The Stelle Experience

Carole continues her story, and I learn the definition of the term “Female Preenings”.

In this milestone episode, I talk with Carole Gerardo, a Stelle resident who bravely brought to light the sexual misconduct perpetrated by Richard.  This landmark event made people question who Richard was, and Stelle was going.  It completely redefined the community.  Before all the turmoil this revelation caused, Carole was just a regular Stelle resident, […]

I continue my conversation with T. J., and we get into some more interesting topics, including Homopolar motors, a lesser known Richard resignation, and the Open Forum board, which operated like an analogue Craigslist!  

The very enthusiastic T. J. Johnson wanted to give his perspective on Stelle, so we sat down for a great two-parter.  In this first hour, we discuss how a crystal ball foretold  his future in Stelle, its connection to a cone of power in WWII, and how women were the power behind the throne in […]

Dr. Jerrold Heinrich is a clinical psychologist who came across The Ultimate Frontier when he was still in his early teens.  While he never lived in Stelle, TUF had a profound impact on his entire life.  He has a fascinating story, and we cover a lot of ground including Richards thigh carving, a phone call […]

As I finish up my conversation with Kermit, we go into a wide range of topics, including his feelings on The Brotherhoods, Past Life Regressions, Life balancing/karma, the tragic event with Tim Wilhelm, and how he was a dead shot.

In my conversation with Kermit Waggoner, I learned several things I did not know previously.  He sat on the board for the Stelle Credit Union.  I had no idea such a thing existed.  Not only that, Kermit oversaw the dismantling of this organization, as well as the Stelle Group itself!  He taught me about integrated […]

Barry Wachtel is a man who has made Stelle his home for a lot of reasons, but apparently desolation is one of them (his words, not mine).  We talk about his beginnings in Atlantic City BEFORE gambling, what it takes to bring in more community members, the magic number to incorporate, and why the chicken […]

Bruce Arnold is a working man's philosopher.  He has a grasp on the community and philosophy that not many do.  One of the cool delineations he proposes is the difference between the artists/dreamers, and the workers/practical thinkers.  We talk about a few of his favorite topics, including greenhouses, preparing for a financial collapse, and his […]

Mark Wilkerson is the modern template from which all new Stelle residents should fit.  He is not a part of the fundamentalist TUF philosophy, but instead he enjoys open discussions about all sorts of ideology (he was a philosophy major). Listen as we talk about how he fought Cancer (and won), what his dream house […]

Harry Amick is a passionate man of many talents and interests.  In this interview, we really learn about the process of ‘Spinning Out'.  This was the term used to describe the gradual progression from coming to the community as an excited difference maker, to leaving the community a little jaded and bitter.  This happened to […]

Josh Ragland is a man who found his purpose in Stelle.  While in the military, he discovered The Ultimate Frontier and he and his wife wanted to be a part of something special.  This is where they started their spiritual journey.  Listen as he talks about it being a “Playground for Adults”, his time at […]

In warning, this interview takes place in the middle of a restaurant during one of the Stelle reunions.  I have done my absolute best to boost David and I, while simultaneously getting rid of the atmospheric noise.  DO NOT be discouraged, because this is a great episode.   David and I talk about his (almost) upstaging […]

Part three of my interview with Argena Marie.  We finish up our discussion talking about the Stelle orchard, the possible Brother who pointed her to the community, and how she was (possibly) killed by Richard in a previous life!

In this second interview with Argena, we finally cover her journey to Stelle, along with several other topics including channeling, babies by self-hypnosis, and dark entities (I call them Black Mentalists).

To me, Argena Marie was one of the most compelling people I met in Stelle.  She is almost my complete opposite.  Where I paint my world in logic and analysis, she uses her feelings and intuition to navigate the complicated landscape.  Much like the famous Taoist symbol The Yin and The Yang, we are opposites […]

Stu Parthe is a man on the fringe of the fringe.  He hasn't really been a part of the community in any sort of permanent way, and yet he has been there for 30 years.   To me he was a middle man, a guy stuck between commitments.  To me, I found his perspective the most […]

Walter Ring is a historic figure in the Stelle community.  He served on the Stelle Group board of Trustees, was employed as the President of the Stelle Phone Company, and was a Waste Water/Treatment Plant Operator.  He and is wife Kitty, were two of the chosen few asked to move to Aldephi.  Walter was also […]

George Blackman has been a member of the Stelle community for 3 decades. In that time, he has seen a lot of things. We cover about 5% percent of all that in this interview, and it is a good one. We talk about The Brotherhoods, and I even learn a new tidbit about them. George […]

Part 2 of my conversation with Charles Betterton.  We learn how his current life trajectory was majorly influenced by his experiences in Stelle, plus his true feelings on Richard.

In my humble opinion, Charles Betterton is the missing link in the Stelle story so far.  He was a contemporary of Malcolm Carnahan, and was the Stelle branch manager for a short time.  He and Malcolm did differ on one major point, one that, in my opinion, changed the trajectory of Stelle forever.  Think you […]

Part two with Renee Trenda.   We talk about her time before Stelle,  why she came to the community in the first place, how she came to believe in reincarnation.

This is my two-parter with Renee Trenda, the architect of this entire endeavor.  Without Renee, this entire project would not be possible.  She wanted to stay mostly in the background, but this is her time to be in the spotlight.  Listen as we talk about her claim that she is the “Holder of the Energy”, […]

In this 2-parter, Rob talks to me about Back Mentalists, Adelphi, acquiring an island in the pacific, his thoughts on committees, Permaculture, and eating 30 year-old grain.

This is part 1 of my interview with Rob Frothingham, father of the Orchard.  He shares a story of how when he was 16, he had a vision of an Ultimate Frontier-esque world. We also talk about his early days in a commune, his job as a tree whisperer, and the temptations of being a […]

Leslie Alexander grew up in Stelle as a child of a Richard Enthusiast.  In my opinion this makes her story that much more interesting, as it is really the story of a narrator, telling the tales of a community to which she has no allegiance for, other than she grew up there.  All the previous […]

Part two of my interview with Carroll English.  We talk about some heady issues including Karmic Debt, the Earth's post-cataclysmic geography, the Norway Spiral, and the Stelle school system.

This week I talk with Carroll English, who is by all accounts, the keeper of the flame.  Carroll is still faithful to the philosophy, and has been a part of the group the longest.  She has been involved in almost every major historical event in Stelle's history.  We talk about her early life as a […]

Part 2 of my interview with Kelly Greenlee.  We talk about Richard's task of getting a new job after every promotion, where the NEW city of God might be, and Kelly teases a few things that “she will tell me later” but never does. Read Tasks Un-Fulfilled here

Kelly, along with her sister Kathleen, put together the most extensive analysis of The Ultimate Frontier  to date.  Collectively they spent 400 hours researching the book, scrutinizing the timeline, and developing theories about the future of Stelle.  It is called Tasks Un-Fulfilled.  We talk about this extensively in this interview.  We also talk about Hugh […]

Richard Smoley of The Theospohical Society in America, talks to me about TUF Philosophy, and how Richard borrows some of the teachings of his organization.  We also talk about societies similar to Stelle, and what that means for our favorite little community.

I continue my talk with E. P. Grondine about David Hatcher Childress & Adventures Unlimited Press, Tesla Technology, and the Lemurian Fellowship in California.  Plus I learn just how close I currently live to Stelle's history.

In this 23rd installment of The Stelle Experience, I talk with E. P. Grondine, author, journalist, and independent chronicler of Stelle Illinois.  While not a part of the community officially, he has lived close by for years, and has done his own research on the community's past.  He has even put together a book chronicling […]

David Hatcher Childress, TV and Radio personality, talks about his experiences in the early days of Stelle.  We also talk about the monster in Seneca, L. Ron Hubbard, and Tesla Technology.

Part two of The Challenge of Loving presentation by Richard Kieninger.

This is part one of a two hour conference Richard gave around 1984 entitled “The Challenge of Loving”.  I think it is an amazing coincidence that this is the only significant example I have, given Richard's recent (at the time) expulsion from the community for his “challenges” in loving.  I am posting this now, because […]

A recap episode summarizing my 4 interviews with Walter Cox.

In this fourth and final installment of my interview with Walter, we talk about making your kid a savant, how to use airships to survive the apocalypse , and who the hell are Zitko and Stelle?

Part three of my interview with Walter Cox.  We get a little more serious with this episode, discussing what makes a destructive community, and whether or not Stelle ever fit into that category.  We also talk about the evolution of sexual attitudes, and the varying swings from extremely conservative views, to a much more liberal […]

Part two of my interview with Walter Cox. We talk about Richards love of lying, the parallels of the Constitution to Stelle beliefs, and the infamous meeting between a member of the Brotherhoods and a prominent member of the Stelle Community.

Walter Cox, Stelle's first resident, sits down with me for a 4 hour tour of the history of Stelle.  In this first hour, Walter reveals his truly mystical story about how he discovered Stelle and The Ultimate Frontier, complete with a trip to Peru, and a discussion with an old gypsy.  We also discuss 110 […]

A recap episode outlining the three interviews with Malcolm Carnahan.

In this third and final installment of my conversations with Malcolm Carnahan, we go deeper into the strange hypnotic abilities of Richard, explore a strange occurrence with Tim Wilhelm, and learn about his favorite moments in Stelle.

In this part two with Malcolm Carnahan, we discuss The Brotherhoods, Black Mentalists, and Malcolm's belief that Richard had genuine mental powers.

Summarizing episodes 6-9, where the focus is sustainability and community.

Bill Land walks us through his role in Stelle as a community expert, as well as a master of Feng Shui

Harry talks About Frames, Mint Creek Farms, and the responsibilities of being Das Wunderkid.