Tone Deaf Public Radio

I grew up in the Pittsburgh area, and had a radio on a lot of the time. From early childhood through adolescence and into young adulthood (when the police scanner got a hold of me), my memories seem filled with what was on the radio. This included a LOT of time spent listening to the public and community radio stations at the lower end of the FM dial.

When I wrote in February about the impending merger of WDUQ with the parent of WYEP, I expressed relief that the license and ownership of the station would remain in the hands a community non-profit, already well-established and conducting themselves in a very competent manner. I also said at the time, "WDUQ's popular jazz music programming will likely remain one of the benchmarks of the station's presence in the area".

Essential Public Media, the folks behind the operation of the "new" WDUQ, would probably say that this promise has been fulfilled. Unfortunately, following what appears to be the trend elsewhere, a lot of the programming that made WDUQ and other stations a special place is being relegated to HD radio and Internet streaming. The prime spectrum - the analog FM signal on 90.5 - is being turned into essentially a full-time network affiliate of National Public Radio, save for Saturday nights.

The management of WYEP made a very comprehensive and eloquent case for the transition, going so far as to have a PR firm write the announcement to make sure their message was articulated properly. How corporate of them.

While WYEP's management is correct in their claim that Pittsburgh is one of the last major media markets without a full-time NPR news and information outlet, how they're going about accomplishing the feat of putting one in place feels awkward. It's almost as if they are Clarice Starling and their audience is Hannibal Lecter; the 'ham-handed segue' won't do.

As was expected, those who love jazz on the radio are not pleased, and I don't blame them. For me, the best place to listen to jazz is in the car on a late night drive from one place or another, holding the hand of your loved one as you cruise down the road. Unless you want to retrofit your vehicle with an HD set or stream it through your smartphone, that quiet joy is lost, especially when the music is part of a local music scene that you can plug yourself into as well.

HD Radio and Internet streaming does not equate to universal access. Until it does, jazz in Pittsburgh should remain free and widely accessible over the analog public airwaves.

If the online outcry is any indication, there will be a lengthy period of discord over the manner in which the removal of jazz from these free public airwaves is being accomplished. Those who have been most vocal have said that a healthy compromise somewhere between the 100 hours of jazz being aired on 90.5 now, and the 6 that is currently planned for, would be fine with them. Their plea does not appear to be intractable, even in spite of an effort to boycott membership in both stations. Why does WYEP's silence in response seem that way?

I haven't been living here full-time for that long, but in WYEP's actions I see similarities in how public and community radio has evolved in Colorado, where I came from. Colorado Public Radio maintains a statewide network, broadcasting two stations across most of the state; one with classical music, the other with NPR news and information, much like WDUQ is slated to become. This constitutes a sort of "top layer" of public radio coverage. The secondary layer is made up of smaller, community-based stations with a lot of volunteers helping to run things. Stations such as KAFM and KVNF keep the "Community" in Community Radio.

That was the idea behind WYEP back in the early 70's. The spartan confines of 4 Cable Place in Oakland were alive with off-the-wall music and ideas. I also spent some time as a volunteer at WDUQ in my late teens. I remember the sense of professionalism and pride, especially on the part of other volunteers.

Nearly 40 years after its inception, the evolved form of those early years in Oakland is now poised to assume control of the region's pioneer in public radio. Many critics have pointed out WYEP's tagline, "Where the Music Matters", and have tried to level accusations that the station is behaving to the contrary in its dealings with WDUQ.

From the sound of the rhetoric, the management of WYEP has made up its mind, and is not inclined to listen to the pleas of jazz fans around the area to keep more of this music on analog FM. The deaf ear they appear to have turned to the complaints is not in keeping with a community media resource, and has fueled too much speculation along with the bad feelings.

Perhaps they just think that the spectrum is too valuable to continue to commit so much airtime to what they may perceive as a "niche" audience. If that's the case, their approach is antithetical to their origins. Perhaps they have truly forgotten from whence they came. Too bad.

In an attempt to gain additional perspective on this, I tried to contact Larry Berger of the Saturday Light Brigade, which began on WYEP in 1978 and left the station in 2003. The program is now broadcast on a network of college radio stations anchored by Carnegie-Mellon's WRCT, as well as online. Larry did not reply to my request for comment about his program's departure from WYEP, and I don't blame him. He and his staff are moving forward very well.

Aside from the loss of jazz programming on WDUQ, it's also unclear whether the new ownership will continue to operate the Radio Information Service for the visually impaired, which transmits on the subcarrier of 90.5. Those answering the phone at both WDUQ and WYEP today seemed unable to commit to the future of this service, which for those using it is much more essential than other forms of public media. Let's hope for a smooth transition and seamless continuation of this vital resource.

My experience in Colorado showed me that the business model for non-profit media is changing. Survival in this climate of economic and technological change has required some fundamental altering of the way these organizations think and operate, and that did not sit well with some that had been involved at KAFM for many years.

So now with WYEP, WDUQ, and WQED forming the 'top layer' of public radio in the Pittsburgh region, one wonders where the smaller innovators in public radio are, to continue to make radio accessible to the varied communities and neighborhoods that make this area what it is. The presence of robust college stations such as WRCT and WPTS will certainly help, as may the recent enactment of the Local Community Radio Act and the potential for Low Power FM station development in places like the Pittsburgh radio market.

Let's hope for more understanding and compromise as the transition approaches, and for new opportunities to innovate and serve to become available.

Have a good rest of the week.

Waxing about 'Words'

Yesterday I finished up my final production and post-production work for the "Words" program at KAFM Community Radio. My co-producer, Linda Skinner, will be continuing to work with the program for a while until new producers are trained and ready, but with my imminent departure from the area she felt it was also time to move on.

For those unfamiliar, "Words" involves school-age children learning a word in the dictionary - it's spelling, definition, and usage - and recording a segment about that word, including using it in a sentence. Linda and I would then edit this recording with a musical selection appropriate to the word's definition or usage, into a short audio clip (usually around 2 minutes in length) that is aired three times each weekday on KAFM.

The logistics of the program can be daunting. After the recording, editing, and post-production are complete, we compile a CD of all of the children from a particular school, class, or group and provide copies to each participant. We encouraged the participation of home-schooled children, and even had an 'open mic' night last year.

Linda, as a professional educator, handles the recruitment of classes, doing an introduction to the concept in conjunction with the teachers involved, and working closely with students to choose a word or craft a sentence. Both of us handled recording and editing, and I specialized in post-production, programming the segments, generating a calendar, and completing the CDs for the month and for the participants.

Since taking over production duties in November of 2006, Linda and I have produced nearly 1,000 segments. I tried to calculate the amount of time required for everything, and came up with an average of something like 8 hours a week, every week.

I took on this project in the midst of my late wife's illness to give me something else to think about besides work, parenting, and making sure she was receiving proper care. Technology afforded me the ability to edit and do post-production on a laptop at home, which was absolutely essential then.

We're grateful for the support of KAFM station management, and for those local organizations who supported and continue to support "Words" as underwriters, especially in a tough economy. Enstrom Candies has been there throughout. We greatly appreciate their commitment.

I attached some examples of "Words" segments to illustrate what we tried to accomplish. The first is the most straightforward example - a word that may not lend itself to an immediate match in a database of song titles (thank God for Amazon and ITunes), but with a little imagination a pleasant, meaningful match is found. You'll hear what I mean.

We used varieties of music in keeping not only with the mission of KAFM, but also to reach out across generations and perhaps expose kids to musical styles they might otherwise miss. It doesn't matter what decade you're living in - one of the most incredible singing voices ever recorded belonged to Sarah Vaughan:

We often use instrumental selections in "Words" segments. Often, a student would select a word in another language, or representative of a particular region or culture. We would usually accompany these with music from that region, often with what is known as "world music", popularized in places such as the Putamayo record label.

This next word, while seemingly easy to program (just find some violin music, right?), called for some additional attention to detail. I was drawn to one of my favorite films, The Red Violin, and selected a snippet from it's Oscar-winning original score. Combined with the voice of the student, which has an eerily calm, almost soothing quality to it, this remains my favorite segment:

It's no coincidence that I programmed this to air on Valentine's Day. In fact, there were a few opportunities to engage in some recognition of holidays with an appropriate word awaiting editing and production. I always tried to program a word with a raucous theme and music for New Year's Eve; this past Valentine's Day the word aired was "Pheromone", with appropriate music and lyrics.

Some words have offered the opportunity for some impromptu and subtle social commentary.

One year during the second Bush administration I took a student's recording of the word "Anarchy", mixed it with The Clash's "Clampdown", and programmed it to air on President's Day. More recently, Linda and I were presented with a word selected by a middle school student in 2009 - "Dispensary" - and saw an opportunity to make it topical and current with the choice of music.

I saw the below clip as an opportunity to take a word that has applications across human history and personalize it for today, and even perhaps for the member of the generation that recorded it.

The music and lyric perhaps laments that very thing that we as volunteers in community media are trying to prevent from happening, by working with dedicated teachers who sense the value of such an activity to expand the horizons of students beyond the textbook or the classroom, and especially beyond the lure of what corporate media sees fit to provide them with:



"Any escape might help to smooth
the unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
the restless dreams of youth..."

I would have preferred to do more with the program, such as using the Internet to make current and previous recordings available, and draw interest to participation in the program, which had waxed and waned over the years as schedules, class sizes, and limited budgets for field trips to the station became factors for many educators.

We eventually leveraged technology to take the studio to some schools, with interesting results; the raw audio contained things like class bells, slamming locker doors, and giggles from other classmates that were at times difficult to deal with in editing. It was also interesting to note how the person being recorded would speed up their reading after the class bell rang. While this was easily handled in most cases with editing software, it was a potent illustration of how conditioned we all are to certain things.

My experience with "Words" as someone outside the educational community showed me one big thing as well; that the quality of education is truly a partnership between parent, student, and teacher, but the quality of leadership and dedication established by our teachers sets the foundation for the quality of our educational system.

That's one reason I'm sympathetic to the teachers and other public sector union members in Wisconsin and elsewhere, many of whom likely know that if government, like a corporation, can afford to cut corners somewhere, they will do it. Education is no place to be cutting corners. At the same time, people working in these professions should recognize their importance, strive to excel, and utilize what they do have in a manner that will benefit students and their community the most.

Take care.

Lots About Watts

Happy February.

Because I've had an affinity for radio nearly all of my life, I pay attention to those things that keep broadcast radio headed in what I consider the correct direction - connected and responsive to the listener, accountable to the public interest, a beacon for connecting a community together instead of creating divisiveness.

There are a few things happening in the arena of non-commercial radio - mostly the left side of the FM dial - that may stand to enhance the diversity and viability of this resource in Grand Junction and across the country.

Watts Low

The most significant development for the majority of the country's population was the passage of the Local Community Radio Act, signed into law by President Obama last month. The real impact of this law is on the 50 largest media markets, where the expansion of low power FM stations has been hampered by regulations that prevent the use of adjacent frequencies at closer channel spacing.

Spearheaded largely through the efforts of the Prometheus Radio Project and others, this loosening of channel spacing will facilitate the establishment of community radio stations that serve more specific geographical areas and populations.

You'd be surprised with how many FM radio stations are licensed in the Grand Junction area. There are a lot of low power stations here - many are broadcasting Christian programming - but only one station is licensed as a Low Power FM station. This has a lot to do with the mountains that surround us, and the coverage that a station can get with a lower power transmitter placed at a higher altitude.

For example, the aforementioned "Low Power" station, located at the Colorado State Building downtown, has a licensed output of 100 watts, but their transmitter is actually below the average terrain of the area. This station, at 106.7 FM, transmits highway information and local National Weather Service broadcasts.

Contrast this with KAFM Community Radio, licensed at only 16 watts, but with their transmitter located at the radio and TV "antenna farm" on Black Ridge, west of town above the Colorado National Monument and about 2,000 feet above the valley floor. KAFM's signal actually has a much greater coverage footprint than the much more powerful signal coming from the state building. Unfortunately, this signal does not penetrate structures or terrain features well, resulting in "dead spots" caused by both terrain and the density of many buildings in the valley.

Watts Up

As a volunteer at KAFM since it's beginnings, I'm aware of and have been supportive of their ongoing efforts to improve signal strength and in-building coverage. The FCC recently approved a power increase for KAFM from 16 to 300 watts. This will help fill the existing coverage gaps, and allow listeners to tune in without significant issues across the valley, and as far south as Delta.

The Watts Up capital campaign is an effort to put the new FCC authorization to work, with not only a new transmitter and tower, but also improvements to the station's studios and physical plant in Downtown GJ. The challenges of fundraising in the current economic climate have been compounded by a recent change in administration at the station, with some accompanying discontent that has caused departures of both paid and volunteer staff.

Things feel like they're beginning to stabilize a bit, but it's still awfully quiet there some days. Perhaps down the road some of these creative folk may decide that their passion for community-based media trumps the personalities involved. Some that have moved on will stay moved on - like me in about a month.

In any event, KAFM needs community support, in both dollars and sweat equity, to keep the mission and the beauty of community media alive in Grand Junction. Please consider supporting the capital campaign, or during the upcoming Spring Fund Drive in mid-March. Better yet, contribute your time and expertise to the station as a volunteer.

Watts Preserved

A broadcast radio license is a valuable commodity, even in the non-commercial, not-for-profit arena. Back in Pittsburgh, the pending sale of a popular non-commercial radio station operated by Duquesne University prompted concerns from the staff and community media advocates that the frequency might end up in commercial hands.

Luckily, a partnership between community station WYEP and a Boulder-based non-profit has been named the successful bidder for the license of WDUQ. This new partnership is now in the process of polling the community for input about how programming should change..or not.

WDUQ's popular jazz music programming will likely remain one of the benchmarks of the station's presence in the area.

I mention Pittsburgh because of two trends that are applicable to that area that aren't in Grand Junction. One is the impact of the Local Community Radio Act on Pittsburgh as a major media market. It will be interesting to see what grassroots efforts pop up. Another factor is the presence of HD Radio, where many stations, commercial and non-profit, transmit a digital signal with multiple channels of programming. WDUQ, for example, dedicates one digital channel to the BBC World Service, 24 hours a day. Once I get settled there, I hope to be able to get involved with community radio at some level.

There are many HD-equipped stations on the Front Range, along with a few public stations in southwest Colorado, but not a single broadcast outlet in Grand Junction offers HD Radio. Someone who's sticking around ought to ask why.

Watts Crazy

Low Power stations can and should be representative of a local community or segment of a community, and I would hope that those who obtain licenses through the new law will use it to enhance the experience of living in a society where free expression and discourse is respected and embraced.

Such was not the case last month in Greeley. A local school board member who also owns a low power FM station and a daily newspaper in that area came under fire for airing editorials critical of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and was the subject of a restraining order for leaving threats on the voice mail of the manager of a competing radio station.

This kind of discourse and disagreement, aside from the threats, is what makes America a great place. It's not really surprising that stations with a more conservative approach to things will pop up with low-power FM licenses, especially those who wish to emulate what they hear on AM talk radio. Hey, free speech is for extremists, too.

Watts Real and Relevant

Regardless of the types of discourse, entertainment and diversion, the option is ours as a people to listen or watch what we choose, and turn off that which we don't care much for. In this context, I am very thankful for the Internet, which allows me and thousands of others around the U.S. to enjoy the coverage of the uprising in Egypt from Al Jazeera English. Most American cable companies and satellite providers do not carry this English-language channel of the venerable, Qatar-based news service, and according to at least one blog that's more than just a little hypocritical. Quoting a new anchor on the network:

We're not entirely blocked, but we're a "taboo" to some crucial decision-makers in the TV business, that's the problem...Given the poisonous smear against us over the years, are cable providers hesitant to carry us? Yes. That's where we hope that US citizens like yourself can lobby hard to give us the choice. I'm sure amid thousands of channels that include those dedicated to Kim Kardashian, shopping addictions, evangelism, hardcore porn, NFL and local news channels where the top story is always the traffic congestion, that the land of the free can find a spot for us!

For me as a little boy growing up, radio was a comforting voice late at night in the dark. As I grew, I realized the continued power of this now seemingly simple and antiquated medium to inform, enlighten, and entertain. Even in the wee hours, slowly manipulating the tuning dial on a shortwave to try to pull in the weakest vestige of Radio Prague, or today listening to the folksy ruminations of Garrison Keillor, there's fascination, escapism, and life and death before your very ears. Think this stuff isn't important? Ask the folks in Egypt or Tunisia.

Have a great day.

What Makes a Local Business?

First off, congratulations to the Colorado Rapids on their first MLS Cup championship. It was a hard-fought overtime battle, and as much as I'm happy that the Rapids took the title, I feel for FC Dallas defender George John, from whose right thigh the ball deflected into his own goal, representing the margin of victory.

The "word of the day" today on KAFM was Kinescope, defined as a film of a broadcast television program. I produced today's segment, making it a montage of old TV show themes and historical audio from news and sports events, separated by the sound effect of changing the channels on a older TV set. Included among the snippets was Walter Cronkite's announcement of the death of President John F. Kennedy, 47 years ago today.

Ralph D'Andrea remembered where he was on this day in 1963. I was only 3, and don't remember it.

********

Whenever I travel and am looking for a place to eat, the best bet is typically the place that the locals gravitate to. This strategy usually does not disappoint. Most memorable for me in recent years is Becky's Blue Hereford in Ford, Kansas.

Over the years that I've lived in Grand Junction, I've enjoyed the occasional breakfast or lunch at Good Pastures restaurant, attached to what is currently the Quality Inn on Horizon Drive. There are lots of locals who do the same. The place had a genuine feel to it - good food, quickly prepared, with a friendly, knowlegeable and competent waitstaff that made you feel welcome and comfortable. There's a significant senior citizen clientele for which the business accommodated with smaller portions and discounts.

Good Pastures was a place that sustained the heartbeat of the community. When the long-time owner sold the business recently, it made a bit of a blip on the local business news scene. Quoting the Grand Valley Business Times story, previous owner Richard Tally said:

“We also want to thank our employees who have worked hard to deliver the quality of food and service our customers deserve. We will miss them. They have been like an extended family.”

Yesterday, a good portion of that extended family was outside carrying picket signs.

According to a KREX story from yesterday, it seems that the new owners, Raul and Cathy Wolf, saw fit to keep the existing staff long enough to train new hires, and then let them go. The fired staff claimed that their age and experience were factors in their dismissal. The response from Mr. and Mrs. Wolf to this was reported as follows:

"The new restaurant owners didn’t want to go on camera but they tell NewsChannel Five they can hire and fire who ever (sic) they want."

While this statement is essentially true, it seems to me that the new owners are somewhat tone deaf to a large portion of the restaurant's appeal. The same thing that keeps people coming back to the same lunch counter for years is what Good Pastures just destroyed. For better or worse, either for themselves, the community at large, or both, this was their legal choice to make.

The few comments that appeared on the KKCO website seemed to side mostly with the staff that was let go. Not being privy to what really happened, people will make their own choices in response to this. Life will go on.

Unless circumstances change, I think that my life can go on without any more meals from Good Pastures.

Have a good evening.

Of ER's and Airlines

I began Tuesday by looking for some local media coverage of the 'Gasland' screening the previous evening that I couldn't attend.

Finding none (grrrr), I did locate several items that resonated with me and are likely of some significance to all of us:

I've traveled on airplanes a lot over the last several years. A lot of that flying has been on jetBlue, because of convenient flight times, destinations, reasonable fares, and amenities that make the flight go by faster. No bag fees and free satellite TV are big pluses.

I've never encountered a situation like the one that resulted in the flight attendant becoming fed up, which has dominated the Internet chatter since Tuesday and perhaps become its own example of what one online commenter called "narcissistic, impatient, and self-centered".

A lot of people have a large measure of sympathy for Steven Slater; knowing the nature of the airline business, a meltdown such as his might be understandable given the awesome responsibilities, business pressures, and working conditions conducted in the face of an unsympathetic and at times hostile customer base. One could say the same about public safety personnel, especially police officers.

Nevertheless, jetBlue, its customers, and the FAA had expectations of Mr. Slater when he put on that uniform and stepped onto that aircraft in Pittsburgh. Based on other news reports, he may have been on his last nerve even before his initial run-in with the (inexplicably) still-nameless passenger over carry-on luggage.

In the end, Mr. Slater failed to meet those expectations in a most egregious manner. Regardless of how the details are spun or how much sympathy people may have for him, there will be consequences for his failure. To borrow from the sometimes nebulous parlance of today's Human Resources profession, I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

In defense of the remainder of his profession, I believe that a large measure of what a business gets from its customers rests very much on how the employees feel about working there. With the airlines, I'm always intrigued at the different ways that they operate, and how that affects the overall flying experience. Based on all of that, I can say that jetBlue is pretty cool, but that Southwest still has them all beat.


Another profession that is on the front lines of our collective community safety net is the nursing profession, especially those that staff our nation's emergency rooms. I've known numerous ER nurses over my working life, and they are truly a breed apart in terms of their level of commitment, expertise, and general approach to life and living.

ER nurses see the best and worst of what comprises our society; these metrics do not follow the lines of social or economic status. In an AP story from Tuesday, assaults on ER nurses are on the increase, and mental health and substance abuse programs are being cut at a time when economic pressures stand to result in increased drug and alcohol abuse, violence, and as a consequence, ER visits.

Many ER nurses are fed up, and are pursuing criminal charges against those patients that assault, grope, or spit on them in the course of trying to assess their injuries or render care. Nursing groups such as the Emergency Nurses Association are lobbying state legislatures for tougher laws, including making assaulting a health care professional a felony.

The AP story quoted a representative from the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety about the need for hospitals to re-think their approaches to safety and security in the ER environment. As someone with a lot of experience working in hospitals, I understand the need to devote considerable time and energy to develop policies and practices that optimize the mission and goals of health care organizations.

However, I think that hospitals need to use these opportunities to partner with experts outside of the industry to develop community-based plans for responding to and handling issues in the ER and hospital environment. Hospital security personnel, the majority of whom are not sworn law enforcement officers, should have core competencies in managing critical incidents that dovetail with incident management practices already being used by their local public safety agencies.

Like I've said before, I haven't had any personal experience with uncivil behavior on an airplane, but I've seen enough bad behavior in ER's to last me just fine. Either way, we as citizens and human beings have some responsibilities in these areas, so I'll conclude with my ideas on this:

• BEHAVE. If you encounter behavior that is an affront to your sensibilities, attempt to deal with the situation calmly, avoid physical confrontation or personal attacks, and try to remember details; names, dates and times, locations, what was said, etc.

• DOCUMENT what happened, whether it be a police report, letter to management or government agency, or just a personal narrative for later action. Include the details. Be articulate, forthright, and unemotional. Insist on a reply and follow-up action.

With that, enjoy your fellow human beings the rest of this week and the weekend ahead. Some ideas for healthy camaraderie that you might find me at this weekend include the Friday night Glade Park Fire Dept. Movies Under the Stars (still the best family entertainment around), and KAFM's RadioDaze event Saturday at the Kannah Creek Brewery.

Take care.

'Gasland' Comes to Town

This evening the acclaimed documentary Gasland will be screened at 7:30 in the KAFM Radio Room in Downtown Grand Junction. This film, which has received significant recognition at festivals and in the media, is being presented here by the Colorado Environmental Coalition.

Gasland is the work of documentary filmmaker Josh Fox, who hails from northeastern Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Marcellus Shale formation that has generated quite a bit of recent drilling and resulting debate.

Over the course of the last two months (most of which I spent in Pennsylvania), several incidents at gas wells across that state and in neighboring West Virginia, including a fatal explosion in the Pittsburgh suburbs, have left residents of suburban and rural areas increasingly concerned, and local governments calling for a statewide moratorium on drilling until the risks can be better evaluated.

Gasland explores the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", and its effect on watersheds and groundwater in areas where it occurs. Mr. Fox uses examples not only from his native Pennsylvania and New York, but also here on the Western Slope as well as other areas of the country where fracking is employed to free up gas deposits trapped by underground rock.

Josh Fox will be on hand at the Grand Junction screening to answer questions and offer additional insight into what he has discovered while making and since completing his film. Tickets are $10, and seating is expected to be tight. Those of you with HBO can watch the film now on demand, and the DVD is due out at the end of this year.

While I'll be working tonight, I'm hopeful that the turnout is as expected, and the discussion spirited and respectful. Josh Fox is but one of an increasing number of voices rising out of those areas where natural gas is plentiful, demanding answers to questions about the safety of gas drilling, especially where fracking is used.

Another voice belongs to the Battlement Concerned Citizens, who successfully lobbied Garfield County to fund a health assessment of gas drilling before any occurs in the Battlement Mesa community south of Parachute. The players and their efforts were profiled in a story in yesterday's Denver Post.

It feels like the tide is turning toward providing for energy development that takes into account these factors as well as others, along with new state rules and regulations, and brings about an industry that is able to function profitably while conducting themselves responsibly. Democratic candidate for governor John Hickenlooper makes such a case in his energy issues statement:

Instead of throwing out the oil and gas rules recently promulgated by the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission under the Ritter Administration, we believe it makes more sense to engage industry, the conservation community and other stakeholders in identifying conflicts and resolving them in a collaborative way. Most of the rules reflect industry best practices and we believe the commission process can accommodate changes that reflect different conditions, needs and priorities.

Considering that the GOP candidates have basically self-destructed in recent weeks, this approach stands a very good chance of being implemented with the election of Mr. Hickenlooper in November.

Let's hope it does.

Enjoy the week ahead.

My Two Lives

After nearly three weeks with Leslie and the girls, I packed up and spent the weekend westbound on I-70. My mother came back with me to spend some time with us, and to celebrate Evan's birthday, which is today. With one stopover in Kansas City, we arrived back in GJ late Sunday evening. The trip was largely uneventful and pleasant, save for the crazy driver in the Buick SUV with Texas plates who was weaving through traffic at high speeds in Ohio, and caught up to us doing the same thing in Illinois. My mother seemed to enjoy most of the ride, but I get the distinct feeling she won't be doing that again.

The drive to and from Pennsylvania feels increasingly like a transition between two lives. The highway itself, and those who call it home, represent a moving, fluid, dynamic community of purpose that I seemed to draw energy from as I traveled. Truck stops, and the lives they provide support to, are very interesting.

Michaela's condition is largely unchanged, but nonetheless tenuous. She completed her run of radiation treatments a little over a week ago. Since then, the emphasis appears to be on monitoring things that have a large impact on her current status. Michaela gets a Complete Blood Count (CBC) test run twice a week. If her platelet count or hemoglobin is low, she goes to Children's to get these. In this picture, Michaela is in the infusion area at the Oncology clinic, with a volunteer music therapist who sang some beautiful, simple, and peaceful songs.

The things that Leslie endeavors to monitor on a daily basis include any bruising or fatigue that might betray a lower than normal blood count. Also, Michaela's IV fluid intake needs to be closely monitored, especially when she receives blood products. Leslie must moderate the amount of TPN that Michaela receives, in order to prevent fluid overload.

The larger concern is that Michaela's bone marrow will shut down, and her body will stop responding to transfusions. At this point I will defer to Leslie's words from a members-only site that she maintains to chronicle Michaela's story:

Only God has a say in what will happen to her now. Our hope is resting in God's tender love and mercy. I believe that all things are possible with God. I have no doubt that he has kept her through these long four and a half years and I know he can heal her if he chooses to. I still however do not know his will for Michaela. As long as there is life there is hope and so I pray daily for strength and to accept whatever God decides. He loves her. Her name is written in his hand.

When I left Leetsdale on Saturday morning, I knew two things:

• That my life, or the shambles of conflicting priorities, symbiotic relationships, and dreams both realized and unfulfilled that at times substitutes for a life, has a place with Leslie. This is a place that I must play an equal role in nurturing and forwarding, while at the same time trying to address another life that at times sees itself as incompatible with this one.

• A child is suffering and struggling, and her mother, the woman I love, is in need. Regardless of how long it takes or what it looks like at the end, I belong with her.
  

I'll try to post an update or two as Michaela's journey progresses. We are all praying for God to hold her. Nevertheless, I am looking toward my next trip back east through a bittersweet glass.

So in the interim I am trying to pick up my 'other' life where I left it 3 weeks ago. My son deserves credit for keeping the house as well as he did, despite the frequent gatherings of his friends that I knew were inevitable. One thing that is certain is that neither he and I enjoy yard work, so off we go into the verge. I go back to work tomorrow, and Words is beckoning me to complete July's complement of programming. It'll be a busy few days.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Thanksgiving Week in Review

Evan and I spent Thanksgiving at home this year. I cooked a complete holiday dinner for the first time; although most if not all of the fare was not complicated, it was rather satisfying. Nothing like green bean casserole, you know. BTW, if you like garlic, Campbell's also makes a Cream of Mushroom soup with roasted garlic in it. It makes the casserole that much better.

Prior to starting dinner I helped to deliver Thanksgiving dinners as part of Canyon View Vineyard's efforts to feed over 800 shut-ins and others in need of a meal that day. As was the case last year, the logistics of this effort appeared to go off without a hitch.

Sunday I attended church at the Downtown Vineyard, in their new location at the Avalon Theater. I'm still getting used to going to church in the same theater where I saw Towelhead, but the message is what matters, not the venue. And the message is a good one.

Pastor Paul Watson gave an excellent message around the concept of spiritual gifts, and how they can take hold of a church community to such an extent that the unifying and love-centered message of Christ can be corrupted and forgotten. This was the main theme of 1 Corinthians 13,
where St. Paul admonished the church at Corinth about the value, or lack thereof, of gifts such as prophecy or faith in the absence of love.

On the way out to the car I noticed the familiar red plastic bags covering the parking meters, meaning that the city has waived feeding the meters for the holiday shopping season. While I understand that the City and the Downtown Partnership want to do everything they can to encourage downtown shopping during what will likely be a lean holiday for retailers, I still feel that an opportunity was missed to provide better services for those without homes, or unable to provide for themselves or their families. I wrote about this earlier in the year. I hope they'll think about this for next year.

During the service my cell phone messaging kept going off. Afterward I read about the senseless killing of four police officers in Washington State. My prayers and thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic and truly evil act. In the context of this, and the fickle nature of the 24-hour news cycle, shame on those media outlets that made a spectacle of the misadventures of a billionaire golfer.

This week my co-producer Linda and I recorded 93 more students for the Words program. This was our second trip to the school in the last 2 months, and we got to see some of the fun that our first group of kids had with being part of the experience. A large wall display in the 7th grade section of Grand Mesa Middle School heralded some of this excitement.

It's been a good few days working with these kids. Speaking to them about their interests and favorite things to do, and helping to craft an experience that reflects who they are, has been enjoyable and rewarding in an intangible way for the last 3 years. The staff at KAFM has been supportive and accommodating as well.

Airfares are interesting things to track. Sometimes all it takes is something to do in Denver to create an opportunity that is met by a favorable price. I have an interview in Denver on Monday, but have managed to parlay that into a long weekend in Pittsburgh, thanks in part to jetBlue and Southwest Airlines.

As a result, I get to see Leslie for a few days, and may try to get some cheap seats to see the Pens on Saturday night. I would like to see one more game in the Igloo before it goes away next season. The Pens host the Avs tonight. Enough said; there are still people around here that are a little sore over the Steeler victory in Denver almost a month ago.

Have a great weekend.

"Quiet" Time in the Civil Wars

One month ago, I left Denver after successfully completing Aircraft Dispatcher training. The trip five Mondays ago to San Jose was interesting and enlightening; more about that below. I then flew the redeye from San Jose to JFK and then a morning flight into Pittsburgh, for about five days with Leslie and the girls, and perhaps a chance to decompress for the first time in a good while. The visit was all of that, and a bit more.

I arrived back in Grand Junction in the wee hours of Nov. 4, and got about 3 hours of sleep before beginning the better part of three days of recording about 160 middle schoolers for the Words program. Post-production begins in earnest this week, with no real end in sight, as we will be recording another large group of kids in December. Despite some at times tenuous logistical and other challenges, this is a lot of fun, and has helped to keep stressful times in their place.

Since returning from Pittsburgh, I've been decidedly more reflective about things as they are, and about how they may turn in certain ways in the foreseeable future. I use this term almost laughingly; if, six years ago, I could have foreseen what was going to happen to my family and career, I would not have believed it.

In any case, the written word has been hard to come by of late, and I chalk this up to something that I can't put my finger on, save that I've been more peaceful and quiet than I can remember in a long time. For the most part, it's been a good thing. I hope that I can hold on to that feeling while I try to bring this electronic journal up to speed, along with managing the process of getting a new job in a tough economy.

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The Air Medical Transport Conference in San Jose was kind of what I expected; many of these trade conferences are somewhat formulaic in their organization and presentation, and the venues are typically some cavernous convention facility that all look painfully similar, save for the unique metropolitan canvas that has been painted around each one.

The differences with this conference, aside from all of the nice helicopters in the exhibit hall, seemed to center around unspoken differences, discomforts, and uncertainties coming from those who ply their trade in the air medical industry, or who supply hard goods and/or services to it.

Some of the presentations that I attended were straightforward and very informative. An overview of proposed and pending FAA regulation of air medical services operating under Part 135 of the FAA's rules seemed to be fairly well-received by the numerous attendees present.
Some of the recent NTSB recommendations were discussed at greater length than others, but I came away from the session with what I had traveled in part to hear; that there will be a greater emphasis placed on operational control by the FAA with HEMS operators who have more than 10 aircraft operating. This means the potential for a greater number of people trained as I am to be working as part of the industry.

A presentation on dealing with "difficult" employees was interesting, but in retrospect was somewhat off the mark in my mind. The presenter had plenty of anecdotal information about different situations involving what he perceived as difficult employees, and some of the things he recounted were truly egregious. I thought he needed to more discerning between an employee who causes a specific and significant problem, and an employee who is truly difficult to manage, for whatever reason. Having at times been labeled this myself, I think it has more to do with personal mismanagement of job-related knowledge, pre-conceived notions and/or agendas, combined with just the right amount of attitude.





By far the most interesting session was conducted by Dr. Ira Blumen of the University of Chicago, on HEMS accidents. Dr. Blumen subtitled his presentation "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" to relate his session to the famous 60's spaghetti western of the same name.

Part of his stated reasoning for this was that the three main characters of the film (played by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach) were Civil War veterans. He related this to his view of what he called a "civil war" among those engaged in the provision of air medical services. He cited the various business models, both for profit and non-profit, hospital-based and stand-alone, along with numerous organizations of physicians, pilots, nurses, paramedics, and others, some with agendas that may conflict with those of others.

Dr. Blumen and his colleagues have conducted exhaustive data collection and research into accidents involving air medical services. The NTSB and FAA have referenced his research as part of their investigation into the inordinate number of HEMS accidents during 2008. One interesting trend that is being seen is an increase in the use of single-engine aircraft, presumably due to reduced operating costs.

Another impressive part of the conference was the emphasis on safety being promulgated from many different corners. One such effort is the Vision Zero initiative, sponsored by several trade organizations along with AAMS.

I saw a lot of familiar faces, from my days in Pittsburgh and elsewhere. I saw equal measures of people who have been in the business a long time and seemed to be growing weary, and young, healthy, idealistic hard workers who had reached the top of their game and were ready to get busy.

I left San Jose with the impression that the industry was in the midst of systemic change, and while uncomfortable it is inevitable and somewhat necessary if this expensive and critical resource is to remain credible and accessible to those who need it most.

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The underlying theme of systemic change is also making its way known in my personal life as well. While I was in Pittsburgh at the beginning of the month, I proposed to Leslie. She said yes.

Leslie is a strong, intelligent, independent, driven Christian woman that I've known for a long time. Those of you who have been here for a while know that she has two daughters. Gianna will turn 17 at the end of the month.

Michaela, who just turned 8, has been fighting cancer for almost 4 years now. There are new developments in her treatment course that are beginning to take shape. I'll have more about those later.

I have no other words right now other than I know what I feel when I am with Leslie. It is a mixture of calm, peace, and confidence in the face of life challenges for both of us.

As many are much more aware than I am, there are many obstacles to bringing two lives together. Family issues are unfortunately a big part of this. I'm hopeful that the gratitude we all have for being in homes, with ample food and good people both around us and thinking of us from afar, will nurture understanding as this joining of lives and hearts moves toward becoming a reality.

Leslie recommended a good movie that I found in the Redbox and watched yesterday. Not Easily Broken is an excellent story about how life can be good and joyful, even when it's challenging from more than a few fronts, expected and otherwise. If you're interested further, grab it up.

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I was out getting a turkey and other things for Thursday's meal today, and one other thing I did was to take up Ralph D'Andrea's suggestion from a few days ago, and drop off a 21 lb. turkey at the Salvation Army offices on 4th Street. It will be used to feed the many in our community who are in need of a good meal on Thanksgiving Day.

Good night.

Prom Night 2009

Christopher Tomlinson - The Daily Sentinel

Saturday evening was rather blustery and unsettled, as evidenced by the photo above. By the time that my son, his date and the group of kids they went with to Grand Junction High School's prom had assembled, the wind was gusting significantly, and a dirt-infused rain was trying to work its way across the valley.

The kids all looked great, but I of course focused on Evan and his date, Morgan. They made for a very cute couple, which may sound trite considering it's Prom Night, but there was something different about these two. They genuinely looked interested in each other, not just the spectacle of the event. They seemed to complement each other very well.


After the kids were on their way, I went down to KAFM to take in two events at The Radio Room. One was the opening of an exhibit by members of The Art Quilt Association (AQuA).

janrickman.com

I was really looking forward to the show, and it didn't disappoint. There are some extraordinary artists in our area, and it was a privilege to see so many excellent examples in one place. The website includes pictures of pieces by many of AQuA's members.

The staff of KAFM has shown their expertise and versatility in making the Radio Room a quality, versatile venue for art exhibition, concerts, lectures, film, and other community gatherings. The station has leveraged this resource rather well.

The timing of the quilt show unintentionally coincides with some controversy about quilting in recent news items. Seems that Quilter's Home Magazine has featured more controversial art quilts that have challenged the status quo of the hobby in the minds of many, both in and out of the quilting community. Publisher Mark Lipinski is making waves with a unique take on the hobby that is exciting both quilters and fans of the art form.

While you won't see anything as provocative at this show as what's in the magazine, it is nonetheless worth stopping by if you're in town on your lunch break. The exhibit is open from 11-1, weekdays through May and June.

After the quilt show opening, the Radio Room transformed into a concert venue for singer/songwriter Gigi Love. Ms. Love has an excellent singing voice, and writes some very good music. She had an excellent electric guitar player accompanying her acoustic playing as well.

As good as Ms. Love's performance was, it seemed hampered by some difficulties trying to get her guitar in tune, and get it to stay there. I'm wondering if a significant reduction in barometric pressure as a result of the passage of a nasty cold front, occurring between her sound check and the actual performance, could have been a contributing factor. Ahh, springtime in Western Colorado..

Evan made it home in one piece the next morning, and said he had a good time. I was in bed by midnight, and could say the same thing. Rather than musing about transitions and waxing nostalgic, I'll leave it at that. Those of you with teenage kids know what I mean.

Hope the rest of your week is a good one.

Super Spelling and Slumdog

I watched the Oscars on Sunday night, and was very pleased to see Slumdog Millionaire formally recognized for the brilliantly conceived and executed work that it is. There were many really good films this past year, but this one accomplished many things. It told a great love story, combined it with a rags-to-riches tale that would have made Horatio Alger and Charles Dickens proud, and displayed for the world both sides of the paradoxical culture and society that is India today.

One other thing I saw over this past weekend was also pretty exciting and maybe personally gratifying in a small way. Lindsay Gnesios of East Middle School won the Mesa County Spelling Bee, and will represent our area in the state bee in Denver next month.

I remembered Lindsay as a somewhat precocious and articulate fifth grader when her class participated in the Words program two years ago. She picked a good word, MONOCHROMATIC, and wrote a great sentence to back it up. I put Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" behind it, and it turned out rather well.

I'm happy that Lindsay has found joy and a gift in the printed and spoken word. Best wishes to her, and to all of the spellers headed to Denver.

Do The Math

This is the intersection of First Street, Grand Avenue, and US Highway 6 and 50 in Grand Junction. No, the town wasn't named for it. It's the intersection most in need of a roundabout. Just give me a few months of vacation when they do it.

I didn't mention before that I'm a big fan of roundabouts. Having spent a considerable amount of time in New England, I can attest to their efficiency and safety, as long as they're built correctly. Think 24 1/2 Road and G Road, but not 12th and Horizon.

The interesting thing about the picture isn't the traffic, but the gas station signs on either side of the intersection. This picture was taken on Saturday afternoon, and the prices had been in place since at least last Wednesday. Don't worry, I can't read them either.

Wow, free coffee with a 10 gallon gas purchase.
Gotta be a great deal, right?

Well, maybe.

OK, so if I get 10 gallons of regular gas at the place on the left, I'll spend $1.20 more and get a free cup of coffee. If I go to the other place, I save $1.20, but no "free" coffee.

I didn't check how much a coffee was at the place on the right, but I'm guessing (because I'm not a coffee drinker) that it's less than $1.20.

Anyway, the disparity in prices between one station and another is what's really interesting to me, given that these places supposedly sell gas from the same oil company, and thus have the same supplier, right? Maybe. Granted, the stations are run by different companies, but for some strange reason I feel that the cost of coffee isn't what's behind this.

In any case, it's a moot point now. As of Saturday night BOTH places were selling regular gas for $2.89. I guess someone didn't get the memo. Yet another example to me of the curious way that gasoline is priced, here and elsewhere. If anyone with more expertise in the industry can help explain this, please do.

Speaking of energy, I think when I have more of it I'll talk about that. I'm kind of tired but happy, having just returned home from an excellent benefit concert for KAFM at Boomers. John-Alex Mason gave a great performance. Judging from his website, he splits time between Memphis and various locations across Colorado.

Until tomorrow.

Update 1/27: At 25 Rd and F Rd at 11:00 Sunday morning, regular at the Bradley Sinclair was $2.75, while the C&F Conoco on the opposite corner was $2.89. Caveat emptor.