Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
ABOUT A MONTH AGO, WE SAW A NUMBER FROM THE CDC THAT WAS
STARTLING, SUED SIDES -- SUICIDES AMONG BABY-BOOMERS, ESPECIALLY MEN, HAD INCREASED
40% IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. THE GREAT RECESSION, MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS THEORIZED, WAS
PROVING TOO MUCH FOR BOOMERS ACCUSTOMED TO A SUCCESS HIM AND PROSPEROUS LIFE.
WHAT'S MORE, AS KCPT SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT SAM ZEFF DISCOVERED, THE RATE OF SUICIDE
WAS CLIMBING EVEN FASTER IN JANUARY SON COUNTY. SINCE THIS IS A STORY ABOUT
SUICIDE, YOU MIGHT EXPECT IT TO START WITH SOMEONE SAYING THIS. MY MOM, WE KNEW SHE LOVED US,
AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, AMAZING THING, AND THAT'S WHAT SHE GAVE TO EVERYBODY, BUT SHE STRUGGLED
AND STRUGGLED AND STRUGGLED WITH DEPRESSION. OR MAYBE THIS.
HE COULD TALK YOU INTO ANYTHING. I WISH HE HAD TALKED HIMSELF
INTO WANTING TO LIVE. BUT FOR THIS STORY ON SUICIDE, WE'RE GOING TO START
HERE. I MEAN, THE ECONOMY WAS DOING WELL.
PEOPLE WERE OUT AND HAD A FEELING THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE OKAY.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT HOW THE GOOD TIMES ENDED AND SUICIDES IN OUR MOST AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES
TOOK OFF LIKE A ROCKET. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU HAVE THAT DOWNTURN IN 2008, AND
THE ECONOMY BEGINS TO GO INTO A RECESSION OR EVEN A DEPRESSION. IT REALLY CHANGED THINGS AROUND
ABRUPTLY. THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO
REPORTED SOMETHING ALARMING. SUICIDES IN THE U.S. WERE UP 28% IN THE LAST DECADE AND UP 40%
AMONG WHITE MEN OVER 40. THE GREAT RECESSION COST PEOPLE THEIR JOBS, THEIR HOMES AND
THEIR RETIREMENT. NOW MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIMENTS BELIEVE IT WAS LITERALLY KILLING
THEM. AND IF SUICIDES WERE GROWING RAPIDLY AMONG BABY-BOOMERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEY WERE GROWING EVEN FASTER HERE IN THE POSTER BOY, JOHNSON COUNTY.
PEOPLE HAD A PRETTY NICE LIFE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, THEY LOST THEIR JOB OR THEY LOST
THEIR HOUSE AND THEY LOST THEIR IDENTITY. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM FELT
LIKE THEY COULDN'T GO ON. FOR YEARS, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND NUMBER OF SUICIDES IN
JOHNSON COUNTY REMAINED PRETTY STEADY, BUT THEN IN '07 AND '08, SUICIDES GO UP.
WHILE THIS IS BEFORE THE GREAT RECESSION, IT DOES TRACK WITH TWO MASSIVE LAYOFFS AT
SPRINT. FOR YEARS, THE COUNTY'S LARGEST EMPLOYER, AND THEN IN 2009, THE
ECONOMY GOES TO HELL. UNEMPLOYMENT IN JOHNSON COUNTY SOARS TO 6.8%, AND SUICIDES
FOLLOW. 68 IN '09, 80 IN 2010, AND 65 IN 2011.
BETWEEN 2006 AND 2010, SUICIDES WENT UP 75%. SUICIDE IS NOT ABOUT DYING.
IT'S ABOUT STOPPING THE PAIN. BILL ART IS ON THE CRISIS TEAM AT THE JOHNSON COUNTY
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER. HE SAYS HE COULD SEE THE RISE IN SUICIDES COMING.
ANYBODY, I THINK, THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR LIFE COULD GET TO THAT POINT WHERE,
HEY, THIS ISN'T WORKING ANYMORE, AND I'M NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS ANYMORE BECAUSE I CAN'T PROVIDE
A LIVING FOR MY FAMILY OR MY HOUSEHOLD. SO IN THIS BUILDING ON LAMAR,
WHERE MOST PEOPLE COME ONLY TO GET THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR CAR TAGS, COUNSELORS AND MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TOOK PART IN A CDC SPONSORED EVENT LAST MONTH TO TRY TO UP WITH A
NATIONAL STRATEGY TO PREVENT SUICIDES. SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW WAS
BONO -- BONNIE SWADE FROM OVERLAND PARK. TWO OR THREE YEARS AFTER HE
DIED, I HAD THAT PILLOW. HE MADE IT SO YOU COULD PUT YOUR HANDS IN IT, IN THE POCKETS, AND
HOLD IT. THAT'S KIND OF NICE, TOO. HER SON TOOK HIS OWN LIFE
WHEN HE WAS 31. NOW SHE AND HER HUSBAND RUN A SUICIDE AWARENESS SURVIVOR
SUPPORT GROUP OUT OF THEIR HOME. WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN OUR GROUP THAT STILL DON'T WANT TO
ADMIT THAT THEIR LOVED ONE DIED BY SUICIDE. THEY'LL SAY THEY DIED BY A HEART
ATTACK OR THEY HAD AN ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE. SO NOT EVERYBODY, EVEN FAMILY,
IS WILLING TO TALK ABOUT THE REALITY OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THEIR FAMILY.
THEOREM BAR BARACK OBAMA
THEY ARE EMBARRASSED. THE STIGMA. THE FIRST THING THAT HAS TO GO.
TREATING SUICIDE RISK, IF YOU DON'T CREATE SAFETY AT THE GET-GO, YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE
PEOPLE, LITERALLY LOSE THEM TO SUICIDE. MARSHA RUNS HEADQUARTERS
HOUSE IN LAWRENCE. THEY HAVE A FEDERAL GRANT TO TRAIN PEOPLE ALL OVER KANSAS TO
RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS THAT SOMEONE MAY BE SUICIDAL, AND HERE IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE. PSYCHOLOGISTS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, PARAMEDICS, NURSES,
DOCTORS, TEACHERS POLICE, NOBODY IS REQUIRED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SUICIDE.
IT'S NOT PART OF LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS OR TRAINING. 911, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO CALL 911. WELL, NO, PLEASE DON'T, BECAUSE YOU'LL GET AN EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS WORKER WHO IS VERY WELL INTENTIONED AND IS GOING TO DO HIS OR HER BEST AND
IS GOING TO FOLLOW POLICIES AND PROCEDURE, WHICH NORMALLY IS GOING TO MEAN DISPATCHING POLICE
AND PARAMEDICS, PERHAPS. NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE NECESSARILY HAVE ANY TRAINING IN REDUCING
SUICIDE RISKS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE IS MOVEMENT ON ALL FRONTS TO
PREVENT SUICIDE. IN ADDITION TO THE CDC, JOHNSON COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH HAS ITS OWN
WORKING GROUPS. WASHINGTON STATE NOW REQUIRES TRAINING IN SUICIDE PREVENTION
FOR MOST PROFESSIONALS. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT
SUICIDE, MAKING IT OKAY FOR PEOPLE AND FAMILIES TO SEEK HELP.
WE NEED TO TURN SUICIDE, SAYS MARSHA EPSTEIN, INTO A CASSEROLE ILLNESS.
IF SOMEBODY LOSES SOMEONE TO SUICIDE OR SOMEBODY IS REALLY STRUGGLING SO INTENSELY, IF IT
WAS A CASSEROLE ILLNESS, YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WOULD MOBILIZE, HELP YOU, BRING YOU
FOOD, BRING YOU STUFF YOU NEED, SPEND TIME WITH YOU. THAT'S WHAT SUICIDE PREVENTION
SHOULD BE ABOUT, CASSEROLES. IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, SUICIDES HAVE GONE UP IN MUCH OF
KANSAS AND MISSOURI. INDEED, THE SUICIDE RATE IN BOTH STATES IS ABOVE THE NATIONAL
AVERAGE. IN THE METRO WE'VE SEEN SUICIDES RISE 38% IN JACKSON
COUNTY IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, 38% IN CLAY COUNTY, 50% IN CASS COUNTY AND 66% IN PLATTE COUNTY.
ALTHOUGH THE TOTAL NUMBERS OF SUICIDES IN BOTH CLAY AND PLAT ARE SMALL, IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY
SUICIDES HAVE REMAINED STEADY OVER THE PAST DECADE, AVERAGING ABOUT T T A YEAR.
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS HAD SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, THERE IS A
NUMBER TO CALL, 1-800-662-HELP. THAT'S 1-800-662-4357. AND THEY WILL DIRECT YOU TO A
LOCAL CENTER WHERE HELP IS AVAILABLE. HERE IS ANOTHER TROUBLING
NUMBER. AROUND 80% OF KIDS IN KANSAS CITY ARE LAGGING IN READING
SKILLS, AND SUMMERTIME DOESN'T HELP. YOUNG STUDENTS IN POOR AND
UNDERSERVED AREAS OFTEN COME BACK TO SCHOOL FURTHER BEHIND IN READING THAN WHEN THEY LEFT FOR
SUMMER VACATION. COMBATING THIS SUMMER SLIDE OR SLUMP, AS IT'S COME TO BE
CALLED, IS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF MAYOR SLY JAMES TURN THE PAGE INITIATIVE AIMED AT HELPING KIDS
REAPED AT GRADE LEVEL BY THIRD GRADE. KCPT'S EDUCATION REPORTER
LINDSEY FOAT VISITED A VARIETY OF SUMMER LITERACY PROGRAMS WITH THE MAYOR AND HAS THIS REPORT.
IT'S LIKE, WHEN I READ THE BACK IT, WILL MAKE ME KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT.
HE LOVES TO READ. I READ A LOT OF STUFF. WALKING DOWN THE STREET, I READ
SIGNS. I READ EVERYTHING. MY MOM TELLS ME TO STOP
READING, BECAUSE I READ EVERYTHING. I EVEN READ HER MAIL, TEXT
MESSAGES, ESSMENTS -- E-MAIL ALL OF THAT. SHE'LL BE IN SIXTH GRADE THIS
FALL. SHE BEGAN THE SUMMER READING AT A THIRD GRADE LEVEL.
ACCORDING TO MAYOR SLY JAMES' TURN THE PAGE INITIATIVE, ONLY 19% OF KIDS IN THE KANSAS CITY,
MISSOURI SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE PROFICIENT IN READING BY THIRD GRADE.
AND CITY-WIDE, ONLY 34% OF STUDENTS ARE ON TARGET WITH THEIR READING.
OKAY. LET'S LOOK AT THE FIRST PART. WHAT'S THAT WORD?
I THINK THAT THE WHOLE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IS OUTMODED AND DOESN'T NEED TO BE
IN PLACE ANYMORE. CHILDREN ARE BETTER OFF IN A CONSTANT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
IN IS NOTHING THAT I CAN -- THERE IS NOTHING THAT I CAN SEE IS HELPFUL ABOUT TAKING THE
SUMMER OFF FOR KIDS AND THEIR LEARNING. WHEN WE HAVE CHILDREN IN THIS
CITY IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS OR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE BEHIND ALREADY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO
CATCH UP THAT WAY. YOU WANT A KID TO CATCH UP WHEN THEIR BEHIND?
THEN THEY HAVE TO PUT IN MORE TIME, NOT LESS. IT'S COMMON FOR KIDS TO LOSE
SOME OF WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED IN SCHOOL DURING THE SUMMER. BUT THE TURN THE PAGE INITIATIVE
IS PARTNERING WITH 13 SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS TO TURN A SUMMER SLUMP INTO A TIME OF
GAINS IN LITERACY. GREGORY SMITH IS A SITE DIRECTOR FOR THE UPPER ROOMS READING
PROGRAM AT JAMESON MEMORIAL TEMPLE. THE SITE SERVED 145 STUDENTS
GRADES ONE THROUGH EIGHT WHO SPEND THEIR DAYS READING BOOKS AND TAKING QUIZZES ABOUT WHAT
THEY RED. OUR PROGRAM RUNS FOR 8 WEEKS. THE KIDS COME IN AT THEIR
READING LEVEL. WE TEST THE KIDS, AND OUR GOAL IS FOR 6 MONTH GROWTH THROUGHOUT
THE 8 WEEK PROGRAM. KEEP YOUR HANDS UP IF YOU READ YOUR BOOKS AT HOME.
HOW MANY BOOKS A WEEK DO YOU READ? SO FAR, SMITH SAYS THEY'RE
SEEING EXPONENTIAL GROWTH. ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT REPORTS GAINS AMONG STUDENTS IS THE
KANSAS CITY FREEDOM SCHOOLS INITIATIVE. REVEREND DARRON FAULKNER IS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO OF THE INITIATIVE, WHICH HAS FIVE SITES ACROSS THE METRO, SERVING
OVER 500 KIDS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY IN LOW
INCOME AREAS OR IMPOVERISHED AREAS OF CITIES AND METROPOLITAN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
EXPERIENCE A SUMMER LAG OR SUMMER LEARNING LOSS. THAT MAKES WHAT WE DO THAT MORE
IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE PREVENT THE SUMMER LAG. IN FACT, WE SHOW GAINS.
FOR A THIRD GRADER THAT IS READING AT PREPRIMMER OR PRE-K LEVEL OF READING, BY THE TIME
THEY GET TO SIXTH GRADE, IF THEY CONTINUE AT THE PROGRESS THEY WERE ON, THEY'LL STILL BE
READING AT A THIRD GRADE LEVEL. BUT IF THEY'RE WITH US FOR THOSE THREE YEARS, WE CAN BRING THEM
UP TO GRADE LEVEL BY SIXTH GRADE. PROGRAMS LIKE THESE AND MANY
MORE RUN BY SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES AND NONPROFITS HOPE TO IMPROVE LITERACY RATES FOR STUDENTS, BUT
IT'S STILL NOT CLEAR WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE. THAT'S WHERE LEANNE TAYLOR
KNIGHT COMES IN. SHE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE KANSAS CITY AREA EDUCATION
RESEARCH CONSORTIUM. TURN THE PAGE KC HAS COMMISSIONED KNIGHT TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT WORKS BEST WHEN IT COMES TO SUMMER LEARNING. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF
CHALLENGES WITHIN THE COMPLEXITY OF LOOKING AT THIS IN OUR CITY'S CONTEXT.
ONE OF THOSE BEGINS WITH HAVING STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE DON'T HAVE A UNIVERSAL READING ASSESSMENT THAT'S USED WITH EVERY CHILD WHO IS IN
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS HAVE ADOPTED DIFFERENT READING
PROGRAMS, DIFFERENT READING ASSESSMENTS, SO WE DON'T HAVE A UNIVERSAL READING ASSESSMENT
USED BY EVERYONE. ALTHOUGH WRANGLING THE DATA, THE VARIOUS READING ASSESSMENTS
WILL BE MONTH SMALL FEAT. KNIGHT SAYS IT WILL LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR TRACKING LITERACY
RATES CITY-WIDE AND PROVIDE A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE IMPACT OF SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS IN KC.
SO FAR THE RESULTS ARE POSITIVE. WE'VE HAD SOME EARLY PARTNERSHIPS, PILOTING WITH SOME
SCHOOL DISTRICT DATA AND SOME OF THE OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEGINNING TO TREND IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION OF INDICATING THAT STUDENTS HAVE -- THAT WHO ARE PARTICIPATING OR HAVE
PARTICIPATED IN THESE OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS ARE MAKING GAINS IN THEIR READING.
FOR STUDENTS LIKE VERONICA, THOSE GAINS CAN BE DRAMATIC. ACCORDING TO THE UPPER ROOMS
MEASUREMENT, SHE'S MADE AN ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR'S WORTH OF PROGRESS IN JUST SIX WEEKS.
REPORTING ON EDUCATION FOR KCPT, LINDSEY. IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR AND A
HALF NOW SINCE CLASSICAL KXTR CHANGED FORMATS AFTER NEARLY 50 YEARS ON THE AIR, FIRST ON FM
AND THEN THE AM BAND. BUT JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE FOURTH OF JULY, IN FACT, RADIO
BACH U.S.A. MADE A COMEBACK, NOT AS A TERRESTRIAL RADIO STATION BUT ONE THAT STREAMS ITS SIGNAL
VIA THE INTERNET UNDER THE AUSPICES OF JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
PATRICK NEAS, CLASSICAL MUSIC'S MORNING VOICE IN KANSAS CITY FOR MANY YEARS, AND EMILY BEHRRMAN,
GENERAL MANAGER OF THE CARLSEN CENTER, JOINED ME TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS NEW MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT. CLASSICAL RADIO JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT INTO THE CORPORATE
TEMPLATE, BUT THAT'S BECOMING LESS AND LESS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF INTERNET RADIO.
NOW IT'S SO EASY TO LISTEN TO ANY KIND OF RADIO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, AND IT'S SOEST THAT
THAT -- IT'S SO EASY THAT REST RAL -- TAKE TERRESTRIAL RADIO IS NOT MUCH OF AN ISSUE ANYMORE.
YOU TWO CAME UP WITH THIS NOTION TOGETHER. HOW DID THIS JCC CONNECTION
REALLY TAKE PLACE? WELL, I KNEW A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE THEY CHANGED THE FORMAT
TO BUSINESS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT, AND I HAD COFFEE WITH EMILY AFTER ONE OF OUR ON-AIR
INTERVIEWS, AND WE WERE JUST CHATTING, AND EMILY WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE SHE -- I
SHOULD LET YOU TELL WHY YOU WERE CONCERNED. WELL, HAVING A PERFORMING
ARTS CONNECTION, OBVIOUSLY, IN THE CITY, RADIO BACH WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO PROMOTING OUR
CLASSICAL PROGRAMMING AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO, SO THAT WAS MY FIRST CONCERN.
MY SECOND CONCERN WAS FOR YOU, AND THEN ALSO ABOUT -- THIS IS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND IT WAS
GOING TO BE GONE. SO WAS THERE A WAY MAYBE TO PICK IT UP AGAIN AND TAKE IT FORWARD
AND BRING IT BACK. SO HAVE YOU BUILT PATRICK A LITTLE HUTCH THERE SOMEWHERE IN
JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THIS IS THE GREAT THING ABOUT
INTERNET RADIO. IT DOESN'T REALLY REQUIRE AN OFFICE OR ROOM WITH PADDED WALLS
OR WHATEVER. IT STILL MIGHT REQUIRE THAT. I MEANT THAT IN THE BEST WAY
POSSIBLE. BUT IT CAN REALLY BE DONE ANYWHERE.
YOU CAN LISTEN FOR ANYWHERE, AND THEN SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING AND OTHER THINGS CAN ALSO BE DONE
AND PUT TOGETHER, AND PEOPLE LISTENING WOULD NEVER REALIZE THAT, GOSH, ALL OF THESE THINGS
ARE COMING FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES. BUT THE SUPPORT STAFF AT JCCC
IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. I MEAN, THEY HAVE A FANTASTIC ENGINEERING STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN
TERRIFIC. I CERTAINLY COULDN'T DO IT ON MY OWN.
ALSO, WITH THE CARLSEN CENTER THERE, WE'RE LOOKING DOWN THE LINE, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING
BROADCASTING CONCERTS, ALSO ENGAGING THE STUDENTS OUT AT JCCC AND VARIOUS THINGS WE WANT.
WE REALLY WANT TO ADD A LOT TO OUR WEB CONTENT, AND THE STUDENTS OUT THERE WILL BE
CRITICAL IN THAT AS FAR AS CREATING VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL ARTS LEADERS AND THAT SORT
OF THING. SO YOU KNOW, JCCC'S INVOLVEMENT, IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER.
DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE PADDLING UPSTREAM FOR A LITTLE WHILE?
WELL, INTERCOM EXISTS TO MAKE MONEY, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. I CAN'T QUESTION THEIR
DECISIONS. I DO THINK THERE IS A HUGE AUDIENCE FOR CLASSICAL RADIO,
AND I THINK IT'S BEEN OVERLOOKED IMMENSELY. WHEN WE WERE MOVED TO AM, AT
THAT TIME WE HAD A VERY LARGE AUDIENCE, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, AND THOSE PEOPLE
HAD NOWHERE TO GO TO AFTER THEY CUT US LOOSE. I MEAN, THERE IS SOME CLASSICAL
ON SOME OF THEIR LOCAL STATIONS THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO, BUT THERE'S NO 24-HOUR, 7-DAY A WEEK
CLASSICAL STATION, AND SO WE FEEL THAT -- ESPECIALLY WITH THE EASE OF LISTENING TO INTERNET
RADIO NOW, THAT WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THOSE PEOPLE WHO REALLY LOST, YOU KNOW, A GREAT SOURCE
OF CLASSICAL MUSIC, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO GET CALMED DOWN DURING
THEIR RUSH HOUR DRIVE, TO CALM DOWN BEFORE THEY GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, TO GET CHARGED UP IN THE
MORNING, TO JUST BE INSPIRED AND INVIGORATED BY THE MUSIC. AS I SAY, IT'S SO EASY TO LISTEN
TO US. A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, HOWEVER, MAY NOT HAVE TRIED
INTERNET RADIO YET. ESPECIALLY IN THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC THAT I'M ASSUMING A
LOT OF CLASSICAL MUSIC GOES TO. YOU SAY TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC, BUT TO ME THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC
IS ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY. I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO LOVES GREAT MUSIC.
AND ALONG THOSE LINES, I JUST WANT TO MENTION, AT SOME OF OUR PERFORMANCES IN THE FALL, WE'RE
GOING TO KIND OF DO DEMONSTRATION STATIONS IN OUR LOBBY SO THAT SOME OF OUR
PATRONS WHO MAY BE PART OF THAT OLDER TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON A LAPTOP WHEN
YOU PULL UP THE RADIO STATION THAT YOU CAN LISTEN WHILE YOU DO OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE THAT'S
BEEN A QUESTION THAT'S BEEN ASKED OF ME. OH, CAN I STILL SEND E-MAIL TO
MY GRANDDAUGHTER IF I'M LISTENING TO RADIO BACH? YES, YOU CAN.
JUST FAMILIARIZING PEOPLE AND EDUCATING THEM A LITTLE BIT IS KIND OF WHAT COLLEGE WILL DO.
AND YOU MUST SAY THAT IN ADDITION TO THE CARLSEN CENTER, THE REST OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY
IN KANSAS CITY HAS BEEN VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF RADIO BACH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
REALLY GIVING THEM A VOICE AND HAVING THEIR INPUT, HAVING THEM BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
STATION. DID JCCC REQUIRE A LOT OF CONVINCING THAT THIS WAS A GOOD
IDEA? YOU KNOW, WE DID KIND OF HAVE TO GO FORWARD TO ONE OF OUR
TRUSTEES COMMITTEES TO GET PERMISSION TO KIND OF PILOT THIS FOR THREE YEARS AND TO SEE HOW
THINGS GO. YOU KNOW, THE COLLEGE -- WE'RE VERY LUCKY IN THAT THE COLLEGE
DOES HAVE A LOT OF BUILT-IN RESOURCES. PATRICK MENTIONED PEOPLE IN OUR
IT DEPARTMENT THAT ARE ALREADY SERVICING AN E CAB RADIO STATION.
A LOT OF THE RESOURCES FOR RADIO BACH WAS IN PLACE AND HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED ALSO TO THIS.
SO GOING FORWARD WITH OUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS VICE PRESIDENT AND OUR VICE PRESIDENT
OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, PULLING THE STUDENTS INTO IT, GOING TO THE TRUSTEES AND SAYING, LOOK, WE
THINK WE CAN MAKE THIS GO AND IF YOU CAN SUPPORT IT FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE'D LIKE TO GO
OUT AND TRY TO SELL ADVERTISING AND RAISE PRIVATE DOLLARS TO MAKE IT CONTINUE AFTER THAT TIME
HAS PASSED. SO WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO DO THAT AND SEE
THAT IT'S RELEVANT TO WHAT THE COLLEGE SAYS. SO THE THREE-YEAR TRACK AND
THEN GET THOSE LISTENERS GRABBED UP AND ON BOARD IS REALLY THE KEY HERE?
I THINK SO. LISTENING TO RADIO ON THE INTERNET IS ONLY GOING TO BECOME
MORE AND MORE PREVALENT AS THE YEARS GO ON. I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT RADIO
BACH WILL ESTABLISH ITSELF IN THE COMMUNITY THE WAY KXTR DID AND REALLY BECOME AN IMPORTANT
PART OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK IN THE BUSINESS.
THANKS. SOMETHING FELT WRONG WHEN PATRICK NEAS WASN'T BEING HEARD
ON THE AIRWAVES. HOPE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW, TOO.
MAYBE I'LL WANDER BACK INTO THE WAVES OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER BEFORE LONG.
NICE TO HAVE A ROLE REVERSAL HERE. THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU DIDN'T GRILL ME THE WAY I USED TO GRILL YOU, SO I THANK YOU.
BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME. THAT'S TRUE. THAT MAY BE THE DIFFERENCE.
PATRICK AND EMILY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE ON THE LOCAL SHOW.
REMEMBER, YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU'VE SEEN HERE AND THE ONES YOU'VE MISSED
ON THE WEB AT THE LOCAL SHOW DOT ORG. ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE TO DO
ON THIS PROGRAM IS BROWSE YOU TO NOTABLE FOLKS HELPING MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER, SAFER, MORE
ENJOYABLE. ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE IS TODD ACKERSON, RESCUE CHIEF FOR THE
KANSAS CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CHIEF WAS HONORED LAST MONTH AT THE MID AMERICA REGIONAL
COUNCIL REGIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS. OUR FRIENDS AT THILL MEDIA PUT
TOGETHER THIS PROFILE. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A BUILDING COLLAPSE, WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT A FAST-MOVING WATER RESCUE, ANY OF THE RESCUES THAT INVOLVE SPECIAL TRAINING, TODD
HAS BEEN THE GUY THAT HAS PUT THAT TOGETHER. CHIEF ACKERSON HAS BEEN WITH
KANSAS CITY FOR 28 YEARS, AND IN 2005, HE TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BUILD THIS
REGIONAL TECHNICAL RESCUE SYSTEM. IF YOU ARE TRAPPED, IF YOU ARE
DISORIENTED, IF YOU ARE INJURED AND YOU ARE EXPECTING TO BE RESCUED, YOU WILL BE BEST SERVED
IF CHIEF ACKERSON OR IF ONE OF CHIEF ACKERSON'S TRAINED CREWS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO ASSIST.
HE IS A TRUE ASSET TO THIS COMMUNITY, THIS REGION. HE'S PROBABLY THE MOST
COMPETENT AND WELL TRAINED PERSON ON TECHNICAL RESCUE IN THE REGION.
SOME OF THE THINGS HE DOES WITH REGARDS TO THE TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAMS THAT WE'VE SEEN HIM
RESPOND IS TO BRING IN ALL OF THESE VARIOUS PLAYERS THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND GO AND TRAIN
COLLECTIVELY SO EACH DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR OWN RESOURCE THAT THEY'VE WORKED COLLECTIVELY ON.
WE'RE NOT KANSAS -- WE'RE ATE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI TRAINING CENTER, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE
CHIEF ACKERSON'S IDEAS WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT BETTER WAYS TO TRAIN OUR PEOPLE HANDS ON.
WHAT HE'S DONE WITH THIS AREA IS MADE RUBBLE PILES AROUND HERE WHERE WE CAN PRACTICE BREAKING
CONCRETE, DRILLING CONCRETE, DOING SEARCH AND RESCUE WITHIN THE CONCRETE.
WE HAVE SHORING PROPS WHERE THE GUYS CAN COME IN AND PRACTICE PUTTING UP SHORING ON A WALL
THAT'S LEANING. IT'S AS CLOSE TO REAL WORLD TRAINING THAT YOU CAN GET.
THEY'RE TRAINED. THEY'RE READY TO GO, AND THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, AND
THAT'S WHAT'S NEEDED IN THE TIME OF EMERGENCY. YOU DON'T NEED TO HEAR ANYTHING
OTHER THAN A TEAM IS OUT THERE GETTING IT DONE, AND THAT'S WHAT TODD HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF
BRINGING TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, HIS QUALITIES OF CALM DEMEANOR UNDER FIRE AND HIS
DEMAND FOR EXCELLENCE, NOT ONLY WITH EQUIPMENT BUT FOR EVERY MEMBER OF HIS TEAM, COUPLED WITH
HIS -- KIND OF HIS PATIENCE AS AN EDUCATOR, AS A MENTER, AS A A -- MENTOR, TRAINER AND COACH,
HAS BUILT SOME OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. CHIEF ACKERSON LOOKS AT THE
TEAM CONCEPT. HE IS NOT JUST ABOUT KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.
HE'S ABOUT THE WHOLE METROPOLITAN AREA, BOTH IN THE STATE OF KANSAS AND MISSOURI.
HE TAKES THESE SIX TEAMS. THERE ARE THREE IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ONE CENTRAL JACKSON
COUNTY, ONE KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ONE IN OLATHE, KANSAS. WE'RE ALL ONE.
THERE IS NO SEPARATION AT ALL. THERE IS NO STATE LINE, COUNTY LINE, CITY LINE.
HE LOOKS AT THE BIG PICTURE. HE LOOKS AT THE BIG PICTURE AND SEES HOW THINGS BENEFIT THE
WHOLE REGION. TODD IS ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN BRING
EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND SAY, LET'S WORK COLLECTIVELY ON THIS IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT THE PROBLEM
IS, BE COUNTED UPON TO RESPOND TO THAT PROBLEM AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE.
I GUESS THAT'S ONE OF THE TRUE DEFINITIONS OF LEADERSHIP, WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, AND
CHIEF ACKERSON TRULY DOES WHAT HE DOES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS REGION.
TODAY MID AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCIL IS PROUD TO AWARD TO TODD ACKERSON THE REGIONAL
LEADERSHIP AWARD. THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF THE LOCAL SHOW.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WITH STORIES ABOUT SAFETY IN OUR SCHOOLS AND CIVIL WAR SITES YOU
CAN VISIT AROUND THE REGION. THE MISSOURI-KANSAS BORDER REGION IS THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL
BORDER IN AMERICAN HISTORY, AND THEREFORE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CALL HERITAGE
TOURISM OR HISTORY TRAVEL, PEOPLE GETTING IN THEIR CAR AND LOOKING FOR GREAT ROAD TRIPS,
THIS PLACE CAN HOLD ITS OWN WITH ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE COUNTRY. I'M RANDY MASON.
Captioning provided by Caption Associates, LLC www.captionassociates.com
IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE A BOOK BAG. THERE YOU GO.
GOOD JOB.
PRINCIPLE FUNDING FOR THE LOCAL SHOW PROVIDED BY FRANCIS FAMILY FOUNDATION, FREDERICK AND
LOUISE HARTWIG FAMILY FUND, KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION, HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION OF GREATER KANSAS
CITY, JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, JOHN AND EFFY SPEES MEMORIAL TRUST, BANK OF AMERICA
TRUSTEE; RICHARD J. STERN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS, COMMERCE BANK TRUSTEE; AND KCPT
Captioning provided by Caption Associates, LLC www.captionassociates.com