November 2011
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TheBurgGreater Harrisburg’s Community Newspaper November 2011 Distributed in Dauphin, Cumberland, York, Lancaster and Perry counties. Free. Contents In the Burg 4 City Hall 5 Vote! Street Corners 7 Around Town 9 Community Corner Comeback on 6th? p. 7 10 ShutterBurg 11 Past Tense 12 Doing Good Burg Biz 13 Face of Business 14 New Business 15 From the Ground Up On the links, p. 13 Good Eats 16 Taste of the Town 21 Home Cooking Special Supplement Centerfold: 2nd Annual Harrisburg Book Festival Culture Club 23 Creator 24 City Cinema Family affair, p. 16 25 Burg Books 26 Happenings Home & Family 28 Hall Pass 29 Wags & Whiskers 30 Family History Sports & Bodies Book festival! (special supplement) 31 Great Outdoors 32 Women's Health 33 Family Health This month’s cover: 34 One More Thing … “Capitol–Fulton” by Matthew LeVier TheBurg 3 In the Burg City Hall Takeover: State Bankruptcy Filed 1 Parking Fee Votes for Control by City Council Raised; 3 to Go TheBurg Greater Harrisburg’s Community Newspaper arrisburg's days managing its The Harrisburg City Council last month Lot and garage operators will chip own affairs appear numbered, as voted to file for Chapter 9 municipal more into the city’s coffers after the General & Letters H TheBurg Gov. Tom Corbett last month signed bankruptcy, despite opposition from Harrisburg Council last month voted 1103 N. Front St. legislation that likely will put large the mayor, the county and the state. to hike the parking tax. Harrisburg, PA 17102 portions of city operations under The 4-3 council vote directed The council voted unanimously to www.theburgnews.com control of a court-appointed receiver. attorney Mark D. Schwartz to submit increase the tax charged per parking Editorial: 717-602-4300 The state legislature voted a bankruptcy petition to the U.S. transaction from 15 to 20 percent. Ad Sales: 717-350-0428 overwhelmingly to pass SB1151, Bankruptcy Court of the Middle The tax likely will be passed on to Publishers which gives Harrisburg one last District of Pennsylvania. consumers, effectively increasing the Editor: Peter Durantine chance, until mid-month, to agree on “We’re beyond hemorrhaging,” price to park in lots and garages. [email protected] a financial recovery package before said Councilwoman Euguenia Smith. The increase should raise about Corbett petitions the Commonwealth “We need major surgery. We should’ve $100,000 for the indebted city, said Advertising Executive: Court for appointment of a receiver. been filing bankruptcy in 2010.” Councilwoman Susan Brown-Wilson. Angela Durantine [email protected] An acccord among city officials seems The administration opposed the Harrisburg is considering three improbable as a City Council majority filing, saying the vote violated city other parking rate increases, none of Co-Editor/Creative Director: has rejected versions of a recovery procedure because the bankruptcy which had passed at press time. Lawrance Binda plan three times and now has filed for resolution was not reviewed and The first would raise the cost to [email protected] municipal bankruptcy. approved by the mayor's office. park at meters from $1.50 to $2 per Staff & Contributors A receiver likely will implement Dauphin County and the state hour downtown and $1 to $1.50 per Advertising Sales: a plan for Harrisburg based upon the also filed motions with the court to hour in most other metered areas. Joe Vandall state's original Act 47 plan for the city. dismiss the petition. Earlier this year, Also, meter hours would be extended [email protected] That plan relied upon asset sales, the state voted to prohibit third class to Saturdays and for three hours to 8 Mark Shade including the sale or long-term lease cities from filing Chapter 9 through p.m. on weekdays. Another proposal [email protected] of the city's parking garages, to retire 2012, a move designed to prevent would increase the residential parking Reporters: much of the $310 million debt tied to Harrisburg from taking this action. permit fee from $15 to $50 per year, T.W. Burger the city incinerator. It also advised an 8 A hearing on the validity of the the first hike in 27 years. [email protected] percent property tax increase to help bankruptcy petition is scheduled for A third proposal would place Sylvia Grove offset recurring budget deficits. Nov. 23. parking meters in the emerging [email protected] The receiver would set nearly all Federal Bankruptcy Judge Mary Midtown business and arts district. Ruth Hoover-Seitz policy that has financial implications, France has encouraged all sides to It envisions 88 meters along N. 3rd [email protected] including possibly re-opening union seek mediation not litigation, which Street north of Verbeke Street, as well Stephanie Kalina-Metzger contracts. The city's elected officials they said they would do. as on adjacent blocks of Reily Street. [email protected] would be largely sidelined, with the Harrisburg is some $310 million Carol Maravic mayor and council president as two in debt after backing bonds issued by [email protected] members of a four-member board the Harrisburg Authority for repeated Harrisburg Factions M. Diane McCormick advising the receiver. upgrades to the city incinerator. The [email protected] The takeover could be stayed if authority later defaulted on those All Lawyered Up the bankruptcy petition is allowed to bonds. Harrisburg also has chronic Lori Myers [email protected] go forward. annual budget deficits. Harrisburg last month hired two separate outside attorneys to Mike Walsh represent each side in the ongoing [email protected] feud between the mayor and City Pamela Waters Council over municipal bankruptcy. By a 4–3 vote, the council acted Columnists: Cooking: Rosemary Ruggieri Baer first, hiring Mark D. Schwartz, an [email protected] SHELLY attorney based in Bryn Mawr, Pa., to carry out the bankruptcy filing and Cooking: Sara Goulet C O M M U N I C A T I O N S [email protected] represent it before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Schwartz is charging $300 Local History: Jason Wilson [email protected] per hour, plus expenses. His rate could be recalculated to $525 an Cinema: Kevyn Knox Media Relations and [email protected] hour if he is successful in benefiting Strategic Communications the city financially, according to his Sports & Fitness: Laura Spurgeon [email protected] engagement letter. 717-724-1681 In response to the bankruptcy Outdoors: Kermit Henning filing, the Thompson administration [email protected] 227 Pine Street, Suite 200 hired the Pittsburgh-based law firm Pets: Todd Rubey of Tucker Arensberg, led by attorneys [email protected] Harrisburg, PA 17101 Kenneth Lee and Beverly Mann. They Pets: Kristen Zellner will charge $200 per hour for their [email protected] Peter J. Shelly, President services. —Lawrance Binda 4 TheBurg Vote! Election Amid Crisis With city in turmoil, 6 vie for 3 Council seats. n Nov. 8, Harrisburg residents will go communications, skills she used during Answer to our question: I will work with Magisterial District Judge, Harrisburg Oto the polls to elect three members of the Gulf War. After serving her time in the state officials and any organization/agency 2nd Ward 2nd Pct., 9th Ward 3rd Pct., 9th the City Council, a vote that will take place military, Reid raised a family. She worked with the hope that they also have the best Ward 4th Pct., 9th Ward 5th Pct. & 13th Ward during a tumultuous time in city history. with the U.S. Postal Service during the interests of the city and its residents in Democrat Six candidates are vying for anthrax crisis and later changed careers to mind. … Harrisburg’s residents deserve George A. Zozos (I), S. 25th St. three seats on the City Council—three work in retail banking. She now works at leadership that can unify and protect the Republican the state Treasury as a fiscal examiner. interests of the city and an administration Democrats and three Republicans. George A. Zozos (I), S. 25th St. Below, we present the candidates for that can be trusted to work for the benefit Answer to our question: It is not my desire to the general election, as well as brief bios of all citizens of this city. have the state take control of our city, but, Magisterial District Judge, Harrisburg and responses to a question that we asked if this is the case, once elected I will work 8th, 9th Ward 1st Pct. & 9th Ward 2nd Pct. each one: With the state likely to take control with all to move the city forward. Democrat of the city, would you work with the state? Other Harrisburg Offices Harrisburg City Treasurer Marsha C. Stewart (I), Briggs St. Republicans Democrats Democrat No Republican running Allen Bair, Crescent St. Susan Brown-Wilson (I), Wiconisco St. John R. Campbell, Boas St. Bair worked at Bethlehem No Republican running Magisterial District Judge, Harrisburg Brown-Wilson is a lifelong Steel for 30 years before 10th Ward 1st Pct., 10th Ward 3rd Pct., 10th resident of Harrisburg, a retiring. He now works as a Harrisburg School Director, 4 Year Term Ward 4th Pct. & 14th Ward 1975 graduate of the public slot machine technician at (Vote for not more than five) Democrat school system and a 1979 Hollywood Casino at Penn Democrat Barbara W. Pianka (I), N. 2nd St. graduate of East Stroudsburg National Race Course. He is Arlene Burno (I), N. 5th St. University, where she earned a Republican a lifelong resident of the city, graduated Wayne L. Henry (I), N. 2nd St. Barbara W. Pianka (I), N. 2nd St. degree in political science. She has worked from John Harris High School and has been Destini Hodges, Zarker St.