TheBurg

14 | THEBURGNEWS.COM | 07.20 S ummer is always busy for Ross Willard. Dozens of kids flock to his shop in Allison Hill in the course of a day to get a hand with a bike repair or pick up a new set of wheels. Recycle Bicycle is especially busy this summer. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting many indoor activities, families are looking for ways to get outside and entertain themselves. "People say, 'Ross slow down,' but I can't, there are people in need," he said. With the core of Recycle Bicycle's volunteers in their 70s, the shop had to close for safety reasons, but that didn't stop Willard's phone from ringing off the hook. It wasn't long until the team was back fixing bikes by appointment. "One day, I went in two hours early, stayed one hour late, wore a mask the whole time and didn't take a bathroom break," Willard said. Just another summer Saturday in Harrisburg. OUT AND ABOUT At the start of summer, people were just creeping out of their houses, testing the waters of returning to public life. But with Harrisburg now in the "green" phase of reopening, sidewalks are filling back up and stores are re-opening their doors. Still, summer will look different this year. One of the most notable changes was the city's decision to close its pools. Not unique from many other cities, Harrisburg acted out of caution. "I know this is going to be a disappointment for many, but there are a couple things that could be seen as positives that come out of this," Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said in a Facebook Live broadcast. He mentioned the possibility of maintenance work on the pools and applying for grants to build a spray park in the coming years. Along with closing the pools, the Department of Parks and Recreation is holding limited events this summer. Department Director Kevin Sanders said that the city will host a series of movie nights beginning in July. Although there's no access to the pools this summer, outdoor activities are not hard to find. After closing for a few weeks, Water Golf 's mini- golf course on City Island opened in early May. SUMMERTIME, WITH A TWIST Harrisburg seasonal favorite activities change, take new form. BY MADDIE CONLEY "Art in the Wild " at Wildwood Park Water Golf 's mini-golf course on City Island.

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