Around River City Podcast

We're busting some serious myths on this episode of Around River City.  Is the library just about books?  Must we always be so quiet?  Are librarians actually stuffy?  We'll answer all those questions and more in this episode of the podcast.  And we'll get to know Linda Jerome.  We'll find out why she is in love with teen literature, a bit of the history of the La Cro...

A few years ago, Linda and Steve decided it was time to retire.  And so....they started a company, making fudge, every day.  Hhhmm, I know what you're saying, this isn't your typical retirement.  Well, Linda and Steve are not typical.  Ever since they met they've done things their own way.  They're kind of inspiring that way.  There are several cool stories to be told...

Question: What do photons, chickens and your kid's summer fun all have in common?  Answer:  Spencer Hulsey Spencer is UW-L's Youth & STEM outreach programming specialist, so she knows LOTS of ways for kids to have a blast this summer.  She's also a physicist, that's where the photons come in.  And...she has a thing for chickens.  But I digress, this is a conversation a...

Have you taken the plunge? This time on Around River City I sat down with Kerry Gloede and Aimee Schmidt to talk about The Polar Plunge and Special Olympics of Wisconsin. The polar Plunge takes place at Black River Beach on Saturday March 5th. You can get all the information you want at www.polarplungewi.org We also ended up talking about dinosaur buoyancy and true crime, but it was mostly The Pol...

Allison and I sat down in the beautiful and newly renovated upstairs performance space at The Pump House.  And we talked about.....making coffee and making oatmeal and little rituals.  And then we remembered we were together to talk about her position at The Pump House and it's place in the fabric of La Crosse. Allison Krzych is the Assistant Director and the Non-Profit Arts Administrato...

Music.  Food.  Art.  Drink.  We create some of the best examples of them all in this area.  And at The La Crosse Winter Roots Festival, we'll celebrate them.  Head to aroundrivercity.com for all the latest information and I hope to see you at The La Crosse Center on Saturday February 12th.   Listen in to this conversation with Jay Breier, the guy who came up with...

After a lifetime as a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Shelby, Jerry Roesler says it really all comes down to a simple philosophy.  "Compassion is always in style".  Jerry was recently honored for his decades of commitment to the Shelby Fire Department and I was honored to meet him and sit down for this conversation.  Tony Holinka, the department chief joined us to talk about w...

Ya, she's all of that and more.  You've listened to Sam on the radio, you parents probably have, too or your kids.  Now, as Sam finally retires I sat down with her to get a little perspective on things.  Like raising kids while being a public figure, being a female coming into an old boys club and what's in a name anyway? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a fun conversation I had with Sam Bachmeier and Karl Green about a new, unique performance space in downtown LaCrosse.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This lady is one of a kind.  Intelligent, quirky, insanely talented and even though she tries to hide it, super competitive.  Jen Barney is representing our River City in a big way as a competitor on Food Network's Holiday Wars.  You can check it out Sunday nights at 8:00pm.  So, what's it really like behind the scenes of a national TV competition show?  How does it affect...

Aiden Hessleberg has confirmed my belief in talking to strangers.  He and I aren't really friends (or weren't anyway) and we only run across each other occasionally.  But one day we decided to say more than "hello" and "could I get more onions on my sandwich please?"  Aiden, as it turns out is a talented artist with big ideas.  Take a listen to our conversation and you may find...

I had a chance to talk about 2 of my favorite subjects recently, music and creativity.  The conversation is with Tommy Prine, son of the great John Prine and my friend Andy Hughes.  Tommy has a show coming up this Friday at Leo and Leonas so we talked about that, about the pressure of being the son of a legend and about the work, process and vulnerability that go into writing a song.&nbs...

This started as a conversation about slang words, then it drifted and then it veered.  Just like a good conversation should.  In part 2 we talk about emojis and then talk a bit about generations.  How much are emojis a part of your every day communication?  I ended up with a new found respect for them.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slang, it's defined as language peculiar to a particular group, composed of arbitrarily changed words and extravagant figures of speech.  That sounds about right.  It's also a way we define ourselves and our generations.  And it can make for a lively conversation.  My daughter Sydney, a Gen Z, my wife Sara, a Gen X and I, just barely a Boomer, sat down and talked slang.  F...

There's love of all kinds on display in the wonderful conversation with Emily and Dave Hansen.  Emily is a breast cancer survivor, a mom, a wife and a real dynamo.    She and Dave share the truly frightening things they went through together but also the good things that this experience has brought to their lives.  Ya, it's about breast cancer but it's really a love story. See...

Dr. Dietrich is an oncologist at Gundersen Health System, specializing in breast cancer.  But there's more to her story.  Listen in for a great conversation about perspective and how life can change yours.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the first of 3 episodes focused on Steppin Out in Pink and the good it does right here in our community.  Did you know that the work Dr. Kenny and his team do is shared around the world and is also used to help patients right here at home?  Did you know that Steppin Out in Pink offers a unique and beneficial form of funding that allows need + research to = treatment at a lightnin...

Simply put, Mike Kearns was and is a legend.  Enjoy this tribute from many of his friends, former co-workers and his family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do a software development consultant and an improv actor have in common?  Well, when they're the same person, a lot as it turns out.  On this episode of Around River City I'm talking with Chuck Charbeneau.  He learned code writing and acting at about the same time and uses skills from each while doing the other.  He's also trying to bring Shakespeare back where he belongs....

Have you ever thought about all the things you don't know about everyone else?  Don't worry, you don't need to know everything about everyone.  And how about the things we don't know about ourselves?  Those ideas have become a major part of life for Richard Chrz.  He used to run ultra-marathons and now he's in a wheel chair.  According to Richard, life is a lot better thes...

This is part two of my conversation with Andy Hughes from Tugg and Alexander Platt from the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.  Trust is a big part of performing on stage, we'll talk about how it lets you be in the moment.  And not to get too deep but, can music give us hope?  What do you think?  Let's find out what Alexander and Andy think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

What do Aristotle and The Simpsons have in common?  Listen to part 2 of my conversation with UW-L Political Science Professor, Tim Dale and find out.  We're talking about Democracy but in a way that reminded me how it impacts my actual, everyday life.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Dale is a UW-L Professor of Political Science.  I know, I know, you think this is going to be a "lecture" on government stuff.  Actually, this is going to be fun, interesting and eye opening.  For example, do you get the feeling that we're just 2 groups of people who will never agree on anything?  Well, that feeling ebbs and flows over generations.  There's a lot about...

Erin Waldhart is the Executive Director of WAFER Food Pantry in LaCrosse.  Years ago she had what she calls a "woo hoo" moment.  From that point on she has known she is doing exactly what she needs to be doing, helping people in our community and letting all of us know how we can help. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are so many different kinds of music.  You can call them "genres" I suppose.  Or, maybe there is just one Music.  That was the idea I had when I asked Alexander Platt, Music Director for the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and Andy Hughes, from Tugg and Andy Hughes & the Mighty Few, to sit down with me.  They had never met.  Came from different upbringings and very...