This Weekend: A Bridge Over Troubled Water

It's amazing how deep the divide between East Shore and West Shore is in Central Pennsylvania. Sure it's silly, but the attitudes are so pervasive and have been around for so long that it just becomes ingrained in you. The home I recently purchased is in Highland Park, and other than to go to work or go to the bars on Restaurant Row, I rarely cross the river. I eat on the West Shore, I shop on the West Shore and I know the West Shore like the back of my hand. I know there are good restaurants on the East Shore. I know there are lots of things to do. Heck, I know that the Target off of 283 is closer to my house than the one I go to on the Carlisle Pike, but still I rarely cross the river.

I think it's symbolic then, that another attempt to fix the gap in the Walnut Street Bridge was deemed too expensive to undertake according to an article in the Patriot-News today. I'm not saying that I'm in favor of spending $13 million to repair the gap, but it is a perfect embodiment of the disconnect between Cumberland County and Dauphin County. City Island is such a wonderful resource, and it is a shame that it is not readily accessible from both sides of the river. And don't start about walking across the Market Street Bridge – I do it as much as anyone and it is unsafe and unpleasant.

Ideally, a completed span would help breathe some life back into Wormleysburg, which is filled with houses that have seen better days. But I guess in a culture where nobody walks, building walking infrastructure isn't the best investment. Still, I feel like that gap in the span taunts us. So close, but so far away. Anyway, I'd avoid walking this weekend no matter where you'd like to go. Here are some indoor activities to keep you amused:

There are two expos at the PA Farm Show Complex this weekend, the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo and the Pennsylvania Garden Expo. I’ll be hitting the Garden Expo on Sunday to try to get some ides for the back yard. This is also the last weekend to enjoy all of the events surrounding Hershey’s Chocolate Covered February. This month as gone very quickly. It’s also the last weekend to check out the Ice Park at Clipper Magazine Stadium. This winter has NOT gone quickly, but I still never made it down to Lancaster to skate. Bummer. Oh well, that means baseball will be here before you know it. Friday evening WXPN will be doing a live broadcast of its Land of the Lost program from the Appalachian Brewing Company (ED NOTE: postponed) while Method Man & Redman will be on stage at the Chameleon Club. Gotta pay the bills I suppose. In theatre, the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival will be putting on the hilarious The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) while the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center welcomes the farewell tour of Riverdance. It’s also the final weekend of Comedy at the Pub at Mount Hope.

Saturday, the Harrisburg Senators will be showing off their partially completed new digs with an Open House at Metro Bank Park. See, I told you baseball was almost here. The Lancaster Historic Home Show takes over the Lancaster Convention Center for the weekend and the 2010 Capital Region Heart Ball will be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg on Saturday evening. The absolutely incredible Hershey Bears have a home game against Bridgeport on Saturday night, and if you haven’t yet, make sure you make yourself a part of their record-breaking season. Professional rabble-rouser Bill Ayers will be making his rescheduled appearance at the Midtown Scholar on Saturday night, so I’m sure there are plenty of Central Pennsylvania undies in a bunch. The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra will be putting the spotlight squarely on Maestro Stuart Malina this weekend with another round of Masterworks Series Concerts featuring the man himself on the piano. Even more theatre on Saturday night in addition to the things mentioned for Friday. The Whitaker Center has Curtains, Millersville has Oedipus the King and the Ephrata Playhouse has what in my mind is Shakespeare’s best — Hamlet.

Sunday features a lot more of the same things from Friday and Saturday so be sure to check the calendar. If Evan Lysacek or Zach Parise have gotten you inspired, there’s an open skate at Hersheypark Arena on Sunday afternoon. Later Sunday afternoon, the Susquehanna Folk Music Society and XPN present the multi-talented David Bromberg at the Yorktowne Hotel.

Have fun kids.