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

A study for the advocacy group PennEnvironment found microplastics present in waterways throughout Pennsylvania, making it a major concern in the fight against pollution.

Also, on the program.

The Pennsylvania Innocence Project is a non-profit organization working to exonerate those convicted of crimes they did not commit, prevent innocent people from being prosecuted and convicted, and to help those wrongfully convicted transition to freedom.

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly.
A <a href="https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/resources/microplastics-found-in-pennsylvanias-cleanest-streams/#:~:text=PennEnvironment%20Research%20%26%20Policy%20Center%20tested,in%20every%20one%20of%20them.">study</a> for the advocacy group <a href="https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/">PennEnvironment</a> found microplastics present in waterways throughout Pennsylvania, making it a major concern in the fight against pollution.
Also, on the program.
The <a href="https://painnocence.org/about">Pennsylvania Innocence Project</a> is a non-profit organization working to exonerate those convicted of crimes they did not commit, prevent innocent people from being prosecuted and convicted, and to help those wrongfully convicted transition to freedom.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark Weekly 11.10.2024: Microplastics and The Pa. Innocence Project

Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in February. The museum is famous for its one-of-a-kind candy, fudge, and pretzels. Nicole Bucher is the third-generation owner and chocolatier of the museum. Nicole and her husband Isaac purchased the shop in 2014.

“My grandfather started the business in 1975. He was kind of an unusual character. And I guess one of the fun things about our business is how much it has evolved over the years. When he first started, he had, you know, fun things from the 70s like cold creatures, like Pennsylvania, coal things, souvenirs and just unusual things that you would find at a tourism stop. So, but what he noticed is that Candy was really popular, and he also had this kind of wacky small elephant collection. He threw it in the store, and it got a lot of attention. So, he started focusing on the things that made money and got interest, “said Nicole Bucher.

In addition to the items sold in the stores, Nicole and Isaac give back to the community through various fundraisers.

“We have a fundraising program that allows local organizations to raise money through fudge pretzels and cinnamon glaze nuts. And we also did, we brought back a bunch of events. And so we have four large free community events throughout the year and one is our Easter egg hunt. Santa Claus comes to the store. We also have a pumpkin party and a s'mores event in our store, and those are all free to the public, “said Isaac Bucher.

For their 50th anniversary they’re working on a mural and are looking for the community’s support.

“I'm working with an artist right now. I am a big proponent of community arts, and we're working on a mural that our customers will be able to help us paint and we're going to install it on our property. And it's all going to be based on my grandfather and his dream he had. His mind was full of colorful notions, so it'll definitely be colorful and pay homage to what he's built, “said Nicole Bucher.

<a href="https://mistereds.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorlmALa3gKqRMXLhrvpdbr1hUW5FWr4QUwLhl6gUAzv0fLJqBOP">Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum &amp; Candy Emporium</a> will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in February. The museum is famous for its one-of-a-kind candy, fudge, and pretzels. Nicole Bucher is the third-generation owner and chocolatier of the museum. Nicole and her husband Isaac purchased the shop in 2014.
“My grandfather started the business in 1975. He was kind of an unusual character. And I guess one of the fun things about our business is how much it has evolved over the years. When he first started, he had, you know, fun things from the 70s like cold creatures, like Pennsylvania, coal things, souvenirs and just unusual things that you would find at a tourism stop. So, but what he noticed is that Candy was really popular, and he also had this kind of wacky small elephant collection. He threw it in the store, and it got a lot of attention. So, he started focusing on the things that made money and got interest, “said Nicole Bucher.
In addition to the items sold in the stores, Nicole and Isaac give back to the community through various fundraisers.
“We have a fundraising program that allows local organizations to raise money through fudge pretzels and cinnamon glaze nuts. And we also did, we brought back a bunch of events. And so we have four large free community events throughout the year and one is our Easter egg hunt. Santa Claus comes to the store. We also have a pumpkin party and a s'mores event in our store, and those are all free to the public, “said Isaac Bucher.
For their 50th anniversary they’re working on a mural and are looking for the community’s support.
“I'm working with an artist right now. I am a big proponent of community arts, and we're working on a mural that our customers will be able to help us paint and we're going to install it on our property. And it's all going to be based on my grandfather and his dream he had. His mind was full of colorful notions, so it'll definitely be colorful and pay homage to what he's built, “said Nicole Bucher.

Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium to celebrate 50 years in February

The Strasburg Railroad is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the United States, charted back to 1832. Eric Conner, Vice President of Guest Experience and Stationmaster says in a few years the railroad will be celebrating bicentennial

“We are more than just a steam train ride through Amish country. We have a variety of dining events, food and beverage events, special events including civil war days, haunted rails and tales of Christmas and Easter events, and obviously the day off with Thomas. So we are a tourist attraction in the heart of Amish country, but we are more than just a steam train. We're also a family of family friendly attraction that has a a wide variety of different offerings, “Said Conner.

Around 1954 the railroad was struggling until the year 1960 when investors came together and decided to revive steam for passenger operations.

“So, in 1960, Labor Day of 1960, the Strasburg Railroad brings back steam for revenue generating passenger service. So, think of it is all the major railroads are getting rid of steam. Here's this small railroad in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, bringing steam back. Plus, they're located in the heart of the Amish country, which was the booming tourist attraction in the late 1950s and 1960s. And so here we have this dichotomy of Amish country. People are coming flocking in to see the Amish, and there's a steam locomotive running, which at that time a lot of the parents and the kids grew up with steam, “said Conner.

Today, staff at the Strasburg Railroad works to educate their guests about its history through festive events. Terron Quailes Director of Entertainment says they aim to do historical things will make them fun. Right now, they’re preparing for their Christmas season.

“I just want to announce that we will be having our very first Christmas piece of this season that will kick off Saturday, November 30th. And that comes with a 5 p.m. train ride followed by a family style dinner that will take place in Lefevre Hall, which will include a brass band that will play for the mayor as well as a meet and greet with Mrs. Claus, and then stay on the lookout for all of what we have for 2025, “said Quailes.

CLICK HERE to see upcoming events.

The <a href="https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/history/">Strasburg Railroad</a> is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the United States, charted back to 1832. Eric Conner, Vice President of Guest Experience and Stationmaster says in a few years the railroad will be celebrating bicentennial
“We are more than just a steam train ride through Amish country. We have a variety of dining events, food and beverage events, special events including civil war days, haunted rails and tales of Christmas and Easter events, and obviously the day off with Thomas. So we are a tourist attraction in the heart of Amish country, but we are more than just a steam train. We're also a family of family friendly attraction that has a a wide variety of different offerings, “Said Conner.
Around 1954 the railroad was struggling until the year 1960 when investors came together and decided to revive steam for passenger operations.
“So, in 1960, Labor Day of 1960, the Strasburg Railroad brings back steam for revenue generating passenger service. So, think of it is all the major railroads are getting rid of steam. Here's this small railroad in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, bringing steam back. Plus, they're located in the heart of the Amish country, which was the booming tourist attraction in the late 1950s and 1960s. And so here we have this dichotomy of Amish country. People are coming flocking in to see the Amish, and there's a steam locomotive running, which at that time a lot of the parents and the kids grew up with steam, “said Conner.
Today, staff at the Strasburg Railroad works to educate their guests about its history through festive events. Terron Quailes Director of Entertainment says they aim to do historical things will make them fun. Right now, they’re preparing for their Christmas season.
“I just want to announce that we will be having our very first Christmas piece of this season that will kick off Saturday, November 30th. And that comes with a 5 p.m. train ride followed by a family style dinner that will take place in Lefevre Hall, which will include a brass band that will play for the mayor as well as a meet and greet with Mrs. Claus, and then stay on the lookout for all of what we have for 2025, “said Quailes.
<a href="https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/all-events/">CLICK HERE</a> to see upcoming events.

Strasburg Railroad aims to educate rich history through festive events

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Stephanie Williams was a nurse and stopped her employment when she had her daughter in 2015. In 2021, she had a persistent cough that turned out to be lung cancer.

“When I was diagnosed, I was 37 years old, and I didn't have the typical risk factors we think of when we think of lung cancer. For example, I'm what they call a never smoker. I didn't have a family history of lung cancer, and there were no environmental exposures that we were aware of that would have contributed to my diagnosis. So, my family and I were very shocked, “said Williams.

According to Dr. Troy Moritz, thoracic surgeon with UPMC, Lung Cancer is abnormal growth in the lung.

“It occurs when the cells have mutations. They go unchecked and then they multiply sometimes rapidly. And the checks and balances that our body has to take care of, altered DNA sort of fail. And so those cells are allowed to multiply unchecked. You can have growth of different types of cells and that's why we get different types of lung cancer, “said Moritz.

Historically, there are different ways that someone can get diagnosed with lung cancer.

 “You had symptoms. Now you maybe coughed up blood. Maybe you were short of breath, maybe you had a cough, maybe had chest pain. And your doctor would then prescribe an X-ray or a Cat scan or some other diagnostic test. The other way was what we called incidentally found. And that's people that maybe had a kidney stone and got a Cat scan or they fell off a ladder and came to the E.R. and got a Cat scan or for some reason they got imaging done. And on that imaging, we would see a nodule or a mass that would lead to an investigation and uncover that they had lung cancer. Nowadays, we're fortunate because we have screening for lung cancer, “said Moritz.

Today, Stephanie has become an influencer on social media, raising awareness about Lung Cancer.

“Shortly before starting chemotherapy, I went on Tik Tok and just made a couple of videos talking about this crazy thing that happened to me, which is finding a tumor in my long after a little bitty cough that I wasn't too worried about. And sharing that story got some interest. People started following me. People would comment about a family member they know that had lung cancer or even people who were newly diagnosed themselves. And I continued to share my story through chemo. And the following grew a little bit. And it's been a nice outlet for me to kind of process some things surrounding my diagnosis. And it's made some great connections for me with other people, with lung cancer organizations and helps me get the word out, “said Williams.

During this month, Dr. Moritz is working to raise awareness and break the stigma associated with lung cancer.

“You know, I started my career a long time ago and, you know, lung cancer was perceived as, you know, kind of an older smoker's disease. And so there's not a lot of sympathy in that. And so over time, you know, as less and less of our population smoke, it becomes more and more apparent that nonsmokers do get lung cancer. And so people like Stefanie are incredibly important to advocating for that and changing people's perception of what lung cancer is all about. A lot of times when people think about women's cancers, everybody immediately thinks about the gynecologic or the breast cancer. But what most people don't realize is that lung cancer kills more women. It's the leading cancer killer in women. And so that's an awareness that most people just don't have. And so people like Stephanie can sort of help change those minds to young people get cancer. Not a lot, but some do in nonsmokers get lung cancer, but it's also survivable. There's been more advancements in the last five years than the prior 50 years, and that comes from surgery, radiation advancements, chemotherapy advancements. The entire treatment paradigm has changed. People survive a lot longer with more advanced stage lung cancer. And so it's important to have advocates. It's important to have people out there that are trying to change the way people see lung cancer because that drives funding and it drives organizations that are out there creating public awareness, “said Moritz.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. <a href="https://lcfamerica.org/story/tiktok-star-with-lung-cancer-stephanie-williams/">Stephanie Williams</a> was a nurse and stopped her employment when she had her daughter in 2015. In 2021, she had a persistent cough that turned out to be lung cancer.
“When I was diagnosed, I was 37 years old, and I didn't have the typical risk factors we think of when we think of lung cancer. For example, I'm what they call a never smoker. I didn't have a family history of lung cancer, and there were no environmental exposures that we were aware of that would have contributed to my diagnosis. So, my family and I were very shocked, “said Williams.
According to <a href="https://providers.upmc.com/provider/troy-allen-moritz/1744806">Dr. Troy Moritz</a>, thoracic surgeon with UPMC, Lung Cancer is abnormal growth in the lung.
“It occurs when the cells have mutations. They go unchecked and then they multiply sometimes rapidly. And the checks and balances that our body has to take care of, altered DNA sort of fail. And so those cells are allowed to multiply unchecked. You can have growth of different types of cells and that's why we get different types of lung cancer, “said Moritz.
Historically, there are different ways that someone can get diagnosed with lung cancer.
 “You had symptoms. Now you maybe coughed up blood. Maybe you were short of breath, maybe you had a cough, maybe had chest pain. And your doctor would then prescribe an X-ray or a Cat scan or some other diagnostic test. The other way was what we called incidentally found. And that's people that maybe had a kidney stone and got a Cat scan or they fell off a ladder and came to the E.R. and got a Cat scan or for some reason they got imaging done. And on that imaging, we would see a nodule or a mass that would lead to an investigation and uncover that they had lung cancer. Nowadays, we're fortunate because we have screening for lung cancer, “said Moritz.
Today, Stephanie has become an influencer on social media, raising awareness about Lung Cancer.
“Shortly before starting chemotherapy, I went on Tik Tok and just made a couple of videos talking about this crazy thing that happened to me, which is finding a tumor in my long after a little bitty cough that I wasn't too worried about. And sharing that story got some interest. People started following me. People would comment about a family member they know that had lung cancer or even people who were newly diagnosed themselves. And I continued to share my story through chemo. And the following grew a little bit. And it's been a nice outlet for me to kind of process some things surrounding my diagnosis. And it's made some great connections for me with other people, with lung cancer organizations and helps me get the word out, “said Williams.
During this month, Dr. Moritz is working to raise awareness and break the stigma associated with lung cancer.
“You know, I started my career a long time ago and, you know, lung cancer was perceived as, you know, kind of an older smoker's disease. And so there's not a lot of sympathy in that. And so over time, you know, as less and less of our population smoke, it becomes more and more apparent that nonsmokers do get lung cancer. And so people like Stefanie are incredibly important to advocating for that and changing people's perception of what lung cancer is all about. A lot of times when people think about women's cancers, everybody immediately thinks about the gynecologic or the breast cancer. But what most people don't realize is that lung cancer kills more women. It's the leading cancer killer in women. And so that's an awareness that most people just don't have. And so people like Stephanie can sort of help change those minds to young people get cancer. Not a lot, but some do in nonsmokers get lung cancer, but it's also survivable. There's been more advancements in the last five years than the prior 50 years, and that comes from surgery, radiation advancements, chemotherapy advancements. The entire treatment paradigm has changed. People survive a lot longer with more advanced stage lung cancer. And so it's important to have advocates. It's important to have people out there that are trying to change the way people see lung cancer because that drives funding and it drives organizations that are out there creating public awareness, “said Moritz.

The Spark Weekly 11.10.2024: Microplastics and The Pa. Innocence Project

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