Pearl Street Books owner Beth Hartung and author Clemonce Heard join ahead of Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday. Before that, however, Heard will be having a social and reading at Pearl Street on his book Tragic City, a poetry collection on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

We kickoff the show with Hartung talking about a couple things happening at Pearl Street with Independent Bookstore Day, including music, games, prizes and giveaways — like a Midwest map of all the independent bookstores. 

Along with that, April is Poetry Month, so Hartung has invited Heard to the store to close out that celebration, and we brought on the poet to talk about the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre, plus how Heard — a New Orleans native — finds some comfort in visiting La Crosse, knowing the Mississippi River connects the two cities. 

After Heard conducts at workshop with UW-La Crosse students, he’ll be at the Pearl Street social at 6 p.m. Friday, plus a Q&A. He’ll then hold a book signing for Tragic City from 10:30 a.m.-noon Saturday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, La Crosse Area YMCAs executive director Bill Soper and development director Nikki West crashed the WIZM studio to talk about both the Wicked Fun Gala coming up, as well as a new addition to the Onalaska Hauser building.

West took center stage to start, talking about their yearly fundraising event that’s got a Wizard of Oz theme this year. 

The Wicked Fun Gala — which happens from 5-9 p.m. May 8 at the La Crosse Center — will feature the Circus Company out of Minneapolis bringing Oz to La Crosse. West said you can dress up in Oz gear if you want, but it’s not necessary.

Cost is $100 (tickets here) that supports the YMCA’s annual campaign. The ticket includes hors d'oeuvres catered by the Waterfront Restaurant, two drink tickets, dessert and a lot of activities.

After that, Soper stepped up to the mic to talk about the new addition happening in the lobby at the Onalaska Y, where Grounded Coffee is getting ready to open. We also had some fun brainstorming some other ideas to go in the Y lobby, like perhaps a Corky’s Pizza. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Bilse, host of WKTY's Wisco Sports Show, joined to talk about everything but the NFL draft, including Packers CEO Mark Murphy stealing his job a few weeks ago in La Crosse to the rumor of Brett Favre running for Wisconsin governor and the situation the Milwaukee Bucks are in. 

You can listen to Bilse 4-6 p.m. weekdays on WKTY 96.7 FM / 580 AM or check out the podcast here or by searching the Wisco Sports Show wherever you listen.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La Crosse teachers' union co-president Jill Schams joins to talk about the Brewers Racing Sausages visiting her school, Gov. Tony Evers' 400-year school funding bill upheld, teaching music and the new school board.

Schams is the co-president of the La Crosse Education Association and K-5 music teacher at Southern Bluffs, where the Brewers awarded a $1,000 check and gave a first-grade teacher there an award. But we talk about what the kids through of those Racing Sausages running around the gym.

After that, we got into what it's like teaching music to elementary kids and why they use a recorder and ukulele. 

Then we hit on the La Crosse School Board getting sworn in Monday and the relationship LEA has with the board.

Ended the conversation with the Wisconsin Supreme Court upholding an Evers' veto to add $325 of per-pupil funding for the next 400-some years, and if that plan is actually a good thing for the state. 

Schams is also headed to the Wisconsin state Legislature Joint Finance Committee's budget listening session in Wausau on Monday, where she'll get 3 minutes to make her pitch for La Crosse schools. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobody told Jed Olson quite what “conductor” meant, as the executive director of ORA Trails came into the WIZM studio ready to run a train.

As Olson advocates for ORA Trails, he is also part of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra’s conductor wannabe competition. 

So, we poke fun at the idea of Olson running a symphony, in between talking about everything that ORA Trails is doing in the La Crosse community.

Olson also talks about the competition being about community. While the group that raises the most funds wins the competition to conduct the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra at its May 3 concert finale, Olson discusses how all the five groups are connected in some way to each other and La Crosse.

Voting ends April 28 (vote here).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacob Sciammas and Jamie Schloegel in the WIZM studio wearing their 90s gear or, more specifically, their Saved by the Bell getup.

The two joined La Crosse Talk to promote 90s trivia night at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Rivoli to raise awareness and funding for the La Crosse Community Nonprofits Initiative (LCNI).

The way voting works is through donations. Half the donations go to the group being voted for and the other half goes to the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. Voting ends April 28 (vote here).

Thursday’s fundraiser featuring Trivia Tim will be centered around the 90s, where we spent quite a bit of the show reminiscing.

In between that, Schloegel and Sciammas gave a great synopsis of what LCNI is about and how it can help local nonprofits get started or help people who are thinking about starting a nonprofit. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sherry Noble from Next Chapter, joins, to talk about what their group is about and a big fundraiser they're having Wednesday.

Next Chapter's moto is “From Prison to Purpose." It's a way for incarcerated men to get help restarting their life when they get out of prison. 

They’re having an important fundraiser from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at Burrachos. If you go there at that time and — this is important — say you’re there for Next Chapter, 25% of sales will go to the organization. Also, if more than 50 people show up, Burrachos will donate 25% of all its sales at that time to the cause.

Next Chapter is a faith based organization looking to build long-lasting relationships with people who want to get a new start on life.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We reveal the identity of “Theatre Man,” and his pitch to win the Conductor Wannabe competition for the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra.

Erik Vose is the executive director of the La Crosse Community Theatre (LTC) joins and makes his pitch for winning the wannabe competition. Vose is advocating for the La Crosse Community Theatre’s Star Academy, youth summer program.

How the competition works: each donation — a $2 minimum (vote here) — gets split between the La Crosse Symphony and the advocate’s cause. The winner will be conductor for the symphony on May 3. Voting ends April 28.

Vose describes the freak theater accident that turned him into Theater Man (follow him on Instagram here) and how he’s using that to bring attention to the LTC’s Star Academy program and the good it does for kids in the area.

Vose also noted that the day before the wannabe concert, LTC will be opening its own production, “Waitress” on May 2.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conductor Wannabe, Pastor Mark Kvale of the La Crosse Youth Symphony Orchestra, in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk making his pitch to win the competition.

Five groups are competing to win the fundraiser put on by the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra (vote here). A minimum $2 donation toward will get split between the symphony and the group being voted for. The winner will be a conductor at the May 3 concert.

With Kvale, we talked about how to get involved with the La Crosse Youth Symphony Orchestra and what donations are used for (scholarships, instruments, attire, travel).

We also chatted about Kvale being a drummer and the irony of someone who's used to being in the back of the band could win this competition and be leading an orchestra.

Kvale is also having a get together from 6-9 p.m. at the Root Note, downtown, on Thursday, where there will be coffee, cocktails and perhaps a certain Pastor-Drummer on the stage helping play some jazz.

Kvale is the Pastor at English Lutheran Church in La Crosse. He's been doing that for three years and is in his 20th year as a pastor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings in the WIZM studio for La Crosse Talk to discuss a bipartisan bill on postpartum care that mysteriously didn’t get passed, her hosting two local budget listening sessions and the state of campaign finance, after the $100 million spring WI Supreme Court race.

We began the show with discussing a bill that passed the state Senate last session 32-1 — that one legislator not getting reelected — and never getting to a vote in the state Assembly, because Speaker Robin Vos decided not to do so.

That bill, which is getting another vote Tuesday in the state Senate, would extend Medicaid coverage to new moms from 60 days to 12 months — something all but 49 states already have. The bill has 21 co-sponsors in the state Senate and 66 in the Assembly.

After that, we discussed the spring election and what can be done about campaign finance reform, before ending on the two budget listening sessions Billing and Wisconsin state Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) held in Sparta and La Crosse this month. Those listening sessions come, as the Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee holds four statewide hearings, but none of which are close to La Crosse. The nearest hearing is April 28 in Wausau. The other is April 29 in Hayward.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.