Issues & Ideas
Mondays, 1:00PM - 2:00PM
Issues and Ideas is a show that features a wide variety of people sharing their thoughts and perspectives about local issues, initiatives and events on the Central Coast. You might hear a policy maker discussing new regulation, an artist sharing their creative process, an entrepreneur exploring sustainable business practices, or an author talking about her latest book.
Our regular segments include: "Wine Country" with wine journalist and author Mira Honeycutt; literary conversations on "Bookwaves" with former librarian Brian Reynolds; "Playing With Food" with culinary enthusiast Fr. Ian Delinger; stories of Central Coast downtowns on "Talking Downtown" with Carol Tangeman; Dr. Consuelo Meux's "The Nonprofit Story" that covers the work nonprofits are doing on the Central Coast; and "Standing-in-Courage: Stories of Social Justice and Resilience," with Rosie Bultman.
The show also carries occasional episodes from "Journeys of Discovery" by KCBX travel correspondent Tom Wilmer; features from the KCBX Newsroom, from KCSB, the student-run radio station at UC Santa Barbara, and from The California Report; along with interviews by other occasional contributors from our Central Coast community.
Latest Episodes
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Tom Wilmer explores where you can find some of the best food, hotels and wine are located on the Central Coast. -
Wine Country's Mira Honeycutt explores the fascinating world of chillable reds. Then Celeste Geary's guests from the Cal Poly Cat Program share unexpected insights about cat adoption and finding a good, furry match. Lastly, we'll revisit a favorite conversation from January 2025 when San Luis Obispo County Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols interviewed California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick.
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We start this episode with The Nonprofit Story with Dr. Consuelo Meux, where she speaks with Garry Peterson from the nonprofit Shower the People about the impact that showers have on the lives of the homeless community on the Central Coast. Then, for Wine Country, journalist and author Mira Honeycutt talks to James and Manoli Boutzoukas of Boutz Cellars about Greek wines and the importance of heritage. And, last, we have KCSB News Director Rosie Bultman speaking with Carolyn Krueger from the Central Coast Anti-War Coalition about a weekly picket calling on people to boycott Chevron in San Luis Obispo.
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For Playing with Food, KCBX's Fr. Ian Delinger travels to southern San Luis Obispo County to talk to algae farmers and find out how one particular algae—Spirulina—is made, and why it is considered a complete health food. Then, KCBX's Meher Ali is in conversation with poet and activist Dian Sousa about poetry, the necessity of work, her immigrant parents and their love of the sea, on The Lonely Goat Cafe. Last, reporter Benjamin Purper walks with Brook Monroe, musician and winemaker, in the vineyard that he manages on the Central Coast, where the latter shows him how he incorporates winemaking into his compositions. Purper's story has been sourced from KQED's The California Report.
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For Bookwaves, Brian Reynolds speaks with local author and musician Kevin Carver, about his debut fantasy novel “The Forbidden Parallel“ that he has released alongside an album of the same name. Also, for The Nonprofit Story, Dr. Consuelo Meux talks with Candace Galli, Executive Director of the Cancer Support Community, about the reason why her nonprofit prioritizes mental health support for cancer patients. And, Gianna Patchen, the Sierra Club’s Santa Lucia chapter coordinator in San Luis Obispo County, shares the story of how the organization supported the designation campaign for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, with KCBX's Meher Ali.
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Every summer in venues throughout San Luis Obispo County, Festival Mozaic presents chamber music, orchestral music, and some non-classical genres such as folk, bluegrass, world music and more. The festival presents free community concerts, ticketed concerts, educational opportunities, and even a children's concert. Listen as Marisa Waddell talks with Festival Mozaic Music Director Scott Yoo about what to expect for his 20th year with the festival. Then hear all about the Cuban mambo band Festival Mozaic is bringing to the Fremont Theater in SLO. KCBX Latin music DJ David Figueroa chats with one of the founders of Orquesta Akokán.
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Rosie Bultman, News Director at KCSB, UC Santa Barbara's student-run radio station, joins us with a brand new segment called "Standing-in-Courage." She speaks about the No Kings protests with her first guest, Linda Baker, organizer for the protests in San Luis Obispo County. For Wine Country, host Mira Honeycutt talks to Sherrie Holzer, winemaker of Rava Wines in Paso Robles, about how sparkling wine is made. And then, Meagan Friberg, Director of the Cuesta College Central Coast Writers' Conference, talks with Meher Ali about this year's lineup.
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We start with Carol Tangeman’s new segment, “Talking Downtown”, where she brings us stories from downtowns across the Central Coast. This one is sourced from KCSB, where reporter Lisa Osborn speaks with author and historian Betsy J. Green about an earthquake that hit Santa Barbara exactly a hundred years ago and destroyed its downtown. This led to a decision: to rebuild downtown Santa Barbara in the Spanish style. Next, KCBX's Fr. Ian speaks with local businesses about the impact of tariffs on the food and drinks industries on the Central Coast. Last, KCBX's Meher Ali has a new segment called The Lonely Goat Cafe, and it explores immigrant life from a mental health perspective, specifically looking at the idea of loneliness: how people experience it, and how they use art, music, films, and literature, to move through it. For it, she speaks with poet and Cal Poly professor MT Vallarta about the trauma of migration and poetry.
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Dr. Consuelo Meux speaks with Kayla Rutland, Executive Director, and Kate DiTrani, Program Manager, of City Farm SLO about its youth education programs and regenerative farming for the Nonprofit Story. Then, KCSB reporter Lisa Osborn's interview with Simone Ruskamp, co-founder of Santa Barbara's Juneteenth celebration about her efforts to get it started in the county. Last, KCBX's Meher Ali talks with Thomas Kessler, Executive Director, and Brittany Webb, Collections Manager, of the History Center of San Luis Obispo County, about the impact that recent budget cuts will have on the nonprofit's operations, and especially the 120,000 artifacts that make up its collection.
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KCBX's Meher Ali speaks with Carlen Eckford, founder of the Rancho Burro Donkey Sanctuary and it's medical director as well as volunteer Barn Manager Nancy DeRuchie about how the nonprofit rehabilitates of donkeys and the misconceptions surrounding the behavior and care of these animals. Then, Kathleen Heil, President of Art Center Morro Bay, talks with KCBX’s Newsroom Intern Myrna Waddle about the arts nonprofit and their upcoming Art in the Park event. Then, Linnea Valdivia, Program Coordinator at the Gala Pride and Diversity Center, talks to KCBX's Meher Ali about Pride Month and the challenges facing the LGBTQ community on the Central Coast. Lastly, KCSB reporter Devon Szalva interviews retired Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Global Studies, Mark Juergensmeyer about the history of India-Pakistan relations, and the global significance of the recent four-day military conflict.