WWFM The Classical Network

Views & Voices
With Rachel Katz

Rachel Katz Views and Voices in a 30-minute public affairs program that invites local and state officials and representatives from regional foundations and organizations to discuss their activities and related issues that are of interest to WWFM listeners. We also bring in guests from Mercer County Community College to talk about the college's program and its role in the larger community.

Past topics:

June 20

MCCC Online Nursing program (Nursing assistant professor Lisa Dunn)
Mercer County Horticulturist Barbara Bromley about the growing gardening trend to save money and be more environmentally aware, including tips for getting started and the Master Gardeners program.

June 13

MCCC Culinary Program's Transfer Agreement with Rutgers University (Doug Fee, Coordinator - Hospitality and Culinology Programs)
Michael Bannon, Bucks County Consumer Protection Director, about how to avoid scams purporting to offer stimulus package funding, and other summertime tips on consumer protection and avoiding identity theft.

June 6

"Through our Eyes" at MCCC's Kelsey Theater (Executive Director Alan Rosen and Director Co-Producer Christopher Heffron)
Anita Hanft, Director of Mission Advancement at HomeFront, which provides housing, education and other services to homeless families with children

May 30

MCCC's "Alternate Path to Teaching" program (Carol Clark, director, Center for Continuing Studies)
Robert Stack, Founder, President and CEO of Community Options, which provides housing and job training for individuals with developmental disabilities.

May 23

MCCC Veterans Services (Paul Scheid, Veterans' Advisor and Certifying Officer)
Dennis Middlemist, author of George Washington's Smallest Army, on his book, the American Revolution and historic preservation.
Barbara Franco, executive director, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, on the proposed vote to close the Visitor Center at Washington Crossing State Park (PA side) amid maintenance and budget concerns.

May 16

MCCC Career Training Institute (Director Bob Estok)
NJ Summer Tourism: Phyllis Oppenheimer, representative, NJ Department of State Division of Travel and Tourism; Adam Perle, vice president, Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Princeton Regional Convention and Visitors' Bureau; Judy Ross, director, Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Vistors' Bureau.

May 9

MCCC Center for Continuing Studies (Carol Clark, director, and Read Langan, Assistant Director)
Meryl Levitz, President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, and David West, Marketing Director of the Bucks County Conference and Visitors' Bureau, about the upcoming summer travel season.

May 2

MCCC's Kelsey Review Literary Journal (Co-editors Ed Carmien and Holly-Katharine Matthews)
Newark Museum Curators Holly Pyne Connor (19th Century American Art) and Christa Clarke (African Art, and Senior Curator of Arts of Africa and the Americas) on the museum's 100th anniversary celebration.

April 25

MCCC's Sustainability Task Force (Task Force Director Amy Iseneker)
James Sciascia, Chief of Information and Education, NJ Department of Environmental Protection's Fish and Wildlife Division, about New Jersey's efforts to promote fishing, and the sport's rising poplurity during the recession.

April 18

MCCC Flight Technology Program (Coordinator Joe Blasenstein)
Nicholas Asselta, Commissioner, NJ Board of Public Utilities, about New Jersey's Clean Energy program and reducing household electricity use.

April 11

MCCC Science Student Outreach (MCCC Associate Chemistry Professor Helen Tanzini)
Laurie Bershad, Chairperson for the Fresh Air Fund for Mercer and Middlesex Counties, about the program that brings children from New York City to the suburbs to enjoy summer fun.

April 4

MCCC's Mercer Dance Ensemble's collaboration with Billboard recording artist Vanessa Daou (Daou and MCCC Theater Instructor Alex DeFazio)
Ellen Brown, Director of the Mercer County Library System, and Bruce Petronio, Head of Reference Services, on the role of libraries in the age of the Internet and Recession

March 28

MCCC's Bonner Leaders Program (MCCC professor Donna Munde)
Dr. Anays Sotolongo, medical director of the UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center (Sleep disorders and developing healthy sleep habits)

March 21
Voices from the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit:

Brian Hughes, Mercer County Executive
Herb Taylor, Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Jerold Zaro, Chief of the New Jersey Governor's Office of Economic Growth
Peter Crowley, President and CEO of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce

March 14

Community Colleges and the Economy (MCCC President Dr. Patricia Donohue on the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit held at the Conference Center at Mercer)
John Gannon, president of the Financial Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation, about identifying and protecting yourself from financial fraud and scams

March 7

MCCC Criminal Justice Degree Program (Prof. Cavit Cooley)
Jim Waltman, executive director of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, about the organization's 60-year history of preserving the waterways and ecosystems of Central New Jersey.

Feb. 28:

MCCC's Mouthworks Comedy Troupe (Kathi Paluscio)
Bonnie Lannom, communications associate of The Seeing Eye, which trains dogs to be guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired, and members of a family currently raising a puppy who will go on to attend the school, about the school's history and what it takes to prepare a dog to take on the task of helping its companion live more independently.

Feb. 21:

Doreen Griffen, MCCC student, and her tribute performance to Rosa Parks
Celine Fortin, associate executive director of The ARC of New Jersey, which is celebrating 60 years of providing support to families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Feb. 14:

MCCC Fundraising Gala Dinner Dance (Dr. Beverly Richardson, MCCC Vice President for Advancement, and Nina Melker, Gala Chair)
Shavar Jeffries, counsel to the NJ Attorney General, on New Jersey's program to provide counseling and mediation for homeowners facing the possibility of foreclosure.

Feb. 7:

ARTS AND THE ECONOMY ROUNDTABLE, Part IV: Wes Brustad, president and CEO of the State Theatre in New Brunswick; Joe Doyle, managing director of Actors' NET of Bucks County; and Anne Marie Miller, executive director of Art Pride New Jersey, continuing their discussion of the recession's impact on theatres; and a conversation with Steve Runk, executive director of the New Jersey Council on the Arts.

Jan. 31

ARTS AND THE ECONOMY ROUNDTABLE, Part III: Wes Brustad, president and CEO of the State Theatre in New Brunswick; Joe Doyle, managing director of Actors' NET of Bucks County; and Anne Marie Miller, executive director of Art Pride New Jersey. A discussion about the pressures and challenges regional theatres are facing because of the recession.

Jan. 24

ARTS AND THE ECONOMY ROUNDTABLE: Peggy Amsterdam, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance; Cynthia Lambert, executive director of the South Jersey Cultural Alliance; and Anne LaBate, chair of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Trenton. A discussion about how arts organizations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are dealing with the weak economy and how some are finding innovative ways to grow and thrive.

Jan. 17

MCCC's Summer Camp Program (Rose Fiorello, director of Youth and Special Programs)
ARTS AND THE ECONOMY ROUNDTABLE SPECIAL: Philip Horn, executive director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, on the effect of the recession on the arts and funding in Pennsylvania.

Jan. 10

MCCC Computer Business Courses (Kristen Callahan, MCCC professor)
Karen Andrade-Mims, executive director, UIH Family Partners, about the 150-year-old Trenton-based organization, its home for teen-age mothers, and its parenting education and support programs

Jan. 3

MCCC's Spanish Language Finance Course (Carol Clark, director of MCCC's Center for Continuing Education)
Rowena Madden, director of the NJ Governor's Office on Volunteerism, and Adrienne Rubin, director of Hands on Helpers of Mercer County, about volunteering opportunities in New Jersey

Dec. 27

Community College Leadership (Mark McCormick, MCCC Dean of Business and Technology)
Renee Drell, Executive Director of Homesharing Inc., an organization that matches people looking for affordable rental housing with homeowners with rooms to share.

Dec. 20

MCCC's agreement with Felician College to allow licensed RN's to complete their Bachelor's Degree on the MCCC Campus (Linda Martin, Dean of Health and Science Professions)
Joel Greenberg, President of consumer credit counseling agency Novadebt, about dealing with debt during the holiday season and getting 2009 off to a fiscally sound start.

December 13

MCCC alumni outreach (Kay Eaton, MCCC director of advancement)
Randall Kirkpatrick, director of development at CASA of Mercer County and Jane Oakley, a CASA volunteer, about the role Court Appointed Special Advocates play in the lives of abused and neglected children whose cases are pending in the court system.

December 6

MCCC's international student program (Savita Bambhrolia, MCCC director of admissions and outreach)
Peter Beckschi and Arnold Karvasarsky, representatives from the Bucks County and Central New Jersey affiliates of SCORE, an organization that offers consulting and advice to small businesses.

November 29

MCCC President Patricia Donohue on the college's "Creating the Future" Open House
Cate Litvack, executive director of Crossroads of the American Revolution, about the designation of much of New Jersey as a National Heritage Area and the group's efforts to preserve historic sites and landmarks and increase awareness of New Jersey's role in the Revolution.

November 22

Nick Donnoli and Sam Kanig, MCCC television and radio students whose documentary about Mercer Street Friends garnered a Telly Award.
Britt Beemer, chairman of marketing firm America's Research Group, about the prospects for the holiday shopping season for both consumers and retailers.

November 15

MCCC's Studio Theater program, with program coordinator Jody Person.
Ayna Agarwal, founder SPOT Globally, which seeks to raise funds and awareness for spay and neutering programs in the U.S. and abroad, and who serves as a member of the Humane Society's Teen Advisory Board.

November 8

MCCC Executive Dean for Student Affairs Diane Campbell, about how the economy is affecting enrollment as more students consider low-cost alternatives to four-year colleges and adults seek out job training programs.
Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, about the 2008 presidential election and the polling industry.

November 1

MCCC Professor Dori Seider, author of "Teach me Something Real," about her teaching experiences that went into writing her book.
Suzanne Hecker, co-ordinator of the Bucks County Medical Reserve Corps, which brings together volunteers from the health professions to improve public health and safety and prepare for emergency situations.

October 25

MCCC's Center for Training and Development - programs for businesses looking to hire/train employees in today's changing economy (Elaine Weinberg, center director)
Dr. Philip Bonaparte, an 'ambassador' for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Power to End Stroke campaign, which seeks to raise awareness in the African-American community about the risk, prevention and detection of stroke.

October 18

2008-2009 exhibits at the Gallery at Mercer County Community College (Tricia Fagan, curator)
Carol Watchler and Terry Coleman of the Machestic Dragons, a breast cancer survivor group whose members find support, recovery and a way to tackle some adventure in life through dragon boat racing.

October 4

REBROADCAST: Excerpts from Aug. 30 interview with Anne Ruach Nicolas, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, about voter registration and other information for voters.
Alex Magoun, executive director of the David Sarnoff Library, about plans to mark the 70th anniversary of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast, and the library's hopes to encourage interest in science and technology through its "Martians for Education" program

September 27

John Cusack, Executive Director of the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability and the first in Mercer County Community College's Distinguished Lecture Series, on the role of universities in promoting sustainability.
Alison Mitchell, Director of Policy of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, about the future of open space preservation as state funding dwindles.

September 20

Dr. Donald "Guy" Generals, vice president of academic affairs at Mercer County Community College.
Joe Seneca, professor at Edgar J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, on the outlook for New Jersey's economy.

September 13

Kelsey Theater's 2008-2009 Season (M. Kitty Getlik, artistic director)
Tim Razzaq, founder and director of Building Open Opportunity Structures Together (BOOST), which seeks to increase community participation in Trenton redevelopment and revitalization programs, and Anastasia Harrison, member of BOOST's speakers bureau).

September 6

Mercer County Community College's "Aspirations" Literary Journal for Mercer County High School Students (Bettina Caluori, editor)
William Lutz, former Rutgers Professor and consultant to the Securities and Exchange Commission on making corporate filings more accessible and available to the public online.