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A DECADE of MORNINGS Part 2 by Monte Belmonte

A DECADE of MORNINGS Part 1 by Monte Belmonte

This week I announced that I would be stepping down as morning host at 93.9 The River and the bulk of this final podcast will be me and the listeners reflecting on the end of 17 years of waking up together. Plus some of the same shenanigans I’m usually up to on this podcast. Like drinking wine. Talking to a Congressman. Word nerding and astronomy. But I say to you podcast listeners what I say to my listeners on the air, thank you for spending time with me. It’s been an honor. This is the final week of mornings.

First off, thank you for helping us raise $509,034 for the Food Bank of Western Mass, with donations still rolling in. Congressman McGovern on how he feels after Marching and on the Democrats new leadership in The House An early abolitionist with ties to Northampton who you’ve likely never heard of, apart from her Thanksgiving song. Merriam-Webster’s Word of The Year and some of the runners up. If the Food Bank March didn’t show you how generous a community we are, wait until you hear about The Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage. Port wines for the holidays and more.

The March for The Food Bank XIII draws nigh. We’ll hear all about how hunger impacts our area. Exactly how the Food Bank helps organizations like our survival centers. How hunger impacts veterans. Where health care and hunger meet. And changing the policies around hunger. Plus Congressman Jim McGovern-the OUTGOING chair of The Rules Committee-who will go with us the whole 43 miles of the March. And a couple of non-March related things too. Like words. And wine. And the moon.

Congressman McGovern on the red ripple and on how the death of his party has been greatly exaggerated. The Doctor of Rock, Steve Waksman, on his new book The History of Life Music in America-From Jenny Lind to Beyoncé. We know who Beyoncé is. Who is Jenny Lind and why is she important to Northampton? The kids from Wildwood Elementary providing us with an FAQ on the March for the Food Bank. When to call in the cavalry vs when to call in the calvary with the Word Nerd. Mr. Universe on climate change and Brian Eno. Wines for Thanksgiving and more.

Congressman McGovern on the midterm elections. Is this Democracy’s last chance in the US? MA Ballot Question 4-The Work and Family Mobility Act. A Roundtable look at why so many people, people who usually can’t agree on anything, agree on this. The sounds of Mars with Mr. Universe. Dog restaurants with Dr. Steve. How to pronounce words like pronunciation with Emily Brewster from Merriam Webster. Halloween shenanigans and Pinot Noir with The Wine Snobs and more.

Congressman McGovern on whether or not the Democrats have thrown in the towel for the midterms. Question 4 on the MA Ballot and why it is important for our immigrant neighbors and our farmers. Women supporting women entrepreneurs in Northampton through The Resilient Project. Women helping mothers who are artists with the MICA festival. Oat milk and omakase with the Word Nerd. And heading back into Rose season with the Wine Snobs.

Maria from Sesame Street. She’s coming to OUR neighborhood this weekend. A spooky Halloweeny boat ride on an underground river that runs just under the city of Hartford. The most controversial food word Merriam-Webster has ever put in the dictionary with the Word Nerd, who also offers color commentary with me on the radio of an adult spelling bee. And guess what? That color is blue. Three Sicilian reds with the Wine Snobs.

One man’s obsession with Star Wars has led to a one-man show where he performs all of the first three Star Wars movies in an hour. I’ll talk to that one man, Charles Ross. One man’s book of poetry was picked up from a used book bin by Sheryl Crow, and she used his poem to write one of her biggest hits. I’ll also talk to THAT one man, Wyn Cooper. Plus, we’ll hear about why Saturn’s rings are so incredible, new words in the dictionary and Italy’s grape with a thousand names.

More from the White House Conference on Hunger Nutrition and Health including Congressman McGovern’s post-conference thoughts, what the Beacon Hill delegation is doing to combat hunger in Massachusetts and why Chef Jose Andres was unimpressed. Plus I met a chef to the astronauts? ALIENS! Did 60 schoolchildren in Zimbabwe see aliens in September 1994? Western Mass filmmakers have made a documentary about this Ariel Phenomenon.

I’ll take you to the White House Conference on Hunger Health and Nutrition. We’ll hear excerpts from the President’s speech and his plan to end hunger in the US by 2030. And yes, a little about the gaffe. I’ll take you to the immersive world of Deus Ex Machina. And we’ll hear about the spacecraft NASA just smashed into an asteroid on purpose

Gearing up for the White House Conference on Food Nutrition Health and Hunger with Congressman Jim McGovern. Getting to know the Puritan Tiger Beetle of Rainbow Beach, Northampton. The science of belly-button cheese with the folks behind the Tumble Science Podcast for Kids. And the dumb phone of the metaverse.

Guess who’s going to the White House Conference on Food Nutrition Health and Hunger? We’ll talk with Congressman Jim McGovern about his long hoped for and worked for conference, just two weeks away. More of Merriam-Webster’s new words. Two new ones from television. I’ll take you to the movies with a movie tribute in a corn maze and with the editor of Children of The Corn. And Back To The Future.

Has the Trump-effect taken hold of Charlie Baker’s Republican Part in Massachusetts? Thoughts post-primary from Congressman Jim McGovern. Let’s yeet the janky cringe sus! Now a real sentence thanks to the new words just added to Merriam-Webster. Our Word Nerd has more. Chef Nef and I eat our way through Holyoke, this time Colombian food. Western Mass is finally taking a moment to grieve our loved ones lost to COVID. We’ll hear about the memorial happening in Goshen. LOTS of shellfish and wine.

Two Juilliard students are trying to break the mold of music instruction and have formed an anti-conservatory, a libretory if you will, on a hill in Gill. Well hear from Congressman McGovern, who has a date for his White House hunger conference and a party that is gaining some momentum. How the drought has been affecting local farmers and the local agency here to help. Borrowing accents for English with the Word Nerd. And protecting Greenfield’s drinking water with the Source to Sea Cleanup.

Rock Goddess June Millington, and her partner Ann Hackler from the Institute for Musical Arts on how they are creating a rock goddess pantheon. Mr. Universe will prepare us for phase one of the female mission to the moon with the launch of Artemis I. What do Bjork and Motorhead have in common? Diacritics. We’ll hear all about from Emily Brewster, resident wordster, from Merriam-Webster. Resurrecting an extinct tiger, Jurassic Park style, and why it might not be such a scary idea. Delicious and cheap Portuguese wine and

Bonnie Prince Billy aka Will Oldham on acting in the most famous made for TV movie of my childhood and on coaching Johnny Cash. SEX! With local sex therapist and now published author Yanna Tallon-Hicks. Her new book is Hot & Unbothered. Arm-wrestling for abortion access. This etymology of the marshmallow and more.

How Medeski and Martin of Medeski, Martin and Wood are teaming up with Algonquin singers and an electric guitarist and our areas greatest taco chef to create a viable future. Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan. Good idea or bad idea? We’ll hear what one of her top dogs in the House, Congressman Jim McGovern has to say. Commemorating the anniversary of the El Paso massacre with National Book Award winning poet Martín Espada. A kids cookbook author with the name Cook. Destiny. The little-known etymology of the word “ketchup” with the Word Nerd. Some esoteric white wines with the Wine Snobs.

A post-apocalyptic Northampton? Rival landscaping companies MURDERING each other in Easthampton? I’ll introduce you to the imagination of local hero author Tom Pappalardo. How Joe Manchin is giving Congressman Jim McGovern whiplash. And The Congressman’s new drag name! Celebrating Joni Mitchell’s historic musical comeback. Taking a look at the first ever unionized Trader Joe’s, right here in Hadley. Taking theater back to the land in an attempt to bring the land back. The final performance in the 30 plus year history of the Ko Festival of Performance. Plus rum.