Davisville, May 1, 2023: Watermelon Music asks for help, gets a big response

Mon, 05/01/2023 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan

To get his Davis business Watermelon Music through the dislocations caused by the pandemic, Jeff Simons took on debt, delayed payments, tried new ideas — and three years in, the numbers weren’t working in his favor.

So in April he opened a GoFundMe account to ask his customers and friends for $104,000 to pay the debt. He didn’t think he’d get anywhere close to that amount. Instead, as word spread quickly that Watermelon needed help, the business experienced a moment like the end of It’s a Wonderful Life. About 900 donors chipped in sums from $6 to $10,000, testifying to Watermelon’s positive presence in Davis and the many people who appreciate the store.

Jeff is our guest on Davisville today to talk about the response, working through the pandemic, changes at Watermelon, music, operating in Davis, and what convinced him to actually send his request for help, not just think about it.

David Breaux, RIP. He was known in Davis for his persistent, public focus on compassion

Fri, 04/28/2023 - 12:02pm | kdrtradio

Update:  Link here to a Davis Enterprise article with photos documenting the vigil Sunday evening April 30, organized by the Davis Phoenix Coalition. 

We as a community continue to process the extremely sad news of David Breaux's death. His devotion to compassion inspired the creation of the Compassion Corner Earthbench at 3rd and C streets downtown, which is a local landmark to many. David was slain in Central Park on Thursday just a day before the 10th anniversary of the "community work party" that constructed the Earthbench. The Davis Enterprise is reporting the story, which it has already updated several times.

Thousands of people talked with David, mostly as he stood at 3rd and C for several years in all weather, but also for newspaper articles or broadcast programs. He appeared twice on Davisville, KDRT's longstanding public affairs program, in June 2010 and again for a follow-up discussion in December 2013, in which he explained what brought him to Davis, why he stood at 3rd and C, his deep commitment to compassion, and what he wanted to achieve. By 2013, his vigil had grown into a much larger effort.

Implosion, April 26, 2023: We end April with some rare tunes

Thu, 04/27/2023 - 10:23am | kdrtradio

We've got rare tunes on the latest Implosion with Nick Saloman, including songs from The Moontrekkers, Electric Sandwich, Paul Jones, The Busters, and more.

But these tunes'll be a little less rare for you if you tune in to this week's show.

(The photo is screen shot from a YouTube video of The Moontrekkers' "Night of the Vampire")

Meraki Radio, April 25, 2023: Evelyn Dahl, 102-year-old WW II veteran, shares her story

Tue, 04/25/2023 - 12:30pm | Alison B

On this episode of Meraki Radio, Evelyn Dahl of Woodland joins us for a show with Michael Gangitano. Evelyn, 102, is a World War 2 veteran from the Midwest who ended up in Woodland after her service. Tune in to learn more about her military experience in the war, and other perspectives.

This should be lively: Celtic Songlines host brings Paddy on the Binge to Woodland ceilidh this Friday

Mon, 04/24/2023 - 1:37pm | kdrtradio

A ceilidh is a Scottish or Irish social gathering, and a great one is coming up this Friday, April 28, with Paddy on the Binge at Morgan's Mill in Woodland, from 6 to 9 p.m.

This show is organized by David Reynolds, host of KDRT's weekly Celtic Songlines.

Imagining Yolo Davis, April 21, 2023: The Bike Campaign with Maria Contreras Tebbutt

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 6:10pm | Pieter Pastoor

Maria Contreras Tebbutt, founder and director of The Bike Campaign, joins us this week to share her vision of a future with more bikes than cars. The nonprofit's mission is to "reduce car trips to school and workplaces while increasing biking joy and safety."

The Bike Campaign, along with its counterpart, The Bike Garage, says it "was founded in 2011 to help educate people about bicycling and to encourage more people to ride their bikes. We work closely with city governments, county health departments, school districts, and community service groups."

Imagining Yolo Davis playlist for 04/21/2023
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