Perspectives

Now marking his first anniversary as a Tallahassee city commissioner, Jeremy Matlow has often taken issue with his four fellow commissioners on various issues, but he says his goal is to include as many citizens as possible in the local government decisions that affect them.  He talks about everything from preservation vs. development to his relations with his commission colleagues and city staff in the course of the hour.

The origins of the annual Tallahassee Turkey Trot – which actually includes a number of run/walk events – goes back to the 1970s.  Today, the Thanksgiving morning event attracts thousands of people with the proceeds benefiting a number of community causes.  To talk about this year’s Trot are: Event Directors David and Mary Jean Yon; Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend Executive Director (and Leon County Commissioner) Nick Maddox; Kearney Center Director of Communications Audra Peoples; and Refuge House Executive Director Meg Baldwin.

The Florida A&M Village Residence Hall is being rechristened “Polkinghorne Village” in honor the Rattler who left at the end of his junior year in 1943 to eventually join the famed Tuskeegee Airman and then lose his life over Italy.  To talk about his legacy and story are: Eddie Jackson, retired Vice President of University Relations at FAMU;Dr. Brian Lucas, Assistant Director of Governmental Relations at FAMU; Marjorie Turnbull, former member of the FAMU Board of Trustees.

This most “manly” of all cancers will impact one out of every eleven American males at some point in their lives.  Prostate cancer survivor Steve Hurm, Director of Licensing for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and his wife, former Second Florida District Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham, talk about their experience with the disease, treatment and recovery.

To mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Michael, Perspectives went on the road to the storm’s point of landfall, Mexico Beach, Florida.  During this special broadcast, which included radio, live streaming and subsequent airing on WFSU-TV, the panel assessed Michael’s aftermath and how residents of the region were recovering.  That panel consisted of: Florida State Representatives Jay Trumbull of Panama City; and Jason Shoaf of Port St. Joe; Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey; Missy Harkus with the volunteer relief organization Jackson County Angels; Florida Public Radio Emergency Network Meteorologist Jeff Huffman; and Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nikki Fried, who happened to hear the broadcast while she and her staff were touring the area and stopped by to share her thoughts.

What began as a targeted campaign to lure more retirees to Tallahassee has now expanded to include millennials, middle-age career rebooters, and essentially everyone.  To talk about that effort are: Gregg Patterson, executive director of Choose Tallahassee; Virginia Glass, the new chair of Choose Tallahassee; Jimmy Cole with Florida State University’s Office of University Relations and Choose Tallahassee board member; Choose Tallahassee Board Member and Executive Director of DOMI Station Antonio Montoya; and Lester Hutt, organizer of the last two welcome events for new FSU/FAMU/TCC faculty.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, hundreds of people will take part in the Tallahassee Walk Against Alzheimer’s at Cascades Park.  To talk about the event and to share their personal connection to the battle against this dread disease are: Yasmin Khan, development manager for the regional Alzheimer’s Association; Aubrey Schmid, “Walk for Papa” team captain; and Jordan Burroughs, “ALZ You Need is Love” team captain.

James Grymes, author of the award-winning “Violins of Hope – Strings of the Holocaust” will be the featured speaker at the Oct. 10 Remembrance Dinner hosted by the Holocaust Education Resource Council. He appears by phone to discuss his work and research during the program, while HERC Co-Founder Barbara Goldstein and Dinner Coordinator Susan Turner appear in studio.

A nearly constant wave of exciting new archeological discoveries are showing how vital North Florida was in the very earliest human settling of what would someday be known as America. Those findings will be discussed during the upcoming Old Stories and New Discoveries Conference Oct. 4 and 5 at the Monticello Opera House. To talk about that and the world-class presenters that will be featured are representatives of the sponsoring organization, the Aucilla Research Institute: Chair Jim Dunbar;

There are nearly three million American grandparents now serving as the primary caregivers for their grandchildren and that number is growing steadily. Jack Levine, founder of the 4Generations Institute, talks about the changing family dynamic and also provides some positive news about more federal and state support for children whose upbringing doesn’t fit the “traditional” (and somewhat mythical) mold.