Listen to the entire show (30 min)

broadband | dial-up

::: king jake ::: It’s good to be the King. That is if you’re 17-year-old Jake Slater. In less than a year, this Bellaire native has managed to turn his vocal talents and fascination with Elvis Presley into a burgeoning, award-winning career as an Elvis tribute artist. Lou Blouin traveled out to Bellaire to talk with Jake about his love of the King.

::: homeless horses ::: Here's some fallout of the current economic crisis that you may not have thought about. It’s not only people that are affected when times get tough. As household budgets get tighter, money available to feed and house pets is one of the many things getting the squeeze. Animal shelters are filled with unwanted dogs and cats. And for bigger and even more expensive animals like horses, the picture is even bleaker. Teresa Scollon has the story of the recession’s impact on area horses.

::: passage to india ::: Traveling to India for yoga Instruction has been a rite of passage for many serious yoga students. Three local women recently made the voyage this past winter. This past week, Hughthir White sat down T.J. Andrews, Jessica Shary and Lillie Wolff to talk with them about their trip, their impressions, and discoveries.

::: ode to asparagus ::: Spring got off to a few false starts this year, but by now we’re pretty sure there won’t be any more snow for awhile. Which means warm weather, green things popping up all over the place, and the beginning of festival season. This weekend in Leelanau County, Empire is hosting a celebration of the area’s asparagus harvest. There’s a “Kick Ass-paragus” fun run, an asparagus cooking contest, and a parade where all are welcome―as long as you salute asparagus. And then there’s the asparagus poetry contest. Contributor Linnaea Melcarek was planning on entering―until she discovered the contest only goes on every other year, and this is the off year.. But she decided to pen the poem anyway, in hopes of a chance for an impromptu recital while gathered around a bonfire on Lake Michigan. Her poem takes place on the grounds of the greenhouses her family runs, which is surrounded by rolling fields, a small forest, and a buffalo pasture.