The Spark

This week kicks off Christmas and there is no denying that poinsettias make for bright and festive decorations during the winter months. But have you ever wondered how they got to be the official Christmas flower? Shirley Halk, Master Gardener with the Penn State Agricultural Extension Service says they have a long history. “The flower or the poinsettia reminds people of the Star of Bethlehem. When the three wise men were coming to Jesus to bear their gifts. So that's one thing about the poinsettias. You have this Christian belief. You also have when you look at the Aztecs and the Mayans, they use the poinsettias for medicinal values. They believe sometimes in magical values of the plant. So, it's it's used in a variety of ways.” Poinsettias are grown in warm settings and are native to Mexico and Guatemala. “They are actually considered a perennial shrub and they can grow up to 15 foot high, which you won't see here usually in the States.”After Christmas, Poinsettias can be preserved. “They can be they can be made to bloom, believe it or not, year after year, if you so desire. And when I say year after year, the longevity on a poinsettia plant can be anywhere from 10 to 20 years.” Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since it’s the week of Christmas, The Spark Team at WITF decided to do a whole segment on Christmas Traditions. Listen to the podcast link to hear from David Payne, Researcher/ Producer, John Kinzer, Program Manager, Emma Halsey, Audio Engineer/ Producer, and Host Asia Tabb to hear some of their favorite Christmas stories growing up. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Visioncorps is accepting Braille letters to send to Santa. Kids who submit a letter will hear back even if it is after Christmas. Erika Rothermel is a teacher of the blind and visually impaired at Visioncorps. “So being able to write a letter to Santa is a long standing tradition that children have been doing for years. But being able to open it up to the Braille population has been a new adventure. And it's, yeah, something fun to include everybody. So we started doing that here at Vision Core about five years ago, “said Rothermel. 9-year-old JJ Maldonado took advantage of the opportunity and is looking forward to hear back from Santa soon. “I asked for a microphone.. and a police car, “said Maldonado.” Maldonado’s mother, Yaritza Riversa says Visioncorps has helped with JJ’s journey. JJ was diagnosed with cancer at just a month old. “He was born with cancer. It's a genetic type of cancer. But he's that one person that was actually born without mom and dad having that gene. And it is bilateral, meaning he has it in both eyes, “said Rivera. He began chemo at just three months old and underwent a lot of chemo and radiation. “He actually got his right eye removed at the age of three years old. And that's kind of where the vision kind of went down a little bit. I'm the only eye he had. And so, yeah, and then Vision Corp kicked in and helped so much during this transition because it's definitely tough and they made it so much easier, especially for JJ and myself, because, you know, as a mom, it's like, what do I do? Not knowing this is on you. So, they have been a blessing to us. And even though JJ is now in school when he's 13, they still involved him and everything, and they're there for him no matter what. Just on a on a regular time. You know, they check up on Jay and make sure he's doing great. So they're amazing and we are so blessed to have them, “said Rivera. According to JJ, learning braille can be challenging. “It's really hard to learn all the contractions and all how to like type with your fingers and how to read properly. It's been a hard journey, “said Malonado. When JJ grows up, he wants to be a rapper. Listen to the podcast link to her his performance. There is no deadline for letter submission this holiday season. For those looking to send their letters to Santa in braille, letters can be addressed: Santa’s Attention, VisionCorps (Erika Rothermel, head elf) 244 N. Queen St. Lancaster, Pa. 17603 Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Jewish week-long festival will take place in just a few days. This year, Hanukkah falls on the night of December 25 and ends on January 2. Zach Benjamin, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Harrisburg and Marc Kline, Interim Rabbi of the Temp Ohev Shalom joined to the spark to share more information. The history of Hanukkah begins 2200 years ago. “The Syrian Greeks were in control of what we now call Israel Palestine, and they brought Greek culture, which was replacing the existing Jewish culture, and they trashed the temple and didn't destroy, but they trashed and were sacrificing pigs on the altar. And Jews said, we can't let this happen. And so Matthias and Judah Maccabee and their followers warred against the Syrian Greeks and they defeated the Greeks and rededicated the temple. The rest of the story becomes a matter of different versions of history. The story everybody seems to know is that when they went to light the lights on the altar, they had one cruise of oil that hadn't been destroyed. They thought it would last for one day and it lasted for eight. That story's first written about 500 years later. Many of the versions of the story, though, deal with the fact that we changed the practice from Pagan to to God at the altar, that people stopped the war to rededicate themselves to God. So whatever story you're looking at, we're looking at bringing the light of peace and faith over the ugliness of paganism and war, “said Kline. Zach Benjamin explained the significance of sundown and those eight days of Hanukkah. “Well, in at its most basic, the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar, what we think of as our typical calendar, they're different in a number of ways. The Hebrew calendar has 13 months. The our Western calendar has 12 months. And another way that they are different is that the Hebrew day begins at sundown and goes from sundown to sundown. And thus Hanukkah, like all other Jewish observances, begins at sundown on the first day. And Hanukkah lasts eight days. And so it goes until sundown.” Listen to the podcast to learn more about Hanukkah. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As today is Christmas Eve, the entire Spark Team at WITF FM thought it would be great to read a Christmas story on air. Ryan McCrory, Executive Director of the Dauphin County Library System, read "I Got the Christmas Spirit" by Connie Schofield-Morrison. Listen to the podcast to hear the story. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kwanzaa honors unity, pride, and African traditions from December 26 to January 1. This celebration brings people together by sharing stories, lighting candles, and community. Naaja Rodgers, Professor of Africana studies at Dickinson College says Kwanzaa is a Kiswahili word. “So it's actually a Kiswahili word, which means maternal, your Kwanzaa, which means first fruits. So essentially Kwanzaa means first fruit. And these are typically celebrations that are held throughout Africa.” Kwanza was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga. He was a part of a cultural nationalist group that promoted African culture. “The Watts riots in Los Angeles and just the racial tensions going on during the Black Power movement inspired him to think about what we can do to kind of help African people as a collective Pan-African. Keep that theme intact. How can we ensure that black people are able to reason to remember and prepare for the new Year as opposed to just like the commercialization of Christmas where it's like a hustle and bustle, you're shopping and then you give a gift and then you go on to the new year.” There are seven principles of Kwanzaa: Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly. Asia speaks with Jenna Wise from PennLive about her recent reporting on our journalist roundtable. Also on the program: The Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame is a multi-room museum of autographed albums, guitars, and so much more. Brandon Valentine, Executive Director and Founder of the Central Pa Music Hall of Fame, opened the museum in 2023. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hershey Theatre, a historic landmark in Derry Township, has announced it will close its doors for 2025 for renovations. Donald Papson, Executive Director of the MS Hershey Foundation, says the theatre will undergo major renovations. “We're hoping to be able to renovate the seats and actually we will be taking out 1904 seats and historically and accurately putting them back in with new seat cushions, some new armrests, some things that will bring those seats up into what we call 2025, 2026 standards.” The renovations will also include new carpeting, new dressing rooms, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units. “So, although most people tell me they don't notice it because we have 1930s technology in our air conditioning. You can get a time in that theater where it's not quite as cool as you may have hoped it has been. So the air conditioning again will be brought up to 2026, 2025 standards, and we'll also be doing a adding new boilers so that the heating will be improved and we'll also be adding an entire new electrical system in that space so that the lights will not only be more energy efficient, but actually will be able to light that auditorium space throughout the year.” The Final show before the closure will be “Pretty Women” which is scheduled for January. The first show after the renovations is yet to be determined, but the theatre is set to welcome back audiences on Dec. 1, 2025. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Journalist Roundtable segment for December 20 included Pennlive reporter Jenna Wise. Jenna joined The Spark to discuss her article on The Harrisburg School Department to create it’s own police department. She also discussed her coverage on major breaking news in the City of Harrisburg in the past month. Listen to the podcast to hear the conversation. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, announced its selection of 12 educators from across the country to join the Company’s third annual Teacher Fellows Cohort. During the school year, these skilled K-8 educators will work alongside Scholastic Education Solutions’ product development, research and marketing teams and assist with the development of various education-focused programs. Scott Brewer, a sixth-grade teacher at Eagle View Middle School has been selected to join the 2024-25 teacher Fellows Cohort. Scott has 19 years’ experience as a Pennsylvania educator, and has worked with students and teachers across various K-8 settings. The 2024-2025 Teacher Fellows will serve through August 2025 and are listed below: Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joy to the Burg is an annual Christmas album that features holiday selections from local artists to raise money to benefit Central Pennsylvania residents experiencing homelessness. Proceeds from the album will go to street outreach through Christian Churches United. In 2019, Sheldon Jones was concerned about the unhoused people in Harrisburg. As an artist, he had this idea to make a Christmas album and sell it to help the homeless. “And it's just been it has taken off from there. In 2019, when Joy to the Bird first started, it helped open up a winter overnight shelter for women and non-binary individuals. And so, we're super grateful for the legacy of joining the burg and all the artists, “said Nick Mucci, Director of Development for Christian Churches United of the Tri County Area. Since Joy to the Burg’s inception in 2019, there have been over 80 artists that have been on the annual Christmas album. D-Bo!, songwriter and singer, is featured on the album this year. He has a song titled, “Christmas with My Baby.” “I'm just honored to be a part of this this great project and collaborate with so many great musicians in the area that me. I mean, I'm very familiar with most of them. I've seen a lot of them perform live. A lot of them have seen me. And so, you know, to be able to get all together on one thing and just, you know, for a good cause, it's just it's just a dream come true, you know? “said D-Bo!. CLICK here to purchase the album. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Civics Bee is an annual competition that is led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. that provides an opportunity for middle school students to showcase their civic knowledge and become more engaged in their communities. The civic bee is very important to the Pennsylvania Chamber according to Elizabeth Bolden, Executive Director, of the PA Chamber Foundation. A survey in 2022 showed that less than half of Americans could name all three branches of government. Another survey in 2023 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that only 25 percent of Americans were confident that they could explain how our government worked to other people. “It makes for a more effective and efficient government, which makes for a better place for businesses to operate and grow and entrepreneurs to come to the Commonwealth. We know that stability is important for businesses. And so, as the civics fee increases, civic engagement, just not among middle schoolers, but among their family members, we're building a stronger commonwealth where we can have a more competitive economy and businesses can flourish and grow, “said Bolden. The PA Chamber Foundation, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, and Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC are working to get participation from middle school students in the state. Kat DeSantis, Public Policy Coordinator of the Lancaster Chamber says the deadline for applications for the local competition is February 5, 2025. The first step is responding to a three-question essay prompt with no more than 750 words by submitting their application online through a portal. “So, we've distributed that to teachers and educators and students themselves to kind of help them develop their essay, Know what the judges are looking for. They'll get the rubric because we do have essay judges that we've solicited from across the state who will then be scoring the essays. And then, like I said, the top 20 essays will then go on to compete in the local competition, which then includes a couple of rounds of multiple-choice questions via tablet. And then as they kind of go through that, they’ll get down to the kind of third round where students will defend their essays and they'll be asked questions about how they would implement it. And to explain a little bit more about their solutions for their community. And then that is how they then the judge, the live event judges, then select the finalists who then move on to the state competition, “said DeSantis. Kevin DiGuiseppe, Business Policy & Advocacy Manager, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC is really hoping to see growth of civics knowledge and engagement in our region’s youth during the competition. “One of the most fulfilling and rewarding parts of this experience, at least for myself, is seeing the kids who come in as competitors, as sixth grade students, as seventh grade students. And then to see them coming back the next year or two as seventh graders or as eighth graders, and really watching that knowledge and understanding of foundational civics principles really growing, taking root and flourishing in these kids. It's really rewarding to see. It reminds me of myself at that age when I was first taking an interest in civics, “said DiGuiseppe. The first prize of the National Civic bee is $100,000 529 account towards their college education. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Underground caves are a complex, underground ecosystem that must be treated with care and responsibility. Pat Minnick is a member of the Franklin County Grotto which is a local chapter of the National Speleological Society. Minnick shared some of the dangers of the popular recreational activity. “The most common type of injury. With the carving action, it is a cave or fall. Someone trips falls and generally it might result in a lower leg injury, sprained ankle, broken leg, that kind of thing.” Minnick also recommends letting a trusted friend or family member know when you decide to go caving. “Now, you want to allow enough time so that if you're, you know, maybe an hour late or something, nobody's punching 911. But you need to let somebody know where you're going and have a plan of what you're going to do if the person doesn't come out. Most recreational cavers go to someplace that's known. However, a lot of people are doing project cave in cave mapping, so they're going in to maybe a known cave, but there's unknown passage beyond. So, they're in the process of mapping the cave. And mapping the cave involves compass and a tape measuring, measuring the cave, and then doing the cartography or drawing up the map. So, they're people that that excel at that and produce wonderful cave maps that show new maps and new caves.” Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asia Tabb speaks with the new dean of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Troy Ott about the importance of agricultural sciences. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame is a multi-room museum of autographed albums, guitars, and so much more. Brandon Valentine, Executive Director and Founder of the Central Pa Music Hall of Fame, opened the museum in 2023. “You’ll see the plaques on the walls with pictures of the artists, you know, their summaries of their accomplishments, their resumes, if you will, of the members who are currently in the Hall of Fame, of which there are 35 members already in the Hall of Fame from 2019 to current voted in. And then, you know, in the other rooms, there's a lot of autographed guitars…We have guitars from Bret Michaels from Mechanicsburg, as well as Taylor Swift from Wyomissing here.” There are a few things that go into consideration when an artist is nominated into a class hall of fame. The class is measured by album sales, Grammy nominations, and gold/ platinum records. “There's a couple of big names from our area, you know, who have already been inducted. Bret Michaels live, your hailstorm breaking, Benjamin and so forth. This year, we're inducting Grammy nominees, August Burns Red from the Lancaster area. So, a lot of those, you know, have accomplished big things in the more recent past, and done large tours. But then you look, and you look at some of the other acts. For example, Pentagon, you know, they did a lot of original. Music at the start of their career, they toured all over. Did a lot of the casino scenes and were kind of a regional band, you know, up and down the East Coast. But they've been around for over 50 years, so a lot of different factors go into play. But ultimately, we're trying to recognize the best of the best from all time in our area. And that's really what it boils down to.” The Central Pa Music Hall of Fame is located at 1215 W End Ave, Hummelstown Pa, 17036. You can take a FREE self-guided tour from 7am-3pm. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge County Park has been going strong for the community for 41 years. The holiday tradition started in 1984 following an energy crunch that made it difficult for decorating. “Folks just were there a lot of the Christmas lights in York area, and so they came together, the commissioners at the time and the Parks Department decided to kind of put together this little bit of a light show that started out with about 10,000 lights. And then, yeah, it just kind of really grew from there. So, yeah, it started in 1984 during the heart of that and has become a great tradition in York area ever since, “said Teddy Fisher, Assistant Director of Parks for the York County Parks Department. There are about 600,000 lights currently on display. The light show includes many people and takes about a year to plan. “So, each year we try to mix it up. And Nancy Heizer, she's our park naturalist and really our Christmas magic program coordinator. So, she, she kind of oversees all that. We do have multiple meetings throughout the year with a larger group of staff and volunteers, and we try to brainstorm ideas and come up with things. But she does a lot of playing on the light show. And, you know, she tries to do different themes and kind of group and be strategic about it. And then also, you know, we're using a lot of the same props and lights each year and it's the same area, but we always try to mix it up just that way. It feels like a new experience for those folks that are coming back each year. So yeah, yeah, it's definitely a lot of fun. And let's have a lot of creativity and putting that together.” This is the 41st year of Christmas Magic. Visitors can stroll the festive half-mile woodland trail filled with Christmas lights and holiday scenes. The event runs through December 30 and will be closed December 24 and 25. CLICK HERE for more information. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AAA Central Penn has been reminding mature drivers to stay safe on the roads. AAA Central Penn service the nine-county region in Central Pennsylvania. It has about ten branches and the driving school is in Lancaster. “So, these are classroom courses that offer a mandatory insurance discount upon completion. Many of those who take this course usually leave with some renewed sense of confidence or even just having their questions answered about some of the recent traffic lot changes, “said Erik Fitzgerald of AAA Central Penn.” The mature driving course is for drivers 55 and older. AAA of Central Penn is also breaking the stigmas associated with mature drivers. “Some feel that once you reach a certain age, you shouldn't be driving anymore. Some feel that age doesn't determine how old or how long they should be driving. And as a result, some feel that they should be able to drive well until they're 100 or so. By taking this course, it puts it puts the control back into their hands and gives them a better perspective on determining when it may be necessary to retire from driving or just things that they can make, changes they can make along the way to enhance the skills that they have, “said Fitzgerald.” CLICK HERE to read more about AAA Central Penn. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eighty years ago today, the German army launched its last major offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It centered on the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Standing in the way that day was a Pennsylvania National Guard division, the 28th, which is known as the Bloody Bucket. To shed some light on the 28th’s heroic stand, WITF’s Tim Lambert reached out to Walter Zapotoczny. He’s a former member of the 28th Infantry Division, the incoming president of the Divisions Association, and the author of 13 military history books, including his latest that is set to be released next year, “The 28th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge.” We aired this conversation on The Spark Monday, December 16th. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly. This year a report was released by the US Department of Interior on Indian Boarding Schools, and President Joe Biden issued an apology for conditions that Native Americans endured. Th institutions included the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Cumberland County. Dr. Amanda Cheromiah is the Executive Director of the Center for the Futures of Native Peoples and is a decent of some of the students who attended the school. Also on the program, Pennsylvania has rich military history shown through many memorials and museums in the state. The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg is one of the largest museums in the world dedicated solely to the American Civil War. According to Jeff Nichols, Chief Executive Officer of The National Civil War Museum, visitors will explore a civil war one on one course. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday December 13 is the final Friday the 13th of the year, which is considered unlucky across the world. The day has been associated with superstitions, and historically certain events have occurred on this date that has added to it’s reputation. According to Associate Professor at Shippensburg University, and historian, Christine Senecal, says the number 13 and date both have a different trajectory in unlucky sort of origins. “In fact, there's a certain name for it. It's Triss Cadec, a phobia about that for and it's phobia from a Greek word. Yeah. And that means it's fear of 13. But I think it's interesting because although most people think, yes, everybody knows that Friday the 13th is unlucky, that fear really only took off in the late 19th century. So, the late 1800s. And the word for fear of 13 wasn't coined until 1911.” The superstition surrounding the day really didn’t take off until after the American Civil War. “So, it's the late 19th century and there are people that press against this. They don't want this fear. They think it's superstitious. And so, one person actually founded a society called the 13th Club. His name was Captain William Fowler. And he tried to fight against the rise in what he thought was problematic about these beliefs, superstitious beliefs. He decided to convince this club to bust on superstition in 1882. So, the 13 Club started on Friday, January the 13th, and he sat down with 12 other diners. Ooh, scary number because 13 if there was an idea that if 13 people sit down to dine together in the next year, one of them will die. And then he proceeded to do all kinds of things that ran counter to like in the face of superstition. So, people like spilled salt on the table deliberately. They lit 13 candles. They dined on lobster salad shaped into miniature coffins. So, they were like laughing at death. And then during the year, they did all kinds of other things that flouted superstition, like eating with open umbrellas, deliberately walking under ladders. And then then they did things like they count.” Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.