Celebrating 10 Years of Community Radio!

WTIP celebrates
10 years on the air!

In celebration of 10 years on the air, WTIP held its 2008 Annual Meeting &10th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, April 25th.  The event was held at the former Old Playhouse above Betsy Bowen’s studio, and coincided with Bowen’s unveiling of the new name: “What’s Upstairs.”  The event was attended by approximately 75 community members and featured live radio, a potluck dinner, a cakewalk and volunteer awards.   

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WTIP honored volunteers with the following awards:

• Bruce MacDonald received the “Program Director’s Award”
• Station Engineer Jeff Nemitz received the “Admiral of the Airwaves Award”
• Susan Maijala received the ‘Volunteer of the Year Award”
• B.J. Muus received the “Broadcaster of the Year Award”
• C.J. Heithoff received the “Producer of the Year Award”
• Norman Moe received the “Open Mic Award”

On Saturday, April 26th, Todd Miller hosted live music in the WTIP studios, including Philis Blood Anderson and Karina Roth, Briand Morrison and Gina Todd, and Tim Styles. 

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WTIP’s first cribbage tournament was held on Sunday, April 26th at Sven and Ole’s in downtown Grand Marais.  The event featured singles and double teams and lasted from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Printha Moe won the singles, Nick Bassett took second place, and Jason Irvin and Brandon Bassett won the doubles.

During the week, Monday April 28th to Friday May 2nd, WTIP celebrates on the air with special interviews and birthday wishes. 

WTIP wishes to thank its volunteers, business sponsors and listener-members for their support over the years, without which ten years of service wouldn’t have been possible.  We look forward to continuing and increasing its service in the years to come. 

WTIP Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday WTIP!

I remember the very first day that WTIP was on the air!  Mike Raymond and I were working together at the Red Pine Realty Office.  He was on the phone when all of a sudden he leapt out of his chair and exclaimed, “We’re on the air”!   It seemed that this was a surprise to him as he grabbed an armful of CDs and ran full speed ahead out the door and up the hill to the station.   Turning the radio dial to 90.7 that first day and hearing that first handful of CDs over the airwaves was a real thrill. 

Happy Birthday WTIP and everybody who worked so hard to make it happen.

Sincerely,

Sue Hakes
Listening Fan

Wish we could join you for the Birthday Party.  We wish you all the best.  Have a great time.

Kathie & Chuck Manning
Alger, Michigan

Submit your birthday wish to WTIP at 387-1070 or by e-mail

 

On the "Roadhouse"

Join Hosts Bob Carter and Ann Possis on the "Roadhouse" Friday, May 9 as they speak with Patrick Coleman, acquisitions librarian at the MN Historical Society, about the project to identify the 150 best books of Minnesota for the state's sesquicentennial. You can read Patrick Coleman's blog at http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/?cat=72. You can also check out his fun list of fictional Minnesota towns and the real twns they are based on at http://pseudonymousminnesota.pbwiki.com/.

Community Engagement Initiative update

In Spring 2007, WTIP received a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to participate in the Community Engagement Initiative. The initiative is designed to engage people in discussions about the kind of community they hope to live in, their concerns and what can be done to create a positive future. Since June, WTIP has hosted a number of community conversations to discuss the question, “What kind of community do you want?” More than one hundred individuals have participated in the conversations.

The WTIP Spotlight (below) discusses the results of the conversations we have held so far.

Listen to the spotlight

In early March, we held another conversation to discuss and analyze the results of previous conversations and to discuss new ideas. Everyone who participated in our first round of “Community Conversations” was invited to attend, as was anyone who would like to become involved in the conversations.

More meetings will continue to be held, and we encourage anyone who is interested in getting involved to contact us.

WTIP's "A Home of our Own"

As we begin our 10th year on the air, WTIP has purchased its own building on the west end of Grand Marais to ensure that we can continue to provide essential services and increase our impact in the years to come.

Building Renovations
Near Completion !

Find out more

History Speaks: Voices from Mineral Center

Mineral Center is now one of Cook County’s ghost towns, but at one time it was a bustling settler village. You’ll hear the voices of people who lived and worked in the community as they share some of their memories of life in the rustic pioneer town.

Listen Now

Behind the Work

"Behind the Work" is a new segment we have started at WTIP. Each program focuses on an individual and the work they do in the region. "Behind the Work" is dedicated to exploring people’s lives, what they do to get by, and the contributions people make to the community. It is not only an exploration of people’s livelihoods, but also and exploration of their passions and hobbies.

Listen to the segment with Eric Larsen

Listen to the segment with Dave Seaton

Listen to the segment with Peggy Staples

Listen to the segment with Elaine Erickson

Listen to the segment with Amanda Drake

Listen to the segment with Paul McFarlane

Listen to the segment with Dennis Chilcote