The Sages Among Us

Host Keith Porter brings us the fascinating story of Mark Leviton, who began writing music reviews as a teenager, had a career in the music industry, and retired to Nevada County to enjoy life, broadcast music on KVMR, and write in-depth interviews in The Sun, a national literary magazine. Learn how, while still a kid, his rather critical reviews were published by Rolling Stone, and how he mellowe...

Hollie Grimaldi Flores talks with Peter Stack who is an advocate working with Partners In Care who non-medical in-home care and full hospice services in Nevada County. Peter grew up in Nevada City graduated from NU and left to see the world. 38 years later, caring for his mother returned him to California and set him on an entirely different course. The experience filled him with a deep appreciati...

Host Lori Burkhart Frank speaks with Cori Ove, Operations Manager for Bright Futures for Youth, an organization that works to support Nevada County youth through after school programming, a drop-in center, skill building workshops, and building supportive relationships. 

Host Hollie Grimaldi Flores helps us learn all about Lynn Wenzel, a writer, editor and political activist. She is the author of four books, the most recent being Puritans, Patriots & Pioneers (pub. 2022) and More Than Petticoats: Remarkable New Jersey Women for which she received a New York State grant. She has written for the New York Times , Newsweek and Ms. Magazine, among many others , and...

Keri Kemble  teaches English and CTE student media classes at Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley, Calif., where she advises the Prospector yearbook and online multimedia. When not on deadline, Kemble can be found trail running with her dog, Honey, on local trails and feeding her teenage sons.

Host Keith Porter brings us the inspiring life story of Martin Webb, who came to Nevada County following his drug addiction in Washington DC to turn his life around and contribute to his community in many ways. As the founder, manager and consultant for several solar-electric companies, he is a passionate climate activist. As a former heroin addict, he was a long-time contributor to efforts to leg...

Brian Buckley speaks with Hardy Bullock, Nevada County Supervisor for District 5 (encompassing primarily east Nevada County, including the town of Truckee).  He is also the Director of Aviation and Community Services at Truckee-Tahoe Airport District.  A graduate of Nevada Union High School and The University of Nevada, Reno, Hardy has also been a board member or volunteer for a number of nonprofi...

Host Brian Buckley shares with us an exploration of the life experiences of Daryl Grigsby, a retired public works professional, author, theologian and Board President of Color Me Human in Nevada County. From childhood in Washington, DC, where he attended all-black schools, he received a degree in history at Chicago State University. His working career was focused on directing Public Works  activit...

Host Hollie Grimaldi Flores brings us the story of Jeff Wenzel, a retired sales executive who serves his community as a board member of the Community Beyond Violence in Nevada County. Born in Brooklyn, he lived with Orthodox Jewish grandparents from Lithuania until age 7, when his family settled in Los Angeles, where he was put in a special speech class due to his Brooklyn accent! To Marin County...

Host Taylor Wolfe welcomes Liz & Steve Heinen, volunteers at the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. Learn how they failed at fostering, why they relocated from the Bay Area and about the fabulous facility for animals.

Host Mari Weaver talks with Rob Ferguson about his life and experience with civic engagement. From a childhood in the Bay Area where his best friend’s family served as a “shelter” when times were tough in his own dysfunctional family, Rob met his wife in high school and converted to Judaism prior to their marriage. His early experiences spawned a life-long interest in human rights, the environment...

Host Keith Porter helps us walk the long and fascinating life path of Anita Wald Tuttle, who has lived in Nevada County for 33 years and has had a role in over two dozen community organizations and projects. Among other notable achievements, she co-founded the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Mountains here. From humble beginnings in depression-era Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, Anita worked he...

Host Brian Buckley takes us on a journey into the life and times of retired Superior Court Judge Frank Francis. Born in Ogden, Utah, Frank’s family moved to San Mateo through 7th grade, where he experienced the impacts of WWII. Frank’s mother was pretty controlling of his two siblings, but for some reason as the middle child he was able to roam pretty freely. Frank met his wife, Francis, in grade...

Host Lori Burkart Frank brings us the story of Karyn Packard, Board President of Hospice of the Foothills. Following her career as a hospital chaplain, she and her husband sailed their sailboat all around the world for two and a half years, and sold it in New Zealand before settling in Lake Wildwood. Born in southern California, she changed schools often and was positively impacted by wonderful te...

Host Hollie interviews Coach Brad Sparks.

Host Taylor Wolfe takes us on a journey of discovery into the life of Syd Brown, a retired geologist with California State Parks, where she helped protect and enhance the mountains, rivers, beaches and watersheds in our precious natural resources. Growing up with parents who often went camping, she became very familiar with the back country. With geology degrees from CSU Sacramento, she was based...

Host Keith Porter takes us on a journey of discovery into the life of Tom Last, Community Development Director for the City of Grass Valley. We learn how a youngster from the deserts of far Southern California came North to Chico to pursue his interest in Rural and Regional Planning. Professional positions in Southern California, Butte and Sutter Counties led to a position with Grass Valley that’s...

Host Mari Weaver introduces us to Dan Kennerson, who along with friend Jon Dorfman, was doing research for a Department of Defense contractor on ethanol purification. When they had the opportunity to purchase the laboratory in 2017, they faced the choice of producing highly purified spirits or hanging around dairy farms to develop ways of harnessing methane from cow manure. They found the decision...

Host Keith Porter explores the life and times of Matt Muellenhoff, DO, founder and Medical Director of Sierraderm in Grass Valley. As a boy, Matt attended kindergarten with this grandmother and mother as teachers, grew up in Corvalis Oregon and Lafayette California, and studied Studio Art at UC Davis. Medical School at Western University of Health Sciences for his Doctor of Osteopathy degree led t...

Host Brian Buckley interviews Kellea Miller, who grew up in Tahoe Vista and was familiar with the Western slope of the Sierra from visits to Victorian Christmas as a kid. Raised with 4 siblings by a devout Buddhist mom, a Russian Jew dad from New Jersey and a step-mom raised Catholic, she grew up with a wide perspective on the world. Spreading her wings to travel, live and work in areas like New Y...

Host Keith Porter talks with Cindy Zuelsdorf, marketing professional, Founder of KoKoRo Marketing, and author. Video technology brought Cindy’s parents to Nevada County in the ‘80s, and after a couple of visits Cindy made it her home also. Marriage, a daughter, work at Sierra Mountain Coffee Roasters and Ensemble Designs preceded founding KoKoRo Marketing and writing 3 books on Marketing for small...

Host Keith Porter talks with Thomas Kanomata, MD, about his life growing up as a Japanese-Canadian, his extensive experience in Internal Medicine, his perspective on health care and his work as a front-line primary care physician during the most traumatic health crisis of our lifetimes.

Host Lori Burkart Frank introduces us to Scott Beesley, and the fascinating story of a kid from a Southeast Michigan town that doesn’t exist anymore who didn’t have a clue about what he was going to do when he grew up. An early job as a caddy at a golf club with a forged birth certificate contrasted with his modest background. Volunteering with the YMCA during college eventually led to a staff pos...

Host Taylor Wolfe helps us with a deep dive into the life and times of Robin VanValkenburgh, who manages transit services....

Host Keith Porter helps us follow the journey of a young man from Sioux Falls, S.D. to Nevada City, with stops in Rapid City, Quincy Illinois and sojourns with several start-ups in Silicon Valley. A life-long love of music and radio led to volunteering at music festivals in the woods and finally the fateful move to become Chief Engineer for KVMR in 2012. Learn how his life was changed with a 12-st...