KLOI hosts free concert at Lopez Center

KLOI’s 2010 annual meeting opens in style with a free concert by Orcas singer/songwriters Sharon Abreu and Michael Hurwicz on Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Lopez Center.

KLOI’s 2010 annual meeting opens in style with a free concert by Orcas singer/songwriters Sharon Abreu and Michael Hurwicz on Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Lopez Center.

The duo, who combine their own rich harmonies with guitar accompaniment, performed in a fundraising mock radio broadcast five years ago — before KLOI existed as a station.

“Music is a big part of what KLOI offers, from playing the work of local musicians to a wide range of music, old and new,” says Carol Steckler, KLOI’s board chair. “We wanted to offer islands-generated music free to attendees in keeping with the mission and purpose of Lopez Community Radio.”

Abreu and Hurwicz will launch a weekly show, Spiritual Progressives Radio, on KLOI, Sundays at 6 p.m., beginning Oct. 31, and repeating Thursdays at 7 p.m.

A short annual meeting, also at Lopez Center, will follow the concert. This third annual meeting of the station will be the last one chaired by Steckler, who will remain on the board. Ron Metcalf, a board member since the beginning, cycles off the board at this meeting. He will continue his involvement “off board” and with his Ron and Steve Show.

“KLOI’s story is more than technology and the various successful projects, events and programming generated so far,” says Steckler. “It’s the story of people coming together in all of these ways, arguing, then agreeing and ultimately saying yes to a vision of connectedness, commitment and building of community that reflects on itself and the world. Together we are all building a legacy for our children and grandchildren that says what you can dream, you can do.”

Also on the meeting agenda: KLOI will introduce its plan to install a generator donated by the fire district to enable broadcast of bulletins associated with extremely cold weather during power outages this winter, which is predicted by the National Weather Bureau to be the coldest in 50 years. The station will work with Fire Chief Jim Ghiglione and other emergency and school personnel.

The station already has an Emergency Alert System connection required by the FCC, which will broadcast storm warnings from the NWB during regular programming.

KLOI, a low-power community radio station, began broadcasting in April 2008 at 102.9 on the FM dial. Information about programs and other news can be found at kloi.org.

Among the array of local listening possibilities at KLOI are: John Waugh’s My Two Cents, which looks at subjects as diverse as throat singing and DNA; Backyard Conservation, produced by Russell Barsh and Madrona Murphy to help us understand this habitat we live in; Once Upon an Island, Kitchen Table Politics, Lopez Writers Read and Lopez Dreams, all local interview shows. There’s also a wide variety of locally-produced music shows by Sue DuMond, Hawk Arps, Josh and Jen Ratza, Lance Brittain, Laura Greenan and John Garcia, as well as Gary Alexander.