October 2010
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TheBurgGreater Harrisburg’s Community Newspaper October 2010 Distributed in Dauphin, Cumberland, York, Lancaster and Perry counties. Free. West Shore Farmers 3rdINTHEBURG Market & FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 Shoppes Artsat510—Oil paintings by Terri Amig, music by Bon Jovi,Everything 5:10–7:10p under One Roof! Sandwiches Prepared Food Baked Goods Cheese Produce Veggies Coffees Meats Chicken Barbeque Soups Candies DJ’S SMOKE SHACK PASCALE’S GOURMET PIE & CAKE CO. REAL BBQ, SLOW SMOKED FRESH BAKED PIES AND CHEESECAKES CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS GOURMET CUPCAKES 717-554-7220 717-737-9010 SHUGAR’S SOUTH STREET STEAKS ZOOKS SOFT PRETZELS CHEESESTEAKS, HOAGIES, WRAPS SOFT PRETZELS ROTISSERIE CHICKEN DRINKS 717-602-5162 717-761-1389 WILSON SPORTS JERSEYS VASCO’S 2ND FLOOR OF THE MARKET IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC CHEESES MENTION THIS AD & GET 10% DISCOUNT CHEESE TRAYS 717-737-5111 717-389-8272 NINI’S LET’S TALK TURKEY LIBERTY PRIMITIVES & COUNTRY GIFTS STUFFED TURKEY ROLLS, SOUPS, MEATBALLS, SANDWICHES SPECIALIZING IN ITEMS THAT ARE HANDMADE WRAPS, SALADS & MORE & UNIQUELY PRIMITIVE 717-350-0177; [email protected] 717-737-7147 PEGGY’S SILVER SPOON TAKING CARE OF APPETITES GOURMET FOODS MADE TO ORDER SANDWICHES & SUBS GIFT BOXES LUNCH MEATS. WE CATER! 717-761-2860; [email protected] 717-774-5162/717-798-4006 LEICHT’S POULTRY ART & SOUL GALLERY FARM FRESH EGGS & FRESH POULTRY PRODUCTS Original Fine art • lOcal artists • lOcal scenes “SERVING THE PUBLIC SINCE 1950” Diverse MeDia • exhibits • artist DeMOnstratiOns 717-975-3385 2ND FLOOR OF THE MARKET/717-761-1270 W.L. KEPLER’S SEAFOOD D&S PRODUCE FRESH SEAFOOD, PREPARED ITEMS HOME-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SOUPS, SALADS AND SEASONAL ITEMS PRODUCED ON OUR FARM IN YORK SPRINGS 717-737-7513 717-357-3552 900 Market Street, Lemoyne, Pa. Hours: Tuesday, 8a–3p www.westshorefarmersmarket.com Friday 8a–7p; Saturday 8a–2p Contents In the Burg 4 City Hall Burg Biz 5 Shop Window 6 Face of Business 7 New Business Food runs in the family, p. 8 Street Corners 9 Around Town 14 ShutterBurg 15 Doing Good 16 Past Tense Good Eats 17 Chef’s Kitchen 18 Home Cooking Sixty years of yum, p.9 Culture Club 19 Creator 20 The Stage Door 21 Musical Notes 22 Happenings Jewel in the city’s crown, p. 10 Home & Family 24 Family Life The Republic of Strings Sports & Bodies 26 Great Outdoors 27 Your Health 28 Move It! 30 … One More Thing New seasons of folk, jazz, p.21 This month’s cover: Find “theburgnews” “Spice Awaits” by Cecelia Lyden TheBurg 3 In the Burg City Hall Events Accelerate The “B” Word: Municipal Bankruptcy, on Debt Crisis What Might It Mean for Harrisburg? TheBurg Greater Harrisburg’s Community Newspaper fter months of seemingly little hapter 9 bankruptcy—what is it? 5. Contracts and pension benefits General & Letters Amovement, developments in CThat’s the question on the can be selectively renegotiated or TheBurg Harrisburg’s financial crisis began to lips of many of us who live in the will be left alone. 1103 N. Front St. Harrisburg, PA 17102 unfurl at a rapid pace last month. Harrisburg area, as the city struggles 6. Only the city can propose a www.theburgnews.com Notably, the state handed the beneath a mountain of debt. financial plan to the court. Editorial: 717-602-4300 Chapter 9 bankruptcy, (aka city a $4.3 million aid package, Ad Sales: 717-350-0428 mostly from accelerated payments “municipal bankruptcy”) was born 7. Once a financial plan is approved for pension and fire protection of the Great Depression. Before the by the court, the bankruptcy is over Principals assistance. The package also Municipal Bankruptcy Act of 1937, and the city must comply with the Editor: Peter Durantine included a $500,000 loan and a if a city, town or village became new financial requirements agreed [email protected] community assistance grant. insolvent, it was forced to raise taxes to in the financial plan. Advertising Executive: Most of the money was used to pay its creditors. Chapter 9 was 8. The governing powers of the Angela Durantine to make a $3.3 million general designed to protect residents from mayor and City Council cannot be [email protected] obligation bond payment the city over-taxation, especially during taken away. nearly missed. Another $850,000 tough economic times. Co-Editor/Creative Director: 9. A bankruptcy judge cannot Lawrance Binda was intended to pay Scott Balice Chapter 9 is a very uncommon [email protected] Strategies, a financial consultant form of bankruptcy. Since 1980, force the city to sell property or to fewer than 200 municipalities across liquidate assets. hired by the administration. Staff & Contributors In other developments: the nation have filed for Chapter 9. 10. A bankruptcy judge cannot force Sales Associates: Of those, only one has been from Leann Leiter • The City Council approved a third the city to raise taxes. Pennsylvania. [email protected] member to the Harrisburg Authority, Chapter 9 is entangled in great In 2009, Westfall, a small town Peter Carli giving that body a quorum so it can on the northeast tip of the state, complexity, so it’s a tricky subject [email protected] resume business. In late May, the filed and received bankruptcy to grasp. But there is information state Supreme Court nullified the Reporters: protection after a 10-year legal out there, especially with more and existing board, setting up a power M. Diane McCormick battle left it in debt 20 times higher more municipalities having to look struggle between the mayor and [email protected] than its annual budget. That’s our into it, due to economic stress and council over authority membership. lower-than-expected tax receipts. Stephanie Kalina-Metzger only state comparison, and things [email protected] • The authority’s creditors filed are quite different here. With a bit of research, we can find the things we need to know to Tara Leo Auchey lawsuits against both the authority It’s a complicated and confusing [email protected] and the city, which has backed the topic—legally and otherwise— get a better understanding of what Harrisburg’s options are. The more Carol Maravic authority’s debt. The suits seek to with little precedent and a lot of [email protected] force the city to honor more than questions. However, with some of us who share a basic knowledge of Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the more Rick Kearns $35 million in debt payments that research, a few facts are clear: [email protected] the authority has missed or that are constructively the public can be 1. The city must be insolvent to seek due by Dec. 15. One of the lawsuits involved when there’s talk about Pat Carroll municipal bankruptcy. [email protected] also asks the court to appoint a what’s the best way to solve the receiver for the authority to ensure 2. To be eligible for Chapter 9 capital city’s financial crisis. Lori Myers protection, the city is to show that [email protected] that future debt payments are made. Two sites that yield a lot of information it attempted to “negotiate in good Ruth Hoover-Seitz • Mayor Linda Thompson proposed (and sources for this article): U.S. Courts, faith” and ultimately submit “a plan.” [email protected] a plan to slash the city’s general “Chapter 9: Municipality Bankruptcy” budget, which is in deficit, by about 3. If the city files for bankruptcy (www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/ Columnists: protection, forced collections and Bankruptcy/BankruptcyBasics/Chapter9. Cooking: Rosemary Ruggieri Baer $4.5 million. Proposals included [email protected] closing one of the city’s four fire lawsuits are “stayed.” aspx); and Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, “What Happens in Chapter 9 Cooking: Sara Goulet stations and raising parking fees. The 4. The city is required to have Bankruptcy?” (www.alleghenyinstitute. [email protected] parking proposal, now in a council qualified, experienced, and org/government/act47/186-what- committee, would boost residential Local History: Jason Wilson independent legal counselors and happens-in-a-chapter-9-bankruptcy.html) [email protected] permit parking fees by about 20 financial advisors to coordinate a percent. It also would significantly —Tara Leo Auchey Cinema: Kevyn Knox financial plan to deal with the debt. [email protected] increase the cost of metered parking. The most expensive Sports & Fitness: Laura Spurgeon metered spaces downtown could go [email protected] from $1.50 to $2.50 an hour. Outdoors: Kermit Henning [email protected] This month promises to be just Pets: Todd Rubey as critical as events unfold at an [email protected] ever-faster pace. The council meets Pets: Kristen Zellner Oct. 12 and Oct. 26. Show up and [email protected] make yourself heard. —Lawrance Binda 4 TheBurg Burg Biz Shop Window The Market Up the Block Uptown Food Market combines best of big chain, corner grocery. Peter Durantine t has long been a struggle to keep painting and refurbishing. They “It’s really Ia supermarket near the Uptown made a new entrance with an nice,” said Barb corner of 3rd and Emerald streets, awning so customers can walk Mika, leaving and now the latest to make a go directly into the store from the with a bag of of it are Isidoro Antonio Diaz and parking lot. They added aisles, groceries as Mauricio Diaz, cousins with decades installed a frozen food and meat she headed of experience as grocers. section with new freezers, brought home a block Antonio, who has had a store in more refrigeration units for meats away. “The in Reading for 11 years, was looking and opened a full-service deli with aisles have to expand when the former Eagle cheeses, meats and cold salads.