Resilience Resurfaces
TheBurg Podcast
Resilience is a muscle many of us flexed, or became aware of, amid the pandemic. And it’s very much still in our vocabulary! · How do we build resilience against health issues and disease, especially among Latinos? · And, in a region where many of us see the Susquehanna River and its creeks and streams every day, how do we build resilience against climate change and Pennsylvania’s number one threat, flooding? Our guests include: George Fernandez, CEO, Culture & Culture Jeff...
info_outline
Unsung Heroes of Harrisburg
TheBurg Podcast
This special year-long podcast project reveals special people—unsung heroes—in our midst. For a whole year, podcast host and producer Karen Hendricks asked TheBurg Podcast guests the same question: If you could identify an unsung hero in the Harrisburg area, who would it be and why? Except, instead of airing all their answers, we’ve been saving and compiling them, so that we could release them all collectively in this special Unsung Heroes of Harrisburg Podcast on Valentine’s Day. Think of this show, released on Valentine’s Day, as an audio Valentine that shares some...
info_outline
Head to Toe
TheBurg Podcast
Harrisburg’s health, from head to toe: February’s guests explore health from lots of fascinating angles. And just in time for Valentine’s Day, we even talk about the heart of the city via residents’ healthy civic engagement. Guests include: · Jelissa Gilmore explains how her women-focused fitness studio, FLY Fitness, is taking off—with a message that’s reaching and resonating with Black women. · Fred Joslyn talks about the expansion of Fleet Feet Mechanicsburg into a new Fleet Feet...
info_outline
Science and Storytellers
TheBurg Podcast
We kick off a new year by talking about climate change, science, as well as storytelling. Climate change is a new subject for TheBurg in 2023, and we look forward to exploring the topic—on the podcast as well as in the magazine—through a special six-part series. Special thanks to January podcast sponsor, , announcing the grand opening of their Fleet Feet Harrisburg location in February 2023. Guests include: Greg Czarnecki, Director of Applied Climate Science for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He explains how his mom influenced his...
info_outline
Life Lessons
TheBurg Podcast
It’s a great time of year for reflection and perspective. This month’s podcast guests offer their life wisdom on career paths, retirement, and what makes Harrisburg a great place to live. Guests include: Freelance writer Diane McCormick, who previews her upcoming story about Harrisburg ranking #2 on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Retire in the U.S. Thomas Sweet, newly-retired pastor of Harrisburg’s Market Square Presbyterian Church, who shares the best advice he ever received—and much more. Carl Shuman, a retired Harrisburg lawyer who has found a new career as a...
info_outline
Kick-A** Women
TheBurg Podcast
We are thrilled to share conversations with three Harrisburg-area women who have forged nontraditional or unprecedented career paths: Lesa Brackbill, who successfully advocated for updated newborn screening laws in Pennsylvania, and is continuing her advocacy journey across the country and world, driven by the death of her daughter. Andrea Grove of Elementary Coffee on why there are so few women coffee roasters and woman-owned coffee shops. Sandy Lockerman who created an environmental education career as the field evolved. She currently volunteers with a saw-whet owl research project...
info_outline
Doing the Right Thing
TheBurg Podcast
As hard as the pandemic was, and continues to be, for many people, there also continue to be glimmers of light, silver linings, business expansions, and stories about people helping others—doing the right thing. And that’s the theme that links all of today’s podcast interviews, together: Peter Leonard, CEO/Owner of Little Amps Coffee Roasters, location of the Green Street Community Pantry Kristin Messner-Baker, owner of The Vegetable Hunter, whose Harrisburg restaurant has expanded to Carlisle and Hershey Kellie Black of Middletown, who recently launched Harrisburg’s chapter of the...
info_outline
Full Court Press
TheBurg Podcast
On the basketball court, a full court press is an all-out effort… putting pressure on the opposing team. How does this concept tie into September’s podcast? “The Most Harrisburg Thing” these days is the Knead Pizza story. An all-out effort by employees, to unionize, resulted in the shop’s closing. The story has gotten a lot of press, but editor of TheBurg Lawrance Binda, in conversation with TheBurg Podcast’s Karen Hendricks, adds new insights and context. Josiah Peay of Middletown has mounted a full court press to bring professional basketball to the Harrisburg area,...
info_outline
About Time
TheBurg Podcast
From a famous Harrisburg clock, to a longtime YMCA professional who’s new to Harrisburg, plus a mentorship program that improves relationships between youth and police during these current times, even a little “island time” in the middle of the Susquehanna River: Our August podcast is chockful of fascinating conversations about time. We introduce you to: David Ozmore, new president and CEO, Harrisburg Area YMCA Lt. Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania State Police, also a “Bigs in Blue” mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region Brad Jones, president and CEO of...
info_outline
A Dog Named Pursuit
TheBurg Podcast
Has “Pursuit” been adopted, as a result of being TheBurg magazine’s “cover doggy?” Our July edition of TheBurg Podcast asks that question—and many more pet-related questions to celebrate these dog days of summer. As a companion to TheBurg magazine, this month’s podcast welcomes the following guests: Amy Kaunas, executive director of the Harrisburg Humane Society Natahnee Miller of the nonprofit Harrisburg’s Great Dog Program Elle Lamboy of the Gettysburg Foundation, including the new children’s museum, Children of Gettysburg 1863 Lawrance Binda, editor...
info_outlineThis special year-long podcast project reveals special people—unsung heroes—in our midst. For a whole year, podcast host and producer Karen Hendricks asked TheBurg Podcast guests the same question: If you could identify an unsung hero in the Harrisburg area, who would it be and why?
Except, instead of airing all their answers, we’ve been saving and compiling them, so that we could release them all collectively in this special Unsung Heroes of Harrisburg Podcast on Valentine’s Day.
Think of this show, released on Valentine’s Day, as an audio Valentine that shares some community love for Harrisburg!
Hosting: Karen is joined by Lawrance Binda, publisher and editor of TheBurg.
Many thanks to two podcast sponsors:
Hero in the Fight, whose mission is to break the stigma often associated with addiction, because living in active recovery is a heroic act, every day. For help, support and facts, visit herointhefight.org/.
Goodwill Keystone Area: And you probably know that the Goodwill store is a great community thrift store. But there’s a story behind the store that puts “goodwill” into action, advancing sustainability in our communities. Check out their story at yourgoodwill.org.
Guests include (but tune in to hear who they reveal as unsung heroes):
Kristin Messner-Baker of The Vegetable Hunter
Chad Eric Smith of Mural Arts Philadelphia
Speaker and historian John Maietta
Otis Harrison of OD’s Fish House
Soccer coach Toan Ngo of Eagle-FC’s USL W team
Kim Rice of the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society
Local journalist-turned-teacher Dennis Reardon
Elle Lamboy formerly of the Gettysburg Foundation
Peter Leonard of Little Amps Coffee
Lt. Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania State Police
Josiah Peay of the Central PA Kings basketball team
Amy Kaunas of the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area
Weston Kensinger of Penn State Harrisburg’s Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research
Julie Fitzpatrick of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center
Ellen Min of the Harrisburg Asian American and Pacific Islander Community (HAAPI)
Carl Shuman, retiree-turned-children’s book author
David Morrison of Historic Harrisburg Association
Andrea Grove of Elementary Coffee
Greg Czarnecki of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Jessica Rudy of Gettysburg’s Majestic Theater
Sue Kunisky of Visit Hershey and Harrisburg
Lesa Brackbill, newborn screening advocate
Karen Good, clinical nurse specialist with UPMC Harrisburg
Thomas Sweet, retired pastor of Market Square Presbyterian Church
Nathan Reigner, Pennsylvania’s director of outdoor recreation
Also see our February 2023 magazine feature, “Unsung Heroes of Harrisburg,” expanding several of our unsung heroes’ stories.
For more information on award-winning Harrisburg-area journalist Karen Hendricks, visit her website and subscribe to her free monthly writer’s newsletter at WriterKarenHendricks.com.
Every month, TheBurg Podcast expands stories from the pages of TheBurg magazine because “there’s always more to the story.” TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lawrance Binda, publisher/editor. TheBurg Podcast has received three prestigious podcast journalism awards over the past two years, including First place, Excellence in Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Chapter, 2021.