May 2015

Jeff Benson

Originally broadcast 05/29/2015
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Long time and outstanding Ames citizen and City Planner Jeff Benson passed away unexpectedly on May 26. We honor his life and accomplishments. Councilwoman Gloria Betcher speaks on behalf of the City of Ames. City Planners Charlie Kuester and Ray Anderson, who worked with Jeff, describe Jeff's work in city planning and the development of Iowa'a Lincoln Highway Association. Also included are two excerpts from a lecture that Jeff Benson gave last year, sponsored by the Ames History Center, about the history of business development in Ames.

Another View of Memorials

Originally broadcast 05/27/2015
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Guests Marsha Miller with David and Hannah Gradwohl led us on a tour of cemeteries and memorials that took us to several Civil War graves from Maxwell both North and South to a Stolperstein in Frankfurt, Germany, where Hannah and David just attended a ceremony for Hannah's grandparents. They explored the significance of cemeteries for communities and individuals.

Hosts: Marty Miller and Susan Franzen

Memorial Day and Downtown Summer Daze

Originally broadcast 05/25/2015
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Keynote speaker for Ames' Memorial Day ceremonies, Brigadier General Jennifer Walter, Chief of Staff of the Iowa Air National Guard, conveys her Memorial Day message and describes her work in the military.

Executive Director of Main Street Cultural District Cindy Hicks stops by to talk about public events we can look forward to in downtown Ames, including Artwalk,Foodies and Brew, Firefly Country Nights, 4th of July, Farmers Market and Bandshell concerts, and more.

David Rehbein, the former National Commander of the American Legion explains the history, mission and activities of the American Legion, both nationally and within Ames' own local Post #37. He delivers his own personal Memorial Day messages and recognizes some particular individuals whom he thinks of on this day.

The Wild Outdoors

Originally broadcast 05/22/2015
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The show begins with wildlife correspondent Pat Schlarbaum's news of new Peregrine Falcon nesting birds and hatchlings soon to arrive.

Then, co-host Kay Puttock shares her interview with gun dog breeder, trainer, and competitor Laura Miller (pictured here with her championship-winning Viszla, "Bull") of Maxwell.

Kay also speaks with writer Mark Edwards about the evolution of Iowa's state parks, which he used to help manage in his job with the DNR.

Finally, co-host Greta Anderson interviews Ames Parks and Rec director, Keith Abraham, about the city's and school district's plans for a new indoor swimming facility The old Municipal Pool, shared by the two entities 50/50, is reaching the end of its life.

Robert Reich

Heart of Iowa program originally broadcast 05/21/2015
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Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, delivered the keynote address at the Working Families Summit in Ames, May 16, 2015. The event was sponsored by the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, ISEA, and other unions, together with the NAACP, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Center for Worker Justice, Progress Iowa, Iowa Citizens Action Network, Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans and other progressive groups. KHOI thanks these sponsors for permission to air and post this lecture.

In addition to serving as Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997, Robert Reich taught at Harvard and Brandeis Universities, and is currently the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at University of California, Berkeley. He has also been a contributing editor of The New Republic, The American Prospect (also chairman and founding editor), Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He directed the award-winning documentary, Inequality for All (2013), which won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. In this rousing and often amusing speech, Reich exposes the structural changes inflicted upon the American workforce, and encourages summit-goers to ask all the candidates hard-hitting questions about these changes. Most importantly, he asks the listener to overcome the barriers of cynicism and resentment that have been instilled in the voting public and are standing in the way of a widespread progressive movement.

Shipley School, Mexican Restaurants, and Bike Trails

Originally broadcast 05/20/2015
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Hosts Paul Wierson, Gina McAndrews and Susan Franzen explored the amazing history and spirit of people from Shipley School by talking with Nancy Reiter, Wanda Kemp, Stan Tweedt, Joyce Peterson, and Ivan Jensen. Jasmin Murgia took us on a culinary and cultural tour of two new Mexican restaurants in Nevada. We capped off out program with Ursula Ruedenberg’s interview with Lisa Hein of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to celebrate National Bike Month.

The Glut of Glyphosate

Originally broadcast 05/15/2015
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Over the past two decades, glyphosate use has risen dramatically with the advent of genetically linked crops, to the point where it is now the most commonly used pesticide, not just in the U.S., but worldwide. Reporter Greta Anderson talks with several local and regional experts on this phenomenon and its unintended consequences to farm systems and crop and soil health. Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, provides an introduction and overview to the "unsustainable" use of this technology. Former USDA soil biologist Robert Kremer of Missouri describes his 10-year studies on the effects of glyphosate application on the rhizosphere. Meanwhile, Greta and co-host Gale Seiler talk with 39-year certified crop advisor Bob Streit of Boone about early yellowing in crops and Ed Anderson, director of research at the Iowa Soybean Association about recent findings on Sudden Death Syndrome. We cap off the show with an announcement by Sue Dinsdale of Iowa Citizen Action Network of the upcoming Iowa Citizen Action Network featuring speaker Robert Reich.

Learning Outside the Box

Originally broadcast 05/11/2015
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Co-host Greta Anderson begins with the Environmental Impact Project Showcase of Ames High teacher Mike Todd's environmental science class. These students* have spent the whole semester developing real-world outdoor projects on school grounds (e.g., a milkweed production plot, outdoor classroom, and permaculture garden), and informational art projects (via the Lexicon of Sustainability) that will be displayed in pop-up shows around the community. Then, Gale Seiler explores the local world of home schooling with Shelly Larson, the ACSD's Home School Assistance Program coordinator, Isaiah Riker, a home-schooled 17-year old, and in-studio guests Craig Hastings and Sarvinder Naberhaus, who both home-schooled their children and have been involved in assisting home-school parents and documenting their stories.

*Student voices included Macey Myers, Aspen McNace, Travis Jergens, Sarah Noble, Hailey Debbutt, and Brandon Johnson (pictured with his team and prize-winning Lexicon poster, the tall fellow on the right)

Black Lives Matter, Bike To Work Week

Originally broadcast 05/06/2015
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Latino ISU students have their own Graduation ceremony in Spanish at ISU. Berenice Real, and Berenice Liborio from Latino Student Initiatives explain.

On May 1st, a second silent student march for Black Lives Matter was held at ISU. ISU students Jared Ingram and Selma Sims, speak about why they support the Black Lives Matter movement and we hear sounds of the march and some thoughts and hashtags, and sign messages from the march.

May has been declared Bike to Work Month and May 11 - 18 is National Bike to Work Week. Dan DeGeest, a member of the Ames Bicycle Coalition, described the formation, mission, and the many events coming up to celebrate Bike To Work Month

For a listing of all events, visit this page on the Ames Bicycle Coalition website.

Music and Old Buildings

Hosts: Paul Wierson and Susan Franzen

Originally broadcast 05/06/2015
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Ben Svec from Falls Millwork in Kelley and Shelly Bernholtz, from SAFE Buildings in Slater talked about the dangers and opportunities that come with old buildings. We were joined by Sylvia Munsen (pictured at left), Shon Stephenson, Sara Compton and Paul Hertz who told us about plans for the 20th anniversary of the Ames Children’s Choirs Concerts to be held May 9th and 10th at 3:00 PM. at the First United Methodist Church, 516 Kellogg Ave. in downtown Ames.

Hosts: Paul Wierson and Susan Franzen

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