Steelton on Patrol
Thursday, May 17 was the first meeting to create what may be a new kind of Steelton resident. Steelton Mayor George Hartwick, in keeping with his “go-getter” policy, has, with cooperation from the Steelton Police Department, initiated the borough’s first citizen’s police academy program. Basing their model off of the Susquehanna Township program, Steelton officials want to inform the residents in Steelton of the policy and procedures that police follow and, therefore, instill each resident with more respect for their police and create a relationship of trust between police and the people they’ve sworn to protect and serve. “We just want our residents to gain an appreciation of the police, how they work, their hiring practices — to be almost like the eyes and ears of the police department,” said Hartwick. “I’m not endorsing vigilantism, just an involvement which will help stop the lack of understanding of what the police are all about.” One of the more common misconceptions about police are that ticketing and citing is just a money-making ploy. “For every $98 ticket given for moving violations,” explained Steelton Police Chief Ken Lenker, “The Borough gets $12.50. That’s not a money-making scheme.”

Traditionally, a community endeavor like the Citizens Academy does not yield a large enrollment in its beginning, but beyond that, the Mayor and Chief are concerned that there has been no African-American involvement in these programs. Mayor Hartwick feels that there is a general mistrust between police and the African-American population. Racial profiling, the police practice of stopping citizens strictly on physical attributes like race, age, and gender, is a subject that Hartwick has officially addressed. “I am not so naïve to think that racial profiling doesn’t happen,” admitted Hartwick. “But we wanted to outline definitely that we do not practice it in Steelton.” That is one reason why Steelton emplaced their policy “to unequivocally state that racial and ethnic profiling in law enforcement are totally unacceptable” in January 2001.

To help assist in the Borough’s proactive approach to creating a more communal and trusting relationship between the residents and their police department, Mayor Hartwick has been reaching out to all facets of the Steelton and Harrisburg Area African-American district. “I’ve talked with church groups, Paula Harris at the NAACP, Rodney Brooks at the Urban League, local groups,” said Hartwick. “And they all seemed very interested in being involved, but I haven’t heard back from them since I approached them about four months ago. I hope they get involved.”

Harrisburg Chamber & 
CREDC Name President
David E. Black was recently named the new President and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). Slated to begin in July, Black’s duties will call for him to oversee the operations of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and of CREDC, the “economic development arm” of the Chamber.

“After an exhaustive search, Dave Black was the unanimous choice of the Search Committee,” said Robert C. Vowler, Chairman of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber. “We are extremely pleased to have someone of Dave’s caliber lead the efforts of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber. We look forward to his leadership and experience to carry out the mission of the Chamber and CREDC.”

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to serve in this role leading the Regional Chamber and CREDC. I look forward to working with our member businesses, economic developers and elected officials to create opportunities for out companies to grow, improve our regional business climate or just to help resolve problems that arise in the course of business operations,” said Black. “I believe the Chamber and CREDC are critical in helping the region achieve its fullest potential in the new economy, which will create job opportunities for the residents of Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties both now and for our young people in the future.”

Kutztown Small Business 
Development Center to Offer Workshops
The Kutztown University Small Business Development Center will host a number of business training workshops throughout the month of June. Held at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg, the seven classes are open to the public at minimal or no cost. The workshop topics range from “Small Business Retirement and Financial Planning,” (June 2) which covers the types of retirement plans available, to “Welcoming Diversity,” (June 9) which covers the issues and impact of discrimination and ethnic pride. Other workshops include two free business plan workshops, scheduled to be held June 5 and June 25; “Starting and Growing a Successful Business” on June 11; “Marketing Communications: Strategies for Success” on June 12; and, on June 19, the workshop will focus on the environmental and OSHA compliance regulations affecting industries today.

For more information or to register, call the Small Business Development Center at 877-472-7232 or visit kutztown.edu/~sbdc.

United Negro College Fund 
to “Roast” Fred Clark
The United Negro College Fund will host a gala to roast local businessman and Fredrick A. Clark. The May 25 reception will be held at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel and Towers at 6 p.m.; dinner is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Those among the invited ‘roasters’ include Governor Tom Ridge, Mayor Stephen R. Reed, Representative Ron Buxton, former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, and Dennis Owens. Master of Ceremonies for the event is Robert Hostetter. Honorary Co-Chairs for the event are Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed and LeGree S. Daniels, of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors.

Clark is the Executive Director of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District Authroity (DID).

Hilton GM Receives Honors
In a ceremony held May 2,William Kohl, CHA, CFBE, was named Pennsylvania’s General Manager of the Year by the Pennsylvania Travel Council. Kohl is the General Manager of the Hilton Harrisburg and Towers.

The Award is presented to a general manager who has demonstrated professionalism in operating a property and taken a leadership role in the industry by actively participating in association, community, or industry programs.
Kohl was nominated for the award by Russell Ford, President and CEO of Harristown Development Corporation, and by Conrad Wangeman, General Manager of the Hilton Pittsburgh and Towers.

“Bill Kohl has brought exemplary leadership, innovation, and energy to the Hilton Harrisburg and Towers, and that success has been a keystone in our downtown revitalization efforts,” said Ford. “We’re so pleased that the Travel Council has chosen to recognize his talents with this prestigious award.”

Kohl has been the Hotel’s General Manager since its opening in 1990. In 1999, he became President of Harrisburg Hotel Corporation (HHC), the general partner and management company of the Hilton and also serves as Vice President of Hospitality Services for the Harristown Development Corporation (HDC), the parent company of HHC.

As a recipient of the Pennsylvania award, Kohl will be nominated for consideration in the upcoming selection of the national General Manager of the Year award.