WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg

We talk with Kenosha's Ben DeSmidt, owner of Union Park Tavern - which is the site of a huge Oktoberfest celebration this weekend that also honors Kenosha's 175th anniversary. DeSmidt, a Professor Emeritus of Classics and Great Ideas at Carthage College, is also a newly elected member of the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 65th Assembly District.

From 2011- Ken Jennings talks about his book "Map Head: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks." Jennings is renowned as the all-time record holder for most episodes won on Jeopardy (74 consecutive victories) as well as a victory in the Greatest Of All Time tournament. He now serves as host of the program. In this book, Jennings speaks both perceptively and affectionately about maps and how fascinating they can be if we simply take the time to explore them.

Alice Lovejoy discusses her book "Tales of Militant Chemistry: The Film Factory in a Century of War." The book explores the surprising connections between film companies like Kodak and the American military. (Many of the technological breakthroughs in the creation of camera film proved to be helpful in the development of certain kinds of weaponry.)

From 2005- Tom Tucker, "Bolt of Fate: Benjamin Franklin and his Fabulous Kite." The book explores the famous story of Franklin supposedly discovering electricity by flying a kite during a storm in 1752 - and how Franklin may have consciously concocted the story.

From 2009- Alex Scordelis, co-author of "Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere." The comedic group, founded in 2001, is famous for such public pranks as its Grand Central Station Mass Freeze- where several hundred participants suddenly froze in place for five minutes in the main terminal. Video of many of their pranks can be viewed either on YouTube or on the group's website, ImprovEverywhere.com.

Part One: A discussion about storm water runoff with Laura Buska (program managers with the Root Pike Watershed Initiative Network) and Samantha Katt (policy expert with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.) Part Two: Ann Burg talks about her novel "Force of Nature," based on the life and legacy of the legendary environmentalist Rachel Carson.

For the anniversary of 9-11 ..... from the archives (2005) Tom Downey talks about his book "The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse." Many firefighters stations in Brooklyn's Rescue 2 lost their lives on 9-11. We replay this memorable interview in honor of first responders and the important, life-saving work that they do.

We speak with Shawn Rivers, Racine County Veterans Service Officer with Racine County Veterans Services. They are co-sponsoring a Veterans Stand Down resource fair this Saturday, September 13th, 10:00-2:00 at Racine's Festival Hall. We talk about the many services that RCVS offers - all free of charge - to veterans and their families. We talk in particular about resources designed to address concerns around veteran homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health.

Richard Sexton discusses his latest book "Food Fight: Misguided Policies, Supply Challenges, and the Impending Struggle to Feed a Hungry World." Sexton contends that in the formulation of our policies regarding the production and distribution of food, we are creating inadvertent consequences that will seriously undermine our ability to feed the people of the world in coming years.

From the archives- a portion of a past conversation with Zachary Scot Johnson, talking about his Song a Day Project on YouTube. He's returning to his hometown of Racine for a special concert this Friday night, September 12th- a benefit for the Music and More Series. He will be joined by Bob Benson and Dana Roders.

We speak with labor and workforce expert Ron Hetrick, who is going to be the keynote speaker for the next event sponsored by the Carthage Business and Professional Coalition. In this interview, Hetrick talks about some of the most dramatic ways in which the workforce in our country (and in our region) will change over the next few years in ways that will impact all of us. The event at Carthage occurs this Thursday, September 11th.

We explore the fascinating legacy of the women known as Harvey Girls - who worked as waitresses in the restaurants and hotels owned and operated by the Fred Harvey Company in the late 19th and early 20th century. We begin with writer Juliette Fay, talking about her novel "The Harvey Girls." The book follows two women who became Harvey Girls for very different reasons. One was a young teenager masquerading as an 18-year-old so she could help out her nearly-destitute parents. The other was a woman fleeing an abusive marriage. The Harvey Girls came to prominence at a time when nearly all fine restaurants utilized male waiters - and when most waitresses were regarded with disdain by polite society. Fred Harvey treated his so-called Harvey Girls with respect, paid them well, and even gave them opportunities for advancement that were almost never available to women in that era. In Part Two, we speak with Andrew DeBoer, the father-in-law of local musician and music teacher Jessica DeBoer. He has been collecting memorabilia about the Fred Harvey Company for many many years.

We explore the fascinating legacy of Fred Harvey and the so-called Harvey Girls, those women who served as well-paid waitresses in the Harvey-operated restaurants and hotels that dotted the American West in the late 19th and early 20th century. We begin with writer Juliette Fay, talking about her novel "The Harvey Girls," which focuses on two women who have become Harvey Girls for very different reasons- one is a young teenager (pretending to be older than she was) who wants to help out her nearly-destitute family. The other is a woman fleeing an abusive marriage. After that, we talk with Andrew DeBoer, father-in-law of local musician and music teacher Jessica DeBoer, who has collected Harvey memorabilia for many years.

From 2007 - Joe Sutter, author of "747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation"

From 2010 - Andrew Dilnot, co-author of "The Numbers Game: The Commonsense Guide to Understanding Numbers in the News, in Politics, and in Life."

Christina Keim, author of "Unwanted: The Causes and Effects of America's Horse Population Crisis."

We speak with Mark Gould, who for almost three decades was the principal or co-principal trumpeter for the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera. His book "Tales from the Pit" is an exceptionally frank and entertaining memoir about his years with the Met and his unlikely journey to get there.

We preview the next Racine Theater Guild production - Oscar Wilde's classic comedy "The Importance of Being Earnest" with Doug Instenes, managing and artistic director of the RTG, who is also the stage director for this production. (It opens this Friday and runs for the next three weekends.)

From 2009- for Labor Day- Joe Lamacchia, author of "Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-in-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle."

We celebrate the 25th anniversary of CUSH - Congregations United to Serve Humanity - with three representatives of this Kenosha-based organization: Grant Pitts, Executive Director and Organizer .... Karen Kempinan, President of the Board of Directors ..... and Rev. Kathleen Gloff, a member of the Board of Directors and President of WISDOM Wisconsin (to which CUSH belongs.) The group has worked on various issues related to social justice such as the environment, homelessness, immigration, and equal right for the LBGTQ+ community. They have a celebratory banquet planned for October 23rd.

In honor of the city of New Orleans and its citizens twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, we replay this interview with Jason Berry, author of "City of a Million Dreams: A History of New Orleans at Year 300." The book was originally published in 2018. A documentary film of the same name has been created that is expected to be made available through streaming in the next few months.

Hurricane Katrina unleashed its savage fury 20 years ago this weekend. This is a rebroadcast of a conversation with Christopher Cooper in which he talks about his book "Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security."

Earlier this year marked the 50th anniversary of the final withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam, amid a scene in Saigon that could only be described as desperate and chaotic. We begin with Tom Clavin, co-author of "Last Men Out: The True Story of America's Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam." After that comes a portion of a conversation with Lewis Sorley in which he talks about his book "A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America's Last Years in Vietnam." The book was originally published in 1999, and has been re-released in several different editions over the years. Sorley passed away on September 25, 2024 at the age of 90.)

We talk with Kevin Ervin, current co-owner of Frank's Diner, one of the best-known landmarks in downtown Kenosha- which is about to celebrate its 99th anniversary on September 13th. Ervin shares the story of how the diner was built (from a kit) 100 years ago- what prevented them from opening for an entire year- and what it means to take ownership of such a beloved institution.

We speak with Todd Kapp, CEO and Founder of Kivi Bio, which is one of the tenants of the Kenosha Innovation Center. We talk about - among other things - what the field of biotechnology entails and what Kivi Bio is doing to help others launch their own biotechnology ventures.

From 2023- Gail Merrifield Papp, author of "Public/Privater: My Life with Joe Papp at The Public Theater." The author's husband, Joe Papp, was an important theatrical impresario who founded The Public Theater as an outgrowth of The Shakespeare Workshop. The Public Theater's most noteworthy productions over the years have included "Hair," "A Chorus Line," and "Hamilton." PBS is now streaming a marvelous American Masters documentary titled "Joe Papp in Five Acts."

From 2008- Joseph M. Marshall, author of "The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History." In this intriguing book, the author presents how the Lakota people see that moment in American history that has come to be thought of as Custer's Last Stand.

From 2004 - A conversation with author Suzi Parker about her irreverent book "Sex in the South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt," in which she - herself a southerner - examines some of the interesting attitudes about sex and sexuality that she has encountered over the years.

On the eve of a new school year, we speak with Dr. Lynn Akey, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. We talk about the dramatic reorganization of the school in the hopes of allowing it to offer more cost-effectively ..... new offerings from the school .... and the challenging environment within which the school is still managing to flourish.

Nicole Terrizzi discusses her book "Learning in Free Fall: A Testimony of Mental Health, Poverty and Race in American Education." The book is a memoir of her experience as a young teacher in a struggling inner city school.

We talk with Anna Barrington about her novel "The Spectacle" - which is set in a world she has worked in for a number of years .... high-end, luxury artwork.

Chris Paulson, director of the Racine Heritage Museum, talks about a new project in which they are digitalizing the diaries of Racine's George Horlick.

Andrew D. Blechman, author of "Leisureville: Adventures in a World Without Children." The book explores the rise of retirement communities in which children are expressly excluded. What does it mean to live in such an environment? What is attractive about that for so many seniors? What is gained? What is lost?

Two KUSD teachers - Kristen Singer and Nic Cicerale - and two KUSD students - Darren Arendt and Stephen Stockholm - have just returned from the Festival Fringe (or Fringe Festival) in Edinburgh, Scotland ..... the largest performing arts festival in the world. Over the course of three weeks, more than 3,500 plays are performed in several hundred different venues by actors for sixty different countries. KUSD presented Mary Zimmerman's theatrical treatment of Ovid's "Metamorphosis."

In honor of Dave McGrath, longtime morning anchor at WGTD, who retired this past Friday after just over 25 years at the station, we are resharing a memorable interview with him and his wife Guida Brown in which they recount their experience of following the so-called Buddy Holly Tour. This involved retracing the final concert tour of Buddy Holly, which was cut short by a plane crash in rural Iowa on February 3, 1959 that killed Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper.

In honor of Dave McGrath's retirement from WGTD (his last day with the station was yesterday, the 15th) we are resharing this memorable Morning Show conversation in which he talks about his book "Gene Pitney: The Singer, The Songs, The Songwriters." Dave McGrath and his wife Guida worked with Gene Pitney for many years selling his memorabilia. In this very interesting book, Dave looks at the stories behind some of Pitney's greatest hits.

Today was the last day for Dave McGrath as WGTD's local anchor for Morning Edition ..... something he has been doing for more than 25 years! (Dave has opted for retirement.) With the help of his wife Guida Brown as well as assistance from WGTD general manager Dave Cole, we were able to round up some very special guests from Dave's long professional career in radio broadcasting to help give him a fitting send-off.

Kailyn Palomares joins us for her monthly visit to the program- and her guest is Laura Holder with Conservation Dogs Collective. Her dogs are trained to detect both invasive and endangered species - plants, animals, insects, even nests.

We preview this coming Saturday's HarborPark Jazz Rhythm and Blues Festival - a fundraiser for the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Foundation - with Tim Mahone ..... and with the musical headliner for this year's event, Grammy Award-winner Kirk Whalum. (He performs Saturday evening at 7:30.) The event occurs in Celebration Place adjacent to the Kenosha harbor.

Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, author of "Post Traumatic Parenting: Break the cycle and become the parent you always wanted to be." This book is intended as a guide for anyone who has experienced trauma in their own childhood and in how they were parented- and hopes to rise above that hurt and trauma to be the best parents they can be. - After that, from the archives (2014) is an interview with author Alan Rabinowitz in which he talks about his children's book "A Boy and his Jaguar." The book stems partly from his real-life experience as a stutterer.

On the eve of another school year, we speak with Dr. John Swallow, the president of Carthage College. He tells us about the record-breaking freshman class that is about to begin studies at Carthage - the creation of a School of Health - and the offering of a new Biotechnology major/minor.

From 2008 - Former Carthage College president Dr. F. Gregory Campbell remembers Alan Anderson, a 1950 Carthage graduate who went on to serve the college in a number of capacities .... including acting president .... over the course of 35 years. He is fondly remembered as one of the most beloved figures in the history of the college. This interview aired right before Homecoming that year - several weeks after Anderson's death on September 28, 2008. [NOTE - Tomorrow, Monday August 11th, we will air a newly recorded interview with the current president of Carthage, Dr. John Swallow.]

From 2007- Acclaimed actor Alan Alda talks about his memoir "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself."

We speak with Dr. Samuel Jay Keyser, an emeritus member of the faculty at MIT and author of "Play it again, Sam: Repetition in the Arts." In this book, Professor Keyser explores how and why we experience pleasure and satisfaction when we encounter repetition in music, poetry, and visual arts. What exactly is going on in the brain? What is the nature of the pleasure we experience?

From 1999- more from Michael Schumacher, talking about his book "Francis Ford Coppola: a Filmmaker's Life." Earlier this year, Coppola became the 50th person to receive the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.

Earlier this year, Francis Ford Coppola became the 50th person to be granted the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award- and the star-studded ceremony where he was presented the award was recently telecast on Turner Classic Movies. In honor of that, we are resharing our 1999 interview with Kenosha author Michael Schumacher in which we talk about his book "Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker's Life." Coppola is renowned for directing and/or producing such films as "The Godfather," "The Godfather II," "Apocalypse Now," "The Outsiders," "Peggy Sue Got Married," "American Graffiti," and "The Cotton Club."

We preview a fun event planned for this Friday at the Uptown Library in Kenosha to celebrate its 100th anniversary ..... a video game competition.

We speak with best-selling author J. Randy Taraborelli about his most recent book- "JFK- Public, Private, Secret." It is, in many ways, the culmination of several decades of research that he has done into the Kennedy family in the course of writing half a dozen books about the Kennedys. His previous book, crafted in a very similar fashion, is titled "Jackie- Public, Private, Secret." Taraborelli has also written best-selling biographies of Frank Sinatra, Princess Grace, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and - perhaps most famously- Diana Ross with the book "Call Her Miss Ross."

Today's program is the first visit to the Morning Show of Dr. Morgan Phillips, Interim President and CEO of Gateway Technical College. We talk about his long and varied professional career- his initial impressions of Gateway Technical College- and also touch on the profound hearing loss he experienced in his mid-forties and the amazing technological interventions that have made such a powerful difference for the better.

From 2008- Dr. Wilkie Wilson, co-author of "Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy." The book has been released in at least two more editions since this one.

From 2003- Ron Fry, author of "101 Smart Questions to Ask on your Interview." The book was written to help people be more effective when interviewing for a new job. The book has been re-released in several new editions in the years since.