Maryland
‘Christmas in Maryland’: Broadcast shines a light on unique stories of holiday season – Catholic Review
John Patti has a parochial approach of describing his collaboration for his upcoming radio program “Christmas in Maryland.”
“It’s pure Baltimore and pure Maryland from two guys who grew up right here,” stated Patti, host of the five-part story-telling sequence that can be featured on Baltimore’s “Christmas Radio Station” WLIF (101.9 FM) in November and December.
Patti, who retired in February after a 38-year profession as a reporter at WBAL Radio – with producer and engineer Joe Evelius, a highschool and faculty classmate – is resurrecting a sequence that aired 2006-2014. Evelius and Patti, 1973 Mount St. Joseph Excessive Faculty and 1977 Towson State (now College) graduates, produced the sequence for Q Productions after which pitched it to WLIF.
The sequence will take listeners via a Maryland vacation journey, sharing Christmas experiences from Western Maryland to the Japanese Shore. Alongside the way in which, there can be stops on the well-known thirty fourth Road Hampden lights show, a journey on a Western Maryland locomotive and caroling in Dorchester County.
The tales will embrace the distinctive (a Christmas countdown in East New Market with a particular household twist) and the inspiring (a Santa’s helper in Eldersburg who personally responds to letters from a whole lot of kids).
The tales additionally will showcase the quirky – tales from film director John Waters and the creators of “Crabs for Christmas” and “Christmas in Glen Burnie” – in addition to particular recollections from a powerful listing of celebrities, together with Orioles legends Cal Ripken Jr., Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell; Ravens proprietor Steve Bisciotti; and TV host Pat Sajak.
Patti, a father of three and a 30-year parishioner of Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott Metropolis, even concerned his 8- and 5-year-old granddaughters in one of many productions.
“We go from one finish of the state to the opposite to point out how folks in Maryland rejoice Christmas,” the 67-year-old stated.
The veteran radio reporter, who has been married to his spouse, Stefanie, for 42 years, stated his Catholic religion has at all times been an necessary half in his profession, making efforts like this that rather more particular.
“My religion performs into every thing I’ve executed,” stated Patti, who attended elementary faculty at St. Charles Borromeo in Pikesville. “Religion is folks and folks have a narrative to inform, and it’s all about how folks relate to religion and household. I really like to inform their tales of neighborhood, religion and household, and there’s no higher time than Christmas to tug us all collectively.”
Evelius, a retired insurance coverage skilled who has “dabbled” in broadcasting since his faculty days, stated he hopes the sequence supplies a bit vacation cheer.
“I feel it’s filled with nice content material,” stated Evelius, a Timonium resident. “It’s household oriented, which you don’t discover on the radio a lot lately, and it needs to be lots of enjoyable.
“We’ve gotten lots of constructive response about Christmas in Maryland’s return. It’s been lots of work and a problem resurrecting it. Now we have a imaginative and prescient and we wish it to develop.”
The exhibits additionally will embrace music Patti says ranges from Johnny Mathis to Taylor Swift.
In Baltimore, listeners can hear the published on WLIF Radio (101.9 FM) Nov. 20 and 27 and Dec. 4, 11 and 18, at 7 p.m. every of the dates.
Airings additionally can be out there on WNAV in Annapolis (1430 AM and 99.9 FM), WCEI in Easton (96.7 FM), WCBC in Cumberland (1270 AM), WGMD in Ocean Metropolis (92.7 FM) and WHGM in Havre de Grace (100.5 FM). The time and dates of broadcasts for these stations can be introduced.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore can be one of many sponsors of the Christmas in Maryland sequence.
“We’re completely happy to play a job in bringing these tales to Maryland throughout the Christmas season,” stated Christian Kendzierski, government director of communications for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
E mail Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org
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