UPDATE: Our collection of Mothers’ Day Tributes will air Sunday May 14, at 2:30PM and again at 9:00PM! Mychele Anderson and Julie Luchsinger will host the collection of recordings from kids to elders! Thanks to all of those who contributed to making this a Special Mothers’ Day on KTWH!
Michelle Miller will intersperse the early Mother’s Day dedications in her Grounds Control show Thursday morning.
There are so many ways to honor mothers on Mothers’ Day – flowers, candy, a card, a special meal or gift, even a billboard!
Two Harbors Community Radio is offering a novel way to show appreciation for the mothers in our lives this year. Your message to a mother, whether your own, the mother of your children, or any woman who has made a difference to you, may be broadcast on KTWH 99.5FM this Mother’s Day, Sunday May 14.
Your message can be delivered in three different ways: record the message yourself in the KTWH studio by appointment, send a sound file you have recorded on your smart phone or other device, or send the station a written message to be read for you. Maximum length is 30 seconds or about 75 words.
The deadline for submissions and studio recording sessions is noon Saturday, May 13. Messages received before Thursday, May 11 will also be broadcast during that morning’s Grounds Control morning show with Michelle Miller, between 7 and 9am. Contact KTWH at 218-595-6195, ktwh995@gmail.com, or PO Box 622, Two Harbors, 55616.
Watch our Two Harbors Community Radio Facebook page and this website’s postings or listen to us at 99.5FM for details of the broadcast times for the special Mothers’ Day messages.
Personal messages such as birthday greetings, graduation congratulations, etc. maybe broadcast any day on KTWH for a $10 donation. In the case of Mothers’ Day (and Fathers’ Day of course!) however this service is offered free to listeners in appreciation of their support.
Most everyone who grew up in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, knew someone like Robert Johnson, host of Two Harbors Community Radio’s ‘Harvest Program.’ A young adult with a massive record collection and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of music. They were the go-to person who could settle any disagreement concerning the members of a band or the author of a particular song. Ever wonder what happened to such people after high school or college?
In Robert’s case, his passion for music did not fade away as the years progressed. While attending college in Staples, MN he used a major portion of his $1500 of what would now be called his Student Loan to travel to Minneapolis and purchase over 100 vintage albums. After college, he found work in San Jose at a record factory which led to a position at one of Tower Records flagship stores. From there it was onto community radio station KKUP in Cupertino, CA. It was here he became enamored with the somewhat legendary KFAT in Gilroy, CA. KFAT (now KPIG) was notable as a freeform alternative country station and was also responsible for many of the comedic parodies of radio ads that proliferated on the airwaves during the 80’s. He eventually returned to Minnesota and spent 12 years working the record section of Carlson Books in Duluth.
The Harvest Program is very aptly named in that over the years Robert has separated the wheat from the chaff, preserving the very best from each decade of vinyl. The music heard is a mixture of blues, country, folk, jazz, and rock that flows seamlessly from one song to another. The background and history provided for the various tunes of interest is presented in a friendly matter of fact manner. What the listener does not see when the mic is off and the music is playing is that the DJ/host/producer is rocking out like 15 year old headbanger with the speakers at full volume.
One of the inaugural programs that launched KTWH during its first week on the air, it can be heard ‘live’ Tuesday mornings at 9 AM. It is rebroadcast at noon on Saturdays.
KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
Two Harbors Community Radio’s program description for the Monday night music show, Northwoods Archive, lists it as “a musical sojourn exploring a common thread.”
When host Shane Dickey was asked how he goes about selecting a particular theme for the show, he replied, “There’s not a solid theme for each show, it’s more of a feeling I’m having that day that connects each song.”
Much like making a mixtape with a friend in mind, the content of the show is a means for Dickey to connect and communicate with his audience via the medium of music. The show is a mixture of genres as well as a blend of both lesser and more well-known artists.
Because he is a music archivist in his personal life as well as managing the station’s collection, his broad goal is to play only one song per artist in order to showcase as many musicians as possible.
“As much as I love Brother Ray, if I play ‘One Mint Julip’ that means Mr. Charles is forever off limits,” Dickey said. “It is easy to fall into a rut by allowing yourself to use prolific artists like Ray Charles, Prince, or even the band Chicago as ‘go to’ fillers in a playlist. The challenge is to keep it fresh. If I want to play ‘Georgia on My Mind’ now that Ray Charles has had his turn, I will select another artist that has covered it. Sometimes that version is a much better fit than if I had gone straight to Ray.”
Dickey developed an interest in music both new and old during the 80’s. Like a lot of kids, he got his start by rummaging through his grandparents’ and parents’ vinyl record collections. But it was hearing the Beatles for the first time that truly fanned the flames of his musical passion.
While not one of the founding Two Harbors Community Radio volunteers, Dickey has become an integral member. Board member, mentor, program producer and host, and manager of the station’s music archives are some of the titles he holds.
Northwoods Archive airs Mondays at 7 p.m. and re-airs Fridays at 3 p.m. KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
Most people would not think to turn on the radio to experience their favorite cooking show but that is the aim of chef Uriah Hefter, host of The Hotdish Imperative on Two Harbors Community Radio.
“I wanted to create a show for those interested in cooking that I, myself, would actually listen to whenever it aired,” he said.
The weekly program is a blend of music, humor and food preparation instruction. The music for each show is selected to loosely complement the main dish through a shared commonality. If the focus of the program is about baking bread there is a better than average chance that the 1960’s and 70’s rock band Bread will see some air-play that day.
It would be easy for the average person to think to themselves, “A show about cooking? On the radio? He doesn’t do magic tricks, as well, does he?” To overcome for the lack of visuals that cooking shows on TV have traditionally relied on, during the broadcast Hefter closes his eyes and attempts to describe, in detail, each step of the preparation process.
“I would imagine that if you walked past the studio while I was in ‘explanation mode,’ you would most likely assume that I’d lost all mental capacity, or was experiencing a stroke at minimum,” he said.
Hefter, originally from Kansas City, Mo., met his wife, a Sauk Centre native, while in the City of Fountains. From there they moved to Iowa for a few years, but both had a yearning to make Northern Minnesota their permanent home. They are now going on their fifth year in the area.
A graduate of the culinary arts school at Indian Hills College in Ottumwa, Iowa, Hefter has honed his skills at small mom and pop owned kitchens, catering companies and large corporate operations. His preference is for smaller restaurants whereby he has oversight of aspects of the operation or as he puts it, “I like to have my fingers in lots of pies.”
The Hotdish Imperative airs Thursday at 11 a.m. and is rebroadcast at 11 a.m. on Saturdays. KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
There are plenty of things for the whole family to do during the Heritage Days celebration. Two Harbors Community Radio is back again this year with more to see and hear. The THCR booth will be located in the Vendor area near the Historic Depot. Volunteers will be on-hand to hand out KTWH-LP 99.5 FM program schedules as well as answer questions about the station and its mission.
On Friday, July 8th, starting at 11 AM, Nordic Roots host, and on-air personality Arna Rennan will be kicking things off on the Heritage Days stage performing a selection of Scandinavian dance tunes on accordion.
Saturday from 9 to 11 AM the radio station, 99.5 FM, will air rebroadcasts of two shows that will be of interest to residents and visitors alike.
Both shows will air again on Sunday, July 10th starting at 11 AM.
Saturday at 1 PM watch for KTWH’s very own Dave Anderson, host of Big Dave’s Beat Farm, and his Beat Farm float in the Heritage Days Parade.
Sunday at 12 noon Two Harbors Community Radio will hold a drawing for three awesome prizes including:
New Show Premiere! Sunday at 7 PM will mark the start of the weekly hour-long program, Hear Tomorrow. The show profiles new music and artists (of every genre) that might not otherwise be getting the attention they deserve.
KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
“It seemed like the perfect way for me to apply my interests and develop my skills,” said Sam Knight. Sam is one of the Two Harbors High School students responsible for the weekly production of The High School Show which airs Fridays & Saturdays at 1:30 PM. The young Mr. Knight joined the team as a self-taught audio engineer/editor.
The High School Show, a half hour of music and news relevant to all ages, is part of the Youth Radio Initiative which is funded via a grant from the Northland Foundation. The initiative seeks to promote intergenerational grassroots participation in a variety of endeavors throughout Northern Minnesota. Some of its goals are assisting students in acquiring the production skills and interview techniques required to produce a weekly show, developing relationships with mentors in business, government, and civic organizations, as well as a knowledge transfer from senior to freshmen participants in the program.
The program is overseen by on-air personality Mychele, who spearheaded a similar project while working in radio on the Iron Range. The students describe her as an easy going and accepting mentor who champions and relishes their uniqueness. She speaks glowingly of these young adults when she recounts lessons learned from them and tales of the 120+ hours of volunteer effort the students have contributed to various projects both in and outside the studio.
The credit for the show’s inception goes to THHS student Dale Peterson, who submitted the initial proposal for the High School Show. Dale was already somewhat of an accomplished interviewer and reporter before KTWH went live. He served as Two Harbors Community Radio’s ‘man on the scene’ during a 2015 summer food networking event and has conducted many of the interviews during the H.S.S.’s early days.
The Leon brothers, David & Jackson, make up the other half of the student production team for the show. Jackson, the subject of an interview by Dale, enjoyed himself so much during his time in the station that he joined the team. His brother David soon joined him. Both plan to pursue careers related to radio and audio/visual engineering.
KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
KTWH is adding several new programs to its lineup in the weeks ahead. The team at Lake County’s first community radio station are excited about the new shows that will air soon, but are looking to expand its range of programming to more fully encompass the varied interests of the community. “While we are proud of our locally produced music programs and new programs are already under production, we still have some gaps in our offerings,” said THCR board member Fran Kaliher. “We are looking for team members to support a classic country show as well as polka, gardening, and a public affairs program about environmental and health care topics in our area. If anyone is interested in working in any of these areas (on or off-mic), please call 218-595-6195, email ktwh995@gmail.com, or stop by our studio in the Harbor Landing Building at 7th St and 7th Avenue.”
Three of the latest programs to be added to the lineup are:
The Gospel Truth – Sundays at 10 AM from WTIP, community radio station in Grand Marais
No matter what your level of faith, this Sunday morning program hosted by Doug Seim will lift your spirits. Doug explores Gospel’s roots, its history, and its modern day incarnation, with a slight focus on Southern Gospel, backed up with detailed information on the artists involved.
American Mosaic – Fridays at noon, immediately after Community Events.
A timeless series of stories with an emphasis on the common threads that connect rather than divide us. People from all walks of life and ethnicities relay their stories of everyday life.
Southern Crossroads – Wednesdays at 10 AM
Transplanted Texan Zak Williams hosts a two-hour musical exploration on the influence of bluegrass and the blues in Southern Culture.
January brings some minor changes to our program line-up. Please make note of these – and check them out!
* The Hotdish Imperative! a cooking show by local chef Uriah Hefter – airs Thursday mornings at 11:00-12:00, often done live, and repeated Saturday mornings at 11:00. [Note: Left, Right and Center and Sprouts which had aired during this hour are now broadcast from 10:00-11:00 Sunday mornings, replacing reruns of The Book Show and Person Place Thing. Those programs still air at 12:05pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays respectively.]
* Spirit in Action – an interview program produced in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, about the spiritual roots of guests’ social activism, airs Sunday mornings 9:00-10:00. [Note – we replaced the repeat of Maternally Yours, which had aired during that hour. Maternally Yours still airs at 1:00pm on Mondays]
*Saturday Morning Mix has been running on Saturday mornings for several weeks beginning at 9:00. After a rundown of local community events and weather, it is comprised of local, regional and seasonal features of interest to our area, including interviews from the previous week’s Grounds Control morning show. Running from between one and two hours, it is sometimes followed by Storytime readings from Tom Koehler and/or other surprises chosen by the KTWH programming staff.
7:00 – 9:00am: Michelle’s Miller’s regular (not decaff!) Grounds Control
9:00 – noon: Michelle Miller’s Christmas Miscellany:
9:00 “Auntie Claus” read by Mary Klausen
10:00 More readings, poetry, reflections and seasonal music from Michelle M
11:00 The Hotdish Imperative – all things holiday in the culinary field (with Chef Uriah Hefter)
Noon – 5:00pm: Fran’s Holiday Miscellany
12:00 – community events, holiday programming preview; holiday traditions; some alphorn and
yodeling from Switzerland; German carols
12:30 – Children’s Storytime – with a Christmas theme
1:00 – “Three Wise Guys”, a Damon Runyon story read by Tom Koehler; and Christmas on the plantation: African American culinary researcher Michael Twitty on customs and celebrations of enslaved Americans during the Christmas season, interviewed by KTWH volunteer Gerri Williams.
2:00 – a multi-cultural holiday special from Pacifica Archives: the making of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol; some Christmas music from Mexico; and “Dreidels and Donuts: a Hanukkah Story”
3:00 – Upstate Radio Theater: Dragnet, “The Big Little Jesus” 1953;
3:30 – With Good Reason, A’Caroling – three stories about the impact of music on our lives
4:00 – 5:00 – 1939 recording of Cambell’s Playhouse; Orson Welles narrates “A Christmas Carol”, starring Lionel Barrymore as Ebeneezer Scrooge.
5:00 – sign off
