Month: September 2021

The men who signed the US Constitution are well known for their role in history and the importance of the document that contains their names.

A lesser-known person who played an important role in the original document is the man who actually wrote, or penned, the words. Jacob Shallus’s name appears nowhere on the document, but he is the man who transcribed the original Constitution. While his name may be lost to history, his contribution to history, is not.

Cindy Dlugolecki, is a playwright and distant relative of Jacob Shallus. When she discovered that he is her first cousin six-times removed she used his role as inspiration for her most recent play.

Dlugolecki wrote The Hand That Holds The Quill as a way to honor her relative’s role in history, as well as recognize the individuals in the background of this event; “the unheard, or silenced voices, in our country’s history.”

An all-female production team brings this story to the Capital Blue Cross Theatre at Central Penn College this week. Playwright Cindy Dlugolecki appears on Smart Talk Tuesday, along with Composer Chris Purcell to talk about bringing history to the stage.

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Disability advocates are sounding the alarm over the funding and staffing crisis impacting care. They say the problem is so severe that the system risks an eventual collapse unless the state government takes immediate action.

Gary Blumenthal is the vice president of InVision Human Services, in Wexford and Reading, Pa., and his organization is advocating for an immediate increase in funding. He says to prevent a collapse of the care system, the state must do two things immediately.

First, increase pay to direct support professionals; some earn almost 40 percent less if they work in a non-state owned center. Second, the community programs must be staffed and stable for people using the services. Turnover of employees is so high that the programs suffer, as do the users.

Gary Blumenthal joins Smart Talk Tuesday to discuss these issues and how the state government has failed to review program costs. Joining him is Nancy Murray, Senior Vice President of Achieva and President, The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh.

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The English Channel separates England and France by less than 21 miles. For marathon swimmers, the distance stands as the world’s most historically significant and iconic athletic challenge.

Many have tried, not all have succeeded because of many factors. First, the water is cold, averaging in the low 60-degree range. For the swim to be officially recognized, swimmers are only permitted to use goggles, a cap, a nose clip, ear plugs and a swimsuit; absolutely no wetsuits allowed.

The ocean currents pose another challenge in that swimmers are not able to take a straight-line course, but are at the mercy of unrelenting currents that make their route look more like a backward S.

Mechanicsburg native and marathon swimmer Jeannie Zappe, 55, earned her place among the few who have successfully completed the open water swim. Channel swimmer Jeannie Zappe appears on Smart Talk Monday.

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On any given day, the Raven Ridge Wildlife Rehabilitation Center offers aid to raptors, like eagles and vultures, mammals and waterfowl that have been hurt or injured.

The Lancaster County center rehabilitates nearly 2000 animals every year and is also home to several non-releasable animals.

Tracie Young, the founder and director of the center says the center also treats an alarming number of cases of lead exposures among animals. The lead poisoning is the result of animals ingesting lead from ammunition and fishing sinkers left in the environment by hunters and fishermen. Testing and treating the animals is expensive and not always successful.

Tracie Young appears on Smart Talk Monday to talk about the scope of the problem.

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Smart Talk remembers the 9/11 terrorist attacks 20 years later with a Road Trip to the State Museum of Pennsylvania Thursday.

Witness to History is a new exhibit at the State Museum that includes the notes taken on Sept. 11, 2001, by former Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner, Col. Paul Evanko, when he joined former Gov. Tom Ridge at the United Flight 93 crash site in Somerset County.

Col. Evanko appears on Thursday’s Smart Talk to describe his experiences on that fateful day. He’ll be joined by State Archivist David Carmichael.

Also, on the program is WITF’s Multimedia News Director Tim Lambert, who along with NPR’s Scott Detrow, produced a widely acclaimed retrospective radio documentary. Tim has a unique perspective in that Flight 93 crashed on land he and his family owned.

We’ll also be joined by Gettysburg College Professor of History Michael Birkner, Ph.D., discussing how the nation became so divided after uniting on 9/11.

Watch the program:

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Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks.

As part of WITF’s special 9/11 — 20 years later special programming, Smart Talk begins the week with a visit and broadcast from the Flight 93 National Memorial in western Pennsylvania.

Appearing on the program:
Stephen Clark, Superintendent of the National Parks of Western Pennsylvania shares details of the events as they unfolded on 9/11, as well as plans for the Flight 93 National Memorial.

Also joining the conversation is Patrick White, whose cousin Louis J. Nacke II was killed on Flight 93. White is very active in the Friends of Flight 93 family group and involved with the development of the Memorial site.

Finally, Kyle Kurchak is from nearby Saint Michael, Pa., and is a student at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and he will contribute thoughts on how young Pennsylvanians view the events of 9/11 and how they shaped his perspective of our country, his community and the world.

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Spending time in the outdoors can be both relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time. Nature has a way of reminding us that our own problems and challenges are small in comparison to the wonders of the natural world.

Hiking is a great way to enjoy outdoor areas, but women in particular, may not feel comfortable going alone.

Amanda Galvan, an outreach specialist with REI Co-op, an outdoor recreational equipment supplier, says that while adventuring alone can be scary, it can also be very rewarding. She joins Smart Talk Thursday to share tips to make hiking alone a better experience.

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