Roundup: “We did it!”

Tuesday May 7, 2024
From the less messy desk of Amanda Eichstaedt…

And that’s a wrap!

Wow. All of us at KWMR are very grateful for everything that went down during our epic Spring Pledge Drive! All the great on-air shows, the engaging and fun social posts, and events, events, and then more events! It was truly epic and one for the history books as we celebrate our 25 years of existence as an FM station in West Marin. We exceeded our fundraising goal thanks to all of your donations, the dine-out events, and our super fun party!

If you did not get a chance to swing by the Church Space at the Dance Palace to talk tech with our Transmitter Engineer Richard Dillman and view the extensive slide show that Mia Johnson-Martinez put together, you can view it HERE. You may even be the slideshow! We are going to be scheduling a full presentation from Richard Dillman later this year at the Dance Palace. Stay tuned!

View slideshow: Relive KWMR memories here ⤵

It was really sweet that we made our Pledge Drive goal during Joe Blumenthal’s “The Jazz Groove” show on Saturday. You can listen to the archive HERE. Raul Gallyot joined Joe and they played a set of songs that was curated by Joe’s late wife Mo Blumenthal. Joe even did some scat singing. We are pretty sure that Mo was looking out for us during this drive!No pledge drive would be without a little craziness. While we didn’t get knocked off the air this time by an errant backhoe, we did have no power for a full day due to a utility pole replacement on Mesa Road. But Richard made lemonade out of that situation by taking the opportunity to test our remote broadcasting scheme, and it worked! I didn’t do myself any favors when I spilled a cup of coffee on my laptop. Apparently caffeine does not speed up your computer’s performance. In fact, it is quite the opposite. A new machine is on the way. And Jeff Manson is back in the saddle after testing positive for COVID on Monday April 29th. 

Mimi Calpestri 1930-2024

Today is Mimi Calpestri’s birthday, and her memorial in Bolinas. Mimi was a strong presence on the KWMR airwaves for many years. As I sit here writing this, I can hear her voice as clear as day in my head. 

Mimi Calpestri.

I am very grateful for the core staff at KWMR, our hardworking and engaged Board of Directors, and the many volunteers who stepped up to assist with various aspects of the Pledge Drive and events. Thank you all for your care and support for this amazing resource that is KWMR.

Amanda Eichstaedt
Station Manager/Executive Director