Persephone Rose is the Director of Redwood Voice. Her roles involve directing, producing, and reporting for Redwood Voice, as well as their operation on KFUG Community News. Leading the next iteration of this ever-changing multimedia project, her job is to figure out how to establish a direct flow of news to the community from youth reporters often still in training, learning hands-on skills in the heat of the moment.
“It’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as empires that last forever,” one protester, Ryan, declared before an assembled crowd.
Over 30 people by my count gathered at the Arcata Plaza on Oct. 4th at around 4:30 PM. They stood around one protester holding a Palestinian flag and two others carrying a large banner, reading: “Boycott Sabra Genocide Hummus.” Stragglers made their way from every side of the Plaza and a small marching band began to set up with instruments. Two protesters brought their own drums, another hand bells, to join in the making of noise.
Ryan — addressing the crowd with no bullhorn nor microphone, and who would later describe himself as “not some kind of grand leader, [just] some guy that felt strongly that this should happen,” — continued to address the growing crowd. “It’s a time where many of us feel powerless with the intensified Israeli assault on Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. But it’s important to remember that we can look back into our history, and we can look at tactics that have historically worked.”
August 11th, 2024: Redwood Voice Reporter Persephone Rose attended an “Art Market Concert & Series” on the Arcata Plaza. Though this was a weekly event, only this day had a particularly remarkable performance.
Michelle Koho Miller – or, DJ RunDat for those in the know – brought 5 of her student DJs to the plaza to demonstrate their skills for all of the market and lucky bystanders to behold. Here’s how it went!
For more information on DJ RunDat Productions, check out these links:
On January 21st, 2024, the workers of Planned Parenthood Northern California announced the formation of their union, PPNorCal United, in partnership with SEIU 1021. Redwood Voice Director Persephone Rose talks with Organizing Committee Member Syd Long about the entire ordeal—what led to unionizing, demands, upper management reception, where things stand with negotiations, and the story so far. A special thanks to Syd Long for making this video possible!
Redwood Voice Youth Ghost Hunting & Parapsychology, the most logical use of our time and resources, takes its first steps into the abandoned Elk Valley Casino. (Not to be confused with the not-abandoned Elk Valley Casino.)
The case is obscure, reports are wild—chainsaw-wielding maniacs, undead, bones, and a strange spirit with a golden face who embodies the ghost of avarice and bad decisions. Will the team uncover the mysteries deep within the bowels of the casino? Or will they… not do that?
Produced by Persephone Rose. Pictured center is Geneva Wiki of the California Endowment
Something special happened right here in the heart of Del Norte. From the office of True North to the Howland Hill Outdoor School and back to the Cultural Center, a team of California Endowment senior program managers met with numerous members of our community. After a tourism and economic development collaboration and a day of viewing the county they’ve never seen, what does this gathering of minds have in store for Del Norte?
Redwood Voice Community News – October 6th, 2022 – Complete Audio
OCTOBER 6th, 2022—For Redwood Voice Community News from Redwood Voice Youth Media, today’s news: Herzog can’t be bothered to ask questions; Arcata PD has dealt with the threat at Arcata High; and our homeless population across the state grows substantially. All this and our regular segments from the Pacifica Radio Network and National Native News.
Redwood Voice Community News airs every weekday at noon, with a rebroadcast at 5pm. You can listen anywhere in Del Norte County on 101.1 FM, or worldwide streaming on kfugradio.org!
The Redwood Voice crew was pleased to cover a spectacularly unique performance from a local art adventure group, “DiRT & GLiTTER.” Directors, Producers, and Performers Lauren Godla & Madeline Lawder invited artists from all over—as near as the Bay and as far as Vancouver, Canada—for a comedy, dance, and music show… to be attended by kayak!
We were pleased to receive an invitation out of the office and into a pleasant sunny day by the beautiful Smith River, in which an armada of kayaking spectators made their way between classical musical echoed from the rocks, a ukulele-ing comedian, a dance on an isle in the river, a comedian sitting communally with a squad of squeaking rafts, and, to top it off, Lauren and Madeline with their “Two Suns” suspended dance performance! (We originally covered the Behind the Scenes of this dance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwF7asannr4)
—Credits—
• A Redwood Voice Youth Media Production • Produced by Persephone Rose • Cinematographers: Ethan Caudill-DeRego, Grant Meriwether, Monique Camarena, & Sebastian Monroe • Drone Operator: Persephone Rose • Interviewers: Monique Camarena & Grant Meriwether • Interviewees: Lauren Godla & Madeline Lawder; Tatjana Luce & Elena Patterson • Music: Courtesy of DiRT & GLiTTER & Performers
The audio version of this story, as was made for air on KFUG Community News. Report by Persephone Rose. Song used is a Tolowa Dee-ni’ Gambling song performed by Loren Bommelyn, Carl James, Sam Lopez, Walter Richards, Sr., & Frederick Scott, Jr.
The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is excited to announce that they are planning for this year’s Dee-ni’ Day! Save the date – Saturday, September 10th from 10:00am – 4:00pm at the Howonquet Hall Community Center at 101 Indian Ct in Smith River. All are invited to the family-friendly event, which will involve food and craft vendors, cultural demonstrations, indigenous work shows, gambling, touch-a-truck, stick games, and much, much more!
Official flier from the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation.
This is the 15th annual Dee-ni’ day—a day to celebrate the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s people and culture. Originating from their own take on the “Indian Day” observances you may find on the calendar, like October 1st, or the more formally worded Native American Heritage Day, November 25th. These days, different as they are across the nation for the various peoples who celebrate them, have evolved with the modern day cultures of the tribe, a demonstration that these tribes are still here. Honoring this day as their own, Dee’ni Day has become a sort of fair—a cultural carnival of delights where crafts, food, and games are shared with everyone who wishes to partake, whether they are a member of the tribe or not.
To fulfill their hopes on this year’s decade and a half milestone, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is seeking people to fill various roles. These roles include a traditional salmon cooks to assist with the 5:30pm dinner and a traditional sand bread cook to assist throughout the day (all tools and ingredients provided, just requiring the hands to work them.) They are also a seeking a stick game organizer to organize a stick game tournament and/or scrimmage, including coordination with Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Staff on development of gameplay rules that will be applied to various ages and brackets.
Please save the date and join the tribe for this family-friendly event! You can visit their website for more information, to fulfill roles, or to sign up as a vendor at this year’s Dee-ni’ Day, all, once more, at tolowa-nsn.gov.
March, 2022—we gather the many works that have slipped through the cracks from the Redwood Voice Crew, primarily their contributions to local news. Join Persephone Rose, Director of Redwood Voice, and Paul Critz, Station & Program Manager for KFUG Community Radio, for a review of the many recent projects the ever-growing Redwood Voice team have submitted to the KFUG Community News program—stories that are most often sent to broadcast and not heard again. Until now, that is, through the planned-to-be monthly editions of the Redwood Voice Anthology.
On this anthology we’ll discuss and review these stories, as well as give them a place to air in full. The stories in this Anthology include:
(0:04:56) STORM Stands Before County Board of Supervisors
The audio version of this PSA, as made for radio—by Persephone Rose.
Nourish yourself, mind and body, with Coastal Connections’ new cooking class for youth aged 14-21! Over the course of 6 sessions, develop your cooking prowess and learn to mix it up in your diet! It’s free, hands-on, and sure to be a whole lot of fun. Explore a growing healthier relationship with food preparation, cooking, and of course the fun part: eating! Registration includes a student workbook, nutrition resources, and even raffle prizes for each class to assist in building your very own healthy living toolbox.
This class comes both virtually and in-person. The virtual series will be happening every Monday from January 31st to March 14th, 3pm and 4:30pm on Zoom. The in-person series will be happening every Thursday from January 20th to February 24th, 4pm to 5:30pm at the site itself.
For more information you can call (707)464-3060, or stop down at Coastal Connections down on 475 K Street in Downtown Crescent City, California. Again, that’s (707)464-3060. Come cook with us!
Telling the untold stories of Del Norte and Tribal Lands through amplified youth voices.
