Reed Celebrates Opening of Midtown Art Gallery
Grand Opening celebrations were recently conducted by Mayor Stephen R. Reed at the Astral Designs Art Gallery located on Third Street in Midtown Harrisburg. Owned and operated by Mike Foley, a fiber artist and veteran of numerous area festivals and craft shows, Astral Designs specializes in “consignment fine arts, including paintings, watercolors, jewelry, clothing, pottery, and other distinctive, handmade arts and craftworks,” according to Reed. A unique one-of-a-kind art and gift shop, the gallery features items crafted by over 27 artisans, most of whom live and work within a 50 mile radius of the city.

Originally opened by Foley as a holiday gift shop, Astral Designs is now open five days a week (Tuesday through Saturday), and Sunday and Monday by appointment. The shop will remain open until 10 p.m. on Friday nights, a sure sign that owner Foley has faith in the ongoing revitalization of Midtown Harrisburg.

The gallery occupies 350 square feet of renovated space and provides several new and part time jobs.

For more information, call the Gallery at 238-3308.

Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Co. 
Receives Numerous Honors for 2000
The folks in the Hershey corporations may have been just a little bit sad to see the year 2000 pass. That year saw the various branches of the company receive numerous awards, ranging from workplace honors to attendance numbers.

Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Co. was voted one of the 100 “Best Places to Work” in Pennsylvania for the year 2000, an honor that pleased Scott Newkam, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. “I could not be more proud of the team we have here in place at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Co. and the accomplishments of the organization,” he said. “The achievements of this company are directly tied to the extraordinary efforts of our employees and our unsurpassed level of guest service.”

On the recreational side of the corporation, the Park and Entertainment Complexes fared quite successfully, as well, with both receiving lauds in 2000. Hersheypark was awarded with the 2000 Applause Award, an honor that hails those parks or attractions “whose management, operations, and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with its foresight, originality, and sound business development” as judged by industry experts.

Hersheypark Stadium was ranked the number one stadium in total attendance for those sites with capacities of 40,000 or less and Hersheypark Arena was ranked fourth in arena attendance for those with capacities totaling between 5,001 and 10,000 by the amusement industry publication Amusement Business. The publication also named Hersheypark founder, chocolate magnate, and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey to their “Hall of Fame.”

For its successful soccer operation as the home of the Hershey Wildcats, the Stadium also received the 2000 Sports Turf Managers Association Soccer Field of the Year Award in the Professional division.

And while no doubt 2000 was a good year for the complex, 2001 is well underway. The Wildcats open their fifth season on April 29 and the Park will open for its 95th season on May 12.

For more information, call 1-800-HERSHEY.

Santorum Meets with President Bush in D.C.
Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum recently joined the newly sworn in President George W. Bush at the Fishing School in Washington, D.C. The two met to discuss faith-based and community initiatives.

Founded in 1990 as a non-profit organization that provides after-school educational, social and religious training for children, The Fishing School has a roster of programs, some of which include tutoring services, homework assistance, science, computer classes, dance and drama classes, arts and crafts, and recreational activities.

Santorum, Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, played a large role in the crafting and passing of the 1996 welfare reform legislation, part of which allowed “faith-based organizations to compete for federal grants without discrimination when providing services to the poor.”

“It is vitally important to include faith-based organizations in the effort to reach out to distressed communities and empower individuals with the tools necessary for creating hope and prosperity,” Santorum said. “Faith-based organizations have a tradition of producing results where government programs have failed, in large part because of their success in ministering to the spiritual, as well as the physical dimensions of those in need. Discriminating against faith-based organizations solely based on their religious character would be a terrible disservice to Americans in need.”

Harrisburg Heat Welcomes One-Millionth Fan
The Harrisburg Heat has hit a benchmark in the franchise’s illustrious ten-year existence. On January 20, the soccer team welcomed its one-millionth fan. Chosen from a random drawing of ticket stubs on the night of the 20th, eight-year-old Nick Mastracola, a Hummelstown native, was the lucky fan bestowed with the honor. An honor that goes both ways, according to Heat General Manager Gregg Cook. 
“Fan support over the years has been tremendous and we’re very proud to reach this landmark occasion,” he said. “We thank the fans for the first ten years and we look forward to the next ten.”

As part of his prize package, Mastracola received two Heat season tickets for life, a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, and a trip to Heat game versus the Baltimore Blast in Baltimore, as well as various gift certificates from local merchants.

For more information on the Harrisburg Heat, go to their website at heatsoccer.com.

Dauphin County Unemployment Rate Below Three Percent
Dauphin County Commissioners John Payne, Lowman Henry, and Anthony Petrucci have reported that the unemployment rate for the county remains at below three percent. The county’s seasonal adjusted unemployment rate was 2.7 percent for the month of November, a number that extended the county’s streak to 27 months of consecutively falling below the four percent mark.

Prior to August of 1996, the county’s unemployment rate had not been at or below the three percent mark for nearly six years.

The county’s unemployment rate has now been at or below 4.5 percent for some 36 straight months.

“By federal standards, we are running at full employment in central Pennsylvania, meaning everyone who is seeking work is employed. However, our outreach efforts are not deterred in seeking new business and retaining our valuable workforce,” said Daniel Robinson, director of Dauphin County Economic Development. “The commissioners are very interested in attracting new companies to Dauphin County and have directed our economic development specialists to focus their energies on job creation and retention for 2001.”

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