Four Corners

I Know Jack

2009-07-05T18:10:00.008-04:00

Anyone who has followed this blog knows of my interest in broadcast radio. When I first got my drivers license, I began to become more active in my interest. By active, I'm speaking of going and meeting local radio people at the stations that broadcast their programs.

One of those I met was John Phillips. John (Jack as he would later become known) was employed by WDLR, a Delaware, Ohio based radio station. But John was located in my home county seat at a remote studio located in Marysville.

Now compared to my dream station of WTVN, WDLR was something of, well shall we say a dump. As my son Brian would note in the late 1980's, it was the junky radio station. But by far, the Delaware main studio was the Taj Mahal compared to the remote Marysville location.

The Marysville studio was located in the former Isaly ice cream shop. Phillips worked there gathering news by calling the local police and fire departments, he read the weather and he would play music on a program called the Marysville Matinee. Every weekday afternoon, Phillips was spending the afternoon with the wives of Marysville according to a want ad placed daily in the local newspaper as the station sought to promote itself and build a listening audience.

The program today would not survive long, as Phillips only had one turntable and fed the Marysville feed back to Delaware where the transmitter was located via a regular telephone line. Literally, Phillips would unscrew the microphone portion of the telephone handset and alligator clip the the feed from the mixer to the phone. It sounded like music being played over a telephone. High fidelity? Old 78 RPM recordings of the Big Bands played over a Victrola often had better fidelity.

I met Phillips sometime in 1972 at the Marysville studio. Prior to the Isaly Shop the station had been located at several addresses. The former Isaly shop location was opened in January, 1971 with Gene Kirby at the helm. That location ended sometime in in late 1972 or early 1973 when Phillips was moved to Delaware to broadcast his show. Other than remotes at the Union County Fair or at an advertiser's location, WDLR no longer would maintain a remote studio in Maryvsille after Phillips was relocated to Delaware.

I began working at the station in May of 1973 and worked with Phillips until he left after the station was sold to another owner. Subsequently, he worked for WNCI, WBBY and WRFD using the name Jack Phillips. The last two stations were jobs that I was able to assist in getting him on the air as they were looking for help and he was available. At WBBY he even became the morning host for a period of time.

He left the business to pursue a career as a respiratory therapist.

Back to our time at WBBY we even shared an apartment. He was working the morning shift at the radio station while I was working evenings while holding a real job at Capital City Products and then spending my evenings at the WBBY studios in Sunbury.

For a period of time he dated Marcie Rogers the program director of the station. That relationship didn't last forever and Jack moved on to another relationship. He subsequently married the new person and moved to Florida. My last contact was a few years ago when he was living in Pennsylvania.

Yes for a period of time, I could indeed say I know Jack.

I'm Roy Harvey------WCOL News

2009-06-05T22:08:00.004-04:00

I think my first experience of really listening to the radio was probably 1966. During that summer I was making the transition from 10 to the grand old age of 11.

It was a golden time.

It was the summer of that year and we had a annual pass to the Plain City swimming pool (known as Pastime Pool). Over the loud speaker system, they played the sounds of the New WCOL 1230 am radio. It was the top 40 station in our neck of the woods and frequently at the top of the ratings heap. Lou Henry, Mike Adams and others kept us entertained with the latest music and recurrents on Golden Weekends.

But it was newman Roy Harvey who informed us with the news. I'm not sure if WCOL had switched to the 20/20 news format by that time. I simply can't remember. But I do remember they still punctuated every story with dateline beeps. Three beeps with every story change. It gave each story the sound of urgency.

Roy Harvey had a Ted Baxter type voice. Deep and baritone. Only unlike Baxter, Harvey's voice had authority. No bumbling Ted Baxter was Roy Harvey.

And of course he closed every newscast with "I'm Roy Harvey...........WCOL news!"

As a footnote and as I was writing this, another memeory resurfaced. During this same time there was young lady from Plain City who was for me a tweens dream. Pretty, outgoing, friendly and just enough tomboy to be cool.

Her name was Connie Converse. Connie lived on all streets, Converse Drive in Plain City.

Afer that summer, I never saw Connie again. I did caddy for her father a few times a few years later and he would say she was doing fine.

I read a few years later that she had died. In 1974 I believe in a car accident. For serveral years after her passing, her father would run an in memorium obit in the newspaper. I remember reading of her fathers passing not so many years later.

Connie was never what you would call a girlfriend. At that age a girl who was a friend was just someone neat. And she was that type of friend. And for that she will forever be memorable.

Like Roy Harvey and those WCOL jocks heard over the loud speaker at the swimming pool, Connie will forever be one of those great memories that will never be forgotten.

Remembering Dr. Bop

2009-06-04T18:54:00.001-04:00

Local blogger/writer had an interesting piece on Dr. Bop a few weeks ago. For some reason, Minerd chose to archive his blog and it's no longer available for public consumption. His blog inspired me to search out Bop's final resting place and rehonor a great radio talent from radios past.

In the mid 50's through the early 60's Columbus was abuzz with the music and dj talents of Hoyt R. Locke, known to his WCOL (and for a short period of time WMNI) listeners as Dr. Bop.

The good Dr. set up shop in Milwaukee after leaving Columbus and remained there until his death. He is buried in Columbus at Greenlawn Cemetary.

The Friendly Giant Was Anchored By A Fraim

2009-06-02T22:02:00.004-04:00

For about a decade, John Fraim was the morning host for WTVN radio in Columbus.

Since Columbus radio was my broadcast reference point, and WTVN was the strongest of signals in my neck of the woods, I cut my teeth on Fraim's morning show. I first became aware of Fraim probably about 1968. My understanding was Fraim came to Columbus in the early 60's, maybe around 1961 from Indiana. His first job was in the news department and prior to becoming a music host he was news director. I believe the change to morning host started around 1965 taking over for Maurice Jackson. Someone with more information or a better memory may have fimrer information. I also seem to recall at one time, Fraim was involved in racing cars. The type escapes me.

I would often brag on Fraim's popularity in Columbus, but was often told that JP McCarthy of WJR and Wally Phillips on WGN were far better personalities. You can have your favorites; Fraim at the time was mine.

I always enjoyed the Special Reports (short piece usually written by Fraim discussing a news item or other information pieces) and his The Way They Were segements featuring a song by a Big Band artist complete with background information about the piece or the artist. Fraim also bantered with news director Bill Patterson after the 6:30 news segment, usually ending the segment with a joke or pun that segued into a jingle and back to music.

In 1976 I had the honor to be hired by WTVN hosting the overnight weekend shifts. I handled Friday night from midnight until 6 am Saturday morning, Saturday night from midnight to 9 am Sunday morning and Sunday night from midnight until 5:30 Monday morning. I would be the first person to welcome Fraim to the studio on Saturday and Monday mornings. (I've often wondered if he felt welcomed by this young radio rube!)

Fraim had the reputation among the air staff of being difficult. Many of those before and after me in the overnight slots would often find negative ways to portray him. Personally, either I was a fool and never noticed it or because I went out of my way to be decent to him, he returned the favor.

I also worked with him at the time his wife was dying from cancer. On more than one occasion, he would phone from his White Oak farm stating he would be late because his wife had been ill or needed his attention. What a thrill it was to do a half hour or so of his show with his numerous listeners. Yet I knew his heart was aching as he watched his wife lose her life.

In 1978, I was let go by WTVN and migrated to WRFD to host a big band show. A year or so later Fraim too left WTVN over a reported tiff with management over working Saturday mornings. At that time, many major market hosts were beginning to only work 5 day work weeks instead of the previous normal six day load. Fraim too landed at WRFD as morning host and general manager. While I was only a weekend staffer, Fraim would pop into the station to catch up on paperwork. He would stop by the studio, express some pleasantries and then be off to his work.

Fraim's tenure at WRFD wasn't long as he left to join WCOL as morning host, broadcasting from the former observation deck of the Lincoln Leveque tower that had been converted into an apartment for him. After a few years, he joined WBBY as news director and even later owned a radio station between Logan and Athens, Ohio.

The last I heard of Fraim was that he was living in the rural Laurelville area and doing some free lance writing.

During his many years at WTVN, he was our morning friend.

More Than a Name on a Wall

2009-05-30T07:21:00.005-04:00

This past Memorial Day weekend, we visited Virginia. One of the side trips was an afternoon spent in Washington DC. We went to Arlington Cemetery and journeyed across the Potomac to see the White House and the eastern third of the Mall.

Washington DC is a history buffs dream come true. It contains in one setting probably the largest collections of tributes and memorials to our country's heritage and history.

From the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, from the Jefferson to the White House to Capital Hill, it's all there and more.

One of the more touching places on the mall is the Vietnam Memorial. The memorial is essentially a wall containing the names of United States men and women who gave their lives during the time the United States was engaged in Vietnam. The wall contains the names of 58,261 men and women.

The US engagement in Vietnam became at the time one of the more divisive events in our history and certainly in my lifetime. When the Memorial was first proposed and building began, there was a lot of chin music as to why it was necessary, cost and such.

Since it's completion, the memorial has been one of the healing places where people come to remember or for closure.

Bake Sales

2009-05-22T05:08:00.005-04:00

It was 16 years ago today that probably the world's largest bake sale took place. Possibly 50 or more thousand people descended to Fort Collins,
Colorado for Dan's Bake sale to see Rush Limbaugh and help Dan get enough money to buy a subscription to Rush's Limbaugh letter.

I wonder if listeners would respond to Rush's call in the same numbers today?

And what ever happened to Dan Kay of Dan's Bake Sale Fame?

Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope Can Now be Viewed Here

2009-05-16T11:33:00.002-04:00

Dave Ramsey's Town Hall for Hope. Check it out.

Dave Ramsey - Town Hall for Hope 2009 from Central FPU on Vimeo.

Old Man's Cave Winter

2009-05-11T17:16:00.002-04:00

Just below this article, I wrote about a recent trip to Old Man's Cave in the Hocking Hills. I commented on the beauty that we experienced and the enjoyment of the trip.

A year ago last winter (January to be specific), we took a similar trip right after a spell of very cold temperatures.

The area was again beautiful, but just in a different way. It's too bad I couldn't replicate the exact places the pictures were taken to allow for comparison.

Anyhow, enjoy the views.

Old Man's Cave

2009-05-09T00:16:00.008-04:00

Sunday, Diana and I took some time and went to the Hocking Hills. For those who have never heard of the area, it is one of the prettiest areas in Ohio for natural wonders.

Although often overlooked as a destination place for scenic areas, Ohio has many areas of great beauty. Sure, in general we don't compete with the Grand Canyon area, the canyons of Utah, the mountains of New England or the coastal cliffs along the Pacific shoreline, but we do have some areas that are still breathtaking.

We've been to old mans cave a number of times, yet we both agreeded we've never found it to be so peaceful and beautiful as we did this trip.

The rest of this post is a collection of snap shots that show portions of our tour from the upper to the lower falls. I only wish I could capture in the camera what I actually see in person. If you only get a fraction of the beauty and peace we enjoyed this past Sunday, you'll understand how we felt standing in the valley of the canyon. Enjoy.

My Weekend--Flint Ridge and Black Hand Gorge

2009-05-08T23:31:00.007-04:00

Here it is, a new weekend already and I've not chronicled my last weekend.

Late Saturday I ventured over to Flint Ridge and Black Hand Gorge.

What you're seeing is an outcropping of flint. The flint that was used by native Indians to make weapons, arrowheads and strikers. In later years, the flint was quarried at this site, although now it is a state park.

As you can see by the path, the flint is everywhere here. Look closely at the path between the two outcroppings. As I said all over the place.

A bit further up the road is Black Hand Gorge. Nestled along the north branch of the Licking River, this wall is supposed to have a black hand like appearance. As I do with fine art, I simply don't see it. Maybe you do.

I did find the trail cut through the rock to be pretty and interesting. It appears there must have been a railroad that once went through this area and they carved a path through the rock.

Missed It By That Much

2009-04-21T08:42:00.004-04:00

In the 1960's there was a popular television program called "Get Smart". Actor Don Adams portrayed a bumbling government spy known as Control Agent Maxwell Smart Agent 86. Max had a line for when something he did didn't make the mark. "Missed it by that much."

It appears we missed it by that much a few years ago.

While vacationing in Colorado, we decided to head off to the only place in the United States where the boundaries of four states come together. The Four Corners. We snapped pictures of us placing a foot on the exact mark that allowed us to be standing in 4 states at one time. A marvelous feat, if you'll pardon the pun.

I blogged about the visit HERE.

Imagine my surprise when I'm reading the paper this morning and find out that I really never have stepped foot in 4 states at once. Turns out that the survey is off and the actual site is some 2.5 miles east of the point where we stood.

As you can tell, this blog is named after that survey point. Hopefully we are accurate in our information that is presented here.

Nancy's Announces Closing

2009-04-11T09:36:00.016-04:00

Losing old friends is never easy. Yet when I was scanning the Dispatch this morning (Saturday) I learned one of my favorite places to eat has announced that closing was on the menu.

Nancy's is a one of the great institutions in Columbus. And it soon will be a lost but remembered institution. Located along North High Street in Clintonville, it was best described as a small stool type establishment. And yes, in reality it was at it's heart a classic greasy spoon or hole in the wall. But like most places like Nancy's the place had its own unique character that even 5 star places cannot duplicate. That character was probably best described as heart.

I first became aware of the place in the late 80's or early 90's. At the time, every morning on WTVN radio, morning host Bob Conners would do a shout out to people and places. Nancy's was one of his shout outs. And because of that daily shout out, I had to give it a try. (Sadly, Bob no longer does that anymore. It was a neat feature on his show!)

Famous for their breakfasts, my usual stop was for lunch. Everyday there was a daily feature or two. And that's it. Take it or leave it. A simple menu of couple of items. Yet the price was right, the plate was full and the food was good. Here's a photo of my favorite. Chicken and Noodles. And always $5.00 or less to eat.

One day I took a friend from work for lunch. We sat at the counter and was finally waited on. The friend asked what was on the menu for the day. The reply was meatloaf. The friend asked if there was anything else. The reply was "yes, meatloaf". Either you liked meatloaf that day or you went somewhere else. But at Nancy's it didn't matter. The place was normally packed with people along the wall waiting for a stool to open.

Nancy's was a community place. Young and old. Rich and poor. All were welcomed. All sat together. All quickly became frineds as the meal was consumed.

It was not unusual to be told to check yourself out if the staff was busy. Literally you would go to the cash register, pay your tab and make your own change. No one would flinch seeing someone doing that. That simply doesn't happen anywhere else. Honestly, the first time I went there and saw that happen, I simply couldn't believe that business could be done that way. The cash register was full and yet people were honestly paying their bills and making their own change.

I went for lunch one day on a particularly bad winter day a few years ago. Owner Cindy King insisted that since I was such a loyal customer she couldn't charge me for lunch that day because I had braved the elements to eat with her. I was given a hug and told thanks for my patronage. While I ate there maybe once or twice a month at the time, there were certainly daily customers who deserved the royal treatment I got that day.

Ms. King is said to be closing the place due to ill health, mounting health bills and an economy that has began to catch up with her and effectively doing business.

Yet, thankfully as of this writing, there are about 2 months of time left to get a final meal or two.

The Dispatch article is here

Edited to add: Diana and I went tonight to enjoy Chicken and Noodles. Unfortunately, a flat tire tried to get in our way. We arrived just in time to get the last two meals they had......but unfortunately, not chicken and noooles but a delicious pot roast. It was truly a treat.

Now isn't it sad when a great pot roast just doesn't hit the spot when your heart is set on Nancy's chicken and noodles. Thursday is once again Chicken and Noodles day and we'll be there!

Top of the World

2009-03-23T21:33:00.002-04:00

In Bellefontaine, Ohio you'll find a couple of Ohio treasures. The first concrete street in the US as well as what has been described as the shortest street in the US.

The latest treasure explored was Campbell Hill, the highest point in the Buckeye State. At 1549 feet above sea level, a small marker and a historical sign are what marks the top of the world in Ohio.

No, it's not like a beautiful snow capped mountain peak or as famous as Pikes Peak or the peaks in the state of Washington or Alaska. But it's the closest peak to me.

Campbell Hill is on the campus of the aptly named Hi-Point Career Center.

Scioto Endings

2009-03-23T20:41:00.013-04:00

Last November a road trip took us to Auglaize County in western central Ohio to the origins of the Scioto River.

Saturday, our road trip took us to Portsmouth where the river empties and ends in the Ohio River.

The Scioto enters from the right center of the picture and joins the Ohio to flow under the bridge toward Cincinnati and finally to the Mississippi River.

It was a pretty early spring day (the second day of spring). We arrived in the early evening. The rush of the winter thaw had long since passed and both the Ohio and the Scioto were gently flowing. No swift currents were noted.

The new bridge that carries Route 23 across the Ohio into northern Kentucky is a beautiful marvel. Sort of reminds me of the bridge in Boston that crosses the Charles River and is used as a backdrop when politicians from that area are interviewed on the national cable infotainment shows.

We were also treated to a empty coal barge returning from one of the down river electric generation plants or possibly the coal dock in Cincinnati. It was swiftly moving up river possibly to be filled once again with coal from the Eastern Kentucky or Western West Virgina coal fields.

Olentangy Origins

2009-03-23T20:21:00.007-04:00

The Olentangy River flows into Columbus from the north. It is fed from it's origin in Morrow County near the Richland County line and flows into Crawford County, the city of Galion, then back into Morrow County, Delaware County and finally Franklin County and Columbus where it empties into the Scioto River near downtown Columbus at Confluence Park.

Sunday we traced the river to what we believe is it's origin. Near the village of Blooming Grove, it appears the river begins as a combination of run off and possibly a spring in a farm field near Blooming Grove Road near Route 97. We believe the pool of water in the left of the photo is a spring, while the sunken area in the center of the photo is the beginning of the field run off.It crosses under Blooming Grove road and from there, it meanders in a mostly northern and western direction through farm fields and finally crosses under Route 97 as it heads toward Galion.

Finding the origins of rivers, since they are prominent landmarks in Columbus, is interesting in a different way. Earlier last fall, we found the marked origins of the Scioto River. We hope to one day to take the trip to Minnesota and find the origins of the Mississippi.

Job Searching

2009-02-26T09:15:00.005-05:00

Over three thousand people turned out at the Columbus Zoo the other day for a job fair. Looking at a picture, there was one thing that stood out. I can't find one example where someone while networking seems to be exchanging personal information. A card, a piece of paper, a handshake....anything.

In the world we live in today, networking is the key to finding opportunity.

Many in that line probably drilled a dry hole with companies they interviewed with.

But how many people in that line might get hired in the future and remembered talking to a really neat person who could fill a role in a company but they have no idea that person was or how to contact them.

Or what if someone in the that line comes up with their own business idea and needs the talent of the person they just spent two hours in line with and have no idea who they are.

Always, always, always exchange information and stay in touch. That chance meeting could turn out to be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Funny Line

2009-01-18T18:57:00.003-05:00

If you know me, you know I love irony. The other is I don't write about my real job.

Today I make the exception about the latter to share something of the former.

While talking on the phone the other day to a lady I work with we were discussing the days that never seem to end and how recently they seem to have become more frequent.

Now before you go off on my like Dan Miller at a seminar full of non fulfilled employees, I work very hard at doing what I need to do now so that at some point I can find what it is I was designed to do so I can do it and do it well. And I will admit that there are days when it's more effort to put on my game face than to actually do the work.

But back to the phone conversation. The lady was discussing her personal burnout situation. The line she used is she would love to be a stay at home mom...........without kids.

Frankly Scarlet............I Was Born Here

2009-01-13T21:12:00.007-05:00

My previous post about the Perfect Partner and it's tie in with Gone With the Wind reminded me that not too far from home is the birthplace of the leading male character of the movie Rhett Butler. Out of that character, he was better known as Clark Gable.

So, on a snowy late Sunday afternoon we headed east to visit the place where Rhett Butler was really born. (Sorry the photos are a bit dark as they were taken after the sun had set. We got a late start and wasn't able to take advantage of the daylight.)

Gable was born in the small eastern Ohio town of Cadiz, Ohio in 1901. It is assumed he was given the name William Clark Gable, as many "official" records contain disputed information.

The home in the picture is a replica of the home Gable was born in, however the house is situated on the original lot. It's reported that the original home was torn down in the early 1960's.

The stone monument was one of the first steps to recognize one of the towns most famous previous residents. It was erected in 1986 on the site of Gable's birth.

The reconstructed birth house was dedicated in January, 1998. It supposedly is an exact replica of the home including many pieces of period furniture and loaded with memorabilia of Gable's career, including a Cadillac once owned by Gable.

Cadiz also was home to another person of great fame.

John Armor Bingham, while not born in Cadiz, also lived in the village. Bingham's claim to fame was severing as one of three prosecutors of the co-conspirators of Abraham Lincoln's assignation. The trial concluded with 8 convictions and made history when Mary Surratt was the first woman in the United States to be executed for a crime.

Bingham was also involved as a prosecutor in the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and an architect of the 14th Amendment.

The Perfect Partner-Or When the Monarch Flew the Coup.

2008-12-26T22:03:00.021-05:00

I teased this story several months ago when writing about WTVN radio host Bill Smith.

Long before e-Harmony.com and Match.com, there was a much more "exotic" way to find the Perfect Partner.

One radio station in Columbus decided to do it the old fashioned way in 1976 because that was the only way to do it back then.

A little history. Popular Columbus radio personality Bob Conners had left WTVN in early 1973 to take a coveted morning gig at cross the dial rival WBNS-AM in Columbus. At first, his ratings actually improved over the previous host of the show. But as time went on, they had began to wane.

To many, the move from WTVN where Conners had held forth in the afternoon drive slot when he arrived in Columbus in 1965 seemed to constrain him. At WTVN, he had developed characters in his show. Two remembered by me were Sammy from Sammy's Bar & Grill and the Mailman. There was also a third character. The ever silent Jesse. The speaking characters visited daily. All were left behind when Conners jumped to BNS. Conners also had an opening and closing theme song for his show. That too was abandoned with the move.

I remember listening to Bob's first show on WBNS. It was anything but easy. First, the WBNS signal was a voice in the static at my house. Even though I grew up on the other side of Dublin, the BNS signal was so week that until the day signal kicked in, Bob and BNS was a voice among many voices.

WBNS also aired their news at 25 and 55 billing it as news 5 minutes sooner. As the newscast ended, WBNS played a closing sounder and a top or bottom of the hour legal ID. The music started cold. Bob's first song was a song I never really enjoyed. Roger Miller's Engine, Engine #9. No theme song, no Sammy, Mailman or Jesse. Just Bob and Roger Miller and a jingle after back announcing the song but before the commercial. Backwards from the way it was normally done.

When listening to Bob at WTVN, you knew he had seen the latest movie, had gone to the latest live performance, had visited the hottest spots in Columbus, had an in depth knowledge of sports and seemed to have read all the major daily newspapers of record. Bob always sounded like the go to guy for all things regarding the cool and current events.

At WBNS that all seemed to be gone. The show seemed more constrained and too tightly formatted. Bob never quite seemed to be what he used to be over at WTVN. Cool and hip while on an adult music based radio program.

That all was about to change.

A new general manager had ridden into town to take over the reins of the radio enterprise. The radio stations were overseen by the head of the co-owned but not co-located television station, Gene DeAngelo. Many in the industry thought the new hire was a final admission that DeAngelo had been spreading himself too thin and the radio stations needed someone on site.

Enter from Denver, Colorado Mike Jorgensen.

Jorgenson apparently also believed there was something missing from the morning show and he decided to fix it with.....a contest. A contest to in 30 days find Bob Conners a perfect partner. Someone from the everyday world could interact with Conners about music, community events and leisure interests of the target audience. To the left is a scan of a post card that was mailed to the people who responded to the on air promotion. Sort of a picture yourself next to Bob as his perfect partner. It was reported that more than 3000 people from every walk of life applied for the position. As encouraged by the promotion, people needed to respond before this opportunity was Gone With The Wind.

Over 1000 were interviewed in blocks of 6 in 15 minute increments. People were quickly weeded out, but a Central Ohio homemaker survived and had a 15 minute meeting with Conners.

According to area homemaker Dee Barrows, she thought the gig would never go any further. She told Columbus Monthly magazine a few months later that she was "sure he hated me." But she survived that round and eventually made a tape with Conners. And then another taping on January 29, 1976. An hour later, she got a call from Jorgensen announcing she had the job and debuted two mornings later on a Saturday morning dry run.

The following Monday, the show made its official debut. It seemed on the air to be rocky from the start.

Apparently behind the scenes the rockiness was also an issue. Barrows commented in reports that Conners would be sympathetic to her and helpful or withdrawn from her depending on the day. .

The show lasted all of three weeks. By Saturday the end of the third week Conners, no longer smiling as in the picture decided that he had had enough. Tired of daily debriefings after each show, Conners walking into manager Jorgensen's office with resignation papers in hand.

He then headed off to Aspen for a two week respite and skiing trip.

Clearly Bob wasted little time during his discomfort with the the addition of a morning coffee mate and submission of his walking papers. Within a few days of the announcement of his departure, David Drake's Citizen Journal media column headlined that Bob was headed back to WTVN where his personality and characters would once again be used.

And with that, the concept of the Perfect Partner was indeed.........gone with the wind.

As a footnote to non Columbus readers, Bob remains at WTVN and is fondly called the Morning Monarch. He returned to his old afternoon slot for just a few years and by 1979 was appointed host of the morning drive show with the departure of John Fraim. He has held that slot since that time and often maintains the status of Columbus's most listened to radio host.

Growing up, Bob Conners was one of the radio hosts who made an impression on a younr man growing up in Central Ohio.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T19:59:00.005-05:00

Rockin Christmas Courthouse

2008-12-22T09:52:00.010-05:00

Found a diamond in the ruff this past weekend.

Diana and I went to Olgebay to see the Christmas lights. As usual, the display didn't disappoint. And we found the secret to not waiting in a long line to finally get to the park. Get to the park before 5 pm. No 2 hour wait from the freeway to the light show.

Cinderella's coach was one of about 80 displays set throughout the park. Really nice show.

But the true diamond in the ruff was the Guernsey County Courthouse.

We had exited the freeway on the way back home and was looking for someplace unique to eat. We drove up SR 208 to downtown Cambridge and as we approached the center of town, the Guernsey County Courthouse was in the midst of a light show animated to music.

First, this is one of the traditional looking courthouses found in the county seats of most cities with a gothic style of architecture. These courthouses are truly a beauty. But to see the light show so well done on this structure was a sight to behold.

The music is mostly Mannheim Steamroller and Trans Siberian Orchestra music. Perfect for light animation and coordination.

O'm always a fan of the little guy and the little town. Large cities and those who were blessed with wealth have always had the muscle to pull something off. Things small often struggle to find a niche and when they do, find it difficult to curry the resources together to make it work or pull it off.

And while I'm not a fan of grading on a curve, when the Camgridges and Guernsey Countys of the world put together a show as good as this one, they deserve an extra measure of appreciation for a job well done.

Here's a Link to the local newspapers video of the show. Some of the lower light effects cannot be seen well on this video, but watch the whole video to the end and enjoy a really neat way to celebrate the holiday season.

End of Short Evenings

2008-12-14T22:52:00.002-05:00

I am not a fan of evenings being dark early. I begin to notice the change in August an as the summer turns to fall and then to the holiday season, my mood begins to change and not for the better. And while I love the crisp weather and the beautiful fall colors, the fact that it gets dark around 7 and during November it begins to creep closer to 5 pm over runs all the advantages that fall is in this area.

Thankfully, beginning tomorrow, we begin to get brief whisps of extended daylight in the evening. And althought mornings will continue to shorten into Janaury, we've turned the corner on longer periods of darkness in the evening. I can't wait for this change to be discernable to the eye a few days after the new year.

Chuck

2008-11-24T20:22:00.007-05:00

Any reader of this blog knows I frequently write about people in radio who have touched me or left an impression. Most of those writings have involved people who left those impressions and memories when I was very young. This writing involves someone who I still see on a somewhat regular basis.

One of the most gifted and talented people I've ever met is Chuck Adkins.

Chuck's first love is the broadcast world. Specifically radio. Chuck has a smooth delivery, a quick wit and his listeners have always loved his work. Chuck has hosted oldies, top 40 and big band formats with the air name Chuck Howard.

Chuck is also blind. Like in can't see a thing blind. Two glass eyes blind. Zip, nothing, nada. He will never even see something as bland as blurred images or light.

Yet this gifted man can operate an audio board better than many sighted people. I watched in amazement as I "showed" Chuck the new control room at WOSU recently.

We met on a Friday evening. We went through what each input represented, levels and other control room activities. After an hour Chuck had it mastered. And I do mean mastered.

For whatever reason, Chuck's opportunities in commercial radio have been limited. I can't explain why. Clearly he has no problem navigating the audio console. He has a radio voice and could easily fit in as a host for many formats.

Versatile, friendly, hard working, talented, flexible, keen ear for what's important for today.

Yet the calls do not come.

Maybe someday some professional broadcast group or program director will see this blog and fill an opening with Chuck. Until then, some station some where is missing out on a great talent.

Rationing Paperclips

2008-11-17T20:53:00.015-05:00

My friend Mark uses a line to describe companies that are in financial problems: "Things are so tight they are rationing paper clips." Well according to an article in USA Today last Friday, it appears General Motors is doing just that.

On Veterans Day, Diana and I were off on a little day trip. We decided to head up north and cross over into Canada. Why not travel to a foreign country when you're only about three hours away? It's fun crossing the border and using currency different than your own.

We made a stop at the Windsor Casino and played a few pulls on the slots. A little extra blow money that had been saved. Let's say we earned some additional Canadian money while there. In addition, I decided to cross the street and head down to the water front aslong the Detroit River and look across the body of water to review the Detroit skyline.

It's sort of weird standing in one country and looking across the river to see you're just a few hundred feet away from the shores of another. Especially since the country you're standing in is so similar to your own.

It's like looking across the Ohio River into Kentucky or West Virginia, only instead of a state border, it's truly an international border. Somewhere on the surface tension of the water is a line that represents the divide between the United States and Canada. You just can't see it, but it's there.

So what does Windsor, slots and Canada have to do with rationing paperclips?

Well looking directly across the river was the silver skyscraper that serves as world headquarters to General Motors. There was a time when I would have given just about anything to work for the worlds largest automobile manufacturer. At one time you could count on a good salary, generous benefits, lifetime security......or so it seemed. Only these days, few people dream of working for GM. Now there is less retirment security, pay raises for non-union employees have ceased as have matching contributions to employees 401-k vehicles. As noted above, things are so bad, they are essentially rationing paper clips.

Maybe that's the wrong the attitude for me and countless others to take. Maybe the great working people should be looking to work for these very troubled American nameplates and be part of the turnaround team. For at one time, GM, Ford and even Chrysler were looked at as the shining examples of the United States manufacturing might. And maybe they could be once more.

At one time, not only were GM and Ford synonymous with prosperity, but so was Detroit. Yet as you can see by the picture of the office building with no windows, prosperity has long left the motor city. Literally, you can look into a window and see sky on the other side.

Even the neighborhoods of Detroit have seen decay that at one time probably was unthinkable.

I was recently reading an article of how Detroit was trying to transition itself from motor city to a next generation of prosperity city. Yet, I've got to wonder if the Big 3 do go down in the current financial crisis, will it ever recover to continue its climb from the depths of decay.

It was really sad to see a city that was once an icon of America's might and meaning so down on its luck.

Beginnings

2008-11-16T21:40:00.008-05:00

If you live in Columbus, Ohio you readily recognize one of the major features of the region. The Scioto River meanders through the area.

For most people, in their minds it begins at the Columbus Zoo and courses through downtown Columbus. In places, it is deep and wide enough for boating and skiing. Downtown, the Riverfront is being primed to become a focal point for daytime and evening activities.

Yet few people realize that most rivers, whether mighty and wide or simply as large bodies of water begin as a trickle somewhere many miles upstream.

Today we journeyed to the headwaters of the Scioto River on the Hardin/Auglaize County line. We arrived just before sunset on a chilly and blustery November Sunday. The sky was a dull gray. So gray the navy could hide destroyers and battle cruisers in the sky if needed. We experienced the evidence of winter earlier in the trip while driving through the high point in Ohio, Bellefontaine. That area had a thorough dusting of snow. A noticeable chill was in the air.

The river, according to a sing begins as a small drainage ditch in a farm field. Although the sign claims it marks the beginnings of the river, the ditch continues for some distance back into the field. I'm not sure whether the sign marks the official point where the river begins or it's placed there to satisfy those of us who are curious.

There is a farm road that runs parallel with the ditch/river. We attempted to drive the road, but the past few days have been rainy and the road, while appearing solid had a soft and slimy mud covering on the surface. After traveling what seemed to be almost a mile, I decided to turn around.

The ditch/river didn't seem to be getting smaller and the slimy mud coating on the farm road surface began to become deeper and slipperier as we traveled. I had no desire to get stuck in the middle of a farm lane and Diana was getting impatient with the journey. It was a combination of dinner time and fear of getting stuck. Since the journey to the area is not that far, I decided to wait on better conditions to follow the ditch/river to it's initial trickle.

The last official state sign that memorializes the river is on a bridge on State Route 385 about 1/2 mile away from where the marking sign above is located. While this isn't the first time we've been to the area, this is the first time we've seen the sign in the pictures above.

We've been to other river origins. Like the Olentangy, the Great Miami, the Wabash and the Sandusky. Each have there own unique places of beginning. In later entries, we'll try to capture so photos and post what we note.