Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010 (the second day of spring!)

Time: Noon until dark Place: 65 East Road (1 mile east of I-75 off of Fruitville Road behind the Texaco station)

Tonight’s episode of Local Matters will feature a pre-recorded interview with Walt Augustinowicz, chairman of the Better Sarasota Schools For Less political action committee. (www.bettersarasotaschools.com)
Walt will explain his opposition to the school millage referendum now before Sarasota voters.

Following Walt’s interview, Tom Dabney, President of The Argus Foundation will call in to the WSLR studio and explain why he and The Argus Foundation support the school millage. (www.argusfoundation.org)

The conversation will then switch gears when Leymis Bolaños-Wilmott and Allison Dolan from Fuzion Dance Artists stop by the WSLR studio to discuss the “Dream Series” concerts taking place March 27 and 28 at the Historic Asolo Theater at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. (www.fuziondance.com)

If you miss this episode of Local Matters, it will be podcast the following day at www.localmatters.podomatic.com

LOCAL MATTERS…Where local folks drop by to talk about local things that matter

The Surreal News
Friday,  March 12
9 A.M.

Carl Conetta has been co-director of the Project on Defense Alternatives (PDA) since 1991.  Prior to that, he was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies (IDDS), editor of the IDDS journal Defense and Disarmament Alternatives, and the Arms Control Reporter. He is well-versed in military strategies; terrorist attacks and how they affect nation building; diplomacy options, NATO expansion and the war in Afghanistan. Learn more at: www.comw.org/pda.

Jordan Buckley will be discussing the traveling Modern Day Slavery Museum exhibit that will be in Sarasota on March 11, 12, 13 and how the exhibit illustrates the plight of underpaid farm workers in Florida.
“Though it’s unlikely to compete for crowds with Disney World, the Modern-Day Slavery Museum may be Florida’s most important new attraction,” says The Village Voice of the exhibit.

The appearance dates are as follows: Thursday March 11
9 a.m  to 7 p.m. at New College of Florida
Friday March 12, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Church of the Palms Presbyterian Church, 3224 Bee Ridge Road.
Saturday March 13, 9 a.m. until noon at the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, 3023 Proctor Road.

Each episode of The Surreal News features “A Tannen Weekly” by humorist Pete Tannen, a Media Matters Minute Every and plenty of under reported news items.  The Surreal News is streamed live at WSLR.org and is one of many WSLR programs available 24/7 via podcast at www.thesurrealnews.com, which can be accessed from the WSLR podcast links found elsewhere on the WSLR home page.

Hosted by Jean Peelin, Gray Matters is the radio show for seniors in Sarasota. It is a place for inspiration, information, and laughter, where gray hair signals wisdom, experience, courage, and joy. Each show will have a different theme, such as “Housing Matters,” “Romance Matters,” and “Health Matters,” and every show will end with a smile with “Humor Matters.”

“Housing Matters” was the theme for the March 4 debut of Gray Matters: It’s clear that where we seniors live is completely dependent on our finances and the economy. We will talk first with a realtor who specializes in assisting seniors who are ready to down-size from their long-time homes, then with the administrator of an independent living facility in Sarasota that offers affordable living for those with limited income. Finally we will talk with a Sarasotan resident whose has no home at all.

The next episode of Gray Matters will air Thursday March 18 at 10 a.m. and Gray Matters will soon be available as a podcast as well..

“Gray Matters - Changing the conversation about aging.”

Last week, Local Matters welcomed Sarasota County Superintendent of Schools Lori White. You can listen to this show at www.localmatters.podomatic.com

Former educator and current Jumping Mullet host Ted Lindenberg joined hosts Joe Hendricks and Steve Norris for an all-encompassing discussion on the local school system, including the much-discussed school millage referendum that is currently before Sarasota County voters.

LOCAL MATTERS…Where local folks drop by to talk about local things that matter

This week The Surreal News welcomes Alexander Wilson (New College Student), Jordan Buckley (CIW Immokalee workers and Slavery) and Wendy Grassi (Planned Parenthood) as our guests.

Jordan Buckley will discuss the plight of Florida farms workers and those working in slavery-like conditions.

Wendy Grassi will be discussing racism as it pertains to the pro-choice conversation and other services provided by Planned Parenthood.

Alexander Wilson will be talking about the ALL POWER TO THE IMAGINATION CONFERNCE. Taking place March 5 though 7 at New College of Florida.

Each episode of The Surreal News features “A Tannen Weekly” by humorist Pete Tannen, a Media Matters Minute and plenty of under-reported news items. The Surreal News is streamed live at WSLR.org and is one of many WSLR programs available 24/7 via podcast at www.thesurrealnews.com, which can be accessed from the WSLR podcast links found elsewhere on the WSLR home page.

Cast your vote for your favorite movie, actor, actress and original song in the WSLR Academy Awards 2010  Movie Survey.

Click here to take survey

WSLR film reporter Ann Stillman will announce the results on an upcoming episode of the Friday edition of The Jumping Mullet Report.

WSLR 96.5 low-power FM, Sarasota’s non-profit community radio station, will be among the many public radio stations nationwide participating in the 13^th Annual Homelessness Marathon. Featuring 15 hours of consecutive programming about homelessness and the homeless, the 2010 Homeless Marathon national broadcast will originate from Detroit, Michigan beginning Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 p.m. and continuing until 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 24.

Preempting the national broadcast, WSLR 96.5 FM will feature at leeast five hours of local programming addressing homelessness in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Produced by WSLR and airing from 6 to 9 p.m. (or later) Tuesday Feb. 23, and resuming from 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, the WSLR local programming will include interviews with Sarasota’s homeless residents; interviews with representatives from local agencies that assist the area’s homeless; interviews with representatives of the downtown business community; interviews with representatives of the City of Sarasota and musical interludes reflecting the plight of the homeless.

On Wednesday Feb. 24, from 7 to 9 a.m., WSLR will be broadcasting live from the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness office located at 1445 2nd Street in Sarasota.

Those living outside the WSLR broadcast range can listen online at http://wslr.org/listen-live/

At the national level, the Homelessness Marathon will address the problem of homelessness by speaking directly with homeless people, who will give their first-hand testimony on how they became homeless and the obstacles they face before they can be housed again. The national broadcast will also feature speakers as Ron Gettlefinger, president of the United Auto Workers, and two of America’s most outstanding anti-poverty advocates, Cheri Honkala, director of the Poor Peoples’ Economic Human Rights Campaign and Paul Boden, director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project.

More information about the Homelessness Marathon, including schedules and sound clips from previous broadcasts, can be found at: http://www.homelessnessmarathon.org.

Aerial Boundaries host Rich Lapenna welcomes teacher, picker, singer, songwriter and radio personality Ishmael Katz to the WSLR studio for a live interview and live studio performance.

Visit Ishmael online at: http://www.ishmaelkatz.com/

This week The Surreal News welcomes Dr. Cynthia Wilson and Kay Jackson. Dr. Wilson will discuss her experiences treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in military personnel.

Kay Jackson will discuss  The Horizon Seminar pertaining to the Brain, Genetics, and Physics on Feb. 27 at Manatee UUF in Bradenton.

This show will also feature a discussion on the routine use of antibiotics in industrial farming contributes to an increase in dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can spread to humans.  As a result of this practice, the antibiotics we depend on to keep us healthy are at risk of becoming less effective.

Each episode of The Surreal News features “A Tannen Weekly” by humorist Pete Tannen, a Media Matters Minute and plenty of under-reported news items.

The Surreal News is streamed live at WSLR.org and is one of many WSLR programs available 24/7 via podcast at www.thesurrealnews.com, which can be accessed from the WSLR podcast links found elsewhere on the WSLR home page.