The Spark

Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Among those who had been in consideration was Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro. Berwood Yost, Director for the Center of Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College, and Stephen Caruso, journalist with Spotlight PA shared their general reactions to Harris’ choice, and more on the journalist roundtable.

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In just two weeks, students attending Franklin & Marshall College will be back on campus for the fall semester. F&M President Dr. Barbara Altman says the start of a new academic year is the highlight of her year.

 “We're expecting a first-year class of about 500, which is pretty much what we planned. I know we might want to talk about the various things going on in higher ed these days, but we're delighted with a very, very talented class of 500”.

In addition to serving as President, Dr. Altman is the Board Chair of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (AICUP) of Pennsylvania. AICUP is the only statewide organization that serves exclusively the interests of independent, nonprofit higher education within the Commonwealth and exists to complement and support the work of campus leaders. She also recently led the largest fundraising program in the college’s history.

“We closed that campaign about two years ago and we came in over about 10% over goal. It takes a long time to do a capital campaign like that. Among our most important priorities was raising money to support financial aid for students. We give very generous aid, and we commit to fully meeting a student's aid for all four years there with us. So that's a big part of our budget”.

Dr. Altman has been at F&M since August 2018. She says the location in Lancaster, and the reputation of the college is what led her to Franklin & Marshall.

“Being in Lancaster is an unbelievable privilege and advantage for Franklin and Marshall. Many schools like us are located in quite isolated places, but we have this wonderful, vibrant, busy, exciting city to work in and we're an open campus, so our our boundaries just meld right into the neighborhoods around us. Our students volunteer, work for paid, do internships, right in Lancaster City and Lancaster County. We love to bring the community to our facilities, as they just came for the Lancaster International Piano Festival, which was held in our beautiful little jewel of a concert hall. The bars are a concert hall, and we're just so lucky to be in the fabric, right in the fabric of a really happening little city. That is a great place for our students to live and work. I'm happy to say that we have about 1400 Franklin and Marshall grads working in the immediate area. It's our third largest alumni group, actually.”

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The One World Festival in Lancaster will be held Sept. 8 at the Franklin and Marshall College at the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center. Deepa Balepur, Chair of the One World Festival Committee and Tom Daniels, Performance Coordinator of the festival appeared on The Spark to promote the festival. The festival was born in 2018, as Deepa was attending the Asian Indian Festival.

 "I would say a native Lancastrian who came up to me and said, you know, this is such a great thing you guys are doing. It is wonderful learning about different cultures. And this is a very special day for me. And I asked her, I said, why do you say that? And she said, well, I love Indian food, so I'm starting my day here. I'm going to have lunch, and then I'm going to head over to, Business Park where the, African American Festival is happening. And after that, I'm going to go to Long's Park because that's where the Latin American festival is happening. You know, it would be really cool if you guys could all get together and do this in one location. Not only would it be super convenient, but it would also be so much fun and such a great exposure of, you know, the different cultures that exist in our wonderful community. So that thought kind of just stuck with me. So the next morning, I reached out to the organizers of the other two festivals and told them the story and said, if you're interested, let's talk. And, they were very interested in continuing the conversation. So I would say that's really where the seed of the One World Festival got planted, "said Balepur.

The event is free and open to the public. The festival showcases a variety of food, cultural heritage, music, dancing, and performances embracing different cultures.

"So, you know, it's, you you walk into the room and they will you will be welcomed by a lot of color and music and, nonstop performances. The aroma of the food, which is, you know, representative of food from different parts of the world, merchants and artisans showcasing products that they're looking to sell or handicrafts, different arts and crafts. It's really a very, vibrant and inviting and welcoming environment, "said Balepur.

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It's been ten years since the spotted lanternflies began showing up in Pennsylvania. Brian Walsh, Spotted Lanternfly Researcher at Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences began noticing the insects when he was a landscaper years ago.

"I was running a landscaping business, and it lanternfly landed very close to where we worked from just a few miles. And we realized that what we were seeing on the ground didn't really match up with what we were being told by some of the government agencies that were responding. And so we had to do our own research to figure out what would work to kill them and do our best with, helping our customers to, help keep their trees alive. At the time, we thought that all the trees and shrubs that they were feeding on were going to be killed by lanternfly, "said Walsh.

Soon after, Walsh joined the researches at Penn State College. He learned spotted lanternflies are prolific, and they feed on just about anything.

"It has a hugely varied diet and it uses the entire landscape. A lot of, insect pests will focus on one or maybe a few, different host plants, in, throughout the landscape. But spotted lanternfly is able to use pretty much anything that's available to it from all the way down to weeds and weedy grasses right up through full sized trees, depending on where they are in the lifecycle stage. And because it can move freely through a huge amount of our landscape, it's like trying to catch a moving target when you're trying to control, "said Walsh.

For years, it was believed that the spotted lanternflies only fed on grapes, and trees of haven. However, researches have found the invasive species will feed on black walnuts, maple trees, and more.

"We know that there are several others that are also preferred hosts. And it kind of depends on the time of the year when the nymphs are very small, they'll feed on just about anything shrubs, small shrubs, weedy plants, just perennial weeds and roadside ditches. They're happy that anything that's off that they can get a meal from, they'll do it and they move. They move constantly. When we see the fourth in stars, and early adults, it's really where we see the, the lanternfly start to congregate more and we'll start seeing them grouped up more. We see black walnut is a very common host at that time period. Black walnut is very common and very important hardwood tree in Pennsylvania. And there's a lot of it, especially through the southern part of the state. They really prefer the black walnut. And then later on in the fall, we see a lot of movement towards maple trees, red maple syrup, silver maples. And they will they will use this to finish out the lifecycle and lay their eggs. So it's a it's a moving target. It's a moving diet, "said Walsh.

Even though ten years have passed, it is still important that the spotted lanternflies are killed because they cause so much damage to our crops.

"If you're not comfortable using insecticides, you can. You can just squash them with a fly swatter. Stomp on them. The important thing is, if you find them in a place where they're not known to be yet, make sure to report them. Report them to the Department of Agriculture, "said Walsh.

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Boar's Head recalled seven million more pounds of deli meat due to a listeria outbreak. That outbreak follows an earlier recall of more than 200 thousand pounds of deli meat by the same company. Those outbreaks have been reported in Pennsylvania and 12 other states. Martin Bucknavage, Senior Extension Program Specialist with the Penn State Department of Food Science says if this product is in your refrigerator, it should be a concern.

"Throw it away, as they say. Not only that. Also making sure that you go through and clean your. Your refrigerator door or wherever you have that that product stored. Are the stories of. Is a very harmful organism, especially people for those people in high risk categories, "said Bucknavage.

The symptoms and side effects of listeria includes an upset stomach, a rise in temperature, and possible body aches.

"Oftentimes because this is a longer type of, infection, we're not going to see this like immediately right after you eat food with listeria and like, you're not going to immediately get sick. But what we're going to see is that over time, over a period of time, you know, weeks, you know, you could start to see these, the symptoms, and certainly any time that somebody, you know. Get that. It's important to go immediately to the to the to that, to the to see a doctor, "said Bucknavage.

Bucknavage says when grocery shopping, it is very important to pay close attention to the sell by, prepare by, and expiration dates.

"If you're going to spend money on something, it's important to make sure you're tracking those dates and you're using it. Especially for the standpoint that you want to get it. While it's at its best quality at a lot of these dates are based on more of a quality parameter, "said Bucknavage.

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The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will soon convert its tolling system to Open Road Rolling east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension. The Open Road Tolling system will be in place in January 2025. The turnpike was opened in 1940 with a cash collection system, then in the 2000’s the EZ pass was added.

Craig Shuey, Chief Operating Officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, says the Open Road Tolling (OTR) system will be safer for drivers, and will be better for the environment.

“When we remove the toll plazas, the 6 or 7 lanes that exist in many of those areas will be shrunk down to a smaller number of lanes, moving the same amount of traffic more efficiently with less, less impervious surface. So, we'll be able to pull up the pavement, refocus the lanes, you know, recede and allow a more natural environment to, to, to be a part of the, of the landscape than all of the buildings and structures that go along with our existing toll plazas, “said Shuey.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) believes the OTR system is what their customers prefer. According to PTC, more than 86 percent of drivers own an EZ pass, indicating a preference for electronic payments.

“So, what our customers are telling us is they don't really want to stop anymore. They for a while, they were really, you know, struggling. They weren't carrying cash. So that was becoming a bit of an issue. But by and large, the motoring public wants to keep going to get to this destination. So, what this allows us to do is really shoulder in with the majority of our customers and give them the free-flowing experience that I think they've been looking for, “said Shuey.

This summer, PTC has also been focused on warning the public of the rise of Smishing Scams. It’s basically a text message claiming to be from PA turnpike.

“So, what was happening is you were getting a text to your phone that said, you owe the Pennsylvania Turnpike $8 or something to that effect. And if you pay it now, it will grow to $86. And they give you a, a fake website that looks like the words PA turnpike.com, which is not, but enough to close enough to fool your eyes. And when you click on that and give them your credit card information, they then use your credit card for, for, to make charges that obviously you are not, authorizing, “said Shuey.

Those who receive a fraudulent text can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. That is a site dedicated to sharing information on Internet crimes across law enforcement agencies

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The York County Sheriff's Office is eager to engage with communities across York County for National Night Out on August 6. The goal of the event is to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the residents they serve.

Lieutenant David Godfrey and his deputies at the York County Sheriff’s Department look forward to this event each year.

“So, in York County this year, we are going to 11 different events throughout the county. Basically, local police departments, jurisdictions, they have their own individual national nights out and we get invited to the events. So that's how we are attending 11 events this evening, “said Lt. Godfrey.

This event bridges the gap between local law enforcement, other agencies, and the community. It’s an opportunity to earn local trust, while having a great time with the community.

“Well, it's a good time, basically. It's a time for law enforcement to let loose a little bit. These events have turned into more of like a party type setting. Tons of them have. They have music, various entertainment, and bounce houses for kids. You have face painters. There are bikes that are given out to the community, TVs, free food, I mean, all kinds of things like that. We have all of our canines going to different events. So, it's your chance to meet the canines, interact with law enforcement, ask us any questions that you've always wanted to ask and just have a real, you know, 1 to 1 on a level playing field with each other, “said Lt. Godfrey.

Lt. Godfrey has been with the York County Sheriff's Office for over 20 years. Since he’s been involved, he’s seen positive impact come out of National Night Out.

“All the time, not just opening up the barriers with the public, but the impact that you, as a law enforcement officer has on a member of the public that it really is lasting. I've had so many people come up to me and talk to me that they met me and my K9 ten years ago, and they remember meeting him ten years ago that one time, and it left such an impact. So, things like that, they're just awesome to hear stories like that. And I think it's very vital, “said Lt. Godfrey.

Here is a list of the known sites and times:

• North East Neighborhood Association – Corner of E. Philadelphia and Pine 5-8 pm
• Springdale – Arlington and Merion triangle 6-8 pm
• Community Progress Council – 200 block of E. College Ave 5-7pm
• Parkway – Willis Ln 5-7 pm
• Dever’s Neighborhood Association – 509 Pacific Ave – 6-8 pm
• Colony Park – 1721 Dever’s Rd 5-8 pm
• Union Lutheran Church – 1st Block of S. Penn St 6-8 pm
• East End Neighborhood Association – Albemarle Park 6-8 pm
• York Townhouse – 200 N. Duke St 5-7 pm
• Lincoln Charter – 559 W. King St 5-6:30p

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Inflation has been impacting many industries from food prices at the grocery store and even affordable housing. In Central Pennsylvania, there’s even a housing shortage. Jodi Diego of the National Association of Realtors says there’s even a lack of homes to sell in the area.

“We don’t have enough homes to sell. Plus, you know, new construction. It’s taking a awhile for us to get back up in running… We’ve got the buyers out there. We have sellers too, “said Diego.

The baby boomer generation is also contributing to the housing shortage by staying in their homes longer, according to Diego.

“Back a few years ago, when the interest rates were lower and people either refinanced or, you know, purchased at that lower price. Interest rate. For them to go ahead and put their home on the market today to try to buy something at a higher interest rate if they're going to take a mortgage on it. You know, it really has caused that trickle-down effect because baby boomers are staying in their home, we don't have their homes for resale, “said Diego.

Tracy Klinger is the President of the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. Klinger says construction costs and materials are also adding to the shortage.

“Construction rates have been down for years. I believe over the last decade, we have not seen the level of construction that we need to continue, to provide adequate, affordable housing, particularly for the workforce class. And just because I'm a numbers geek, to put things in perspective, depending on who you ask, a balanced market, meaning there's enough buyers and sellers on both sides. It's considered to be somewhere between 4 and 6 months, depending on whether you use the 4- or 6-month target. The last time we've been in a balanced market has been somewhere between 2015 and 2018. So, at a minimum, six years ago is the last time we were anywhere near a balanced market. Right now, compared to that, I consider six months to be balanced. Compared to that, we are running somewhere right around one and a half months supply of inventory. So, it's drastically lower than what we need, for the number of buyers out there, “said Klinger.

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On June 3, the Dauphin County Library System had its first Library named after an historic African-American couple. The Kline Library located in the Allison Hill area of Harrisburg was renamed the George & Hettie Love Memorial Library. This library is the first library in the county named after African Americans. About a year ago, Dauphin County Board Member Ruby Doub wanted to honor Hettie Love by remaining a library after her.

"She became, quote unquote, a hidden figure of Harrisburg, despite the fact that she was well known throughout the community. She finally was getting noted, for having been the first African-American woman to graduate with her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Penn in 1947, "said Ryan McCrory, Executive Director of the Dauphin County Library System.

George and Hettie Love were both educators and civil rights activities. George earned his bachelors, master's, and PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as the first African-American employed as a high school teacher in the Philadelphia school system.

"He went on to also be the, assistant commissioner for basic education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. When he moved, here to Harrisburg, he oversaw in that capacity the desegregation of schools. He was involved with local businesses, the local church, as well as, as well as his fraternity. And so, he kind of led the way in a, in a number of ways, just as much as he did, without quite becoming he wasn't quite the trailblazer, that she was in the sense of being the first, but he was just as important in the role in which education plays, in the citizens of the, of the Commonwealth, "said McCrory.

The Dauphin County Library System is also working to create a community room at the George and Hettie Love Memorial Library to honor their commitment to education and the community.

"One of the things that we're going to do in the coming months is actually name the community room in the George and Hettie Love Memorial Library, the Klein Family Community Room, as a way of honoring their, long term commitment to the to that library as well as, their future commitment, "said McCory.

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Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly:

Upper Allen Township announced that it has officially been recognized as the 57th Bird Town in the State of Pennsylvania. According to the Bird Town Pennsylvania website, their mission is to work in partnership with local municipalities and like-minded organizations to promote community-based conservation actions to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for birds, wildlife, and people.

Also on the program:

The U.S. Supreme Court decided earlier this year that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors, even in areas where shelter space is lacking. John Leciew, Pennlive Patriot News Reporter has been following the unhoused trends in Harrisburg and Cumberland County.

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