Crime Stats for the City of Harrisburg May 6th through May 12th

• 17 criminal mischief/vandalism
• 29 thefts (only 4 from motor vehicles)
• 7 robberies
  • 5/6–500 Curtin St, 11:30 PM
  • 5/8–1000 N 3rd St, 5:35 PM
  • 5/9–2000 Briggs St, 1:47 AM
  • 5/9–1900 Market St, 5:30 AM
  • 5/10–1200 Hunter St, 9:00 PM
  • 5/11–7th & Division St, 10:51 PM
  • 5/12–1100 Cloverly Rd 6:28 PM
• 7 burglaries
• 21 assaults (1 rape, 1sexual assault, 1 indecent exposure)
• 2 prostitution
• 1 shooting
  • 5/8–homicide (cannot find this incident on the city crime report)
• other- arrests for disorderly conduct (fighting), panhandling (Forester St), cruelty to animals (Dauphin St), the Chestnut St dog cruelty incident that resulted in the death of 2 dogs (not on the city crime report).

Notes: Reports of shots fired. One incident of shots fired occurred at a car wash in the 2200 block of Derry St in the afternoon.

compiled by Jan Konkle

Wildwood Park Reopens With Restrictions

As released by Dauphin County:

Wildwood Park to Reopen to the Public on Tuesday, May 21

County officials issue advisories and restrictions due to air and water quality concerns 

HARRISBURG, PA (May 20, 2013) –Wildwood Park, owned and operated by Dauphin County, will reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 21. The park has been closed since May 9 while crews cleaned up fuel that seeped into the park’s wetlands after a nearby tanker truck fire in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County.

Because the fuel spill has affected the air, land and water at Wildwood Park, the park opening is subject to the following advisories and restrictions:

• It is recommended that individuals with respiratory ailments refrain from activity in the park; all others are advised to proceed with caution.
• Nothing may be harvested from the waters of Wildwood Park.
• Fishing in the park shall be “catch and release” only until further notice.
• No fish or game is deemed safe for consumption at this time.

While clean-up efforts have been completed, the air may still contain material that will affect those with sensitivity and respiratory concerns, and the flora and fauna may still be recovering from the adverse consequences of the spill.

“We will continue to monitor the conditions at the park and lift the restrictions once safety for all can be assured,” said Dauphin County Commission Chairman Jeff Haste, who has oversight of the county’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Wildwood has received assistance from many organizations, including HazMat, Environmental Products and Services, Dauphin County Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, and Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, Inc.

Booms are still in place along the banks of the lake to absorb the fuel, and will remain in place for about one month as a precaution. Approximately 10 acres of the park’s 200 acres were impacted by the fuel leak.

Wildwood Park is open daily from dawn until dusk.

All Souls 2 the Polls Rally

As released by Pastor Micah Sims, Bethel Village A.M.E. Church:

SOULS 2 THE POLLS RALLY

MONDAY, MAY 20TH @ 7:00PM at BETHEL VILLAGE A.M.E. CHURCH 1721 N. 5th Street

On Monday evening May 20th Pastor Micah Sims along with other clergy and spiritual leaders in the greater Harrisburg area are organizing a rally to encourage voters to exercise their right and vote on Tuesday, May 21st. The event will begin with prayer for the city of Harrisburg from 6pm – 7pm and then a rally feature speakers, candidates and leaders from across the area. All mayoral candidates have been invited to attend and speak during the rally. In addition elected officials such as St. Sen. Rob Teplitz, St. Rep. Patty Kim, Commissioner George Hartwick and others have been invited to address the audience. All individuals appearing on the ballot, for any elected offie on Tuesday are invited to attend.

The event will take place at Bethel Village AME Church, which is located at 1721 N. 5th Street (corner of 5th & Granite Sts.), where Rev. Micah Sims serves as pastor. This event is designed with the intention of creating awareness that this election is important to the future of Harrisburg city, Dauphin County and Central PA.

This election takes place in what is known as an ‘off election year’ but Pastor Sims & other leaders contend that people should show in record number for this election because of the immediate impact in living, working and receiving an education in the local community.

Rev. Micah Sims recently became pastor of Bethel Village AME Church and previously served as one of the State Deputy Director in PA for the 2012 Obama Campaign. He has a desire to have people informed, empowered, excited and mobilized to vote on every election day. Other spiritual leaders such as Pastor Earl Harris, Pastor LaVette Paige, Bishop Ravenal along with civic leaders agree that voting on election day is important to the future development of the greater Harrisburg area

Neighborhood Dispute Settlement Annual Meeting

As released by the Neighborhood Dispute Settlement Mediation Center:

You are invited to the Neighborhood Dispute Settlement (NDS) Annual Meeting on Tuesday May 21st form 6-9pm. This meeting will be held at the Harrisburg Quaker Friends Meeting House on 1100 N. 6th Street, Harrisburg.

This meeting is a county-wide event and will include:

1. 6pm A free-of-charge lite dinner

2. 7pm NDS annual report overview and guest speaker Randy Duque from Good Shepherd Mediation Program in Philadelphia. Mr. Duque will present on restorative practices: community group conferencing, victim offender conferencing, restorative circles and family-group decision making.

RSVP to info@disputesettlement.us or call 233-8255 and ask for Amanda

This event is free of charge and open to all communities served by NDS (Dauphin and Cumberland Counties). NDS has provided mediation services to residents of the Engleton community on several occasions. I (Amanda Jantzi-Robinson) am a resident of Engleton and maintain employment with NDS.

Girl Rising Screening In Harrisburg

Organizers are trying to get a screening of the film Girl Rising. It tells the stories of 9 girls from around the world who face – and overcome – unbelievable obstacles on the path toward getting an education. The film was created by 10×10, a global campaign to educate and empower girls.

Each girl’s story is narrated by a cast of Hollywood actresses, including Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Alicia Keys, and others. The stories were written by local women authors. The film is rated PG 13.

The film only comes to a theatre if at least 100 people sign up to see it. So, sign up by May 28th. You will only be charged for your ticket if we succeed in booking the screening.

• Trailer: http://10x10act.org/girl-rising/
• Film Info: http://girlrising.com/
• Reserve Your Ticket: http://gathr.us/screening/4122

A portion of Girl Rising ticket sales will help fund 10×10 programs for girls, so just seeing the film makes an impact on girls’ lives.

Food Vouchers for Seniors in Dauphin County

As released by Dauphin County:

Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging to Offer Food Vouchers to Qualified Senior Citizens

HARRISBURG, PA (May 14, 2013) – Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, will offer qualified senior residents vouchers worth $20 to purchase state-grown fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets.

Dauphin County residents are eligible if they are 60 years of age or older and have a gross annual income of less than $20,665 for a single individual or $27,991 for married couples. These guidelines are subject to change. The federal guidelines that are in place on the day of distribution will be those that are used.

Senior citizens are advised to bring a driver’s license or photo identification for proof of age and Dauphin County residency.

Eligible senior citizens may only receive vouchers once each summer. Supplies are limited and are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

To obtain vouchers for another person, please bring a completed and signed proxy form to receive the vouchers. Proxy forms can be obtained by calling the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging at 717-780-6130.

Vouchers will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following sites in Dauphin County:

• May 31 at the Northern Dauphin Human Services Center, 295 State Dr., Elizabethville, (Any remaining vouchers for this site will be available at this location from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays.)

• June 6 at Essex House, 320 Market St., Middletown

• June 7 at Friendship Senior Center, 5000 Commons Drive, Harrisburg

• June 14 at Zion Assembly of Harrisburg, 2101 N. 5th St., Harrisburg

Any remaining vouchers from the last three sites will be made available by appointment at the county’s Area Agency on Aging at 2 S. Second St., Harrisburg.

Please call the agency to make an appointment at 717-780-6130 or to learn more about the program.

Wildwood Park Closed Through Weekend

As released by Dauphin County:

Wildwood Park to Remain Closed to the Public through Sunday, May 19 (more…)

Job Opportunity: Open Position With City of Harrisburg government

The following job opening was recently been posted on the City of Harrisburg government website. Click the title below for job description and application:

Employment Opportunity: Codes Enforcement Officer

Habitat for Humanity ReStore to Move to Former Troeg’s Brewery On Paxton Street

As released by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg:

Habitat Signs Deal for New ReStore in Harrisburg

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area announced today that a location has been selected for the affiliate’s new ReStore. The new store, which will sell donated household items, will be located at 800 Paxton Street in Harrisburg. For those familiar with the area, the location will be in the old Troegs Brewery building, across the street from Pennsy Supply. (more…)

Wildwood Park Still Closed Because of Fuel Spill

As released by Dauphin County: 

Wildwood Park Remains Closed in Wake of Fuel Spill

HARRISBURG, PA (May 13, 2013) –Wildwood Park, owned and operated by Dauphin County, remains closed to the public while crews continue to clean up fuel from a nearby tanker truck fire seeped into the park’s wetlands. (more…)