began to fade.

Even so, the ratio of male to female DJ’s continues to skew predominantly male: 65 percent to 35 percent nationally. So, it was refreshing to discover that a local cluster of radio stations – those owned by Cumulus Media Harrisburg – has been bucking that trend, employing a total of six women in on-air positions. With a wealth of experience in the radio biz, and an intoxicating amount of verve and panache, these most excellent Women of Harrisburg Radio sat down with us for an interview recently, to discuss the allure of radio, life behind the mic, and why they are outliers in their industry:

Sue Campbell (WINK 104 FM), co-host of the WINK Wake-Up Show for the past 34 years (and winner of Simply the Best radio personality on numerous occasions); Jen Shade (105.7 The X), co-host of The People’s Morning Show (and also a Simply the Best radio personality honoree);

Venetia (HOT 106.7), afternoon drive DJ who has been at HOT since its inception in 2002; Jenna Clay (WINK 104 FM & WTPA 93.5 FM), News Director of Cumulus Media Harrisburg and Co-host of the WTPA Morning Show; Diane Grey (96.1 WSOX-FM), co-host of the SOX WakeUp Show whose past on-air adventures have taken her from Bucks County to Michigan to Harrisburg; and Christine Ricci (WINK 104 & HOT 106.7), part-time on-air personality, news anchor, and host of “People & Perspectives.”

RG: Since this is an article about the women of local radio … we can’t hide the fact that, nationally, radio is still overwhelmingly male. Though, here at Cumulus Harrisburg, it’s better: roughly 53 percent men to 46 percent women. Why do you think that is?

Jen Shade: There’s always been a situation in radio that’s existed probably since, I don’t know, back with newspapers and what-not, that men are dominant, more interesting, they tend to “deliver” a certain product to people; that women, category-wise, were often considered laugh tracks, and sidepieces to a morning show, so they weren’t taken seriously.

Diane: You would never have a female-driven morning show in that the host and co-host would be women, and maybe have a boy as a “giggle piece.”

Article by Randy Gross, rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

Photos by Will Masters

Jen Shade: Still very few like that. It’s still a battle we fight.

RG: Why do you think it’s better here locally?

Diane: I think it’s the luck of the draw.

Jenna: Because we’re awesome and funny!

Sue: Well, we’ve just been around forever.

(laughter)

Jen Shade: And some of us just don’t give up! We don’t quit.

Sue: We just stay! (laughs)

Jen Shade: It’s interesting, because you still have that old perception that a couple of women together are a “hen house.” You know, a couple of women together, all they want to talk about is—

Jenna: Cupcakes and cleaning!

Jen Shade: And that’s not the case.

Venetia: But even if you do talk about something with substance, nobody’s listening to it like that. In perception.

Jen Shade: You know, it’s a battle that I’ve fought for 30 years, because I was told in the rock format that people don’t care about news, they’re a bunch of leather jackets, and I never talk to people that way. When I first got my job, I remember saying to the guys that hired me, “two things I don’t do: I don’t play dumb blonde, and I don’t get coffee.” And I was 21 years old thinking I had some clue what the hell I was doing. I just knew what I didn’t want because I knew what I heard.

Jenna: It’s funny you say that about coffee. I purposely never learned to make it, so that people couldn’t ask me to get them coffee.

(laughter)

Christine: It’s still many years ago but, I remember when I did news at a station, I co-anchored with a man, they had one girl, one guy, and we did top and bottom of the hour. I wrote the bottom, he wrote the top, and we alternated pieces, so we were both producers and both anchors. And somebody actually wrote in, “that Christine just doesn’t sound credible, but I love listening to John. He’s credible.”

Jen Shade: It’s kind of a primal thing. People tend to gravitate towards men as protection. And women, they don’t want to be motherly, necessarily. And that’s still a thing, like somebody doesn’t want a woman telling them because it’s more motherly.

Jenna: Even though they need it?

Jen Shade: Yes, exactly.

(laughter)

See Women of Harrisburg Radio, on Page 8

Jen Shade

Jenna Clay

Jen Shade: It’s just an old thing that still exists.

RG: If you could single out one mentor early in your career, who would it be?

Venetia: Sue!

Sue: Oh, really?

Venetia: Yeah, I was 17 when I worked with you!

RG: I figured that the two of you would say [retired WINK 104 legend] Tim Burns.

Sue: Without a doubt, Tim Burns. He taught me everything.

Venetia: Oh my gosh, I have never had anyone believe in me like Tim did.

Sue: He was so patient, and he would just help you.

Venetia: He gave you advice, but it didn’t sound like he was lecturing.

Sue: And he never got angry. Never belittled you. But he taught you a lot. Like even silly things. Like … “the weather outside.” Well, no kidding, we have the weather inside. It’s like little crutches, you know, that you might pick up along the way.

Venetia: My favorite was “don’t talk about bodily fluids in the morning.”

(laughter)

Jenna: I was mentored by Kim Garris. She was an anchor at ABC 27, and I was a production assistant at the time.

Christine: I worked at a TV station in Albany. Jim Brennan was a mentor in the TV field, trying to help me with my on-air presence there and such.

Venetia: Sue was a huge influence on me.

Sue: We shared an office, remember? We had our office, and Venetia was like our intern.

Venetia: I looked up to you, and you didn’t even know, I don’t think. But with just how to be there, and well, how to spot a prank, too. I mean, which I obviously didn’t learn until

it was too late. But like, when you were on maternity leave, and Frank [Schofield] pulled a prank. He put on the birthday list, “today is Phil McCracken Day,” and I fell for it! I said it all morning, too!

Christine: I would give credit to Venetia. Because that was kind of my transition from news to being the on-air personality. You did help me. Going into HOT, it was like “okay, you can do WINK, too.”

Jen Shade: Ed Coffey, from Coffey and Jammer. He was mine. Like was said earlier, there weren’t a lot of women in it, so it was hard to find someone. So, I kind of had to do my own thing. But he let me in every meeting to listen, invited me where I didn’t belong probably sometimes, to hear how things were operating, and coached me all the way through. You know, what to do, what not to do. There’s no doubt in my mind I wouldn’t be anywhere if it wouldn’t have been for him.

RG: How many of you went to school for broadcasting or communications?

Jenna: I did, but for behind-the-scenes TV production.

Diane: I have an Associate’s Degree in Communications, if that means anything.

Christine: I have a B.A. in Communications, but I actually started off as a Computer Science major. So, then I switched.

Diane: Boy, your parents must have been pissed!

(laughter)

Christine: But then I actually ended up going to a certificate program. I wanted to do news, but I thought I was also a shy person, so it was training both in front and behind. So, I’m like “okay, I can do this.” I have my degree, but maybe I didn’t need my degree. But I think my degree helps me with a lot of the other stuff I get asked to do.

RG: Those of you who didn’t go to school for it, what was your career path before you went into radio?

Venetia: I always wanted to get into radio. I used to record people on WINK and mimic them. I know, it makes me a loser, but I was a radio nerd. I started as an intern, worked my way up. So, that was my path.

Women of Harrisburg Radio, continued from Page 7

Venetia

Christine Ricci

Sue: I was gonna go to Central Penn Business School. I was in the Business Program my senior year, and a job came open over at WCMB and WSFM 99, so I started there as a receptionist, and secretary to the sales department. I did AM traffic, and I was only there a year, and then at 18 I came over and I was the receptionist at FM 104. But I used to tell jokes all the time, in the hallway, and he [Tim Burns] was like “you ought to come on the show … we’ll just record it, and we’ll call you the Joke Lady. This will be your persona.” And I wore a bath robe and my hair in curlers, and I worked for the fire company, and sold funnel cakes. And he played this goofy music and I’d waddle in, and we got away with telling some really raunchy jokes back then. And then, it was Friday the 13th and the whole joke was “I’m superstitious and I’m not gonna get out of bed today.” So, we did this remote at Lemoyne Sleeper, with me dressed as the Joke Lady, in bed with Tim Burns. And they said, “we think you and Tim have a chemistry together.” This was back in the days of the WINK Morning Zoo, where it was the more people, the better! I mean, we had Traffic, we had Sports, we had News, we had a weather guy, Storm Kennedy … and then, they were adding a girl to it – me –and it was like the more, the better. The zanier, the better. And that’s how I started.

Jen Shade: I went to Tyler School of Art, for Graphic Design and Animation. And I was doing band schedules, to put out in bars and things. And that’s where I ran into Ed Coffey, and he said, “did you ever think about doing radio?” And I said “no.” He said, “you should do a demo tape.” And I said, “what’s that?” And they hooked me up with the night guy, and I did a demo tape on a Monday night. Tuesday it was submitted into Jeff Kauffman from programming, and Tuesday afternoon the night guy called me and said, “you better get your a— in here, because you’re on this weekend for your first two hours.” And I had to run blind. I had no idea, and they put me with a guy named Jim Cook, who was doing the nights. And I remember the first break, you know, I wrote a lot of it out, because I was afraid, I didn’t know what to say, and I don’t remember anything I said, and I forgot to turn the mic button off. And as soon as I did it, I went “oh my God, holy sh---,” and he [Jim] jumps over and slams the mic off, because I didn’t even know how to turn it off. I was just happy that I could actually hit enough buttons to keep us going. Because at the time you had CD’s and records, and carts you had to drag around. And I was just happy I got through break one.”

Diane: What did I want to do other than radio? I wanted to be a truck driver, or a court stenographer, or a physical therapist … (laughter) or work in a horse barn or be a travel agent. It just kind of happened that I walked into the Bucks County Community radio station with a friend, and I was like, who doesn’t love music when you’re a teenager? And I was really into rock and punk, and it was like you could play whatever you want, and it was a glorified PA system that went to the cafeteria, but it still sounded kind of like fun. And they always needed somebody to do stuff, so I was like “yeah, all right.” And then, the idea of using your voice in different ways always was intriguing to me … I thought it was really cool. But like Sue, I started off being a receptionist at a radio station, but I let them know I wanted to be on the air. And eventually something happened, and boom, they threw me on the air.

RG: Having been employed before in the broadcasting business myself, I know that, for the most part, it’s not a huge money-making venture. So, if not the money, what is the number one thing about radio that gets you out of bed in the morning and eager to stand behind that microphone?

Sue: It’s different every day. Every day it’s something new, and something different to talk about, a different challenge … and it’s always fun.

Venetia: You connect with all different kinds of people and the different charities that we work for, that I always volunteered for before I got into radio. And I just felt like if I got into radio I could help on a larger scale. That’s a huge part.

Jenna: Plus, it’s like you come in, and you’re just joking around with your friends.

Venetia: It doesn’t feel like a job. But you’re getting paid for it!

Sue: But then when people come up to you and say, “you make my morning.” And you think, “if I can just put a smile on someone’s face, if I can be that little bright light … then, I like that.”

Jen Shade: I work for the listener. I told them that when we first got acquired here [by Cumulus]. I sat with John [O’Dea] and Chris [James] and I said, “no offense, but I don’t See Women of Harrisburg Radio, on Page10

Diane Grey

work for you. I work for the listener. And if I forget that, then I don’t belong here anymore.” So, I enjoy working for people, helping connect them, I consider myself more of a connector. We’ve got a charity, we’ve got news, we’ve got this, we’ve got that, and we help our community that way. Plus, I enjoy the competition of it. There’s always somebody waiting to take your seat. That makes you get up in the morning!

RG: Can you name the biggest thing that has changed about broadcasting, good or bad, since you’ve been in the business, that has affected your job the most?

Christine: Yes, it’s carts!

Jen Shade: Carts!

Diane: Carts! (laughter)

Christine: Picking your commercials out before you started your shift, and putting them on the table—

Sue: Stacks and stacks of them!

Jen Shade: And explain that they’re like big 8-tracks to walk around with.

Sue: And then you pull your music and pull your commercials.

Jen Shade: I used to come in two hours in advance of a three-hour show to pull all my music at a time on CD. Had everything ready, all the carts, so that you could concentrate on what you’re doing. But yeah, the technology has expanded.

RG: Everything’s digital now, right?

Diane: Oh, it’s nothing now! You sit in front of a computer and go ‘bip’!

Venetia: On the downside, it has replaced jobs.

Jen Shade: It has. And that’s the other part: it’s harder than ever to get in. Male or female, at this point. AI and all these things, it’s a big concern, just automation in general. It’s eliminated the over-nights, where people started.

Diane: There’s no training ground anymore.

Jen Shade: There’s nothing that replicates being “live.” Performing live, you don’t have a second chance. And once you get over screwing up in public, you become your “real person.” So, you have to get over that hump, and unfortunately, there’s nowhere to do that anymore. And you don’t even see that in the podcasts. A lot of them are, fair enough, very weak.

Diane: They’re pre-recorded and edited!

Jen Shade: When you’re live, you gotta be all on, or nothing. Furthermore, managing art as a business, and managing entertainment

as a business, is really complicated. As females in the business, there’s no rule book for us at all. Not anymore, especially. So, we don’t have – I didn’t anyway – have anything to go by. I don’t know much has changed, other than we’ve been able to kind of take control. Some things have gotten a lot better. Some things haven’t changed at all.

RG: So, one final question … and you were probably expecting something like this: If you could give advice or encouragement to any young girl thinking about entering the broadcasting business, what would you say?

Diane: Don’t do it. (laughter)

Sue: Try TV. (laughter)

Diane: Yeah, try TV, or something. But honestly, radio is still going to be viable for a while. I can’t remember the stats, but we’re still the most listened to outlet of such sorts--

Jenna: Because we’re still funny!

Jen Shade: I’d say, if it’s your passion, if it’s what you love, do it well, but expand. Constantly be looking on the horizon. There’s always new technology, or whatever, but you work on you, you work on your voices, you work on your deliveries …

Diane: You have to market yourself.

Jen Shade: And learn business first. You can’t run the “business of you” without knowing something about the business, or you’ll get run the hell over. This is not a game for people who can’t play. And make sure that you’re throwing a wide net out there. You can do voicework now from home!

Christine: I guess my advice would be, be humble, learn to take criticism, but also learn to be your own advocator and boss.

Jenna: I tell people to get your foot in the door and learn everything you can. Because the only reason I’m still here is because I can do several different things. Learn everything and make yourself irreplaceable. Sue: The problem is the opportunities. It’s hard, with the limited

number of job opportunities, and everybody’s downsized.

Jen Shade: If you come in here thinking that everything is going to stay the same, you’re in the wrong place.

We’re selling our house. I’m gonna have an auction in a bar during happy hour. I hear you can really make a killing then.

I hit the wrong buttons on my remote. And now my TV has close captioning in Amish, everything translated to Flemish, picture within picture within picture, the screen the size a small box of raisins and it doesn’t work on Sundays.

“Customer who bought 2 coffees at Starbucks hit with an erroneous $4K tip, forcing family to postpone trip to Thailand” … Now they can only afford a trip to Starbucks to try to cancel the tip.

By the Book/Stefan Hawkins

Who Runs The World? GIRLS!

As we enter the month of March, and we recognize our Women of Excellence this issue, I had to take the time to think about the women in my life that have made the biggest impact throughout my time on this earth.

I had to come to the realization that some of the most important people in my life are indeed women. Whether it’s direct family members, or my very close friends. Women have been the consistent underlying influence on my life. For the month of March, I too, would like to say my “woman of excellence” is and will always be my own mother.

I had to really think about this topic when my editor put this month’s assignment in my lap. Who really runs the world, and who has run the world since the beginning of time? Girls. Women. And the power they’ve shown over the years has been nothing but astonishing. From Black Lives Matter (an organization brought together by three black women) to the #MeToo Movement (another organization brought about by women) – and actually most of the fights for equal rights and equality, all have been started by women, or women have played the biggest parts in furthering each movement throughout history. Women have fought on the side of good for a very long time and shown on many occasions how excellent they are. Look, the Vice President of the United States of America currently is a woman. There’s no limit to how excellent a woman could be and will be. Most men can say they’d be half the person they are, without a woman. Girls (women) really do run the world.

I didn’t have to dig far or look too hard to find a bunch of great books written on excellent women in history, or books written about women that are heroines, warriors, space captains, magicians, or the protagonist in some great series. Here are a few books I’d like to mention outside of the normal ones that can shed more light on the excellent things being

Nourishing Bites/Andrea Reed

done by girls and women:

Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem by April Ryan

Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women That A Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

WOMAN: The American History of an Idea by Lillian Faderman

OWN IT: Oprah Winfrey In Her Own Words (In Their Own Words) by Anjali Becker & Jeanne Engelmann

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

There are so many books to choose from that I had to stop myself from writing down 20 more, or I would’ve taken up half the magazine trying to recommend which book everyone should want to read. I love that March’s issue acknowledges so many great women in the Harrisburg area. More women need to be shouted out throughout the year, and I’m sure Harrisburg Magazine will continue to be on the frontline of giving various women in the area their flowers.

Stefan Hawkins was born and raised in Harrisburg. He opened Good Brotha’s Book Cafe in January 2021 and has been leading a Good Brotha’s Can’t Read Book Club since last summer.

Strong Women Need Strong Bones

Nutrition is important for good health, but our needs change at particular points in our lives. Specifically, there are key nutrients, such as calcium, that women need during their growth, maturity, and later years to maintain optimal health. This mineral is most famous for its relationship to bone health, which makes sense since 99% of the calcium in our bodies can be found in our bones. Building strong bones requires a lifetime of adequate calcium and physical activity. No matter what your age is now, you can take steps to ensure strong bones for life.

The process of building bone begins in pregnancy, when the mother’s body increases its ability to absorb calcium to ensure the baby receives an adequate supply. After birth, the body uses calcium from the mother’s bones to supply the nursing infant. When girls are young, the body works hard to absorb calcium to build bone mass until they reach puberty. As girls begin to mature into young adults, their needs decrease as they reach peak bone mass in their mid-twenties. The rate of calcium

absorption decreases in adulthood. Through adulthood, the female hormone, estrogen, plays a vital role in helping maintain bone strength. As women go through menopause, they often experience increased bone loss. Therefore, if bone quality is poor prior to menopause, there is an even greater risk of osteoporosis and eventually fractures. Fractures, especially in older women, compromise health and quality of life.

Calcium cannot be made by our bodies. It must be absorbed from the foods we eat. If we do not get enough calcium from our diet, our bodies can remove calcium from our bones. Over time, this can weaken bones and lead to osteoporosis. Calcium can be found in dairy products, canned fish, tofu, and vegetables including soybeans, spinach, broccoli, and kale. Foods such as orange juice and non-dairy milks are typically fortified with calcium as well. Vitamin D is required for calcium to be absorbed and is a bit more challenging to get from the diet. Vitamin D is found in salmon, tuna, egg yolks, and fortified milks, juices, and cereals. In the summer months, vitamin D can also be created from sun

exposure on our skin.

Thankfully, by eating a balanced diet and remaining physically active throughout the life cycle, the risk of bone deterioration and fractures can be decreased. By aiming for 3-4 servings of dairy or other calcium-containing foods, the requirement for calcium is typically met.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.

Female Veteran Inspires Career in Financial Planning

One of my earliest memories of my grandma was when I witnessed a Navy Admiral present an award to her family for their service during WWII. The Admiral paused her speech, looked directly at my grandma, and said, “I want to personally thank you for your service. You paved the way for me to hold my career,” and continued her speech. Glancing over at grandma, I saw her proudly stiffen up, shoulders pull back and one solemn tear drop from her eye.

There is a rich military tradition in my family. My one grandfather was a Pearl Harbor veteran, and another grandfather earned his Combat Medic Badge in Korea. Yet another grandfather was an Atomic War Veteran and my father-in-law completed 100 flight missions in Vietnam. Yet one of my family’s proudest military achievements was Grandma attaining the rank of Petty Officer First Class. Grandma was one of the first females accepted into the Navy, through the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES).

Lesson Learned from Grandma:

As a retired Catholic teacher, Grandma was my tutor. As a pre-teen, she taught me how to handle money, often giving me cash to pay for her groceries, but I had to calculate the change before we were allowed to leave. Now, as a financial professional, I recommend this teaching method to young couples raising their children.

Life is Full of Surprises:

Life is unpredictable and doesn’t always go as expected. Grandpa ended up incapacitated prior to retirement, which shortened his earnings career. Finances were tight, but Grandma elected to be his in-house primary care giver. Grandma’s emergency fund wasn’t going to solve this problem. With the appropriate estate plan, Grandma could have used powers-of-attorney to manage the family finances more easily. Having the correct disability and life insurance in force would have eliminated a lot of financial stress for Grandma. Helping others avoid these issues is why I have such a strong passion for financial planning.

Planning for Longevity:

Study after study indicates that women will often live longer than men. In Grandma’s case, she lived an incredible life, living to age 101. Unfortunately, no one planned for grandma to hit triple digits. While she had veteran benefits, it was challenging. A financial plan early in her life would have helped alleviate these challenges later in life.

It’s okay to be Different:

Grandma loved to break stereotypes. When we would go out for family dinner, I would laugh when a server asked if she’d like a glass of wine. Grandma’s reply: “I’ll have a Budweiser, because that’s what I drank when I served in the Navy!”Last September, I married the love of my life. When I went to open a joint checking account with my wife, I requested that her name be listed as the primary account owner. The bank teller questioned me about the request, and I kindly explained that if I’m the secondary account owner and passed away first, a simple instruction from Susie, the primary account owner, and the account will transition from joint ownership to individual ownership in her name. However, if I am the primary account owner and I die first, Susie will be required to open a new account solely in her name. Then she must set up all new bank instructions for bills, etc. Being listed second on the account doesn’t impact my ability to buy my beagles dog food or transfer a portion of my paycheck to our retirement investments. Based on our situation, this is a great solution for us. Every time I make a recommendation that’s not a cookie cutter approach, I hear grandma say, “it’s okay to be different!”

Bryson Roof, CEP, is a financial advisor at Fort Pitt Capitol Group in Harrisburg, and has been quoted nationally in various finance publications including CNBC, U.S. News & World Report, and Barron’s.

The Finance Hound/Bryson Roof

March is a Special Month for Women Onstage and Off

The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg will be putting 27 women at center stage on March 29th, when they induct them into the Women of Excellence, Class of 2023. So, it’s a pleasant surprise – or perhaps not a surprise at all? – that a number of area theaters this month are presenting shows that place girls and women at center stage. These include:

The Diary of Anne Frank, a play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett adapted by Wendy Kesselman, is based on Anne Frank: The Diary of a young Girl. This memoir, one of the best known of World War II, comes from the pen of a passionate, complex Jewish girl forced to hide with her family and friends in a secret annex as the Nazis deport Dutch Jews to their deaths. During their almost-two years in the annex, Anne matures in a way that’s deeply touching but full of love and humor. This marks the 23rd annual production by Open Stage. March 15, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite, Harrisburg. Parental guidance suggested. openstagehbg. com.

How I Learned to Drive, the groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel, is fresh off a tremendous successful Broadway revival. Following the story of a woman’s coming of age through the 1960s and ‘70s, audiences see how turbulent and complex family dynamics can shape a person’s past, present, and future while also providing an avenue for self-discovery and acceptance. Ephrata Performing Arts Center, Ephrata, PA, March 9-18. epactheatre.org.

The Seagull, by noted Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, in a version by Anya Reiss. In Chekhov’s inimitable way of penetrating characters, the play dramatizes the romantic and artistic conflicts among four of his most memorable: the famous middlebrow story writer Boris Trigorin; the ingenue, Nina; the fading actress, Irina Arkadina; and her son, the  symbolist playwright Konstantin Treplev. Presented by National

Theatre Live at the Majestic Theater, Gettysburg, PA, March 13, 12 and 7 p.m. gettysburgmajestic.org

Then there’s The Wiz, the family-friendly Broadway show that infuses L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a dazzling mix of rock, gospel, and soul music and resets the classic story within the context of African American culture. Music and lyrics by  Charlie Smalls (and others); book by  William F. Brown. The Fulton, Lancaster, PA, March 2-26. thefulton.org.

In The Savannah Sipping Society, a laugh-a-minute comedy, four middle-aged Southern women aiming to escape their mundane lives reclaim the enthusiasm about life they had and lost. Along the way, they jump-start their lives through laughter, hilarious misadventures, and the occasional liquid refreshment. Oyster Mill Playhouse, Camp Hill, PA, March 10-26. oystermill.com.

Pippin, a 1972 hit Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson, uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe to tell the story of a young prince in search of meaning and significance. Pippin tries warfare, promiscuity, tyranny, art, and religion – to no avail – ending up with a woman who loves him, ‘trapped but happy.’ Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, March 10-26. ltmpa.com.

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.

Women in Law Enforcement

Since 1981, March has been recognized as Women’s History Month. In honor of this annual observance, HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, recognizes some influential women in law enforcement.

According to the National Institute of Justice, women account for less than 13% of law enforcement officers in the United States. An even smaller percentage serve in leadership positions within the departments. Leading the fourth largest police department in the nation, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw is the first Black woman to lead the Philadelphia Police Department

Closer to Harrisburg, other women are serving our communities and leading police departments. Among those women are Cindy Shirk, Alisha Graybill and Christina Day.

Cindy Shirk began her law enforcement career in Lancaster County in 1980. After 24 years, Shirk continued to serve the law enforcement community by becoming a certified instructor. She came to HACC and served as a law enforcement coordinator. Although she retired from this position in 2021 after 15 years of service, she continues to teach and mentor new police cadets.

As Spring Garden Township Police Department’s first female officer, Sergeant Alisha Graybill was hired in 2000 as a patrol officer after graduating from HACC’s 78th Municipal Police Academy. Recognizing the lack of female officers in the field, she was drawn to the prospect of new challenges and opportunities to make a difference every day. She has served her community as a member of the York County forensic team, a field training officer and critical incident stress management peer. Graybill was promoted to sergeant in 2020 and serves as the patrol supervisor, field training coordinator and department forensic unit supervisor. While the majority of cadets in HACC’s police academy are male, Graybill wants women “to understand that they are capable of succeeding at this career.”

Christina Day is the 2022 recipient of the PNC Social Justice Scholarship, which provides a full-ride scholarship for Black students enrolled in HACC’s Police Academy or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Program. Day graduated Dec. 12, 2022, from HACC’s 121st Municipal Police Academy. She is currently in the hiring process for a local police department. When asked why she wanted to become a police officer, in addition to helping people, Day said, “An even bigger

Tailboard Talk/Robert Stakem

reason is that I want to start a legacy. No one in my family is an officer; a majority of them just got by with jobs they hated just to see retirement. I want my kids to see it’s OK to find a career you love that they can be proud of. Most importantly, I wanted to be proud of myself and for my family to be proud of me. I know being an officer requires duty, honor and integrity. I feel as though I bring that and more to the big table of law enforcement.”

These three women have defied norms and helped change the makeup of law enforcement for the better. Many police departments are actively recruiting for new officers. Are you interested in joining these women to make a difference in our communities?

Robert Stakem is executive director of the Senator John J. Shumaker Public Safety Center at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.

Christina Day

Alisha Graybill

Cindy Shirk

Women to the Rescue

Caroline Earle White is probably a name most people have never heard. However, in the animal rights movement, she is a rock star. Caroline was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 28, 1833. It should come as no surprise that White became a strong voice for animal rights, given that her well-known Quaker Parents were abolitionists and suffragists.

When White was a young girl, she couldn’t stand to see animals mistreated. She would walk out of her way into town to avoid seeing the famers and travelers mistreating their overworked and exhausted horses and mules.

White’s love for animals grew into an ambition to start a chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals in Philadelphia. She organized a petition, collected signatures and gained financial backing, but she was not allowed to serve in any leadership role because she was a woman. So, in 1869, she, Mary Francis Lovell, and a group of 28 other influential women began their own branch of the SPCA called the WPSPCA, or Women’s Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

One of her first notable accomplishments was the installation of water fountains where thirsty, traveling horses could rest and rehydrate during their workday. The fountains were carved with the words, “Drink, Gentle Friend.” She further advocated for working animals by pressing for legislation that would make it mandatory for livestock in transit by railway to receive rest, food and water every 28 hours. Under The 28 Hour Law, any railway that did not follow the law would be subject to fines.White also spearheaded boycotts on carriage companies that were known for being cruel to their horses and assisted in passing legislation that prevented the sale of disabled working horses.

Through the WPSPCA, the first animal shelter in America was

built for homeless dogs and cats in Bensalem, PA. The group offered public education programs, free veterinary care, and employed cruelty officers charged with investigating and preventing animal abuse. The WPSPCA also protested the inhumane practices of dog fighting, rooster fighting, fox hunts and pigeon shoots. Still operating today, the Women’s Humane Society has housed and provided medical treatment for domestic animals for nearly 150 years.

Continuing her mission to end cruelty to all animals, White and the WPSPCA advocated on behalf of animals used in experiments and testing. According to aavs.org, in 1883, another dream of White’s came to fruition. She founded the American Anti-Vivisection Society. As the first non-profit animal organization in the US, the AAVS brought to light the suffering that animals endured in the name of research. Though the AAVS could not put a stop to using animals for research, they advocated for better living conditions and more humane treatment of the subjects.

In her time, Caroline Earle White was also the driving force behind humane education programming in schools, known as “Bands of Mercy.” Her passion and tenacity began a movement, largely run by women to this day, that has saved and improved the lives of millions of animals, while instilling compassion and respect for our animal friends in young people across the country.

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.

Why Are Only 22% of Hollywood Films Directed by Women?

Since March is Women’s History Month, we should probably discuss women in cinema. In the past, I have talked about the plight of women directors in Hollywood. It is better than it used to be, but still just 22% of all films made in Hollywood are directed by women. Pretty low for the gender that comprises 51% of America. But we are not here to look at the negatives. We are here to take a look at some of the great female directors.

No discussion about women in cinema can be complete without starting off with Alice Guy-Blaché. Guy-Blaché was a pioneer in cinema. It is still debated if she or the Lumiere Brothers came first. The brothers, of course, get the credit. Guy-Blaché was the first person to use a narrative form to make movies, instead of just the parlor tricks deployed by most directors back in the earliest days of cinema. GuyBlaché was also the first woman to head a movie studio, long before

the powers of the Hollywood studio system came to power. Sadly, this innovative cinematic pioneer has been lost in the annals of history – at least when compared to her male compatriots of the day.

Cut to the heyday of the studio system, and it becomes a man’s world indeed. Stars were owned by the studios and had to do what they said – the women, as always, had it doubly worse than the men. The biggest female name in directing back then was Ida Lupino – and even she is mostly known as a troublemaking actress. In the 1950’s and 60’s, Agnès Varda came to prominence as one of the main cogs in The Left Bank filmmakers of Paris, a cinematic group most associated with the French New Wave. But that is France and not Hollywood.

Other than Nora Ephron and Elaine May, there are no female directors to speak of until the 1980’s. The eighties gave us “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” directed by Amy Heckerling, “The Decline of Western

Cinematic Ramblings/Kevyn Knox

Civilization,” directed by Penelope Spheeris, who also would go on to direct “Wayne’s World,” and “Big,” directed by Penny Marshall. Marshall would go on to become one of the most successful women directors of all time. Today there are more women directors than ever (though still just 22%). Julie Dash, Nancy Meyers, Patty Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Julie Taymor, Dee Rees, Gina Prince-Blythewood, Claire Denis, Mira Nair, Greta Gerwig, Kimberly Peirce, Emerald Fennell, Lucrecia Martel, Lisa Cholodenko, Miranda July, and The Wachowski Sisters, just to name a few. There are even Oscar-winning women directors. Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker,” Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland,” and Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog.” My favorite woman director working today is Sofia Coppola, director of “Lost in Translation,” “The Virgin Suicides,” and “Marie Antoinette” - three of my favorite films of the last 25 years. And of course, there’s Chantal Akerman, who directed “Jeanne Dielman,” which was recently named The Greatest Film of All-Time by the highly influential decennial Sight & Sound poll. Now let’s get that 22% up because there are many more women out there ready to tell their stories.

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.

Sex Trafficking in the Mid-State

By Abigail Wild

When people hear the word trafficking, they often think of some faraway land, someplace with no bearing on their dayto-day lives. They picture people in shackles being moved from country to country or state to state. They don’t realize that we have a trafficking problem in the mid-state or that people can be trafficked without ever leaving home.

This issue of Harrisburg Magazine celebrates women not only by sharing their accomplishments, but by shining a light on that which we must overcome: practices like trafficking that objectify and exploit women in our communities.

Sex trafficking is here. It’s in Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster. It’s even in Halifax. When someone uses force, fraud, and/or coercion to make a person take part in the commercial sex trade against their will, that’s sex trafficking. It’s illegal and painful and terrifying, but it’s also something we can work together to do something about if we know what to look for and where to turn for help.

Women are more likely to be trafficked by someone they know than someone following them around Walmart (which is scary in its own right, of course). Women, especially those who society has turned its back on are exponentially more likely to fall into trafficking than their counterparts. How does this happen?

We all have vulnerabilities. We are all searching for something. We all experience self-doubt. Sex traffickers pinpoint what we need the most—whether that be love, money, or acceptance—and capitalize on it for personal and financial gain. They love-bomb their targets in a way that fulfills their deepest needs. And once they have a target’s trust, they begin exploiting that trust and pushing that person deeper into trafficking. It’s generally not an “all-of-a-sudden” occurrence as many suppose. Traffickers chip away at you little by little. They may begin to force drugs on you. They surround you with a network of people who make it seem as if this new life that you never wanted and don’t want now is impossible to escape. We aren’t talking about those who choose; we are talking about those who are forced.

At She’s Somebody’s Daughter, we work with and for women who are being or have been trafficked to help facilitate positive outcomes. We

build communities of love and hope that honor women and work to erase the lines of separation that isolate those affected by sexual exploitation. We started ten years ago, choosing our name as a conversation starter for those who pay for sex. We wanted them to realize that this could be their daughter, sister, or mother who was being forced to perform sex acts. And it worked. Potential sex purchasers began to take a step back and think about what they were about to do. If you are in need of help, would like to learn more about our work, or would like to volunteer or lend your support, please visit ShesSomebodysDaughter.org.

I don’t usually give financial advice, but a Tom Cruise Ship could be a winner. Mission impossible? I don’t think so. No need to thank me.

The best know-it-all is Google.

Who would have thought that typing with your thumbs would be a thing?

What’s next? A car that drives itself. HA! After what happened lately I’d say there goes the Chinese birthday balloon market.

When someone says “that’s a game changer” that doesn’t mean a basketball game suddenly changes into a football game.

If you meet someone who takes your breath away make sure you get it back. I can’t tell you how many homicides start that way.

I didn’t know how many really bad movies are out there till I got Netflix.

Remember When

Story By Steven McKenney Illustration by Allison Juliana

He sat by the window, pipe in hand, and looked across the Susquehanna River. A few cyclists and a handful of joggers were out this morning; an exercise path ran along the eastern shore. Misguided lemmings trying to stay young and maintain their health, he assumed. Idiots, he thought, raised the pipe to his mouth, and drew in applescented smoke.

Bruised clouds drifted in, filling the sky until not even a sliver of blue remained. He knew today would be cold. The day just had that intangible look. Snow would not be a surprise to him either. He almost expected it. Like the clouds pushed along by invisible air currents, the afterlife was drifting closer to him as well. And, not for the first time this winter, he wondered if he would live to see winter’s death.

“Coming soon?” he questioned aloud. The empty room offered no reply, not even an echo’s trace.

“Worry not, my friend, your time draws near. I have not forgotten you,” a voice whispered.

He heard the voice; clearly as if someone had spoken over his shoulder. He was still the only occupant; he checked.

Jackson Silver looked and felt every bit the old man he was. His body ached and what didn’t ache, he could either no longer feel or had been removed. It was expected, of course. He was within eyesight of ninety; eighty a distant memory. No one should expect things to work as designed at such an age.

His hair was short, thinning by the day, and very white. Soft to the touch, more feather duster than bristle brush, and clinging haphazardly to his tanned scalp in cotton-like tufts. His face had eyes like a Bloodhound and more creases on his cheeks than a Shar-Pei. Glancing at his arms as he dressed, he noticed they were not only covered in liver spots, but also much thinner than he remembered. Loose skin sagged, like pliable Papier-mâché, as he slipped on his shirt. Jackson wondered how all this had happened without his noticing. He dared not check below his waist.

He lived alone in his retirement apartment; a condo, the facility called it. Creatively advertised to the elderly as luxury assisted living condominiums. The word play, as with all advertising, was intentional. In his day, this was an apartment, nothing more, nothing less. Put on a bigger price tag and a fancy name, and now guilt-ridden children could feel better knowing their loved ones were in a ‘luxury’ facility.

Life is nothing more than a numbers game, he thought. Age and money - which makes the world spin - are simple numbers, but ones that seem the most important to people. You hope to see both grow, becoming large, but still, they are only numbers. What you’ve done with

the numbers you were given is what matters.

His wife, Jennifer, had never known this place. She had preceded him nearly twenty years before. It had rained that night, and the roads had been slick. She’d had a little too much to drink, the police officer had told him, breaking the news as kindly as was possible.

He sighed.

She visited his dreams more frequently now, and each time, she was driving her car. A dark blue BMW it had been, he thought. She always asked him to get in; he always declined.

Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Jackson had spent his life traveling the world and when he was ready to retire, he returned. He had been a journalist, back when the truth mattered. It had rewarded him with a full life, a wife he had adored, two amazing children, and five grandchildren.

During his career, he had never been one to shy away from asking tough questions, the ones that mattered and demanded answers. He thought the journalists of today lacked character and pandered to the whims of select groups. And don’t get him started on the people who based their opinions and decisions on what celebrities thought or said rather than real facts. Such behavior was repulsive and preposterous.

To think a celebrity knew what mattered most to the average citizen was incredulous. The social circles of A-list celebrities and people who made the world work attracted each other like opposite ends of the same magnet. Were people no longer able to think for themselves, he wondered. But truth in journalism was no longer his war to wage.

Jackson needed to be careful, his heart was on borrowed time, and racing was not a good idea, not at his age.

His children, daughter Lee and son John, would be here soon; he was excited to see them. They both had moved away years ago, settling in different areas along the eastern seaboard, with families of their own. It was a rare treat for him when they were together; how many more of these opportunities did they have, he wondered, not for the first time.

As he aged, both had repeatedly offered him space to live, and each time, he politely refused. No amount of begging or pleading helped. Jackson knew his time was short, he believed the dreams told him that. He could feel it too; perhaps they could sense it as well. He had started here; he would end here.

“Open up, old man,” preceded the knock on his door.

“If I don’t answer in ten minutes,” he replied, “give me another two.”

Opening the door, he asked, “Why are you two allowed to say I’m

old, but I’m not?”

“Majority rules, Dad, it’s how the world works,” they said in unison.

Sighing, he walked back to his chair by the window, sat, and retrieved his pipe.

They sat together for a few hours, his children taking turns telling him the latest exploits of his grandchildren.

Lee’s oldest, Liam, was graduating college in the spring and already had a few offers from companies overseas. Her twin girls, Lauren and Kathryn, high school seniors, were wreaking havoc on the unfortunate male students who continued to succumb to their schemes, charms and pranks. Whomever they date, Lee had said more than once, will have their hands full.

John’s boys were doing well also. He described how Andrew, his youngest, adjusted to college life.

“How is Shane?,” Jackson asked his son.

Looking at his watch, John said, “We’d better get going, we don’t want to be late.”

“Where are we going? Neither of you would tell me,” Jackson said to his children.

“It’s a surprise,” Lee said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“You two are incorrigible,” he said.

“We learned it from you, Dad,” Lee responded.

Memories filled the car as they drove. He had introduced them to the beauty and enjoyment of minor league sports when they were young. Lee never took to baseball, but she dutifully went each time they had tickets for a Senators game. Hockey was a different story; she loved the Hershey Bears as much as John. According to Lee, a Bears game was not complete without at least one fight.

They had seen countless players, from both teams, pass through over the years. Some had made permanent homes, their Major League dreams unable to find a crack in Hershey or Harrisburg. For more than a few, they had succeeded, and Jackson and his children had seen them back when.

Before Jackson knew it, forty minutes had passed, and they were pulling into the parking lot for the Giant Center.

“Surprise!” his children exclaimed.

“I haven’t been here in years,” he said with soft reverence. “I’m old, but even I know it’s still two hours before warm-ups.”

“Yeah, I know, Dad, but you’re old and need more time” John said See Short Story, continued on Page 22

Conversely, I didn’t realize how many cool looking movies aren’t streaming on Netflix that I’ll never see.

Researchers say time is an illusion. So, time is like sawing someone in half on stage or pulling a rabbit out of a top hat, then eating it.

Scientists say the earth’s core may have stopped spinning. Hula Hoopers round the world are in mourning.

It takes me four hours to watch a twohour movie because of naps and constant rewinding to try to find where I lost consciousness.

Everyone seems to know the truth these days which, to me, means that nobody knows the truth these days, including me.

Have we run out of generations? 18 thru 25 is Generation Z, the last letter of the alphabet. Will the last Gen-Zer please turn off the light before you leave?

Short Story, continued from Page 23

laughing. “No more questions, let’s go.”

“Why are we going in the player’s entrance?” Jackson asked.

“Dad!”

“Right, sorry.”

Inside, they saw Coco speaking to someone, his back to them.

The loveable mascot walked over to them then abruptly moved aside. Standing behind him was Shane Silver, John’s son.

“May I present tonight’s starting left wing,” John said.

Immediately, tears of joy began to flow along Jackson’s heavily creased cheeks. He was speechless.

They watched their first game together in years. After the game, Shane presented his grandfather with an autographed team stick and his game-worn sweater.

It was the best day in years, he had told his children when they returned to his condo. “Get some rest Dad, you’ve had a long day,” they told him. In bed, before he drifted off, he told Jennifer what their children had done for him. As he slept, he dreamt of Jennifer and her car again, offering him a ride. This time, he accepted.

Raised in Harrisburg, Steven McKenney currently resides in Northern Virginia and is a veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Force. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys spending time with his two grown children, watching sports, and reading.

I’m Not Afraid of Me Now

by Emily Murtoff

For centuries of my life, I was made of other people’s ideas, draped in garments ill-fitting and suffocatingly soft like the velvet couch when the acid drops. Limbs linger on the edge of another reality of coin cushions & old hair, where I am a majestic quilt that stays cool to the touch; And I merged with the surface of this sweet existence, briefly. I saw both worlds at once and equally— to bend the fabric of time is so satisfying.

But I always returned, suddenly, the rush into the first spring rain, hot to get my skin wet, to abandon self, to throw off everything down to the bone and rebuild again.

Like a bird makes a nest, taking little pieces from here, from there— a scrap of your patience, please, a twig of your trepidation, a fresh leaf of your unfiltered laughter.

For centuries, I was a thief. Needing to borrow to breathe, needing reflection to see; I wanted wind to autopilot me

I’ll see that movie I’ll hold your hand, Who’s your favorite band? Take me where you like to go; You pick you pick you pick

I was the fly and the wall, a silent black speck on the surface of a life, watching the girls at the soda machine trade quarters for belly burps and braided bracelets. But not with me.

For four of my lifetimes, I was somebody else, or possibly,

no one. A frame where a door would be hung, but there was none. One could pass through me unheeded, not needing to raise a hand,

to push, pull, turn, touch— touch, touch, touched but never felt.

For centuries, I was body-less, composed of many compartments holding nothing, or possibly something. Pandora’s box. Nonsense of a non sequitur mind; I was only a smell— daffodil chalk, cookie dough, a fresh cracked egg. The chorus chimed: she’s fine, she’s fine; And I was

a fine figment, indeed. Fragments formed in the shape of a person, I could float on forever looking full from the outside, like the little girl who grew up and grew whole— but oh,

what empty centuries they had been.

Creeping like a specter through the senseless seam, I found the border of belief in my 25th year and nearly disappeared.

Dangling at the edge of existence, I awoke from my death wish to the rumble of thunder.

A storm. Thank God. The world-ending kind. There came a great flood, fountain of youth, a wormhole opened and I began again.

I stitched a self out of all the threads, mended the many holes I had let grow tattered; I chose my own edges and sewed them in lace.

For the first time in my many lifetimes, I took a name of my own.

Emily Murtoff is a brick mason by trade, but a poet at heart. Her work explores themes of the self, mental health, and sexuality. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Harrisburg Writers Group and a co-host of the Blacklisted Poets of Harrisburg weekly open mic. You can find her on Instagram: @emily_murtoff; or at her masonry account: @ brickchick_hbg.

TRIBUTE TO WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

Honoring the top mentors, role models, and volunteers in Central PA

Story By Christina Heintzelman: cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

Photos Submitted by YWCA

For the past 34 years, the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg has honored over 760 extraordinary women for their contributions to our region, both professionally and philanthropically. On March 29, 2023, this tribute will continue as 27 women who have dedicated their time and talent to making a difference in Central Pennsylvania will be honored by their induction into the Women of Excellence, Class of 2023.

“We are exceedingly proud to pay tribute to empowered women in our region for the 34th consecutive year,” says Mary Quinn, CEO of YWCA Greater Harrisburg. “This annual event is a community favorite as well as our own – a time when we reflect not only on the collective accomplishments of these individuals, but also on the impact they have made on the lives of our neighbors, friends, and family. Each honoree embodies our mission in unique ways, and we consider it a privilege to celebrate them all.”

To garner an understanding of the scope of this award, look at the eligibility criteria that each woman must be able to speak to and show excellence in, in order to be considered for this highly prestigious award. All nominees must:

◊ Participate actively in the community as mentors, role models, and volunteers.

◊ Actively serve on the boards or committees of various nonprofits and organizations.

◊ Demonstrate integrity, strength of character, and leadership.

◊ Raise and donate money for important causes.

◊ Embrace and support the vision and mission of the YWCA.

Nominations begin in September of each year and a two-month vetting process takes place during which time the YWCA association board begins its screening process. A Google search is done of each nominee’s name, to ensure there is nothing controversial popping up in the cyber universe, after which a line-by-line review of each woman’s submitted materials takes place. Submitted materials consist of a 600 to 1000–word Narrative Biography and a 75 to 100–word Presentation Bio.

Once these two screening processes are completed, the board begins its daunting task of paring down this list of amazing women to end up with as close to 25 inductees as possible. No recipient can be selected for more than one year’s class, although all women are eligible for two additional yearly awards: the Carolyn L. Smith Legacy Award, given to an exemplary woman whose efforts set a standard for a lifetime commitment to the welfare of women and children in the capital region; and the Karen F. Snider Emerging Leader Award, which recognizes the efforts of a woman under the age of 30 on behalf of the community, particularly with regard to mentoring younger girls.

YWCA Greater Harrisburg’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen the community. YWCA Greater Harrisburg serves 35,000 individuals in the Capital Region, and the combined network of YWCA associations impact 25 million individuals worldwide.

The Tribute to Women of Excellence, the YWCA Greater Harrisburg’s largest fundraiser of the year, will take place on Wednesday, March 29th at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2023

Joanne Maureen Carroll

Joye Gingrich

Taylor Rowles

Katie Modi

Kerry Robison

Emily Roman

Serina Gaston

Bonnie Hershberger

Kirsten Page

Karen Washington

Masai Lawson

Karla Mitchell

Marie Conley

Meghan Bachmore

Rebecca Lupfer

Meghan Noss

Emily Lingle

Alison Swigart

Jacqueline Balthaser

Susan Hubley

Deborah Donahue

Kristen Evans

Alicia Shanahan

Eliz Nestorov

left to right

left to right

left to right

left to right

Abigail Aungst

Abigail Aungst is a Managing Director in KPMG’s Harrisburg office. At KPMG, she is a leader in the audit practice, serving both private and public companies in the Central Pennsylvania area. Aungst is a role model for other professionals and an active community volunteer. As a committee member of both KPMG’s Network of Women and the Advisory Board for the United Way of the Capital Region (UWCR) Women’s Leadership Network, she has the opportunity to mentor other women and coordinate events that support the development and advancement of women in their careers.

Alicia

Shanahan

Alicia Shanahan is a Vice President, Business Banking Operations Manager for M&T Bank. She is a founding member of M&T Bank Women’s Interest Network (WIN) of South/Central PA resource group. Shanahan has been a United Way Stuff the Bus Committee Member since 2020. She also coordinates, volunteers, and leads many events for M&T Bank such as serving as the bank’s United Way Campaign Coordinator, Feel Your Boobies, Salvation Army Angel Tree and the United Way Day of Caring. As the granddaughter of a Pearl Harbor Survivor, her main passion is veterans and she serves as the Auxiliary Secretary for the Dillsburg VFW post 6771 and is involved in sending care packages to veterans overseas, flag inspection at Fort Indiantown Gap, and visiting American Gold Star Mothers.

Dr. Alison Swigart

Dr. Alison Swigart is a psychiatrist at Penn State Health and Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Swigart is passionate about improving the mental health and overall wellbeing of people with severe mental illnesses through excellent clinical care and educating other psychiatrists. Dr. Swigart helps lead the CAPSTONE program, a coordinated specialty care clinic serving adolescents and young adults experiencing early symptoms of psychosis. She serves on the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Leadership Council, which promotes the quality of community psychiatric practice across the state and has supported the local chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Health.

Anne Carnathan

Anne Carnathan is a President & CEO of Universal Media, Inc., Mechanicsburg, PA. For 12 years. She has been a lector and special projects coordinator at St. Margaret Mary Roman Catholic Church in Harrisburg; she also serves and supports The Salvation Army of Harrisburg, Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, St. Margaret Mary School, Bishop McDevitt School, and Boy Scout Troop #36. Delivering inspiration and authenticity, Carnathan is shortening the learning curve of young professionals and women with her award-winning Grit and Gravitas podcast with co-host Anne Deeter Gallaher.

See YWCA Women of Excellence on Page 30

Bonnie Hershberger

Bonnie Hershberger, an assistant general counsel, for Capital Blue Cross, specializes in health and benefits law. Hershberger volunteers her legal services for the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, advocating for criminal justice reform and working to exonerate wrongfully convicted people. This group is actively helping about 130 residents in the Capital’s 21-county service area. She chairs the Mission Committee for Bethesda Mission which oversees the organization’s shelters, substance abuse recovery programs, medical and dental clinics, food bank, children and youth community center, and mobile ministry. She also sits on the governing board for Brethren in Christ U.S.

Deborah Donahue

Deborah Donahue, adjunct professor at Central Penn College, is an attorney and college professor whose footprint can be found in dozens of impactful charitable organizations. She has worked to combat domestic violence, keep the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat afloat, elect candidates with integrity, and support veterans experiencing homelessness, among many other ventures. She earned the prestigious Karen F. Snider Women in Philanthropy Award in 2020, and her involvement continues to grow. She is well-known in the community as a steady, reliable leader and is well-loved by her students and coworkers.

Emily Lingle

important to me because I think we are put on Earth to Congratulations Emily Roman, CPA 2023 Tribute to Women of Excellence Honoree, YWCA Greater Harrisburg

back to the community

someone ’ s life!

brings me joy that I can make a difference

board as Treasurer of Dauphin County CASA, assisting them in increasing their budget so they can help even more children who have endured abuse or neglect. Balthaser previously was a Girl Scout leader for eleven years.

Joanne Maureen Carroll

Joanne Carroll is the Executive Director of Trans Advocacy, Pennsylvania, a past member of the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, and a past president of TransCentral PA. She currently serves as a consultant to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, is a member of the Governors’ LGBT Working Group, a member of Millersville University President’s Commission on Gender and Sexual Diversity, and Co-Chair of the Keystone Conference, A Celebration of Gender Diversity. She is a member of the Penn Central Conference, UCC Open and Affirming Ministry Team, and serves Christ Church UCC in Elizabethtown, PA as President of its Consistory.

Joye Gingrich

Joye Gingrich, MBA, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer and vice president of Patient Care Services, UPMC Harrisburg, personifies nursing in her dedication to helping others, recognition of the dignity inherent in all, and concern for and uplifting of others. Since beginning her career of more than 30 years, Gingrich has advanced from a staff nurse position to a valued and talented member of leadership through her hard work, dedication, vision, and grit. Never was her professionalism and kindness more evident than during the worst of the pandemic. She is a gifted leader and caring member of the community.

Karen Washington

Karen Washington, Milton Hershey School, is a servant leader in every sense of the word. Raised in Harrisburg, PA, she knew from a very young age that she wanted to make a difference in her community. For several years, Karen volunteered in the local Harrisburg area to empower youth to be their greatest selves. In 2000, Washington and her husband, Leno, packed up their children and moved to Hershey, PA to become house parents at Milton Hershey School. Over the last 22 years, Wash Washington has invested love and care into hundreds of MHS students, changing the course of their lives forever.

YWCA Women of Excellence, continued from Page 31

Karla Mitchell

Karla Mitchell serves as the Executive Director for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA and has been in this role since November 2016. Mitchell works tirelessly to meet the needs of the families who utilize the organization’s variety of program services. Responsible for the strategic and operational direction of the family focused organization, Mitchell and her team deliver support to families whose children receive essential medical care at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

Kate Modi

Born in the Harrisburg area and a graduate of Carlisle High School and York College of Pennsylvania, Kate Modi has distinguished herself through community service and in a career in the insurance industry that began in 2008. In 2012, she joined Penn National Insurance and, after several promotions, now serves as senior claims representative. After managing Penn National Insurance’s United Way tricycle race team for seven years, United Way’s leadership invited Modi to chair their tricycle race committee. She has also volunteered for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s South Central Pennsylvania Chapter, served as a student mentor at Harrisburg University, and represented Penn National Insurance with distinction as a graduate of the 2015 Leadership Harrisburg Area class.

Kerry Robison

As Director of Provider Relations in Central Pennsylvania for Highmark, Kerry Robison stives every day to cultivate excellent relationships with clients, members, and providers and works relentlessly to improve the customer experience. A 2016 graduate of the Leadership Harrisburg program, Robison works with community and business partners to improve the quality of life in the Capital Region. She serves on the board at Penn State Health’s Children’s Miracle Network, as an Executive Leader for the Capital Region American Heart Association, a committee member for United Way of the Capital Region, and also a member of the Women’s Leadership Network.

Kristen Evans

Kristen Evans, Founder, President, and CEO of HR Influenced, a human resource management consultancy, has 20 years of experience as a solutions-focused HR executive. Most recently, Evans served as managing director of a local consulting firm in Harrisburg. Prior to that, she was vice president of human resources at PACE Resources, Inc., in York. She has also served as HR director for Harrisburg University and Triple Crown Corporation, as well as HR manager for Cintas Corporation. Active in her community, Evens is currently serving as president of the Susquehanna Township High School Booster Club. In 2019, Evans was named one of Central Penn Business Journal’s Forty Under 40.

Kirsten Page

Kirsten Page, Public Relations Director at West Shore Home, has had a long and distinguished career in television and public relations, and is an active mentor, volunteer, and advocate for the Arts in the region. She is Board President for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, and Vice Chairperson of the Capital Area School for the Arts Foundation Board. She also launched the Community Relations Department at West Shore Home, supporting numerous local organizations. During her career in broadcasting, Page received Mid-Atlantic Emmy nominations for both reporting and anchoring.

Marie Conley

Marie Conley’s innovative problem solving and engagement strategies bring a unique combination to her clients. But it is her empathy and advocacy for those living with rare diseases that made her a nominee. Diagnosed with Cushing’s disease in 2012, which less than ten people per million are diagnosed with a year, Marie chose to take her professional skill set, support and love of her family and friends, and create The Conley Cushing’s Disease Fund to support patients and their families and create medical awareness for this disease. She also helps lead the PA Rare Disease Advisory Council.

Masai Lawson

A s Chair of Gannett Fleming’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee, Masai Lawson has brought national recognition to herself and Gannett Fleming as a sought-after thoughtful leader on how companies can be more inclusive, equitable, and diverse while creating a culture of belonging. She also serves as Senior Manager, Talent

Acquisition and Inclusion at Gannett Fleming, Inc., where she and her team develop innovative recruiting and engagement strategies to attract top talent while promoting an employee-centric culture. Lawson also serves on the Board of Directors of Feel Your Boobies, is a Board Member of WITF, and a member of the DEI&B Steering Committee for the American Council of Engineering Companies.

Meghan Bachmore Karen F. Snider Emerging Leader Award Winner

Meghan Bachmore, Executive Director of Harrisburg Young Professionals, is a rising, young leader in the Harrisburg community She embodies compassion and perseverance for the work she does and is teaching young people the importance of being servant leaders and giving back to your community. Bachmore currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Harrisburg and volunteers her time at Someone To Tell It To and several other non-profit organizations. Accepted to Leadership Harrisburg Area’s Community Leadership Series Class of 2023, she will graduate in June.

Meghan Noss

Meghan Noss serves as Regional Vice President of the Capital Region for Members 1st Federal Credit Union, overseeing more than 90 associates and working to ensure that annual goals are met at nearly a dozen branch locations in Dauphin and Perry counties. She volunteers her time to many local charitable initiatives in the Greater Harrisburg Area, including as President of Women INvolved with The Salvation Army. Noss also helps The Salvation Army Harrisburg with their holiday packaging, financial literacy and summer youth enrichment programs, See YWCA Women of Excellence on Page 34

and volunteers in Junior Achievement’s STEM Program at local high schools.

Eliz Nestorov

Eliz Nestorov is the Director of Development with MidPenn Legal Services, a non-profit, public-interest law firm that provides highquality free civil legal services to low-income residents and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in 18 counties in Central Pennsylvania. She is also a Co-President of the American Bulgarian Business Association, which promotes and develops AmericanBulgarian business relations and fosters more positive global business and governmental relationships. Nestorov is a recipient of the City of Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed Award for distinguished public service and the 2022 Inspirational Influencer Award for Global Impact with the International Association of Women.

Rebecca Lupfer

Rebecca Lupfer is vice president of the mid-atlantic division for The GIANT Company. She joined the company in 2018 as director of merchandising planning following a 12-year tenure within the Ahold Delhaize family of brands. In just four years, Lupfer has quickly risen through the ranks due to her strategic thinking, confident leadership, and commitment to community. She currently serves as vice president for the West Perry Mustang Foundation and volunteers with the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Bank and Pennsylvania Krunch softball organization. She is also the executive sponsor of The GIANT Company’s women’s LINC Business Resource Group.

Serina Gaston

Serina Gaston currently serves as the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area (Habitat), whose vision is building strength, stability, and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing, and to improve the living conditions of people existing in inadequate housing. She is a lifelong community servant who has served on several boards and committees, including the United Way of Pennsylvania, American Heart Association – Capitol Region, Penn State University’s Health Education Advisory Board, and the Homeless Ministry at Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Gaston also is a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Shelly Matter

Since becoming a volunteer for Junior Achievement over twenty years ago Shelly Matter has been committed to giving back to the communities where she has lived and worked. From being a Den Mother helping scouts earn merit badges to serving on various industry and community advisory councils, boards, and committees, she believes whole heartedly that helping others, and being a positive role model and mentor, is a way of life. Having earned her college degree at age 50, and more recently leaving a 20+ year career in the commercial/ industrial HVAC industry to become a realtor, Matter believes that you are never too old to follow your dreams.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA congratulates our Executive Director, Karla Mitchell on being selected as a 2023 Women of Excellence recipient.

of Central Pennsylvania

MEGHAN BACHMORE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2023 EMERGING LEADER HYP.ORG

Susan Hubley

Carolyn L. Smith Legacy Award Winner

Susan Hubley has been a champion of community service for over 35 years, dedicating her entire adult life to making the region a better place for everyone, especially women, and the underserved. As Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at Capital BlueCross, Hubley is a champion of the company’s commitment to social responsibility. Outside of her job, she has served in leadership roles with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, American Heart Association, United Way of the Capital Region, and the YWCA, Greater Harrisburg. Hubley is a member of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities Dream Team, providing monetary support for women and girls in our community, and was honored in 2021 with the West Shore Chamber’s Luminary Award.

Taylor Rowles

Taylor Rowles joined Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) in 2013 as a Marketing Intern. Following graduation from Penn State University, Harrisburg, Taylor joined the company as a full-time team member, serving in a number of Marketing roles including Hersheypark Marketing Integration Manager. A pivotal team member in the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, Taylor was named Senior Manager, Market Integration - Corporate and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in January 2021. She is currently co-chair of the company’s MERGE (Multi-Ethnic Resource Group for Everyone) Employee Resource Group and is committed to promoting DE&I across HE&R.

Sophisticated as a Haiku, Engaging as a Warm Latte

Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com

Photos by Paul Vasiliades

There are a lot of things that stand out about Aleah Watson. Someone meeting her for the first time might focus on her buoyant personality. Others, after some congenial conversation, her knowledge of alternative music and Haiku. But, if you’re a morning coffee drinker in need of that jolt of caffeine to shake the dust from your eyes, your attention will likely be drawn instead to Watson’s brewing, mixing, and artistic presentation skills. As our selected barista of the month, Watson definitely doesn’t disappoint in any of those areas.

For the past year-and-a-half, patrons of all three Little Amps Coffee Roasters locations in Harrisburg – 133 State Street, 1836 Green Street, and inside Strawberry Square – have been discovering just how much of a “stand out” talent Watson is. On a surprisingly warm February morn at the State Street location, she greeted us with a contagious smile, and a willingness to concoct a pair of drinks appealing both to the palate and our photographer’s lens. As she dexterously brewed a Vanilla Latte and Dirty Chai Latte (recipe at the end of this article) Watson’s latte art talents were on full display, as were her conversational skills.

“Oh, I love talking to people,” she remarked, citing one of her primary reasons for being a barista. “I love connecting with people. Putting a smile on their face, making them laugh, or just being able to see the need. Sometimes they just need to get out, and they just need their coffee really quickly. Or sometimes they just need a second to talk to someone and be seen.”

Though she describes herself as shy, the gifted Infinity Charter School, Bishop McDevitt High School, and CASA grad has an affinity for informed conversation, and loves reading, writing – and performing –poetry. A piano player by trade, Watson is also an accomplished acoustic musician, equally comfortable playing guitar or the drums. As a poet, she frequently attends open mics, and often immerses herself in Haiku (“one of my co-workers and I,” she recalls good-humoredly, “we had a whole day where we only spoke to each other in Haiku!”); as a singer, she has hosted open mics herself, and often performs at Little Amps, either as a solo act, or part of a double-bill, putting her own spin on songs by artists ranging from Lianne La Havas and Eloise, to Paramore, Weezer, and Cake. And, occasionally, even the Rolling Stones.

“My style is kind of folky,” she elaborates, “with maybe a little soul, but I like to do covers like ‘Paint it Black.’ I just like making something completely different my own.”

Music remains a driving force in Watson’s life. It was, in fact, the initial reason she became a barista at Little Amps. “I came here for the music,” she says, “and the good vibes, the good energy, the people … and then I just stuck around.” But it’s no longer her career aspiration.“I thought music was what I wanted to do with my whole life,” she explains. “I was gonna go on a tour, but with Covid happening, none of that could happen. So, it put me in a place of like ‘okay, how and what do I really

Vanilla Latte & Dirty Chai Latte

want my life to look like,’ and I was reevaluating things, and I was like ‘well, realistically, this is what I really want to be doing with my life. And that [this] was psychology.”

All of which should come as no surprise, considering Watson’s love for talking to – and serving – people. “I would love to be a counselor, or do some kind of art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy type of deal.” She continues, “Just working mostly with children, or adolescents, and giving skills that aren’t normally taught. Mental health awareness is like the key for me.”

With a job in the psychology/sociology field a long-term goal, don’t be surprised to still see Watson performing in the corner nook at 133 State Street on a pleasant spring evening. As a self-confessed introvert she won’t be hard to spot. She’ll be the one wearing sunglasses, and maybe a hat.

Aleah’s Dossier

Words of advice to home coffee brewers. Know the coffee experience you are looking for and find a good recipe for your preferred experience. For example, at our shop, the grind

‘size’ varies based on type of bean (origin and size) and the mode of brewing. The amount (g) of coffee varies significantly between drip coffee, espresso shots, and AeroPress; as well as the amount of water used and the extraction rate and time. So, having a recipe for what you want will make your morning routine that much more smooth. A scale and grinder are essential. We are happy to help!

Is there anything – or anyone – who inspires you as a Barista?

Who inspires me as a barista? Probably the greatest barista that Harrisburg has ever seen, who retired last year: Zac Brady. He embodies cool and has all the qualities of a great barista. He is a great leader and his ability to communicate, unorthodox teaching style, and patience is the reason why I’m a great barista!

Favorite coffee or blend of coffee.

I enjoy natural process coffees; they’re juicy, fruity, and delicious.

Recommendations of two or three kinds of coffee to try.

Little Amps Shoondisa Natural Process Ethiopian or Luis Ordoñez Mexican Coffee.

Aleah Watson

Little Amps, continued from Page 39

Favorite coffee-fusion drink to mix.

Espresso and Tonic. A 16oz. cold drink. Orange Bitters over ice cubes, pour in tonic, and add one double shot of Espresso on top. A very refreshing summertime drink but lots of people get them year-round.

Most commonly ordered drinks during your shift(s). Probably a vanilla oat latte, hot or iced, honestly.

Philosophy on coffee brewing and/or the enjoyment of coffee. Be present with the process, whether you’re grinding beans for drip or scientifically concocting an AeroPress, let it be a little Zen.

Is Barista your day job? If not, what else do you do for a living?

Being a barista is my day job, but I also serve some nights over at the

Sturges Speakeasy. I am thoroughly considering pursuing a career in psychology/sociology, but I’ll cross that bridge in a little while.  In my free time I love to sing, play guitar, dance, draw -- any creative expression really. I love to roller skate and skateboard. In the summer, catch me cruising all throughout the city!

During a typical week, what days/shifts can you be found at Little Amps?

I am usually inconsistently and sporadically at any of our three various locations! Roll a dice and you might pick the right shop.

Recipe for your signature (or favorite) coffee drink

Okay so, honesty hour. I am a tea drinker. I love Matcha. So, Aleah’s Signature Drink would be an Iced Matcha Latte with oat milk.

Iced Matcha Latte

2 tbsp. Matcha powder

60 oz. hot water

Oat milk

Place Matcha powder in a mason jar. Fill just above the powder with hot water. Put on lid and shake. Fill jar with ice, shake again. Add oak milk to the brim of Mason jar, shake again. Serve and enjoy.

Now, I know this is about coffee. So, if I had a signature coffee drink it would a Dirty Chai Latte with oat milk.

Dirty Chai Latte

28 oz. Chai syrup

Cinnamon

Double shot Espresso

10 oz oat milk, steamed

Pour our house-made Chai syrup into a cup with a couple dashes of cinnamon. Pour in Espresso. Stir. Pour steamed oat milk into Espresso/syrup mixture. Serve and enjoy.

Little Amps Coffee Roasters

With climate change, are we getting swept away today with melting glaciers, higher tides, and polar bears as the new house pets?

My Fitbit bit me, so I bit it back while it tracked my blood oxygen level.

I’m so stupid that I tried to shuck a corn dog.

I threw away my Everything bagel because it didn’t have Aspic. And I don’t even know what Aspic is.

And I tried to cash in my $100,000 candy bar at my local 7 Come 11 Store.

I not only upset the apple cart I took no for an answer. I’m now sentenced to cliché jail.

I can’t stay long. I’m on the run. There’s a warrant out for my arrest. I broke the law of gravity. I FELL UP.

Can you believe the price of eggs? Someone knocked over an Amish roadside stand and are now holding the eggs hostage.

I can’t believe I’m this old. Trouble is, I said that when I turned 30, when I turned 40, then 60, then... Now I’m saying it every day. Who’s the conductor on this runaway train of time?

Life is just an everything bagel without the cream cheese, metaphorically speaking. Or it’s just dirty dishes in the sink, realistically speaking.

I don’t mean to brag but I’ve never met a challenge that couldn’t beat me. And I’m proud of that!

Life is as tentative as an ice cream cone in August.

Life is as tentative as cotton candy in the rain.

With all the true crime shows on TV now

Valley Bistro A Foodie’s Paradise

Valley Bistro’s owner, Jacqueline Ferentinos, is no newcomer to the restaurant business. As the granddaughter of James Mallios, originator of the Keystone Diner, and daughter of Keystone Diner’s current owner, John Mallios, she is the third generation of the Mallios family to provide the area with excellent food and friendly service. She and her husband, Steve Ferentinos, also owned Brick City Bar and Grille, a successful local midtown restaurant which was known for its upgraded grill food and hip city vibe. They later sold the restaurant to Ted’s Bar and Grill owners, Romeo La Marco and John Saad.

Ferentinos says, “Although my grandparents and parents tried to move me toward a different career path, the restaurant business is in my blood. I helped in my dad’s restaurant as a teenager because I was expected to work and earn my own money for extra things that I wanted to have. The work ethic of our family is very strong.”

Ferentinos went to college and earned a master’s degree in both clinical psychology and Spanish and for a few years travelled around the state working as the lead therapist for an organization in the Harrisburg area. She met her husband, Steve, who also has a background in the restaurant industry, and this is when they decided to open Brick City. “My husband and I have become infamous for going into an area with a failing restaurant business and bringing the business and the area back to life. For Valley Bistro, I had a vision, and we chose this location in 2018 because we knew the area had growth potential and in four short years this area has built up to include UPMC, Hershey Medical Center, and the operations center for Members First Corporation, not to mention other small businesses and grocery stores.” Valley Bistro grew in its location from just a small space in a mini mall to a business which now takes up the entire structure.

Although Valley Bistro is a woman owned business, Ferentinos credits her husband with providing the support necessary for her business to grow and flourish. “I wouldn’t be able to do all this without my husband, Steve, who runs the back of the house as the lead cook; and as I like to say, I’m the brains and he’s the muscle that holds this entire business together.”

Ferentinos credits her background in psychology for helping her become a business owner that is totally tuned in to not only its varied customers’ needs but also to her hardworking staff. “Ironically, having this background makes it easy for me to listen and interact with customers who may be coming from the hospital after visiting family members; or maybe they have just come from an appointment in which they learned of a health issue, and they need that listening ear. Maybe they have just had a rough day and want a friendly interaction.”

The business model for Valley Bistro is preparing delicious and interesting food and serving it quickly. This is accomplished by having customers order at the counter, take a numbered table card holder, and pick out a table. The food is then brought to them, and wait staff checks back in on them and clears their table at the end of a meal. “Since we only serve breakfast and lunch, most people are in a hurry either because they are headed to work or have other tasks and they don’t have an hour to sit over a meal. They need the quick, friendly, and top-notch customer service.”

The food and ambiance have a big city feeling and although there are familiar items on the menu they are served with an interesting and sometimes unexpected flavor flair. Take for instance the Chicken and Waffles which is comprised of sugar pearl waffles, buttermilk fried chicken, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, served with a side of maple syrup. Another

Story by: Christina Heintzelman: cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

Photos submitted by Valley Bistro.

Photo of owner, Jacqueline Ferentinos by Christina Heintzelman

Jacqueline Ferentinos

Valley Bistro

very popular item is the Crab Hash and Eggs made with lump crabmeat, Old Bay seasoned home fries with sautéed onions, served with two eggs which are topped with chipotle hollandaise and green onions, and a side of toast. If you have never had Breakfast Nachos, this is the place to find out what they are all about. For those who love a sweet treat for breakfast, there is Oreo Stuffed French Toast, or Chunky Monkey Waffles. And if you like a classic light breakfast, there are bagels, oatmeal, grits, yogurt, and fruit bowls on the menu.

Lunch is served all day with a wide variety of sandwiches and wraps with side dishes, salads, personal pizzas, burgers, and assorted a la carte dishes. As with the breakfast menu, the lunch menu also holds many surprises. In the pizza category alone, there are surprises like Crab Rangoon Pizza, Al Pacino’s Pie, Chicken Parm, and Boom-Boom Shrimp pies.

In addition to the regular menu items there are weekly specials, which are announced on Monday morning. Ferentinos says, “If I don’t have the specials listed online by 10 am I begin getting calls as many people just wait to see what surprises we will be serving for the week.”

Breakfast and lunch menus also include a menu that has been curated for the under twelve-year-old crowd. There are also choices which are gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan. Everything on the menu is made from scratch, in-house, except for the desserts which are made by a bakery in Reading.

Like her father at Keystone Diner, Ferentinos has items on the menus that have been named for each of her children, representing who her children are as foodies. Specials will even pop up that are named to honor her father, such as the Keystone Burger or the JM Sandwich. She says,

“The Keystone Diner is an integral part of our entire family, not just my dad and grandparents but everyone in our family. My grandparents have always been a pivotal part of my life and it was through the restaurant that we all learned our work ethics and service to the community that has informed our entire lives. We learned a very valuable lesson that when you have, you give back.” As an active member of the community through participation and sponsorship, Ferentinos recently sponsored a girls’ baseball team - for her, as a woman owning her own business, a very important way, to assist other young women in their effort to play ball just like the boys’ teams.

As a woman who is a business owner, Ferentinos wears many hats every day. She is a mother to three young children, takes care of a household, and runs her business. “My husband is integral in making all of this work, but I also come from a family that is filled with very strong women and I was raised knowing that with the support of family I could do everything necessary to have the life I want to have.”

Voters in Harrisburg Magazine’s Simply the Best yearly contest have voted Valley Bistro Simply The Best or Readers’ Choice every year since 2019 in the Breakfast category and the Brunch category, underscoring the public’s feeling about fantastic meals resulting from the hard work and innovation of Jacqueline and Steve Ferentinos.

Ferentinos mentioned that she is working on some new business ideas, so stay tuned for an update on that!

Valley Bistro is located at 4520 Valley Rd, Enola. The hours are 7 am to 2 pm daily for dine in or take out. The website is valleybistroenola. com. Facebook: ValleyBistroEnola. Find them on Instagram: valley.bistro. enola.

Eat – Relax – Simplify

Tastebuds Personal Chef Service LLC Chef Linda Gauvry

improve their nutrition, or who just want to put good healthy meals on the table for their family. I have now grown the business into a full-time career.”

Gauvry has largely grown her business through word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients who have been using her service, many of them since the inception of her business. “I build a relationship with my clients and their families,” she says. In the beginning, it was because she cooked only in their homes. After the Covid shutdown, her business model changed to using a commercial kitchen, which she rents from Zion Lutheran Church in Enola, and then delivers the meals directly to the client’s home. But she still uses a personal connection to get to know her clients, discuss their needs and favorite foods, and learn of any issues such as food allergies, dietary requirements, or special requests such as vegetarian or vegan meals. Her goal is to simplify her clients’ lives.

Gauvry’s services run from occasional meal prep to a full service of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and can also include between-meal snacks. Her services are used by a vast array of people ranging from young professional singles, busy families who have kids constantly on the move with after school activities, to the elderly or physically challenged individuals.

Imagine having a personal chef - someone who prepares your favorite foods, understands your nutritional needs, and caters to your food desires, while always providing healthy, nutritious home cooked meals made from scratch. Is this just a dream? No, it can be your reality with these services available right here in the Harrisburg area from Tastebuds Personal Chef Service LLC, Linda Gauvry, chef.

Linda Gauvry, a graduate of Penn State University with a master’s degree in nutrition, has been a personal chef for ten years. “I started part time when my kids were young … I enjoyed being in the kitchen and cooking and I felt that there was a need for a personal chef service working specifically with people who have dietary issues, who want to

Gauvry provides the entire meal service from initial consultation and meal planning with the client, to grocery shopping, preparing, and delivery of prepared meals directly to the client’s home. A client can work with sample menus for ideas to serve as a foundation for customized meals. The sample menu is extensive with choices such as Chipotle Glazed Salmon with Chili Lime Corn and Asparagus, Cranberry Apple Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Cacciatore with Egg Noodles, Beef Brisket with Mashed Potatoes and Glazed Parsley Carrots, and many more delicious ideas ready for customization. These sample menus change seasonally to allow for the freshest produce and products available. Further customization is available such as leaving out a spice, herb, or vegetable which may not be to your liking. “All menus are customized to the clients and, whenever possible, I use local produce and products,” she adds.

After the initial conversation and meal planning is done, Gauvry sends a menu to the customer, which is then approved. All shopping by the chef is done the morning of the ‘cook day’, and the food is prepared from scratch and then packaged for delivery that same day to provide the freshest meals possible.

Story by Christina Heintzelman, cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

Photos of Chef Gauvry by Will Masters, Food photos by Chef Gauvry

Chef Linda Gauvry

One of her special services is a discussion about the customized packaging of her meals for her clients. Some clients prefer each item packaged separately so the meal can be served family style, others prefer to have a complete meal in one container for ease in reheating or freezing for later use. All meals are delivered complete with a menu and very specific instructions for reheating. The meals are presented in Pyrex or BPA-free disposable containers.

Gauvry has two chefs assisting her with the meal preparations: Michael Shaffer, who is a new addition to the staff, and Michelle Andrews. Both came to Tastebuds with extensive culinary experience as well as new menu insights. She states, “This allows me so much more time to prepare specialized menus and every day is a new and different day with the preparation of foods, which I totally enjoy. Shaffer and Andrews are valuable additions to my staff.”

Although Gauvry is not doing on-site catering now, she does offer services for special events such as parties, or small gatherings. Any type of food that can be prepped in advance will be delivered directly to the client at the agreed upon date and time.

As a woman-owned business, with her own family consisting of two pre-teens and a teenager, her plate is full. “Family life is hectic, and I understand the complexities of family life, so I am able to understand the needs of my customers and their need to buy back their time.” With her personal service, her clients always know who has prepared the meal and in addition realize that everything has been prepared according to their instructions. She then adds, “My husband and kids are super supportive, and I appreciate their help pitching in with our household workload.”

Tastebuds Personal Chef Service LLC can be reached via the website: tastebuds-personal-chef. com; Facebook: TastebudsPersonalChefService; and Instagram: @tastebudspersonalchef. Or you can reach Chef Gauvry at 717-736-2579 to set up a personal consultation.

Above is Cranberry Apple Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Above is Chipotle Glazed Salmon with Chil Lime Corn & Asparagus

Chef Linda Gauvry

Julie Riker: An Observational Representational Artist

Story by Christina Heintzelman: cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

Photos submitted by artist

It’s hard to know where to start when writing about Julie Riker’s art as she is a multitalented artist who has a business providing decorative art on walls and furniture, restoration artwork, and representational art paintings often done ‘en plein air’.

Although her canvases are often created in a representational style, she considers herself to be an observational painter saying, “Sometimes I am attracted to an effect from light or abstract shadows that I observe, so the beginning composition may look somewhat abstract, but the finished effect is representational art gleaned from my observations.”

Riker has always been interested in the arts and graduated from University of the Arts in Philadelphia, majoring in illustration. After graduation, she found that the field of illustration had almost entirely moved over to the computer design world. “I came out of college as a dinosaur because my college didn’t initiate a computer driven illustration program until after I had already graduated.” She was fortunate to come home and get a job doing restoration work on the Pennsylvania State Capitol building, working with Albert Michaels Conservation as a member of a team of artists working on the restoration project.

After working for Albert Michaels Conservation for six years she left and opened her own business doing decorative painting in homes, churches, and businesses on both walls and furniture. Her marbling, wall stenciling, and wood grain finishing are in themselves works of art as one-of-a-kind creations. With her work on furniture, for wood grains that aren’t desired by clients, she has an entire repertoire of ideas and styles for customers ranging from old Germanic folk art style blanket chest paintings to MacKenzieChilds style whimsey created on any piece of furniture available. In this genre, she tends to work in acrylics and water-based mediums rather than bringing solvents into someone’s home or business.

During art school, Riker didn’t have the opportunity to paint out of doors and didn’t begin this type of work until after she took a local plein air class. “I love the outdoors; I love the light and shadows, and I do love to travel and paint so this type of painting appeals greatly to me.” She continues by saying that she feels her work has a more painterly realism than hyper-realism because she doesn’t strive for a painting that contains every brush stroke showing everything she observes. The finished effect may be a bit more impressionistic than realistic.

Riker attends juried plein air workshops up and down the eastern seacoast and has garnered a following by also having her work shown there. She is represented by various galleries ranging from Chesterton, MD to State College, PA and locally by Smith Gallery and Fine Custom Framing, located in New Cumberland, PA. She and her art have also been subject matter in “Plein Air Magazine” and “Fine Art Connoisseur.” “Southwest Art Magazine” also did an article on her as an ‘Artist to Watch.’

Recently, Riker was chosen to participate in the 19th Annual Plein Air Easton 2023, the largest juried plein air competition in the United States. It will be held in Easton, MD July 14 through 23, 2023. This is a highly competitive venue and, out of hundreds of entrants from the US, Canada, and Europe, only fifty-eight were selected.

Riker says she has been influenced by the art of John Singer Sargent, considered by many to be the leading portrait painter of his generation, and his use of the economy of brush strokes, rendering a hand in three strokes of the brush. “I also enjoy the work of Andrew Wyeth and his use of strong composition,” she says, mentioning a painting she did in Maine of the Olson House, creating it in the style of Wyeth.

Ultimately Riker states that she paints for herself and is trying to find a truth in an object, “I look for the exact colors, something that someone else might have overlooked, my sense of what I see… my painting is often done using spare brush strokes; it has become almost like a calligraphy for me, and I think part of this is due to the short periods of time you can work when painting plein air. I’ve developed a shorthand that has come with my confidence in my brush work making my work a bit looser.” Riker mentions palette knife work briefly but says that she enjoys using a brush because of its ability to be moved in so many directions and its better flexibility. “I can use one big fat brush in a painting and if I only want to create a dot, I just use one tiny little corner.”

Riker also says that even though there seems to be a move in local art towards more abstraction and mixed media she intends to work mostly in plein air and stay with her style in observational realism.

You can find more examples of Riker’s work on her website www.julieriker.com; on Facebook: Julie Riker Fine and Decorative Art; and Instagram: @rikerart Also, if you check Julie Riker on YouTube, you will find various videos. Smith Gallery and Fine Custom Framing has done an Art Talk video available on YouTube. Riker’s home studio is available to visit by appointment.

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