Trek Through Time
A deep-dive into the local eras, ”Trek Through Time” opens a portal to the past to discover the richly abundant history of Northfield, Minnesota. Featuring an absorbing monthly topic and interviews with one-of-a-kind expertise from the town’s knowledgeable Memoir Maestros, all aspects of the archives are analyzed. Hosted by Kosmo Esplan, produced by the Northfield History Center, and broadcast by KYMN 95.1 FM, "Triple T" offers a fun and fascinating voyage of bygone days.
Episodes
In honor of the Riverwalk Market Fair's 15th anniversary, Kosmo invites Market Manager Derek Meyers, Board Chair Martha Kasper, and local vendor/artist Kathy Miller for triple discussion duty as they focus on the beloved Northfield event's history, impact, and involvement in the community, including an upcoming fundraiser (July 15th at Imminent Brewing). Plus, they bond over the delicious treats available every Saturday in ...
(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) In this exclusive podcast interview with Karate Kid: Legends star Ben Wang, host/cinephile Kosmo Esplan and Northfield's first Hollywood actor discuss Ben's early immigration to Minnesota, the impact of local theatre and good mentors, and his pivot to pursuing professional roles in NYC and LA. Unsurprisingly, movies come up, as well.
On the occasion of Triple Tee's one-year birthday, Kosmo Esplan highlights another Northfield anniversary (albeit one with more digits) by recruiting publisher Rob Schanilec and editor Ronica Roberson to voyage across 20 years of the Entertainment Guide. The triad delves into the beloved Southern Minnesota magazine's memorable moments, including its 2005 sesquicentennial origin, the evolution of monthly issues, and its two ...
In this "Extra Exploration", Kosmo finishes off his conversation with Dr. Mahr by learning about a pair of photos, digging into the iconic Orchestra-Band softball rivalry, and tackling the relationship between the "big three" St. Olaf musical institutions.
Continuing the deep-dive into the St. Olaf Band's history, Kosmo, Susan, and Jeff look over a scrapbook from Susan's time in the Band, discuss the significance of a variety of pictures from History Center archives, and debate the most controversial topic of all: the Oxford Comma.
As promised, Kosmo Esplan returns to complete his tour through the eras of the St. Olaf Band . . . this time accompanied by the firsthand experience of Dr. Timothy Mahr, the Band's former conductor who led multitudes of students across the years to musical glory, including several international tours and a performance at Carnegie Hall. Kosmo (non-musical expert) and Dr. Mahr (musical expert) dig deeper into the latter's jou...
On the first half of this two-part May exploration of Manitou Heights' oldest musical institution, Kosmo Esplan brings in the big guns to cover 127 years of St. Olaf Band history: Northfield history icons Susan Hvistendahl and Jeff Sauve, authors of the 2019 biography "Milestones & Memoirs of the St. Olaf Band: 1891-2018". All three Band fans take an aerial perspective of the origin, impact, and reputation of the ...
(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) Resuming the conversation on the "power of the puppet", Kosmo treats Doug and Mary Kay to some artifacts from the History Center archives that relate to Doug's multi-decade career in guidance counseling; and the trio are joined by the ever-welcome puppet celebrity pair of DUSO the Dolphin and Jayhawk.
To celebrate the latest Northfield History Center exhibit, Kosmo invites former elementary school guidance counselor Doug Peterson and his wife Mary Kay into the Time Machine as they retrace Doug's career in using a beloved puppet ensemble to communicate valuable life lessons to students. From utilizing DUSO the Dolphin to gripping the classroom's attention, the trio discover how impactful Doug's work has been on the to...
(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) In this installment of "Extra Explorations", Kosmo and Coach Ryan continue their conversation on local college basketball, diving even deeper thanks to a firsthand look at historical images; plus, they're graced by the presence of the one and only 112-year-old Goat symbolic of the immortal Carleton-St. Olaf rivalry.
In Part 2 of the intercollegiate basketball investigation, Kosmo Esplan digs into the Carletonian perspective with assistance and insight from Ryan Kershaw, head coach of the Knights, who recently finished up another impressive postseason run. The two fellas (*one* of whom is a sports expert) dig into the extremely early arrival of the pastime on-campus, the ingrained facets of Carleton tradition, and Ryan's vital experience of lea...
(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) Continuing their conversation on Ole basketball, this time in video format, Kosmo and Coach Koz examine an NCAA basketball, go over some of the coach's top career games, and delve into how St. Olaf's celebrated basketball team can rise to the challenge again next year.
On this March Madness installment, sports amateur Kosmo Esplan sits down with Daniel "Coach Koz" Kosmoski, coach of the St. Olaf Oles basketball team for 31 years and counting. The two Kozzes talk through the game's long history on Manitou Heights, including the legend of the annually awarded Carl-Ole Goat, and highlights from Kosmoski's illustrious basketball career, all while Kosmo seeks to apply his newfound sp...
(Video exclusively available on Spotify.) In this first installment ofTrek Through Time's video extension series, Kosmo and Eric continue their conversation about the Jeopardy! champ's long history of accomplishments within the trivia world, including a role in Ken Jennings' book and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award . . . and Kosmo inevitably pulls out the game show sound effects to test how Eric's quizzy know...
This month, host (and noted game show fanatic) Kosmo Esplan sits down with longtime Carleton archivist Eric Hillemann, who coached the college's Quiz Bowl team to two national championships in addition to winning a game of "Jeopardy!" in 2000. With no money on the line, Kosmo and Eric discuss everything trivia-related, including the truth behind Alex Trebek's mustache and an age-old Northfield legend about Trivial...
In the first installment of 2025, Kosmo Esplan sits down with local videographer, thespian, and history aficionado Sam Temple to discuss the origin of Northfield itself, John North's captivatingly impactful life, and the 170-year legacy that has made the town an endearing Minnesotan institution.
(Video available exclusively on Spotify or YouTube.) The holiday cheer continues as Kosmo Esplan digs deeper into Northfield's involvement into "Love Always, Santa" with his festive Memoir Maestros Rachel Haider and Joan Spaulding, looking at his own experience as an extra, exploring Rachel and Joan's firsthand impact on the movie, and quizzing his guests on a variety of Yuletide topics.
In this Triple Tee holiday special, Christmas movie lover Kosmo Esplan looks back on Northfield's integral role in the 2016 Hallmark flick "Love Always, Santa" with the help of festive guests Rachel Haider and Joan Spaulding, both key players in a local filming experience that still boosts the Christmas cheer of the town today.
Featuring even more of host Kosmo Esplan's in-depth conversation with Northfield News folks Scott Richardson and Pamela Thompson, this extended video version sees the trio explore several artifacts of historical interest, dig further into the beloved publication's 145-year career, and get quizzy when Kosmo tests Scott and Pam on American headlines from the 20th century.
This month, host Kosmo Esplan goes beyond the headlines with two generations of Northfield News journalists, former longtime editor Scott Richardson and current associate editor Pamela Thompson, about the diverse history of newspapers in Northfield, including the origin and growth of the Northfield News, contributor Maggie Lee's instrumental role in shaping the paper, and some iconic stories popular in print across the decades.
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