April 2015

Story County Story Project, Raising Readers

April 27, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 04/27/2015
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Today, we share the "fruits" of two different collaborations of KHOI with students in our community:

Last winter, co-host Gale Seiler and station manager Ursula Ruedenberg visited Ames High School to share a few pointers on radio production with the senior English classes, and KHOI hosted student visits to our studio. These students were in the process of interviewing an elder of their choice. Meanwhile, last fall, Gale and co-host Greta Anderson brought elementary students in the Raising Readers program to share their book reports, and again this spring, Lonna Nachitgal recorded their poems at the library.

First up on today’s show, Gale and Greta air some of these amazing high school student interviews and talk with Joe Brekke, who joins us in the studio. Then, we play some of the elementary students’ original creations, with all their inimitable charm. The wisdom and talent in our community is boundless, and KHOI is here to bring it to you!

Ames History Mural

April 24, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Originally broadcast 04/24/2015
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The Ames History Mural, located in Tom Evans Plaza near the west side of Main Street in Ames was painted in 2003 by Ursula Ruedenberg and Jane Graham, in partnership with the City of Ames Public Arts Commission and funded by more than 75 individuals and businesses. The mural is scheduled to be demolished in a few weeks.

Owner of the building where the mural resides, Randy Pyle, explains the mural is coming down becasue the building is being renovated.

Kerry Dixon from the City of Ames Public Arts Commission explains the process from the city's point of view and gives some history of how the project started. Arts Advocate Carole Horowitz and former Public Arts Commissioner (who was seated when the mural was painted) talks about the meaning of this project as well as public art in general in Ames.

Artists Graham and Ruedenberg describe how the mural was made. Also, former artistic collaborator Jeanne Griffin O'Neil, who was part of Ames Mural movement in the 1970's, speaks about that inspiring era via telephone from East Grand Forks, MN.

Earth Day 2015

April 22, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

The first half of today's program was Susan Franzen's interview with Chris Anderson, Assistant Director of the Climate Science Program at ISU, and Katharine Hayhoe, Director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, who will present the Earth Day Lecture, “Climate Urgency & How Farmers and Businesses Can Take the Lead”, an Iowa State University Lecture podcast broadcast by permission.

Pat Schlarbaum's phenology report was a tribute to Rachel Carson and her influence in the legislation that led to the survival of the Peregrine Falcon and its return to Iowa. Then Pat spoke with Larry Stone, Jon Stravers, and Mark Edwards about how Earth Day has developed in the past 25 years.

Food Security, Colt Walkers, and Wiccan Wisdom

April 17, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Originally broadcast 04/17/2015
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Co-host Greta Anderson shares an interview with Dr. Philip McMichael, sociology professor at Cornell University who also works at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome representing social movements of smallholder farmers, forest-dwellers, and indigenous peoples who produce up to 70% of the world's food and who are being dispossessed of their land by industrial agriculture and biofuel concerns. Dr. McMichael spoke on the ISU campus this week, and was joined in the studio by a grad student from one of the groups who brought him here, Gabrielle Roesch-McNally. Then, Belinda Merritt interviews Fred Love of the band the Coltwalkers, who have their first album out and are playing at DG's Taphouse on Saturday, and Fred plays a song live. Finally, Cynthia McClure interviews Liz Rohret of Ames about what it takes to become a Wiccan priestess and how Wiccans deal with other people's fears.

The Ballard Way

April 15, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Originally broadcast 04/15/2015
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Co-hosts Paul Wierson and Susan Franzen, along with reporter Sarah Hegland, explored "The Ballard Way" with residents of the towns on Ballard Creek (the Ballard School District) including Merle Olberding, Ron and Jean Finch, John Ronca, Howard Hammond, Scott De Young, Michael Macki, and Anthony Rosing. The interview with Taylor Stichka included a couple of songs from his CD of children's songs, "The Floor is Lava," winner of the Parents' Choice Award.

Poverty and another Sticky Subject

April 10, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 04/10/2015
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Co-hosts Greta Anderson and Ursula Ruedenberg welcome Heidi Thompson, a nurse in Quality Improvement at Mary Greeley, and Dr. Anthony Jones, associate principal of Ames Middle School--both members of this year's Leadership Ames class, a training program of Ames Chamber of Commerce. The occasion is a Poverty Simulation that Leadership Ames organized for members of the community, including city and county administration and elected representatives. Joining them was one of those participants Brian Phillips, who works as an analyst in the Ames City Manager's office. The simulation, an elaborate role-playing exercise, allows people to experience some of the challenges of finding their way through poverty and provided our guests many interesting insights. Then we speak with Mark Edwards, a writer and retired DNR trailblazer, on the subject of ticks. Mark has a literary essay on ticks in the latest Wapsipinicon Almanac, from which he reads a few choice bites.

Story County Stories, Passover, April Ames Events

April 3, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Originally broadcast 04/01/2015
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Ames High School teacher Joe Brekke, creator of the "Story County Stories" project explains how he and other Ames High teachers are leading the production of audio stories for podcast and broadcast, made by students after they recorded interviews with people important to their lives. Students Jonah Glenn and Will Weber describe their experiences while participating in this project. The students' stories can be heard on line at Story County Stories Project

Jim Werbel gives a description of the meaning and events of the Passover holiday.

Ames Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda gives an update about events in the City of Ames during the month of April.

On the Road (reprise)

April 1, 2015 - 7:00am -- ron

Originally broadcast 04/01/2015
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County Reporters Paul Wierson and Susan Franzen explored how "Road Trip" programs have developed on Local Talk since Susan's April Fool worthy blooper in January 2013 to picking up a walker on 282nd St. near Kelley in March 2015. Voices we heard from our past road trips included Mildred Brendeland, Fenner Stevenson, Sandra Huemann-Kelley and Ed Fallon.