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Autism- and Sensory-Friendly Music Festival in Jermyn, PA

Inclusion Festival, an autism- and sensory-friendly music and wellness festival, will be held July 28 and 29 at Mountain Sky Festival Grounds, in Jermyn, Pennsylvania, just north of Scranton.

Inclusion Festival celebrates neurodiversity, promotes understanding and acceptance, and provides educational opportunities within a safe, nurturing environment. Individuals with special needs, and those who wish to support them, are invited to participate and attend recreational and educational workshops, connect with nature, experience live music, participate in mindfulness practices and build a supportive community network and lifestyle that extends far beyond the festival grounds.

Amy Pinder, speech language pathologist, and Leah Hegstrom Barron, special education and yoga teacher, are Inclusion Festival’s founders and directors. Together, they have assembled a team of educators, event planners, musicians and therapists dedicated to improving the quality of life and raising awareness of individuals with special needs, such as autism, through inclusive, immersive experiences. ASL interpreters will also be available.

The 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Accessible Festivals, which specializes in ensuring that music festivals are accessible to anyone, regardless of their ability, will be partnering with Inclusion Festival. Accessible Festivals’ clients include LiveNation, Wanderlust and more.

 

Cost: Day pass and weekend pass tickets available. Kids 12 and under, free. Location: 63 Stillmeadow Ln., Jermyn. For more information, visit InclusionFestival.com.

News Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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