B Inspired

When John Schlegel shares his stories of his destination hunts, I am baffled at why someone would put themselves through the pain of physically preparing himself for the hunt and spend over a week pushing his body to the limit to achieve the goal of the hunt. But, as all athletes know, it's the thrill of victory that drives them. John shared his most recent hunt--successful after 3 tries-- to...

Boyertown High School students Abby Giannini and Tyler Yuengel have been on a mission since August 2025 to bring greater awareness and support for individuals on the autism spectrum as their senior project. They’ve held fundraisers—a bake sale, T shirt sales, a 5K race—over several months. The couple first met in their classes to enter the medical field in some capacity, recognized the need experi...

Exploring memories, shocks and revelations. What do you love? Fear? Want to remember? Understand about life? In this episode, Jane prepares listeners and hopes to inspire writers for a series of writing workshops with Sandra Williams inspired by Ray Bradbury's novel Dandelion Wine. Phil Repko's essay "Breaking Ties" serves as an example. Lesley Misko invites participation to write about what’s har...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! In this episode, host Jane Stahl shares her favorite "Christmas specials": Albert Brooks’ movie "Defending Your Life" and Shakespeare’s play "King Lear." Both begin with the ultimate life challenges--death and/or grief and suffering--yet end with love. "Defending Your Life" delivers a meaningful message wrapped in a deligh...

Coming from three generations of musicians, Patricia Keith always knew that music--making music, teaching and mentoring musicians--was to be her life...and her love. And she's been at it for over 31 years. But it wasn't until she saw her name on her own music studio's sign that her childhood dream came true. The studio offers lessons and opportunities to learn and perform for all ages...

Host Jane and son Jeff acknowledge the season of celebrations. In exploring one of Jane's "favorite things" throughout her lifetime, they encourage listeners to remember things in their lives that give them continued inspiration and also to celebrate themselves as a means to recognize and appreciate the miracles around them that occur to us or through us during this holiday season.

Anthony Garifo, the owner of Heaps & Bounds, Bits & Pieces, has helped clients remove over 11 tons of what they no longer want--sofas, car engines, a.k.a. junk-- in just 70 days. A certified teacher, Anthony entered college as a journalism major, sought a career in sports management, and has held positions in casino management and a variety of other businesses before deciding on starting h...

Mike Heil grew tired of the corporate, W-2 world working for someone else, dependent on the vagaries of the marketplace. He joined Entrepreneur Source where he helps others in transition through various assessments to clarify who they are, why they do what they do, and how they want to contribute to the world through their efforts. Possibly owning their own franchise? Owning their own unique busin...

Sandra WilliamsSandra taught world literature and writing at both the high school and higher education levels since earning a BA in English and Secondary Education at Ursinus College and an MA in English at Villanova University. She is a writer of poetry, essays and short stories, with several published articles. She has been associated with Studio B since 2010 offering various adult writing oppor...

When Boyertown newcomer Diane Sullivan reached out to ask if there was a book about the Bear Fever project that she could share with her mother, a resident of Chestnut Knoll, she was disappointed to learn there wasn't one available. But Momma Bear, a.k.a. Jane Stahl, allowed her to know that she hoped that someday, someone would step forward and take on the project. Diane offered that, newly retir...

Julie Longacre can't quit creating--in paint, in words, in music. The projects never stop in her efforts to preserve memories of historic buildings and her own visions. The episode provides insight into this tireless artist--one of Boyertown's icons.

Lynne Conner, candidate for a seat on BASD's School Board for Region #3, has hopes to create a greater team spirit to the communication and problem solving efforts. Lynne sees herself as a research-oriented problem solver. She takes personal risks-- she's parachuted and scuba dived at night, for example--knowing the odds favored successful, once-in-a-lifetime, experiences. She wants to bring that...

Diane Hallman kept a journal over 25 years containing thousands of ideas, meditations, activities, and writing prompts she'd collected from her research, attendance, and participation in webinars and workshops. Six months ago she made the commitment to share them in her recently published book Abundance: Unleashing Your Potential with the S.I.M.P.L.E. System  that offers “a blueprint for growt...

Jason's FB post in which he shared his disappointment with the type of communication he's witnessed at recent school board meetings caught my attention. Here's not the first to complain about the disrespect and dysfunction but may be the first to be public about it. In meeting with him, he shared his determination, if elected, to be a positive force--like one he effected in his career in the Coast...

Newly retired from a lifetime in education, Dr. Michelle Wiley, candidate for BASD School Board Director for Region #1, wants to share her leadership experience & practical ideas as her way to give back to her community. She is dedicated to practicing effective, respectful communication in problem solving and developing a healthy culture within and without the district. I loved knowing that sh...

Jane shares the ups and downs of a week that included both the celebration of the uplifting holiday of Rosh Shashanah and the spiral down rabbit holes following relationship disappointments and threats to the nation's freedom of speech. Serendipitously, people appeared with poetry, music, and reminders of age-old words that inspire: the Book of Psalms and William Faulkner's Nobel Prize Acc...

Amy Lobben and Andrew Marcus founded Terra Pacem Winery to bring the wines they lovingly crafted in Oregon after retiring from a college career teaching geography and to create meaningful work for their son within a community by and for people with disabilities. Their farm on South Grim's Mill Road just west of Boyertown brings a lovely spot to meet with friends surrounded by Berks County'...

Imagine...if you can..."the world will be as one...all the people sharing all the world." Jane Stahl admits she's a dreamer. In this episode from 2021 she explores some possible origins of today's hate and intolerance...offers a pledge and an invitation to her listeners to dream together to create understandings and heal the divisions among us. She misses your company and needs your inspiration! ...

Main Street Manager Ellen Martignetti and Events Planner Krista Gross reflected on Building a Better Boyertown's 2023 Oktoberfest and upcoming events, plans, and vision for future events and initiatives. We'll circle back with them to review the upcoming 18th celebration.

In this encore episode, I enjoyed learning from Cindy and Jeff Karver, the founders, just how Boyertown's Oktoberfest got its start. Spurred by a challenge from community leader Charles Haddad, Jeff and Cindy initiated the community's popular and successful event that not only survived the first year's economic downturn, chaired it for five years and have watched it grow bigger and bet...

I asked Vicki Kriczky about a community currently under construction, slated to open February 2026, called The Residence of Boyertown. Vicki explained that The Residence is a community of 126 apartments offering continuing care for folks 55 and older: 54 one -or two-bedroom apartments designated for independent living; 50 to offer personal care, and 22 devoted to memory care. But, more than just a...

Michele Barrett  and  Diane Hallman  are two mothers who have been given extraordinary challenges raising children whose gifts include diagnoses of ADHD, AUDDHD, and autism. Today, recognizing the unique needs of children on the spectrum—particularly those on what they term the “autism cliff”—and eager to help them smoothly transition from secondary educational placements to college and beyond--th...

Dr. John Lignelli, Oral Surgeon, takes us on his journey from his boyhood goal to follow in his father's footsteps to his successful practice in the hometown he loves. Listening with care to his patients' concerns, willing and available when trauma occurs, John brings exceptional skill and attention when needed most.

I had to know: Captain Beefheart? Decal-licking? Who? What? Why? Plus, I needed to catch up with John after 4,000 published poems and 44 published books. The latest: Captain Beefheart Never Licked My Decals Off, Baby. John calls it a memoir; its message describing "real" artists resonates. We had a good time--as usual in our 7th episode.

Quilts--for those who need, for those who celebrate, for funding future projects—are created by a group of women of the former Boyertown Mennonite Church, now also the home of the 2/42 Community Church.  Edith Freed  and  Gerry Grabias  shared a bit of history of the church and the dozens of women who meet bi-weekly as a group...and in-between on their own, their involvement over the years, their...