2007 Audio Archives
Host Rich Kremer - 715-839-3869 - richard.kremer@wpr.org

(Archives before July 30, 2007 are only available using RealPlayer.)

December 18, 2007: How newspapers are changing to stay competitive. Our year end look at the media includes Don Huebscher, Editor of the Leader-Telegram in Eau Claire; Bob Zank is reporter and columnist for the Amery Free Press. Listen

December 17, 2007: Too much hype or pragmatic planning. The behind-the-scenes organizing for a pandemic flu outbreak or other emergency in western Wisconsin. Richard Thoune is Chair of the Western Region Partnership for Public Health Preparedness and he's Director of the Eau Claire City-County health Department; Marge McFarlane is Safety Coordinator for Sacred Heart Hospital and she's the Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program Region 1 Chair; Steve Senor is Chair of the Dunn County Emerg. Preparedness Committee and Health Instructor at the Chippewa Valley Technical College. Listen

December 11, 2007: Is ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder over diagnosed? 2 studies reveal new information. Guests include UW-Eau Claire Psychology Professor William Frankenberger; Vicki Dowell is a retired Coordinator of Special Education for Eau Claire Schools; Mort Sipress is a parent of two who used Ritalin. Listen

December 10, 2007: Can homelessness be solved without government help? Hope Gospel Mission in Eau Claire is trying. Guests include Gary Steward, Executive Director; Craig Pedersen, Business Manager of Building Hope, the Bargain Center and the Auto Dealership; Jeff White is a resident in the men's shelter. Listen

December 4, 2007: Medicare Part D - answers to questions that often confuse seniors from 3 benefit specialists. Mary Rudd is with the Chippewa County Department of Aging; Janet Lesniewski is with Eau Claire County Dept. of Aging; and Judy Norish is from Pepin County's Senior Services. Listen

December 3, 2007: The West Side Outside - with Joe Knight and Dave Carlson. Deer hunting perspectives. And some managed forest land owners are not happy with a new plan in the state budget that makes it illegal for them to charge for recreational activities on land that gives them a tax break - others say it was time to stop large land owners from taking advantage of the forest program. Listen

November 27, 2007: Chanukah and Diwali, Jews and Hindus, what do they have in common? Their "Festival of Lights" celebrations came at around the same time this year. Helaine Minkus, President of Temple Shalom and Veena Chadha, who grew up in India, talk about their religions. Listen

November 26, 2007: How safe are the bridges in western Wisconsin? Guests include Tom Beekman, Planning and Program Chief for the Department of Transportation's Northwest Region; Gary Brunner is the Northwest Operations Chief of DOT; UW-Stout Professor Joseph Wright is Program Director for the Construction program and is a structural engineer. Listen

November 20, 2007: When poor countries can't provide basic services like eye care and glasses - churches take on the challenge. Members of Central Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls have gathered more than 10,000 pair of glasses to send to the African country, Malawi. Guests who explain this project and other 'people-helping people' efforts include Dr. Lon Arneson, optometrist; Central's Senior Pastor Rick Hoyme; Bishop Duane Pederson with the ECLA's Northwest Synod; and Diane Kaufman, Companion Synod Coordinator - she's been to Malawi a dozen times. Listen

November 19, 2007: The long term consequences of budget shortages at the county level. Jackson County has shut down services at times when money is short. County Board Chair Steve Dickensen and Director of the Wisconsin Counties Association, Mark O'Connell talk about a new group that's formed to look for solutions - the Wisconsin Way. Listen

November 13, 2007: Those for and against a statewide smoking ban share their perspectives. Sally Jo Birtzer is a State Director of the Tavern League for 11 counties in western Wisconsin. Richard Thoune is Director of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. Listen

November 12, 2007: Should Eau Claire county have a Mental Health Court to provide alternatives to incarceration? The county board decides whether to run a pilot program. Guests include Eau Claire County Circuit Judge Paul Lenz; Director of the Eau Claire County Dept. of Human Resoures, Roy Sargeant; and Cynthia Paulson, mother of a mentally ill 22 year old who's been in and out of jail since she was 14. Listen

November 5, 2007: The West Side Outside focuses this month on deer hunting, the Stewardship fund and eagle migration. Guests include Joe Knight, environmental reporter for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and Duke Welter, Secretary of the Natural Resources Board and Eau Claire attorney. Mary Beth Garrigan from the National Eagle Center near Wabasha talks about one raptor's recovery - 'Harriet' - who's perched on her arm. Listen

October 30, 2007: Some are not happy the Music Therapy program at UW-Eau Claire may be eliminated. Guests include Program Director, Lee Anna Rasar; student Mandy Alvar; and the Director of Syverson Lutheran Nursing Home in Eau Claire, Randy Rennock. Listen

October 29, 2007: The challenges of family caregiving. Guests include Mary Pierce, caregiver and Eau Claire author of “When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister"; Nancy Abrahamson, St. Croix County Dept. on Aging; Karren Gunderlach with the Alzheimer's Association in Eau Claire; and Dianne Rhein with Age AdvantAge Area Agency on Aging in Altoona. Listen

October 23, 2007: Evolution - the Chippewa Valley Dialogue on Science and Religion invited evolutionary scientist and Brown University professor, Kenneth Miller to the UW-Eau Claire campus. He talks with us about why he is a firm believer in evolution but also believes in God. He is author of the most widely used high school biology textbook and "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution". Joining him is UWEC Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Charlene Burns. Physics & philosophy major John Rohde and english literature major Buckley Cloud add the student perspective. Listen

October 22, 2007: How will western Wisconsin grow economically, retain talented people and compete with other regions of the state? That's the challenge for Momentum Chippewa Valley which may expand from 4 to 9 counties. Guests include Momentum CV Director Mike Armstrong; Bill Rubin, Executive Director of the St. Croix Economic Development Corporation; and Bob Meyer, Director of the Stout Technology Transfer Institute. Listen

October 16, 2007: Regional lawmakers with the latest on the overdue state budget. Senator Pat Kreitlow-D from Chippewa Falls, Senator Sheila Harsdorf-R from River Falls, Representative Jeff Wood-R from Chippewa Falls, Representative Jeff Smith-D from Eau Claire. Listen

October 15, 2007: Why are fewer men going to college? It's a troubling issue that the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services at UW-River Falls is studying...Alan Tuchtenhagen also talks about whether the new UW holistics admissions policy will change the gender disparity. Listen

October 9, 2007: Is it up to government to solve hunger and poverty problems or can private organizations fill the gap. Guests include Julie McNaughton with Menomonie Area Bread for the World, Craig Adams with the Farmer to Farmer organization in Glenwood City, Christine Cheevers with Interfaith Volunteers of Dunn County and Deborah Bappert who knows firsthand about being homeless with children. Listen

October 8, 2007: A bill that ensures rape victims receive information about emergency contraception at a hospital has passed in the State Senate but is stuck in the Assembly. Those for and against the plan talk about it. Matt Sande is director of legislation for Pro-Life Wisconsin, Stephanie Erickson is a Case Manager at the Bolton Refuge House in Eau Claire, Sara Finger is Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health. Listen

October 2, 2007: The West Side Outside looks at the contribution of sportsmen to the economy. Representative Ron Kind shares his ways to get more kids outdoors with archery classes. In the second half, concerns about the woodcock's habitat with DNR wildlife researcher Larry Gregg. Regular guests include the Leader Telegram's environmental reporter, Joe Knight and Dave Carlson, host and producer of the television program, Northland Adventures. Listen

October 1, 2007: Those with a mental illness know the challenges of overcoming its stigma. Guests are from The Wellness Shack, an advocacy group for people in mental health recovery. President Omar Nelson, board member Nora Bates and Grassroots Empowerment Project spokesperson Carmen Cerna have a frank discussion about their own personal experience with mental illness and why a support group can be life saving. Listen

September 25, 2007: Angelspace will be a home in Eau Claire for the terminally ill and their families to share the last moments together. Guests include grassroots organizer Sharon Stokes, oncologist Dr. Dean Delmastro, and Sue Rogge. An update to this program that aired in January - Sharon Stokes passed away September 12, still hoping Angelspace would become a reality. Listen

September 24, 2007: The health care proposal called Healthy Wisconsin - does it have a chance of becoming state law or is it too expensive. Guests include Senator Kathleen Vinehout, sponsor of the plan to cover all state residents. Opposing the plan is Chris Lokken, President of the North Central Chapter of Insurance Underwriters. Dean Kallenbach, Host. Listen

September 18, 2007: Ok - so you're tired of the garden and lawn care. But there's still fall work to do. UW-Extension Horticulturist Tom Kalb from Eau Claire has a to-do list. Dean Kallenbach, Host. Listen

September 17, 2007: Regional lawmakers and the state budget. Rep. Mary Hubler-D from Rice Lake and Rep. Jeff Wood-R from Chippewa Falls explain their views. Wood was the only republican to vote against his own party's budget proposal. Dean Kallenbach, Host. Listen

September 11, 2007: An elaborate network of people in western Wisconsin intercept perfectly good food often headed to a landfill and get it to those in need of food. Guests include Emily Moore, Executive Director of Feed My People food bank; Michelle Gribble, Director of the St. Francis Food Pantry; Nancy Coffee, a UW-Extension Nutrition Education Program Coordinator and a recipient of food describes what that feels like. Re-broadcast from June 4, 2007. Listen

September 10, 2007: An urban village in downtown Eau Claire - what it will look like once Minneapolis developers finish a revitalization project. Guests include Mike Schatz, Economic Development Administrator for Downtown Eau Claire, developer Geoff Moeding and Michael Huggins with Volume One Magazine. Re-Broadcast from July 17, 2007. Listen

September 4, 2007: The West Side Outside focuses this month on chronic wasting disease in deer and why Stanley resident, Al Brown is worried. He's a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Group on CWD. Joining him are Joe Knight, environmental reporter for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and Dave Carlson, host and producer of the television program, Northland Adventures. Listen

August 28, 2007: Farmers in western Wisconsin are waiting to see what the final 2007 Federal Farm Bill will look like. Guests include Sue Beitlich, President of the Wisconsin Farmers' Union and dairy farmer from Stoddard; Jim Holte is a Wisconsin Farm Bureau board member and beef producer from Elk Mound. Listen

August 27, 2007: UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich talks about the state budget cloud looming over UWEC, and a new business-oriented vision for the university. Listen

August 21,2007: Chippewa Valley Technical College President, Bill Ihlenfeldt explains program changes and budget challenges. Listen

August 20,2007: UW campus safety after the killings at Virginia Tech in April. Guests include the Governor's Task Force on Campus Security co-chair Roger Leque, who is the River Falls Police chief; Dick Trende is the director of public safety at UW-River Falls; and Blake Fry is special assistant to the chancellor and is overseeing emergency planning at UWRF. Listen

August 14,2007: Regional lawmakers talk about the state budget. Guests are Representative John Murtha-R from Baldwin and Representative Ann Hraychuck-D from Balsam Lake. Listen

August 13,2007: Regional lawmakers talk about the state budget. Guests are Senator Pat Kreitlow-D from Chippewa Falls and Representative Scott Suder-R from Abbotsford. Listen

August 7,2007: The controversial Senate health care plan called Healthy Wisconsin. Perspectives on the proposal from two Chippewa Valley business owners -- Representative Jeff Smith-D, owner of Bob Smith Window Cleaning in Eau Claire and Representative Terry Moulton-R, owner of Mouldy's Archery and Tackle near Chippewa Falls. Listen

August 6,2007: Genocide in Darfur - a local fundraiser in Eau Claire is designed to benefit the region. Guests include organizer Eric Anderson and Senator Sheila Harsdorf-R whose legislation requires state officials to divest from companies that provide income to the government of Sudan. Sachin Chheda is leading the Darfur Action Coalition of Wisconsin. Listen

July 31,2007: Bullying is not only a problem on the playground but now cyberbullying is happening through a computer or cell phone. UW-Eau Claire professor Justin Patchin has done pioneering research on this issue. Joining him is Jake Schoeder, Secondary Technology Support Specialist with the Eau Claire Area School District. Recent high school graduate Caitlin O'Brien shares her experience with a social network. Listen

July 30, 2007: Are bird species being threatened? The West Side Outside program features birding expert and author, Laura Erickson from Duluth. She joins regular guests Joe Knight, environmental reporter for the Leader Telegram and Dave Carlson, producer and host of the TV program, Northland Adventures. Listen

July 24, 2007 Lawmakers talk about the state budget. Scheduled guest include Representative Terry Musser-R and Representative Barbara Gronemus-D, who recently announced she won't run again after serving since 1982. Listen

July 23, 2007 The new Korean War Tribute at the Highground Veterans Memorial Park near Neillsville. Guests include Kirk Rodman, Highground general manager and Korean-Era veteran; Bob Bertz is also a Korean Veteran and Beth Martin, a Vietnam Era veteran who serves on the Korean Tribute committee. Listen

July 17, 2007 Will downtown Eau Claire be a new urban village once Minneapolis developers finish a revitalization project? Guests include Mike Schatz, Economic Development Administrator for Downtown Eau Claire, developer Geoff Moeding and Michael Huggins with Volume One magazine. Listen

July 16, 2007 How to get more budding entrepreneurs in western Wisconsin. Guests include Pat Dillon, NW Regional Director of the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network, Pete Marsnik, founder of Clearwater Systems and Manager of the Chippewa Valley Angel Network and Dale Lotts, President of Knight Rider Consulting. Listen

July 10, 2007 Can Wisconsin become energy independent by relying more on ethanol production? Representative Jeff Wood-R and Senator Bob Jauch-D join State Secretary of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection, Rod Nilsestuen to talk about ways the state might become energy independent. Listen

July 9, 2007 The rural landscape of western Wisconsin that so many people love. Is it getting loved to death? Guests include Dunn County Land Conservationist Jim Forster and Michelle Dingwall with West Wisconsin Land Trust. Joining at the last minute was Scott Humrickhouse, Director of the West Central region of the Department of Natural Resources in Eau Claire. He spoke about the overnight death of the department's Public Affairs Officer, Dave Weitz. Listen

July 3, 2007 A re-broadcast of the April 10 program on Arbor Place, an organization with a grant to educate students about drinking. Listen

July 2, 2007 A re-broadcast of the May 1 program on manufacturing in western Wisconsin. Listen

June 26, 2007 Proposed changes in immigration law could affect western Wisconsin as owners of large farms and Christmas tree growers rely on Mexican workers. Among the guests are John Ahl, a partner in Northern Christmas Trees & Nursery near Black River Falls. He uses migrant workers. Stratford organic dairy farmer Jim Greenberg does not. Vicki Seltun is an Eau Claire attorney who specializes in immigration law. Listen

June 25, 2007 It's the West Side Outside program with Northland Adventures TV host Dave Carlson and the Leader Telegram's outdoors writer Joe Knight. Joining them is now famous Eau Claire turkey caller, Scott Wilhelm. Woven into the discussion is the philosophy of Richard Louv, author of the book "Last Child in the Woods." Listen

June 19, 2007 The Eau Claire County Board votes on whether to build a new jail and courts building. We'll hear three different perspectives from County Board Vice Chair Colleen Bates, board member Stella Pagonis and Circuit Court Judge Paul Lenz. Listen

June 18, 2007 The Community Visioning process, an effort underway to shape the future of Dunn County by attracting new leadership, population diversity, improving technology education, Twin Cities sprawl and 16 other regional features. Listen

June 12, 2007 What's changed at the Northwest Guidance and Counseling Clinic in Rice Lake in the year since the clinic was found guilty of negligent abuse of a resident in the death of a 7 year old girl. Guests include Denison Tucker, president of the company's board of directors and Rick Pelishek, regional director of Wisconsin Family Ties and disability Rights Wisconsin. Otis Woods is Administrator of the Division of Quality Assurance and Joyce Allen is Director of the Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Listen

June 11, 2007 The Slow Food movement. Guests include Andrew Dane, Community Development agent for Chippewa and Barron Counties; Nathan Berg, chef/owner of Native bay restaurant and Maurice and Gail Smith, owners of Dragsmith Farms near Barron. Listen

June 5, 2007 The effect on lakes of phosphorus from fertilizer, feed and manure run-off. Guests include Paul LaLiberte, a Department of Natural Resources Basin Supervisor, Buzz Sorge, a DNR Lakes Specialist and Jerry Clark a crop and soil education specialist with UW-Extension. Listen

June 4, 2007 An elaborate network of people in western Wisconsin intercept perfectly good food often headed to a landfill and get it to those in need of food. Our program on the growing problem of hunger includes Emily Moore, Executive Director of Feed My People food bank; Michelle Gribble, Director of the St. Francis Food Pantry; and Nancy Coffee, a UW-Extension Nutrition Education Program Coordinator. Listen

May 29, 2007 The Outdoors program with Joe Knight, the Leader Telegram's outdoors writer and Dave Carlson, host and producer of the television program Northland Adventures. The latest on the virus which causes anemia and bleeding in fish, Joe describes how to tie a "pink squirrel" fly and new hiking trails in Pepin County. Listen

May 22, 2007 The new Child Advocacy Center, a child friendly environment where children who are victims of sexual and physical abuse are interviewed by a specially trained investigator. Program Director Marnie Hersrud and Forensics Interviewer Marcia Roberts explain the team approach used by law enforcement and mental health specialists to investigate cases of suspected child abuse. Listen

May 21, 2007: The success and future expansion of Service Learning projects in Eau Claire. Guests include the Service Learning Grant Coordinator Hjordy Wagner, students Jonah Zabel and Erica Nance and teachers Jennifer Birkholz and Mary Oehler. Listen

May 15, 2007 UW-River Falls' plans to reduce dependence on traditional sources of energy. Guests include Chancellor Don Betz, science professor Kelly Cain, graduate student Eric Wickstrom and Anastasia Shartin of the Phipps Center for the Arts. Listen

May 14, 2007 State Senator Kathleen Vinehout-D from Alma talks about the upcoming budget, the Governor's veto power, school funding, ag issues, health care and other legislation. Listen

May 7, 2007 UW-River Falls Chancellor Don Betz talks about the American Democracy Project, the initiative designed to give university students a reason to become involved in local community activities. Joining him is Assistant to the Chancellor Blake Fry, student Katie Leisch and Jill Shannon from the St Croix Valley Community Foundation. Listen

May 1, 2007: Manufacturing in western Wisconsin. Guests include Bob Meyer, Dean of the College of Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing at UW-Stout and Dan Conroy, Human Resources Manager with the Nexen Group. Listen

April 30, 2007 Fishing is the main topic of this month's Outdoors program with Joe Knight, the Leader Telegram's outdoors writer and Dave Carlson, host and producer of the television program Northland Adventures. Listen

April 24, 2007 The spirituality, wisdom and life principles of Tony DePerry, an elder of the Northwestern Ontario Ojibwe. He conducts sweat lodge ceremonies and teaches about native medicines. Listen

April 23, 2007 The Chippewa Valley Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals is upset that the Office & Administrative Assistant program at Chippewa Valley Technical College might be eliminated. President Cynthia Welch will join us. Listen

April 17, 2007 Violence Prevention in elementary schools. Our guests talk about how a grant from the Children's Legacy organization in Eau Claire enabled a three-year project to get off the ground in the school district. Listen

April 16, 2007 Executive Director of West Wisconsin Land Trust, Rick Gauger talks about finding a balance between conservationists and development specialists. Joining him will be Bill and Pat Henke who have put land in a conservation easement. Listen

April 10, 2007 An organization with a grant to educate students about drinking has kicked into gear in Menomonie. We'll hear about what Arbor Place and local law enforcement are doing, including party patrols. UW-Stout students share their picture of the drinking culture. Listen

April 9, 2007 UW-Eau Claire students who illegally downloaded music face fines of up to $750 per song, says the Recording Industry of American Association. Guests include students, UWEC's Chief Information Officer, Chip Eckardt and Copyright Officer, Christopher Cox. Due to technical difficulties, only the first half of the program is available. Listen

April 3: How a proposed bill to create competition between cable and other video service providers might work. Those running local community government channels are not happy about the proposal. Among the guests are Joel Desprez, Executive Director of Community Television in Eau Claire, Rick Vergin, CEO of Chibardun Telephone Cooperative, Rich Eggleston is the spokesman for the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities. Listen

April 2, 2007 5:00 A local horticulture expert explains how to put your gloves, rake, pruning shears and garden books to good use in western Wisconsin. Listen

April 2, 2007 5:30 Congressman Ron Kind-D talks about issues in Congress - the war in Iraq, the minimum wage, small business tax cuts, earmark reform, and the democrats' plan to wield more power. Listen

March 27, 2007 The monthly Outdoors program. Joe Knight outdoors writer for the Eau Claire Leader Telegram and Dave Carlson host and producer of the television program Northland Adventures look at some of the issues of the April 16th Conservation Congress and update the delisting of wolves from the endangered species list. Listen

March 26, 2007 Eau Claire school district residents will vote on a $21.6 million dollar referendum April 3. Superintendent of Schools Bill Klaus and school board member Mike O'Brien will explain why the money is needed. District resident, Robert L. Carr questions how the money would be spent. John Ashley, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, will talk about other schools in the region holding referendums. Listen

March 20, 2007 Freshmen legislators from western Wisconsin talk about what it's like to go from running a small business to having a hand at running state government. Representative Jeff Smith-D from Eau Claire and Representative John Murtha-R from Baldwin were both elected in November. Listen

March 19, 2007 Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick is the keynote speaker at Senior Americans' Day in Eau Claire. She joins Sylvia and Gerald Lee in a West Side discussion of how hardiness keeps one in a good position to "Live Now...Age Later." Listen

March 13, 2007 Lori Scardino, a self-described single mom who'd been out of school for 10 years and didn't have much money is now among 20 college students nationwide to be named to the 2007 All-USA College Academic First Team. She's a senior chemistry and biology major at UW-Eau Claire. Her adviser and mentor, UWEC chemistry professor Scott Hartsel talks about the lab research both have been involved in. Listen

March 12, 2007 An election and political behavior specialist shares his knowledge and wit with West Side listeners. UW-Eau Claire political science Professor Geoff Peterson's current projects include late night talk show politics, the causes of voter roll-off and American Indian voting. He has just been elected to serve on the Council on Undergraduate Research. Listen

March 6, 2007 Why diversity is important at a predominantly white midwestern university. It often creates opportunities, but also prejudice and privilege. Guests include Joy Mighty, a professor at Queen's University in Ontario and UW-Eau Claire Computer Science professor Michael Wick who serves on the Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee. Listen

March 5, 2007 Should there be legislation in Wisconsin requiring education about the Hmong? Guests include Charles Vue, Hmong/Southeast Asian Program Coordinator at UW-Eau Claire; Professor Deborah Pattee who's writing curriculum about the Hmong; and Ka Vang who works at Chippewa Valley Technical College. Listen

February 27, 2007 How girls and women can get a "you go girl" attitude and stop the "I need a man" attitude. UW-Eau Claire women's studies and education professor Maureen Mack discusses her new book, "Finding Center: Strategies to Build Strong Girls and Women". Listen

February 26, 2007 Our monthly Outdoors program focuses on the March 12th removal of the gray wolf from the endangered and threatened species list. Rob Stafsholt of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters' Association joins Leader Telegram Outdoors writer Joe Knight and Dave Carlson, host and producer of the television program Northland Adventures. Listen

February 20, 2007 Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Rod Nilsestuen; Bloomer farmer, Steve Hilger; Ellen Denzer, Senior Planner with St. Croix County; and Rick Gauger, Executive Director of West Wisconsin Land Trust talk about ways to protect ag land from development. Listen

February 19, 2007 Do regional lawmakers like the Governor's budget proposal? We'll ask Senator Pat Kreitlow-D from Eau Claire and Representative Scott Suder-R from Abbotsford. Suder serves on the legislature's budget writing committee. Listen

February 13, 2007 Should there be silica sand mining on agriculture land near Hoffman Hills in Dunn County? The proposal by a Texas company has stirred up some in the community. Both sides have been invited to talk about the issue. Listen

February 12, 2007 A conversation with 3 authors about Negro League Baseball. Dennis Biddle says he played with the league. He's written about it in "Secrets of the Negro Baseball League: As Told by Dennis Biddle". Mark Clark has a book in progress, and Jason Christopherson is a member of the Eau Claire Baseball History Committee and author of "Baseball in Eau Claire." Listen

February 6, 2007 How is affirmative action working? Regional perspectives from Kimberly Barrett, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development and Diversity at UW-Eau Claire and History Professor Selika Ducksworth-Lawton who teaches African American history. Listen

February 5, 2007 Why does UW-Stout want the designation of Polytechnic University? The Chancellor, Dean of the College of Technology, Engineering and Management and Chemistry Professor explain. Listen

January 30, 2007 How has "gender" shaped everyday life, social policy, and economics? Those issues are part of UW-Eau Claire's new undergraduate major in Women's Studies. Program Coordinator Susan Turell, and majors Amy Oldakowski and Dan McNeely describe the program. Listen

January 29, 2007 Drugs that are flushed get into the sewer system and pollute lakes, rivers and even drinking water. Representative Kitty Rhoades, Joan Burns of the DNR and St. Cloud State University Professor Heiko Schoenfuss idscuss the problem in western Wisconsin. Listen

January 23, 2007 A home for the terminally ill is scheduled to open in Eau Claire next month. Sharon Stokes, Dr Dean Delmastro, Sue Rogge and Linda Woods share their goals for Angelspace where patients are expected to stay about a week surrounded by family members, nursing care, music and even massage therapy. Listen

January 22, 2007 The West Side-Outdoors monthly program explores several issues including ice fishing, cross country skiing, ethanol production. Our regular guests include the Eau Claire Leader Telegram's Outdoors writer Joe Knight and Northland Adventures' television host Dave Carlson. Listen

January 16, 2007 How can more employers be encouraged to hire and accommodate people with disabilities? Guests include Robin Jones, Project Director and instructor at the Great Lakes ADA Center; Tim Sheehan with the Center for Independent Living; Jim Schumacher with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and DVR client Nate Johnson who has a bachelor's degree in multi media but hasn't been able to find a full-time job. Listen

January 9, 2007 They're producing and using lots of biodiesel fuel in Barron County. Guests include technical school teacher Kim Odden; farmer Tom Perlick; and County Administrator Duane Hebert. Re-broadcast from 7/25/06 Listen

January 8, 2007 They're turning manure into energy on a 900-cow dairy farm in Elk Mound. Guests include the owner of Five Star Dairy, Lee Jensen and those who manage the 'manure digester' and sell the electricity. Re-broadcast from 8/7/06. Listen

January 2, 2007 How do national immigration policies affect local farmers in western Wisconsin? Dairy farmer John Rosenow, Shaun DuVall, the Director of Puentes in Alma, and UW-Eau Claire geography professor, Paul Kaldijan talk about the need for and challenge of hiring immigrants. Re-broadcast from 5/8/06. Listen