What do Bellchoir, Jazz, Gay Men's Chorus & Metal Music Have In Common?

by Doug MacRostie.

All of it will be featured on a special holiday edition of Centerstage MN.

KAXE Producer Jennifer Poenix produced an excellent piece about her love of hand bells - it's a lush, intimate view of what bellchoir is all about it.

Also, our sister AMPERS station KFAI produced a piece about the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus, which has grown to be the fourth largest gay men's chorus in the country. As an organization they celebrate diversity and use music as a way to transform, educate and heal.

We'll also hear selections from a Xmas jazz concert by the Mr. Pumpkinhead Quartet, recorded live on KAXE last year featuring Sam Miltich on Guitar, Don Vidal on Sax, Pat Downing on Bass and Tim Wick on Keyboard.

And the icing on the cake? MN metalheads My My Misfire know it's better to give than receive, and are debuting/releasing a song from their forthcoming CD for download on Christmas Eve as a gift to their fans.

Plus there will be some non-traditional holiday tunes from Paul Metsa and Eliza Blue. And what MN holiday special would be complete without Bob Dylan's "Must Be Santa".

Metal to Polka this week on Centerstage MN.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls Saturday nights at 11 & Wednesdays at Noon, and on WTIP in Grand Marais Thursday afternoons at 4. Often featured on MNartists.org.

Handbell Choir documentary by Jennifer Poenix

by Travis Ryder

Several KAXE staffers recently completed a training course on audio documentary storytelling.  We get to reap the benefits starting Thursday morning, December 9, in the 8 o'clock hour.  Member Services Manager Jennifer Poenix tells her story of involvement in a handbell choir.  

Says Jennifer, "When I tell people I ring hand bells, I usually get a questioning look in response. Since I was pretty comfortable with the subject, I chose to explore the topic when presented the opportunity to learn radio documentary. This turned out to be a little more personal than I thought it would be when I started. That’s alright though. I think my story really needed to be a part of it. I’m excited for others to hear it!"  

Tune in live, and find the audio archived on the Culturology page and at Ampers.

An Even Better Buzz!!!

This is bigger news than the ghost haunting the Ely bowling alley - we are launching an ALL NEW BUZZ!!! The first edition will be unleashed this afternoon at 1 - Click Here to sign up!!! If you've received our old Buzz - you have to sign-up again, this really is an all new thing :D The esteemed Jennifer Poenix will be the Buzz Master from now on...Read More...

The New and Improved Buzz

By Jennifer Poenix

If you've been a subscriber to KAXE's e-mail service, "The Buzz," you have probably noticed that it's been sporadic (at best) lately.
The Buzz was once handled by a small group of KAXE staff. About four of us. Of the female variety. Mostly. I don't mean anything negative about the others; it's just the way it was.

At some point, we decided that, "Hey, maybe everyone should take turns writing the Buzz." So, an alphabetical scheme was derived. It worked for awhile, and then nobody could remember whose turn it was, or people forgot, or some people tried outsourcing their turn in exchange for cupcakes.

We spoke for awhile at our last staff meeting about the Buzz: how we can improve it, what information people really want, whether we should sign up for an email hosting service, and who should take on the responsibility.

We're about to change servers at KAXE, plus we want to create better newsletters with more flexibility, and have less SPAM issues (since we were sending 800 emails at a time with every Buzz, a lot of people received our Buzz as SPAM). So, we signed up with Constant Contact, which will take care of these issues.

Also, I'll be sending the Buzz with contributions from others.

We want to start a fresh list, so if you wish to keep getting the Buzz (or if you want to start getting it), please sign up by clicking this link. You'll be asked to provide your e-mail address, plus confirm it, and we'll ask for your name.

*Sign up for the NEW Buzz!

If you have any questions or feedback about the Buzz, please let us know.

When I Grow Up...

When you ask around the KAXE Studios about what people want to be when they grow up you hear all kinds of answers.

Steve Downing still thinks about his original dream to be a Catholic Priest like Guido Sarducci (see left).

Scott Hall's 12th thing-to-be is a woodland hermit that avoids the social ramble and fried foods that anger-up the stomach.

Doug MacRostie wants to be a rockstar who is in it for the music but loses his way and has to rebuild his career through an emotional but inspiring creative process.

Jennifer Poenix wants to be a TV sitcom writer - more specifically for The Office...in fact, she said she would be willing to switch bodies with Mindy Kaling.

Maggie Montgomery wanted to be a nuclear physicist and even took the math and physics classes, then she wanted to be a writer, then she wanted to be a teacher, then she wanted to be mental health counselor...and now here she is at KAXE.

When Heidi Hotlan was little (like, 4 years old) she wanted to get her Class C drivers license so she could drive a regional library system bookmobile...something she still thinks she would enjoy.

What's your story? We're talking about what you want to be when you grow up this Saturday from 10-Noon on Between You and Me with guest host DJ the DJ. And while DJ is retired, he still has hopes & dreams for when he grows up!

This Saturday on "Between You and Me"

By Jennifer Poenix

With Heidi Holtan on vacation in Alaska, Maggie Montgomery and I will be your hosts this Saturday on "Between You and Me." We'll be teaming up on a subject near and dear to both of our hearts: The Beatles!

We'd love to hear your stories, favorite songs, and anything else you want to talk about regarding the Beatles.

You can always leave your comments ahead of time by e-mailing comments@kaxe.org, or calling the Talkback Line: 218-999-9876, or you may join us live during the show by calling 218-326-1234.

"Between You and Me" is our Saturday morning mix of music and conversation, from 10am-noon.

Spring Cleaning

By Jennifer Poenix

“If you do your Spring cleaning in January; guess what you don't have to do in the spring? Anything.” – Michael Scott on the tv show The Office

We took the Christmas tree down at KAXE on Tuesday. It’s always nice to have a tree up, but it always feels really good to take it down too. There’s still an extension cord hanging down from the skylight, but let’s not dwell on that.

Stephanie and I marked all the tubs containing decorations, so next year, we’ll know exactly what’s in them. One of them says “Extra garland. Do not bring upstairs!!” We keep most of the Christmas stuff in our crawlspace. The nine-foot tree, however, doesn’t go down there very well. It’s in a big, long box.

Our storage room was waaaaaaaaaaay too cluttered to put it in there, so that meant we had to do a bit of tidying. (See photo at left.)

We didn't get the room super clean, but we did make some improvement. (See photo at right.)

Most importantly we put away the tree. We taped up the box, so we could stand it on end. “Hold tight, little tape,” Stephanie said.

Popcorn hits the spot

By Jennifer Poenix

Scott Hall just made popcorn, which in turn, has made my day. It also gave me something to blog about (see previous blog). He makes it on the stove, which I haven’t seen anybody do for a long time.

First, you need to heat the oil until it’s starting to spatter. Then, add the kernels until they are bathed in oil (bathed, not swimming). Get them nice and surrounded. Put the lid on the pot, and soon you will have delicious popcorn.

Growing up, my dad made popcorn nearly every night. He made it on the stove when I was real young, but then he got an air popper and never looked back. I hardly ever eat popcorn anymore. Once in awhile, I’ll buy the microwave stuff, but it just does not compare. I think I’ll try making it on the stove at home some night soon. It may be a disaster, but at least I’ll have tried.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean my keyboard…and see if there’s anymore popcorn in the kitchen.

Thank you Scott!

Potlucks are Good

By Jennifer Poenix

On Saturday night, some KAXE staff and friends gathered together to say goodbye to the StoryCorps facilitators that were here for four weeks. We had a potluck dinner at KAXE's studios.

We had a great assortment of food including venison curry, Mad Dog pizza, peach pie, and lots more. I brought a fruit salad, consisting of pineapple, green grapes, apples, bananas, and oranges mixed with peach pie filling. It's the easiest fruit salad ever (well, not if you mix a can of fruit cocktail with Cool Whip). You can use whatever fruit you want and it turns out great.

Men have a whole different way of looking at potlucks. Right before we left for the potluck Saturday night, my husband Jeff* asked me, "So, are we bringing anything?" Yes, we are. We're bringing fruit salad. It's a potluck. Sunday afternoon, I got the leftover fruit salad out of the fridge to eat with lunch. "How did we get this?" Jeff excitedly asked. "Um..I made it for the potluck," I replied. "Oh, you brought this? This was really good!"

I like potlucks because you never know what you're going to get. I guess you could say life is like a potluck. If I could choose my last meal on Earth, I would choose potluck.

*seen on the left in this photo from the 2007 Green Cheese picnic. He didn't know what we brought to that one either. Root beer cake. We brought root beer cake, which wasn't as yummy as it sounds.

Yeah Yeah Yeah

By Jennifer Poenix

I’m 27, and I like the Beatles. If you have heard me host "On the River" on KAXE, you have probably heard a Beatles tune or two.

“But Jennifer,” you may be saying, “you weren’t even born yet when the Beatles were a band. You didn’t experience them in the 60’s.” Yeah, I’ve heard that before.

When I was young, I didn’t know that the Beatles had been one of the most popular bands of all time (if not the most). I just liked their songs.

When I was in 9th grade, The Beatles Anthology aired on ABC in three parts. (They promoted it by calling themselves “A Beatles C.”) I was mesmerized and turned into a total Beatles geek. I bought books, t-shirts, and scoured antique stores for records or any other collectibles I could find. I wrote discographies in a Mead 5-Star notebook. I was constantly doodling the Beatles drum in school. I quoted A Hard Day’s Night.

As I approached high school graduation, my aunt asked me where I would go if I could go anywhere in the world. My immediate answer? Liverpool. Little did I know that she was actually planning to take me there! We went, and it was amazing.

My son Zane is almost two, and while I haven’t exactly forced the Beatles on him, he does say, “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” quite a bit, and I’ve also taught him how to shake his head and say “wooooo!” It just goes to show that even though a person might not have been around when Beatlemania was prevalent, they can still be a fan.

Walking in the GASF

By Jennifer Poenix



If it's nice enough outside, my family and I go for a walk after supper most nights. We often end up on the River Road ski trails in the Golden Anniversary State Forest. Thanks to Boomer the Groomer for making the trails passable after the grass got too high.

So, it's me, my husband Jeff, son Zane, and dog Cooper on the trail. Cooper likes being able to run through the woods without his leash. If we decide to keep our walk shorter by staying out of the state forest, he tries to take us there anyway. Zane seems to enjoy riding in his stroller, even if the ride is a bit bumpy.


Jeff and I have found a few treats that the woods have to offer. The blackberries have become ripe in the last week or so. We haven't remembered to bring a container to carry them home in yet, but they are nice treat to find as we walk. The last time we walked, Jeff also found hazelnuts. He has a really good eye for them. He told me that he sees the plants all along our route. I have no idea what to look for. Yet, anyway. I tasted my first hazelnuts a few days ago. Not too bad, but not that great either.


There's all kinds of treasure to find in northern Minnesota's woods, if you just know what to look for. I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you yet, but KAXE's fall fundraiser is going to be all about the things you observe in your life, whether they are nature related or not. It's scheduled for October 20-31, and, like all of KAXE's fundraisers, we'll aim to make it fun.

So, keep your eyes (and your ears) open. You never know what you might find.

Got Zucchini?

By Jennifer Poenix

It's harvest time in northern Minnesota! Is your garden overflowing with produce?

I decided to plant zucchini this year. I had purchased it a few times at last year's farmers' market and really liked it. I had never really eaten much of it before except when my mom would make a chocolate zucchini cake when I was a girl. My mom never gardened, but usually ended up with a few zucchini every summer from someone, so she would make cake.

I have made three of these cakes so far this summer, and thought I'd share the recipe with anyone who finds themselves with an abundance of the green stuff:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Mix Together:
1/2 c. margarine or butter

1/2 c. oil

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. buttermilk OR 1/2 c. milk plus 1/2 Tbsp vinegar

In a separate bowl, sift together:

2 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Add to batter. Then add 2 cups grated zucchini. Pour into greased, floured pan (I use a 9 x 13). Sprinkle 1 or 2 cups of chocolate chips on the top and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Do you have any favorite zucchini recipes?