Latest news with #AllisonHill
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wanda Williams appears to win Harrisburg Mayor primary
(WHTM) – With 100% of the precincts reporting, incumbent Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams is leading the crowded Democratic primary. Williams holds a slim lead over Harrisburg City Treasurer Dan Miller late Tuesday night. As the 39th Mayor of Harrisburg, Williams has overseen a city impacted by gun violence, chaos at city events, and the 2023 fire that destroyed the Broad Street Market's brick building. A lifelong Harrisburg resident, Williams worked for the Commonwealth before being elected to the Harrisburg School Board and Harrisburg City Council. Williams served as City Council President for 12 years and won the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary by 46 votes. In 2023, Williams declared that the city was debt-free and, in her October 2024 State of the City, announced she planned to remove Harrisburg from Act 47, a designation for cities under financial distress. Williams has also promoted new, affordable housing and ongoing development in Allison Hill and Hall Manor. During the abc27 mayoral debate Williams had pledged that, if she lost the May primary, she would run in the November general election, likely as a write-in. Prior to entering public office, Miller was the founder of a public accounting firm and a financial analyst. A Central Dauphin High School graduate, Miller earned degrees from Harrisburg Area Community College, Elizabethtown College, and Penn State University. Miller has also served as a board member of the WITF Community Advisory Board, the founder of the Central PA Pride Festival, and is currently Treasurer for the Community Check-Up Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shopping indie: How those at local bookstores say it helps the community
(WKBN) — Saturday marks an important day for some small local businesses — it's Independent Bookstore Day. The national day of recognition spotlights the importance of indie bookstores and the role that they play in the community. Read next: Local greenhouse still blooming after 30 years April 26 marks the 12th anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day, celebrated by bookstores and booklovers alike. It's hosted by the American Booksellers Association, a 125-year-old non-profit trade organization that supports over 2,800 bookstores across the country, offering education regarding business practices, providing an e-commerce platform, and taking part in advocacy work. 'In many ways, it's honoring the legacy of Record Store Day, which has been so popular in the record industry, and it's really an opportunity for all of these independent bookstores across the country to have a day where they celebrate their communities and they celebrate their place in their communities, and their communities get to celebrate them,' said Allison Hill, CEO of the association. Two local participants of Indie Bookstore Day include Leana's Books & More and POP! Art Books Culture. Both are offering 20% sales on all products in celebration — with POP!'s sale running Saturday and Leana's running both Saturday and Sunday. Over in Greenville, Boundless Books will host a soft-opening in recognition of the day's importance. A complete map of participating bookstores is available on While Leana Hillard, owner of Leana's Books & More, says it's not easy running an indie bookstore, it is also great. 'We try to give back to the community as much as we can, because that's the only reason we're here: is because of the communities,' Hillard said. When visiting local bookstores, shoppers are getting far more than simply a physical book. 'One thing that separates the indie bookstores from the big box [stores] is we do a lot of things for the community,' Hillard said. 'We have book signings; there's no charge for the authors. We set up the tables, [and] they sell their own books so they can make 100%, and our hope is they're bringing in people to see our stores.' Both POP! and Leana's go beyond a physical store — they're community spaces offering respective book clubs, hosting author groups and much more. And not only are shoppers supporting the local stores, but also local authors. 'There's a lot of really great authors that have come through here, and I've yet to have somebody come back and say, 'You know what, I really didn't enjoy this book.' All of the local authors are fantastic authors and we've had really, really good luck with them,' said Craig Duster, owner of POP!. Over 1,200 indie bookstores have opened in the U.S. over the last five years, but Hill says despite the increasing number of stores and sales, it's more challenging than it has ever been to be an indie owner, with thin margins paired with rising costs. But supporting local stores will help keep money in a shopper's own community, Hill said. 'One thing is purely economic, that when you shop with an independent bookstore, about 29% of the revenue recirculates in the local economy,' Hill said. 'So that compares to say, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, in that it's about five times more than Amazon and over two times more than Barnes & Noble.' 'I think local big box stores have their purposes, and even online, major online retailers have their purposes, too, but for the most part, if you can shop local when you can, it keeps a lot of that money in the community,' Duster said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce states the sales tax shoppers pay at these local spots supports the community's public schools, parks, roads, and sidewalks, as well as funds public service workers, like firefighters. Hill said in current times, when a lot of communities are seeing cuts, that type of revenue is especially important. 'I definitely think there are people who are very mindful of where they're spending their dollars right now and what kind of values they're supporting,' Hill said. 'There are people who really want to support, say their neighbors who have returned to their community to share books and make a difference, versus supporting a billionaire or an algorithm or a hedge fund, which is sometimes the alternative in the book world.' Hill emphasized the importance of supporting local stores, or else risk losing them. 'I think some of it is coming off the pandemic, too. I think we all lived through a period where we saw some of our favorite places close … and I think people really began to realize that we really have to support these local businesses or they won't be sustainable.' For those who may not want to leave the comfort of their favorite reading chair or are looking for something niche, there is an alternative to visiting indie bookstores in person. is a platform designed to support independent bookstores. 'It's financially helping the stores, it's raising visibility around shopping indie, it's providing a 'buy' button to a lot of media outlets who normally might have Amazon but now they have an indie alternative,' Hill said. Hill said in times where money is tight, it's not just a matter of how much you're spending, but also where you are spending it. 'I think there's a return to some values around supporting local and aligning your shopping with your values and connecting in a very human way that we're all really hungry for,' Hill said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
