Trek Through Time

As promised, Kosmo Esplan returns to complete his tour through the eras of the St. Olaf Band . . . this time accompanied by the firsthand experience of Dr. Timothy Mahr, the Band's former conductor who led multitudes of students across the years to musical glory, including several international tours and a performance at Carnegie Hall. Kosmo (non-musical expert) and Dr. Mahr (musical expert) d...

On the first half of this two-part May exploration of Manitou Heights' oldest musical institution, Kosmo Esplan brings in the big guns to cover 127 years of St. Olaf Band history: Northfield history icons Susan Hvistendahl and Jeff Sauve, authors of the 2019 biography "Milestones & Memoirs of the St. Olaf Band: 1891-2018". All three Band fans take an aerial perspective of the ori...

(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) Resuming the conversation on the "power of the puppet", Kosmo treats Doug and Mary Kay to some artifacts from the History Center archives that relate to Doug's multi-decade career in guidance counseling; and the trio are joined by the ever-welcome puppet celebrity pair of DUSO the Dolphin and Jayhawk.

To celebrate the latest Northfield History Center exhibit, Kosmo invites former elementary school guidance counselor Doug Peterson and his wife Mary Kay into the Time Machine as they retrace Doug's career in using a beloved puppet ensemble to communicate valuable life lessons to students. From utilizing DUSO the Dolphin to gripping the classroom's attention, the trio discover how impactful...

(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) In this installment of "Extra Explorations", Kosmo and Coach Ryan continue their conversation on local college basketball, diving even deeper thanks to a firsthand look at historical images; plus, they're graced by the presence of the one and only 112-year-old Goat symbolic of the immortal Carleton-St. Olaf rivalry.

In Part 2 of the intercollegiate basketball investigation, Kosmo Esplan digs into the Carletonian perspective with assistance and insight from Ryan Kershaw, head coach of the Knights, who recently finished up another impressive postseason run. The two fellas (*one* of whom is a sports expert) dig into the extremely early arrival of the pastime on-campus, the ingrained facets of Carleton tradition,...

(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) Continuing their conversation on Ole basketball, this time in video format, Kosmo and Coach Koz examine an NCAA basketball, go over some of the coach's top career games, and delve into how St. Olaf's celebrated basketball team can rise to the challenge again next year.

On this March Madness installment, sports amateur Kosmo Esplan sits down with Daniel "Coach Koz" Kosmoski, coach of the St. Olaf Oles basketball team for 31 years and counting. The two Kozzes talk through the game's long history on Manitou Heights, including the legend of the annually awarded Carl-Ole Goat, and highlights from Kosmoski's illustrious basketball career, all while K...

(Video exclusively available on Spotify.) In this first installment of Trek Through Time 's video extension series, Kosmo and Eric continue their conversation about the Jeopardy! champ's long history of accomplishments within the trivia world, including a role in Ken Jennings' book and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award . . . and Kosmo inevitably pulls out the game show sound effec...

This month, host (and noted game show fanatic) Kosmo Esplan sits down with longtime Carleton archivist Eric Hillemann, who coached the college's Quiz Bowl team to two national championships in addition to winning a game of "Jeopardy!" in 2000. With no money on the line, Kosmo and Eric discuss everything trivia-related, including the truth behind Alex Trebek's mustache and an age-...

In the first installment of 2025, Kosmo Esplan sits down with local videographer, thespian, and history aficionado Sam Temple to discuss the origin of Northfield itself, John North's captivatingly impactful life, and the 170-year legacy that has made the town an endearing Minnesotan institution.

(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) The holiday cheer continues as Kosmo Esplan digs deeper into Northfield's involvement into "Love Always, Santa" with his festive Memoir Maestros Rachel Haider and Joan Spaulding, looking at his own experience as an extra, exploring Rachel and Joan's firsthand impact on the movie, and quizzing his guests on a variety of Yuletide topics.

In this Triple Tee holiday special, Christmas movie lover Kosmo Esplan looks back on Northfield's integral role in the 2016 Hallmark flick "Love Always, Santa" with the help of festive guests Rachel Haider and Joan Spaulding, both key players in a local filming experience that still boosts the Christmas cheer of the town today.

Featuring even more of host Kosmo Esplan's in-depth conversation with Northfield News folks Scott Richardson and Pamela Thompson, this extended video version sees the trio explore several artifacts of historical interest, dig further into the beloved publication's 145-year career, and get quizzy when Kosmo tests Scott and Pam on American headlines from the 20th century.

This month, host Kosmo Esplan goes beyond the headlines with two generations of Northfield News journalists, former longtime editor Scott Richardson and current associate editor Pamela Thompson, about the diverse history of newspapers in Northfield, including the origin and growth of the Northfield News , contributor Maggie Lee's instrumental role in shaping the paper, and some iconic stories popu...

(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) More engrossing stories covering the Carleton-St. Olaf football rivalry are revealed as host Kosmo Esplan and ex-Knight coach Bob Sullivan delve into the historic Metric Bowl, relive Carleton's 1992 MIAC victory, and examine a wooden replica of the legendary Goatrophy.

In advance of the highly anticipated Carleton-St. Olaf annual football matchup, Kosmo Esplan invites Bob Sullivan (Carleton Knights head coach 1979-2000) to examine the legendary Carl-Ole rivalry, the iconic Goatrophy, and much more from the deep and detailed past of college football in Northfield.

(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) One of the most in-depth discussions you'll ever hear about the 1876 Northfield bank raid, host Kosmo Esplan and guest Earl Weinmann dig even deeper into that fateful September 7 day in honor of the 76th Defeat of Jesse James Days, investigating the James-Younger Gang's robbing career, the town's impact in shaping the Wild West's...

Apropos for the DJJD-infused month of September, host Kosmo Esplan delves into the infamous 1876 Northfield bank raid with help from uber-informed history teacher Earl Weinmann. Their captivating conversation explores the James-Younger Gang's rise and downfall, the sacrifice of Joseph Lee Heywood, and how actions of the brave townspeople on September 7 changed the course of Wild West history f...

(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) Prepare to dive even deeper into the history of Northfield theatre in this extended video cut that sees host Kosmo Esplan and guest Patsy Dew explore the Northfield Arts Guild across the eras and examine a variety of archival items from the organization's past.

In honor of the Northfield Arts Guild’s 65th Anniversary, host Kosmo Esplan visits with Patsy Dew to talk about the organization's rich history in theatre, including co-founder Myrna Johnson's enduring legacy and an original Jesse James-inspired musical that made its way into Northfield's history books.

(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) This extended video version of  Trek Through Time 's second voyage includes more in-depth discussions between host Kosmo Esplan and guest Dimitri Pitsavas on the fascinating history of Northfield's three Greek pizza restaurants, as well as an exclusive look at an on-display item in the NHC exhibit representative of the town's first e...

This month, host Kosmo Esplan talks with Dimitri Pitsavas, a member of Northfield’s First Family of Pizza and the operator of Basil's Pizza, about the long and utterly fascinating decades-long history of one of America’s favorite foods in Northfield, Minnesota.

(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) This video version of Trek Through Time 's first episode features an additional ten minutes of footage, including a segment where host Kosmo Esplan and guest Jeff Johnson examine a handful of intriguing artifacts from the Northfield Historical Society archives that are pertinent to KYMN Radio's history.

On this debut episode, your host Kosmo Esplan looks back at Northfield’s radio stations from the very beginning of St. Olaf station WCAL, right up to the present day. Kosmo’s guest, Jeff Johnson, offers his perspective as a longtime Northfield on-air personality and the outgoing owner of the commercial station KYMN Radio.