Aloha! I sure wish that someone would have told me to take better care of my feet when I was 20. I wouldn’t say that I have abused my feet other than being a pretty consistent runner since I was about 15. I don’t wear high heels. I think I could pretty much be described as a woman that wears practical footwear. And I do consider whether I could make a hasty getaway in my shoes of choice.

Yet here I find myself having suffered some foot issues these past several months. I now have orthotics and look for groovy shoes with a wider toe box. It’s like Ken’s Uncle Frankie, who never complained, would say, “You don’t know how good you have it until you don’t feel good” (paraphrased).

KWMR has had a wild year or so. In July 2025, we learned that we had abruptly lost our long-standing Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding. This was a 26% hit to the KWMR budget. We applied for and received a one-year Bridge Fund Grant from the Public Media Company. Not only did this supply the station with much needed financial support, but it also came with a quiver of training opportunities. 

After being Station Manager and Executive Director for 16 years, it was truly a breath of fresh air to not only get a financial break, but to learn a bunch of new skills. Old dog, new tricks kind of stuff, really. 

Anyway, back to feet. I believe that KWMR is strongly striding forward with plans for a sustainable local public media outlet in West Marin. The station has a strong foundation with solid technology at all of our transmit sites, good policies on the books, and a killer team of dedicated employees and a strong governing board holding down the fort. KWMR’s feet are strong and well supported.

It’s the time of year where KWMR launches the End of Year Appeal. We have sent out many letters and if you get yours, we hope that you will give it a read. If you are new to the scene and appreciate what KWMR does, give this a gander and please chip in to help support local radio. We only hold one on-air drive per year in the spring, so your support at year end is critical to our success. As you can see there are a myriad of ways to support KWMR!

Don’t drag your feet, kick in to help KWMR get a leg up!

Sincerely,

Amanda Eichstaedt
Station Manager and Executive Director

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