TheBurgGreater Harrisburg’s Community Newspaper July 2012 Distributed in Dauphin, Cumberland, York, Lancaster and Perry counties. Free. t&YQFSJFODF MEN t*OUFHSJUZ in the Divorce Process t1FSTPOBM4FSWJDF "TNBSSJBHFTBOESFMBUJPOTIJQT FOE OFXDJSDVNTUBODFTBSJTFGPS t'VMM,OPXMFEHFPG1" FWFSZPOFJOWPMWFE*OQBSUJDVMBS NBOZIVTCBOETöOEUIFNTFMWFT 'BNJMZ-BX GBDJOHVOJRVFDIBMMFOHFTEVSJOHUIF EJWPSDFQSPDFTT 0GUFO NFOGFFMUIBUUIFJSOFFETBSF CFJOHEJTSFHBSEFE'SPNUIFPOTFU t$IJME4QPVTBM4VQQPSU UIFZGFFMBTUIPVHIUIFZBSFCFJOH DBTUJOBOVOøBUUFSJOHMJHIU'BJSOFTT t"EPQUJPO DPODFSOTPGUFOFNFSHFBTBSFTVMU )VTCBOETBOEGBUIFSTSFRVJSFBOE t$IJME$VTUPEZ EFTFSWFBOBUUPSOFZXIPJTGPDVTFE POGBJSOFTTUISPVHIPVUUIFQSPDFTT t%JWPSDF BOEXIPXJMMCFBHHSFTTJWFPOUIFJS CFIBMG +PIO',JOHIBTBDPNQSFIFOTJWF LOPXMFEHFPG1"'BNJMZ-BX XJUI The Guy’s Attorney NPSFUIBOZFBSTPGFYQFSJFODF .BSLFU4Ut$BNQ)JMM 1B JOWPMWJOHEJWPSDF DIJMEDVTUPEZ BOEDIJMETQPVTBMTVQQPSU)F 1I VOEFSTUBOETIPXUPFòFDUJWFMZXPSL 'BY XJUIJOUIFMFHBMTZTUFNUPHFUUIF XXXUIFHVZTBUUPSOFZDPN CFTUSFTVMUTGPSIJTDMJFOUT Contents In the Burg 4 City Hall Street Corners 6 City Folks 7 Around Town History speaks, p. 6 11 City View 12 Past Tense 13 Community Corner 14 ShutterBurg Burg Biz 15 From the Ground Up 16 New Biz All systems go, p. 7 Good Eats 17 Taste of the Town 18 Chef's Kitchen 19 Home Cooking Home & Family 20 Hall Pass 21 Burg Bucks 22 On Faith Culture Club Happy 250! p. 8 23 Art Space 24 City Cinema 25 Musical Notes 26 Happenings Sports & Bodies 28 Great Outdoors 29 Family Health 30 One More Thing … Tasty bunnies, p. 18 This month’s cover: “City Island Beach, July 28, 1921." Photo: Historic Harrisburg Association TheBurg 3 In the Burg City Hall Receiver Orders City May Form Council Poised to OK Council to Comply Environment Body Glass Factory Rehab TheBurg Greater Harrisburg’s Community Newspaper arrisburg's receiver said last The Harrisburg City Council finally The Harrisburg City Council gave a month that he would seek a court may have found something in the preliminary endorsement last month H General & Letters order to force the City Council to city's financial recovery plan it to a project designed to convert a TheBurg comply with elements of the financial likes—a proposal to establish an dilapidated factory into apartments. 1103 N. Front St. recovery plan. Environmental Advisory Committee. Councilwoman Susan Brown- Harrisburg, PA 17102 Receiver William Lynch told The council's Public Works Wilson, chair of the Community and www.theburgnews.com the council that he would ask the Committee last month held a first Economic Development Committee, Editorial: 717-602-4300 Commonwealth Court to mandate hearing on forming a body that would said she would recommend that Ad Sales: 717-350-0428 council members to raise the resident advise and carry out environmental the full council approve the plan by Publishers earned income tax from .5 to 1.5 projects and education. Skynet Property Management to turn Editor: Peter Durantine percent and to fund the position of The committee would be funded the century-old, long-abandoned [email protected] city communications director. by a $1-per-ton fee on solid waste Glass Factory into 31 efficiency and Advertising Executive: As of press time, the council had known as the "host fee." Harrisburg one-bedroom apartments. Angela Durantine refused to pass these parts of the receives this fee because it hosts the "I think it'll be great for the [email protected] recovery plan. incinerator, which also accepts waste neighborhood," said Councilman Kelly "Time is of the essence," Lynch from other municipalities. Summerford, echoing the comments Co-Editor/Creative Director: told council. "Delay does nothing but In 2007, former Mayor Stephen of other council members. Lawrance Binda make the situation worse." Reed signed an agreement that Council approval is the last city [email protected] In response, several council turned over the fee to the Harrisburg action needed by Skynet before it can Staff & Contributors members repeated their position Authority in exchange for allowing the begin renovation of the building at N. Advertising Sales: that Harrisburg's debt cannot be city to house certain items, including 3rd and Muench streets, which long Andrea Black retired simply through asset sales its vast collection of museum artifacts, has sat as an abandoned shell. [email protected] and by imposing higher taxes on city on authority property. The fee However, Skynet President Joe Vandall residents, but that another revenue generates about $280,000 per year, Josh Juffe said his company has had [email protected] source was needed—such as a said authority member Bill Cluck. trouble finding financing for the Reporters: commuter tax or county-wide sales Former receiver David Unkovic $1.2 million project. "Everything in T.W. Burger tax. recommended ending the agreement construction in Harrisburg is very [email protected] Council members also have with the authority and using tough with the banks," he said. Sylvia Grove advocated a "universal solution," which the money to help improve the Juffe is optimistic he will secure [email protected] would include creditor concessions, as city's environmental and sanitary financing in 30 to 45 days. The Ruth Hoover-Seitz well as asset sales and tax hikes. conditions. renovation then should take three or [email protected] In addition, city Controller Dan The City Council never approved four months, he said. Stephanie Kalina-Metzger Miller has refused to sign off on an the agreement, as the Reed The council is expected to [email protected] agreement between the Thompson administration acted unilaterally. approve two other projects: a new, Carol Maravic administration and New York-based Therefore, Councilwoman Sandra Reid 9,180-square-foot Family Dollar [email protected] Guernsey's to auction off the city's vast said she is hopeful that Mayor Linda Store at 18th and Derry streets and M. Diane McCormick collection of museum artifacts. He also Thompson could exit the agreement the conversion of the historic Barto [email protected] may face a court mandate to comply. by executive order. Building at N. 3rd and State streets Lori Myers into 50 condominium units. [email protected] Barbara Trainin Blank Harrisburg on Track Mike Walsh to Go Broke in Fall [email protected] Pamela Waters Harrisburg will run out of money SHELLY sometime in September, the receiver's Columnists: Cinema: Kevyn Knox C O M M U N I C A T I O N S office said last month. [email protected] In a report to the Commonwealth Cooking: Rosemary Ruggieri Baer Court, receiver William Lynch stated [email protected] that the city's bank account should be Wine: Steve Juliana Media Relations and positive through the summer before [email protected] dipping into the red. Local History: Jason Wilson Strategic Communications At the end of May, the city had [email protected] almost $5.6 million in the bank. That 717-724-1681 money, though, will diminish quickly Outdoors: Kermit Henning [email protected] as the bulk of the city's tax revenues 227 Pine Street, Suite 200 are received in the spring. Pets: Kristen Zellner [email protected] Lynch also stated that no decision Harrisburg, PA 17101 has been made on whether to make a large general obligation bond Peter J. Shelly, President payment due in September. —Lawrance Binda 4 TheBurg City Hall Private Donations Spark Fireworks Display The July 4 fireworks are a go, as two businesses have contributed $20,000 to save the annual patriotic display on the Harrisburg waterfront. Mayor Linda Thompson last month said that local restaurant and nightclub owner Ron Kamionka kicked in $10,000, while MuniServices, a company that helps municipalities recover revenue, contributed another $10,000. Earlier in the month, the city said it may not be able to hold the show because corporate contributions fell short of the amount needed. Thompson said Kamionka, who owns such downtown clubs as Sawyers and the Hardware Bar, then volunteered $10,000. Lynn Poulos, regional account manager for MuniServices, said she read a news article about Harrisburg's struggle to pay for a fireworks show, then convinced her company to match Kamionka's donation. Poulos said her company currently has no business relationship with Harrisburg. The fireworks show will take place at dusk on Wednesday, July 4. The annual Independence Day festival, also known as the Jazz and Multicultural Festival, will be held the previous weekend in Riverfront Park, beginning at noon on June 29 and continuing through Sunday, July 1. The festival will feature two stages of music, as well as food, vendors, dance, activities, rides and more. The festival and the fireworks show both are privately funded, said Thompson. July 4 fireworks are on at Harrisburg waterfront. TheBurg 5 Street Corners City Folks The Face of Harrisburg David Biser does more than portray John Harris Jr.; he inhabits him. Lawrance Binda ohn Harris Jr. steps up before the For the past seven years, Biser brought him to the attention of Jlarge assembled crowd, clears his has been the embodiment of Harris, Kathryn McCorkle, executive director throat once and begins to speak. appearing in period costume at of the Historical Society of Dauphin Perhaps he's about to explain countless festivals, fundraisers, County, who asked him to play John his ambitious vision for his new celebrations and other events. Almost Harris Jr. on behalf of the society. town or tell a story about his father, every July 4, he stands on the steps He agreed, as long as he was given who began a ferry service across the of the Harris-Cameron Mansion and leeway to interpret Harris' life, not just Susquehanna River some decades reads—excuse me, delivers—the dress like him. before. Declaration of Independence. "He is so good that I once asked Or maybe he's going to share If you've seen him perform more him to re-enact another historical with his fellow colonists the new than once, it's difficult to think of figure," said McCorkle. "A woman who Declaration of Independence, an Harris Jr.