Smart Talk Tuesday: How Pa. benefits from Great American Outdoors Act; Offensive mascots?

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Carolyn Kaster / AP Photo

Members of a Department of Homeland Security police force stand guard at the North Carolina monument in the Gettysburg National Military Park Saturday, July 4, 2020 in Gettysburg.

The Great American Outdoors Act will provide three billion dollars a year to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands.

The bill signed into law by President Trump last week, with widespread bi-partisan support, is being called by at least one supporter as the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century. However, there are those who say the money isn’t enough to cover the estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on federally owned lands.

Tuesday’s Smart Talk explores how the Outdoors Act will impact national parks, federal land and other venues in Pennsylvania.

Appearing on the program are Lauren Imgrund, Deputy Secretary for Conservation and Technical Services, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Steven Sims, Superintendent of the Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, and Stephanie Wein, Clean Water & Conservation Advocate, PennEnvironment.

Also on Tuesday’s show, the Black Lives Matter movement and a renewed focus on inequality and discrimination led to statues and monuments of Confederate Civil War leaders and those who may have been racist in their lifetimes being torn down or replaced.

Questioning or criticizing history wasn’t just confined to African-Americans. Criticism from Native-Americans – many of whom have been saying that sports mascots are offensive – grew louder.

Tuesday’s Smart Talk includes conversation with several people who want the Susquehanna Township High School “Indians” to change their name and mascot.

Joining us are Allyn Rosenberger, 2013 Susquehanna Township High School graduate who launched a community campaign and petition to retire the school’s mascot and James Crews, 1989 alumni of Susquehanna High School who is native American.