Mary Jo Dolis
One Thursday a week or so ago, I was making a pie from the rhubarb that’s having a good year in our back yard, with the radio playing in the background, I realized that the calm and melodious voice I was hearing was Malcolm X. It was the tail end of his 1964 speech where he says change only comes one of two ways — either the ballot or the bullet. All of a sudden, voting seemed more interesting to me.
When his voice ended, it was replaced by an interviewer on the Real News Network telling the fascinating story of “Shake and Bake,” a skating rink and bowling alley that transformed a neighborhood in Baltimore. Two Baltimore Colt football players founded “The Bake” in 1983, and it had just reopened after a major renovation by the city. The enthusiasm was cheering.
Next came a program called “Letters & Politics,” with economist Richard Wolf who, after touching on some current issues, described how in 1976 Germany passed a law that entitled workers to sit on the boards of directors of the companies where they worked. For companies with 2000 or more employees, the workers elect 49% of the board members. In companies with 500-2000 workers they elect a third. The proposition that shareholders look out for shareholders, so as workers interests are at stake, they need to be there to look out for their interests, seems obvious when you think about it..
As I got ready to put the pie in the oven, there was an interview with the author of the book “Evicted.” I set the timer and reluctantly left the room, hearing the beginning of a Colorado Public Radio program about the history of the Pony Express.
KOWA is a community radio station under the wing of Media Island at 106.5. It’s the kind of station you turn on and know you’ll be treated to a whole variety of interesting programs…not the dreary repetition of the saaaaaame “breaking” news all day long; or screechy advertising punctuated from time to time by news or music. You can hear the station in downtown and nearby neighborhoods. Or stream on KOWAlp.
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