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  #1001  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2005, 9:08 AM
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EAST SHORE VOTERS GUIDE: Harrisburg mayor
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The choice for mayor of Harrisburg is Reed vs. Reed.

Mayor Stephen R. Reed locked down nominations on both sides of the ballot in the Nov. 8 general election, giving him a virtual stranglehold on four more years in office.

Reed, 55, is seeking his seventh term in office, but all the competition came in last spring's primary.

Facing rivals Jason Smith and Ernie Napoli, Reed won the Democratic nomination with 3,093 votes, compared with Smith's 1,033 and Napoli's 182.

Reed typically mounts an aggressive Republican write-in campaign as well in order to lock up the election early. He won the GOP nod with 640 write-in votes, making him the only state mayoral candidate supported by both major parties.

Reed said that allows him to move away from campaigning and turn his attention to city business, where he promises numerous projects are on tap.

The six-term incumbent has sewn up both major sides of the ballot in the Harrisburg mayor's race in five consecutive elections.

JOHN LUCIEW: 255-8171 or jluciew@patriot-news.com
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  #1002  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2005, 10:56 AM
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we're at 1000 posts for this thread...WOOHOO!!!

Patriot-News wins Newspaper of Year
Friday, November 04, 2005

The Patriot-News is always striving to be the best source of news and information in central Pennsylvania. Now it's official: Our newspaper is the best in all of Pennsylvania.

The Patriot-News has been honored as the state's daily Newspaper of the Year.

It is the first time that this newspaper has won the honor, which is awarded annually by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. The award reflects the paper's overall excellence in news coverage, writing, photography, design, editorial pages, advertising, marketing, reporting on diversity in our community and Newspapers in Education.

"Our goal at The Patriot-News is not winning awards, even though we've been fortunate to receive increasing recognition for the work we do. Our goal is to do everything we can to meet the needs of the reader, the advertiser and our community," said John Kirkpatrick, editor and publisher. "Still, it was particularly nice to have our staffs' hard and excellent work honored with this award."

The Patriot-News won Newspaper of the Year honors in eight individual areas, as well. The paper's writing, photography, design and marketing all received first-place awards. So did our annual section celebrating high school graduates called Making the Grade, which includes our Best & Brightest awards.

"These Newspaper of the Year honors are special because they are not just for a handful of individual stories," said David Newhouse, executive editor. "Instead, they recognize the great work that our entire staff does, day in and day out -- in the newsroom and throughout the paper."

Our Newspaper in Education program received a first-place award for the third year in a row. The NIE program provides newspapers and study guides to local schools and sponsors The Patriot-News' Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Spelling Bee and Capital Area Science & Engineering Fair.

Finally, the editorial pages and advertising received honorable-mention awards.

The state press association chose the Philadelphia City Paper as the state's weekly Newspaper of the Year.
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  #1003  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2005, 11:07 AM
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the trend continues on 2nd street

Restaurant, coffee shop planned for city venues
Friday, November 04, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

The table is set for two more restaurants in Harrisburg, adding to a busy year for new eateries in the city.

Among the latest entries is Jackie Blue, billed as a "modern American delicatessen" and wine bar planned for the former Double Jacks bar at 1313 N. Second St. in Harrisburg's midtown section.

Owner Jason Bowser said he hopes to have the two-floor facility opened by Thanksgiving, with renovations already under way. "We're going full bore," he said.

Meanwhile, Kristin Messner has announced plans for a late-night coffee, dessert and sandwich shop at 614 N. Second St., a couple doors north of the Firehouse restaurant.

Named Sensi's, after the nickname of Messner's 16-month-old daughter, the coffee shop is to open in the spring in what is now a barber shop.

She said the shop will feature a casual, comfortable atmosphere and will offer poetry readings. It will remain open as late as midnight Thursdays through Saturdays.

"I think I have a sense for what people enjoy and what draws people," said Messner, an attorney who said she enjoys frequenting pubs and restaurants.

Both Messner and Bowser said they were eager to join what they see as an already bustling dining scene in Harrisburg.

"Harrisburg is a regional destination now," said Bowser, who predicted the growth of Restaurant Row would continue north on Second Street into midtown.

"We see midtown fitting in and finding its niche," Bowser said. He added that the neighborhood would likely feature smaller, quieter restaurants, rather than the pubs and clubs of downtown.

Messner, meanwhile, is offering her coffee shop as an amenity for downtown residents and workers, as well as a respite for pub crawlers.

"I think people are looking for a place to go that's not all about drinking," she said. "This will be a nice place to start out or end up a night downtown."

The new restaurants continue the recent wave of projects downtown.

Ceoltas, a traditional Irish pub, is scheduled to open as early as next week in the 300 block of North Second Street. Across the street, The Quarter, a New Orleans-style club and eatery, is in the late stages of construction.

This weekend is the planned opening for Haydn's on Pine, an offshoot of Lancaster County restaurant Haydn Zug's. It's in the former Parev restaurant on Pine Street and will include Maxine's, a second-floor martini lounge serving tapas.

Rick Galiardo, who operates Mars and Noma, both on Second Street, is close to opening Max's restaurant in the new Market Square Plaza high-rise. The Italian eatery will feature a wood-burning pizza oven and offer traditional fare.

Galiardo recently announced plans for a vintage diner in the 200 block of North Second. The service would be reminiscent of the old-style car hops, minus the cars. An outdoor pedestrian-hop area would feature a canopied bar and table seating. There would also be an outdoor stage and movie screen, with each table outfitted with a speaker.

That complex is scheduled to open next spring on the vacant lot in front of the River Street parking garage.

Finally, the owners of Las Delicias, a Spanish-American restaurant at 2060 Derry St., will open a second restaurant, Caribbean Sun, before the end of the year at 304 N. Second St., next to KoKoMo's.

Samuel and Maria Mejia will emphasize seafood in the 85-seat restaurant.

JOHN LUCIEW: 255-8171 or jluciew@patriot-news.com
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  #1004  
Old Posted Nov 4, 2005, 10:35 PM
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Go Reed, Go Reed!!! Go 2nd St., Go 2nd St.!!! Go Patriot, Go Patriot!!!

:carrot:

And a little more info on the Science Center at HBG Univ. for those interested:

http://www.harrisburgpa.gov/pressRel...%20science.htm
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  #1005  
Old Posted Nov 6, 2005, 12:48 PM
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^ i feel your excitement Dave

Wall becomes work of art
Students' mural stresses importance of lifelong learning
Friday, November 04, 2005
BY LES POWELL
Of The Patriot-News

Youths have converted a gray wall into a masterpiece.

A mural created by students from 20 Pennsylvania schools was unveiled yesterday opposite the main entrance of the state Department of Education at 333 Market St.

Gov. Ed Rendell discussed the value of art in schools at a dedication ceremony attended by dozens of students and teachers from across the state. As mayor of Philadelphia, Rendell converted the city's Anti-Graffiti Network to the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, which encourages young people to beautify their neighborhoods.

"Murals make people feel good," Rendell said. "They create among young people a sense of self-value and self-worth."

"It made me feel important," said student artist Jaime Hess, 17, a senior at Bangor High School in Northampton County. "It's amazing. I've never been a part of something so big."

"We all did sketches, put in our own ideas. Then the [lead] artist made the mural out of it," Hess said, referring to Cesar Viveros-Herrera, a self-taught mural painter from Mexico, who supervised the project. He spearheaded the placement of large pieces to form the mural.

Hess said her sketch was of "a woman reading a book and a hand coming in [as if] drawing her."

The Philadelphia Arts Program in July trained 22 art teachers from across the state for the Harrisburg mural project. The teachers toured Philadelphia murals, attended a full-day workshop and received a handbook for implementation in their schools.

"We worked very hard [after school]," said Bernice Aguilar, 10, a student a Biglerville Elementary School, who took part in the project.

The mural, titled "Inspiring Students to Become Productive Life-Long Learners," also is connected with the 100th anniversary of the state Capitol, which will be celebrated next year.

In developing the mural project, the Department of Education and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program partnered with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Art Education Association, Pennsylvania State Education Association and the City of Harrisburg.

Fulton and M&T banks, owners of the building wall, gave their consent for the placement of the mural.
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  #1006  
Old Posted Nov 6, 2005, 6:47 PM
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With no fears of election day, Harrisburg's mayor looks ahead

Sunday, November 06, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Stephen R. Reed enjoys holidays, just not for the reasons most people do.

For Harrisburg's mayor of 24 years, the coming season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's won't be a time of reunion with family or relaxation with friends.

Instead, it will be a rare opportunity for uninterrupted work in his second-floor office overlooking Market Square.

"I get more done than in an entire week," Reed said from behind his desk emblazoned with the city seal. "Most people don't know I'm here, so they don't bother me."

Even though Tuesday is Election Day, Reed, 56, has no need to campaign. Having secured a historic seventh term in the primary, he is the only candidate on the ballot.

Instead, he remains in his office most days -- and most nights. His closest advisers call it his second home.

"In an odd way, that is his relaxation," said outside consultant Fred Clark, who is heading Reed's plan for an African-American museum in midtown. "Any normal person would see it as work; he sees it as his passion."

Randy King, Reed's spokesman and right-hand man, said his boss still logs 12- to 16-hour days, seven days a week, holidays included.

In his office, Reed is surrounded by the Western and Civil War artifacts he loves. He keeps the blinds drawn and the space dimly lighted. A muted TV is tuned to CNN.

A Diet Coke and a pack of Salem Lights cigarettes are always within arm's reach. Yes, smoking is allowed in private offices in city hall.

Reed's secretaries order him takeout, which he eats at his desk. He loves pasta and all things Italian, so it's usually from Mamma's or Sorrento's pizza, or lately, the new Palumbo's.

Except, that is, when he's watching his weight, which fluctuates, judging from the pictures inside city hall. The photos show Reed's transformation from a 32-year-old, first-term mayor of a decaying capital to the veteran leader of a self-proclaimed "city on the move."

But despite his nearly quarter-century of leading Harrisburg from distress to a community reborn with a vibrant downtown, a stronger housing market and an improving school system, few can say they really know the man.

Reed has a small inner circle. He's friendly but has little time for small talk. He's not the gregarious, back-slapping Gov. Ed Rendell.

Former city solicitor and current Reed confidant Andrew Giorgione has been close to the mayor for nearly 15 years, but said Reed never asks about his wife and kids.

"You can't have a, quote, normal conversation with him," Giorgione said. "He just doesn't do that. It's always about the city. For him, there's nothing but Harrisburg."

Reed does much of his work behind closed doors. He admits being somewhat of a prisoner of his office.

In a desk drawer is the agenda that keeps him locked away. It's a list of more than 250 projects, most of them secret. The list represents the many dreams Reed has for Harrisburg.

The mayor expresses regret that he doesn't meet more often with residents, although he does frequent the Pep Grill, a blue-collar bar on Walnut Street.

"The demands on time are so overwhelming just to stay on top of things," he said. "I get out and around, but not on a walk through town."

What lures Reed from his desk is emergencies. The former emergency medical services volunteer and River Rescue president shows up at most major fires and crimes. In last year's flooding, he roamed Harrisburg in jeans and boots coordinating the city's response.

The bottom line, he said, is not his visibility, but the visibility of his efforts.

"The residents see what's going on," he said. "They are aware what's happening in the city. No one is completely satisfied. I'd include myself in that category."

A public and private figure:

Reed is both a public figure and a shadowy one.

Entry to his office is by appointment only. He has a distant relationship with most City Council members. Even the candidates he endorsed in Tuesday's election say they don't really know him.

Reed is surrounded by a loyal and dedicated city staff, most of them notable for their longevity in their posts. He confers with movers and shakers in real estate, education and business.

Reed's alliance with the late developer John O. Vartan helped launch Harrisburg's first wave of renewal. Developer Tony Pascotti, real estate agent Greg Rothman, club owner Rick Galiardo and others are regulars in his office -- and regular investors in the city.

Harrisburg school Superintendent Gerald Kohn has a standing weekly meeting with Reed but said they confer far more often, with sessions lasting well past 10 p.m.

Yet Reed relies on his own counsel. "He'll listen, but no one tells the mayor what to do," Giorgione said. "No one."

Having decided upon public service at age 15, Reed barely had time for classes at Harrisburg Area Community College, much less a college degree. Still, he's at ease discussing the intricacies of multimillion-dollar bond deals and the nuances of student tests.

"He is without a doubt one of the smartest people I've ever met in my life, as far as his ability to digest information," Giorgione said.

Reed said he schools himself during long nights in the office. The best ideas often come after midnight. When his mind finally settles on a proposal, the details spew forth in what Reed describes as frenzied stream-of-consciousness sessions.

"Once it jells, it's up and running," he said. "I bang it out, boom, boom, boom. The basic plan gets fleshed out."

But you won't catch Reed using computer charts, graphs and PowerPoint presentations. There's no computer in his office. The only tool he trusts to record these golden ideas is an IBM Selectric typewriter.

"It doesn't get viruses," Reed said. "No one hacks into it. It doesn't get junk e-mail. It serves my purposes."

Once a project is born, Reed tracks its progress, requiring department heads to file monthly reports.

"I read every word," Reed said. City staffers are convinced Reed possesses a photographic memory or at least an uncanny mind for details.

Reed often nails his staff with questions or wows them with a barrage of statistics. "His management style is to constantly beat you up, saying you're not doing enough for the city," Giorgione said with a laugh.

City Council Vice President Linda Thompson insists upon writing agendas for her meetings with Reed. The scripts ensure that she'll touch on all her concerns without being sidetracked by the mayor's many digressions, she said.

Critics seek more access:

Not everyone is a fan of Reed's father-knows-best leadership style.

Council President Richard House once railed against what he labeled "plantation politics" in Harrisburg, perhaps a reference to a white mayor's dominance of a city with a black majority. Yet Reed professes that race hasn't been a major issue in his two-plus decades on the job.

The City Council bristled when it learned Reed had spent more than $4.5 million in nontax city money acquiring artifacts for a Wild West museum, even though the project hadn't been formally announced or approved.

City businessman Jason Smith, one of two Democrats Reed handily defeated in last spring's primary, said the mayor's autocratic approach might have been necessary when the city was struggling, but it's no longer appropriate with so many people wanting a seat at Harrisburg's table.

Smith pointed to a tourism study, part of a compromise with Reed after Smith opposed the Wild West museum, as a good first step. The study, which has involved consultants, public surveys, open meetings, and a panel of citizens and business people, is expected to lead to a strategy that could guide Harrisburg's tourism efforts.

"That's the process we should be doing all over the city on issue after issue," Smith said.

Reed said he is pleased with the tourism study and promises to abide by the findings, even if it means the end of his beloved Western museum.

But he said Harrisburg has a strong mayor form of government and he plans to continue to run the city as a CEO.

Beyond trash and potholes:

If forced to chalk up his success to a single factor, Reed cited his ability to analyze and restructure organizations, making them more streamlined and effective.

Perhaps that's why Reed has thrived at the helm of a city government that does far more than fill potholes, police streets and collect trash.

Thompson, who has clashed with Reed, said he has the ambitious, can-do spirit of a developer. Many, such as Harrisburg University of Science and Technology President Melvyn D. Schiavelli, credit Reed's far-reaching vision. Reed was the driving force in taking the university from vague concept to reality.

Reed has overseen the troubled Harrisburg School District since December 2000, when the state Legislature handed him the keys.

One of Reed's first acts was to rewrite the district's organizational chart. "You've got to have that basic structure in place or nothing gets done," he said.

Beyond that, Harrisburg owns and operates its water and sewer systems, and it's about to re-enter the waste management business when the overhauled trash incinerator fires up for operation Jan. 2. The city and its agencies own parking garages, the Senators minor-league baseball team and two museums, along with plans for as many as three more.

Reed makes no apologies for the city's far-flung interests. If it were all about basic services, city government wouldn't be providing real leadership, he said. And it sure wouldn't have held Reed's attention.

Success breeding success:

Harrisburg has finally arrived. According to Reed, the city has reached a point where the various strides in education and economic development are all feeding off and fueling each other.

Downtown hotels followed, then the restaurants. Now, Reed is working on retail and wants to see Third Street, south of Market, take off as an after-hours destination.

After five years of leading the city schools, Reed insists there has been progress, but it's been too slow. There have been double-digit rises in enrollment and graduation rates, but most students are below state benchmarks in reading and math.

Harrisburg has gone from relying on public housing projects to the point where private investors are flipping properties in hot areas.

"Private money is flowing into the city in amounts we have never seen before," Giorgione said.

In the pipeline are plans for at least 1,700 housing units, including apartments and single-family houses. There are two plans for riverfront condos along Front Street that don't involve the demolition of old mansions, Reed said.

The biggest drawback is there's only so much land to go around. What isn't in short supply is the effort Reed will expend. Those who know him doubt he'll retire soon.

"If I had to predict, he's going to work till he drops," Giorgione said. "There's just too much fire in his eyes and fire in his belly."

The lights burning until the wee hours in Reed's office are proof.

"It's a way of life," Reed said. "You live it. You breathe it. You sleep it. This job has to be full time, and there can be no distractions."
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  #1007  
Old Posted Nov 8, 2005, 9:09 AM
wrightchr wrightchr is offline
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^ that's a really well written article. it certainly paints Reed in a good light. what i would give to take a look in his desk drawer at the list of future projects. i have a similar list in my desk drawer as well
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  #1008  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2005, 2:14 PM
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Yes, I made sure I voted yesterday. VERY pleased to see some new blood on City Council.


HARRISBURG CITY COUNCIL

Kim, Miller, Williams win terms
Thompson retains seat, Banks ousted

Wednesday, November 09, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Apparently, it's hard to be a Republican in the city.

Incumbent Harrisburg City Councilman Otto Banks, who switched to the GOP last March, appeared to lose his bid for a second term in yesterday's general election, overtaken by a slate of four Democrats.

"The city wasn't ready to put a Republican in office," Banks said. "The voters saw fit to vote the Democratic card."

Retaining their party's lock on city politics, the Democrats were led by two newcomers -- former TV reporter Patty Kim, who out-paced all candidates with 4,858 votes, and accountant Dan Miller, next with 4,775, according to complete but unofficial returns. Council Vice President Linda Thompson ran third, with 4,012 votes, and former Harrisburg School Board president Wanda R.D. Williams appeared to claim the fourth and final seat on the seven-member board with 3,542 votes.

"I am humbled and honored that I won in my first time in politics," said Kim, 32. "I just want to do a good job."

Banks, who made a high-profile attempt to prove the Republican party was viable in Harrisburg, trailed with 3,113 votes. By contrast, Banks was the top vote-getter four years ago when he was elected as a Democrat.

With yesterday's results, all seven city council members will be Democrats.

Two Green Party candidates, Andrea Jefferson and Wanda Davila, were distant also-rans, with 535 and 495 votes, respectively.

Banks, 34, who attracted attention and support from national GOP officials eager to attract minority voters in an urban setting, said he didn't regret his party switch.

"I don't have any ill feelings," said Banks, who vowed to remain a Republican and hasn't ruled out working on some national GOP campaigns next year.

But Banks did add that the recent problems facing President Bush and the national Republican party had an impact on his campaign. "A lot of times, I was compared unfavorably to the president of the United States," Banks said.

Banks' loss also means that there will be no African-American men on City Council for the first time in several decades. And it concludes what has been a rough election season for council incumbents.

Two other councilmen, President Richard House and member Eric L. Waters, lost their re-election bids in last spring's primary. All three losing incumbents will leave their posts at the end of the year.

Kim credited her win to working hard and connecting with people and their issues, particularly families.

"People are looking for a city council that can work together," she said. "I pledged to do that and move the city forward."

Kim said her top issue would be improving the quality of life, by tackling everything from crime and trash to homeownership.

Miller, 49, has pledged to use his experience as a certified public accountant to comb through the city's finances, squeeze out more efficiencies and ease the burden on taxpayers.

Thompson, 45, has promised to continue the work begun in her first term, namely serving citizens, holding down taxes and service fees, and promoting economic development.

Williams, 51, has said she would help promote professionalism on council, making it more effective. She is also a supporter of Mayor Stephen R. Reed, having once clashed with him over the takeover of the city schools.

City Council members earn $20,000 annually.
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  #1009  
Old Posted Nov 9, 2005, 3:38 PM
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^ i'm surprised Banks lost. even though he switched his affiliation, i thought for sure if wouldn't lead to his demise. and i agree Dave, new blood is definately a good thing
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Upstart Bank locates Headquarters in DT Harrisburg

Startup Graystone Bank to open 3 branches
Thursday, November 10, 2005
BY TOM DOCHAT
Of The Patriot-News
Graystone Bank isn't satisfied with just one.

The startup banking company will open three branches next week, including one in downtown Harrisburg at 112 Market St., across from the Dauphin County Courthouse.

The people behind the bank say they have received a groundswell of support so far, and they hope the excitement carries over into their future growth plans.

"One of the things that has been really rewarding to see is how our former customers, our former employees have rallied around us," said Andrew Samuel, chairman, president and CEO of the de novo bank. "There's just a genuine sense of excitement around Graystone."

Samuel has a long-time banking history in south-central Pennsylvania, recently serving as CEO of the central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland regions for Sovereign Bank. He left Sovereign in June, five months after Sovereign took over Waypoint Financial Corp.

The Graystone Bank management includes a number of other former Sovereign executives who, like Samuel, were once part of Waypoint. "Our mission is to really bring together a group of passionate, skillful bankers that are committed to the community, that know the community," Samuel said.

Graystone's tagline is "your life, your bank." David Hornberger, senior vice president and commercial loan manager, said, "We really want this bank to be about the people, and we want them to feel this is their bank and they have a vested interest."

Graystone began in June after Samuel and two other managers left Sovereign. Since then, Graystone has raised $16 million to $18 million in capital, double the $8 million required, Samuel said. It received approvals from the state and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in a five-month, five-day period, an expedited time frame that Samuel said is "unheard of."

It typically takes 12 to 18 months to go through the approval process for a de novo bank, he said. "The support has been phenomenal."

Most de novo banks will start off with one branch, but Graystone is opening two Lancaster branches and the downtown Harrisburg office next week. A branch near the Park City Mall will open on Tuesday. A branch along Route 23 in Leola, northeast of Lancaster, will open on Wednesday. The Harrisburg branch opens next Thursday.

Graystone's administrative offices are housed on the third floor at 112 Market St. The company has 35 employees -- 16 in the Lancaster region and 19 in Harrisburg.

Samuel said he wasn't planning to start a new bank when Sovereign took over Waypoint in January. By late April, he knew he wouldn't be staying at Sovereign. After completion of the Sovereign/Waypoint integration, Samuel began noticing that a number of key personnel were leaving. "I have a passion for people," he said. "And frankly I couldn't take listening to our employees and their frustrations, hour after hour."

Once he decided to leave, Samuel said he needed to figure out what he wanted to do next. He knew he wanted to remain in the area. And he knew he didn't want to be part of another banking institution that also could be acquired. So that pretty much ruled out any other bank except a new one.

Starting his own bank, he said, was "the right thing to do with the right group of investors, directors and employees."

He had little trouble finding the people. Jeffrey Renninger, president of Graystone's Lancaster region, said he, Samuel, Hornberger and others have a close relationship and they were openly discussing the opportunities they had elsewhere. "We had a good relationship that we could share with each other what our concerns were, and the fact that we weren't happy, and we were all looking at other opportunities," Renninger said. "And we all said, 'What can we do together?'"

Graystone Bank was the answer.

Samuel said Graystone will be an "entrepreneurial driven bank that has a passion for the community. I think that is going to come through very clear as we go forward."

The bank will focus on the middle-market retail customer, small and medium sized businesses, and not-for-profits. He said the not-for-profit market will be an important focus of the Harrisburg office.

"We are the only bank in the marketplace that is specifically designed and has people dedicated, a product set dedicated, a pricing schedule dedicated, to the non-profit community," Samuel said. "That's a market we're very focused on, and we believe being in Harrisburg makes a major statement to that community."

Samuel said he expects significant growth in the first 60 days, and the bank has plans for more branches in the ensuing years. Graystone wants to have branches along Linglestown Road and the West Shore/Camp Hill area by next summer. After that, the bank has its sights on Elizabethtown, Lititz and Dillsburg, he said.

"We do have a very aggressive growth strategy," he said.

Graystone, like other smaller community banks, will try to fill a void created through banking mergers,. Samuel noted the region has experienced a number of banking mergers in the past 15 years and "every one of those acquirers says they're going to be a community bank, things won't change, people will remain, products won't change, fees won't change.

"And you know what happens after six months."

TOM DOCHAT: 255-8216 or tdochat@patriot-news.com
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Old Posted Nov 11, 2005, 6:04 PM
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High-rise's purchasers sold on Harrisburg

Friday, November 11, 2005
BY DAVID DeKOK
Of The Patriot-News

Market Square Plaza, the $32 million office tower that opened this year in downtown Harrisburg, has been sold to an out-of-town developer who sees Harrisburg as becoming "one of the best small cities in the country."

Sage Real Estate Group of West Conshohocken, Montgomery County, bought the building for an undisclosed sum from locally owned Market Square Plaza LLC. The deal had been in the works for about two months and closed Tuesday.

The three principals of the seller are Tony Pascotti, Tom Flynn and Rick Reynolds, who also are the principals of Phoenix Development Corp., which built the high-rise next to the Hilton Harrisburg & Towers.

"We think this is a great city," said Gary Brandeis, president and CEO of Sage Real Estate. "It's becoming one of the best small cities in the country. Our property is right in the middle of that."

He described Sage as a selective real estate investment firm with a $300 million portfolio of apartment complexes and office buildings around the country. It is privately owned and not a real estate investment trust.

Pascotti said he had a real affection for the high-rise and praised Brandeis.

"He's a fine guy," Pascotti said. "He wants to do a lot more in Harrisburg, and I think he will."

Brandeis said he has met with Mayor Stephen R. Reed and local business leaders and is impressed by the city's vitality. The river, restaurants and nightlife are points in the city's favor, he said.

Reed said the purchase of Market Square Plaza by an outside investment firm could prompt more money to flow into the city.

"This group was out here for two months doing an assessment of Harrisburg," Reed said. "For them to come here and decide this is a place to invest is a signal to other private investors that there's a bright future in Harrisburg. This is a terrific thing."

Brandeis said Market Square Plaza will be managed by Property Management Inc. of Lemoyne. Commercial real estate broker Bill Gladstone of Wormleysburg is the leasing agent. He said about 15,000 square feet of space is available, and some tenant construction is still being completed.

Max's, a restaurant on the ground floor, is expected to open in a week or two, Brandeis said.

Some residents said they saw the sale as an affirmation of Harrisburg's success in turning itself around after years of decline.

"It's further proof Harrisburg continues to be on the way up," said Dave La Torre, president of Harrisburg Young Professionals.

"It used to be that people in central Pennsylvania looked to go to the southeast. Now, we have a company from the southeast investing in central Pennsylvania. That's good news," he said.

Russ Ford, president of Harristown Development Corp., welcomed a new investor in the city.

"This is a significant real estate group. It is quite conceivable that once they take an interest in the city and downtown they may want to do more," Ford said. "It's very healthy for the city to receive investment interest from as many parties as possible."

It contrasts with just a few decades ago when it was hard to find any investor interested in the city, he said.
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  #1012  
Old Posted Nov 11, 2005, 6:06 PM
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CAMP HILL

Borough rejects housing proposal

Developer planned to build 12 homes

Friday, November 11, 2005
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

A developer looking to build on one of the few remaining open parcels in Camp Hill suffered another setback Wednesday night when the borough council rejected his latest plans.

RWC Enterprises wanted to build 12 single-family houses on a 3-acre plot in the 400 block of North 17th Street.

The borough zoning hearing board earlier this year revoked a permit that would have allowed RWC to build 30 townhouse units on the plot.

The borough council rejected the latest plans after a representative of the developer balked at being required to seek a wider easement for a drainage runoff from a storm water retention pond and sewer and water pipes that would run under the swale.

The planning commission had recommended a 25-foot- wide easement. The borough code also requires the wider easement, said council member Burke McLemore, head of the council's Planning and Zoning Committee, in moving to turn down the plans.

The council cited other reasons for the denial.

"There are no less than nine points enumerated by the [borough] engineer in his letter. Not the least of which is the 25-foot drainage requirement," McLemore said.

Scott Akens, who works for the engineering firm that developed the plans, said the 25-foot easement was required only if RWC wanted to turn over the development's sewer system to the borough.

Akens said that in cases where a homeowners association maintains a development's internal sewer system, the builders need only a 20-foot swath for a connection to the borough's sewer mains.

Akens rejected the idea of the 25-foot drainage runoff.

"As it stands now, it meets your zoning ordinances," Akens said.

Akens said some of the items on the engineer's list were minor, could be rectified and should not delay approval of the plans. The developer had no control of some of the other items, he said.

The idea that the council approve the plan at this point drew a rebuke from council member Liesl Beckley.

"That would be like me going into court and telling the judge to decide a case based on evidence I would give him later," said Beckley, an attorney.

The council rejected Akens' request for a time extension that would allow the developers to rectify the remaining issues. it had previously agreed to two extensions.

"These things have been asked for for months," McLemore said.
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  #1013  
Old Posted Nov 11, 2005, 9:04 PM
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that's great that Market Square Plaza has been sold to an outside investor. i hope they continue to invest in the area. as for the camp hill devleopment, i'm not surprised that yet another option has recieved negative remarks from council. that town is sooooo conservative. i really think they just don't want any development at all.
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  #1014  
Old Posted Nov 14, 2005, 4:08 PM
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HARRISBURG

Mayor draws up 7th-term agenda
Reed plans projects on Internet, energy

Monday, November 14, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Having sewn up a historic seventh term in last spring's primary, Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed has had a lot of time to plan for the next four years.

"I'm full of projects," said Reed. "There are going to be some bold initiatives coming forward, and I am hoping everyone is going to have an open mind."

While not releasing many details before his inaugural, Reed previewed two goals -- offering wireless Internet and other technology services to all of Harrisburg and turning the city into a leader in energy development.

"We would be trend-setters," he said, adding that the new ventures also would provide revenue that would offset the need for tax increases.

Reed said Harrisburg would offer a full menu of technology services, and residents and businesses could choose which they want to purchase.

Reed said he started exploring the idea in order to give Harrisburg School District students access to technology at home.

Reed said he would like to issue laptops to all city students, not just the 300 or so who receive the computers at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology High School, or SciTech High.

The main obstacle has been that many students do not have Internet service at home, Reed said.

On the energy front, Reed is convinced high energy costs will lead to new means of producing energy, and he wants to work with the state to promote ventures in this field.

Reed said he would create a city authority that would be devoted to new energy production, but he did not give specifics.

"Pennsylvania is the Keystone State because we used to be a leader in energy production," Reed said. "We need to get back to that. There's no reason Pennsylvania's economy has to be moribund."

Beyond those ideas, Reed promised an accelerated pace of residential and business development in the city.

Reed has said several condominium projects hold the potential to reshape city living. The projects are separate from a plan by interior designer Mary Knackstedt to build 32 luxury condos at 2901 N. Front St., which would require demolishing three old manors.

There are plans in the pipeline for at least 1,700 housing units, including apartments and single-family houses, he said.


Reed added that the next four years will bring two museums to Harrisburg.

First would be a National Sports Hall of Fame on City Island. Reed has reshaped the project, enlarging the building to include three floors of office space with balconies overlooking Commerce Bank Park.

The offices, along with a bar, a restaurant, and meeting and banquet space, would make the project self-sustaining, Reed said.

The second museum would be an African-American Heritage Center, proposed for two buildings at Third and Verbeke streets in the city's midtown.

And Reed is not giving up on another museum. The National Museum of the Old West, for which he bought $4.5 million in Western artifacts, is in limbo.

Reed said he'll allow a tourism study to play out and abide by its findings, due at year's end.
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Old Posted Nov 14, 2005, 9:12 PM
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^ well it sounds like Reed has some great ideas...as usual. the new energy production idea sounds interesting...especially if it's along the lines of alternative energy initiatives. they now have invisible solar panels that can be placed in windows and generate enough power to take entire highrise buildings off the power grid...even generate addtional power for surrounding areas. Harrisburg could become the silcon valley of alternative energy production, with the univ. of science and technology pioneering new industries. i really like the idea of laptops for all students and a wireless internet grid for the whole city. it's a great concept and i think it will pay dividends for the continued resurgence in the quality of the cities public schools.

the two new museums, the sports hall of fame and the african american heritage center, will both be successes in their respective areas. i think midtown and city island are vital economic development corridors and when you add some self sufficiency here with these projects, it's a no brainer. Reed's idea to build Harrisburg into a cultural and historic center for not only the region and state, but the North East US, is a historic endeavour that will set the city apart from any other. the wild west museum is a waste in my opinion. Harrisburg has no symbolism with the west...except to say that at one time, the Susquehanna River was the further west colonial expansionism reached at one time. but it's not a milestone in the cities historic heritage. the african american museum and sports hall are much more suited to the city.

i would like to see the third musuem switched to a freshwater aquarium...similar to a project undertaken by the city of Chattanooga, TN a few years ago when they funded and built the Tennessee Aquarium. it's been a huge success. to my knowledge, PA doesn't have an aquarium. the closest are in Camden, NJ and Baltimore, MD. it could be located right along the river, just south of I-83 and north of the Penndot Bldg. it's an idea anyway...i think it would work.

Last edited by wrightchr; Nov 15, 2005 at 1:40 PM.
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  #1016  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2005, 10:52 PM
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Low-fare, statewide airline proposed for HIA

Wednesday, November 16, 2005
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News

A low-fare airline that would be based at Harrisburg International Airport and fly within Pennsylvania could begin service next April.

AirLink Express would start with four nine-passenger turbo-prop Cessna Caravan planes. It would offer four round-trip flights a day between Harrisburg, State College and Erie, CEO Rod Eichhorn of Beaver said yesterday.

Eichhorn's research shows that many people are driving from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh and Erie because of high fares and inconvenient flight times.

With lower fares to Florida and other distant locations, "people now won't pay $600 to fly from Erie to Harrisburg," he said. "They'll drive it."

AirLink Express would offer an Erie-to-Harrisburg flight for $325 that would take about half the time of the usual airline flight, Eichhorn said.

AirLink Express would offer "quick and reliable" service, with 15-minute "turns" or connections, which is plenty of time to move nine passengers, especially when all luggage would be carry-on, he said.

Eichhorn said he wants HIA to be the airline's "mini-hub" because it has good landing facilities and is centrally located in the state.

HIA officials offered cautious support for the concept of an intrastate airline.

"Depending on the level of service and the fares, it can be very successful," HIA spokesman Scott Miller said.

HIA Aviation Director Fred Testa said he hasn't talked to Eichhorn lately.

"We talked to him previously," Testa said. "I think it's an intriguing idea. That's how air service started in Pennsylvania."

Airport officials have agreed to let AirLink Express display a plane at 3 p.m. today at the Aero Services hangar at HIA. More information is available online at www.flyairlinkexpress.com.

Eventually, AirLink Express wants to offer flights from Harrisburg to Philadelphia and from Scranton, Williamsport, DuBois, Lancaster and Allentown to other destinations.

Eichhorn is not deterred by a market in which several major airlines are in or just emerging from bankruptcy. As larger airlines struggle financially, cut flights and pull away from secondary airports, "they're creating the market for a regional airline," he said.

Under his business model, it would cost slightly more than $1 million to start the airline's first route. Eichhorn said he is raising the money through private investors. None of the investors, whom he would not name, is from the Harrisburg area.

The airline initially would employ about 30 people.

"I've always had a hankering to do this," said Eichhorn, a licensed pilot and business consultant with 25 years of experience in the aviation industry.
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  #1017  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2005, 10:53 PM
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EDITORIALS

Let's see more openness

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Mayor Stephen R. Reed keeps a list of more than 250 projects tucked away in a drawer of his desk.

Re-elected last week without opposition to a seventh term, the secretive Reed recently divulged that he's "full of projects" for the next four years, two of which he mentioned -- providing wireless Internet connections throughout the city and promoting ventures in alternative forms of energy.

Thanks for sharing. If we could be so bold as to offer Harrisburg's longest-serving mayor some advice, it would be to spend more time discussing with the citizens of the community what kind of vision for the city they would like to see and avoid dropping surprises on them.

The mayor's ill-fated National Museum of the Old West, for which apparently he still harbors hopes of reviving, is a case in point. Reed personally spent millions of city dollars scouring the Old West for artifacts before the public knew what he was up to. And it didn't sit well in a community that clearly has other needs than another money-losing museum, especially one far more connected to the mayor's personal tastes in history than to the city itself.

Making Harrisburg a wireless city strikes us as worthy objective. But what is it going to cost, and who is going to pay for it? Likewise, the mayor's desire to provide every Harrisburg student, not just those attending SciTech High, with a laptop computer, is commendable, but at what cost?

The mayor has long been interested in energy projects. Indeed, the hydroelectric dam across the Susquehanna River he proposed in the 1980s launched his keen interest in creative financing and served to bankroll his City Island improvements, including the return of minor league baseball to Harrisburg after a 30-year absence.

And that's without the dam ever getting built.

His long and ultimately failed attempt to make the city incinerator economically viable involved using some of the waste energy to generate steam that was piped into the city's main steam distribution system. Again, it was a good idea on the face of it, but in the end it only added to the debt burden of an incinerator that is now being refitted into a second and even more financially perilous manifestation.

No one doubts that the mayor works hard and thinks hard in behalf of the city. But his unprecedented seventh term would benefit from greater openness, more sharing of information and a genuine dialogue with the public about what the city's government's priorities should be during the next four years.
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Old Posted Nov 16, 2005, 11:01 PM
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Originally Posted by EastSideHBG
It would offer four round-trip flights a day between Harrisburg, State College and Erie, CEO Rod Eichhorn of Beaver said yesterday.
One hopes they add more flights on game days....they could make a bundle.

Aside from that, it's a good idea, Southwest started the same way. I'm not sure if the current market can take this sort of small-scale local flights with the fuel costs and ticket taxes...but I hope they try.
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  #1019  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2005, 1:43 AM
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^ i think the Harrisburg-Philadelphia and Harrisburg-Erie flights are going to do the best. a Harrisburg-Baltimore flight would also do well IMO. i realize the airline is committed to smaller airports, but more commuters will use the connecting flights to larger hubs through Harrisburg. i'm also skeptical on whether it can turn a profit in corridors that will be hard to get people to fly instead of driving. due to its central location, having the hub and spoke system at HIA would be beneficial though. i also couldn't find out where Airlink Express is headquartered, which would be interesting to know.

Last edited by wrightchr; Nov 17, 2005 at 1:48 AM.
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Old Posted Nov 17, 2005, 1:53 AM
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Sewer moratorium suspended
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
BY DIANA STRICKER
For The Patriot-News

Plans to build a hotel and retail complex near Harrisburg International Airport received a boost when the Middletown Borough Council suspended a moratorium on new sewer connections.

The borough's yearlong ban on new connections had stalled the project in Lower Swatara Twp., as well as a housing development in Middletown. The township relies on Middletown's sewer system.

Middletown council members voted 3-2 Monday to suspend the moratorium for one year and to grant an additional 44 sewer taps to developers of the Jamesway Plaza along Route 230 in Lower Swatara Twp., across from the airport.

With the lifting of the moratorium, James A. Nardo Sr., who purchased the property for $2.5 million in April, can continue with his plans, which call for a hotel and restaurants.

A letter from the developer's engineers and a sketch of the project outlined plans to build a Hilton Garden Hotel, an office building and three restaurants -- Applebee's, Fuddruckers and Panera Bread.

Final approval of the shopping center project is in the hands of Lower Swatara Twp. supervisors.

Navarro and Wright Consulting Engineers is designing the Jamesway Plaza project and asked the borough to double the current sewage capacity. Tenants in the plaza will be moved to new or renovated spaces on the property.

Middletown Borough Manager Jeff Stonehill said ground could be broken for the project as early as spring.

The action on Monday also means that sewer connections should be available for the proposed 311-unit housing complex in the Woodland Hills section of Middletown. That project calls for construction of 205 single-family homes, 62 duplexes and 44 townhouses on 167 acres north of the turnpike.

If the planning commission and the council give the initial go-ahead to the Woodland Hills plan, the developer, H-T Partners of Landisville, may prepare subdivision plans, which need council approval.
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