KXRW Vancouver Presents

Making Connections

Connecting with a variety of people with interesting perspectives and experiences, to learn about the things they do, how they interact with the world and how they deal with the uncertainty of these unsettling times.

4th Wednesday at 12:30 pm

About Our Show

We can understand the world better and learn more about ourselves when we pay attention to the stories of other people. By listening to the voices of others, we strengthen our own… Our attitudes and actions have great potential to affect those around us. With the awareness that we are all connected, we challenge the listener to look for a connection with the perspective of our guests, consider how their stories resonate with our experience.

Episode Library

Making Connections – Disparities and Health Care- 3/24/21

An interesting, personal conversation with Sirius Bonner, VP, Equity and Inclusion, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette. about Health Care disparities for Black and Brown women.

Making Connections:We can understand the world better and learn more about ourselves when we pay attention to the stories of other people. By listening to the voices of others, we strengthen our own…

Making Connections – Redistricting: Wonky but Important- 2/24/21

Redistricting is a wonky subject- complicated and sometimes confusing. BUT IT’S SO IMPORTANT! It really will affect the outcome of our elections for the next 10 years. So dig in and learn about it – NOW.

I found someone who can help us learn. Alan Unell of the League of Women Voters explains how the process works in Washington state, and how some people lose their voice when districts get locked in to give political advantage.

Making Connections:We can understand the world better and learn more about ourselves when we pay attention to the stories of other people. By listening to the voices of others, we strengthen our own…

Making Connections- Hell’s flames or Heaven’s gate- 1/20/21

Hell’s flames or Heaven’s gates- an honest reflection on growing up as an Evangelical Christian. Poet and photographer Joann Boswell speaks about her new book, “Cosmic Pockets” which shares intimate thoughts on faith, spirituality, feminism, and motherhood, mixed with a dose of science fiction, just for fun. Our conversation focused mostly on the religion part- the impression all of the “hell teaching” makes on a young, developing mind.

Find out more about Joann Boswell by going to her website,https://joannrenee.com/cosmic-pockets

Listening back on this interview, I realized that Joann made a comment that encompasses my whole motivation for doing this show:

“When you get to know people, it changes from something on paper to something in your heart…”

Making Connections- Becoming a Doula- 12/16/20

I invited my 10 year old niece to be present when my son was born. It made an impression on her.

Mary Nowak www.mnbirthandbaby.com is now a Doula in Chicago.

We connected to talk about the experience, how doulas can help bring babies into the world, and the tragic disparities in maternal health care for Black and Brown women in the US.

Note: The music you’ll hear in this program is by Ara Lee James https://www.araleemusic.com/ and Beth Wood https://www.bethwoodmusic .com/

Making Connections- Showing Up For Racial Justice- 11/18

How can white people learn to become allies in a way that’s sensitive and respectful?

Rhonda Walker of SURJ Lower Columbia discusses recent Police shootings of Black men, ICE juveniles detained in Cowlitz County, and how white people can show up to support our BIPOC neighbors.

Making Connections- Biking through Pandemic, Racial Strife and Smoke- 10/21/20

Biking through the pandemic, racial strife, and wildfire smoke.

Throughout the summer of 2020, Treva Inzerillo pedaled her bike across the country. She stopped in Camas, Wa, just as the wildfire smoke covered the region. Having dreamed of making this trip since she was 19, Treva dedicated her ride to Rose Haven Center for Healing in Washington, North Carolina. Rose Haven helps women Veterans overcome the effects of trauma and ease the struggle of transitioning from military to civilian life.

https://www.pamlicorose.org/

Making Connections: We can understand the world better and learn more about ourselves when we pay attention to the stories of other people. By listening to the voices of others, we strengthen our own…

Making Connections- Domestic Violence & the right to bail- 9/2/20

Violent offenders have a right to get out of jail, on bail. The judge has very limited options. Sometimes, the victim pays with her life. This is what happened to Tiffany Hill.

This episode examines how the legal system enabled the murder of Tiffany Hill. It was obvious to her- as well as the police, the detective, the prosecutor, her personal lawyer- that her life would be in danger if and when her abuser was released. But the law said he had a right to be released on bail.

Tanya Wollstein, Domestic Violence Investigator, Vancouver Police Department, speaks about the issues related to this case, and describes an effective new tool that may help with bail assessments in the future.

Making Connections: We can understand the world better and learn more about ourselves when we pay attention to the stories of other people. By listening to the voices of others, we strengthen our own…

Making Connections: Pep Talk songs with Beth Wood 7/15/20

Singer-songwriter Beth Wood is Super talented, with a beautiful voice. She writes songs that jump across the WiFi, reach through your earbuds and grab you. We had such a pleasant time chatting; it felt like a pep talk.

Making Connections – What Comes Next? Car Rally for Black Lives 6/17/20

With Jasmine Tolbert, Vice President of NAAPC Vancouver, we listen to the voices from the Car Rally for Black Lives held in Vancouver on June 6th.

Making Connections – Connecting and Coping 05/28/20

Barb Seaman connects with middle school history teacher Scott Rainey for a chat about how he’s teaching and coping during the COVID 19 stay-at-home order.

Original reporting

Redistricting in Washington State, League of Women Voters

Not In My Name poem by Beth Wood (Barb Seaman)

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, upset by the racism that’s brought on the Black Lives Matter movement, the pandemic, the administrations blatant disrespect for most of its citizens, you ‘ll probably find strength and inspiration in this poem. It’s written and read by beth wood, a singer songwriter who’s spent a good deal of time in Portland area, now lives in Bend.

Save the Post Office Saturday – 8/22/20 (Barb Seaman)

It was “Save the Post Office Saturday” this past weekend. Thousands of people across the country gathered to demand that Congress shore up the US Postal Service. According to Move On, the USPS revenue comes entirely from postage and services. Not tax dollars. Revenue is expected to be down by 50% this year, so the agency may well run out of money within the next few months. Move On says that while Washington argues about how to support the post office, FedEx and UPS have already gotten stimulus money .

People demonstrated in front of post offices around the Portland area and at two locations in Vancouver. KXRW’s Barb Seaman stopped by one of them.

WEA Riverside & systemic racism | KXRW News Original

Adam Aguilera, Vancouver teacher and member of the WEA Riverside Equity Committee, explains how systemic racism exists in education. The teachers union sent a letter to Clark County Council last week, extending an invitation to Chairwoman Eileen Quiring to educate her as to how racism manifests in schools.

Barb’s work as a producer/director for a small, local Cable TV channel north of Chicago- back in the 80’s and 90’s- helped shape her curiosity about what makes people tick. After taking a Radio U workshop, offered by the Media Institute for Social Change in 2016, she rediscovered how fun it is to listen to people tell their stories, and to use audio as a means to relate these various ideas and perspectives. She began volunteering for KXRW in January 2020, producing occasional short segments for the morning news.

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