“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.