WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg

Jim Dwyer, a reporter for the New York Times,  was co-author of "102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers."   This book, published in 2005,  examines how thousands of people on 9-11 were able to escape the Twin Towers on that terrible morning before the Towers ultimately fell.  

Ralph Houghton was the coordinator of Fine Arts for the Kenosha public schools for many years.  Saturday night, May 18th, at 7:00 there is a free concert at Reuther High School Auditorium, which is being renamed the Ralph J. Houghton Performance Center.  There will be performances by the KUSD Madrigal Singers, the Golden Strings, and the Kenosha Alumni Band with Ralph's son Steve (a superb professional percussionist) as a special guest.  We are replaying this interview with Ralph Houghton from many years ago in tribute to this great champion of the arts in Kenosha. 

Joshua A. Douglas, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law, examines efforts across the country to expand the voting rolls such as lowering the minimum voting age or extending the right to vote to felons ... as well as efforts to remove barriers that can discourage or prevent people from exercising their right to vote.  His book is titled "Vote for Us: How to Take Back our Elections and Change the Future of Voting." 

We are discussing Aerial Arts, in which a person is suspended above the floor or ground- sometimes a large distance off of the ground - by silken hammocks and/or silken strips which they hold on to and with which they can assume various positions.  It can be done as dance, for therapy, and even for Yoga.   We speak to two instructors at the Spiral Space Yoga Gallery where aerial arts are taught.  (They are presenting a showcase of their students on Friday night, May 17th, at The Branch- 1501 Washington Ave. in Racine.  The event is a fundraiser.) 

In Part One, we find out about an exciting exchange program called "Two Worlds-One Art" involving choral singers from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Jianghan University in Wuhan, China.   In Part Two, we meet composer Dana Wilson; a new piece by Dr. Wilson will be premiered this weekend by the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra.  

May is Mental Illness Awareness Month.  Part One is with Lisa Zanin, co-president of the Kenosha County chapter of NAMI- the National Alliance on Mental Illness.   Part two is a portion of a 2005 conversation with Paul Raeburn, author of "Acquainted with the Night."  Raeburn, a former writer for Business Week,  writes about his son's and daughter's respective struggles with mental illness.   

Kenosha's own Betsy Ade returns to the Morning Show to tell us more about what it was like to be a contestant on NBC's "The Voice."  (She was recently eliminated.)  She takes us behind the scenes to describe what it was like to be coached by the show's celebrity judges,  how the songs she sang for the series were chosen,  what kind of relationship she had with her fellow contestants,  and much more.  

From 2007 comes an interview with best-selling author Joe Drape and a book called "Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend."  It tells the story of Jimmy Winkfield,  the last of the great African-American horse jockeys. 

From 2008 comes a memorable interview with Mort Zachter, author of a book called Dough: A Memoir.   It's the true story of Mort's two uncles (who never married),  the day-old baked goods shop that they ran for all of their lives,  and the rather odd way that they chose to live their lives.   It is a very intriguing and entertaining book.  

This is the monthly visit of Bryan Albrecht, the president of Gateway Technical College.  His guest is Terry Crocker, CEO of BRP - which makes boats. Much of this conversation focuses on the technological advancements that have been made in boating, somewhat similar to what we have seen in automobiles over the last few years.   Mr. Crocker will be the speaker at Gateway's commencement exercises next week.