KAXE: A Community’s Radio Station
Posted by Alex on September 5, 2008, from Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Community Partners: KAXE
We first met Heidi Holtan, Radio Producer at KAXE in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, after a long and scenic 3 day drive from Grand Junction, Colorado. We were just in time to see the Dahl’s Sunrise Dairy truck pull up to the radio station for its weekly milk drop off. Right now, I am enjoying a cup of 1% milk out of a glass bottle that has to be returned to the milkman next Wednesday.
Grand Rapids has a population of less than 8,000 people. There are over 100 volunteers at KAXE, a grassroots radio station in Northern Minnesota. KAXE used to be located at a local college, but has moved to a beautiful one-level building designed by an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright. The kitchen is the best part, featuring bright green walls, a bottomless coffee pot, and the largest collection of communal Tupperware I have ever seen.
When we were on the air with Heidi and her co-host John Bauer for the Friday morning show, we were challenged to an on-air spelling bee (”May We Have a Word With You”). We passed the first two words, but could not quite figure out how to spell ësesquacentennial.’ That’s alright, we still won some t-shirts with a quote on the back from Laura Erickson, host of For the Birds:
“Small, independent, intelligent, community-spirited, and friendly. That’s the chickadee and that’s KAXE…”
And I happen to agree. MobileBooth West looks forward to several weeks with the energetic folks at KAXE and the incomparable hospitality of Northern Minnesotans.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:16 am
I’m so sorry Alex, you are incorrect! it is S-E-S-Q-U-I-C-E-N-T–E-N-N-I-A-L!
The good news is that at KAXE (www.kaxe.org) we don’t judge you based on your spelling abilities.
Today’s spelling words from “May We Have A Word With You” were
rhetoric, compatible and apoplectic
You guys are the best and work your butts off!
September 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Wow Heidi! Thanks for the correction – maybe I’ll have to use the word in conversation sometime and THEN I will get it right. I think that Sara and I should challenge you and John to a “May We Have a Word With You” spell-off…what do you say?
September 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I say no, I for one was at my spelling peak in 6th grade. It’s been downhill ever since!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
What a great event for Story Corp to be here in northern MN! Thanks Alex for the blog on KAXE (”The Chickadee of the airwaves.”) and your kind words. What could be better than KAXE? KAXE and Story Corp
)
September 5th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
KAXE sure reminds me of WERU in Orland. Hopefully there can be a connection between the two great stations sometime.
Suzanne Kelly