Matt Purkins, veteran public servant and Director of Hanover Borough Parks and Recreation and Interim Director of the Guthrie Memorial Library, stops in the Walk-in Sound Studio for a lively conversation about recreation, resources, reservoir properties, and wonderful opportunities in the parks, library and wild areas of Hanover.

While discussing the bright future of the HanoverLand History, Ghosts, and Folklore tours, Matt also reveals the endangered status of the mysterious Dickcissel, a mythical bird with a haunting mating call known to roam rural HanoverLand.

Bio: Matt Purkins has been the Parks and Recreation Director for Hanover Borough since January 2024. He is also the interim director of the Guthrie Memorial Library. Matt started his career in the recreation and parks field in 2004 as the Manager of the Carroll County Sports Complex in Westminster, MD, a position he held until 2018. From there he moved onto Baltimore County Recreation and Parks as a Community Supervisor II for the Hereford Zone. In 2022 he accepted the position of Fiscal Manager for Dauphin County Parks and Recreation. Matt gladly accepted the position as Hanover’s first full time Parks and Recreation Director in 2024.

Matt has served as president of the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) from 2012-2014 and is a two-time chair of the Recreation and Leisure Services Branch of MRPA. He is a member of both MRPA and the Pennsylvania Recreation and Parks Society. He currently serves on the Fairview Township Recreation Board and is the umpire assigner/assistant umpire in chief for the Carroll County Umpire’s Association.

Steve Antonaccio aka "Steve-o" @ HanoverLand: The Podcast, reveals the curious evolution of Steve Squared. How? Why? And What it takes in today's design and photography professions to earn a living. The seasoned designer, (food) photographer and marketing professional initially wreaks havoc in the Walk-in Studio, settles down and shares secrets and a broad history of his 40 plus years as an independent graphic designer and guerilla photographer.

Sharing laughter, joy and insights in the Walk-In Studio, Brian Shea explains how he creates and explains things with words and pictures. These skills manifest themselves in many different ways, but his favorite moments take place in front of an audience or teaching a class. Brian never performed on stage until 2008 when he filled a small part on Miracle on 34th Street at Hanover High School. That experienced turned him into a theater guy at the age of 41. Brian began performing and volunteering at Hanover Little Theatre in 2010, eventually serving seven years on the Board of Directors, including three as president. He took his first improv class in 2015 and hasn't look back, He has performed and taught in both Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 2020, Brian founded Highwire Improv with three friends to create new opportunities for performers and teachers. Brian's open to teaching folks about the power of improv both as a performing art and as a tool to grow confidence and communication skills.