WHDD: When lightning strikes ... keep on going

SHARON  — It has been five months since the studio of WHDD-FM91.9 and AM 1020 (robinhoodradio.com) at 67 Main St. was struck by a lightning bolt, destroying approximately $23,000 worth of equipment.

Since then the station has raised around 40 percent of what it needs to pay for the new gear that replaced the destroyed equipment, according to Marshall Miles, a co-founder of the radio station with Jill Goodman, and head of the nonprofit National Public Radio station’s parent organization, Tri-State Public Communications.

And the station is still pressing on, Miles said.

“We have a budget, so we’ve had to put off certain things that we should have done earlier,†Miles said. “Yes, we still need to raise the money, but we’re not letting that stand in our way.â€

In fact, Miles said, the station recently purchased WHDD-AM, which they had been leasing from Willpower Radio.

The station has also added new programs such as “Darren Winston’s Book Report,†“A Moment in Wine†with Fred Tregaskis, “Language Matters†with Nat Benchley and “Leader’s Edge†with Sander Flaum, Miles said.  

Flaum is a consultant in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries and is the chairman of the Fordham University Leadership Forum and a professor at the Fordham Graduate School of Business. “Leaders Edge†airs every Wednesday morning around 7:30 a.m. “Language Matters†runs Thursdays at 2:45 p.m. and Sundays at 6:45 p.m. “A Moment in Wine†plays Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:35 a.m.,  Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m., Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. and “Darren Winston’s Book Report†can be heard Thursdays at 2.30 p.m.

Miles said several other shows will debut early next year.

“We’re currently putting together ‘Do the Right Thing,’ with Karen Grigsby Bates, the author of ‘Basic Black’ and a correspondent for NPR News.

“In addition, we’re developing a show with WOWOWOW (Women on the Web),†he said.

“WOW features such contributors as Liz Smith, Joan Ganz Cooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Peggy Noonan, Sheila Nevins, Margaret Howard and Lily Tomlin.

“Plus we will have a show called ‘Getting Organized’ with Margaret Lukens,†he said. Lukens is the owner of New Leaf and Co., which helps companies streamline their operations. The show will offer tips to businesses and organizations on how to create clear business plans.

WHDD has an arrangement with WBSL 91.7, a Berkshire School student station, to broadcast programming when students are not on the air with their own programs.

Miles and Goodman stressed that plans for future programming on the NPR station can only be accomplished through listener support.

“If anyone has questions about why their donations are important I would ask them to either call us or stop by the station to see what we’re doing,†Miles said. “It’s very important that we continue to raise funds, so we can devote ourselves to improving the station’s product.â€

Send tax-deductible contributions to WHDD-FM, 67 Main St., Sharon, CT 06069. Make all payments out to Tri-State Public Communications.  

For more information about WHDD, call 860-364-4640 or visit the station’s Web site at robinhoodradio.com, or online at Facebook.

WHDD At a glance

Organization: Tri-State Public Communications

Director and title: Marshall Miles, president, Jill Goodman, secretary and treasurer

Web site: robinhoodradio.com, catv6.com

Founded in: 2002

Mission: Local public radio  and local access television for the Tri-state region

Biggest annual fundraiser: Do not have one yet, in planning stages.

How much total money is raised each year and how? $300,000 to $400,000 from underwriting, grants and donations.

Any funds or other suupport from local towns? No

Total assets: $400,000

How is the money spent? Operational costs

What can volunteers from the community do to help? Donate time, money, ideas, shows, etc.

Latest News

The Creators: Sitting down with Garet Wierdsma

Garet&Co dancers

Jennifer Almquist

On Saturday, March 9, the people of Norfolk, Connecticut, enjoyed a dance performance by northern Connecticut-based Garet&Co, in Battell Chapel, titled INTERIOR, consisting of four pieces: “Forgive Her, Hera,” “Something We Share,” “bodieshatewomen,” and “I kinda wish the apocalypse would just happen already.”

At the sold-out show in the round, the dancers, whose strength, grace and athleticism filled the hall with startling passion, wove their movements within the intimate space to the rhythms of contemporary music. Wierdsma choreographed each piece and curated the music. The track she created for “Something We Share” eerily contained vintage soundtracks from life guidance recordings for the perfect woman of the ‘50s. The effect, with three dancers in satin slips posing before imaginary mirrors, was feminist in its message and left the viewer full of vicarious angst.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kevin McEneaney, voice of The Millbrook Independent

Kevin McEneaney

Judith O’Hara Balfe

On meeting Kevin McEneaney, one is almost immediately aware of three things; he’s reserved, he’s highly intelligent and he has a good sense of humor.

McEneaney is the wit and wisdom behind The Millbrook Independent, a blog that evolved from the print version of that publication. It's a wealth of information about music venues in this part of Dutchess County interspersed with poetry, art reviews, articles on holidays and other items, and a smattering of science.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dealing with invasive species

Sam Schultz, terrestrial invasive species coordinator with PRISM, is holding a tool she calls a “best friend” in the battle against invasives: the hand grubber. She was one of the presenters at the Copake Grange for a talk about invasive species Saturday, March 2.

L. Tomaino

According to Sam Schultz, terrestrial invasive species coordinator with the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), one of the best ways to battle invasive species is with a hand tool called the hand grubber.

In her work in managing invasive species, she refers to it as a “best friend.” Schultz and Colleen Lutz, assistant biologist with the New York Natural Heritage Program, delivered a lecture on invasive species at the Copake Grange Saturday, March 2.

Keep ReadingShow less
Arts Day for young creatives

Fourth graders at Arts Day

Lynn Mellis Worthington

Fourth graders from all of the schools in Region One gathered Wednesday, March 6, at the independent Kent School to expand their artistic horizons.

It was the 28th year that Region One has held Fourth Grade Arts Day, and this year’s event was coordinated by Kent Center School music teacher David Poirier. He quickly pointed out, however, that it was a team effort involving all of the art and music teachers in the region. He also saluted Geoff Stewart of Kent School, chair of the performing arts department and director of the theater.

Keep ReadingShow less