December 27, 2007 - "Route 51 Year-in-Review"
Fasten your seat belts and join Route 51 host Glen Moberg as he takes a look back at his travels in 2007. Listen

December 20, 2007 -
"The Cheesehead Night Before Christmas"
Route 51, welcomes Fred Lane and Romey Wagner, authors of The Cheesehead Night Before Christmas. The newly released illustrated book puts a very funny, ethnic Wisconsin spin on the traditional holiday poem. Glen will also talk with both men about their work on local and global social service projects. Wagner is one of the guiding forces behind a project to dig wells for the Masai people of Kenya. He is also involved with the local Red Cross “Real Heroes” campaign. Listen

December 13, 2007 -
"The Birth of Television in North Central Wisconsin"
Route 51 looks back at the birth of television in North Central Wisconsin and welcomes three broadcast pioneers. Mark Zelich, recently retired after fifty years with WSAW TV-7, served as the station’s first sports anchor in the fifties, its News Director for more than three decades, and its special events coordinator. Walter John Chilsen was North Central Wisconsin’s first anchorman, broadcasting the nightly news when Channel 7 was the only TV station on the dial. Sid Kyler, the station’s graphic artist, created the mascot “Sir Seven.” Route 51’s host, Glen Moberg, is himself a veteran of Channel 7, having served as the station’s News Director and anchorman during the 1990’s. Listen

December 6, 2007 - "School Funding"
Route 51 examines the crisis affecting school funding in the state of Wisconsin. Guests will be John Smart, a member of the Park Falls School Board, who also serves on the Policies & Resolutions Committee of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and on the interim board of directors of the Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools; Dan Brereton, President of the Florence School Board, which almost disbanded due to chronic financial problems; and Kris Gilmore, Superintendent of Weston’s DC Everest School District. Listen

November 29, 2007 -- "Encore Broadcast"
Route 51 with Glen Moberg is on holiday. Please enjoy an "Encore Broadcast" of Route 51 from August 16, 2007 with Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District Representative, Democrat, Dave Obey. Obey, current chair of the House Appropriations Committee will talk about issues from Washington D.C. and his new autobiographical book, Raising Hell for Justice.

November 22, 2007 - "Happy Thanksgiving!"
Route 51 with Glen Moberg is on holiday. Please enjoy WPR's Ideas Network broadcast of the special Third Coast International Audio Festival from 4pm-6pm on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22nd. Hear award winning radio productions by the most talented producers in the world.

November 15, 2007 - "Central Wisconsin Authors"
The first half hour includes Hilary Bilbrey, author of Brecker Bunny Learns to be Careful, a children's book inspired by an accident in which her son was burned by hot bath water. In the second half of the show, UW-Stevens Point professor of Anthropology Tom Johnson and his wife Helen, talk about their book Also Called Sacajawea, Chief Woman's Stolen Identity drawing on his experience as a field worker among the Eastern Shoshone Indians. Listen

November 8, 2007
"Andrew Lam, Vietnamese Author."
Featured guest is Andrew Lam, the author of Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora. Lam is a regular commentator on NPR's All Things Considered, an editor with the Pacific News Service and an award winning syndicated writer. Perfume Dreams is a collection of essays Lam wrote while exploring his identity as a Vietnamese national living abroad. Lam eventually comes to grips with his duality by embracing a journey to self-discovery…a journey reflected in Perfume Dreams. Listen

November 1, 2007
"Global Warming, Art & Science."
Paradise Lost, a traveling art exhibit that looks at the science of global warming, and its effect on the forests and lakes of northern Wisconsin will initiate the discussion. The exhibit comes to Wausau and the downtown Center for Visual Arts on November 15th. Guests will include organizer Terry Daulton, Wisconsin artist Mary Burns, and Dr. David Mladenoff, a Beers-Bascom Professor of Conservation with the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at UW Madison. Listen

October 25, 2007
"Afghanistan: The Forgotten War."
Guests will include Neamotollah Nojumi, former Afghan resistance fighter, political advisor to mujahideen leaders, and author of The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region; and Michael Metrinko, who has spent four years in post-Taliban Afghanistan, most recently as the Embassy’s Advisor on the Afghan Parliament. Also joining the discussion will be Kevin Hermening, held as a hostage in Iran alongside Metrinko in the 1970s. Listen

October 18, 2007
"Being a Police Officer in Wisconsin:
What it Takes / What it's Like."
Discussion will look at the day to day stress on the job, how officers react when they’re faced with deadly force, and whether changes need to be made in the training they receive. Guests include State Representative Ann Hraychuck (D-Balsam Lake), Brian Fiene, Police Training Supervisor at Northcentral Technical College and Lt. Dennis Saager of the Wausau Police Department. Listen

October 11, 2007
"Marathon County's West Side Master Plan:
A Community Roadmap for the next 25 Years"
Marathon County is in the process of examining and balancing the needs of the community regarding Marathon Park in Wausau. Guests will include representatives from the Marathon County Board, UW-Marathon County, County Fair Board and neighborhood residents. Listen

October 4, 2007
"Wisconsin Hunger Summit"
This Thursday, October 4th, hundreds of people will be in Stevens Point for the Wisconsin Hunger Summit, which will try to find solutions to a problem that affects an estimated 600,000 people in our state. Host Glen Moberg will moderate a discussion with Hunger Summit organizer Kadi Row of UW-Extension, and Lauri Rockman of the Portage County Health and Human Services Department. Rockman is also helping to organize the upcoming Empty Bowls campaign in Stevens Point. Listen

September 27, 2007
"Performing Arts in Central Wisconsin" Tune in to get a rundown of the exciting scheduled events and local theatrical developments from Jim O’Connell, executive director of Wausau’s Performing Arts Foundation; Michele Good, executive director of the Campanile Center for the Arts in Minocqua; Jim Haas, board president of the Arts Council of South Wood County; Deb Janz, executive director of the Lucille Tack Center for the Arts in Spencer; and Tom Brunner, president of the Center Stage Show Choir, a new organization based in Wausau and Stevens Point. Listen

September 20, 2007
"Domestic violence in the Southeast Asian community"
A new initiative to combat the problem of domestic violence in central Wisconsin’s Southeast Asian Community is examined this week. The effort comes in the wake of a recent local tragedy, a murder/suicide that has refocused attention on a persistent cultural problem. Host Glen Moberg welcomes Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin, Hmong Association President Peter Yang, Women’s Community Executive Director Jane Graham Jennings, and counselors working directly with domestic violence victims. Listen

September 13, 2007
"Operation Migration"
This Thursday’s program focuses on Wisconsin’s recovering flock of the endangered bird; the whooping crane. There are 55 cranes at the Necedah Wildlife Refuge, out of a worldwide population of less than 500. Guests will include Elizabeth Condie, Public Relations Manager for Operation Migration, who will be traveling from Canada for the program; Daniel Peterson, Visitors Service Manager and Outreach Coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Dave Arnold, general Chairman of the Necedah Whooping Crane and Wildlife Festival. Listen

September 6, 2007
"ATVs in the Northwoods"
Talk this week will tackle the controversy surrounding a proposed ATV trail in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest in Vilas County. Guests will include Mike Musiedlak, president of the Vilas County ATV Alliance, Sue Drum, a trail opponent and stakeholder committee member and Steve Peterson, Superintendent of the state forest. Listen

August 30, 2007
"Unraveling the Mysteries of HDTV and HD Radio."
What is it? What equipment do you need? What will it cost? Guest host Bill Martens hopes to answer these and other "HD" questions with in-studio guest Chad Myers, chief engineer for WSAW TV-7 and WPR's chief engineer, Steve Johnston, joining from Madison. Listen

August 23, 2007
Just in time for back to school, Route 51 takes up the topic of the University of Wisconsin System. Guests include UW Board of Regents President, Mark Bradley, UW-Stevens Point Chancellor, Linda Bunnell and UW-Marathon County Dean, Sandra Smith. Discussion will focus on the UW System in general, and more specifically, the potential effect State Budget cuts may have on the UW four-year and two-year campuses. Listen

August 16, 2007
This week's guest will be Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District Representative, Democrat, Dave Obey. Obey, current chair of the House Appropriations Committee will be here to talk about the latest issues from Washington D.C. and his new autobiographical book, Raising Hell for Justice. Listen

August 9, 2007
Route 51 welcomes central Wisconsin community leader and former Consolidated Paper CEO, George Mead for an hour of conversation about the history of papermaking and its influence on the communities of North Central Wisconsin. Joining Mead will be Jeff Landin, President of the Wisconsin Paper Council, and former Executive Director of the Portage County Business Council. Discussion will include the new Wisconsin River Papermaking Museum in Wisconsin Rapids. Listen

August 2, 2007
Wausau native Dan Speckhard, back from Baghdad joins Glen for an hour of conversation about the mission in Iraq, and the ongoing efforts to rebuild the country in the midst of an ongoing war. Speckhard has just completed his assignment as Deputy Chief of Mission, where he was second in command under the Ambassador to Iraq. He also served as Director of Iraq Reconstruction Management, where he was in charge of the reconstruction effort following the U.S. invasion. Listen

July 26, 2007
This Thursday, it’s the Battle of the Budget, as Route 51 hosts a debate over the conflicting state budget plans being considered by the legislature in Madison. Glen will moderate a discussion between State Representative Scott Suder, (R) from Abbotsford, and State Representative Donna Seidel, (D) from Wausau. Listen

July 19, 2007
The history between the Boy Scouts, Walt Disney, and Dwight Eisenhower converge at this one special place in northern Wisconsin...Camp Tesomas. Guests will include Samoset Council Executive Director Bruce Mikkelson, Camp Director Scott Domino, and unofficial camp historian, Ed Zahn. Listen

July 12, 2007
Glen's guest this week is Marge Gibson of the Raptor Education Group Inc. (REGI) in Antigo, Wisconsin. Gibson, Executive Director of REGI is currently caring for a rare peregrine falcon that was shot near its nest at the Weston Power Plant in Rothschild. Discussion will also include the progress of injured owls recently rescued and threats to our bald eagle population now that the bird has been taken off the endangered species list. Listen

July 5, 2007
This week the discussion will focus around United Way's 211 Get Connected, Get Answers phone service. Guests will include United Way representatives from Marathon, Portage and South Wood Counties.
Listen

June 28, 2007
Bill Martens sits in for vacationing Glen Moberg. The topic will be The Great Peshtigo Fire of 1871. Guests include Denise Gess, co-author of the book Firestorm at Peshtigo, and Bob Pound, local fire expert. There will also be a short stop at the Peshtigo Fire Museum. Listen

June 21, 2007
Sit back, relax and listen to music and conversation with the South Beach Chamber Ensemble live in our studio. Listen

June 14, 2007
Author Helen Caldicott has devoted the last 35 years to an international campaign to educate the public about the medical hazards of the nuclear age and the necessary changes in human behavior to stop environmental destruction. She is the keynote speaker at this weekend's Midwest Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Fair in Custer, and she talks with us. Listen

Listen

May 31, 2007
We celebrate the successes of The George W. Mead Wildlife Area. Listen

May 24, 2007
We catch up with Rhinelander author Victoria Houston and find out the latest mystery in Loon Lake. Listen

Listen

Listen

May 3, 2007
Alcohol, Drugs, and our Kids. We talk with drug educator Sue Nowak, and a man who is a former drug kingpin who now speaks to kids across the country about his experiences and how he got out of the drug culture for good. Listen

April 26, 2007
Live from UW-Stevens Point...The Central Wisconsin Watershed, and its importance to the economy and the environment. In recent years, heavy use of the watershed combined with near drought conditions has all but dried up portions of the Little Plover River, several lakes in Portage and Waushara Counties, and wetlands that are important to local wildlife populations. Yet the watershed continues to be a vital resource for the region’s economy, both for farmers and local municipalities.

Our guests include:
George Meyer, Executive Director, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, and former Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Mike Carter, Executive Director, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association
George Kraft, Professor of Water Resources, UW Stevens Point

April 19, 2007
Buddy Holly was one of many who put the Rothschild Pavillion on the map as a national venue. We'll talk with leaders of a project to Restore this local landmark. We'll also listen to some of the music that was played there over the years.
Listen

A slide show of Rothschild Village President Neal Torney and the pavillion is available Here.

April 12, 2007
The mysterious School Funding formula. Here excerpts from a forum on School funding moderated by Glen Moberg. Listen

April 5, 2007
"Quit your huffing and puffing" says U.S. Representative Dave Obey about President Bush's threatened Veto of Obey's Iraq funding plan. We hear excerpts the Congressman's remarks at the UW-Marathon County. Asst. Professor of Political Science Eric Giordano and Mike Miles, who ran against Obey on the Green Party ticket in 2006. Listen

March 29, 2007
Mosinee School District leaders hope the 14th time is the charm as they ask voters to approve a spending referendum. We talk with the district's superintendent and a school board member. Listen

March 22, 2007
Get Gone, the latest release from Johnny and the MoTones. We talk with John Altenburgh and Otis McLennon about this second volume in the Ultimate Roadtrip Series and the jazz and blues scene in north central Wisconsin. Listen

March 8, 2007
"Flying on a jet plane..." may become easier at the Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA). Or, will it? The current debate bewteen the Marathon County Administrator, CWA management, and the Airport Board centers on terminal expansion/move. Listen

March 1, 2007
Literacy is on our minds. We talk with area literacy advocates and organizers of an event promoting literacy. Listen

February 22, 2007
We talk with the panelists featured in a public forum on Health Care Reform in Wisconsin. Listen

February 15, 2007
We take a scenic look back to one of our most popoular programs from 2006, marking the 31st anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. We will air excerpts of We are Holding Our Own - the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the award winning documentary by Wisconsin Public Radio's Mike Simonson. Mike will also join us to talk about the documentary and the lore of this tragic event.

Download Mike's entire documentary from our Superior Bureau.

February 8, 2007
Wolves and Cougars are on our minds this week as we talk with Adrian Wydeven of the Wisconsin DNR and Eric Anderson UW-Stevens Point wildlife biologist about recent classification changes for wolves in our state and continued cougar sightings. Listen

February 1, 2007
We conlude our three-part health series by taking a look into Gov. Doyle's proposal to ban smoking from all public places in Wisconsin, including bars and taverns. Our guests include Marathon County Health Dept. Director Julie Willems Van Dijk and Wausau tavern owner Jim Treu. Listen

January 25, 2007
Wisconsin's number 1! Number one in alcohol abuse and binge drinking that is. We talk with local leaders on the affects of over drinking in our community. Listen

January 18, 2007
The rising teen suicide rate. According to a recent survey of American high school students, 8.5% of respondents tried to commit suicide in the past twelve months. Our guests include Dr. Henry Kanemoto, retired physician, facilitator of the suicide survivors grief support group of Wausau; Deb Traeder, Community Education Manager for Aspirus Behavioral Health Services; and Dr. Wanda Terry-Nichols, Medical Director, Aspirus Behavioral Health Services. Listen

January 11, 2007
The Performing Arts and their impact in north central Wisconsin. We welcome Jim O'Connell of the Performing Arts Foundation in Wausau, Michele Girard Good of the Campanile Center for the Arts in Minocqua, and Deborah Janz from the Lucille Tack Center for the Arts in Spencer. Listen

January 4, 2007
A Reporters Roundtable. We talk about 2006 and what's ahead in 2007 with Angela Salscheider, Anchor WSAW Newschannel 7, Pete Wasson, Opinion Page Editor Wausau Daily Herald, and Pete Weinshenk, Editor Abbotsford Record Review. Listen