IN THIS ISSUE ...
LEADERS UNITE FOR CHILD CARE
Readers can start casting their ballots for their favorite local businesses in Harrisburg Magazine’s annual competition beginning April 15.
Petapalooza, a pet adoption festival that showcases animals in need of homes across Central Pennsylvania, raises money to benefit rescue agencies, and features vendors and special attractions, will be held May 17 at Central Penn College in Summerdale.
A BITE OUT OF TICKS
Pet care columnist Kristen Zellner explains the dangers of ticks this spring - and steps you can take to protect your canine frineds.
20 SOMETIMES, DIY CAN COST YOU
Elieen Voyles explains why professional pest services are worth it to keep your home free from unwanted creepycrawlies in her The Housing Scene column.
Step into the past of Williams Grove, a landmark near Mechanicsburg in Cumberland County, where farming, steam and recreation have thrived for almost two centuries.
Business leaders across Cumberland County recognize the need to adopt solutions to the child care crisis facing our region. Local business owner Pamela Hill explains the issue and steps that will be taken during a town hall session scheduled in May..
Our monthly calendar highlights exciting happenings across Central Pennsylvania. Take a look and start planning your next adventure!
BEHIND THE MUSIC
In this month’s After the Beat column, Amy Simpson sings the praises of four unsung heroes who toil behind the scenes to make live music more vibrant in the Harrisburg area.
THE COVER (Photo by Andrea Kitner)
Susan MacDonald, who co-owns MacDonald’s Farm near Hummelstown with her husband, Scott, specializes in growing heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs on her hobby farm. But the selftaught horticulturalist says it wasn’t always that way. Find out her story – and catch some spring gardening tips along the way.
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GENERAL MANAGER/ DIRECTOR OF SALES
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SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
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Simply the Best Voting Starts April 15!
By Harrisburg Magazine
Voting in this year’s Simply the Best competition opens April 15 and runs through June 15. Readers can cast their ballots online by visiting www.harrisburgmagazine.com and clicking on the voting platform on the homepage.
For years, readers in Central Pennsylvania have looked forward to voting in Harrisburg Magazines Simply the Best and Reader’s Choice contest to support their favorite local businesses, organizations, people and attractions. We’re proud to host it as a way to recognize the places and people that make this region exceptional. Good luck to our nominees!
Every year we field questions regarding our competition. Here are the answers to some of the common ones.
How are businesses nominated?
Nominations are determined each year by the number of businesses with the most unique entries during the nomination period, which runs Jan. 1 through Feb. 21.
Do I have to advertise in the magazine to be nominated or win?
Nope, you don’t have to buy ads to participate or win the competition. But we will say that advertising in the magazine can help remind voters about your business and what category you want to be considered for. It’s a lot like how political candidates advertise to stay in the public’s mind (but don’t worry, we keep it positive – no negative ads here!).
Also, we couldn’t do this competition every year without our advertisers. It takes time and resources to run, and selling ads helps us cover those costs.
What are the rules?
Voting is limited to one vote, per person, per category. If votes cast do not follow the guidelines, they will be deemed invalid and will result in the disqualification of all votes by that device or email address. The purchase of advertising from Harrisburg Magazine does not affect the outcome of the Simply the Best results. Votes are counted and audited by an independent third party, Second Street.
Why don’t you have a category for ____?
We get this question often. As much as we’d like to have a category so every business in Harrisburg could participate, we don’t have the manpower to do it. Last year, we
had over 250 categories, and it was impossible for us to manage. This year we have scaled it down and tried to offer broader categories.
Any restrictions on voting?
Voters must use their own email address when registering to vote, and they must be valid. The system we are using has complex methods to help eliminate potential voter fraud. Any votes that trigger the system are reviewed. Votes that cannot be verified or show signs that they may be fraudulent will be eliminated. We double-check everything to make sure the competition is as fair and honest as possible.
Any restrictions on who can win?
Any business or individual who does not provide a good representation of Benchmark Media, Harrisburg Magazine or the competition may be determined to be ineligible and eliminated from consideration at any time. Also, any business that has demonstrated an unwillingness to follow the rules of the competition may be eliminated.
How are the winners selected?
Simply the Best winners are those that received the most votes in their category. Second- and third-place finishers, Readers’ Choice winners, are those that received the second- and third-most votes in their category. If there is a tie, we will announce both.
P l e a s e Vo t e U s :
• Au t o D e a l e r ( N e w D o m e s t i c )
• Au t o D e a l e r ( P r e o w n e d / Us e d )
• Au t o E x p r e s s S e r v i c e
• Au t o S e r v i c e b y a D e a l e r
• D e t a i l i n g b y Au t o D e a l e r
• Cu s t o m e r Va l u e s - L a r g e B u s i n e s s
• Au t o S a l e s p e r s o n - S t u B i n g a m a n
L B S m i t h Fo r d . c o m
Self-taught Farmer Dishes the Dirt On Gardening
Story by Eric Ebeling
eebeling@harrisburgmagazine.com
Photos by Andrea Kitner akitner@harrisburgmagazine.com
IF YOU GO
What:
Heirloom Plant Sale
Where: 98 Shetland Drive, Hummelstown
When: Saturday, May 3 and May 10, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
For Susan MacDonald, gardening is a joyful tribute to the life cycle, as she witnesses seeds transform – germinating, sprouting, thriving and reaching full maturity.
She gets comfort and peace from working the land at the hobby farm she shares with her husband, Scott, outside of Hummelstown. The couple named their little slice of heaven MacDonald’s Farm, like the namesake
song. She jokingly calls herself Young MacDonald; her husband, Old MacDonald.
Their mantra is Home. Health. Harvest.
Now that spring is here, signs of life abound across the vintage farmstead, where the couple has lived for the past eight years after she moved to the area for her work in the medical field.
Before relocating, Susan says she had virtually no experience planting and growing vegetables or flowers. But through trial and error, and hard work, she now has garnered a reputation locally for cultivating fine heirloom produce and flora.
She says she’s proof that anyone can be successful at gardening with a little know-how and an abundance of patience.
“I tell people, ‘You’ve got to do something easy. Just put this in the ground and do nothing, and you will have free food.’ It’s amazing. Throw seeds in the dirt,” she says. “Some things I planted did great. I planted tomatoes, and I just had tomatoes coming out of my ears. Then, I planted squash, and I had squash coming out of my ears. Right as the squash was growing, they died from squash bugs. So, I later learned how to fix that later. You learn as you go.”
Most of her knowledge about gardening came from watching videos on social media platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram. She recommends that budding novices do the same.
And she says you have to enjoy the wins as they come.
“Celebrating the W’s is a tagline is like my own personal catch phrase,” Susan says. “I use celebrate the W’s because there’s going to be a lot of losses in life, so you got to celebrate the W’s. You’re going to fail a lot. The key to succeeding is not being afraid of failure. You’re going kill a lot of plants, and that’s OK, because these seed packets cost like 2 bucks.”
A notable success for Susan as a novice gardener came after she planted peas for the first time – and it made her realize how much she loved her hobby.
“I planted peas from the very beginning, and I knew it was seasonal. I didn’t know just how seasonal peas were, and so we planted them,” she says. “For three weeks, it’s peas, peas, peas, peas, peas. If you’ve never eaten a garden pea, it’s transformative. I didn’t know that peas were so good. I eat them like a snack. My kids steal them.”
Her kids are her young sons, Finley and Callan, and they help out as they can around the gardens. Mostly, they just enjoy the fruits of their mom’s labor.
The dream of owning a hobby farm started for the couple when they were living in Manhattan. While they were preparing to move to Central Pennsylvania for her job, they stumbled upon their dream property and established themselves on the farm, which includes several acres of land.
From humble beginnings, the growing areas there now include a series of two dozen raised beds for growing vegetables, flowers and herbs, as well as a greenhouse and small-scale irrigation fields that Scott designed. A self-employed IT professional, the Canada native brings his analytical mind to bear when needs arise on the farm.
She applied for a state nursery license and then acquired Clean and Green designation in Pennsylvania, which requires her farm to bring in a certain amount of revenue to qualify for a tax incentive, and this spurred her to increase productivity with her crops.
The MacDonald’s success growing heirloom plants prompted Susan to organize the first public sale of her crops three years ago at their farm. This year, a sale will be held May 3 and May 10
from 8 a.m. until noon at their farm, located at 98 Shetland Drive in Hummelstown. The sale will feature a wide variety of uncommon vegetables and flowers that can’t be found in stores.
Susan remembers her first sale – she managed to break even.
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“I had this sale, and I made, I don’t know, enough to cover the cost of the seeds that I bought. I think it covered most of the cost of soil and seed, and so it kind of made my garden free for me. If all my seed sales did was that, that would still be a win,” she says. “What also sort of happened is I met some really geeky plant people, and they became repeat customers. They just happened to see the sign or whatever.
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“That’s another thing. This is a beautiful gardening community that likes to share. Since I started this, I’ve met so many people who also have the same interest, like swapping with strangers online. It’s just beautiful, this sense of community. I mean, what is small town Pennsylvania about, if not community?”
Susan says some of her earliest memories center around her childhood in Central Florida.
“My grandparents lived in the middle of nowhere, down a dirt road, down another dirt road. In the middle of this driveway was a garden. I remember being very small, like maybe 5, and I remember sitting on the porch and shelling zipper peas with my mom and my granny. I remember eating fresh cantaloupe. I remember I didn’t like to go near the okra, because there were always bees on the okra the flowers,” she says.
Scott, who is trained in the culinary arts and incorporates home grown
vegetables into family meals, shares a similar story from his youth.
“My family always had a garden growing up – my parents, and my mom’s mom, my grandma, they grew up really poor, but they had huge garden. That’s how they fed themselves. That’s probably where a lot of my culinary comes from,” he says. She’s one of those typical grandmas that you go over, and if there’s still food, she’s upset that you haven’t more. One of those deals. She would just cook
this huge spread for us whenever we could come visit – delicious stuff in the garden.”
Something about childhood and gardening seems to resonate with people, according to Susan.
“People come here and tell me stuff about their grandparents. They see the garden, and everyone who comes here talks about their grandparents, and I think that has to do with the Great Depression and growing food. People have really gotten away from food
sources,” she says. “I want to reconnect people to the where their food comes from. It’s one part – this nostalgia for family memories, right?”
“I want people to understand the joy of lifelong learning, and I want people to understand where their food comes from. One of the things my children know is not to waste food once you grow it,” Susan says. “If you ever try to grow carrot, like the most mundane thing that we all think of, it’s really hard, and it takes so long. Once you start growing your own food, and you become connected to food and the seasonal cycle.”
She says it’s peaceful and quiet activity that clears the mind.
“It’s just me and my ‘she shed,’ as they call it. It’s peaceful. Sometimes my mind wanders, sometimes it doesn’t after a very busy day with 7,000 things to do,” she says. “Whatever happens is OK. It’s a good outlet. You’ve got to give yourself grace and forgiveness. You can’t hold yourself to a bar for your hobby. It’s just meant to be fun.
“People need to get outside and put their hands in the dirt and get some serotonin, some dopamine. Everybody just needs some wellness, and this will do it for you. Because I grow plants now, I am forced to tend my plants, which means every day after work, I get my jeans on and I go up garden with my children, and I tend my plants because I have to. But by virtue of ‘have to,’ I spent quality time with my children,” Susan says. “When it’s August and the dahlias start to bloom, and I just lose my mind over those flowers. Oh, my god. The goal for this year is to have a field of dahlias that I can walk through, kind of like in ‘Field of Dreams.’ Right? My field of dreams is a field of dahlias, where I walk down a row with my hand, and I touch and feel the tactile sensation of flowers, and it’s the gloaming, and my children are playing, and I hear their voices, and I’m surrounded by beauty and the cycle of life.”
For those not inclined to grow because of time or space constraints, the farm has an ala carte CSA all summer long. They also offer bouquets all season long, from May to October.
For more information web page and Instagram MacDonald’s farm on Instagram and Facebook and WWW. MacDonalds.farm.
Simple: From Seed to Success
Top 10 Easy Vegetables And Flowers to Plant
By Susan MacDonald Owner, Macdonald’s Farm
1. Beets – Just plant the seeds, wait a little, and voilà! Freshly grown beets are a world apart from the ones you find at the store. For a delicious, sweet taste, go with golden beets. For a pop of color, try Chioggia – they’re a striped beauty!
2. Radishes – The perfect snack, these little guys are quick to grow (30-60 days!). If you want something crunchy and mild, go with white icicle radishes. For a showstopper, plant watermelon radishes – they’re as pretty as they are tasty. Bonus: They help keep bugs away from your other plants.
3. Beans – If you’ve got a trellis or some space for climbing, try the rattlesnake pole bean. A more compact option is the Blue Lake bush bean, which gives you a super green, classic bean flavor. Easy, versatile and productive!
4. Zucchini – Plant three seeds in a mound – but trust us, you only need one plant. For something different, go for round zucchini – it’s fun and perfect for serving in soups or dips. If you’re looking for a reliable grower, Emperor’s Jade is a solid choice.
5. Swiss Chard – Heat-tolerant and packed with antioxidants, this leafy green is a garden staple all season long. Think of it as a spinach alternative. Try Bright Lights for a colorful mix – and don’t forget, the stems are edible, too.
6. Dill – Easy to grow and pairs perfectly with fish. Pro tip: Toss a fresh batch of seeds in the ground every one to two months to keep a steady supply coming. You’ll be snacking in style all summer long.
7. Basil – Genovese basil is the go-to variety for anyone looking to elevate their summer meals. Add it to fresh tomatoes and mozzarella for a simple yet mind-blowing dish.
8. Cherry tomatoes – Try varieties like Blondkopfen, blueberries or golden nugget for small, sweet tomatoes. They need some support, so grab a tomato cage or a trellis. Then, enjoy fresh snacks straight from your garden all season.
9. Zinnia – A $2 packet of zinnias can bring endless joy. These “cut and come again” flowers bloom all season long, so you’ll have fresh bouquets ready to brighten your day. Pro tip: Learn how to save seeds from YouTube tutorial videos – and you can grow them for free every year.
10. Nigella – Known as Love-in-a-Mist, this unique, gorgeous flower also gives you stunning seed pods. Great fresh or dried. Pro tip: Scatter seeds every month to enjoy continuous beauty in your garden all season.
Advice: The one key to making all of these plants grow is keeping the ground moist while the seeds are germinating. You can literally toss these seeds in the ground and get the produce or flower you want, but for the three to 10 days these various seeds need to germinate, you do have to water them daily, so the seed coating stays soft enough for the plant to poke through.
A Tail-Wagging Celebration of Compassion, Community and Critters Petapalooza:
By Andrea Kitner akitner@harrisburgmagazine.com
Get ready for the event of the year, pet lovers!
Petapalooza is back and better than ever, bringing wagging tails, purrs and plenty of furry friends to Central Penn College on May 17. After last year’s event was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, Petapalooza is returning in full force for its 12th year – and this time, it’s expanding by an extra hour to accommodate the growing demand.
This family-friendly, free event is the perfect opportunity to find your new best friend or simply spend the day celebrating the furry members of our community. Whether you’re looking to adopt or just want to admire the adorable animals, Petapalooza has
something for everyone.
The event was founded by Mike and Stacy Romberger, who ran an organization called Best Friends Forever. As part of their efforts, they created Petapalooza as a pet adoption festival to showcase all the animals in need of homes across Central Pennsylvania. Michelle Auman, the current volunteer executive director, now leads the event. Prior to her, Bitsy McCann served in the same role from 2013 to 2022 before retiring. McCann remains deeply involved in the organization, and Petapalooza’s success owes much to her tireless contributions.
Auman said she is excited to share some insights about this year’s highly anticipated event, as well as the vendors participating.
“This year, I am especially excited because Finklepott’s Fairy Hair from the Renaissance Faire will be there. Not only will they be doing people’s hair, but if a dog has a long enough coat, they’re willing to add fairy hair to the dogs, too,” she said. “How stinkin’ cute will it be to see dogs running around with little sparkles in their hair?”
Some of the rescue agencies attending Petapalooza
include Speranza, Cornwall Community Cats, Castaway Critters, Furry Friends Network, and many more. With 35 vendors on site, visitors will find everything from pet portraits and apparel to homemade treats. Most of the vendors are small local businesses, she said.
“In recent years, we’ve added new things to the mix since I took over leadership. Those are things such as bat rescues, because I didn’t know what to do if you find a bat or if a bat is in your house. It’s not just for adults, but for children as well. I don’t want children to have an instantaneous fear response towards animals that isn’t necessary. It’s unusual, you don’t know what it is, but this is what it is ,and this is how you interact with it, and this is what you do. That is a big win for me,” Auman said. “This year we are having a wildlife rehabilitation person come, so that when a
situation arises, they have a resource. I want to be the resource that people think of.”
In addition to pet adoptions, the event will feature live music, food trucks, a 50/50 drawing and raffles for exciting prizes – including pet-related and general gift baskets, artwork from local artisans and gift certificates to local businesses. Families are encouraged to bring their pets, as long as they are vaccinated, leashed and well-behaved.
Beyond the event itself, the organization works year-round to collect donations and supplies to distribute to animal welfare organizations. Since same-day adoptions are illegal in Pennsylvania, attendees won’t be able to adopt pets at the event, but they’ll have the chance to meet adoptable animals and fill out applications to adopt in the future.
“The goal of the festival is to allow people to come and see who the organizations in Central Pennsylvania are, who they have available for adoption, and basically what each organization’s mission is,” said Auman. “Every organization has their own rules and regulations, contracts and their own fees. Nobody falls under their own umbrella, and you have to dig to find out about the organizations, so bringing them all together – where a person has the opportunity to walk from booth to booth – is a way to open up eyes to possibilities that you may not have thought of if it wasn’t presented right in your lap.”
While the primary focus is pet adoption, Petapalooza also aims to celebrate all pets that people consider part of their families.
“We try to encompass everything
that people consider to be their pets. We’ve had bird rescues, reptile rescues and every year, we have someone that comes and they bring their bearded dragon in their stroller. It makes me happy every time I see this bearded dragon in a stroller because it is just so dang cute,” she said. “I want it to be all-inclusive. We want these organizations in Central Pennsylvania to feel represented.”
The organization also works tirelessly throughout the year to raise funds to keep the festival free for all who attend. Petapalooza partners with about 20 local businesses, which host donation boxes throughout the month of April. Visitors can drop off supplies at these locations, and the donations are collected and redistributed to the rescues and shelters registered for the event.
“We get tons and tons of donations, and last year we had a 15-foot box truck filled from top to bottom with stuff,” Auman said. “We take the items, and we organize them, and we redistribute them out to the organizations. Last year, we distributed $5,000 worth of goods.”
Some of the distribution sites include Abrams and Weakley, Benny’s Pet Depot, Happy Tails Pet Grooming and Blue Mountain Veterinary Care. Additionally, Petapalooza is at Pet Supplies Plus every Saturday in April, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., collecting donations. Those who don’t want to purchase supplies can contribute cash, which is then used to buy products for the rescues and shelters.
The event also includes fun activities for pets and their owners, such as a popular lure course the dogs absolutely love.
“My husband came up with the idea of having misters and baby pools as a cooling off area for the dogs after they ran around,” she said. “It had become so popular, and we had to extend it three times because we didn’t realize not only how much the dogs were going to love it, but how much the
people were going to love it, too.”
The money raised from the event go toward supporting the shelters and rescues that participate. “After the festival, we calculate our costs, and our goal is to have enough funds to host the next festival. Any extra money is then dispersed to the orga-
nizations that attended. Last year, in addition to the goods drive items, I was also able to walk around and hand each organization a check,” said Auman.
Reflecting on her role, she said, “A few years ago, a close friend asked me, ‘Why aren’t you doing hands-on fostering anymore? Why Petapalooza? What about it sucked you in?’ And I replied, ‘Because I can do the most good.’ I can’t help 30 rescues every day – that’s just not possible. No one has the bandwidth for that. But, by doing Petapalooza, I am helping 30 rescues, and that’s important to me. I want to help as many animals as I can on this planet. I learned the really hard lesson that you can’t save them all. It’s a really painful lesson, but I can do the most good by having Petapalooza and helping as many non-profit organizations in Central Pennsylvania as I can. That’s why I do what I do.
“I can only do what I do as volunteer executive director because of the dedicated planning committee that makes the festival possible. It truly takes a village to save as many animals in Central Pa. as we can,” she said. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up on Petapalooza’s website at www.petapaloozapa.com. Volunteers can choose from two-hour time slots. Be sure to follow Petapalooza’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ PetapaloozaPA, where they will post weekly rescue highlights showcasing the animals available for adoption at the event.
Don’t miss out on this heartwarming and exciting day: Mark your calendars for May 17 and come out for Petapalooza.
Keep Your Dogs Safe from Ticks With These Tips
It seems that tick season grows longer every year. With fewer deep, winter freezes that would ordinarily reduce the tick population, dogs are now picking up the pesky parasites throughout the entire winter. Many species of ticks can transmit pathogens to animals and humans. The most notable of these in Pennsylvania are the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Lyme disease primarily affects humans, dogs and horses. In dogs, Lyme disease can present as limping, lameness, fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. If you notice any of these signs, make a vet appointment and begin treatment as soon as possible. Treatment for Lyme disease is generally a four-week course of doxycycline. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause severe and long-lasting symptoms, altering your dog’s quality of life and resulting in more costly treatments.
There are 25 species of ticks found in Pennsylvania. Two of these, the black-legged tick and the American dog tick, are the most common. Black-legged ticks, often referred to as deer ticks, feed on small mammals and birds in their larval stage, medium mammals in their nymph stage and larger mammals when they reach adulthood. At any life stage, blacklegged ticks can feed on humans, livestock and pets. Adults are active in early spring, fall and winter, when temperatures are above freezing. Larval ticks are active in the summer and nymphs in the late spring through summer.
Black-legged ticks are responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease. In Pennsylvania, 20 to 40 percent of black-legged ticks test positive for Borrelia burgdorferi depending on location, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention B. burgdorferi is the pathogenic spirochete responsible for Lyme disease and can be transmitted at any life stage of the tick.
The American dog tick is much larger than its relatives and can become the size of a grape after feeding. Larvae are active during the spring and fall, while nymphs are found throughout the summer. Surprisingly, they can survive for a year or more between feedings, making them a threat during all seasons. Larvae and nymphs seek out small mammals, while adults feed on dogs and other medium to large mammals, including humans.
What makes the American dog tick so dangerous is its ability to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Symptoms of include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, joint pain, swelling of the face or limbs, cough,
vomiting and diarrhea. If detected early, as with Lyme disease, RMSF can be treated with doxycycline, and full recovery is expected. Delayed treatment can be detrimental to the health of a dog.
Since you can’t go anywhere without the threat of ticks in the environment, preparation is the key. I choose to use herbal sprays and topicals like Wondercide, as well as a thorough flea combing after a walk in the woods. Flea combs are effective in removing ticks as long as they are not attached. Sprays do a great job of repelling the pests and prescription preventatives do the job of killing them after they bite.
For added protection, InsectShield. com sells dog bandanas and clothing made with the repellent permethrin. It repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes with less likelihood of harming your pet like systemic tick medications.
Unfortunately, no method is 100 percent effective. So, if you do find an attached tick, you can send it in for testing at TickLab.org and proceed with treatment if necessary.
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.
Childhood Fear Leads To Appreciation of Good Pest Control
MMy siblings and I suffer from myrmecophobia.
No, this isn’t some tragic affliction pulled from Greek mythology (though the Myrmidons were fierce warriors under Achilles).
It’s much less noble than that.
We’re afraid of ants.
Blame it on our childhood in California, where my parents’ home expansion project in the early ’80s disturbed some subterranean ant kingdom. From that point forward, the moment we left a crumb unattended, an organized army of ants arrived to claim it. While my parents never sought professional help – nor seemed particularly fazed by the invasion – my siblings and I remain permanently scarred.
I’ve mostly made peace with my phobia. That is, until last year, when a rogue squirrel launched an attack on my back porch. Between the ants of my past, the squirrel of my present and many encounters with clients needing help in the pest arena, I’ve come to appreciate one simple truth: Pests are persistent, and DIY solutions often don’t cut it.
Sure, some homeowners try their hand at pest control, but what seems like a quick weekend fix can turn into months of frustration, wasted money and lingering infestations. If you’re dealing with unwelcome critters,
there’s a reason why calling in the professionals is a smarter move.
Prevention Pays Off
Pests don’t just cause headaches; they cause real damage. Termites, for example, are responsible for an estimated $2 million in damage annually in the Harrisburg area, often munching away unnoticed for years before a homeowner even realizes there’s a problem. Rodents don’t just gnaw on wiring and insulation; they bring along bacteria and viruses.
DIY treatments rarely address the root of the problem.
You might kill the ants you see, but what about the colony hidden behind your walls? You could set out traps for mice, but are you sealing off their entry points?
“A lot of people think pest control is just about spraying chemicals, but it’s so much more than that,” says Cara Gibson, a technician with Hershey Pest Control. She’s part of the mere 3 percent of women working in the field, which often requires her to crawl into tight, dark spaces looking for signs of infestation. “A good pest professional is trained to spot warning signs before they turn into major problems. Our job isn’t just to eliminate pests – it’s to prevent them from
ever becoming an issue in the first place.”
Health and Safety First
From ticks to wasps to rodents, pests bring serious health risks.
While DIY treatments might seem like a quick fix, they often aren’t strong enough, or safe enough, to effectively handle infestations. Overthe-counter sprays may eliminate visible pests but fail to reach hidden nests, allowing infestations to persist. Worse, improper pesticide use can put your family, pets and even beneficial insects at risk.
Professional pest control experts use targeted treatments that eliminate pests without introducing new hazards to your home. They also understand how to manage potentially dangerous situations, like wasp nests or rodent droppings, which can carry harmful bacteria and viruses.
The Right Solution for the Right Pest
DIY pest control is often a guessing game, and misidentification leads to wasted money and effort.
For example, homeowners frequent-
ly confuse flying ants with termites and field mice with house mice, leading to ineffective treatment plans. Using the wrong pesticide or bait can actually worsen the problem, causing pests to scatter deeper into your home instead of eradicating them.
Good pest professionals don’t just spray and walk away – they assess, strategize and provide long-term solutions.
“We take the time to understand each home’s vulnerabilities,” Gibson says. “Every house has unique entry points and risk factors. A good pest control technician doesn’t just treat the problem. They educate homeowners on how to keep their homes less inviting to pests in the future.”
So do your part to rid the world of future myrmecophobiacs like me and my siblings. Protect your home and your sanity – consider calling in the pros.
And as for that squirrel on my porch? I’m making the call this spring. I’d rather not add sciurophobia (fear of squirrels) to my list of anxieties.
Eileen S. Voyles is a Realtor with Homesale Realty, 501 W. Governor Road, Hershey, and the founder of HelloHersheyPA, a Pennsylvania Benefit Corporation that promotes commerce and happy living in Hershey and beyond. You can follow Hello Hershey on your favorite social media platform. She can be reached at (717) 533-6222 and (717) 508-4610 or eileenvoyles@gmail.com.
“SIMPLY THE
AUTO BODY SHOP
The Financial Trifecta Provides Advantages For Do-It-Yourselfers
My wife and I are very adventurous do-ityourselfers. Framing out an addition on the home? Let me grab my nail gun. Making our own baby food? Sign us up! Replacing the brakes on the truck? No problem.
Recently, I have been completing a lot of work for do-it-yourself investors. One of the most common themes that concern these investors is what happens to the family finances if they become incapacitated or pass away.
Let’s discuss how hiring the “advisor trifecta” can help alleviate some of these concerns.
Estate Planning Attorney
An estate planning attorney can draft legal documents to address incapacity, end-of-life decisions and transferring assets upon death. Many estate planning attorneys offer an estate planning package for several hundred dollars. These estate plans offer the following documents:
• Financial power of attorney, which names an individual to handle your finances if you’re unable.
• Last will and testament, which outlines who receives your assets after your death.
• Health care power of attorney, which names an individual to make medical decisions if you’re unable.
• Advanced medical directive, which names an individual to make end-oflife decisions if you’re unable.
Certified Public Accountant
strategies through opportunistic Roth Conversions or understanding various deduction eligibility, having a CPA as a second set of eyes can provide significant value. But one of the largest values a CPA can offer is less tangible but just as meaningful; I call it sleep insurance. If there is an issue with my tax return, I rest easy knowing that my CPA will step in and help resolve the issue, which is much less stressful.
Financial Advisor
I’m still waiting to meet the client who wants to pay more in taxes. Until that day comes, I highly recommend engaging a CPA. One of the most significant financial traps I see do-ityourself investors make is delaying, deferring and focusing on near-term tax decisions. A CPA will help you create a long-term tax plan to help reduce lifetime taxation. Whether this is projecting tax optimization
I think there’s a misconception as to what a financial advisor does for a living. Most of my friends think my livelihood is solely investing client’s money. And while I do help individuals invest money, most of my job revolves around providing advice and helping my clients make educated decisions during major life transitions, such as retirement. Prior to putting in your retirement notice, I want you to be confident in your retirement income plan. As clients age, I want them to be confident in their aging-in-place plan or their choice of a continuing care retirement community. I want my clients to feel confident in their inheritance plans and that their insurance needs are covered. A good financial advisor is the first resource for all things finance, whether it’s financing needs or a simple gut check on if the goal is affordable, a financial advisor is your financial advocate.
If used appropriately, the internet can be an excellent resource for research and education. For example, TurboTax can be a very cost-effective tool, but the tool is only as good as the user’s knowledge of the IRS’s 1040. Errors can result in IRS letters, audits and underpayments that result in penalties and/or interest charges. Likewise, LegalZoom can be a very cost-effective tool for creating an estate plan, but the software is limited to the user’s knowledge about Pennsylvania’s probate, incapacity and guardianship laws.
Incorrect software use can result in children going through orphans’ court, assets being transferred to ex-spouses or the state making decisions over your medical treatment. If you follow The Finance Hound, you know that I am in favor of saving money. I’m also a huge advocate for having a plan in place for your loved ones. Having the right team in place can alleviate a lot of stress whenever your significant other is grieving the loss of their loved one or navigating the stresses of an extended health issue.
Bryson 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.
As I See It
The Child Care Crisis: A Path Forward for Pa. Families, Businesses
IF YOU GO
What:
Child Care Town Hall Part 2
Where:
Members 1st Federal Credit
Union community room, 5000 Marketplace Way, Enola
When: 11 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., May 29
Register at:
https://form.jotform.com/ 250584253551153
Ibelieve a job can change your life, and I know I’m not alone.
By Pamela Hill
CEO & Owner, Signature Staffing
Special to Harrisburg Magazine
Pennsylvania boasts over 6.5 million workers, but there’s one barrier that impedes more than 60 percent of our job seekers from reaching their highest potential: access to affordable child care. It’s a thorn embedded in Pennsylvania’s rising Gen Z and Millennial workforce. And it’s keeping our economy from achieving a competitive edge.
When our 24/7 on-call phone rings at 7 p.m. on a Sunday night, there’s a common reason. The caller apologizes profusely. She’s nearly in tears, fearing her hopes for a bright financial future are shattered. This was the opportunity she had worked so hard for. Now she has to rescind the amazing new job we arranged because her child care fell through.
This exact scenario plays out thousands of times each month across Pennsylvania, and it’s not only affecting the staffing industry. It happens in professional services, health care, industrial, warehouse, legal and IT.
Every company in the state searching for talent and hiring has experienced the repercussions from a lack of accessible, affordable child care in Pennsylvania. It’s not just a women’s issue, either. It affects the entire workforce, and we can’t wait for new policies or for the supply of day care centers to meet the demands of young families. That will take years. We need solutions today.
Whether you’re a business owner, working parent, CEO, or job seeker, we invite you to be part of finding those solutions. Join the Cumberland County Commission on Women (CCCW) for a Child Care Town Hall on May 29 at the Members 1st Community Room in Enola, 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. We’ll explore opportunities to support our working families and keep our companies on a path to growth and prosperity.
On average, U.S. families spend 27 percent of their household income on child care, according to Care.com. In a June 2024 report from ReadyNation, there is an estimated annual economic cost of $2.4 billion in lost earnings, productivity and tax revenue due to gaps in the state's child care system.
As a small business owner, I believe private enterprise must be part of the solution, even if it’s a near-term solution. I began brainstorming all the “what ifs.” What if our staffing firm could be a temporary bridge for the worker and the company? What if I could bring other businesses to the table to find more solutions? What if we tackled this crisis from a business mindset and educated companies on simple steps to help families find affordable child care? I began sharing my ideas with business colleagues and CEOs and received positive feedback. A few months ago, I reached out to a nearby day care and met with the owner and leadership team. I asked the providers if there was a way to hold a few spaces for my job seekers, so they wouldn’t have to extinguish a dream-come-true job offer before they ignited success. What would it cost to do this?
They were surprised. They had never had a company ask for this. And thankfully, they loved the idea. If they could reserve a spot or two for my job seekers, then I would carry the cost for the first few weeks to enable the employee to accept the new job and not worry about losing a day care spot. I would work out a repayment plan and spread it across several months. Employees don’t typically receive their first paycheck until they have completed their first two weeks and may not have the extra cash required to pay for day care up front. This small boost allows them to eliminate the fears of losing child care spots and delivers the peace of mind to be fully present in their new job. It also allows time to find alternate day care.
My decision didn’t require me to meet with my legislators or seek the governor’s support (although that
would be wonderful!), but it does require a small financial investment which will have long-term positive benefits to the employee, the employer and the economy. I know the cost of executive time in professional interviews and the HR costs to companies to search, vet and hire new talent. It’s expensive, and we shouldn’t risk losing our best talent because child care is inaccessible and unaffordable.
I’m not alone in hoping to find more solutions. I’ve met some incredible business leaders who will bring expertise and willpower to our Child Care Town Hall on May 29, hosted by the Cumberland County Commission on Women.
“Cumberland County women not only want, but need, more options for how to best balance home, work and kids. At the Cumberland County Commission for Women, we’ve learned that access to reliable, affordable and accessible child care is not only helpful, it’s necessary to build a successful workforce and strong economy,” says Brianda Freistat, chair, CCCW. “Our first town hall in 2024 explored and defined the problem of child care within the county. Now, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves with our friends in the business community to find ways to collectively solve this problem.”
We’re serious about finding the best solutions possible to help parents and employers. We’ve assembled a powerhouse panel including Robert Carl Jr., president and CEO of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, who is a fierce advocate for Pennsylvania’s investment in child care teacher recruitment and retention.
“The child care staffing crisis has reached critical levels and is affecting employers and working families alike.
Here in Schuylkill County, we have experienced a 20 percent reduction in the number of child care providers since 2019,” says Carl. “In a recent parent survey conducted by our chamber, 63 percent of parents reported being placed on a waiting list for child care. These waiting lists ranged from months up to three years. This is not just an inconvenience to parents – this is a major economic issue that affects every business, nonprofit, every community and many families throughout Pennsylvania. Put simply, when parents can’t find child care, they can’t go to work, and our economy suffers.”
Ryan Unger, president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC, who was in Washington, D.C., this past month discussing tax incentives and statewide support of day cares, agrees. “The lack of affordable child care options continues to be a barrier for our region’s workforce with statewide data showing that child care challenges cost businesses over $1 billion annually. In addition, many employees defer career advancement or leave the workforce altogether. We urgently need to fix this situation for working families and their employers.”
Mike Wilson, CEO of Members 1st Federal Credit Union, is joining the business panel and brings fresh perspectives on what companies can do to support and retain working parents.
“Convenient access to child care, coupled with flexibility to meet each family’s unique needs, was overwhelmingly the No. 1 one issue facing our workforce, and we needed to take action. Not only was this a talent acquisition and recruitment strategy, it was also a workforce culture strategy
to demonstrate to our associates that we care about them and are willing to make the necessary investments in helping them meet their needs. We remain committed to removing this barrier to meet the needs of our workforce so that we can, in turn, best meet the needs of our members,” says Wilson.
Together, we can develop innovative solutions to support our working families, employees and businesses.
Pamela Hill is CEO and Owner of Signature Staffing, a Central Pennsylvania-based employment service committed to finding and placing high-quality, expertly vetted employees to meet today’s workforce needs. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Lemoyne, Signature Staffing is Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certified and is a Pa. Small Diverse Business.
Williams Grove:
A Legacy Built on Farming, Steam Power, Fun
By
Samuel J. Rob Special to Harrisburg Magazine
Over 174 years ago, the Williams family started hosting picnics on their farm along the banks of the Yellow Breeches Creek near Mechanicsburg in Cumberland County. Little did they realize in 1850 that they were planting a seed that would grow into an annual national event, a noted amusement park and today’s Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association (WGHSEA).
Williams Grove has experienced quite a journey throughout the years, weathering disastrous floods, wars, depressions, recessions and pandemics. Its lasting legacy in the midstate remains to this day, and it’s one steeped in a rich agricultural history.
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry National Grange (now known as the National Grange) was founded in 1867 to advocate for the interests of farmers. Given that approximately 1 out of every 3 Americans was a farmer in the late 1800s (compared to approximately 4 percent today), the Grange quickly grew in membership and importance.
Starting in the 1874, the Grange selected the Williams farm picnic area –what we now know as Williams Grove – as the site for its Granger’s Picnic, which grew into the Great Granger’s Interstate Picnic and Exhibition. It became an event on a national scale that, at its height of popularity, attracted more than 100,000 visitors annually. While the Grange still exists today, the picnic and exhibition came to an end in 1916, as the United States entered World War I the following year.
The event’s popularity was aided by the presence of the Dillsburg & Mechanicsburg Railroad. The railroad was originally constructed in 1872 to haul iron ore from the Dillsburg area to iron furnaces located around the Harrisburg area. During the week of the event, the railroad operated more than 300 passenger trains a week, with trains arriving at and departing from the Williams Grove station every
ters caused by Hurricane Agnes. It was rebuilt and continued to operate until it closed at the end of the 2005 season.
10 minutes and carrying as many as 30,000 attendees a day. The railroad eventually lost revenue, was acquired by a series of railroads (Cumberland Valley Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central Railroad), and ceased to exist in 1980 when the rails were removed.
Today, the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail Council, a local non-profit organization, is pursuing plans to use the abandoned railroad bed to create a 7.3-mile biking and walking trail from Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park in Mechanicsburg to Coover Park near Dillsburg.
After the picnic and exhibition ceased, a new era arrived in 1924 when the picnic grounds were purchased, and the Williams Grove Amusement Park came into existence. Park rides began four years later, with various roller coasters and other rides added over the year – some coming from shuttered amusements parks in New Jersey and Ohio. The park was badly damaged in 1972 by floodwa-
The amusement park itself has vanished, but the 1928 wooden Carousel House, a survivor of floods and neglect, is currently undergoing restoration by WGHSEA. Those wishing to donate funds for the restoration can mail their contributions to WGHSEA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, at WGHSEA Inc., P.O. Box 509, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, Attn: Carousel. Although parts of the William Grove story are relegated to the annals of history, the social and educational, and most of all fun, goals of those entities live on today in WGHSEA. Created in 1959, the organization, with a membership of over 1,800, maintains the farming tradition going back to the steam tractor era at the turn of the 20th Century. The focus on steam tractors isn’t surprising, given that two of the best-known manufacturers, Frick and Peerless, were made not far away in Waynesboro.
WGHSEA events, which are open to the public, take place on Steam Engine Hill, the 94-acre site that once served as the Granger’s picnic grounds. Best known for its spring show and its annual steam show, the organization also hosts a year-round (weather permitting) Farmers Flea Market every Sunday morning, as well as special events and a fall festival. WGHSEA also conducts an annual steam tractor school for enthusiasts who want to learn how to operate one of the machines.
As a snapshot of the size of the spring show, the 2023 event featured 23 steam tractors, 657 farm tractors, and 374 lawn and garden tractors. Each year the show also features a car show, an operating sawmill, a blacksmith shop, horse and tractor pulls, hay baling demonstrations, train rides (WGHSEA constructed a mile of track on which to operate their steam locomotive) and, of course, food vendors. The nine-day annual steam show in August is even larger and features evening tractor parades and live music.
Attendance at the spring show averages between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors, while the steam show attracts over 50,000 attendees.
Upcoming dates for events this year:
• 18th Annual Spring Show, May 15 to18
• Touch-A-Truck, June 13
• Train Show, June 13 to 15 June
• 67th Annual Steam Show, Aug. 23 to 31
• Sixth Annual Fall Fest, Oct. 24 to 26.
All events are held at 1 Steam Engine Hill in Mechanicsburg. Additional information is available at wghsea.org.
Fun For All
April 10
Spring Floral Workshop
6 - 8 p.m.
JDK Catering & Events
Buy tickets online
April 19
Earth Festival FREE!
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Downtown Mechanicsburg
April 19
Hop Around
Downtown Hershey FREE!
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Chocolate Avenue, Hershey
April 20
Easter Brunch
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Hershey Lodge
April 26
Spring Festival & Gourd Egg Hunt
10 a.m.
Meadowbrooke Gourds, Carlisle
April 26
Wetlands Festival FREE!
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Wildwood Park, Harrisburg
April 26
Earth Day Celebration FREE!
12. - 4 p.m.
Downtown Carlisle
May 3
Mother’s Day Brunch
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Juniata Valley Winery
May 10
Wild About Dogs! FREE!
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wildwood Park, Harrisburg
May 10
Hershey Artfest FREE!
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Englewood Barn, Hershey
May 17
Petapalooza FREE!
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Central Penn College
May 24-26
Harrisburg Artsfest Times Vary
Riverfront Park, Harrisburg
May 24
Wyndridge Farm
Spring Fest FREE!
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wyndridge Farm, York
May 26
Memorial Day Parade FREE!
1 - 4 p.m.
Downtown Mechanicsburg
May 28
Post Malone with Jelly Roll
7:30 p.m.
HersheyPark Stadium
May 31
Strawberry Festival FREE!
12 - 4 p.m.
545 Carlisle Road, Biglerville
June 19
Jubilee Day FREE! All Day
Downtown Mechanicsburg
June 28
Fun Food Fest & Fireworks FREE!
4 - 10 p.m.
Hampden Township Park, Mechanicsburg
Fun For Kids
April 12
Downtown Carlisle
Bunny Hop FREE!
12 p.m.
Downtown Carlisle
April 19
Easter Celebration
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Star Barn, Lancaster
April 12-18
Spring Fling 9:30 a.m.
Paulus Farm Market Register online
April 18
Kids Discover: Rabbits & Hares
10 a.m. - noon
Wildwood Park, Harrisburg Register online at: www.explorewildwoodpark.org
May 3
Kids Yoga
10 a.m.
H2L Studio Register online at: www.h2lstudio.com
May 31
Baby Animal Festival FREE!
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Cherry Crest Farm, Lancaster
Over 21
April 12
Adult Easter Egg Hunt
11 a.m.
Armstrong Valley Winery
April 26
PA Flavor
2 - 5 p.m.
PA Farm Show Complex
Buy tickets online: www.paflavor.com
May 3
Art & Wine Walk
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Downtown Mechanicsburg
Tickets opening soon
May 10
Taste of Pennsylvania Wine & Music Festival
12 - 5 p.m.
York Memorial Park Complex
May 10
2025 Boro Brew Fest
12 - 4 p.m.
Main Street Park, Waynesboro
May 24-25
Flavor Fest
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Mount Hope and Estate, Manheim
May 29
Ladies Night
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Vineyard at Hershey
May 31
Comedy Night
7 - 10 p.m.
Vineyard at Hershey
June 21
Food & Wine Festival
5 p.m.
Binns Park, Lancaster
Café Fresco Looks To Future While Honoring Noted Past
Story by Eric Ebeling, eebeling@harrisburgmagazine.com
Photos by Andrea Kitner, akitner@harrisburgmagazine.com
For Café Fresco owner Megan Elia, the last year or so has been a study in contrasts – marked by painful upheaval at the start, rebuilding and renewal more recently.
Her restaurant along Linglestown Road in Blue Ridge Village represents the second chapter in her story as a restaurant owner, after she decided to close her popular establishment on Paxton Street in Harrisburg out of necessity and opportunity.
The café’s old location across from the Harrisburg Mall sat in the path of a $1 billion PennDOT plan to expand I-83 expansion through eminent domain acquisition of properties along that stretch. The ongoing highway development project includes widening an 8-mile section of the interstate to six lanes and reconstructing the Eisenhower Interchange.
Elia turned out the lights for the last time at that location on Nov. 30, 2023. With the help of family, friends and dedicated staff members, she was able to move restaurant equipment, fixtures and supplies into her new landing spot in Lower Paxton Township in a month’s time.
On Jan. 4 of last year, the reborn Café Fresco opened its doors at 2017 Eg Drive, amid a vibrant mix of businesses in a 130-acre multi-use development off Linglestown Road. The area, which is rapidly growing with a blend of housing options and retail outlets, includes well-known tenants like Starbucks, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Tide Clean-
ers and AT&T. With plans for more growth, including the opening of an ALDI store, Blue Ridge Village is a hub for local residents, making it ideal for the café.
“This location makes it a perfect breakfast or lunch spot for people who have to come to the area and be somewhere else,” Elia said. “But it’s not ‘fast food.’ I mean, I feel that people want better, fast. I don’t want to say, ‘Fast food.’ I feel like we’re fresh, healthy food, quick.”
While Elia has embraced the opportunity to offer both loyal customers and newcomers an updated and enhanced experience, she said she remains dedicated to the culinary roots of her past – and the wisdom of her friend, mentor and restaurant icon, the late Nick Laus.
Laus, who passed away in 2018, was a Harrisburg restaurateur who founded Home 231, Cork & Fork, Burger Yum and dance club Level 2. He also established Café Fresco in 2002 and sold it to Elia a few years later. A second Café Fresco location in downtown Harrisburg is related by history but not directly affiliated with
Megan Elia and son Julian.
Elia’s operation.
“We follow all the recipes that Nick had. We still follow every recipe to this day. We still make our own cookies, our own brownies. All our soup is fresh. Everything is fresh. We follow the rules that Nick started with,” said Elia. “I get a lot of old customers who come here and say, ‘Oh my god, I used to go the one on Paxton Street, like, 15 years ago.’ They get the food, and they’re like, ‘It tastes exactly the same.’ So that’s the best compliment we can get.”
Helping to maintain the high standards in the kitchen is Elia’s youngest son, Julian.
“He went to college. It was COVID. The first year of COVID. Freshman. He got sent home, had to do the whole Zoom thing. And after that, he said, ‘This is awful. I don’t like this.’ He never went back,” she said. “That’s how he ended up in the in the food business. He worked at Gabriella, the Italian restaurant in Harrisburg, where he learned a lot. Then he started working for me. He’s a chef, so he does everything.”
The 2,100-square-foot eatery offers both indoor and outdoor seating, creating a cozy, welcoming environment for patrons. Café Fresco’s time-tested offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner include wraps, sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza, as well as expertly crafted coffee.
The café’s hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Sunday.
To explore the full menu, place an order online or learn more about what Café Fresco has to offer, visit their website at cafefrescolinglestown.com.
Simply The Best:
Put Your Signature on Success
It’s an honor to be a 2025 Harrisburg Magazine Simply the Best Nominee! Whether you need to Find Work or Find Talent, your search starts at Signature Sta ng.
Please vote for Signature Sta ng, and put your signature on success!
www.signaturesta ng.net 814 Market Street, Lemoyne, PA 17043
Behind-the-scenes Talent Benefits Local Musical Community
Editor’s note: The After the Beat column periodically spotlights the unsung heroes of the live music scene in Harrisburg, who operate out of the spotlight. On a separate note: Congratulations are in order for columnist Amy Simpson, who was inducted into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame (CPMHoF) this year as top female vocalist for her work with The Groove Rebels.
Woodshed Guitar Works
Chris DellaPorta, owner of Woodshed Guitar Works in Carlisle, specializes in guitar repair and sales. His 40-year passion for playing guitar began at a young age, influenced by his mother’s collection of ’70s AM, classic rock and Motown records. His inspirations include artists like Tom Petty, Warren Haynes, The Allman Brothers and Prince. From 2004 to 2016, Dellaporta was a guitarist with the Southern rock band Smokin’ Gunnz and has been
with his current band, Road Case, since 2018, while also freelancing with the Colt Wilbur Band.
For 12 years, he honed his craft under the mentorship of the late Randel Ray Robertson at Triple R Guitar in Lemoyne. In 2011, DellaPorta established Woodshed Guitar Works in the shed behind his home, shortly after Triple R closed its doors. The business later moved to Carlisle and settled into its current location in 2015. He gained invaluable knowledge from his late friend and honors his memory through his shop. Together with his employee, Dylan Boyd, DellaPorta emphasizes customer relationships and quality service.
Customers are greeted by his shop dog, Rasta. The store offers repair services for stringed and fretted instruments and sells pre-owned electric and acoustic gear. With 25 years of experience, DellaPorta won Harrisburg Magazine’s “Simply the Best” in 2018 and was nominated for Best Music Shop by the local music hall of fame in 2025. His shop is located at 147 N. Hanover St., Carlisle. Contact him at Woodshedgw@gmail.com or (717) 422-5794.
Joe Trojcak, a vibrant native of Middletown, is the owner of Progressive Enterprise Sound Studios, which offers recording, tracking and video mixing located on Basler Drive in Elizabethtown. He began his musical journey at just 8 years old with piano lessons, quickly mastering the pipe organ by age 10. His passion for sound engineering flourished through influences like church music, radio shows and iconic bands such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer. In 1985, he founded Progressive Enterprises, named after the progressive rock genre, and played 40 years in various groups, including Rosie and the Naturals and The Aristocrats, as well as his jazz trio, Fresh, which became a staple at Harrisburg International Airport after 9/11. Trojcak has played pipe organ for several churches since 1980. He currently serves as organist and music director for Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Middletown. He teaches music business classes at HACC, focusing on the internet as a tool for musicians and how to compose music on computers.
This year, the studio celebrates its 40th anniversary with a concert and party at Champions Sports Bar in
Highspire on Sunday, June 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. Also on hand will be his staff: Jay Kirssin, Marshall Deasey, Fred Pellegrini Jr., Ryan Frantz, Drew Zimmerman, Dan Snyder, Chase Bartholomew and JT Swartentruber. All are invited. For more details, contact Trojcak at Joet@progressivestudios. com or (717) 648-5552.
...In the heart of Liverpool, Perry County, Chris Rider discovered his passion for photography, driven by a desire to capture the fleeting moments of his son’s childhood. Influenced by his parents’ love for the arts and surrounded by classic rock sounds from The Allman Brothers to Led Zeppelin, Rider began his self-taught journey around 2011.
He started with local music shows, tackling the challenges of ever-changing lighting, which pushed him to embrace more sophisticated techniques and go digital. A pivotal moment came when he snuck his camera into a New York music festival and came away with amazing shots. In 2018, he joined Pennsylvania Musician magazine, where he refined his unique style, capturing the raw
Latin American Restaurant
Chris Rider Photography
emotion of live performances. Pennsylvania Musician, a widely circulated publication that supports musicians and venues throughout a significant swath of Central Pennsylvania, gave him a marked increase in exposure. Committed to supporting local musicians, he structured affordable rates for bands seeking professional promo stills and live band shots. Rider’s dedication paid off: He has been nominated six times for Best Photographer through the local music hall of fame and has won three times – in 2021, 2022 and 2025. You can reach him at ChrisRiderPhotography@gmail.com or at @ChrisRiderPhotography on Facebook.
Players Exchange
Accomplished bassist Scott Frange is the visionary behind Players Exchange, located in Lemoyne. In 1994, a significant opportunity arose when his friend Dan Miller decided to sell his business. Frange seized the chance, acquiring it and founding the shop, which has been supplying musicians with gear for 31 years and counting.
community, he specializes in buying and selling highly sought-after vintage equipment – from Marshall amps to rare guitars. Embracing an oldschool approach, he said he relies on word of mouth to curate his eclectic collection. His legacy in the music scene is renowned: Professionals in the music industry seek out his shop, eager to buy or sell vintage treasures, like R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and celebrity Steve Martin, to name a few.
For 59 years, Frange has performed in bands like New Found Freedom and The Middleton Bros. He currently plays with The Band Who Sold the World, which he co-founded with Shea Quinn. They are nominees for Best Tribute Band for CPMHoF this year. Frange, Charlie Middleton and drummer Logan Bedard released a CD in 2024 for the New Found Freedom project “Unfinished Business,” available on most music platforms. The shop is located at 225 S. Third St., Lemoyne. Contact Frange (717) 9752385.
Amy Simpson is an experienced and versatile music professional with a passion for diverse musical styles. With a background in soul/R&B, jazz, rock, hip-hop, top 40/covers, and reggae styles, she has performed in various settings and has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Charmaine Neville, Tower Of Power, Average White Band, and Sean Paul. She currently is a member of The Groove Rebels.
