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ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Robert Baranow rbaranow@harrisburgmagazine.com Jo Ann Shover jshover@harrisburgmagazine.com EDITOR Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
IN THIS ISSUE ... 4 6 7 8 12 17 20 20 21
STB HOW TO VOTE INTROSPECTION THE CERCUS CARTOON BARTENDER’S OR BARISTA’S CHOICE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS BY THE BOOK NOURISHING BITES THE FINANCE HOUND
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VOLUME 28 NO. 5 MAY 2022
THEATRE THOUGHTS TAILBOARD TALK FOR THE LOVE OF PETS CINEMATIC RAMBLINGS POSTCARDS FROM… POEM #HBGMAG INFLUENCER SHORT STORY SUMMER OF SYDNEY SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER...MIND? HONEY, BEE ALIVE! ARTFUL INSPIRATIONS: PERFORMANCE INSTALLATION ARTIST
WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN Markeshia Wolfe GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laura Reich lreich@harrisburgmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Richard Eppinger reppinger@harrisburgmagazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sydney Fry Christina Heintzelman Paul Hood Stephanie Kalina-Metzger Pam Lazor Judah Mahay Bill Roddey Virginia Watt CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Georgia DuCharme Brad Maurer CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Will Masters Rick Snizik SALES OFFICE 717.233.0109 4309 Linglestown Road, Suite 115 Harrisburg, PA 17112
ON THE COVER
Cultivating respect for the humble honeybee See story on page 40.
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MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 3
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MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 5
Introspection
Love is a flower You got to let it, you gotta let it grow. - John Lennon (“Mind Games”)
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t’s growing season here at Harrisburg Magazine! On so many levels, and in a variety of ways! For starters, we have a profile of new Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams, whose profound love - both for the city she’s native to, and the extended family she’s raised in it convinced us to show her a little love in return and select her as this month’s Influencer! With 5 children, 18 grandchildren, and 16 greatgrandchildren - plus a local community she’s had a nurturing, maternal connection to for decades - she’s a perfect choice for a month that honors mothers! If you love the beautiful flowers that are blossoming this time of year, then you better appreciate the honeybees who not only alight on those flowers, but also help to grow pretty much everything of benefit to humans. New freelancer Pam Lazor takes a little time cultivating a lotta love for a creature whose numbers in recent years have been negatively impacted by mites and pesticide use. If beehives are for protecting young bees (and storing honey) what are cocoons for? For installation artist Kate Browne, her COCOON project is “a way to put the past, present, and future in one place.” Christina Heintzelman peers inside the series of cocoons Browne has created thus far in Paris, Mexico City, Miskolc, Hungary, the Bronx, NY, and both Jackson and Greenwood, MS, plus previews the newest memorabilia-filled cocoon being erected in partnership with the Local 1688 Steelworkers Union in Steelton. Our Barista’s Choice feature for May profiles Andrea Grove, owner of Elementary Coffee Co., a friendly, welcoming place where cups of hot java and open “flavorful” discourse flow with equal abandon. And Stephanie KalinaMetzger’s In My Neighborhood this month visits the ever-growing township of East Pennsboro, where fun summertime activities include fishing, boating, and enjoying a cold & creamy treat at the famous Kristy’s Whistle Stop. Speaking of summertime activities, before you plan any trips, check out Paul Hood’s tips 6 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
PHOTO SUBMITTED Humble Honeybee
on ways to maintain your mental health during vacation season. Then, take a ride with youngand-rising rodeo rider Sydney Fry for the first installment of “Summer of Sydney,” a chronicle of her ongoing equestrian adventures. On the literary side, Judah Mahay’s short story, “In the Future Sense” (with an illustration by Georgia DuCharme) paints an esoteric pathway to perseverance; and poet Virginia Watts takes us back in time to the days of cold mugs of homemade root beer served roadside at “Molly’s.” Humor your thing? Brad Mauer’s latest The Cercus cartoon is sure to have you in stitches; and former stand-up comic (and joke writer for Joan Rivers) Bill Roddey returns with more of his acerbic one-liners. Don’t forget our columns! Alex Brubaker’s By the Book features an exclusive Q&A with horror novelist Jason Rekulak (“Hidden Pictures”); in
Postcards From … author Steven G. Williams laments the shortcomings of the Travel Channel while lauding new travel insights on YouTube; Barbara Trainin Blank previews “what’s on stage” in Central PA during May in Theatre Thoughts; Andrea Reed provides healthful Memorial Day grilling guidance in Nourishing Bites; Kristen Zellner pleads “Give Cats a Chance” in For the Love of Pets; Film & TV historian Kevyn Knox recalls the halcyon days of movie viewing in Cinematic Ramblings; in The Finance Hound, Bryson Roof asks if “cash is really king?”; and finally, HACC’s Robert Stakem “dives” into summer with swimming safety tips in Tailboard Talk. Polish up your green thumbs, be kind to honeybees - and have a great start to your summer! R.G.
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.
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 7
Bartender’s or Barista’s Choice
The power of coffee to connect people is … Elementary! Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
Photos By Rick Snizik
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Matcha Latte 8 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
he key to operating a successful coffee shop is elementary: excel at making great coffee. For owner and barista Andrea Grove, the key to making an outstanding cup of coffee is also elementary: quality responsibly sourced beans that are roasted, ground, and brewed to perfection. So, it only seems fitting then that Grove named her popular Harrisburg café - you guessed it - Elementary! And yet, Elementary Coffee Co. - now with two locations: inside the Broad Street Market and also at 256 North Street - has grown into much more than just a place to enjoy a good cup of coffee. For starters, there’s Elementary’s Wholesale Ordering side of the business; plus Signature Roasts that are done in conjunction with other retailers. Oh, and don’t forget the equipment sourcing, tutorials, demonstrations, lectures, and even a Cold Brew Tricycle for mobile brewing at various events. All uncommon extras for a coffee shop. There’s also the afore-mentioned responsible coffee bean sourcing - something that Grove prefers to call “environmentally-conscious coffee.” Having grown up on a dairy farm in Shippensburg, she takes pride in “understanding what it takes to grow anything to supply the food chain,” and has taken strides to extend an ethical attitude across all aspects of her business model - from compostable cups to coffee ground composting. “We, as individuals, are responsible for what the future looks like, and as a company you’re even more responsible, because you make a larger footprint,” she says. “So, it’s a lot of just making sure that we’re intentional about every step of it, to try to do our part, and not ruin the future for the next generation.” And then, there’s the open and welcoming environment that encourages public discourse (at the North Street location; the Broad Street Market spot has no seating). “There’s a power in small business,” asserts Grove, “you are able to state your political views. There’s kind of this idea that if you want to keep up with public franchises and the corporate world that you should probably be apolitical and stay out of a lot of things. But I think being able to
activate discussions is really important. We’re queer-owned, we’re queer-operated, and we’re going to continue to try to make a safe space for people and being able to make that part of our narrative, however that looks, is helping to progress the world in some way.” Perhaps that connecting of people - whether it be with free speech, coffee, or both - is what truly sets Elementary Coffee apart. “Our job is to help their day, help them to connect with others,” says Grove, “help them to maybe connect with some events around the city that they didn’t know were going on, or people or things that they’re passionate about. We just like to plant the seeds in a lot of people. And I think that’s embedded in a lot of things we do. I think that makes us unique.” Strong connections with the community not only helped Elementary Coffee to survive during the pandemic, but also thrive - to the degree that Grove was able to retain the majority of her staff, which now numbers ten baristas. It’s a team that works together, creating new drinks, planning future events (which may soon include both Open Mic and Poetry nights) and brainstorming future initiatives (like a possible internship program for aspiring baristas). “We are coming out stronger,” says Grove with a smile, “because of the ways in which everyone was intentional about being honest and true to one another, both us as baristas and the community members as a whole.” The power of coffee to connect an entire community: very elementary. 7 Andrea’s Dossier Words of advice to home coffee brewers. Coffee is to be enjoyed however you love it best! There is no right and wrong when it comes to how you love to brew your own coffee. All this to say, if you’re looking to level up your coffee game, I recommend trying one small change to your favorite brewing process or getting one small new piece of equipment to add to your knowledge one step at a time. Oftentimes the smallest change in brewing coffee can make all the difference! If you aren’t pleased with how your coffee is coming out of your coffee brewer, try looking at how many coffee grounds you are adding. The “golden ratio” for coffee brewing is 1:18 meaning, 1 part of coffee grounds to 18 parts of water. Also, check out your coffee grounds: perhaps the grounds are too coarse or too fine, either direction can cause a bitter or watery cup of coffee. But, overall, just have fun. Coffee should always be fun and one of the best parts of your day! See Elementary Coffee Co. on Page 10
Barista Andrea Grove - Elementary Coffee Co.
DRINK OF THE MONTH
CHEMEX POUR-OVER RECIPE 52g coffee beans of your choice 800g water A scale A timer 6 cup Chemex Pour-Over Bring water to boil and let sit for 10 minutes to cool down to about 205 degrees F. Place filter in Chemex and pour hot water through to remove paper taste of filter and warm the Chemex. Dump water down the sink before brewing. Grind coffee on medium to medium
coarse. Place coffee in filter and level out; place on the scale and tare to 0. Pour in 100g of water to wet all the grounds. Start timer. Allow the coffee to sit/“bloom” for 30 seconds. Begin pouring the rest of the water in circular motions focusing most of the water in the center. Try not to let your water stream hit the filter. Keep a slow consistent pace. Finish pouring at 800g and around 2:303:00 minutes. Allow the rest of the water to drain through the grounds and remove filter. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy! MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 9
Mountain Harvest, is also such a deliciously balanced coffee that’s very forgiving regardless of how you brew it, so it’s easy to brew at home! Favorite coffee-fusion drink to mix. Have you tried a matcha latte yet? We use pure culinary grade matcha (which is essentially very delicately powdered green tea leaves) and whisk it with maple syrup and add it to steamed milk. It’s gentle, but also with a surprising boost of caffeine. Try it on its own or add a shot of espresso if you want the flavor of a classic latte with a sweet green tea twist! Most commonly ordered drinks during your shift(s). Right now, the iced Dreamer latte! It’s a house-made lavender and rosemary simple syrup I created years back that is most commonly enjoyed as an iced latte. But honestly, this syrup can be enjoyed in most anything, and makes it all delicious. We’ve added it to iced teas and matcha drinks and it all takes them to the next level! Philosophy on coffee brewing and/or the enjoyment of coffee. Enjoying coffee with others - friends, family, or just folx you are sitting beside in a coffee shop - is powerful. Whether you’re making coffee at home or grabbing a cup from your favorite shop, sharing something so simple is a reminder of something we, humanity, all have in common. Coffee can be a reminder to slow down. It can be that caffeine boost you share with your co-worker on a lunch break. It can be the connecting tool you need to stimulate your thoughts in a group project. Revolutions have been created in coffee shops, but sometimes, the simplest revolution is sharing a smile over a cup of coffee with someone else in your community. And that shared experience, that smile, that coffee, can mean everything.
Barista Andrea Grove - Elementary Coffee Co.
Elementary Coffee Co., continued from Page 9
Is there anything – or anyone – who inspires you as a Barista? The Harrisburg community. Absolutely. I get to do what I love to do because of the love in this community. Even on the most difficult days, serving cups of coffee to unique and innovative community members reminds me how lifting one another up and supporting each other sometimes means just sharing a cup of coffee. Meeting people over a small, shared experience such as coffee is powerful and inspiring to all of us! Favorite coffee or blend of coffee. Right now, I’m obsessed with our Colombia natural origin from Finca La María. My friend Yolima owns Paisa Coffee that sources green coffee from her family’s farms in Colombia as well as other coffee farms around the region of Southwestern Antioquia. The region is beautiful, the coffee farmers are incredibly hardworking, and you can taste the dedication they’ve put into growing and nurturing each coffee plant in the delicious cups of coffee these beans create! Recommendations of two or three kinds of coffee to try. The Colombia natural coffee I mentioned above, for tasting notes of deep sweet cherries. But also, the Uganda, honey-processed through 10 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
Is Barista your day job? If not, what else do you do for a living? It is! When I first started Elementary, it was one of 5 jobs I was working to make ends meet. It has grown into more than a full-time job for me at this point with all the aspects there are to guiding the business forward from day to day. I’m grateful it has! And I’m grateful to have had such amazing individuals and co-workers help over the years. Together we have all made Elementary what it is today! Together we have built Elementary. During a typical week, what days/shifts can you be found at Elementary? Thursday mornings and Saturdays at the Broad Street Market location. Having two locations, a roastery, an online store, as well as everything else it takes to manage a small business, keeps me behind the scenes a lot. But catch me popping up at both locations frequently outside of my shifts. Regardless, we have the best team on site always to craft your drinks! 7 Editor’s note: because coffee has become as – if not more - popular than alcoholic beverages, Harrisburg Magazine decided several months ago to accept nominations for both worthy bartenders and baristas.
NOMINATE A BARTENDER OR BARISTA! harrisburgmagazine.com/submissions
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 11
In My Neighborhood/East Pennsboro Township
Cupboard Maker Books
Near the River, Home to So Much Fun: East Pennsboro Twp. Story and Photos By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger
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PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS The Point 12 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
ast Pennsboro Township is located on the West Shore of the Susquehanna River and is the second largest municipality in Cumberland County with a population of approximately 20,000. The sprawling area, which grew up around the Enola Rail Yard, is comprised of Enola, Summerdale and, after a voter-approved merger in 1998, West Fairview. Early settlement and development of the township dates to the 17th Century with the purchase of land from various Indian tribes. An early industry near West Fairview was the Harrisburg Nail Works, erected in 1831. During its heyday it produced 6,300 tons of nails annually. Additional development came to East Pennsboro Township in 1905 with the establishment of the Enola Railroad Yards, which grew to be known as the largest trainyard in the world at the time. The Harrisburg Nail Works is memorialized today at a small stand-alone museum located at Adams-Ricci Park. The museum is maintained
by the East Pennsboro Historical Society and tours are available by appointment. A larger museum that tells the tale of East Pennsboro Township is currently located at 410 Cherry Street, Enola, where volunteers work to keep history alive. Executive Director Jim Leonard, a recent recipient of the Milton E. Flower Historian of the Year Award, runs the day-to-day operations with a team of volunteers. Their efforts led to the preservation and relocation of the historic Enola Miller House to 51 Miller Street in Enola where the historical society will eventually move. “We’re anticipating opening the house to the public as a museum and operating behind the property by this summer, at the earliest,” said Leonard. For now, the public can tour the small museum on Cherry St., where they can see artifacts from the Enola yard, a display featuring Enola Miller, for whom the township was named, a church bell that dates to 1867, and a display of pins and jewelry, some dating back to 1911 and worn by
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Central Penn College in Summerdale
Adams-Ricci Park Small Library
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Enola Rail Yard
East Pennsboro students. According to Leonard, there is also an exhibit recognizing John Gross and his accomplishments as a football coach in 1959. “The team was undefeated and unscored upon,” said Leonard. The East Pennsboro School District is comprised of four schools: East Pennsboro Elementary, East Pennsboro Area Middle School, West Creek Hills, and East Pennsboro High School. The district serves approximately 2,700 students in grades kindergarten through 12 and is also known for its athletic program. Many East Pennsboro students continue their schooling at Central Penn College in Summerdale. The school was originally known as the “Pennsylvania Business College” and located on Market Street in Harrisburg. In 1970, it moved to Summerdale. The private college offers nine bachelor of science degree programs, seven associate in science degree programs, three associate in applied science degree programs, a Master of Professional Studies degree program and more than a dozen postsecondary certificate programs. Many are attracted to the college for their manageable class size, with a student/teacher ratio of 15-1. Medical facilities are easily accessible in East Pennsboro Township and urgent care facilities are a short distance away. The area’s main hospital contains 307 beds and for years operated as Holy Spirit Hospital. Today the hospital is known as Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center and still serves as a nonprofit, Catholic community hospital, providing outpatient and in-patient diagnostic, medical and surgical services. The four-story Ortenzio Heart Center is dedicated to the treatment of patients with heart problems. Founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Christian Charity, the Center has earned national accreditations for its centers
of excellence in the treatment of cardiac care, atrial fibrillation, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and bariatric surgery. When it comes to recreation, East Pennsboro is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with 11 parks comprised of 196 acres for the public to enjoy. Amenities include pavilions for picnics, trails for walking, and playgrounds for kids. The largest of these is the 82-acre AdamsRicci Park where events like Holiday Lights in the Park, National Night Out, East Pennsboro Emergency Services Carnival and the always popular Pumpkin Fest are held. People also flock to the park during warmer weather for the weekly open-air farmers’ market, open starting Thursday, May 19, and running each Thursday from 3-7 p.m., rain or shine, through October 27. Among the items offered are farmraised meat and poultry, homemade baked goods, homegrown produce, honey, prepared foods and more. Quite often the “SMOK’D” food truck can be found there as well. Those who fancy birdwatching and boating need look no farther than “The Point” in West Fairview, where there is a paved boat launch at the confluence of the Conodoguinet Creek and the Susquehanna River. From “The Point,” birders can spot a variety of species like redbreasted Mergansers, Northern Flickers, Great Crested Flycatchers and more. When Mother Nature scuttles plans for outdoor exercise, Trainyard Gym & Fitness, at 1079 2nd Street in Enola, can help individuals meet their goals. Owned by Denny and Maggie Wonsick, Trainyard is open to anyone in the area who wants to improve their fitness. According to Maggie, members range in age from teens to those in their mid-70s. Services include 24/7 See East Pennsboro Township on Page 14 MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 13
East Pennsboro Township, continued from Page 13
Trainyard Gym & Fitness
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Tavern on the Hill
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Al’s Pizza & Pub
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Squeaky Rail Diner 14 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
access to the gym for training and cardio, group training classes, personal training, batting cages for use by individuals and teams, and instruction in baseball and softball skills for kids as young as eight. Class sizes are manageable and range between 4 and 10 people. The couple said that they love helping people to improve their lives. “Life is so much easier when you have a fit and healthy body,” said Maggie. Another popular indoor attraction is the Olympic Skating Center, 60 E. Shady Lane in Enola, which not only offers skating options like “Learn to Skate,” “Christian Music Skate,” and “Public Skating” hours, but is also home to Harrisburg Area Roller Derby (HARD). After working up an appetite, a meal might be in order and East Pennsboro has plenty of pizza places to curb those carb cravings. Al’s Pizza & Pub, located in the Summerdale Plaza, is just one. Al’s offers an array of pizza, from stuffed, to pan, Neapolitan and specialty choices. Also listed on the extensive menu are dinners like veal and eggplant parmesan, chicken cacciatore, fish and chips and sandwiches and wraps. Diners can end their meals on a sweet note with desserts like peanut butter pie and carrot cake. Those who enjoy adult libations can belly up to the bar and order cocktails or choose from among 44 beers on tap. Al’s also offers a wide range of beer to go, along with wines from SpringGate Winery. Jigsy’s is also a local gem that serves pizza. Owner Robin Davey Ardoline opened the shop in 1999 on South Enola Drive, before relocating to 225 Enola Road, where it stands today. Jigsy’s specializes in “Old Forge” style pizza, which became popular in the Scranton area. It is baked in a rectangular pan and can be ordered as red or white and comes in trays or “cuts” sold in increments of three, six, and twelve. Additional menu items include wings, salads, flatbreads and more. Jigsy’s also sells Pennsylvania wine and spirits and their own craft beer. Do you have an event coming up for which you need a party room? Jigsy’s has one that accommodates 45 guests, and they even do the catering to make hosting easy. “This business has brought so many amazing customers through the doors. It’s so fun opening each day to welcome those from our community and others just passing through,” said Ardoline. Tucked away on a side street in East Pennsboro township in a rather unassuming building located at 4 Center Street in Enola. The Center Street Grille is a favorite eatery, watering hole and gathering place for East Pennsboro denizens in the know. Among the menu items are salads, pasta, fish, chicken dishes, burgers, and sandwiches. Customers can sit at the large bar and enjoy craft cocktails or sports on any of the five flat screen televisions or retire to the dining room to enjoy a meal there. Looking for “pub grub?” Be sure to check out the Grotto Pub Sports & Raw Bar at 104 Market Street in West Fairview, a favorite for live sports viewing. How about a spot to grab breakfast? You can’t go wrong with the Squeaky Rail Diner (formerly the Summerdale Diner), aptly named because of its location directly across from the rail yards, at 505 North Enola Road in Enola. Or, if you’re in the mood for something a little more upscale, there’s always Tavern on the Hill, which has been in business for decades and is a favorite of politicians and locals alike. While other “old school, white tablecloth” restaurants have gone out of business, the Tavern on the Hill has survived, changing little over the years. The Tavern prides itself on its award-winning wine list and, up until a few years ago, even employed a sommelier to stroll the room wearing his ever-present tastevin around his neck. Diners can choose from among dishes like lamb chops, shrimp scampi, chicken marsala, crab cakes and more, all served in a quiet romantic atmosphere. During the warmer months, an attractive outside patio is open for dining al fresco. See East Pennsboro Township on Page 16
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 15
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Bella Donna’s Hair Studio
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Inside Center Street Grille
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Inside Bella Donna’s Hair Studio
Display at Leaf of Eve
East Pennsboro Township, continued from Page 14
PHOTO BY WILL MASTERS Center Street Grille 16 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
For those who like to keep up with the latest fashions, there’s the Leaf of Eve fashion boutique operated by East Pennsboro resident Debbie String who, by the way, also owns “Dewz Dogs” on Route 15, along the river in nearby Wormleysburg. Customers can find an array of items at her boutique, from clothing to home décor, gifts, food products, jewelry, giftware, accessories and more. String also offers tailoring services, catering to many wedding parties over the years. “I enjoy helping people look their best,” she said. Helping people look their best is also a passion for Rachel Minsker, who operates Bella Donna’s Hair Studio, located at 404 N. Enola Drive. Minsker works with six stylists and one barber to offer haircuts, styling, manicures, pedicures and more. She has also been recognized by Harrisburg Magazine as “Simply the Best” hairstylist six times so far, earning her the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. Book lovers should make East Pennsboro a regular stop for the bookstore alone. Located
at 157 North Enola Road, Cupboard Maker Books has been catering to bibliophiles since 2002. The 6,500 square-foot bookstore carries 120,000 paperback and hardback titles ranging in genre from mystery, to romance, science fiction, and more. Although the majority of their books are pre-owned, there is also a selection of new books, which owners Jason Haring and Michelle Mioff-Haring began selling in 2002. The couple hosts book signings and monthly book clubs and carry more than 5,000 new titles including fiction and nonfiction written by local authors. Cat lovers will be in their element when they learn that cats which are up for adoption are permitted to roam the store. Most are quite happy for the attention lavished on them. Be sure to say hi to Zak, the resident Siamese! As you can see, there’s plenty to do and see in East Pennsboro Township and, believe it or not, these suggestions merely scratch the surface. 7
In My Neighborhood/Business
It’s a family-and-friends affair at popular 1950’s ice cream drive-in! Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
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Photos By Rick Snizik
t’s undeniable. Pennsylvanians love ice cream. The Keystone State is consistently among the Top 10 states in ice cream consumption. Furthermore - and of particular interest to readers of Harrisburg Magazine - Infogroup recently ranked the HarrisburgCarlisle region at number 9 in the nation among all cities for highest ice cream consumption per capita! So, it goes without saying that there’s a lot of competition for the “cones, shakes, and sundaes” market in the Greater Harrisburg area. Which is why it’s all the more notable that one of the most endearing roadside stops for all things creamy is also one of the most enduring: Kristy’s Whistle Stop, a local ice cream institution since 1958, appropriately located less than a mile from the Enola Train Yards, on Route 15 in East Pennsboro Township. Serving up all your “drive-in” favorites including burgers, fries, and barbecue - in a tiny foot-of-the-hill eatery that screams 1950’s retro, the restaurant added the name Kristy’s to Whistle Stop when owner Kristy Magaro purchased the property in 2005. Over the years, the popular gathering spot for families and kids’ summer league sports teams has gone
through several ownership changes, including a period in the ‘90’s when it was known as John’s Whistle Stop. But for more than 60 years there’s been nary a day between Memorial and Labor Day (except for Mondays, when they’re closed) when The Whistle Stop hasn’t been packed with locals craving their favorite treats. Among those favorites are the Peanut Butter and Jelly Soft Serve, and - at Number 1 - the Fat Mama, a decadent belly-filling sundae that tops your choice of one of dozens of delicious ice cream flavors - from birthday cake to salted caramel - with a combination of hot fudge, peanut butter sauce, and peanut butter cups. Young and old alike love cooling down with a sundae or Hurricane (the Whistle Stop’s version of that not-to-be-named chain store’s blend of soft serve and candies also named for a storm) - and it truly wouldn’t be summer without at least a couple of nights spent in the outside pavilion at Kristy’s. On any given night, you may even hear the Kristy’s Whistle Stop whistle blow, especially when a youth baseball team stops by! It seems everyone in East Penn has a favorite Whistle Stop story to tell - including See Kristy’s Whistle Stop on Page 18 MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 17
Kristy’s Whistle Stop in 1958
Kristy’s Whistle Stop, continued from Page 17
Kristy, whose father worked his first summer job at the eatery in 1970, and who grew up enjoying Whistle Stop treats herself. “After every baseball game, after anything,” she beams, “this is where we celebrated.” Back then, she recalls her father saying, “I would like to own that [The Whistle Stop],” so it shouldn’t be surprising (or perhaps it should be, seeing as how Kristy has a master’s degree in Environmental Science!) that when the business was put on the market dad asked, “do you think we can make this work?” His daughter’s immediate, though tentative, reply was “we can try!” “I didn’t know how to do anything,” says Kristy, remembering how fortunate it was that “the people at John Gross and Company and Instant Web came and showed us how to do everything.” Which was very fortunate for local ice cream lovers, because if Kristy’s Whistle Stop hadn’t succeeded, her father’s alternate suggestion was to convert the property into a satellite location for Magaro Auto Sales & Towing. Adds Kristy, “our friends and family pitched in, and it just kind of worked.” In fact, year after year, the Whistle Stop continues “to work” as a family & friends kind of operation. “My mom’s here, my niece is here … friends and family, if they stop and we’re busy, will come in and chip in,” says Kristy. “My mom’s best friend owns Stoney Creek Inn in Dauphin, and last weekend we were short-handed, so she came and did dishes for us. We 18 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
Owner Kristy Magaro
have a lot of family and friends and they just come in and do … whatever.” And staff members who aren’t “family,” soon become like family. Continues Kristy, “Most of my staff members start when they’re 14 and usually don’t leave until they’re 23 - and married or starting a professional life!” As always, look for some new additions to the Kristy’s menu this year, including new Ice Cream Flights (four compartments containing four different favorite ice cream flavors for take-home); new ice cream flavors like Lemon Meringue Pie; new ice cream treats like Oreo Churros (at press time, ordered but out-of-stock); and, on the hot food side, Buffalo Chicken Balls. Don’t see something you want on the menu? Improvise! “We’ll take anybody’s ideas or suggestions,” says Kristy. “Customers will come in and say, ‘you know what I want?’ and we’re like ‘okay, we’ll make it!’ And we’ll put anything in a Hurricane. If you can dream it and we’ve got the stuff, we can make it.” With Memorial Day Weekend - the unofficial start to summer - fast approaching, Kristy and her team have several happy months of serving hungry Central Pennsylvanians to look forward to. Which begs the question: when it comes time to close for the winter, does it sadden her? “Yes and no,” she says. “Over the winter, I miss being with the kids. But also, at the end of the summer, I’m ready for a break.” For updated hours and specials, follow Kristy’s Whistle Stop on Facebook; or visit them online at kristyswhistlestop.net. 7
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 19
By the Book/ Alex Brubaker
Q&A with horror novelist Jason Rekulak
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his May, bestselling author Jason Rekulak will release his new horror novel, Hidden Pictures. Featuring supernatural thrills, sinister twists, and some (really) creepy drawings, it’s one of my favorite novels of the year — but don’t take my word for it. Stephen King said he “loved it,” and Joe Hill wrote “it’s one of the best and most inventive ghost stories I’ve read in years.” Jason will be visiting Harrisburg’s Midtown Scholar Bookstore on Friday, May 13th for an in-person free-and-open-to-the-public talk and signing. I had the opportunity to interview him and chat about his new book, the genre of horror, and those creepy pictures. If you’d like to attend the event, register for free here: www.eventbrite. com/e/304197893087 Q: This novel is a departure from the feelgood vibes of “The Impossible Fortress.” What made you want to write a horror novel? The Impossible Fortress was a sortaautobiographical coming-of-age novel about my years as a teenage computer programmer in the 1980s, at the dawn of the personal computer revolution, when teenagers were designing video games on their basement Apple IIs. It’s a breezy funny story that pokes fun at the tropes of certain 1980s teen movies. But how many coming-of-age novels could I write? One seemed like plenty. I’d exhausted the subject matter; I’d said everything I wanted to say, and I couldn’t imagine writing another one. So, I pivoted to suspense/horror, a genre I’ve loved since third grade, when I discovered some spooky “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” short story anthologies in my elementary school library. Most of my favorite writers are working in suspense or horror, so it seemed like a logical place to go. And, if I have to stay in this lane for the rest of my career, I know I’ll be happy. It’s a fun creative space with lots of room for new ideas. I’m excited to be here.
Q: This is a spoiler-free interview but tell me about Mallory. Why did you choose to tell this story through her point of view? I wanted my narrator to be a babysitter, so I knew she’d have to be a young woman. (I mean, obviously we’re living in 2022 and I could have written about a male babysitter, but I felt his gender would distract from the rest of the story.) And I wanted Mallory to feel like a fish-out-of-water in my story’s setting — a very affluent and well-to-do New Jersey suburb — so I gave her a blue-collar South Philly background. I have blue collar class roots myself (my dad was a construction worker) so I cribbed a lot of Mallory’s life story from various friends and personal experiences. Q: Finally, let’s talk about the drawings. As a reader, they elicited a very visceral, discomforting feeling, which upped the level of thrills. When did you know you wanted to incorporate them into the text, why did you do it, and who drew them? Thanks! I have been interested in the possibilities and potential of illustrated fiction for a long time. Sometime back in 2019, I started talking to a pair of illustrators, Will Staehle and Doogie Horner, about collaborating on some kind of project. They’re both wildly creative guys and I enjoyed spending time with them; I knew they would be the perfect partners for something. It took me a long time to figure out the right story for our collaboration. I always knew I wanted the illustrations to function as clues to a mystery. They couldn’t just be decorative; I wanted the reader to be rewarded for studying them. I considered a lot of different ideas before landing on the story of a babysitter and a five-year-old boy who likes to draw. 7 Alex Brubaker is the manager of the Midtown Scholar Bookstore and director of the Harrisburg Book Festival. Previously, he was the editorial assistant at Rain Taxi Review of Books and the exhibit coordinator for the Twin Cities Book Festival. He is a graduate of Millersville University and now lives in Harrisburg.
Nourishing Bites/Andrea Reed
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‘Meat’ You at the Grill
rills begin to fire up all across central Pennsylvania as Memorial Day signifies the unofficial start of summer for many. While many of us are excited for the warm weather, blossoming gardens, and time with family, we’d be lying if we didn’t admit we were looking forward to the promise of tasty foods. While our favorites might vary, meat makes it onto most of our menus. Although different types and cuts of meats have somewhat different nutrient compositions, they do all share some similarities when it comes to their role in our health. Meat is complete protein that provides our bodies all the amino acids we need to build muscle. Per serving, meat provides the most protein and is the best source of vitamin B12. Meats also provide other B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. Together these micronutrients help regulate energy metabolism, immune function, red blood cell production, and bone health. 20 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
There are a few simple tips we can follow to make sensible decisions when it comes to meat in our diet. Meat is packed with great nutrients, but it contains saturated fat which is associated with higher levels of LDL cholesterol and heart disease. This makes grilling a great option for cooking our meats since the fat is allowed to drip away from the meat. However, we still need to be smart about the meat we choose to grill. When we purchase meats, we want to look for meats that have less fat. These may be labeled as lean or are inherently lean based on the cut, such as a sirloin instead of a ribeye steak. Ground meat is labeled with a set of numbers that
denotes the amount of meat and fat. The greater the number on the left, the less fat the blend contains. We can also remove some of the fat ourselves by trimming excess fat or removing the skin. Beef, lamb, and pork are higher in saturated fat than poultry and it is generally recommended to limit our intake of red meat to once a week. Meat can be a part of a balanced diet and helps us feel and stay full, but we don’t want to overdo it. A serving of meat is about 3 ounces or the size of a deck of cards. This does not mean we need to bust out a scale. The more important thing to remember is to aim for an overall healthy eating pattern every day. We can pair our favorite meats with vegetables, fruits, and whole
grains. Cookouts are a great time to experiment with twists on family favorites or try new recipes that introduce fresh, plant-filled variety to our tables. We can opt for whole grain buns, load up our burgers with vegetables, thread a kabob with a rainbow of colorful vegetables, or grill up some fresh peaches for dessert. These pairings ensure we complement the nutrients in meat for a balanced and delicious meal. 7 Andrea Reed, MPS, RDN, LDN, is a freelance dietitian with a background in agricultural sciences. Growing up in the outdoors of Pennsylvania inspired her to include agricultural education in her nutrition counseling and is the focus of her writing. To find out more about Reed Nutrition visit https://reedrdn.com.
Personal Finance/Bryson Roof
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“Sell in May and Go Away” – Is the old adage true?
e’ve all heard the mantra that “Cash is King!” Given the dour news in Ukraine and inflationary pressure domestically, it’s hard not to consider moving your investments to the safety of cash. After all, traders often tout, “Sell in May and Go Away!” But is that the best approach for your retirement and long-term financial security? Is Cash Really King? I remember pumping gas for mom back when gasoline was $0.99 per gallon. Some of you may remember gas selling for less than $0.50 per gallon. AAA recently announced that Pennsylvania’s average gallon of gasoline is currently selling for $4.186/gallon versus $2.966/gallon just 12 months ago. Gas isn’t the only cost increase that Central PA residents are experiencing. Food, housing, and healthcare are all increasing at a rapid pace. While cold hard cash will not decline in value, in today’s inflationary environment, cash does not keep pace with the rise in cost of living. This is especially true when the average checking account interest rate is a mere 0.03% per the FDIC. Savings accounts only earn on average 0.06%, and a 36-month Certificate of Deposit (CD) boasts a whopping 0.22% national average. YCharts published a one-year inflation increase from March 2021 to March 2022 at 8.54%. You are effectively losing over 8% of your purchasing power by sitting in cash. It’s not about timing the market, it’s about time in the market: Human behavior is predicated on selfpreservation. We try to protect ourselves at all costs. So, when the stock market becomes volatile, our fight or flight instincts engage. Typically, investors’ flight instincts prevail, resulting in selling stocks and increasing cash holdings. Unfortunately, our fight or flight instincts betray us when it comes to investing. The stock market is a complex but extremely efficient system. Stock market recoveries often occur quickly and are easy to miss. For example, in 2011, when the U.S. Debt was downgraded for the first time in history, there was a kneejerk reaction sell-off. The subsequent recovery was sharp and quick, and very easy to miss if investors were sitting on the sideline in cash.
Putnum released a study outlining investor behavior. By staying fully invested in the S&P 500 index from 12/31/06 through 12/31/21, an investor would have earned roughly 10.66% annualized total return. However, missing just the 10 best days invested in the S&P 500 index during that same time would result in a 5.05% annualized total return. That’s an opportunity cost of over 5% annualized. Long-Term Investing The key to investing is maintaining a long-term perspective. It is nearly impossible to consistently time short-term market events. Not only does an investor have to time when to get out of the market correctly, but they also have to time when to get back into the market. In order to participate in rapid recoveries, historically, investors would be required to reenter the stock market while media reports are quite negative – think back to the Great Recession in the early 2000s. Selling in May and going away may be a catchy title, but it simply isn’t a prudent investment strategy with cash earning so little interest and inflationary pressures. 7 Bryson J. Roof, CFP®, is a financial advisor at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Harrisburg, and has been quoted nationally in various finance publications including CNBC, U.S. News & World Report, and Barron’s.
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 21
Theatre Thoughts/Barbara Trainin Blank
Musicals and revues — with one exception — dominate May’s theater scene
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eil Simon’s first play, Come Blow Your Horn, opened on Broadway in 1961. Centering on an inexperienced young man who leaves his parents’ house to move in with his ladies’ man of an older brother, it plays at Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, May 20-June 5. https://ltmpa.com. Cole Porter, like Irving Berlin and Stephen Sondheim, wrote both the music and lyrics to his songs — as well as the hit musicals Kiss Me Kate and Anything Goes. Hot’n Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration is a revue applauding his work. May 19-22 at Hershey Area Playhouse. hersheyareaplayhouse.com. From May 3-8, Hershey Theatre presents Hairspray. With music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, it’s based on John Waters’ 1988 film of the same name. When teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on a local TV dance program is fulfilled, she leads a campaign for the program’s integration. Hairspray won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. hersheyentertainment.com. Susquehanna Stage’s youth and teen production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, follows the biblical story of Jacob’s favored son as he is sold into slavery by his brothers and rises to become viceroy of Egypt through his dream interpretations. The show is told entirely through song, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. May 13-22. susquehannastage.com. The challenges in casting, retaining a director, and completing the script for the blockbuster film Gone with the Wind are the stuff of Hollywood legend. They’re dramatized in Moonlight and Magnolias, May 13-29. at Oyster Mill Playhouse. www.oystermill.com. Sankofa African American Theatre Company offers Crowns, the story of a Chicago teenager who, sent to live with her grandmother in South Carolina, finds connection in a community of resilient African American women in their church hats. Weaving together faith, fashion,
and family, the inspirational gospel musical is by Regina Taylor, adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry. May 28June 26. Sankofatheatrehbg.com. Another revue, this time paying tribute to a singer, is Always Patsy Cline, created and directed by Ted Swindley. After a devoted fan befriends the legendary country singer, the two share letters, visits, and homespun stories in a musical that highlights 27 classics, including “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “I Fall to Pieces,” and “Sweet Dreams.” Totem Pole Playhouse. May 27-June 12. totempoleplayhouse.org. Playing May 17-June 12 at The Fulton is Man of La Mancha, which made Richard Kiley and the anthem “The Impossible Dream” legendary. With a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion, the 1965 musical was inspired by Cervantes and his 17thcentury novel Don Quixote. Telling the story of the “mad” knight as a play within a play, the show won five Tonys, including Best Musical, and has seen four revivals. thefulton.org. Bare Bones Theatre Ensemble presents Rent, one of Broadway’s longestrunning shows. A group of impoverished young artists are struggling to survive and form community in the East Village under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Music, lyrics, and book are by Jonathan Larson, who tragically died right before the off-Broadway premiere. Rent won both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony for Best Musical. May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets are going quickly. bareboneshbg.com. 7 Barbara Trainin Blank is a freelance journalist, book author, editor, and playwright. She grew up in New York City in a house rich in the arts, which are a major focus of her writing. She lived in Harrisburg for 24 years and continues to contribute to regional publications.
Tailboard Talk/Robert Stakem
Sunshine, swimming, and splashing – who’s ready for summer?
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efore we hit the beach, shoreline or pool, let’s review basic water safety skills. Why? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year an estimated 236,000 drownings occur worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 3,960 of these unintentional drownings occur in the United States. Even though Pennsylvania has one of the lowest rates of drownings – accounting for 0.76 drowning deaths per 100,000 – knowing how to remain safe around water should be a priority for everyone as we enter the summer months. According to the American Red Cross, 85% of Americans say they can swim. However, the American Red Cross reports that less than half of 22 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
Americans are able to perform five basic water safety skills: 1. Stepping or jumping into water that is over the swimmer’s head 2. Treading water for one minute 3. Making a full circle to locate an exit 4. Swimming 25 yards to the exit without stopping 5. Exiting the water without using a ladder Whether you and your family will be spending time around a pool, by the lake or boating on the beautiful Susquehanna River, please keep in mind the valuable tips below. • Never swim alone. • Always supervise children in and around the water.
• Always enter the water feet first to avoid unseen hazards. • Avoid alcohol and drink plenty of water. • Apply sunscreen and wear a hat and sunglasses. • Obey all posted signs and warnings. • Utilize approved lifejackets. Don’t substitute other flotation devices for lifejackets. • If you enter a waterway with a current, don’t try to stand up. If you are swept off of your feet, float feet first to slower current. • Respect the waterway and the power of the currents, especially rivers and oceans. • If caught in a rip current, stay calm and swim parallel to the shoreline. • Always ensure your pool is secure and gates are latched, following local codes. • Have a throwable flotation device readily available to assist someone in trouble in the water. In the event you see someone in distress, immediately call for help from a lifeguard, nearby boat or others in the area! Finally, it is important to remember that entering the water is a last resort and recommended only by those trained for emergency situations. Before anyone enters the water, try to reach for the distressed swimmer and throw a flotation device. Following these basic principles can ensure you and your family continue to enjoy the summer months for years to come. 7 Robert Stakem is executive director of the Senator John J. Shumaker Public Safety Center at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 23
For The Love of Pets/Kristen Zellner
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Give Cats a Chance
ow that kitten season is in full swing, animal rescue groups are reaching capacity and in need of resources to care for homeless cats. Volunteers work tirelessly to spay and neuter, feed, provide medical treatment, find homes, and raise the funds to pay for it all. The Animal Rescue Professionals Association reports that female cats can breed three times a year and have an average of 4 kittens per litter. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats, if all were to survive. These staggering numbers explain why there is a desperate need for services and finances to spay, neuter, vaccinate, and provide foster care for homeless cats. Steelton Community Cats and The Nobody’s Cats Foundation are just two non-profit organizations in Central Pennsylvania that help to control cat overpopulation by offering low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine clinics to the public. These two groups alone are responsible for altering and vaccinating tens of thousands of cats and preventing the spread of disease and suffering of these vulnerable, homeless animals within the last decade. They rely on volunteer services and donations from the public to carry on their mission. Recently, as a volunteer for Harrisburg Area Rescue Team, I was asked to assist with the collection of a mother cat and her kittens from a motel room. Their owner died and the motel management said they would release the cats outdoors if no one claimed them. The room was quiet when we entered. We found two adult cats sleeping under the covers. Then, as we moved furniture and looked in every crevice, we found cats until there were fourteen! It was like that game of Whacka-mole at Hershey Park. One was caught and then another would pop
up across the room. We had a mother with six kittens and seven other adult cats by the time we were finished. This is one example of how quickly rescues become full and run out of resources. Within one hour, this rescue group became physically and financially responsible for fourteen more cats, and this is not an isolated event. Each of the fourteen cats needed to be given temporary housing. Luckily, there was room for them that day. Then, they had to be seen by a veterinarian, vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Veterinary services, vaccines, and medication are not free, though many offer a discounted rate. Additionally, each visit to the vet requires a volunteer to take a cat to the appointment and each surgery requires a volunteer to transport the cats, pick them up, and house them until they are ready to be adopted. Without services from the low-cost clinics, they would never be able to afford their efforts. Homeless cats are part of life everywhere and they need the assistance of the community in which they live. Humans are the only ones who can control the overpopulation and suffering of homeless cats. You don’t have to be a cat person to be helpful to the homeless cat population by supporting the work of our shelters, rescues, and clinics. 7 Kristen Zellner owns Abrams & Weakley General Store for Animals, est. 1986, Central PA’s first health food store for pets. She helps customers keep their pets healthy through better nutrition.
Cinematic Ramblings/Kevyn Knox
The halcyon days of movie viewing
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oday is a golden age for the cinephile. With streaming, a diehard cinephile can see pretty much any and every movie still in existence. From the biggest Hollywood hits to the most obscure art film, it’s all right there for the taking. But it hasn’t always been like that. Please allow me to transport you back to the childhood of this particular cinephile. The time is the late 1970’s. Long before streaming. Long before the world wide web. Long before Netflix or Amazon or any of that. This was even before the onset of home video. Before DVD’s or even the VCR. This was a period where if you wanted to see an old movie, you had to watch it on TV. And remember, this was long before 1000+ channels, too. You had a handful of channels at your disposal, but all of them put on old movies either on Saturday afternoons or late at night. Despite the obvious prehistoric ways of film watching in the 1970’s, it was still a romantic era to be a cinephile. We had no idea what wonders the coming of the VHS tape would bring within the next decade. We had no idea what was waiting for us once the internet was formed. In the 1970’s we didn’t think of these limitations as limitations. They were just the way the world was. And we liked it! From the age of 10 or so, when I first started getting into older movies, till the age of 17, when I would buy my first VCR and explore 24 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
the world of cinema even deeper. It was during this time I first saw the classics of cinema. Casablanca. The Big Sleep. It Happened One Night. The works of Hitchcock and Capra. The 1933 King Kong, which is still one of my favorite movies. Sure, right now I can find pretty much any movie on my smart TV and watch it. Just last night I watched Elevator to The Gallows on HBO. The night before I watched Trouble in Paradise on The Criterion Channel. It’s a paradise for the cinephile. But still, watching the late show on my little black and white television in my bedroom was something different. Getting excited when I saw Dracula was coming on. Or watching in wonder at seeing a Chaplin comedy for the first time. I could even see foreign films. Granted, they were usually dubbed, but still. My first viewings of classics like La Strada or The Grand Illusion were some of the highlights of my early teenage years. Like I said, at 17, I bought a VCR, and it was a whole other world. And then with DVDs and Blu-Rays and now with streaming, this cinephile has never slowed
down. But even in today’s paradise, I still sometimes strangely yearn for those halcyon days of my childhood, when I would scream with joy when I saw King Kong would be coming on the late movie that night. That’s it gang. See you at the movies. 7 Kevyn Knox is a Writer, Artist, Pop Photographer, Film & TV Historian, Pez Collector, and Pop Culturist. He has written film reviews for FilmSpeak, Central PA Voice, and The Burg. His reviews & other ramblings can be found on his blog, www.allthingskevyn.com.
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Postcards From…/Steven G. Williams
Postcards From…
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Travel YouTubers
am 32, which for some folks means I’m “old” (I’m looking at you Gen Z) but I know I’m still rather spry, even if that back injury from basketball lasted longer than I would have liked it to. I am old enough, however, to be nostalgic. And the thing I’m nostalgic for is the Travel Channel. It still exists but it is a shell of what it used to be. Ten-plus years ago, the Travel Channel was the best channel on TV. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Man v. Food and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern were must-watch shows for anyone hoping to see more of the world. Sure, these shows were all food-centric, but food is a gateway to other cultures. Plus, I don’t care what anyone says, seeing Adam Richman consume a burger the size of a baby will always be entertaining. Today, however, the Travel Channel only airs different versions of the same staged ghost hunting show. Gone are the shows that highlight interesting places and people and delve deeper into different cultures or spotlight restaurants across the US. But as the Travel Channel slipped in quality, an unlikely hero stepped up. According to the infallible Wikipedia, YouTube arrived on the scene in 2005. Back then it was the Wild West of internet videos. And if I’m being honest with you, part of me misses those days. However, YouTube paved the way for a more democratized approach to educating people on travel. As much as I love the old Travel Channel, if your name wasn’t
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Bourdain, you didn’t have much say regarding travel television. Don’t get me wrong - I love Bourdain. His passing was the only celebrity death that made me tear up. But he was one of just a few people who could provide authoritative travel insights visually. Today, however, countless folks are providing travel insights online and YouTube is one of the best places to find them. There are plenty of creatives who are seeing the world and sharing what they learned via YouTube. I like to start my travel research by watching videos on my intended destination. There is something more experiential about seeing and hearing folks engage with other cultures in video format. Yes, you can acquire the same information from a blog or a Lonely Planet book but seeing and hearing can be so much more impactful. That’s not to say that reading is not worthwhile. I am an author, and you are reading this column so don’t stop reading. But I highly endorse the creatives who share their travel experiences on YouTube for us to enjoy. Now smash that subscribe button and ring that notification bell and thank you to all my supporters on Patreon – sorry wrong medium. But seriously, as you start to research your next trip, give the folks on YouTube a chance. Search your destination and be enamored with what comes up. 7 Steven Williams is an avid traveler, amateur cook, and fantasy author. He serves on the Harrisburg School Board and is the Associate Director for the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with his wife Danielle.
Poem/Virginia Watts
Molly’s By Virginia Watts
My dad never blinkered and stopped at Molly’s Root Beer Stand Cars and bodies packed around rust red picnic tables Windowless and caving in now, the sign has held up well Straight-as-an-arrow letters SINCE 1925 My dad was in the dairy business, didn’t trust family-run places Soft ice cream machines are tricky to clean. Cones can be ominous I had to imagine a Molly who dished up soft serve floats galore for years Since my dad never gave the real one a chance My Molly wore sensible, crepe-soled shoes White, scalloped aprons, hair nets, spare silver jewelry She was religious but that was only in the air Friendly. Not overly talkative. Efficient. Sanitary She began making homemade root beer because she could Earned a decent living, time to think during winter months Liked snowfalls, song birds, mystery books and black licorice Started to keep a diary once and threw it away In woods of shade and shadows, decay is lovely on Molly Roof beams slanted, resting against each other, a delicate house of cards Open air windows. Green lichen and moss creeping over wood beam Warming, softening sharp corners of construction and reality I consider stopping every time I pass through Manheim on the way to my growing up town of Hershey but my steering wheel is locked Some things are meant to remain in the distance 7 Virginia Watts is the author of poetry and stories found in CRAFT, The Florida Review, Hawaii Pacific Review, Pithead Chapel, Sky Island Journal, Permafrost Magazine among others. Her poetry chapbooks are available from Moonstone Press. She has been nominated three times for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Visit her at virginiawatts.com.
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 27
#hbgmag Influencer
Wanda Williams: Phenomenal Public Servant (and Mother & Grandmother!)
New mayor is a “true blue” friend to all neighborhoods Story By Randy Gross rgross@harrisburgmagazine.com
Photos By Rick Snizik “I am a woman phenomenally, phenomenal woman that is your grandmother, that is your mother, that is your sister, that is you and that is me.” - Maya Angelou A few quick insights about phenomenal women. They don’t just materialize out of thin air. They are also often phenomenal mothers and grandmothers. And, last but not least, phenomenal women can be among a community’s best activists and public servants. In that latter category, in one breath, here in the capital city, one name tips the tongues of residents in all seven of Harrisburg’s distinct neighborhoods: Mayor Wanda Williams. It is because of Williams’ many decades of providing phenomenal 28 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
guidance and inspiration, both within and without her large family, that she has been selected as Harrisburg Magazine’s Influencer of the month. Motherhood, sisterhood, brotherhood It can be said that Wanda R.D. Williams is about as “true blue Harrisburg” as anyone. Born and raised here, schooled here (William Penn High and HACC), and she and her husband, Jerome “Jerry” K. Williams, have also raised an immense - and immensely-loving - family here: five children, eighteen grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren (and still counting!) The importance of family has long been a given, but not just inside the home. Ever since Wanda was a girl herself, her
fate as a public figure - and as a “sister” to her community - almost seemed pre-determined. “My mother always said I was so debatable,” recalls Williams.“I used to be on the debate team, and she said, ‘you’re always debatable.’ And she would tell me why I couldn’t do something, and I would say ‘why, just tell me why?’ And she would say ‘because I’m a parent, and I make the best decisions for you.’ And I would say ‘okay … but still why?’ (laughs) So she says, ‘girl, you’re gonna be a lawyer or something.’” But law wasn’t something she aspired to. And, actually, politics wasn’t either. Though most people know Williams as the former President of Harrisburg City Council, a post she held longer than anyone (11 years!), and now as the 39th Mayor of Harrisburg, she also had a career with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, she didn’t seriously start dipping her toes into political waters until taking a turn as president of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local Union 3105 - and it was her devotion to family that led to a full “dive” into those waters. Williams explains: “I decided to run for Harrisburg School Board because of my son’s curriculum that they gave him, and I was concerned for him going into his sophomore year. I didn’t think the curriculum they sent for him would be one he could utilize if he decided to go to college, because the courses they had documented on his schedule didn’t coincide with what he wanted to do. And so, I went to the Harrisburg School Board meeting, and I asked some of the questions that I needed to ask, and one response was ‘well, if you are that concerned, if you don’t like what we put in that curriculum for your son, then why don’t you run for school board?’ So, my reply was ‘I’m going to run, and I’m going to take your position.’ And so, I did run, and so I became president of the school board.” After four years on the school board - and after Mayor Stephen Reed took over the distressed Harrisburg City Schools - Williams, upset with baseless accusations levied against her and her colleagues, and concerned about how the district’s 26-million-dollar surplus was going to be spent, made her next political move. “I’m leaving you with a surplus,” she remembers telling Reed, “So … I’m running for City Council.” Meanwhile, even while building on her public service career, Williams always remained mindful of her obligations as a parent, stressing the importance of good schooling - and staying in the community’s “good graces” - to her children and grandchildren. “Just to be focused on education is really very very important … because education can take you so many See Wanda Williams on Page 30 MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 29
Wanda Williams, continued from Page 29
places,” she says. “And even right now, always be respectful. When I’m out in the public and people hear my grandkids say ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, ma’am,’ they turn around and they’re like, caught off guard. And they say ‘Are you kidding? They said yes, ma’am?’ And I say, ‘they better!’” The second (or third) calling If parenting was Williams’ first calling, and entering politics was her second, could running for - and becoming elected - Harrisburg Mayor be her third? Actually, the third “act” of the Wanda Williams play was supposed to be retirement. That’s where she was headed slightly over a year ago, and who could blame her. All those grand and great-grandchildren were looking forward to spending time with their mumma! Her husband, a Harrisburg School District retiree who was still working for Keystone Health Services, told her at the time, “hey baby, if you’re gonna retire and not gonna run, maybe I’ll retire.” But then, says Williams, “I got a surge of energy.” But that surge of energy didn’t come entirely from within. But rather, from what she considered was incumbent Mayor Papenfuse’s unwillingness to change. She explains: “I was going to support the candidates that were running for City Council, but then when I looked into some of the things that weren’t done here in the administration I got concerned and I said to the mayor, ‘look, you’re running for a third term, you have to be more personable and out in the community. The community needs to see a mayor that’s involved in everyday life. He was really strongly against attending a lot of events, and I said ‘mayor, I cannot attend all the events as the president [of City Council] if you’re not attending as the mayor.’ 30 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
And that was like 6 months before he really thought about running for a 3rd term. And I said you have to do better than that, and I’ll support you if I know you’re going in the right direction. And then when I saw that he wasn’t, I said ‘mayor, I can’t do this … you can’t do this to the city of Harrisburg anymore. This is 8 years. You have to do better than that. They deserve better.” The stage was set. And even though Williams had a lot on her plate, including taking care of ailing parents (a mother who would ultimately pass away in September of 2021, and father who passed 52 days after that), she says it wasn’t a difficult decision. “I just moved forward because I knew God was going to put me in this position,” she recalls, “because I needed to be here for the people.” The hands-on approach Feeling like she’s needed by her community has long been a driving force for Williams, and that’s been the motivating factor behind her “hands-on” approach to governing. She easily and humbly cites moments past and present when she went “above and beyond” to help constituents in need. While President of City Council: “We had an incident over a holiday. And I received a call from Washington Square, down here by the Harrisburg Hospital. An apartment complex where their sewer backed up, and it was all in their apartments. And it was also coming through their tubs. And I said, ‘are you kidding?’ So, I said, ‘okay, I’ll be down.’ The water was like three feet, I was totally, totally stepping in feces. And I said, ‘oh my gosh,’ because the woman had cancer. She was on a machine, and I said, ‘I cannot allow you to stay in this apartment.’ So, I went into about 3 or 4 other apartments, and it was the same scenario. So, I called the Crowne Plaza, and I called [Harrisburg Fire] Chief Enterline, and I said, ‘we have to move these people.’ So, he and I moved them to the Crowne Plaza for 3 or 4 days. But they had called the mayor, and the mayor never took any action.” While Mayor of Harrisburg: “I was just at the Senators game on Tuesday [opening day 2022], and I started giving out tickets to the kids that were in line, and I almost cried with the one young lady. She had just lost her husband to COVID, and she said ‘I just want to thank you for giving my kids and myself the tickets,’ because she was bringing her kids down to Harrisburg [from Pittsburgh], and she says ‘you just came up to me, you didn’t even know me, and you gave all of us tickets, and you invited us up to your suite. And she said ‘I’m just amazed. You’re just so open. Never in my life did I have a mayor just come up and talk to me and do what you did.’” See Wanda Williams on Page 32 MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 31
Wanda Williams, continued from Page 31
It is Williams’ hope - the entire capital city’s hope - that other pressing issues will benefit from her hands-on approach, including crime and gun control. Having lost one of her granddaughters to gun violence in 2013, Williams has long been a strong advocate against crime. “Especially guns,” she exclaims passionately. “So, last week we met with the PA State Police, and we were able to sit down at the round table with other state agencies involved … and we have a plan of action that we’re going to be putting in place. We’re out there now, we’re on the ground now. When it comes to safety for our residents, that’s a priority for me.” Future ‘tents’ “Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.” - Charles Dickens As a next-door neighbor to all of Harrisburg, Williams is making her number one priority providing affordable “homes” to those in need. “One of the goals I want to accomplish is affordable housing,” she says. “And so, I met with a developer in February, and he confirmed that he is going to now do 67 affordable houses in the uptown area. So, I was elated. We’re going to do houses in the 6th and Emerald corridor, with the three vacant lots … and then also Schuylkill and Jefferson, also with a vacant lot that extends the whole block. And then I hope we can convince the Harrisburg Housing Authority to renovate some of the homes down in that lower income area.” With a goal of “revitalizing the whole city,” she admits “it’s going to take a while. But I intend to try to do something in 4 years that will make a major impact. Yes, I want to repave the streets … but another priority is to try to assist the homeless.” But instead of “tent city,” think brick-andmortar. Continues Williams, “I’m looking for a building, so that they’d be able to go in that building and sleep instead of sleeping on the street. And also have the ability to have them take a shower. And maybe stock it with clothes, so they can change their clothes if they want to.” Future relaxation With so many goals for her first year, it would seem that Williams has little time for R&R. Even so, there are a few favorite activities she likes to indulge in when she’s able to get away from her offices at the MLK Jr. City Government Center. “I read a little bit,” she says, “and I watch a lot of TV [CSI is a favorite] … I try to go visit my kids a lot, to their homes. And my grandkids, they’re usually there. There’s always two or three there. And I love to dance and spend time with my husband. Go out to dinner … and just relax.” 7 32 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
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Short Story/In the Future Sense
In the Future Sense
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Story by Judah Mahay Illustration by Georgia DuCharme
ou assumed too much. The world would be fine without you. In this, you were dreadfully wrong. The stars did not sing your praise. The Earth did not revel in your glory. The seas did not churn in exaltation. None shall know of you, but all shall owe you. It is of the passing of your days that all shall be made true, and light shall once again shine. So, as they will proclaim, and we must say, “let the light live on.” You will awaken, as is the norm on any sun-streaked day. Barefooted, you will wiggle your toes seeking the floor, to be grounded by at least something. You will smell the bitter-sweet aroma of the burnt coffee brewing of its own accord, set as you designed. This should implore you with a smile, some lifting of the heart. Your nostrils will widen, your arteries quicken their streams, and even so, you will sense that this tangible reality, this presence of cars passing your house heading to work, the grumbling of the neighbor, the chirp of birds on your deck bird feeder, all of this will be markers to the chains anchoring you to an existence all too physical holding you back. Even though you fell asleep on your newly acquired gray couch, pleasant enough as it is, considering it was a curb grab, you will be rested, clear-eyed even, and, more importantly, clear-minded. For what is the purpose of seeing if nothing can be discerned? In fixing your coffee in the usual—black ceramic mug with its heat revealing message underneath (Misty memories are the only memories) poured three-quarters full and two dollops of raw sugar, you will prefer the bitter over the sweet—when you take a palate-filling sip of your daily nectar, it will cut through the fog obscuring any last vestiges of your lingering dreams or false memories. Somehow, this ritual only will serve to put in stark reality how fragile your reality is. All the more fixated, you will be in the tangible moments, delving deeper into the chair you sit or intoned to the incessant birds’ chirp— you will see as seeing is not made to see. It will be the heightened reality of your observations, the unmasking of your paradigms that will break through you and allow this fragile thing called a soul to finally breathe. You will find it strange that reality is both the gateway and the obstacle, but all the same, every destination must have a path. You will find yours, and it might not be the same as any other. Most likely not. The coffee finished, the birds still alive, vivacious as the norm, you will unlock your front door with a click, admire the deep reds of paint you recently applied to the frame, and then you will let your bare feet touch the cool wood of your front deck. The dew will coat the arches of your feet with chill, plucking the nerves up your legs—awaken, a message sent with utter urgency to ignite the ache in your muscles and the grind in your bones. A warning of misuse? Maybe lack of it? Maybe both. This will pass. The birds will still chirp. Their reality shall never be yours. You will step out onto the rocky path leading up to your parked Toyota Supra, the one you’ll never be able to pay off. The pebbles and stones dig into the malleable flesh that covers the bones, muscles, and tendons of your feet. Your weight will be in discord with the gravity pushing up into your bare soles this irregularity of that underneath. This will be pain, reality’s marker, reshaper, and its own gravity in a 34 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
way, the gravitas of our mortality. The tinges of mirth at this duality will offer you a partial grin that you will accept, but none as of yet will admire your lifted features. The car before you, its deep purples, and black sheer interior both will excite and incite. You loathe what it will do to your finances and your psyche. How can the intangible weigh so much? We never appreciate enough the psyche, the animus, the soul. This simple travail, it too will be left behind. The flat, but rough, pavement will guide you down Dixy Hill Lane, your once home, and you will turn away following the most prominent signs. Steps upon steps will provide the rhythm of tomorrow, barefoot you will feel the life within you stir. You will pass between a stream of cars with blaring horns as you take to the longer road. You have
heard the more difficult path always produces the best results. You found this to be a fallacy, but you’re willing to look for some truth in it. For if it can be conquered, it will force you to grow, to change, to be made anew. That is, if your perseverance doesn’t falter to everness, the emptiness of the forever after. The husks of metal swerve and screech in protest. They do not see the worth of the barefoot path. Multicolored lights will flash and glare as they attempt to dissuade your journey. They cannot see what will be. Their outcomes are blocked by preconception. Hands grab, light, the lights, too many lights, for such a bright day. You will pull free, even as they attempt to bind you. They cannot see that the desert calls, the forest calls, the wild calls. You will be free even when these bones are bound. Within all this, you learn, these bare feet pressed against the Earth will bring sense to this senseless, a connection along the tenuous strings to you, and your mind will alight this bridge, this synaptic pathway into the intangible. There will be the chasm between everything and nothing, and you will prevail— we know you must—thus leading to the abyss, the emptiness, where you left…you. 7
Judah Mahay crafts stories that take science to plausible extremes or grit-spewed reality to the mythic. Between teaching and spending time with his family, he continues to develop his stories in search of the dark histories and absurd ideas others tend to avoid. You can find more of his works at judahmahay.com.
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Summer of Sydney Story By Sydney Fry Editor’s note: Sydney Fry is young, enthusiastic, and determined to make it in the world of rodeo riding. If she hadn’t reached out to us several weeks ago, seeking some recognition and support for her quest, perhaps we wouldn’t be providing her this opportunity to tell her story so soon, but we guarantee we would have eventually noticed her rising star status. With that said, we hope you enjoy reading these regular updates on her progress this summer. 17.53 seconds, this is my time to beat. No, it is not the fastest time of 15.35 seconds that the lead rider scored. It’s my personal best, my personal goal. I hear my name over the speaker, “Sydney Fry in the hole!” I move my horse into the holding pen. He’s already excited to run. I’m watching the riders that go before me. Any slippery spots? I’m laying out where to go for each barrel in my mind. I hear the announcer say my name again. Time to run! My horse starts jigging as my emotions change; excitement, anxiety, adrenaline course through me. He feels it and wants to run. Push it down, push it down. Holding back, getting through the gate. My horse rears a little, so excited! I come into the shoot … time to run kick, kick, kick and go! I block everything out except my horse’s feet and looking past the first barrel: the money barrel. My reins go into one hand, holding the horn I spin the barrel, leg, leg, leg! Looking at barrel two … kick, kick, kick! Rein in both hands, kick, kick, kick, spin the third barrel, kick, kick, kick, arms out straight, as fast as I can … home! I hear the announcer, “17.07.” I have a new personal best! It was a solid, clean run. I am proud. I scratch my horse and tell him I am proud of him. My name is Sydney Fry. I am 14 years old, and I am a Barrel racer. I compete in rodeo shows consisting of barrels, poles, and goat-tying, and I want to start learning roping. I began my journey 3 years ago when my mom surprised me with my first lesson riding a horse. We went to Holly Good at Hillside Stables. I had only been on a horse’s back one other time, a pony ride at the Fairy Festival. That’s when I fell in love! I learned my beginner riding skills and how to properly tack up western riding gear with 36 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
Holly. We switched to Hill Valley Stables in Loysville, owned by Devon and Timothy Kuhn, after a good friend of my mom’s, Katie Miller, suggested we go there. We were looking for a horse to buy/lease. Devon’s main training discipline was English/ Dressage, so I started off in this discipline. English/ Dressage teaches you balance and helps with posture, soft hands, and an all-over better seat in the saddle. Every rider should learn both English and Western disciplines to be the best rider they can be. We leased a 30-year-old mare named Impy, my first “heart” horse, from Devon. Impy was a sweet, well- rounded horse that taught me everything I know! I learned so much boarding my horse at Hill Valley Stables. I learned how to properly take care of a horse (every part of a horse), and how to feed, water, groom, clean stalls, and ride every type of horse imaginable! I made so many friends there, especially my best friends Ryley Kuhn and Kiley Masser! Once I had the basics down, I progressed into 4-H and then started Western training with Danielle Rice of New Bloomfield. Danny taught me barrels, poles, keyhole, flag, and fifty-yard dash. During this period, I mostly did fun shows at Chambersburg Saddle Club, Bonny Brook Riding Club, Twin Brooks Arena, and Perry County Fair Grounds for 4-H. After a year of leasing, we decided to buy a horse. Our first horse was a Golden Rhone Quarter Horse mare named Goldie. Goldie and I started off great, but we quickly realized she really did not like ring work. Goldie started bucking me a lot, and several vets and lots of dollars later, we found that she had a soft tissue injury in one of her hooves. She would not be able to do Rodeo. We were heart broken. Goldie now is frolicking in a rolling green pasture living her best life! Goldie taught me a lot in that year. She taught me that with horses, anything can happen, how not to get bucked off, and that not all horses are the same. And, also, patience. There were a lot of tears shed that year, but it made me a stronger rider in the end. During the COVID lockdown, my mom and I had lots of time on our hands to search for my new horse. I wanted something faster and already learned in barrels and poles. We didn’t have a huge budget, and, during
that time, the price of horses skyrocketed! We tried several. I was bucked, stepped on, bitten, and out ridden by some really fast horses! Then, I came across my Fireball, and at first we passed him up because of his age. Fireball came around to us several times and my mom suggested we go try him. (She now believes he was put in our path time and again for a good reason!) We went to JKNL Arena in Middleburg, owned by Linette and Karissa Landis. His name was Jimbo then. He was jumpy, nervous and a bit forward. I fell in love with him instantly! He was passed up by several other riders because he was a little hot. He was just what I wanted! We bonded quickly and within a couple weeks he trusted me and we started our training. Devon helped me understand his spirit and to use soft hands while riding him. His new name Fireball fits him well! I started Barrel lessons with Alicia Jo Ehrenzeller at Horse Valley Ranch. She helped me understand Fireball, his quirks and how to handle them, and how to get the kinks out of my barrel and pole runs. I won my first cash payback on Memorial Day 2021 at Bonny Brook Riding Club! I was so proud of Fireball! (see pictures) I had a great season running in bigger rodeo shows with Fireball. My first real Barrel Show was at JKNL Arena at the Alyssa Dressler Memorial Barrel Race. The Landis family, for whom we purchased Fireball, have this race in honor of Karissa’s friend, Alyssa, who passed away on July 14th, 2015, from sudden cardiac arrest due to Cardiomyopathy. You can read her story or donate to the foundation by going to https://alyssadressler.org/. Soon, I moved Fireball closer to my home so I could get more riding time. I have a new trainer, Kasey Schiano Di Cola, for all things western discipline. I joined the Central Pennsylvania Youth Rodeo Association (CPYRA), the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA), the International Barrel Racing Association (IBRA), and next year my goal is to join High School Rodeo. I qualified for World Finals through NBHA. I will be traveling to Perry, Georgia, this July to compete. This will be Fireball’s first big rodeo! I am so excited for this opportunity. I may not win, but I will give 100% and come home with lots of new knowledge and memories. My parents, Nicole and Sean Fry, are my biggest fans. They have stood by my side and helped me follow my dream. I love them beyond words! My future goal is to purchase a younger horse to train as an all-around sporting horse. Our goal is to be able to attend bigger rodeo shows. I want to win, but my biggest goal is to love what I do and do it to my best ability. Rodeo is my passion and my future, and I hope to pursue this for many years to come. 7 MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 37
TIPS FOR STAYING MENTALLY HEALTHY DURING VACATION SEASON
Story By Paul Hood
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uring winter, one dreams of long days and shorter nights and temps that allow for fun outdoor activities and highly anticipated vacations. Plans are made, destinations are chosen, events are attended and before you know it the obligatory “going to the beach” posts and photos begin to litter the social media pages. But underneath all the plans and excitement lay something often overlooked when packing for that so-called fantasy trip: mental health. Ah, yes, good mental health, the elephant in the room with its girth covering the sunlight we’ve been craving, supplying shade and the doldrums of longer days between all the hoopla. What happens when the heat is too much, plans are thwarted, dreams you had of relaxation and care-free times with family and friends become an added stress instead of reprieve? How does one stay in a solid mental space during the 90 days of fun and sun? In this piece, local mental health experts offer tips and advice on staying sound of mind and heart during the summer months and how to avoid falling into a dark place when attempting to enjoy the oft anticipated season. Of course, there’s no magic wand to alleviate boredom, especially for many people now accustomed to working from home or those forced to shift travel plans due to rising fuel prices. “From a therapist perspective, I work with my clients to focus on self-care and outdoor explorations,” says Laurel Life Behavior Consultant/Mobile Therapist, Sondra Reed. Reed advises her clients to try biking, hiking, and setting smaller summer goals not related to weight loss as well as decreasing social media use and limiting usage of electronic devices overall. “These are a few things my clients have implemented in the past that have resulted in positive emotional, social, physical, and mental outcomes.” Reaching out to local, mental health professionals, additional tips were gathered to help summer revelers slide through the season without succumbing to mental stagnation brought on by idle time. FCM Field Care Manager for AETNA, Cameron Manahan, offers sound advice on how to keep the shine in your mind: “Getting out for consistent walks is good for remaining mindful and aware,” she says, adding, “Try to take 38 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
deep breaths, and open yourself up to new and challenging experiences. And if you and or your family are able, do vacations because studies show you have better mental health when you have something to look forward to even if it’s a short, inexpensive day trip.” Along with mindfulness and exercise it’s also important to “have a solid foundation of a proper diet and rest,” says Melissa Soldano Schoettle of Winding Creek Counseling Services of Mechanicsburg. Other factors Schoettle refers to contribute to mental wellbeing: “mindfulness and meditation for at least 10 minutes daily,” she adds. Self-care and meditation are habits most licensed MH professionals live by, but one thing they also strongly encourage is the act of remaining social (as social as you can during this ever-changing pandemic). Heard most from those in the mental health field is the importance of remaining connected and active. Amy K Kiesling (LCSW) says, “Most seasonal mental health problems do better in summer than winter. I think summer may bring challenges to folks who don’t have a routine to follow.” Klein advises creating your own schedule that includes physical activity, getting outdoors, quiet meditation/introspection and interpersonal connections. But staying connected during the age of COVID is difficult for some as the ups and downs and varied mutations loom and mandates become a possibility again in certain cities. Outside of MH professionals, others weigh in on what they do to stay positive during summer: “Take advantage of beautiful weather,” says former Direct Care Professional, Becca Criswell. “I have an app on my phone called stoic.” Created by Maciej Lobodzinski, The Stoic Journaling app encourages ways to overcome fears and obstacles by using wisdom provided by ancient Greek Stoics. According to information from the Apple Store’s description of the app: The journaling feature offers simple writing prompts (What’s something you did well recently?) and the mindfulness exercises – which include guided walking meditations – are refreshingly straightforward. And each day the app shares the wisdom of a Stoic philosopher, such as Seneca or Epictetus.
Relaxing while listening to a podcast is another option mentioned by therapists. One that comes highly recommended is The Happiness Lab, (Pushkin Industries) which specializes in recognizing negative feelings. Whatever your methods for staying mentally fit this upcoming Summer, below are links to available resources. So, discuss the elephant in the room and urge it to step aside as you happily apply the sunglasses, face the sun, and take on the season! 7 FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES: • https://uncoveringpa.com/free-things-to-doin-harrrisburg-pa • www.visithersheyharrisburg.org/things-todo/family-fun/free-things-to-do • www.visithersheyharrisburg.org/events • www.triplecrowncorp.com/centralpennsylvania-day-trips • https://mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/50indoor-activities-for-a-rainy-day • www.psychcentral.com • Podcast - www.happinesslab.fm You can’t go down a one-way Street the wrong way, because you can only go One Way at a time. It’s physically impossible, dude. Small talk: “A dwarf went to the little boys room. It cost a quarter to get in, but he only had 20 cents, so he was a little short.”
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Honey, Bee Alive! Cultivating respect for the humble honeybee Story By Pam Lazor
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he humble honeybee, whirling and buzzing, landing for brief moments from one flower to the next, collecting pollen and distributing it to flower after flower - its daily chore ... The honeybee has its inborn agenda naturally established for life its own life which, unknowingly, translates to creating life for us, by creating the original tool to make food. Does that sound a bit like an old history essay? True, and that history is a key to a sustainable life, for the honeybee and ultimately human life. The next time you shop for groceries, think about every item you put in your cart. Almost every single one is there for you, courtesy of a honeybee. Without honeybees, you would have no orange juice for breakfast, no cider with lunch or dinner. Would you care for a croissant and fruit plate for breakfast? A sandwich with almond butter, or perhaps a bowl of roasted vegetables for lunch followed by a salad and a bowl of pasta zested with olive oil and lemon, herbs, and tomatoes for dinner with beautiful flowers to grace the table? Honey to sweeten your tea or calm a sore throat? How about a slice of apple pie? Nearly every crop relies on some pollination 40 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
of honeybees, while certain crops, such as almonds, are entirely dependent on honeybees for pollination. Other crops, including apples, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, melons, and broccoli are up to 90% dependent on pollination via the honeybee. During the “season”, these little creatures have a very short lifespan, literally working themselves to death while doing their appointed job. One of those jobs is feeding the queen. The more she is fed, the more she lays eggs. She can be fed sugar water, but much prefers nectar. Without a honeybee, you would be limited to meals made of some very basic ingredients like wheat, rice, or corn; or artificially developed food. Besides contributing to our food sources, honeybees produce wax –a natural ingredient responsible for dozens of products and uses, from home to health to beauty. If you look at your lawn and curse the stray dandelion or patch of clover, please don’t stomp on it and spray it with a deadly chemical. Take a whiff and understand how the natural beauty and sweet scent of the plant itself is attractive to a honeybee. These are wild food sources that honeybees, and other animals,
can eat, using the nutrients from the plants to sustain themselves and continue establishing a further source of food through pollination to allow growth of continuous food. Robert House, owner of Heavenly Honey in Carlisle, has been a professional beekeeper for more than 13 years. As a child, he would play games and disturb the hives for fun. While in Bible College, he began to read more and more about beekeeping and got involved in the industry. “Payback for this would be the beehives,” he lightly jokes. In addition to working as the Visitation Director of his church, he cares full-time for his hives. House’s business is two-fold: he sells honey
on small retail and wholesale levels and sells the bees themselves, all while maintaining an extensive number of colonies locally, some rescued, and all around the country. He explained that honeybees are their own variety, brought by others into the United States. “The Native American Indians called them White Man’s Fly.” Honeybees are considered livestock, self-cared for, for the most part, but requiring specialized attention at times, especially with the protection from the Varroa mite, which has been responsible for wiping out honeybee colonies for years. “The Varroa mite is one of the few parasites that kills its host and then introduces new diseases that come to the hive. The honeybees get sick and are infected with other diseases,” says House. “We have found it difficult to kill a bug on a bug.” And then there is the issue of infected newborn honeybees. “It’s like a pyramid scheme: when the queen lays an egg, if a cell is infected, one (baby) bee comes out, but three Varroa mites come out with it. They overtake the hive because they multiply so quickly, and the hive begins to collapse. Currently, there are about four or five FDA-approved products that can be introduced into a hive to kill the mites.” In California, without honeybees there would be no almond crop. Many times, bees from as far away as Florida are rented to an almond farmer for the growing season. After they’re done pollinating almonds in California, they might be shipped to Maine, where blueberries are important crops. The hives are shipped in large trucks, holding up to 440 at a time. It’s a big business, about $40,000 per truckload. “All beehives have mites, it just matters to what degree”, explains House. “A good beekeeper can keep the numbers down. He or she needs to be diligent, and if they’re an amateur, they should find a good mentor – someone who consistently keeps their bees alive. Learn from them. If a ‘new’ beekeeper is in the area and is not careful about maintaining his hives, mites can quickly spread to the neighboring hives. Prior to the 1980s, beekeepers would not do anything or put as much effort into keeping honeybees. It was rare (then) to lose a hive. Now, even the best beekeepers have taken a hit.” “For the human population to survive, honeybees are absolutely essential,” remarks John Micek, a third-generation farmer and owner of Micek Farm, based in semi-rural Hunterdon County, New Jersey. His farm primarily produces hay, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a variety of squashes. Every summer, crowds line up in front of the family’s See Humble Honeybee on Page 42 MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 41
Humble Honeybee, continued from Page 41
small farmstand, knowing they’re getting topnotch produce, grown carefully and thoughtfully. “In the agricultural industry, much of the focus is on corn (which self-pollinates) and soybeans, so that doesn’t leave a lot of food for the bees.” The first generation of his family’s farmers grew fruit trees, many of which still stand on the farm. They’re left alone, still grow fruit - but are never sprayed with pesticide - providing spring nectar for honeybees to thrive. “There is a lot of nutrition in fruit tree flowers, but they’re there for a short time, and bees don’t fly much in the rain – so if we have a rainy spell and honeybees can’t fly, they miss an opportunity for food. We aim to help the bees with good nutrition. If only people would grow more flowers and fruit trees… The problem with the amateur grower is that many times they have a heavy hand with pesticides, especially on fruit trees, that they don’t know how to use or not use. It’s counterproductive.” Margarita López-Uribe, Ph.D., Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor, Assistant Professor of Entomology, Penn State, College of Agricultural Sciences, has similar thoughts on the topic of honeybees and has studied them for more than 15 years. “Part of the problem, when pollinators start to decline, is that people think they should keep hives to help, but it’s actually not helping. [People] need to keep on top of their hives. Home hives in PA have doubled in the past 15 42 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
years. Their livelihood does not depend on their honeybees.” Without the professional knowledge of beekeeping, mites in backyard home hives get out of control. She also notes the conservation concerns: “Humans have transformed our landscape. Flowers have decreased. Beekeepers can move hives around, and any time a colony is introduced to a new landscape, they can deplete floral resources. They require a lot of food! We have a genuine conservation concern. It is very stressful for bees to not have enough food. Beekeeping is an activity that needs to be taken seriously, we need to be good stewards of the environment.” Presently, there are 437 bee species in Pennsylvania, 23 of which are not native. One-third of species are in decline because of lack of food, in addition to pesticides in home gardens. “Plant native plants that are going to flower throughout the year,” advises LópezUribe. “If people want to help honeybees, they need to plant more flowers.” “It’s not luck, it’s not magic,” summarizes House, “it’s applying what you learn to be successful.” He credits his own late mentor, Gary Becker. “He taught me a lot about keeping bees, but more about being a good friend. If people could learn to get along like the bees, the world would be a much sweeter place.”
A list of favorite flowering plants and herbs for honeybees Alyssum Cleome Zinnias Sunflowers Salvia Calendula Verbena Bee balm White wild indigo Purple coneflower Black-eyed Susan Joe-pye weed Marsh blazing star Wrinkle leaf goldenrod
Culinary herbs such as: Sage Thyme Borage Lavender Chives Dill Basil Oregano Rosemary Mint
MAY 2022 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE 43
Artful Inspirations
Kate Browne
COCOON – The Emergence of Historical Legacy Kate Browne’s Public Space Sculpture in Steelton scheduled for 2023 Story By Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com
C
Photos By Eric Etheridge
ocoon – verb – (Cambridge Dictionary) ‘to protect someone or something from pain or an unpleasant situation.’ As a noun – a silky warm covering. Kate Browne expands on this meaning by stating, “This is a way to put the past, present, and future together in one place at one time. It’s a connection to missing links in history.” Her structured cocoons are illuminating people, events and meanings too long hidden from view by allowing the history of a place to emerge into the light and elucidate our understanding. Browne is a York County native, now living in New York City. She is a performance installation artist who has worked on her international 44 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
COCOON series since 2008. The series focuses on sites of forced and voluntary migrations and the struggles with traumatic histories and conflicting narratives that arise. At this time Browne has created six of her cocoons, three internationally and three here in the United States. Her seventh is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2023 in Steelton. She has already begun interviewing and recording Steelton participants for her newest venture. When asked “Why Steelton?” She responded, “My father worked at the steel mills in Steelton and Williamsport when I was a young girl, and I realized the emotional reaction I was having when I considered
Steelton as home to my next project.” Browne states, “In all locations I collaborate with local people who assist in building the large Cocoon. I also interview and record each participant and take a photograph of anything special in the form of memorabilia that they may want placed inside the cocoon. Their recorded testimony is heard within the finished sculpture.” She adds, “The project culminates with carrying lights past communal memory points, ending at the COCOON site.” To understand the importance and depth of the Steelton project, it is necessary to start at the beginning of Browne’s story with the first cocoon, which was built in Tlatelolco, Mexico City, Mexico. This project began in 2008 and was completed in 2010. Browne discovered the area in Mexico City named Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Square of the Three Cultures) during her search for a suitable space with an historic story. This plaza was the site of an ancient Aztec temple which in later times during Spanish conquest was rebuilt into a Catholic church using stones from the Aztec temple. The modern plaza on this site was completed in 1962 and included a public housing complex adjacent to the square, creating a multilayered historical record.
Goutte d’Or, Paris, France
In 1968 a protest occurred here prior to the Summer Olympics, which were scheduled that year in Mexico City. Protestors claimed that they had no say in democratic governance and that the Olympics only benefited the wealthy. At least forty protestors were killed according to the government of Mexico, but witnesses placed the number much higher. In 1985 this area was hit by an earthquake that collapsed tens of thousands of homes, killing 10,000 people, injuring 30,000 more and leaving at least 250,000 people homeless. This COCOON project took place with many people from the neighborhood, especially the Chihuahua Building directly alongside the plaza. Both people who were there during the ’68 massacre and the earthquake participated, along with other community members. The second and third Cocoons were built in Mississippi in the towns of Jackson and Greenwood, which are approximately 100 miles apart. Greenwood is at the eastern edge of what is known as the Mississippi Delta Region, along the Yazoo River. The land is flat and contains some of the most fertile soil in the world. This land was appropriated from Native American tribes, mainly the Choctaw tribe. European settlers realized the land and the location along the Yazoo River were perfect for the
Building the cocoon, Greenwood Mississippi
growth of cotton and sugar cane. And thus began the migration to this area of both white farmers and enslaved blacks. After the Civil War, as blacks became free-men they were able to purchase land and ultimately made up two-thirds of independent farmers in the Mississippi Delta region. But in 1890 the white-dominated state legislature passed a new state constitution which disenfranchised most blacks in the state. In the next three decades, many blacks lost their lands due to tight credit and political oppression, forcing them to become sharecroppers and tenant farmers. This disenfranchisement was maintained by whites until gains were made in the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s. SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), along with Stokley Carmichael, had a large presence here. Although this area remains largely black, a huge number of residents migrated north in the 1940’s for a better chance at economic parity. Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, sits along the Natchez Trace trade route established by Native Americans, whose land was slowly appropriated from them by the U.S. Government in the 1820’s and 30’s. It became an important trade route in the late 1800’s and became the most populated city of Mississippi in the 1920’s due to a natural gas boom in the area. It transformed into a center of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s with Tougaloo College being the place of emergence for the grassroots campaign to end racial discrimination, and Medgar Evers becoming the leader of many sit-ins and boycotts. Evans was also murdered here and See Cocoon on Page 46
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As of this time, approximately 35% of the population is of foreign descent migrating from former colonial territories of France. This area is also a stopping point for economic and war refugees travelling without papers who are trying to make it to other places in Europe and the US. For this reason, the government of France labeled this area ‘Zone Urbaine Sensible’ (ZUS), which translated means sensitive urban zone and for all intents means that authorities have defined it to be a highpriority target for city policy and the routine patrolling of national riot police due to circumstances related to the problems of its residents. The so-called problems are poverty, which raises the crime rate, and Islamification. The government has decided that these problems can be solved by gentrifying the area through rent and price increases. Browne says, regarding this project, “This is a place where narratives collide… I worked with the residents to create a personal Cocoon, a symbolic object from everyday things that they might find in their Jackson, Mississippi purse or pocket. I recorded interviews with each participant about what their Cocoon represented, then each posed for a portrait with their Cocoon, continued from Page 45 Cocoon. I created a memory map that included places of trauma and there ensued a white flight from the city. the addresses of every Jewish child deported from this area of France The statewide Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through the city, to death camps from 1942 to August 1944 in order to plan a procession encompassing a number of historic sites that were significant in that proceeded the illumination of the finished Cocoon. The marchers the civil rights movement. These include the Medgar Evers Home Museum and the landmark Mississippi State Capitol building. The Cocoon was placed on the site of a bus station where Freedom Riders were arrested in 1961. Browne adds to this, “COCOON taps into whatever history exists in each location. Both Jackson and Greenwood share similar histories. The particulars, of course, are different between a small delta town and a state capital. COCOON is an opportunity for people in any location to tell their story and history publicly . . . stories and histories that are usually overlooked.” The fourth Cocoon, When Skin Walks with Memory, was built in the Goutte d’Or area of Paris, France in the 18th arrondissement. The name means “drop of gold,’ referring to the white wine vineyards which used to exist in that area. During the mid-1900’s, the area experienced a large influx of people from Algeria – many coming to assist in repairing the structural damages done during WWII. By 1952 it was estimated that close to 7,000 Algerians had migrated to Goutte d’Or. In 1961 the bloody Paris Massacre occurred as part of the Algerian War for Independence from France. It is estimated that at least 100 Algerians were murdered with their bodies thrown into mass graves and the Seine River.
The Bronx Cocoon 46 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE MAY 2022
Miskolc, Hungary
marched through the memory map and then entered the Square Leon, where they wrapped the skeleton with the created panels woven from cornstalks tied with African fabric scraps, encasing the Cocoon in the neighborhood’s histories. The finished sculpture was then illuminated. As the recorded testimony played inside, participants and observers walked through and experienced the Cocoon.” Browne also mentions that, since the Cocoon project in Goutte d’Or, Martial Buisson has been working tirelessly with her in finding and attaining funding sources for the on-going projects. For eight years Buisson ran Collectif GFR, an organization producing and curating public-space art in Paris. In 2016, Tracing the Bullet, Browne’s fifth cocoon, was begun in The Bronx, New York City. Participants came from three neighboring publichousing sites in South Bronx: Andrew Jackson Houses, Melrose Houses and Morrisania Air Rights. Police, first responders, and trauma medical staff also took part in the discussion and building of this cocoon. The topic consistently spoken of was gun violence and its effect on the quality of life in the area. In addition to the never-ending gun violence that takes place, South Bronx was the site of horrendous fires which destroyed almost 80% of this area in the decade between 1970 and 1980, displacing 250,000 people. Black and Puerto Rican people were the main victims of these
The Bronx Cocoon
The Goutte d’Or Cocoon
The Goutte d’Or Cocoon
The Goutte d’Or Cocoon
Cocoon Portraits fires. At that time NYC was bankrupt and 12 fire companies in the South Bronx were closed, causing inadequate responses to these fires many set by the slum lords who were looking for a cash return through fire insurance policies. Add in the removal of “slums” in Manhattan, causing the dispersal of poor, disadvantaged people to the South Bronx, landlords sectioning off apartments to make even smaller apartments, and blatant redlining, the area was set up to reap the effects of these actions, causing more crime due to drugs and gun violence. A short video of this project can be viewed at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Qe83NfJYhag (and is also available on the Harrisburg Magazine website). The last completed Cocoon was in Miskolc, Hungary and the project was named Following the Removals. Browne tells this story: “Miskolc is an old city in the country’s northeast, a center of steelmaking since the 19th century, and like most steel towns one that has fallen on increasingly hard times. For generations Hungarian-Roma families have lived in the Numbered Streets and worked in the plants. In 2014, the city government, controlled by members of Fidesz, the country’s ruling party, began to evict them and destroy their homes. The city’s publicly stated goal was to renovate its football stadium and expand parking, and it framed the project in the predictable phrases of urban renewal: ‘Do you support the elimination of slums in Miskolc? There must not be slums in the 21st century in Europe.’ But their real agenda seemed clear. Destroy the neighborhood and drive the Roma from the city. Playing to old hatreds of the Roma paired nicely with their party’s anti-immigrant fervor. By the summer of 2019 half the houses in the neighborhood had been destroyed and, though the new stadium had been open for some time, the city was continuing to evict and raze.” City officials carried out door-to-door checks, forcing residents to show identification papers and leases that matched their current addresses. If the residents could not show a mailing address and a house, their children were taken from them and put into foster care. Browne ends by saying, “In all the previous sites I’ve built Cocoons,
the stories I’ve collected centered mostly on the ongoing repercussions, years and decades later, of intense historical traumas — slavery in the Mississippi Delta, colonialism in the Goutte d’Or neighborhood of Paris. Working in the Numbered Streets was different. Here it was as if the old trauma had been brought back to life; not an echo of the past, but the deadly thing itself.” A short video of this project can be viewed at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=99c8pebOR8E (and is also available on the Harrisburg Magazine website). The newest Cocoon, which will be constructed in Steelton, will have the same basic construction as all the others; it will be 26’ long and will start with a 6’ opening that expands to 10’ in the center and then ends with a 6’ opening at the other end. Saplings will be used to weave the skin and, since the construction will be completed in the fall of 2023, corn stalks may also become part of it. Browne and her team are partnering with the Local 1688 Steelworkers Union who are assisting in reaching out to connect with past and current steelworkers. They are also donating space for interviews and recordings of a large variety of Steelton residents See Cocoon on Page 48
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Cocoon, continued from Page 47
– working, retired, social clubs, schools, and churches. The stories will focus on the migration of people from Eastern Europe, and the deep south to Steelton, to find good work in the steel mills. In the case of people already living in this country, many of them headed north to escape the Jim Crow laws in the south. Barbara Barksdale, who is part of Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds, a group that raises awareness of the legacy and burial places of US Colored Troops, has been working with Browne on the history and people of the area. Barksdale is lovingly known as ‘the cemetery lady’ because of her mission to restore, preserve, and educate the public on the vast history of those who are buried in the historic Midland Cemetery, in Swatara Township. People taking part in this project will create a procession through town, each carrying lights down the hill with the country, town, or state of their origin emblazoned on them. As spectators walk through the structure, they will hear the recorded stories of the participants and see large scale projections of the people who took part in this project along with photos of memorabilia important to the
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participants. After its brief one night stay in Steelton it will be partially disassembled and brought to Harrisburg and reconstructed for an exhibit at Susquehanna Art Museum. Lauren Nye, Director of Exhibitions for Susquehanna Art Museum has this to say about the project, “We will be hosting an exhibition comprised of the sculpture, photography, and mixed media in our Lehr Gallery beginning in February 2024. This will be an opportunity for those who participated in creating the work in Steelton to revisit the project and reflect on the stories that were shared. It also gives a new community the opportunity to learn about site-specific sculpture, and the ways that art can extend outside the walls of a museum or gallery. The exhibition will be a unique way for this important project to continue on!” For more information on Browne and the COCOON projects: www.bykatebrowne.com. Facebook: @CocoonbyKateBrowne, Instagram: cocoonbykatebrowne, LinkedIn: Kate Browne Performance Artist. 7
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