Shooting the land- and cityscapes of Pennsylvania since 1982, Seitz has had his work published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, and by the National Geographic Society. He has also been a grant recipient of the PA Council for the Arts.

Seitz and his wife, Ruth Hoover Seitz, have long been noted for their keen eye and artistic skill, capturing endless photographs and releasing more than 13 published collections of their works with their publishing company, RB Books. Most recently, the couple released Pennsylvania’s Northeast: Poconos, Endless Mountains, and Urban Centers. Last year, the duo released the local favorite, Harrisburg: Renaissance of a Capital City.

The Gallery, located at 1010 North Third Street, will feature more than 100 of Seitz’ framed works as well as their publishing efforts, note cards, and a file of over 50,000 select stock photographs that will be available for viewing by appointment. In addition to Seitz’ works, the Gallery will also feature ceramic art by Crafts Reunion (formerly Third Street Pottery), photographs by award-winning photographer Gary Dwight Miller, and paintings by Pennsylvania artist Ray Noll.

Gallery hours are set for 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Riverwalk, an annual festival held in downtown York in August and sponsored by Main Street York (a non-profit group that works to stimulate interest in the downtown area) will join up with Yorkfest, an annual celebration of arts and music, to present for the first time ever a three-day music festival. Yorkfest started last year as part of York’s 250th anniversary celebration.

What will this end of summer event provide to York?

According to executive director of Main Street York, Adele Seebold, Riverwalk-Yorkfest will showcase the downtown area and give Main Street York a major, signature event.

The Greeseband, a Jersey oldies band that appeared in last year’s Yorkfest, will return Saturday, August 26, for a night-time street party as part of this combined event. Friday and Sunday night shows will feature jazz and bluegrass.

The music area will be located in Lafayette Plaza, which is behind the Colonial Courthouse.

Goodling Caught in "Spin Cycle",
Gekas Votes Curbs on Sprawl

by Frank Pizzoli
"If I could protect all the land between Shippensburg and Carlisle and keep it farmland, I would do it," said Congressman William Goodling in reference to his feelings about preserving the countryside. Although he has strong thoughts about preservation, he voted against the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 701) on the grounds that states with representatives on the oversight committee loaded most of the $42 billion into their own states.

Drawn from offshore oil and gas drilling royalty fees, the funds would be spread out over a 15-year period with annual expenditures to preserve land reaching $2.8 billion. Based on changes to an earlier appropriations bill, current law calls for the royalties to be spent on general government expenses in order to reduce the national debt. Local Congressman George Gekas voted in favor the bill noting that "it is the restoration of a trust fund" restructured by Congress in the early 1990s when it directed the royalties away from preservation and environmental programs to the U.S. Treasury Department.

"When I saw that other states received more than their share, I couldn’t vote for the measure," Goodling told MODE. He was one of the original sponsors of the measure that passed the House on a 315 – 102 vote last week. "I’m trying to figure out if Alaska, Louisiana, and California received more than their fair share," he said. Pennsylvania will receive nearly $50 million under the plan. Although undisclosed during MODE’s telephone interview with Goodling, press aide Greg Englert, who secretly listened in on the interview, immediately following the interview promptly called back to correct a minor technical detail misstated by Goodling during the call. "I listened in," explained Englert.

Baby Birds — Live!

by Lisa Hummel
It is now possible to watch and listen live via unprecedented Internet video on greenworkschannel.org as four endangered peregrine falcons prepare for their first flight.

The ability to watch nature at its purist on such an intimate level is a phenomenon that truly reveals the power of the Internet, according to GreenWorks Channel Coordinating Producer Christine Milbank. The live streaming video, made available through a partnership between the Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania (EPF) and The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), has been in place for some time now — in fact, it was possible for viewers to watch the live birth of the falcons, who were hatched between May 3 – 7. Currently, the chicks weigh only 1 ½ ounces and are covered in a layer of white down that will replaced by feathers in some 3 – 5 weeks.

Peregrine falcons, one of the 39 falcon species in the world, were erased from existence in the United States in the 1960s, largely due to the crop pesticide DDT. The falcons are now among the many animals on the return from extinction, increasing from the nesting of four pairs in 1990 to 10 pairs in 1999.For more information about the falcons, check the website at greenworkschannel.org or call 1-877-PA-GREEN.

Loveship, Inc. Opens Its Doors to Harrisburg Uptown Community

by Erica Lawrence
An organization that will help to improve the economic, industrial, social and cultural life of minorities and economically disadvantaged groups in the Harrisburg community has recently opened its doors.

Linda Thompson, former vice-president of the Harrisburg Urban League, has created Loveship, Inc., a non-profit organization with five core programs to help at risk youths and women in the workforce, to assist in financing housing plans, and to increase community awareness of social problems.

Loveship has a mission to serve as a collaborative partner with business, industry, and educational organizations to prepare individuals in different aspects of life. With the help of Venture Training, Inc., a program designed as a combination of classroom training and individual counseling, Loveship is striving to help participants in achieving self-sufficiency. "With Loveship, I hope to be an architect and give individuals tools to build skills necessary to survive successfully," said Thompson, who believes that there is much potential to be found within our community.

Individuals who seek out Loveship’s services will be able to choose which program best suits their needs, depending on their age and situation.

For further information, contact Linda Thompson at 232-2207 or Valerie Wolfe at 234-8886.

One-Day Festival Celebrates the Susquehanna

by Lisa Paige-Stone
Did you know: The Susquehanna River is in many stretches not even knee-deep. Fishermen arrive at the banks of the Susquehanna from all over the East Coast to take a shot at trophy-sized large-mouth bass, small-mouth bass, muskellunge, catfish, and walleye. Decades ago, before hydroelectric dams blocked upstream migrations, the American Shad ran the river, serving as one of the most valued commodities for commerce and daily living in the Susquehanna Basin. But following the construction of the Conowingo Dam in 1928, upstream access into Pennsylvania was blocked off and the shad were lost. However, in recent decades, a massive effort by federal, state, and local agencies and organizations has focused on reintroducing the shad and other migratory fish. In 1997, the first year of fish passage operation, 103,000 American shad passed over the Conowingo.

Did you know: If you took your binoculars to the Susquehanna you could see countless visual delights, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, not to mention the wild flowers and plants. Water pollution nearly made PA waterways unfit for wildlife such as the river otter. But through restocking programs coordinated by the PA Game Commission, the Wild Resource Conservation fund, and the Pennsylvania State University, the otter population is growing once again. Some can be found on the islands of the Susquehanna.

Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Education Office and The River 97.3 WRVV will co-sponsor a celebration on City Island, at the Carousel Pavilion, featuring a variety of activities geared to educating the public on river conservation, but also designed to have fun; all are focused on the theme, "We All Live Downstream." These activities and exhibits will include gardening tips and demonstrations, groundwater flood models, live animals (including fish and birds of prey), children’s games, music, and crafts.

This festival is free and will be held rain or shine.