Voters and Viewers

You are going to want to tune into KOCT, Channel 18 next Thursday, May 1^st at 6 pm for a special LIVE Journalist Roundtable.  This will be the last program in our June Primary Series and we’ve saved the best for last.

                                                                               

Two experienced politicians running for the San Diego County Board of Supervisor, 5^th District seat, will discuss the issues, their points-of-view and answer questions from our three journalists.

Incumbent Supervisor Bill Horn and Mayor Jim Wood will be our guests for this one-hour program that is hosted by the former Editor of the North County Times, Kent Davy. He is joined by columnist for the San Diego U-T Logan Jenkins and Alison St. John of KPBS radio and television.

The two candidates previously squared off in a forum at MiraCosta College that was hosted by the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce.  You will be able to watch that program throughout the month of May on KOCT’s community channel 18 AND on Video on Demand via KOCT.ORG.

All candidates for the June primary election are invited to our Journalist Roundtable  program unfortunately incumbent District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis did not participate in our April program however, candidates Bob Brewer and Terri Wyatt did.

In order to help you make an informed decision KOCT  will air all of these June Primary shows extensively on KOCT right up to the June 3^rd Election. If one of your friends express confusion on who to vote for why not help them out and send a Video On Demand LINK to them so they can watch on their iPad, smartphone or computer?? 

The 5^th Supervisor race is starting to heat up judging by some of the campaign material voters are receiving. Next weeks Journalist Roundtable programs will give each of these experienced politicians an opportunity to defend, refute and explain their positions with a little more detail than you can find on a glossy postcard.

Tune In—as our Host Kent Davy says ‘It’s good TV ‘.

ATTEND MINGAFEST

Life is funny the way it zigs and zags and circles around.

I came of age in the counter-culture outgrowth of the 70’s, a surfer who discovered Oceanside because of my search for waves.  It was my love of photography, film making and surfing that eventually found me working for KOCT starting in 1987.  I loved videography and editing but soon found myself, with the passing of KOCT’s founder Bob Bowditch, promoted to the Executive Director of KOCT with its related administration, paperwork and community involvement. 

It was while still having that counter-culture self perception that then City Clerk, Barbara Regal Wayne asked me to join the San Luis Rey Rotary, an offer I turned down as I could not see myself as a Rotarian. However a few years later, (after more community participation and involvement), retired County Supervisor John MacDonald came to my office and asked me to join the Oceanside Rotary. KOCT had a long history with John and his son (stories for another day) and my feeling was I could not turn him down and was honored to join the Oceanside Rotary. It was not long after, due to schedules and circumstances I had to stop attending the Oceanside Rotary but a few months later I was asked by Jodi Coe to join the Wednesday morning San Luis Rey Rotary Club, and who  was there to greet and harass me for not joining their club years earlier?  Yep, retired City Clerk Barbara Wayne.  We now enjoy a weekly good natured verbal sparring match that reminds me of the good friends and colleagues I’ve come to know since becoming a Rotarian.

One such Rotarian was Larry O’Harra—the President of the Oceanside Rotary Club in 2013 who passed away last month. Before Larry died he was instrumental, along with his Club and current President Mike Curtain, in bringing the first MINGAFEST to Oceanside—it will debut on Saturday May 3^rd from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Oceanside Museum of Art in cooperation with MainStreet Oceanside.

What I like about this upcoming event is that it is a fun way to get together with other non-profit organizations ‘for the benefit of all’. There will be food from local restaurants and craft beer too.  Every dollar raised goes directly to supporting organizations like KOCT, the Oceanside Rotary, the OMA and others. (When you sign up on-line there will be a pull-down menu where you can select your favorite charity and $10 of every ticket sale will go to the charity you choose, my hope is you will consider selecting KOCT!!!)

My wife and I are going so we can remember a great man, support Rotary and connect with this community that I have become a part of.  Yea, yea I have become part of the establishment and I am ok with that because tomorrow I am going surfing and the circle will continue…

Click here to order tickets for this unique event: 

http://www.oma-online.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=413:save-the-date-minga-fest-2014&catid=18:current-events&Itemid=180

LIVING LEGACIES

Next time you’re driving on Crouch Street or see the cute little church over by Heritage Park or wonder who Murray Bridge is named after I suggest you watch KOCT’s Living Legacies.   A good example is the Living Legacies featuring Edith Swaim, a local historian, who was once the Director for Heritage Park. In her interview with Host Tom Morrow she discussed an old black and white picture of three people in front of the first Oceanside Post Office and one of the citizens is the Mrs. Crouch from a family influential in the development of our town. Edith also recounts the English colony of settlers who first settled in the valley and who built that little church by Heritage Park, she mentions Reynolds Elementary School which is named after her mother and that her grandfather was the first person buried in the little cemetery at the church in 1896! Another of the Living Legacies you can watch via KOCT’s Video On Demand is with Major General Murray a man who fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and who is credited with halting the progress of the North Koreans at Chosin Reservoir.

Watching Living Legacies is more than being knowledgeable about bridges, local streets, and buildings. You can hear the story of local politicians like the late Treasurer of Oceanside Rosemary Jones, Supervisor John MacDonald or Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin. Famous musicians have also been featured on Tom’s show like the Trombonist for the Glen Miller Band, Paul Tanner as well as author Victor Villasenor and newscaster Jack White.

Because of lack of funding today the program is only produced when Host Tom Morrow is able to convince a local business or viewer to underwrite its production. (KOCT has also applied for numerous grants in order to produce the program.) This loss of Living Legacies productions means we are losing the voices and stories of many influential citizens who have contributed so much, whose story might be invaluable to future historians and no one to recount the past when future citizens wonder as they drive about our city Who? Why?  And When?

I’m grateful Host Tom Morrow has donated so many volunteer hours along with his former Producer Ted Smit; their contribution will also be long remembered. 

"Live" Journalist Roundtable

It is no April's Fool joke that this week begins KOCT’s 2014 Election Season.  For the June 3^rd primary there are two major county offices North County voters will be asked to cast their ballots for:  5^th District Board of Supervisor and the District Attorney seats.  Fortunately KOCT will have special Journalist Roundtable programs featuring candidates for these offices.

This Thursday, April 3^rd from 6pm-7 pm our ‘Live’ Journalist Roundtable will have two of the three candidates running for the District Attorney seat and they are Robert Brewer and Terri Wyatt. Incumbent Bonnie Dumanis was also invited but her campaign manager regretfully declined due to a schedule conflict.

Next month on Thursday, May 1^st our Journalist Roundtable program will feature Mayor Jim Wood and incumbent Bill Horn for a lively program on the race for the 5^th District County Board of Supervisor office.

KOCT will also be airing a forum hosted by the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce & Mira Costa College featuring these two 5^th District Candidates.

KOCT has offered each candidate an opportunity to record a 5-minute Candidates Statement and these segments will also run on KOCT right up to the June 3^rd election. All of our 2014 election programs are available as VOD or Video On Demand via KOCT.ORG so you can review the candidates, their positions and answers prior to going to the polls or filling out your Absentee Ballot.

KOCT is proud of our long tradition of providing local election programming a service more valuable then ever with the loss of the North County Times and limited information about local issues, offices and candidates. We have been providing this service for 30 years and we can continue to do so with your help. Please consider becoming a Friend of KOCT by clicking here: Local Media Matters!

Upcoming Voice of Oceanside

KOCT has been very busy with the production of four Voice of Oceanside programs. Watch for these programs in the coming months on KOCT:

Matthew Tucker, Executive Director

North County Transit District and Host John Bonosoro

Daryl Hebert, Fire Chief

City of Oceanside and Host John Bonosoro

Rosemarie Chora, Water Utility Division Manager,

City of Oceanside and Host John Bonosoro

Frank McCoy, Police Chief,

City of Oceanside

Sophie Crain Receives A Welcome Addition

Sophie Crain, KOCT’s former Administrative Assistant, is the delightful young lady with the French accent who has greeted callers and visitors to KOCT for the past two years (in addition to being our accountant, business administrator, personnel expert as well as performing a thousand other roles and responsibilities!).

She and her husband Joseph, (who just retired from a long and illustrious career in the navy), were delighted when Sophie became pregnant with their first child. The baby Nathanael, was born premature earlier this year and has been under the care and oversight of the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Sophie has lived at the hospital since February to take care of the little one while Joseph has often commuted from the hospital to his new job with North County Health Services whenever he could.

We are so pleased that she will get to bring home little Nathanael this weekend for the very first time. We will miss Sophie but are so pleased that they have a new one in their home and wish them the best in their new lives.  The KOCT Board of Directors can’t wait to meet the little one and congratulate Sophie at an upcoming potluck and welcome home party. 

Today's News

KOCT‘s Carmel Bowers, Volunteer Make-up Artist, passes away…

For the past eight plus years guests and hosts on the Oceanside Spectrum and Journalist Roundtable were prepared for their television appearance by professional make-up artist Carmel Bowers.  Last week we lost this valuable volunteer as did many other non-profits with whom she has shared her time and talent. KOCT’s Promise Yee first met Carmel at a Tri-City Medical Center television production where Carmel was a ‘pink lady’ (a volunteer helping patients). It was not too long later that Carmel offered her incredible make-up skill to KOCT guests and hosts. Recently Carmel confronted a life-threatening medical diagnosis and just last week she reflected on her life with KOCT Board of Director Michelle Bray-Davis who writes:

We had a wonderful, heart-to-heart-chat that afternoon, ride-ranging regarding end of life thoughts, mistakes we had both made along the way, etc.,  but planned for her to be at the Oceanside Public Library Tea in May, among other things she wanted to do.

Over the many years, in the make-up chair at KOCT, and at other social things too, I would like to think that Carmel and I came to be friends.

She was an unusual Lady, with great stories to share, some very sad, some hilarious!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, Carmel was a radiantly, gracious woman who encouraged me to be more than I thought I could be! “I will always be grateful for her confidence in me!”

KOCT is going to produce a brief photo montage of Carmel that will air at the conclusion of Oceanside Spectrum and Journalist Roundtable to remember her valuable contributions to KOCT.

Carmel Bowers 

The Adobes and Ranchos of North County

KOCT’s field camera crew, led by Station Manager Jake Rush, visited one of the oldest Ranchos in all of North County for an interview with Shelley Caron at the historic Marron Adobe. KOCT’s production team of Angela Wong and Addison Wolf were joined by scriptwriter for the series, Lola Sherman. Shelley’s family history is fascinating because it is so intertwined with the history of California.  Her ancestors were instrumental in the creation of Oceanside and her story includes Spanish roots, Mexican land grants and hardy pioneers making a living off the land.  Thanks to the Parker Foundation for funding that has allowed KOCT to produce this series of historical documentaries.

Shelley Caron with Lola Sherman Scriptwriter, Station Manager Jake Rush

and KOCT’s production team of Angela Wong and Addison Wolf

Shelley Caron with Lola Sherman Scriptwriter

The historic Marron Adobe