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

A new law now allows college athletes and even some in high school to benefit financially by allowing the use of the athlete’s name, image, or likeness (NIL). Phillip Petrina, an associate with the law firm McNees, Wallace & Nurick spoke with The Spark host Asia Tabb about the emergence of those deals.



Also, on The Program;

Six Irish dancers who train at the Doherty Petri School of Irish in Lancaster will join the group Riverdance to perform at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 17-year-old Isaiah Pujol is one of those six students that will be seen in front of millions of people.

Coming up on this week's edition of The Spark Weekly.
A new law now allows college athletes and even some in high school to benefit financially by allowing the use of the athlete’s name, image, or likeness (NIL). <a href="https://www.mcneeslaw.com/people/philip-petrina/">Phillip Petrina</a>, an associate with the law firm <a href="https://www.mcneeslaw.com/">McNees, Wallace &amp; Nurick</a> spoke with The Spark host Asia Tabb about the emergence of those deals.
 
Also, on The Program;
Six Irish dancers who train at the Doherty Petri School of Irish in Lancaster will join the group Riverdance to perform at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 17-year-old Isaiah Pujol is one of those six students that will be seen in front of millions of people.

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 11.24.2024: Name, Image, and Likeness Deals and Local Irish Dancers Perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Downtown York is celebrating a major milestone in its journey toward revitalization — earning both state and national accreditation through the Main Street America program and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center.

The recognition signals a significant accomplishment for Downtown Inc, the organization leading the charge to support small businesses, public art, economic development, and community safety in York’s core. “Accreditation is kind of the gold standard in downtown revitalization programs,” said Sarah O’Brien, Director of Downtown Inc. “York has actually been doing the work to meet those standards for many years. We just took a step back this last year and went through the process to get the recognition we’ve earned.”

This is the first time in over a decade — since 2013 — that York has held the prestigious designation.

Since stepping into her role in April 2024, O’Brien has worked to strengthen York’s ties to national revitalization standards and broaden the community’s participation in the process. “I worked for three different Main Street programs in Texas, and we always worked really hard to get accredited,” she said. “It was kind of a personal and team goal to get back on track with our reporting and demonstrate that we’re doing the hard work to successfully revitalize a community.”

According to O’Brien, the accreditation recognizes a collaborative effort between local government, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens. “Downtown Inc is that connector between small businesses, nonprofit organizations, government, and individuals,” she said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Downtown York is celebrating a major milestone in its journey toward revitalization &mdash; earning both state and national accreditation through the Main Street America program and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center.
The recognition signals a significant accomplishment for Downtown Inc, the organization leading the charge to support small businesses, public art, economic development, and community safety in York&rsquo;s core. &ldquo;Accreditation is kind of the gold standard in downtown revitalization programs,&rdquo; said Sarah O&rsquo;Brien, Director of Downtown Inc. &ldquo;York has actually been doing the work to meet those standards for many years. We just took a step back this last year and went through the process to get the recognition we&rsquo;ve earned.&rdquo;
This is the first time in over a decade &mdash; since 2013 &mdash; that York has held the prestigious designation.
Since stepping into her role in April 2024, O&rsquo;Brien has worked to strengthen York&rsquo;s ties to national revitalization standards and broaden the community&rsquo;s participation in the process. &ldquo;I worked for three different Main Street programs in Texas, and we always worked really hard to get accredited,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It was kind of a personal and team goal to get back on track with our reporting and demonstrate that we&rsquo;re doing the hard work to successfully revitalize a community.&rdquo;
According to O&rsquo;Brien, the accreditation recognizes a collaborative effort between local government, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens. &ldquo;Downtown Inc is that connector between small businesses, nonprofit organizations, government, and individuals,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Without them, we wouldn&rsquo;t be where we are today.&rdquo;

York’s Downtown Earns “Gold Standard” Recognition for Revitalization

As the summer months heat up, so does the intake of stray and displaced animals at the York County SPCA, putting serious pressure on space, staff, and resources.

Steven Martinez, Executive Director of the York County SPCA, joined The Spark to shed light on how the shelter is navigating one of its busiest seasons of the year. "It's usually about this time of the year, towards the end of summer, that we start to get full," said Martinez. “You hit May, June, July — things start creeping up. And then by the time you get to August, suddenly we have 70, 80 dogs in the kennel at any given time.”

This influx of animals, particularly large dogs, is taking a toll on both the animals and the staff. “When our shelter starts to get too full, the animals get real stressed. They can get sick because there’s too many in too close of an environment. That extends their length of stay,” Martinez explained.

As the only animal shelter serving all 72 municipalities in York County, the organization is legally required to accept all stray and displaced animals. That volume alone creates consistent strain, but summer presents unique challenges.

“For cats, summer is their breeding season,” Martinez said. “By the time you get to the end of summer going into the fall, they’re in the third litter — and now we’re starting to get full.”

Inside the shelter, the noise and constant activity can cause stress for animals, especially dogs. That stress often leads to poor health, which then delays adoption. “Stress equals bad health. Our job is to manage their health through enrichment,” Martinez said. “We try to get dogs out two to three times a day for a walk, put them in play groups, and teach them manners so that they’re better candidates for adoption.”

As the summer months heat up, so does the intake of stray and displaced animals at the York County SPCA, putting serious pressure on space, staff, and resources.
Steven Martinez, Executive Director of the York County SPCA, joined The Spark to shed light on how the shelter is navigating one of its busiest seasons of the year. "It's usually about this time of the year, towards the end of summer, that we start to get full," said Martinez. &ldquo;You hit May, June, July &mdash; things start creeping up. And then by the time you get to August, suddenly we have 70, 80 dogs in the kennel at any given time.&rdquo;
This influx of animals, particularly large dogs, is taking a toll on both the animals and the staff. &ldquo;When our shelter starts to get too full, the animals get real stressed. They can get sick because there&rsquo;s too many in too close of an environment. That extends their length of stay,&rdquo; Martinez explained.
As the only animal shelter serving all 72 municipalities in York County, the organization is legally required to accept all stray and displaced animals. That volume alone creates consistent strain, but summer presents unique challenges.
&ldquo;For cats, summer is their breeding season,&rdquo; Martinez said. &ldquo;By the time you get to the end of summer going into the fall, they&rsquo;re in the third litter &mdash; and now we&rsquo;re starting to get full.&rdquo;
Inside the shelter, the noise and constant activity can cause stress for animals, especially dogs. That stress often leads to poor health, which then delays adoption. &ldquo;Stress equals bad health. Our job is to manage their health through enrichment,&rdquo; Martinez said. &ldquo;We try to get dogs out two to three times a day for a walk, put them in play groups, and teach them manners so that they&rsquo;re better candidates for adoption.&rdquo;

Clear the Shelter: York County SPCA Faces Summer Surge in Stray Pets

Parkinson’s disease is often misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed, especially in its early stages. On a recent episode of The Spark, I spoke with Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, Chief Mission Officer at the American Parkinson Disease Association, about the complexities of this neurodegenerative disease and why early awareness is so critical. "It's really such an important message that we want to give over today — what is Parkinson’s disease?” said Dr. Gilbert. “It’s a brain disorder… and certain cells in the brain die. We don’t exactly know why, but something goes wrong.”

Parkinson’s is known for causing tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, and difficulties with walking. But many early symptoms are far less obvious. "The first symptoms could be so subtle — someone may not swing their arm on one side, or they may have trouble whisking an egg or getting their arm into a coat,” Dr. Gilbert explained. “People may brush these off as arthritis or just aging.”

Other early signs are even more unexpected. Dr. Gilbert noted that some of the earliest symptoms are “non-motor,” including sleep issues, mood changes, and even constipation. "Sometimes the earliest symptoms are so not tied to something someone would think is a brain disorder... like constipation,” she said. “Only in retrospect do people realize they’ve had Parkinson’s symptoms for years.”

Parkinson&rsquo;s disease is often misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed, especially in its early stages. On a recent episode of The Spark, I spoke with Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, Chief Mission Officer at the American Parkinson Disease Association, about the complexities of this neurodegenerative disease and why early awareness is so critical. "It's really such an important message that we want to give over today &mdash; what is Parkinson&rsquo;s disease?&rdquo; said Dr. Gilbert. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a brain disorder&hellip; and certain cells in the brain die. We don&rsquo;t exactly know why, but something goes wrong.&rdquo;
Parkinson&rsquo;s is known for causing tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, and difficulties with walking. But many early symptoms are far less obvious. "The first symptoms could be so subtle &mdash; someone may not swing their arm on one side, or they may have trouble whisking an egg or getting their arm into a coat,&rdquo; Dr. Gilbert explained. &ldquo;People may brush these off as arthritis or just aging.&rdquo;
Other early signs are even more unexpected. Dr. Gilbert noted that some of the earliest symptoms are &ldquo;non-motor,&rdquo; including sleep issues, mood changes, and even constipation. "Sometimes the earliest symptoms are so not tied to something someone would think is a brain disorder... like constipation,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Only in retrospect do people realize they&rsquo;ve had Parkinson&rsquo;s symptoms for years.&rdquo;

The Spark Weekly 11.24.2024: Name, Image, and Likeness Deals and Local Irish Dancers Perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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