Tina Parzych & Ashley Pace from the Pride of Westmo’s “Totally Rad 80s Prom Gone Bad,” Pete Colter, author of The Endless Fall, Aaron Woodman Oneida County NAACP, JWatch, & Utica Creative Reuse 9-9-25

This week’s Hot Seat: Media Monday brings together stories of creativity, activism, and healing. Tina Parzych and Ashley Pace from the Pride of Westmoreland Marching Band share their 80s-themed murder mystery fundraiser, blending nostalgia with community support. Utica Creative Reuse’s Stone Soup project shows how discarded items become collaborative art, promoting sustainability and neighborhood pride. Aaron Woodman of the Oneida County NAACP highlights how video and social media drive civil rights outreach and upcoming events. The program closes with author Pete Coulter, who discusses his novel The Endless Fall, inspired by his journey through addiction and recovery, while comedian JWatch reflects on the healing power of creating art from trauma. Together, the episode celebrates fundraising, activism, and storytelling as powerful forces for resilience and positive change.Jonathan Brooks/ DJ J-Easy is the sound engineer. He is online at Facebook.com/easyatm315, Instagram.com/j_easy315/, and https://on.soundcloud.com/XGKd3e4AZeNtrD2X9Jim Hale is the photographer and records the show for video and podcast streaming. He is online at Jim Hale (@instanteon) • Instagram photos and videos Nabil Khan is the entertainment correspondent for Hot Seat: Media Monday. Nabil is online at Letterboxd.com/1andonlynabk/and Instagram.com/instanab.k/.Ron Klopfanstein is an award-winning multimedia investigative journalist, news and producer for 95.5 FM “The Heat” broadcast and streaming. He hosts Hot Seat: Media Monday every Monday at 5 pm, broadcast on 95.5 FM and streaming at 955TheHeat.com. Podcasts at: https://open.spotify.com/show/4nbrIF49K56OxbPljuw1Lv?si=7e000e7279f54c2a Like him at Facebook.com/ReadRonKlopfanstein, Follow him at Bsky.app/profile/ronklopfanstein.bsky.social, Threads.net/@RonKlopfanstein, Instagram.com/RonKlopfanstein, Tiktok.com/@ronklopfanstein, and subscribe to his channel at YouTube.com/@RonKlopfanstein. Read all his work at Muckrack.com/ron-klopfanstein.