TheBurg

01.22 | THEBURGNEWS.COM | 13 5. DEATHS DECLINE In 2020, Harrisburg's homicide rate surged, as it did all over the country, hitting a multi-decade high. Last year, the rate returned to near its historical average for the past decade or two, substantially lower than the pandemic-fueled spike. Within this data, of course, were many personal and family tragedies, including several unintended and innocent victims. ese include the late- year shooting of Jamie Bey, who was a bystander to a bar fight, and of 14-year-old Malachi John, who police believe was shot accidentally. 4. DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY On last year's list, I mentioned how remarkable it was to have so many new building proposals in the midst of a pandemic. I may have been premature. A few smaller projects, such as the expansion of the McCormick Riverfront Library, did begin, but most of the big boys, like the large residential proposals along the Reily Street corridor, spent 2021 stuck in the planning and approval phases. For 2022, I expect another active year on the development front. Several large projects, including the new federal courthouse, will be completed or nearing completion, as will some historic renovations and residential conversions. However, it remains to be seen if dirt will get turned between 3rd and 6th streets or, if a year from now, the area will retain the same vast surface parking lots and weed-strewn fields that have marred the corridor for so many decades. 3. DELTA DOOM Last year, one story faced no competition for first place on my annual list, as the coronavirus pandemic impacted nearly every aspect of our lives. is year, it fell to number three. So, that's progress, right? After a deadly mid-winter spike, the case count dropped like a stone, especially as vaccinations ramped up in the spring. We ripped off our masks, breathed deep of the fresh air and prepped for a hot vax summer. Or so we thought. Something called the "delta variant" stopped our progress cold, making us unsure exactly what to do. Travel or don't? Mask or not? Locally, perhaps the greatest impact was the on-again, off-again plan of the commonwealth to return its people to their offices. Many local businesses took yet another hit as state workers dribbled in, then dribbled back out again. We now enter pandemic year No. 3 with renewed hope that the current plan to repopulate the Capital Complex won't be another head fake. 2. SEMI NORMAL Some news stories are complex beasts, and the COVID-19 pandemic may be the most layered and nuanced of my long career. So, while the delta variant prolonged our collective nightmare, life in 2021 returned to quasi-normal for many, and that could be seen locally. Most businesses dropped their mask mandates, people began to dine indoors again, folks attended concerts, and students returned to their classrooms. Over the course of the year, we made some sort of peace with the virus, but it was an uneasy peace. I personally know more people who got sick, often very sick, than the year before, and our hospitals' COVID wards remained crowded. Yet on a beautiful day, strolling through Riverfront Park or dining al fresco, you could almost touch life from the before times, and, wow, did it feel good. 1. WHO'S YOUR MAYOR? I've created this annual list for a decade and, some years, have struggled with what should be the number-one Harrisburg news story. Not this year. e Harrisburg mayor's race wins going away. Five candidates sought the Democratic nomination in May, including strong campaigns from relatively new faces in city politics. e crowded field resulted in a split electorate, with four of the five finishing with more than 20% of the vote. In the end, City Council President Wanda Williams squeaked by incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse by 46 votes. With that settled, we could all relax and move on with our lives, right? Nope. Papenfuse disappeared from view for a few months only to re-emerge in mid-September to declare a long-shot write-in campaign for the general election. He ran vigorously, but this sudden burst of energy, which might have put him over the top in the primary, made no difference in the general, except to delay the transition. Williams trounced Papenfuse and, therefore, will be sworn in this month as Harrisburg's new mayor. So, Harrisburg begins 2022 with new leadership and, given all the recent high-level departures from city hall, with almost an entirely new team in place. I wish them the best and feel confident that a few issues they'll deal with will wind up on this list a year from now. I'd like to leave my annual top-10 list with a dose of unsolicited advice for future city politicians. Our recent election marked the third straight Harrisburg mayor's race in which a leading Democratic candidate lost the primary but then refused to accept the result, running again in the general—and losing again. ese efforts served no productive purpose. ey prolonged the city's angst, exacerbated its divisions and heightened the turmoil inside city hall. In other words, they were harmful to the city, not helpful. us, my advice: If you lose in the primary, please graciously accept your defeat. ere's always next time. Lawrance Binda is co-publisher/editor-in-chief of eBurg. Illustrations by Rich Hauck.

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