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, Fleet Feet Mechanicsburg, announcing the grand opening of their Fleet Feet Harrisburg location in February 2023.

 

Guests inclu...

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 P...

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-own...

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 Ve...

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, add...

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...

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 Progr...

Revitalization is the focus of our June podcast, as we expand three stories from the pages of TheBurg magazine's June issue: 50 years later, what's Harrisburg's legacy from Hurricane Agnes? David Morrison, executive director, Historic Harrisburg Association explains how revitalization efforts continue impacting the city today.

Revitalization is thriving, in many Pennsylvania towns and cities, thanks in great part to the Harrisburg-...

We celebrate a whole lotta culture on TheBurg Podcast's May episode: AAPI culture, soccer culture, and the culture of family-owned restaurants.

Meet three Harrisburg-area personalities, all featured within TheBurg magazine's May issue:

• Ellen Min, with the Harrisburg Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage group known as HAAPI
• Toan Ngo, head coach for Pennsylvania's first and only semi-professional women's soccer team debu...

It's a "wild" time of year—a time to come out of hibernation and rediscover the great outdoors. Our April podcast guests explore Harrisburg's and Pennsylvania's wild side, from the Susquehanna River to its parks and outdoor recreation.   The state's first director of outdoor recreation, Nathan Reigner explains how big of an outdoor gem Pennsylvania really is.

 

The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat's new president of the board Kim...

How would you define a "hero?"

Two of our guests focus on heroes in our midst—those who are in active recovery from substance use.

Meet Dan Albert, founder of Hero in the Fight, a Central PA-based organization dedicated to breaking the stigma associated with addiction, and supporting the active recovery community. He's very open about his substance use in our magazine story—and he explains why, on the podcast.

What can we, as a soc...

What are the hidden gems of Harrisburg? And where are these sparkling treasures?

 

That's what we asked nearly all of our podcast guests over the past year. But—surprise, surprise—we saved these audio treasures for this bonus Valentine's Day episode.

 

This special Valentine's Day edition of TheBurg Podcast is sponsored by Explore HBG.

 

Nearly 25 guests reveal their favorite, go-to places they consider unique to Harrisburg, Pennsy...

Every month, we expand three stories from the pages of TheBurg magazine because "there's always more to the story." On the February podcast:  

Dr. Kimeka Campbell reflects on her one-year anniversary as host of Harrisburg Black Newsbeat. We also learn more about her background, as well as her work with Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg.

 

Sue Kunisky, Vice President of Operations at Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, explore...

New Year, New You? Nope, we're not going there in 2022.

 

Public sentiment amid a pandemic calls for a new slogan. We propose "New Year, New Issues" and our podcast stories help you navigate through a number of current issues.

 

Seth Dellinger of Harrisburg is director of community engagement for Animal Advocates of South Central PA, an organization dedicated to supporting the vegan community. He debunks the common misconceptions—a...

DEI is much more than a buzzword. How would you define Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? You can compare your definition with one shared by a local expert—who's actually a national expert on the subject. Monica Gould of Strategic Consulting Partners provides plenty of food-for-thought, including three tips for how we can be more mindful of DEI in our daily lives, especially in the new year.

 

SAD is another timely acronym. Dr. Melis...

This month's podcast is like a giant pot of gumbo, chock-full of Harrisburg happenings.

First, we talk soup, and so much more, with Dr. Rod Mortel of the High Hopes for Haiti Foundation. He explains why he's not worried about his foundation's school, and its many additional programs, despite the country's struggles.

Meet TheBurg's resident film critic Sammi Leigh Melville, and enjoy an expanded "The Most Harrisburg Thing" with Lawr...

Art is at the heart of this month's podcast:

 

First, Crystal Skotedis of Harrisburg recounts her quest to find a long-forgotten elk statue. She takes us along for all the twists and turns—with a surprise ending that adds to our magazine story.

 

What was it like to see 230 feet of the Mulberry Street bridge transformed by murals? Harrisburg native Ian Potter shares his reflections on this incredible experience—and he explains how ...