The VPR Saturday Special goes to "The Promised Land"

Majora Carter hosts a new series from American Public Media; The same public radio organization that brings you the hits such as A Prairie Home Companion, Marketplace, and The Splendid Table.

The Promised Land delivers the stories of passionate men, women, and young people who are changing their communities with innovative thinking and tireless effort after hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.

The first episode features Dr. Kyshun Webster, founder and executive director of Operation Reach, an extensive family of programs for kids throughout the Gulf South.

Kyshun grew up in the St. Bernard Projects in New Orleans where, at the age of six, he saw his uncle murdered. He started struggling in school and was held back in the first grade. Thus began a lifelong makeover for Kyshun, who now holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. At the age of 12, he started a lending library out of his parents' garage, which grew into a "home for homework" after-school tutoring program.

He fought back to transform his own life and now inspires the lives of other disadvantaged youth. And because of the endless need among neighborhood kids and Kyshun’s sheer determination, he now oversees what he calls a “cradle to career” program for youth that extends to three states in the Gulf South.

Kyshun's Operation Reach runs (to name a few) a full-time child development center; the Gulfsouth Youth Biodiesel Project, where kids recycle cooking oil for use as environmentally friendly fuel; and the Gulfsouth Youth Action Corps, with camps that teach young people philanthropic skills. The kids annually award $50,000 in grants to other youth-lead projects.

Future episodes spotlight community gardens, coastal oil clean-up, rebounding fishing communities, and empowered women.

Listen Saturdays at 4pm for The Promised Land.

VPR Penguins Plunge!

For the fourth consecutive year, a group of brave VPR staffers jumped into Lake Champlain in Burlington to raise money for the Special Olympics! It was perfect plunging weather - partly cloudy, temperatures in the low 30's, and little to no wind. Thank you to everyone who came out and cheered us on!

At left: Ric Cengeri and I take the plunge...and yes, my shirt says "I listened to NPR before it was cool!" Photo courtesy Emily McManamy of the Burlington Free Press.

Right: No running and screaming for us, we public radio people are far too dignified for that sort of thing. Instead, VPR Penguinis Jean Ferguson, Alaina Janack, Ric Cengeri, and Michelle Jeffery march defiantly to the water. Photo Courtesy Steve Ferguson.

Finally, I cannot publish this post without noting (okay, bragging) that I plunged TWICE this year, with VPR and with the Green Mountain Derby Dames, my roller derby league. But VPR still got a shout out on that plunge - my derby name is Susan Slamberg, and my number is 107.9 FM! Photo below courtesy of Karen Pike.

VPR prEview: Win A Hybrid Car, The Long Trail Turns 100, New VPR Classical Stations

The only downside of having a lot of hobbies is that you never get as much time as you’d like to spend on any one activity. It used to be that the only choice I had to make was which trail to hike, but my choices have grown exponentially. Now I ask myself, "do I roller skate or run? Mountain or road bike? Read or write? Visit my farmer’s market or explore a new town?" The possibilities are endless!

I plan to reconnect with the mountains by hiking the Long Trail this summer, just in time to celebrate the trail’s 100th year. Read on to learn about how you can contribute to VPR’s coverage of this anniversary. Also in this edition of prEview, you could win a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid in VPR’s first-ever Summer Car Raffle. Plus, learn more about VPR Classical coming to central Vermont next month.

Wherever the summer takes you, I hope you’ll bring VPR along for the ride.

Happy trails,
Michelle Jeffery

Continue reading this edition of prEview or subscribe here!

The Long Trail At 100

The Long Trail turns 100 this year, and VPR is planning a month-long series to mark this milestone. We’ll explore the history and future of the Long Trail, learn about the ins and outs of hiking and camping, and meet the people who hike and maintain it today.

And that’s where you come in. If you’re out on the trail this summer, let us know about it! Why do you love the Long Trail? What are your favorite hikes and sections? What was your best (or worst!) experience on the Long Trail? Send your thoughts, photos, and favorite recipes for camp meals and trailside snacks to community@vpr.net.

Planning for this project has gotten me thinking about my own experience with the Long Trail. While I have yet to hike it end-to-end (one of my lifetime goals!), I’ve spent many happy days and nights on the trail. A few memories that stand out for me:

• Hiking the last 10 miles of the Long Trail with friends who were thru-hiking, and high-fiving Canada.
• Getting held up by a giant moose on Mount Mansfield. We watched him from a distance for over an hour!
• Trekking up to the Twin Brook tenting area for dinner because we knew the ramen would taste better if it was cooked in the woods.
• Losing my balance on snowshoes and falling into a snowy ditch, thereby earning the nickname “Meesh in a Deetch.”
• Hiking Camel’s Hump on New Year’s Day. I’ve done this almost every year since moving to Vermont. There’s never a view but what a way to start a year!

I even think fondly of my less-pleasant memories, like getting mild hypothermia in October, then yelling at my best friend for trying to force-feed me a peanut butter sandwich. But that's the beauty of the Long Trail: hardship and challenge are as much a part of the experience as the victories. Millions have followed this path, but no one has the same experience twice. Each excursion, whether a day trip or a thru-hike, adds to the Long Trail's storied history.

So, come on. Share with us. And happy hiking!

VPR Cooks: Brendan Kinney's Mariner's Cider Mussels

Brendan Kinney is VPR's vice president for development and marketing.

A few years ago, we unearthed a friend’s old-fashioned cider press and got a little carried away. After squeezing out 15 gallons of the sweet stuff, we decided to set aside five gallons and try our hand at making hard cider. After months of waiting, obsessively leafing through a copy of Annie Proulx’s “Cider: Making, Using & Enjoying Sweet & Hard Cider,” and suffering through a major basement spill, we had our first batch. Since then, I’ve decided that authentic hard cider is an acquired taste, but can be a versatile ingredient in the kitchen.

Ingredients
2 lbs fresh live mussels
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 finely chopped onion
5 fl. oz. dry hard cider
2 oz. butter
1 large handful finely chopped parsley
4 Tbsp. cream
Salt and pepper

Clean and rinse the mussels.

In a large saucepan, melt butter, add chopped onion and garlic. Cook for three minutes on medium heat.

Pour the hard cider into the saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

Add the mussels and cover with a lid. Cook on high for three minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to ensure the mussels are evenly cooked.

Remove the mussels as they open and discard any that remain closed.

Boil the remaining liquid in the pan until it reduces to half and finally stir in the cream and parsley. Add salt and/or pepper to taste.

Transfer the mussels to a large bowl and pour the sauce over the mussels. Serve immediately. Enjoy as an appetizer or with angel hair pasta.

prEview: Six-Word Memoirs, Bernie Sanders, Winter Olympics

Ever since I heard about Smith Magazine’s new book of six-word memoirs last week on NPR, I’ve been inspired to condense my otherwise verbose tendencies. Like haiku, summarizing big events and ideas into six words clears my head and helps me focus. A few highlights:

Penguin Plunge: Water warmer than air, at least.

VPR’s Winter Membership Drive: We ask. You give. Programming continues.

This week’s PrEview: Bernie, Olympics, Vermont’s economy, Saturday Specials.

We're Taking The Plunge!

We were worried maybe we were getting a little soft with our fundraising efforts here at VPR. I mean, don't get me wrong, raising money to bring you Vermont Public Radio programming is lot of work. But they're also a great change of pace. During membership drives, we spend time with colleagues we never get to see, there's more energy and fervor, and we're surrounded by great volunteers and great food....not to mention the comfy chairs and heated building.

Weaklings never prosper, so a few of us decided the way to harden us for the rest of this pledge drive would be to step out of our centrally-heated, cushy radio studios and go jump into the freezing waters of Lake Champlain.

This Saturday is the annual Penguin Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics. The VPR Penguinis has its largest team ever with five warm-blooded, warm-hearted, and slightly off-balance teammates: Captain (and Ringleader) Ric Cengeri, David Warren, Joe Goetz, myself (Michelle Jeffery), and my sister, Lauren Jeffery, who will be visiting this weekend and, like me, will try anything ridiculous at least twice.

Of course, the real reason for doing this is our fundamental belief in helping others and our communities. The Special Olympics gives people with disabilities the opportunity to pursue the athletic endeavors many of us take for granted. Click here if you’d like to support our team!

Ironically, more than half of us are recovering from knee injuries. Fortunately, training for such an endeavor seems to be minimal. So far, it has involved standing outdoors without a coat on, drinking a cold beverage, and rolling around in the snow before coming to our senses, running screaming back inside yelling, “WHAT was I THINKING?”

The weather forecast for Saturday calls for mostly sunny skies and temps in the mid-teens, with 4-5 mph winds. Wish us luck, and please feel free to stop by Saturday to bear witness to this madness! And check back next week for photos.

Upon the High Seas

I'm not particularly seaworthy and am a woefully bad swimmer. But for the second time in six months, I'll be playing on the Burlington Waterfront in a rather exciting event. In February, it was the Penguin Plunge. On Sunday, August 2, I'll be working with 21 other individuals to power a dragon boat during the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival.

We had a practice last weekend and I became keenly aware of just how much my body can ache and also the importance of team work. One thing about dragon boats - rowing faster doesn't necessarily mean going faster. Rowing in time with your team (we're presumptuously called Chase Our Wake) does.

The event raises funds for Dragonheart Vermont (a breast cancer survivor group) and Camp-Ta-Kum-Ta (for kids with cancer).

Hard work aside, one thing became abundantly clear at the conclusion of our practice session. Win or lose, this is really quite fun. But I am hoping our craft doesn't become the latest installment in VPR's "History Under the Waves" series.

We're Walking for Wayne

For the fourth consecutive year, VPR staff members have banded together as the Wayne’s World team to take part in the MS Walk.

This year’s event takes place at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 25 at Burlington High School. The team is named for a former VPR colleague who was diagnosed several years ago with multiple sclerosis. And, the team includes VPR friend Carol More, who serves as an inspiration to us all. Having been diagnosed with MS eight years ago, Carol walks with us and raises funds for this worthwhile cause.

In what has become a wonderful musical tradition, Robert Resnik, host of All the Traditions on VPR, walks along with the team, serenading us with delightful songs played on his concertina.

Last year, gifts to Wayne’s World helped fund two ramps, three wheelchairs and one fully accessible van for the more than 4,000 Vermonters living with MS. The Wayne’s World team invites you to join the MS Walk or make a pledge of support. Thank you so much for making a difference in our community.

- Ric Cengeri, Production Associate

It's Web Tuesday!

More and more listeners are giving online because it's easy, fast, and secure. But there are more reasons than ever why giving online during Web Tuesday makes your pledge go far.

Pledging early helps make VPR’s membership drive as short as possible and, in the process, helps our neighbors. For every pledge made to Vermont Public Radio during this drive, the Vermont Community Foundation will donate five meals to the Vermont Foodbank. Not only will you help pay for the programming you love, you'll tangibly help Vermonters in need.

By pledging early you are also entered to win a $1,000 gift certificate to Northshire Bookstore to use in their Manchester store (or online). You'll also be entered into ALL of the prize drawings for the rest of this membership drive - and thanks to our membership Drive Partners we have some great prizes.

So, I hope you'll make your pledge online today during Web Tuesday. As always, it's not the amount of your pledge - it's the fact you pledge. And during this drive, thanks to the Community Foundation, the Foodbank, and you, every pledge goes that much further.

Jonathan Butler
Online Manager, VPR

VPR Commentator Willem Lange Honored by Fairbanks Museum

VPR Commentator, storyteller, contractor, and adventurer Willem Lange was honored this week with the 2009 Franklin Fairbanks Award from the Fairbanks Museum. The award recognizes individuals who contribute to our awareness and understanding of the natural world through contributions to the arts, humanities, and sciences.  

You'll find an archive of Willem's VPR commentaries here. Congratulations, Willem!

Jamming at Champlain College

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the VPR table at the Vermont 3.0 Creative-Tech Career Jam last Saturday. It was a blast to meet so many enthusiastic listeners and talk with you about career opportunities at VPR. This is an exciting event that we'll continue to attend.

Until the next Jam, check out this video postcard by Seven Days on the Jam, and perspectives on Vermont becoming a creative-tech hotbed.

A Terrific Way to be Stuck in Vermont

Thank you to everyone who attended our listener picnic last weekend at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge. The weather was perfect, the horses magnificent, the music fantastic...and then there's you! It is a joy and a real honor to meet and speak with our loyal listeners. You always tell us that you love being able to put faces to voices you hear on the radio - well, the same goes for us. We love meeting the people who power public radio in this state.

For a true taste of the day, check out this video postcard of the picnic. It was produced by Eva Sollberger of Seven Days' Stuck in Vermont video blog:



Also, visit our website for tons of photos and the audio of Jane Lindholm's interview with On Point Host Tom Ashbrook. If you have photos, we hope you'll add them to our Flickr group!