"Uncle Walter" Dies at 92

TV news has changed so much since Walter Cronkite retired from anchoring the CBS Evening News in 1981, but we often forget how much this one man singlehandedly made the news a much different product than when he started. During his time as "America's most trusted man," "Uncle Walter" took us through some of the most turbulent times in American history. When Cronkite labeled the Vietnam War a "stalemate," President Johnson knew he had lost Middle America's support. From the Kennedy assassination to the moon landing to Watergate, America counted on this one man like no other before or since. It was an informative chat with half of Baby Boomer America.

Gotta Get That Boom Boom Pow

My first exposure to fireworks was as a startled little kid who was introduced to pyrotechnics way too close up for the first time at the St. Augustine's Church Bazaar in North Branford, CT. Long after that fair ceased to be an annual event, I can definitely say my appreciation of an elaborate fireworks display is greater than ever. This past year, I and a few tens of thousands of other people witnessed another impressive show as part of this past Sailfest weekend along the New London / Groton Waterfront. There may be better displays somewhere, but I can't think of any. It was the highlight of a weekend celebration that drew 300,000 people. Norwich had its fireworks the week before. While it may not be fair to compare the Norwich event to the Sailfest show, the Rose City did itself proud, especially in the face of municipal budget cuts. Rebecca and I were very glad to have helped keep the Norwich fireworks going by raising funds one morning on the WBMW Wakeup Club. It's great to see communities pull themselves away from their TVs and computers, get outside and share an outdoor experience - even if only for an hour or two.

Radio Flashback: Opening the Door to a Career

It is hard to believe - 35 years almost to the day since I first went on the radio! "Where did you start" is a common question for broadcasters, so here goes. The week leading up to July 4, 1974 was when I first got on the air. It was at WKBK/Keene, New Hampshire (AM 1220 then, 1290 now), doing "Mobile Lifesaver Reports" from a two-way radio in a big red station wagon with WKBK emblazoned all over it. We did traffic reports - basically two or three intersections were the only busy spots - and holiday safety tips with local sponsors I remember to this day. I was terrified, not being the most extroverted person to begin with, but found it pretty cool to get so many people driving by honking their horns at me. My week there ended doing a busy Sunday signoff shift, when I probably made more mistakes in 4-1/2 hours than I have since! After that week, I concluded that radio wasn't as easy as some broadcasters make it sound on the air. That fall, when I got on the Keene State College radio station, WKNH, I felt like I had the advantage over most of the other staffers who had no commercial radio experience. Little did I know that I had opened the door to a profession that takes more than a week to smooth over the rough edges.

Close Call

July kicked off the way June ended, with endless rain and thunderstorms. This week, however, we came a little too close for comfort to a more potent force of nature: a tornado. I had the TV on late in the afternoon when on came a tornado warning saying it may be headed for Colchester near the Lebanon line at 5:15. It was 5:15, and that's right where I live. The skies were very dark and the trees were blowing, but no tornado arrived. That didn't disappoint me, but it got me thinking where I could get out of its path if it struck. There's no basement in my house, so I guess the only possible refuge in a pinch would be in the shower stall with something like a mattress over me. Perhaps now would be the time to come up with a Plan B. When a tornado is on top of you, the options are limited.