Joe on the Go: Local Matters signs off

In the late 1300s, the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, “There is an end to everything, to good things as well,” thus providing the basis for the modern proverb, “All good things must come to an end.”

Such was the case last week, when on Wednesday, May 29, I hosted my final Local Matters talk show for WSLR 96.5 FM. This brought to an end a four-year journey that began in February 2009, with co-host Steve Norris and I leading a discussion on the initiative to create an elected mayor’s position in Sarasota---a proposed alternative to the current system that involves the five sitting commissioners appointing a mayor among themselves. Shannon Snyder currently serves in this one-year ceremonial role.

Voters shot down the idea and a subsequent proposal a few years later. Fortunately, Local Matters fared better. The debut show was followed by a series of interviews with eight of the nine 2009 at-large Sarasota City Commission candidates, a crowded field that included eventual winners Terry Turner and Suzanne Atwell, incumbent commissioner (and eventual loser) Ken Shelin, future commissioner Paul Caragiulo and candidates Pete Theisen, Rick Farmer, Jay Berman and Robin Harrington.

In the years that followed, almost every city commission candidate and many county commission candidates discussed their campaigns on Local Matters, giving the up-and-coming non-profit radio station an even greater presence on the local media landscape.

A Local Who’s-Who

Hosting a radio show provided the opportunity to engage in public conversations with a variety of elected officials, city staffers, local journalists, local writers, artists, actors, directors and theater representatives, heads of non-profit organizations, civically-engaged citizens, neighborhood activists and members of the homeless community---all of whom contributed to the community conversation taking place on the WSLR airwaves.

Recently-elected city commissioner Susan Chapman first appeared on Local Matters to discuss the Sunshine Law violations that occurred during the appeal hearing for Sarasota police officer Christopher Childers, who was dismissed and later rehired in the wake of excessive force allegations that ultimately cost Police Chief Peter Abbot his job.

It was during that appeals board hearing that I got to know Susan and got my first inkling of the philosophical differences that exist between her and then-appeals board member Paul Caragiulo.

Fast forward to 2013, and these two divergent personalities now serve on the city commission together, giving credence to the old saying, “Politics makes for strange bedfellows.”

WSRQ President Susan Nilon discussed her concerns about the city commission’s franchise fee negotiations with Florida Power and Light on Local Matters long before she became the host of her own local talk show, The Nilon Report.

Many elected officials made multiple appearances on Local Matters, and I thank County Commissioner Jon Thaxton and City Commissioners Kelly Kirschner and Terry Turner (none of whom are still in office) for contributing greatly to my understanding of local politics and local issues.

An Educational Experience

Having previously covered local politics and politicians as a newspaper man, I was well-versed in that arena but I knew very little about the inner workings of a radio station when I first signed on.

Four years later, I leave with the equivalent of a college degree in radio broadcasting, having learned so much about radio production, interviewing, newscasting, audio editing, voiceovers, podcasting and more. For that, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to WSLR cofounders Arlene Sweeting and Dave Beaton and the rest of the WSLR family.

When I lived in the Orlando area, I often listened to The Philips Phile, a local afternoon talk show hosted by the outspoken Jim Philips. Long before my newspaper days began, I wondered how cool it would be to have my own radio show, never dreaming it would actually happen.

And that is the beauty of community radio stations such as WSLR and WMNF: They give common folks with little or no previous radio experience the opportunity to be on the air, promoting citizen journalism and providing invaluable hands-on experience for high school and college students considering journalism careers.

My time at WSLR also exposed this moderate Democrat to the further left progressive-liberal-organic mindset, where Wal-Marts are boycotted, meat is rarely eaten and Republicans are viewed with even greater skepticism.

Topics of daily conversation included the Citizens United Supreme Court case that opened the floodgates to unchecked political campaign contributions, genetically modified foods and the Occupy Wall Street movement that spread nationwide and saw local residents protesting economic injustice outside the Bank of America building in downtown Sarasota.

Will Work for Radio

While hosting Local Matters was never a paid endeavor, I also had the good fortune to work part-time at WSLR from July 2009 to September 2011.

I served for one year as a paid AmeriCorps/VISTA “volunteer,” utilizing the radio station as a means to help fight poverty by interacting with members of the Newtown community and the homeless community and offering them a voice on WSLR. When funding cuts eliminated the VISTA position---news I received while honeymooning in Savannah in 2010---WSLR hired me to serve as the station’s volunteer coordinator and assistant to the station manager, coming at a time when I really needed a job, having just been married.

By the time that position was eliminated the following year, Hot Rod Rock host Sven Frackelton had introduced me to local guitarist Ted Stevens, enabling me to make a living playing music---something I wasn’t sure I’d ever do again.

My work on the WSLR Soundwaves newsletter in 2012 led to me writing for This Week in Sarasota, and writing for TWIS led to a freelance writing position at the Anna Maria Island Sun.

While almost everyone benefits from their association with WSLR, I think it’s fair to say that few folks benefited more from their time at WSLR than I have.

As for why I shut down Local Matters, it comes down to this: I still loved the time spent on-air talking to folks, but I wanted to relieve myself of the unpaid time that goes into preparing for a show---a process that includes lining up guests, watching city commission meetings, recording and editing interviews and sound bites, preparing questions and show outlines, promoting upcoming shows and then archiving the shows once they air.

Homelessness Matters

The second-to-last Local Matters show encompassed my two favorite topics: city elections and homelessness. On May 15, my friend Kafi Benz and I spent 25 minutes discussing the results of the previous day’s city elections. I then spent the rest of the hour interviewing Salvation Army General Manager Bryan Pope.  

Bryan provided listeners and me with an inside look at the wonderful work being done with and for the homeless at the Center of Hope on 10th Street---work that is mostly funded not by any governmental entity, but by the kindness of those who support this Christian-based organization.

The interview with Bryan nicely set up the May 29 Local Matters finale that featured an hour-long discussion on homelessness.

We began with Resurrection House’s David Proch providing an overview of the free services offered at Sarasota’s primary homeless day resource center: showers, laundry, counseling, basic medical care, clothing and other necessities, discounted bus passes, a place to receive mail and phone messages, and most importantly, a safe place to hang out during the day to escape the rain, cold, heat and humidity that further complicate life on the streets.

David commented on the increased demand for services over the past few years due to the economic downturn and reiterated the need for continued community support in the form of donated clothing, backpacks and tote bags, bicycles, financial donations and volunteerism.

Next up was the trio of Trinity Without Borders founder Vallerie Guillory, former Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness Executive Director Richard Martin and Amaryllis Park community activist Valerie Buchand.We discussed Vallerie’s valiant attempt to bring a sober living facility and some form of temporary shelter to the large commercially-zoned property near the corner of U.S.-301 and 10th Street that Trinity Without Borders is leasing from Rodney Dessberg for $1 a year.

Hopefully Vallerie (who was once homeless herself), the Gillespie Park residents (many of whom cried foul at the May 20 Sarasota City Commission meeting), the police department (which has been supportive) and the folks at City Hall will join together and come up with an acceptable win-win solution that provides shelter for the homeless and provides relief to city residents and local business owners who wish the homeless would simply go away.

Given Trinity Without Borders' status as a faith-based, non-profit organization, and the fact that Vallerie has up to $2 million in potential non-government funding at her disposal, she has a strong hand to play, with or without community or city commission support.The finale ended with first-time Local Matters guest Dr. Robert Marbut, a nationally-renowned homeless consultant who has helped address homelessness in San Antonio, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.

Calling from Key West, Dr. Marbut shared his views on the comprehensive “holistic approach” he employs when serving as a paid consultant to local governmental entities. His approach casts aside the “one size fits all” approach in favor of a process that tailors treatment to the individual’s needs, with no desire to simply enable those who have no real desire to escape homelessness.

This approach requires serious expenditures; the construction of a one-stop campus that provides shelter, feeding, counseling, rehabilitation, job training and more; cooperation between city and county governments (a problem not unique to Sarasota); and coordination with existing service providers such as the Salvation Army, Resurrection House and Trinity Without Borders.

Up Next

Local Matters ended on a high note and I could not have asked for a better set of guests to bring it to a close. While I will no longer be a regular WSLR contributor, I’ll still drop in from time to time to appear as a guest or guest host. I also hope to continue my blossoming radio relationship with Susan Nilon and WSRQ.

As I put the final touches on this story Wednesday morning, I tuned into WSLR to listen to my friends and replacements Nancy Norris and Andrea Graddis as they hosted the debut of Stratosphere Sarasota, a new talk show that takes a slightly scientific approach to discussing local and social issues.

A sense of pride washed over me as I listened to their segment on homeless teens and mothers, knowing that the good work taking place at WSLR continues.

In closing, I just want to say thanks again to all of you who tuned in or sat in on the life-enhancing experience that was Local Matters. It’s been a lovely cruise …

{The final Local Matters shows referred to in this story can be found at the Local Matters archives.}