Advertise on podcast: Cumberland County PA Chatter

Recently diagnosed with "early stage" Parkinson's I, like so many other baby boomers, am still struggling with accepting the diagnosis. And the temptation to allow the disease to "define me" is ever present. Do you know others struggling with Parkinson's? If so have them contact me so that I can share their story and hopefully, by helping them, help myself.

Carlisle PA's 3rd No Kings Rally took place on March 28, 2026. About 1,500 people attended, up over 500 since NKR last October. Karen Dalton, lifelong Republican and lawyer with over 20 years experience working in the PA House of Representatives, is seeking to unseat Scott Perry for the 10th US Congressional District post. Watch this 5-minute clip to see how even long time Republicans are fed up with the present administration.

Today's episode is about Food Not Bombs -- which I'm betting you don't know a lot about. Well I didn't either until I interviewed two FNB volunteers (Ken and Owen) at Cumberland Valley Rising's recent Freedom Friday (weekly) protest on the square in downtown Carlisle PA. I was blown away by the mission and history of the organization -- you will be too.

I bet you've wondered if there were any Republicans willing to speak truth to power. I found one right here in Cumberland County Pennsylvania who is seeking to unseat US Congressman Scott Perry in the 10th Congressional District primary this May. Karen Dalton, at 5'1" is one tough, smart, experienced woman who spent 20 years as a lawyer working in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Republican Caucus. But maybe most of all she has compassion for the residents of the 10th District. Listen to this 49-minute interview and, if you're a registered Democrat or Independent voter, you just might want to change your registration briefly for this May's primary.

Prineville Oregon's "Prepper Up" store opened in 2014. Situated in the high desert of Central Oregon, Prineville is known for rugged individualism, outdoor recreation and conservative politics - a logical spot for the owners. What is a "Prepper?" It's a synonym for "survivalist" that came into common usage during the late 1990s. It's used interchangeably with survivalist much as retreater was in the 1970s. It refers to one who is prepared or making preparations. In popular culture, survivalism has been associated with paramilitary activities. Some survivalists do take active defensive preparations that have military roots and that involve firearms, and this aspect is sometimes emphasized by the mass media. The potential for societal collapse is often cited as motivation for being well-armed. Thus, some non-militaristic survivalists have developed an unintended militaristic image, and the term survivalism has been used to signify unrelated right-wing reactionary paramilitary activities. Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who are actively preparing for emergencies, including possible disruptions in social or political order, on scales from local to international. Survivalists often acquire emergency medical and self-defense training, stockpile food and water, prepare to become self-sufficient, and build structures (e.g., a survival retreat or an underground shelter) that may help them survive a catastrophe. Economic troubles emerging from the credit collapse triggered by the 2007 US subprime mortgage lending crisis and global grain shortages prompted a wider cross-section of the populace to prepare. I produced this 10-minute radio show for Bend Oregon's community radio station, KPOV, in the spring of 2014. It's now November 2025 and, upon learning that the store closed earlier this year , and watching recent political turmoil in the US, I decided it's a good time to revisit this show.

Carlisle PA's No King's Protest on Saturday October 18th, 2025 was a massive demonstration orchestrated by Cumberland Valley Rising (an affiliate of Indivisible). Over 1,400 people (double the amount of the town's first rally in June 2025) peacefully packed the town square and showed their resistance to the Trump administration's authoritarian slide into fascism. Listen to the short interviews with protesters who answered the simple question Why are you here today? Total running time: 16:40

A beautiful Oregon coastal community, Florence Oregon's Indivisible Chapter is actively and consistently protesting the increasingly autocratic and fascist takeover of the U.S. government by the Trump administration. Listen to this 9 minute podcast to hear what members are demonstrating against as they stand on a busy intersection on a Saturday afternoon in August 2025.

President Putin makes a surprise phone call to a US podcaster trying to gauge the growing resistance in the US to President Trump.

Florence Oregon is a south central coastal community of about 9,800 people that swells during the summer months with tourist visits. The existential threat of climate change is on many peoples' minds as the weather gets warmer, more rain falls, and the threat of tsunamis is ever present. So why have city leaders not started any climate change plans? Listen to this 14-minute show and you'll see why climate change activists are frustrated -- but not defeated.

In part 2 we travel into the Ochoco National Forest to view the site of recent wildfires and learn from experts how to prevent and mitigate wildfires in the future. There are lessons to be learned from the science presented in this episode. Now that it's the summer of 2025 -- have we learned anything....?

The west continues to suffer through massive wildfires. Central Oregon is no stranger to the onslaught. Right now, summer 2025, the Cram Fire near Madras is the largest wildfire in the nation. There's a lesson to be learned from the Ochoco Forest Collaborative that was formed back in 2015 in Prineville. This first episode recalls how many local and regional agencies came together to combine their talents and resources to address the persistent problem.

This story from 2014 still resonates across Oregon. Unhoused, homeless populations have only grown as housing and food prices have escalated. And little has been done to help women, men, and families deal with homelessness. In fact the current administration is now suggesting that all homeless people be committed to institutions because they are all criminals living on the streets. This story about Prineville's efforts is a great example about how religious groups, in coordination with cities and counties, can compassionately help people in need. Sadly, Greg Sanders, featured in this story, passed away in 2019 - but his legacy lives on in Prineville.

What was it like to be homeless in Prineville Oregon in 2014? Or anywhere for that matter? This interview will take you into the life of one man experiencing it in Central Oregon. And now, in 2025, the number of homeless people has only increased across all of Oregon. Coming soon: what's it like in the coastal town of Florence Oregon during the summer of 2025?

Given the massive cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), does a miltary career make sense for young men and women in 2025? And what about the attempts to "fire" transgender troops, and not allow women to be in combat roles? Listen to a 39 year-old female veteran who entered at 17 and deployed twice to combat zones.

Today's show is all about the Trump administration's plans to diminish, erase, and demonize the LGBTQ+ community throughout the United States. My guest today is Judy (name changed to protect her from being targeted), a 20-something veteran who lives here in Cumberland County PA with her wife. We talk about the effect that Trump's plans are having both on Judy and the LGBTQ+ community here in south central Pennsylvania. (Note: for those who might be "triggered," there short interludes of both battle/war sounds and crowds yelling.)