Kitchen Table Conversations with Dr. Alan Donovan: WUOW radio: Kitchen Table Conversations

The Story of Kitchen Table Conversations

The SUNY College at Oneonta founded a FM, NPR affiliated radio station in 2007 -- WUOW .  SUNY Oneonta began planning WUOW after the regional floods of 2006 with the primary goal of developing a community radio station with emergency broadcast capabilities. Carol Blazina, then Vice President of Community Relations at the college, ably aided by Gary Wickham and Brian Levis, was responsible for seeing to it that WUOW even existed.  Senator James Seward lent his usual generous support to such endeavors by way of a $50,000 legislative grant. Gary and Brian were joined by Rebecca Hoey, and then, on a part time basis, by city historian Mark Simonson. Other local radio pros such as Mark Drnek, Doug Decker and the late Terry Doyle also lent their time and expertise.

The station aimed at offering a variety of programming, including interviews with local individuals of note and interest. One such program is “Kitchen Table Conversations” (KTC), hosted by Alan Donovan, former college president, and produced by Mark Simonson. (Brian Levis was the producer from June – December, 2011.)  KTC was a live segment of the Sunday Review, hosted by Gary Wickham. The actual title of KTC was the suggestion of Brian Levis. During the duration of the program, the host of KTC  volunteered his services.

Along with a live broadcast, the purpose of the program has been to create an oral archive of those interviewed, which to date have numbered over 100, with over 100 hours recorded. Not strictly speaking oral histories, the notion was to capture individuals telling their own stories, recording their personal, professional and community accomplishments -- with the personalization of their own voices. Interviewees have included business and political leaders, medical professionals, artists, educators, and other individuals of interest both from Otsego and Delaware Counties. Several of the programs, including Memories of the Railroad and Broad Street were recorded at the Greater Oneonta Historical Society (GOHS), thanks to the sponsorship of Bob Brzozowski, GOHS Executive Director. All these interviews should be of interest to those living in this area for years to come: they capture the sense of an individual’s life in a way which vitally preserves his/her experiences and contributions.

WUOW was officially closed in early May, 2013. But thanks again to the sponsorship of the Milne Library, Nancy Cannon, Andy Perry, Lyndsie Robinson, and GOHS, all the KTC recordings will continue to be available. What follows is an index to the interviews. The interviewees/programs are listed alphabetically with the initial date of each broadcast. The length of each segment varies: in most cases the interviews last two-three segments.

Interviewee(s)                                                                Beginning Date of  Interview

Airport Memories - David Brenner, Dennis Finn        October 17, 2016 (1 Segment)

Albrecht, Cheri                                                              June 28, 2009 (2 Segments)

Avanzato, Antonio                                                         April 25, 2010 (2 Segments)

Babcock, Betsy and Brian                                            September 2, 2012 (3 Segments)

Baldwin, Ken                                                                  February 3, 2013 (3 Segments)

Barberio, Nick                                                                August 17, 2017 (1 Segment)

Barnes, Bob                                                                    May 10, 2009 (2 Segments)

Beal, Jack                                                                        March 6, 2011 (2 Segments)

Beekman Boys                                                                January 8, 2012 (3 Segments)

Brenner, David                                                                September 14, 2008 (2 segments)

Broad Street Memories                                                  November 28, 2010 (2 Segments)

Brockway, Rick                                                               October 18, 2009 (2 Segments)

Brooks Family                                                                 August 31, 2008 (2 Segments)

Brown, George                                                                March 14, 2010 (3 Segments)

Bob Brzozowski                                                              November 2, 2018  (1 segment)

Campbell, Joe                                                                 May 24, 2009 (2 Segments)

Casale, Tony                                                                    February 20, 2011 (2 Segments)

Civilian Conservation Corps Memories                       May 23, 2010 (2 Segments)

Clay, Carleton                                                                 April 24, 2011 (4 Segments)

Colone, Albert                                                                 April 5, 2009  ( 2 Segments)

Dailey, Denise                                                                  July 15, 2012 (4 Segments)

Davis, Bill                                                                          May 9, 2010 (2 Segments)

Diehl, Leslie                                                                      August 15, 2010 ( 2 Segments)

Donovan, Alan                                                                 August 1, 2019 (1 Segment)

Doyle, Elena                                                                     October 4, 2009 (2 Segments)

Drogen, Arnie                                                                   July 11, 2010 (3 Segments)

Drago, Tony                                                                      January 15, 2009 (3 Segments)                                                                                           

Electric Lake Memories                                                   July 3, 2011 (1 Segment)

Fleisher, Jay                                                                     January 3 & 11, 2019 (2 Segments)

Foti, Tom                                                                           January 24, 2010 (2 Segments)

Freckleton, Sondra                                                           March 20, 2011 (1 Segment)

Greater Oneonta Historical Society                                June 25, 2017 (1 Segment)

Grummons, Lester                                                           February 19, 2012 (4 Segments)

Harlem, Robert Sr.                                                           August 23, 2009 (2 Segments)

Harman, Bill                                                                      September 19, 2010 (3 Segments)

Hicken, Fred                                                                     October 16, 2019 (1 Segment)

Homer Folks TB Hospital                                                September 2013 (3 Segments)

Huntington Library                                                          November 14, 2018 (1 Segment)

Iverson, Jack                                                                    January 23, 2011 (1 Segment)

Iverson, Joan                                                                   January 9, 2011 (2 Segments)

Johnson, Robert                                                              November 14, 2010 (2 Segments); November 6, 2011 (3 Segments)

Johnson, Tim                                                                   April 2, 2011 (1 Segment)

Joseph, Stephen                                                             October 9, 2011 (4 Segments)

Kevlin, Jim                                                                       August 21, 2011 (3 Segments)

Kinchloe, John                                                                 November 6, 2011 (3 Segments)

Kjarval, Ulla                                                                      July, 10, 2011 (2 Segments)

Kotz, Jack                                                                         November 27, 2011 (3 Segments)

Kuzminski, Adrian                                                           April 29, 2012 (4 Segments)

Lambros, Nick                                                                  March 8, 2009 (2 Segments)

Larkin, Daniel                                                                    May 26, 2015

Levine, Sid                                                                         June 26, 2010 (2 Segments)

Levis, Brian and Pat                                                         November 6, 2011 (3 Segments)

Lunn, Will                                                                           June 19, 2011 (2 Segments)

Macdougall,  Hugh                                                            February 21, 2010 (3 Segments)

Macris, Peter                                                                      September 28, 2008 (2 Segments)

Maier, Dillon                                                                       August 27, 2012 (3 Segments)

Malhotra, Ashok                                                                June 7, 2009 (3 Segments)

Marner, Gene and Carole Satrina                                    July 12, 2009 (2 Segments)

Matthews, Harry Bradshaw                                               April 10, 2011 (2 Segments)

McCoy, John                                                                       September 23, 2012 (4 Segments)

McGough, Mark                                                                   May 27, 2012 (3 Segments)

McReynolds, Erna Morgan                                                 August 24, 2018 (2 Segments)

Mongillo, Tony                                                                     November 1, 2009 (4 Segments)

Morgan, Tom                                                                         March 22, 2009 (2 Segments)

Moyer, Bob                                                                            November 29, 2009 (2 Segments)

Mullen, Jim                                                                            September 20, 2009 (2 Segments)

Muller, Kim                                                                            April 4, 2010 (3 Segments)

Mullett, Marian                                                                       October 19, 2008 (2 Segments)

Mukai, Greg                                                                            December 28^th, 2008( 2  Segments – Jan 4^th -2009)

Music in Oneonta - Patrice Macaluso, Molly Swain and Peg Twasutyn       June 25, 2017 (1 Segment)

Muther, Susan, Reed, Hazen –Breedworks                          January 29, 2012 (3 Segments)

Nader, Sam                                                                               August 3, 2008 (4 Segments)

Neighborhood Stores - (Tony Drago, Wayne Wright,

Bob Wood Jr., Bruce Van Buren

Liz Morley and Patrice Macaluso)                                           October 29, 2017 (1 Segment)

Oneonta Theatre                                                                       July 14, 2019 (1 Segment)

Ostapeck, Lady                                                                         November 2, 2008 (1 Segment)

Packard, Stacy                                                                          May 2, 2018 (1 Segment)

Parish, Milly                                                                               February 4, 2015 (1 Segment)

Pie in the Sky – Jamie Potter/Janet Powers                           July 24, 2011 (2 Segments)

Pirone, Bud                                                                                June 6, 2010 (3 Segments)

Potter, Jamie                                                                              July 24, 2011 (2 Segments)

Powers, Janet                                                                            July 24, 2011 (2 Segments)

Railroad Memories                                                                    April 19, 2009 (3 Segments

Ranieri, Michael                                                                         September 6, 2009 (2 Segments)

Rathbone, Tome                                                                        July 17, 2018 (1 Segment)

Rees, Helen                                                                                November 9, 2008 (2 Segments)

Remillard, John                                                                         November 23, 2015 (1 Segment)

Roberts, Gordy                                                                          December 7, 2008 (1 Segment)

Robinson, Rob                                                                           January 30, 2011 (3 Segments)

Rogers, Bertha                                                                          June 17, 2012 (4 Segments)

Ross, Mary-Anne                                                                      January 3, 2010 ((3 Segments)

Rotary Memories                                                                      August 7, 2011 (2 Segments)

Ryan, Mary                                                                                December 14, 2008 (2 Segments)

Scarzafava, John                                                                      October 10, 2010 (3 Segments)

Schneider, Chuck                                                                     December 13, 2009 (2 Segments)

Simonson, Mark                                                                       December 9, 2012 (4 Segments); March 21, 2015 (Lost Oneonta)

Siegfried, Alice                                                                         February 7, 2010 (2 Segments)

Smith, Geoff                                                                              February 22, 2009 (2 Segments)                                                                    

Slatin, Harvey                                                                            August 29, 2010 (3 Segments)

Sorin, Gretchen                                                                         March 25, 2012 (5 Segments)

Stalter, Kenneth                                                                         February 8, 2009 (2 Segments)

Stevens, John                                                                            October 12, 2008 (1 Segment)

Streck, Bill                                                                                  October 31, 2010 (2 Segments)

Sullivan, Roger                                                                           November 14, 2018 (1Segment)

Sweet Adelines                                                                           December 12, 2010 (2 Segments)

Torosyan, Gayane and Hovhannes                                           August 23, 2018 (1 Segment)

Trelease, Tom                                                                              August 1, 2010 ( 2 Segments)

Vasquez, Arturo                                                                          May 22, 2011 (2 Segments)

Wharton, Clifford                                                                       July 26, 2009 (3 Segments)

Wharton, Dolores                                                                       August 16, 2009 (1 Segment)

Wickham, Gary                                                                           May 9, 2013 (1 Segment)

Woodstock Reunion – R. Johnson, J. Kinchloe, B. & P. Levis    November 6, 2011 (3 Segments)

Yancey, Virginia                                                                         September 18, 2011 (3 Segments)

Zagata, Mike                                                                               December 16, 2016 (1 Segment); January 20, 2017 (2 Segments)

Zeh, Bobby                                                                                 June 5, 2011 (2 Segments)

Farewell – Alan Donovan, Gary Wickham                               May 9, 2013