The Ron Jolly Show

06/18/2026

Happy Birthday Colleen Wares!

06/06/2026

One of the giants of contemporary American fiction is coming to Traverse City. Dave Eggers will be a guest at the National Writers Traverse City National Writers Series on June 12th.
If you are familiar with Eggers, if you enjoy reading and good discussions about the art of writing, if you are any kind of artist, you don't want to miss this event. Eggers had devoted his adult life to the craft of writing; fiction, non-fiction and memorable, award-winning children's books.
I've read several of his books, each one different. No recurring characters or detectable patterns (other than The Every which is a follow up to the brilliant The Circle!). Anticipating the latest Eggers book reminds me of buying albums by my favorite bands in the 1970s. Each recording was an artistic statement that reflected where the band members were musically and lyrically at that time, as opposed to a crass effort to cash in on their previous work by providing more of the same.
I'll post Eggers bio and webpage that has links to his books. I highly recommend any of them that I have read and probably all of the others, too.
He sponsors several nationwide organizations that encourage and assist young writers.
He's the founder of McSweeney's literary magazine, blah blah blah.
If you've never attended a National Writers Series event, this is the one to try!
BTW, Dave does not use social media. He replies to all letters written to him. Unique and original in so many ways.
Thanks NWS for bring Dave and other great writers to TC.
https://nationalwritersseries.org/author-event/dave-eggers/

Dave Eggers is the author of many books, among them Contrapposto, The Eyes and the Impossible, The Circle, The Monk of Mokha, Heroes of the Frontier, A Hologram for the King, and What Is the What. He is the founder of McSweeney’s, an independent publishing company, and co-founder of 826 Vale...

05/22/2026

Services tomorrow 5/23

Share Memories and Support the Family.

05/03/2026

OY you guys! It's been over three weeks already. (Oh hi, it's Colleen). That last month and then that last week were absolutely unbelievable. Thanks to you all! The gifts, the love, the cards, letters, food, flowers, cannabis, hats, champagne, art...everything was just beyond belief. I tried to make that last day last alot longer, but it turns out three hours is three hours. And, I absolutely loved seeing you at our party. (Hope you hugged Kimberly, the ringmaster, while you were there. In large part she made it all happen). Truly surreal. Would I have changed anything? One thing: I'd have had Vic there. Now that things have slowed, I've been able to feel the grief a bit more clearly. Miss that guy terribly.
Typically we'd all be able to talk..on the radio or via text, or on the phone. Since that's different now, please touch base if you want to here on FB. (WTCM's Colleen Wares) or email: [email protected]. Would love to hear from you.

^^^This doesn't seem at all adequate...still adjusting. :).

04/20/2026

The Grand Traverse Bay watershed is normally a marvel of geological efficiency, and the scale of the current flooding is a clear indication of how much water this spring has delivered.

In a normal year, the watershed handles about 220,000,000,000 gallons of water spread over 976 square miles. In a typical year, the landscape acts as a massive glacial sponge. Because the region sits on hundreds of feet of sand and gravel outwash, the system allows for high infiltration, where water moves vertically into the earth to be filtered and slowed down before it ever reaches a stream, river, or the bay.

However, even the best sponge has a saturation point.

Once those deep glacial deposits reach saturation and the water table rises toward the surface, the system undergoes a fundamental transition from vertical infiltration to horizontal runoff. These issues are compounded when parts of the ground are frozen early in the season.

When the “sponge” is full, water can no longer move downward efficiently. The result is a watershed that is operating outside its normal range, because the rivers are being forced to carry surface volumes and velocities well beyond their typical channel capacity.

When a system that typically processes about 220 billion gallons a year is pushed beyond its usual limits, it’s a reminder of how much water this system can move.

Image credit: Watershed Protection Plan (U’Ren, 2005).

04/14/2026

Greetings. Second day of retirement. I slept in until 9:30 yesterday and today!

I have not been able to personally thank everyone who turned out for our retirement celebration last Friday, and for all of the kind text messages, emails, and cards. So, I will say my thank you here and hope that it reaches you.

Last week was a whirlwind. We lost our good friend Vic McCarty in the middle of our last week on air, and on Friday I was overwhelmed at the turnout for our party at Middlecoast Brewery.

I think I'm caught up now and ready to explore retired life.

This page will remain active. Feel free to contact me through this page or post relevant messages. My email account, [email protected] will remain active.

If you need to contact Jack O'Malley, his email is: [email protected]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening all of these years.

I will be back on-air, sort of, with PProut Financial Designstarting Thursday May 14, 10-11 am. My role is to operate the controls, keep an eye on the time, help shape the program, and occasionally pipe up on air.

We wish Jack and Wendy the best!

04/09/2026

🎺 Hear ye! Hear ye! 🎺

BIG NEWS, Petoskey! 🇺🇸
The Petoskey Steel Drum Band has been officially invited to perform in the Salute to Independence 250th - USA Celebration Parade — a historic, once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating America’s 250th birthday! 🎉

On July 3, 2026, our talented students will take to the streets of Philadelphia, marching in front of iconic landmarks like Independence Hall, following in the very footsteps of our nation’s founders.

🌟 This isn’t just a parade…
It’s a global celebration.
It’s history in the making.
And OUR students are part of it.

Let’s show them some love and support as they represent Petoskey on a national stage! ❤️🤍💙

04/09/2026

Thank you, Jen Isbel for the nice article.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Before podcasts and influencers filled the airwaves, Ron Jolly had already built a reputation as a steady,