Who Gets What?

Sam Carpenter became head of the Hoosier Environmental Council in October, 2022, having previously served  17 years as head of Global Gifts.  This wide-ranging discussion includes the importance of wetlands, advocating for change, and his personal all-electric life.

Locating, honoring, restoring and protecting important sites in Indiana's African-American history is one task of Indiana Landmarks.  Journalist, historian, newspaper editor, Eunice Trotter, is director of the organization's Black Heritage Preservation Program.  This conversation includes references to many historical sites.  For example, Indianapolis' Douglas Park was the only park blacks could experience.  A Church in Marion for use by Quakers was designed by a black architect and now could be demolished.  These are just two of many important references.  

During the current run of The Yuletide Celebration, we hear from Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Pops and Presentations Coordinator, Matthew Creek.  Planning, staging, handling crises, working with talent with both contracts and hospitality all are part of Matthew's world.  At the time of this broadcast, tickets are available for Yuletide at Indianapolissymphony.org, offering performances through December 23.  

To describe Jo Ellen Myers Sharp as "The Hoosier Gardener" is both appropriate yet understated because she has been a newspaper reporter covering, among other things, education, a photographer, an editor of state gardening periodicals in four other states, and a professional writer in several contexts.   https://hoosiergardener.com is the place to find her work.  

The father-son team, Cavan and Russell Cameron, have produced a vehicle gaining attention world wide, starting in Las Vegas and next in Indianapolis, Poland, and Australia, as well as through an instagram account having almost 100,000 followers.  They have taken a 1973 Pontiac Firebird to a ranking as one of the top picks in the 2023 SEMA show in Los Angeles.   On Instagram look for horizon_motorsports_llc, for photographs and more.  

The rare incidence of creating a new foundation is discussed with Dora Anim, the first president and chief executive officer.  The initial goal of this new, $100 million institution, is to make Jefferson County one of the healthiest counties in the world.  

Why teach music to a student of engineering?  What is Ludomusicology?  "All humans are musical."  What do dissonance and Taylor Swift have in common?  How does a science student learn counting and frequencies by studying and appreciating music? These are a few of the topics considered by David Chapman, Associate Professor of Music, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  

The forthcoming documentary, Kennedy, (November 18, 2023, The History Channel) is described in this conversation.  This is Ashton's third documentary.  Ashton has composed or assisted composing many film scores.  He also produced "We Shall Not Die Now" with stories about Holocaust survivors.  It was released in 2019.  A documentary about Secret Service agent and administrator Clint Hill, "Agent Number 9," will be released and distributed in 2024.

Yes, in broad brush, with the massive number of news stories, court actions, and servicer changes, the only answer to the question "What is the state of student loans?" is:   confusion. However, individuals may eliminate most personal confusion, and they can learn about financing possibilities in the future, as well as specific information about costs of education, by contacting Indiana's unique non profit called INvestED.  The phone number is 317-715-9007. Our spokes person is Bill Wozniak.  

Attorney Greg Silver is an attorney who has been active in more groups than can be listed, such as The Sierra Club, The Nora Community Council, The Falls of the Ohio, Indianapolis Greenways, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and more.  He covers many suggestions for more environmentally friendly practices.  

Trish Whitcomb, daughter of an Indiana governor, is running for the Indiana House of Representatives in district 69, southern Indiana, near Salem.  She describes her long history as a political and civic consultant including her experiences assisting U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, and her role as a child of a governor.  She will actively campaign immediately following this year's municipal elections.  

Morton and John interview friend Russ Sipes, who, in light of contemporary events, tells us about an early military experience in which he was loading supplies to support the Yom Kippur war.  Then Russ provides a compelling history of asbestos and the relevent litigation in which he has been involved.  Civil justice (access to courts) and protection of workers also have been prominent in his career.  

Through a history with names such as Cub Foods, Meijer, McKay, SuperValu, Jewel, Walmart, Costco, Target and Sams, grocery business leader Rusty McKay traces his family's involvement from 1880 in Ft. Wayne to the rise of destination stores and the large warehouse stores of today. His volunteer commitment to Fairbanks Hospital also is explained.                 

Doug VanSlambrook is Senior Design-Build Manager of The Walsh Group which has recently completed the Madison (Indiana)-Milton (Kentucky) Bridge over The Ohio River, and he has started work on two major projects (8 years or more) in Cincinnati, The Western Hills Viaduct Replacement and The Brent Street Bridge rennovation.  (Listeners may Google these projects.) The Interstate projects in Louisville are his as well.  This conversation is about Doug's personal involvement with bridge construction, the history, techniques, styles and social implications of projects.      

Performer, singer, sound design expert, lighting design expert, and, after twelve years at The Palladium, Lisa Posson now is Director of Production. The Palladium is an astoundingly fine and effective venue in which support staff are artists as well as technicians.  This charming and compelling interview tells all about it.        

Special Olympian John Wheeler, champion in soft ball, track and field, and especially basketball, tells us how to overcome obstacles and to reach personal goals.  John is an author, student of basketball, and a motivational presence.  His two books are availabe on Amazon.  Two days prior to this interview, he started writing his third book.  

Lynne Sladky is a photo journalist with the world's largest supplier of news content, The Associated Press.  She lives and works in Miami, covering everything from Mar a Lago Club to Lionel Messi. This conversation considers modern digital photography compared to portable laboratories of the past, the changing businesses of newspapers, instantly transmitting photographs to AP clients, as well as the history of Lynne's 1992 Pulitzer Prize.  

In Indianapolis, our guest, Jill Santoriello, produced a preliminary version of her musical "A Tale of Two Cities."  In 2008, the show opened on Broadway.  Jill's most recent effort is "It Happened in Key West," which will open in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in January, having already opened in London.   This conversation describes the 25-year labor to compose her first show, and how she moved forward from high school as a largely self-educated musician.   Note:  John Guy has the first autograph Jill ever signed.  

This conversation is a wonderful survey of local musicians, national stars, and, in general, the life of an accomplished musician, cellist Marjorie Hanna.  Elton John and Michael Jackson, plus Indiana musicians such as Al Cobine and Dick Dennis, to name just a few, all have important cameos in this delightful exchange.  

Indianapolis-based Sagamore Institute, sometimes described as a "think tank," includes Alan Dowd as head of its Center for America's Purpose.  Many of Alan's clear and effective writings can be found at http://alanwdowd.com/Articles.aspx.    One theme of our conversation asks "Is America the greatest country in the world?"