The Human Beat

Astoria’s population has hovered around 10,000 for a very long time. But it grew to 25 thousand during WW II. I wondered where all those thousands of extra people lived so I headed to the Clatsop County Historical Society at the Heritage Museum. I talked with Liisa Penner and Julie Burpee to learn about that,...

Part 2 of Roger Rocka’s conversation with Paul Benoit

Part One of Roger Rocka’s conversation with Paul Benoit

Roger Rocka speaks with Jeff Burright, who is leading development of the Offshore Wind Roadmap.

Through the magic of radio, we take you back to a Sunday evening in 1983 – high atop the Gunderson Building in downtown Astoria – when KMUN began it’s very first broadcast. Then, hear from Paxton Hoag, Doug Sweet, Susie McLerie, Carol Newman and Rebecca Rubens.

Our country is struggling over issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s a struggle that recurs throughout our history. Here’s a look back at a Human Beat interview from 2011, the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Riders.  

We’re talking today with Steve Forrester, former editor and publisher of The Astorian and the former president and CEO of the family company, EO Media Group with its two dozen newspapers and magazines across Oregon and Washington. As of November 1, EO Media Group was sold to the larger Carpenter Media Group, which operates more...

A discussion of the continuing overload at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter with Justin Dersham, Clatsop County Animal Control Supervisor and Lily Tollefsen, Clatsop Animal Assistance.

Astoria Chief of Police Stacy Kelly and Communications Center Manager Jeremy Hipes discuss the years-long effort to fully staff the 911 center, and how its larger staff now includes 2 dogs from the Animal Shelter.

Roger Rocka speaks with North Coast Land Conservancy Executive Director Katie Voelke. 

Roger presents a panel on the Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan revisions.

Roger Rocka speaks with Liisa Penner and Julie Burpee at the Clatsop County Historical Society.  

Part two of a  program about the Habitat Conservation Plan in Oregon State Forests.    

Roger Rocka speaks with Oregon Department of Forestry division Chief Michael Wilson about the State Habitat Conservation Plan. 

Featuring the women managers of KMUN – Lisa Smith, Victoria Stoppiello, Joanne Rideout and Susan Peterson – as they were honored by the American Association of University Women.

Forest Poets Event featuring Reba Owen, Jim Dott, Lauren Mallett, Logan Garner, and Dr. Robert Michael Pyle

Roger Rocka speaks with Ed Johnson

Roger Rocka speaks with Lifeboat Services director Oz Orak.

Roger Rocka speaks with Pastor Bill Van Norstran about Copeland Commons, a project to provide affordable housing in Astoria.

Roger Rocka attends a public meeting for public comment on the issue of Astoria’s Heritage Square. Ed Overbay leads the conversation. 

Roger Rocka interviews staff and volunteers at the Clatsop County Animal Shelter

Roger Rocka speaks with Joseph Stevenson, who in August of 1961, at the age of 18, became a Freedom Rider. The text below was written by Joseph Stevenson in 2021: My name is Joseph Stevenson, I was born in New York City, grew up in California, and lived most of my life in Oregon. When...

Clatsop County's Drug Court

We discuss the Columbia Inn, which is being converted to provide housing for people who are homeless, particularly those especially at risk. We talk about when it will open, what it will be like, how it will be operated and managed, etc. The guests are: Monica Steele, Assistant Clatsop County Manager Viviana Matthews, Executive Director,...

To celebrate Women’s History month in March, the American Association of University Women in Clatsop County held a dinner at the Golden Star Restaurant to “Honor the Honorables.”   Judge Paula Brownhill was the first female judge in Clatsop County. She was later joined by Judge Cindy Matayas and Judge Dawn McIntosh to form the...

A discussion with Carrie Cantrell in Portland and Anna Kaufman in Astoria about clean water, community watersheds and how they are affected by forest practices in Oregon. Carrie and Anna are working with North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection.   They are collecting stories from people in Clatsop and Tillamook counties about personal experiences with...

Roger Rocka interviews with Carl Hendrickson: Sea Level Rise Adaptation Fellow, Ocean/Coastal Services Division, Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development.  

Roger Rocka shares his interview with local historian Carlton Appelo, who passed away in 2019.  

Roger Rocka interviews three local students about their experiences with 4H.

Host Roger Rocka interviews Terri Steenbergen, executive director of The Harbor, which provides help, support and services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking.

Our topic today is the $8 million bond issue on the November ballot to expand and modernize the Astoria Public Library. Our guests are interim library director Suzanne Harold and library board member Sue Stein.

The Clatsop County Circuit Court includes two specialty courts – one for mental health treatment, one for drug addiction.  Both help people to work their way out of a life in the criminal justice system.  It’s a group effort involving probation officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and treatment providers.  Listen in to portions of a drug...

It’s Pledge Drive on KMUN, that short period each summer when we ask for your support for this community driven radio station. We don’t interrupt KMUN programs with commercials and we depend on our listeners to help make ends meet. The Human Beat is one of several public affairs programs on KMUN, where you get a deeper understanding...

To honor Juneteenth I want to revisit a 2020 conversation with four friends about race and justice, and where things stand for people who look like them.  All are black. We’ll hear from Denise Reed, Bereniece Jones-Centeno, Amber Hope Duffy and Charles Withers. Oregon is still mostly white, and I started by asking what it...

This morning we’re talking with a local person who is homeless. This will be the first in what I hope will be a series of discussions to help us better understand the individuals among the human beings we may tend to lump together as, “The Homeless.” I went to Lifeboat Services downtown, which houses both...

Today we’re discussing homelessness – with Teresa Barnes, the Executive Director of the Astoria Warming Center.

Welcome to the Human Beat!  I’m Roger Rocka.   The City of Astoria is engaged in a process intended to provide some affordable housing downtown, in the area bounded by Duane, Exchange, 11th and 12th streets.  Some additional units would be used by Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare to provide housing and treatment for their clients.   The City is engaged in exclusive...

The United States is facing a national blood crisis, brought on by complications from the pandemic. A significant portion of hospital blood needs for patients is not being met.  Doctors are forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who has to wait until more becomes available. The American Red Cross is...

On the north side of Commercial Street in Astoria – between 10th and 11th streets – is a building housing the Beacon Clubhouse and Filling Empty Bellies. The two organizations are filling gaps in the community – meeting vital needs – but they serve and attract homeless people and that has caused concern from some neighbors....

Welcome to the Human Beat!  I’m Roger Rocka. Clatsop Community Action is a non-profit agency that has been providing services to low-income residents of the county for over 30 years.  CCA tries to help people meet their critical needs like shelter and food.  Their clients include people who are homeless. The executive director of Clatsop...