Fall 2015

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WDVR-FM Fall Newsletter

Tidbits & Tales Penn-Jersey Educational Radio Corporation

On Blitzen! “WDVR Lets the DJs Out to Play” Rides Again What a night it was! The event, billed as “WDVR Lets the DJs Out to Play,” featured seven musical performances that involved eight of the voices you hear on WDVR: Ed Saultz, Chip Mergott, Nancy Supko, Walt Haake, Katy Stone, Ted Lyons, Manny Garcia, and Roger Gary. Walt, Ted and Roger brought their bands. Other WDVR hosts played important roles in the event: Jethro Kin as emcee, Patrick Clifford as sound engineer and stage manager, L. Paul Martin as backstage manager, Denise Egielski as photographer and Carla Van Dyk, who oversees events at The Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts Center. Many of the other DJs were there for the show, as well. But what made it really special is the number of listeners who came out to be part of the event. The Center was filled to capacity and smiles abounded, as the show moved along--never a lull, climaxing with all the musicians joining together in a

Pictured Standing Left to Right - Carla, L. Paul, Manny, Chip, Roger, Ted, Walt, Patrick. Sitting: Jethro and Katy. Photo by Denise Egielski grand finale version of “A Little Help From My Friends” with the whole audience singing along. And the help we got from our friends at this fundraising event brought in more $1000 for the station! So we got to thinking, does it have to end? Why not do something like this:

Mark your calendar, because in addition to all WDVR staff, you are invited to WDVR’s Christmas Celebration this year. It’s going to be Friday, December 11th at the Virginia Napurano Center, and it will feature performances by WDVR’s musicians, a Christmas sing-along and more. Stay tuned for more information. ¶

WDVR Christmas Celebration A very special WDVR Christmas Celebration will be held at the Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts Center on Friday, Dec. 11, 7:30 to 10. Special because there will be musical performances by our own DJs: Ted Lyons, Roger Gary, Katy Stone, LPaul Martin, Walt Haake, Ed Saultz, Patrick Clifford, Al Berke, Nancy Supko, Gordon Thomas Ward, and WDVR friend Chip Mergott. Our DJ All-Star concert will be emceed by our own Rich Evans. There will be finger food and goodies provided by our own WDVR folks.

And you listeners are invited! We ask a $12 donation at the door as part of our ongoing fundraising efforts, and we think you’ll get more than your money’s worth with the entertainment and refreshments we’re lining up. While musical performances and Christmas sing-alongs are going on downstairs, upstairs you can refresh yourself with finger food and Christmas punch bowls. So come on out and celebrate the Christmas season with the WDVR family! ¶

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WDVR-FM 89.7

WDVR Thanks Its Underwriters: Andrea Mergentime, Realtor, River Valley Realty............................... 609-397-3007 Artisan Interiors................ 908-797-0905 Basil Bandwagon Natural Market............ ......................................... 908-788-5737 Belon Appraisals............... 610-923-6952 Bill’s Figs.......................... 908-806-4887 Blue Fish Clothing............ 908-996-3720

Become an Underwriter with Your Business or Event Partnering with WDVR - Delaware Valley Radio - can help the customers who are right in your backyard “tune in” to your company’s products and services. We offer a 45 second and a 15 second spot for your message. Contact our office 609-3971620 ext 0 for assistance. You can go online www.wdvrfm.org and click on “Become an Underwriter” for details. Thank you! ¶

Tidbits & Tales A publication of the Penn-Jersey Educational Radio Corporation. PO Box 191 604 Rosemont-Ringoes Road Sergeantsville, NJ 08557 Phone: 609-397-1620 www.wdvrfm.org - Email: host@wdvrfm. org Editor: Carla Van Dyk Design Production: Skyborough Group WDVR is solely responsible for the content herein and law prohibits reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without prior written consent of the copyright holder.¶

Demusz Bros Construction.215-297-8546 Design 24 ........................ 908-310-6126 Fletcher & Sons ............... 908-782-3100 Hopewell Valley Community Bank........... ......................................... 609-466-2900 Hunderton Health Care.. 800-511-4HMC Hunterdon Cancer Center.888-788-1260 Jay Hoff Plumbing............ 609-397-0427 KJK Door Systems........... 908-713-4911 Local 195, IFPTE.............. 732-247-0350 Macs Oil-Burner Srv......... 610-847-8073 Michael Richardson Realtor Kurfiss-Sotheby’s.............................. 609-647-4523

WDVR Cookbook Food lovers and cookbook collectors will treasure this piece of WDVR memorabilia. Contains 245 recipes in 7 categories by our DJs and listeners past and present. All proceeds from the sale benefit the radio station.

NAMI Hunterdon............... 908-284-0500 Oaks Family Restaurant .. 215-766-7838 Ottoman Ceramics............ 908-284-0276 PCF Corp......................... 800-515-8000 Plum Creek Designs......... 908-303-5944 Raab Coin......................... 908-782-0840 Raritan Agway.................. 908-725-9252 Richard Malgran Atty........ 908-399-8895 Rite Move......................... 609-586-6833 Stark & Stark.................... 609-896-9060 Tinsman Bros.................... 215-297-5100 Venus Tile & Marble’s Coal Division........ ......................................... 908-963-5822 Vicki Azar Realtor Kurfiss-Sotheby’s....... ......................................... 215-798-6025 Villa Milagro Vineyard....... 908-995-2072 WoodHeat.......................908-237-9001 ¶

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Order online at www. wdvrfm.org/cookbook. htm. $15.00 + $3.00 SH

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The Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair and WDVR: A Peach of a Pair

Left to right are Len Werner, Nancy Supko and Debbie Koye

Where can you go each August to enjoy some farming festivities, funnel cake, and maybe a bit of frivolity? That’s easy: The Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair - and the WDVR booth. The Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair offers a “slice of life” look at the agricultural side of Hunterdon County and, through 4H exhibits and activities, explores a way of life which was and still is critical to the economy of this region. In addition to the educational and entertainment activities, this non-profit organization offers other local, nonprofit organizations the opportunity to promote themselves and their services to the community. As a business grantor and partner for this project, The Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair is also a supporter of non-profit WDVR. Now in its sixteenth year, the 4H Fair organization took over after the former Flemington Fair shut its doors. Terry Wright, 4H Fair secretary and Board of Directors member, remembered the first two years, when WDVR broadcast The Heartlands Hayride live from the fair. “WDVR has been with us from the beginning.” Terry also summed up the relationship shared by WDVR and the 4H Fair organization. “We both serve our community, we enjoy what we do, and we work together. We have a very natural tie-in with each other. Our organization promotes the

features and benefits of a rural lifestyle, and WDVR does as well.”

This fair is one of WDVR’s biggest yearly events and offers five days of remote broadcasts, possible only by the countless hours of work done by our volunteers. Over twenty volunteers were involved in this year’s event and each one was critical to the event’s success. This year’s fair was packed with fun – and fans – over five days down at the South County Park in Ringoes, NJ. Situated on the porch of the Grandview Grange Tractor Barn, across from the community services tent, the WDVR booth was the place to be. If you stopped by, the way Jim and Patty from Flemington, Jim from Philadelphia, Sam & Hannah from Erwinna, Alice from Bloomsbury and a host of other listeners did, you would have had the chance to visit with some of the members of the WDVR team. Attendees lined up to take part in the Saturday afternoon live bluegrass broadcast, and there was even a visit from Forrest Gump who charmed the folks and left the Jukebox Saturday Night team speechless (yes, speechless). Not everything was frivolity, as a large part of WDVR’s involvement i n t h e eve n t focused on education. In addition to letting our listeners know about the various 4H

groups and activities, we were also there to let them know about the other non-profit groups participating in the fair and the services and resources they offer to local residents. Representatives of various organizations were interviewed and shared information about current issues impacting the community. Whether the topic was environmental education, beekeeping, equine resources, or technology education, we were there to help connect our listeners with these resources. This partnership between WDVR and the Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair benefits not only our two organizations, but our community as well. Terry Wright offered a final thought on our partnership. “Through the majority of WDVR’s programming, our connection to each other and the community is enhanced,” For more information on the Hunterdon County 4H & Agricultural Fair, their website is www. co.hunterdon.nj.us/4hagfair.htm. For more information on underwriting opportunities and partnering your business or event with non-commercial WDVR, call 609.397.1620, x0. ¶

LARGE TREE TRANSPLANTING & INSTALLATION

AMERICAN REESCAPES www.americantreescapes.com

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Family owned & operated for over 30 years Page 3

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A Diversified Musical Life By Nancy Supko

Raul Malo with Nancy Supko As you know, WDVR.WPNJ features a diversified lineup of talk and musical programs. This is very appealing to many people, including myself. I have always loved music. I remember playing 45s and LPs on my “kiddie” record player, the one with the really thick heavy needle that would dig into the grooves, including the “Meet The Beatles” album, which my parents must have bought for me. Later, we got one of those tabletop RCA stereos, The speakers unfolded from the sides and the turntable came down from the center. The LPs played on this ranged from Connie Francis and Dean Martin to Ernest Tubb and Charley Pride. When I got older, I had my own stereo in my bedroom and with the door shut, would sing along with all of my favorites of the day, including Broadway cast recordings. I was fortunate to be exposed to very good music programs in both elementary and school and high school. I was told at a rather early age that I had a “good ear” and over the years, that “good ear” came to serve me well, We always sang at school assemblies beginning in kindergarten, and in fourth grade, we had the option to take up a musical instrument, For whatever reason, I chose the Page 4

clarinet, which I played all the way through high school. In the seventh grade I was given my first acting role as Mrs. Claus in “Holiday for Santa.” I was perfect for the part as I was the chubbiest girl in the class! In high school, I was in several plays and musicals with my tour de force performance during my senior year as Mrs. Mae Peterson in “Bye Bye Birdie” - ironically, not a singing role except for a bit of chorus work, I started my “professional” show biz career at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA in its annual production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which I appeared in for several years. I then did the show for several more years with Midnight Productions, based in Buckingham, PA, with the highlight being our annual Easter time run at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA. All told, I did “JCS” for nearly 30 years. I also appeared in shows for five years at Peddler’s Village Dinner Theater, which was upstairs at the Cock and Bull Restaurant. We had a very small stage in the corner of the room but did some really wonderful shows there. My greatest role at PV was as Bloody Mary in “South Pacific.” I got to work with a lot of very talented people and those were some very formative years for me. I then got involved with Fred Miller’s Copper Penny Players right here in Sergeantsville. When I first joined the troupe, they would do a “stripped down” version of a musical at their

revues with minimal dialog, but most of the songs. My first big number in a revue was “Johnny One Note” from “Babes in Arms.” Then Fred cast me in a role I could only have dreamed of - Laurey in “Oklahoma!” Apparently I really impressed Fred and shortly after that, he asked me to audition to be part of his professional singing group, The Silver Dollar Singers. I then performed with Silver Dollar for fifteen years. Again I got to work with some incredibly talented people and was given many opportunities I would not have had otherwise. With Silver Dollar, I got to perform music from “The Great American Songbook” and even some operetta. It was a great learning experience. We performed many times at Phillips Mill (where they have the art show) and all around Bucks County and NJ. Fred and I also appeared at Odette’s for several years. In the meantime, I became involved with WDVR. Fred actually had a program there and was looking for someone to fill in for him when needed. I said I would give it a try, learned to operate the system console, and started subbing. An opening soon came up and I was offered my own show, When I first started at WDVR, I really had no goal of becoming a DJ but as has happened to so many others, I got hooked, and “Saturday Afternoon Ballroom” was born! I was on the air from noon to 3PM. Then one day I got a call from ...continued on next column

www.wdvrfm.org ...Continued from Page 4 Ginny Lee, asking if I might be willing to relinquish an hour of my show so that they could squeeze in Walt Haake’s program, “The Mist of Avalon,” which was going to get bumped by a new show that was coming on Saturday nights. I happily agreed and was then on from 1-3PM. By the way, that new show on Saturday nights was “Heartlands Hayride!” I did “Ballroom” for twelve years before “life” intervened. However, I continued to perform on the Hayride and after a few years, I felt I wanted to get back in the chair as a sub.

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Before I could make a final decision an opening came up on Wednesday nights. I pondered whether I really wanted the commitment of a full-time show again. I ended up calling Frank Napurano and he said the spot was mine if I wanted it.. In April 2012 “Nashville Nightlife” began airing on Wednesday nights from 7-10PM. I am very happy to be back on the air, I have great listeners, and a great family here at WDVR/WPNJ! I enjoy sharing my musical knowledge and keeping “good music” alive. We all appreciate your ongoing support and hope you will continue to allow us to be part of your life for many years to come. We truly cannot do it without YOU! ¶

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WDVR-FM 89.7

Garden Maintenance 101   by Carl Molter; Into the Garden

Listen Wednesdays 5 to 6 pm Cultivate Your Garden Style Which one is best for you?

It’s difficult to talk about garden design with my clients without mentioning style. It sits at the core of many design solutions, and we find our most rewarding work is for clients who clearly communicate a style. Magazines feature a dizzying array of styles from fabulous-looking gardens all over the country; where does one begin picking their garden style? For starters, look around your house, inside and out. You’ve probably expressed some style choosing your home and its furnishings. The most successful gardens connect strongly with the house, with style knitting the two together by maintaining a strong visual continuity from indoors to out. In addition to your home, the suitability of your property to a certain style should be taken into account. The less you have to alter your land to fit a style, the easier and more economical your design will be to build. Is your property flat or sloped? Large or small? Big, level areas take well to doing grand, formal European styles. Steep hillsides work out best when worked into a Natural theme. For small yards styles that require small, detailed spaces such as Cottage and Japanese do well. Wooded sites take better to natural, informal styles better than highly regimented formal ones. Lastly, examine the overall character of your area. Informal styles such as country or cottage look their best in a rural setting. If you are in Page 6

a close-together neighborhood of small lots, you can draw from sophisticated, historic town styles to create an urbane landscape. Once you have chosen a style, creating your dream landscape will be easier. When you need to make design decisions, just remember to select the options that best support the style you seek. Here are some styles popular with our clients that look well-athome in our area: Bucks County: a look unique to this area, mostly informal but not always, using local materials such as fieldstone, bluestone, and red gravel. Cottage: for the plant lover, for the look relies on an abundance of varying plants, mostly flowering, in a small space. Formal/European: usually a balanced, symmetrical garden along a strongly-defined axis, terminating in a fountain or statuary. French Country: a relaxed look with little of the formality French gardens are famous for. Italian: gardens have more hardscape and less planting, and are formally arranged, employing statuary and water features combine with strong vertical plant form. Japanese: difficult to achieve with your average home, but its basic concepts of simplicity and abstraction of nature within a small space can be key elements of any garden design. Modern/Contemporary: in-

creasingly popular like the architecture, this style relies on simple, bold statements. Materials, whether rustic or tailored, are used with little ornament. Natural: a style that mimics nature. Paving and plantings strive to look like they’ve developed naturally. Of course, these are very general categories. Everyone has their own unique style, and it just takes some thought how to translate that to your outdoor environment. It can be a fun process if you are not afraid to experiment and pick elements appropriate to your home and site character. So get out those magazines; hit Houzz and Pinterest, and cultivate your outdoor style!. ¶

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WDVR-FM Program Schedule 89.7 Delaware Township, NJ - 96.9 Trenton, NJ, 90.5 WPNJ Easton, PA - www.wdvrfm.org

6 AM - 9 AM 9 AM - Noon Monday Morning Good Monday Magic Morning David McDaid Chuck Pelesky Morning Mix Easy Rock, Pop of Big Band & More Theater & More

Noon - 3 PM Echoes From the Hills Richard Evans Bluegrass

6 AM - 9 am 9 AM - Noon Noon - 3 PM Heidi’s Hideaway Country Roundup Memories & More Heidi Radio Rita & Karen Marga & 45 Joe 50’s thru 60’s Classic Rock & Traditional Country New Country Oldies

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

MONDAY

Penn-Jersey Educational Radio Corporation

6 AM - 9 am Bluegrass Breakfast Susan Rose Blue Grass, Country

9 AM - Noon Wednesday with Walt Walt Haake Walt’s Favorite Tracks

Noon - 3 PM Midweek Midday Matinee Bob Wallace Popular Hits

6 AM - 9 am Honky Tonk Roadhouse Ted Lyons Folk & Rock

9 AM - Noon Curtain Up Don Collester Theater & Cabaret

Noon - 2 PM High Noon Country Bob Jackson Country

6 AM - 9 am Hot Wax Studebaker Hawk 50’s & 60’s Oldies

9 AM - Noon TGIF Ted & Roger The 60’s Experience

Noon - 3 PM Bleecker Street Cafe Chris Poh & Ed Petersen Conversation & Folk Music

6 AM - 9 am Route 66 Russ Hunsberger Americana, Bluegrass & Country

9 AM - Noon Radio Ranch Charlie Harrison Country

3 PM - 5 PM Out & About With Manny Garcia Interviews, Music and Chat

3 PM - 5 PM Oldies & More Tim Bush

5 PM - 7 PM These Days Talk & Interviews Host Gordon Ward

10 PM - Mid 6 PM - 7 PM 7 PM - 10 PM The Lowdown Bluegrass Horizon Pop, Rock & Soul Train Victoria & Rosalind Mike Wuerstle Marie Keegan Davis Today’s Bluegrass Gossip & News

5 PM - 6 PM 6 PM - 6:30 PM Stepping Stones The Children’s Shelf Hilary Murray Dee Smith & Kids Social Issues 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM Technology Today Richard Kazimir Computer Info

7 PM - 8 PM On Guitar Carla Van Dyk Guitar Tracks The Sound Alternative Carla Van Dyk

10 PM - Mid Arriba! Carla Maria Left Bank of Seine Tom Bleck Jazz, Rock & More (Last Tuesday Only)

10 PM - Mid 6 PM - 7 PM 7 PM - 10 PM 5 PM - 6 PM 3 PM - 5 PM Into the Garden The Mini-Caravan Nashville Nightlife The Music Shop Dogs Rule Nancy Supko Tom Foreman & Michele Armstrong Carl Molter & Debbi Koye Country Chuck Peletsky Rock & Folk All About Dogs: Leslie Guli Acoustic Mix, Pop Interviews with Talk about gardens Vocals plants & more Experts & Info on Canine Care 5 PM - 7 PM 2 PM - 5 PM Cruz In Tempus Scott O’Dowd John Cole 50’s & 60’s Classic News & Interviews with a Little Music Thrown In R&B, Oldies 3 PM - 4 PM Anything Goes Rock w/ Gene M.

4 PM - 5 PM The World of Work Shep Cohen Interviews with Authors & Misc Walks of Life

5 PM - 7 PM Country Store Guest DJ’s Traditional Country

7 PM - 10 PM freewheelin’ Jethro Kin Folk, Rock & Lots of Dylan

10 PM - 12:30 AM Soundings Bill & Mary Rock, Folk, Blues and Jazz

7 PM - 10pm Country Routes Len “LJ” Werner Country & Yodeling

10pm to Midnight Hickory Wind Bill Kahlke Country Rock, Folk

Noon - 1 PM 4 PM - 6 PM 6 PM - 8 PM 8 PM - 11 PM Classic Country The Road Less Heartlands Hayride Jukebox Saturday Gold Travelled 2nd & 4th weeks Night Richard Evans Melba Toast Live Barn Dance Show - from the Art & Deb 1 PM - 4 PM Eclectic Mix, Folk, Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts Center Music of the 40’s Bluegrass Junction Country & More Mix of Country & Bluegrass thru 50’s Richard Evans 1st, 3rd & 5th weeks Fun and Games Russ Hunsberger

Church Services 11 AM - 1 PM 1 PM - 4 PM 6am Moody Church Celtic Sunday Tin Pan Alley 7am Milford Presbyterian Brunch Guest DJ’s 7:30am Amwell Church of the Brethren Walt Haake, Patrick Music Before 1950 8am Cornerstone Christian Clifford, Eileen 8:30 Bible Truth Fisher, Ed Saultz 9am Songtime Weekend Irish & Celtic Music 9:30am Luthren Hour 10am Sing for Joy 10:30am Ravi Zacharias

4 PM - 7 PM Katy’s Cafe Katy Stone Rock ‘n’ Roll

11 PM - 2 AM Midnight Jazz Al Berke

All you night owls 10 PM - MID 7 PM - 10 PM tune in. The Other Side Currents & TradiWe play music L. Paul Martin tions Beatles, Blues & you’ll love all night Eileen Fisher long. B-Sides Folk, World, Native

WDVR-FM - PO Box 191 - Sergeantsville, NJ 08557 Tel: 609-397-1620 - www.wdvrfm.org

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WDVR-FM 89.7

The Story Behind the Song… Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” by Walt Haake “Wednesdays with Walt” Nobody thought the song could be a hit. The only reason it even ended up on the album, Every Picture Tells a Story, was that Rod Stewart, who wrote and sang it, didn’t want to spend more money and time in the studio to record another song. Mercury, the record company, thought so little of “Maggie May” they put it on the B-side of “Reason to Believe,” the lead single from the album.

and started playing “Maggie May.” Phones lit up with enthusiastic listeners, record stores got requests, and radio stations nationwide soon got on the bandwagon. Before long, it seemed like all you heard on the radio was Stewart’s raspy voice singing, “Wake up Maggie I think I got something to say to you / It’s late September and I really should be back at school.”

The song entered the Top 40 the end of August, climbed steadily, and by late Sep-

“Reason t o B e l i e v e ,” written by Tim Hardin in 1965, entered the charts in July of 1971, but failed to crack the Top 40. But then a DJ at “The Mighty 92” WOKY in Milwaukee (or WMEX in Boston, or a Cleveland station— the stories vary) flipped over the 45 Page 8

temb e r, when teenagers and college students did get back to school, it became a full blown hit, topping the charts for the entire month of October. This led to increased album sales and to Every Picture Tells a Story becoming the top-selling LP. The same story unfolded in Stewart’s native Britain, which gave him the distinction of hav-

ing the #1 song and album in both the US and UK simultaneously. What was it about this endof-summer, loss-of-innocence tale that nearly got left off the album because the label said it didn’t have a melody? The storyline certainly resonated with the teenagers and college kids, but there was also something about the sound of the record. The recording session cooked, with Rod belting out the vocals, backed by members of The Faces, with whom he had been playing and recording on a regular basis. But the guest musicians seem to have added the special sauce. Ray Jackson of the British folk rock band Lindisfarne came up with and played the striking mandolin part. Guitarist Martin Quittenton completed the songwriting with Stewart and came up with the intro. And drummer Micky Waller, who had played with many of the biggest names on the UK rock and blues scene—including Stewart on several projects—drove the song home. What about Maggie May? Who was she? Stewart borrowed the title from a Liverpool folk song about a Lime Street prostitute who robbed sailors returning from sea. But he acknowledges that as a young fellow he had snuck into a jazz festival, where an older, aggressive woman, somewhat larger than him, decided to have her way with him. When asked, how much older, Stewart famously replied, “I can’t tell you - but old enough to be highly disappointed by the brevity of the experience.” ¶

The

“Blue-Plate

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Upcoming Concerts: Visit WDVRFM.ORG

Special”

by Bob Jackson For three generations “Order Up!” were the words that were heard coming from the kitchen spoken by the short order cook when a blue-plate special was ready to be served. Every Thursday on “High Noon Country” I serve up a Blue grass Special off our blue grass tunes in a row based on the blueplate special. Over the years several callers have asked me to explain just what a blue-plate special is. The blue-plate special (or blue-plate special) is a dish used in the United Sates by dining establishments, usually in diners, cafes, greasy spoons and momand-pop eateries. The term usually refers to a bargain-basement, but wholesome, meal that changes each day, typically made up of” meat and three” served upon a single plate, with no substitutions. Often it is a meat, potato and two veggies. Years ago, it was a square meal for two bits; the term was very common from the 1920s through the 1960s from coast-to-coast and border-to-border and the rest ill are a few eats joints that offer blue-plate specials. How the phrase all got

started is a bit of a mystery. According to citations in Wikipedia, during the Depression a tableware manufacturer started making plates with separate sections for each part of the meal and the plates were only available in the color blue. There are also references to inexpensive, divided plates that were decorated with blue patterns. However, the first known use of the term dates to 1892.

Saturday March 5th WDVR’s Big Irish Show

The term became common starting in the late 1920s and was widely used, not only on menus, but also in popular literature, print advertisements, radio and stories, motion pictures and television. Even though it’s not widely offered on restaurant menus much anymore, “blueplate special” still pops up here and there in modern lingo and media.

special is, tune in every Thursday for “High Noon Country” on listenersupported Delaware Valley. Radio and enjoy the Bluegrass Special in the second half of each show. Until then, so long. ¶

Sunday March 20th The Opera Project (details coming)

N ow t h a t you know what the blue-plate

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WDVR-FM 89.7

WDVR Fall Fund Drive We are starting our Fall Fund Drive at a later date, November 1, this year, but shortening it as well. As you consider where your charity dollars go, it is difficult to equate a radio station with more severe human needs. However, consider your reasons for listening to WDVR. Is it because we play the most diverse music in the area? Is it because we bring you news and weather? Is it because we bring you news of events in your area and broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Or, is it because we keep you company and make and recall memories for you? Perhaps it is because you can talk with us and we’ll play music you request. Maybe it is because we are just like you away from the microphone and understand how we want radio programs to be. It is probably all those things, and if you value what we bring you, we would really appreciate your support. WDVR is an all-volunteer public radio station and its survival and viability depend on donations. This station cannot be here without your help. Fund-raising time is not the only time to contribute, however. By calling or visiting the website, you can make a donation any time of the day or night, every day of the year. Why, if annual donations were adequate, we wouldn’t need a fund drive period. So keep WDVR right where you like us, won’t you? ¶

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Call (609) 397-1620 or use PayPal on wdvrfm.org

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terested. Not really knowing much about polka, I said okay with a little trepidation. But then I thought, “Any radio announcer worth her salt can play anything and make it sound like a great show.” So one Wednesday afternoon, Ann asked me to come on her show to get a feel for the station. I took the drive out to Sergeantsville and sat in with her, reading the weather and CBB’s. The radio bug that had been dormant for more than 20 years came back to bite me again.

We recently asked our program hosts what had lured them to WDVR. Here are some of their answers. “Radio Rita” Cleary, who cohosts Country Roundup, recalls, “On a lark, I took my first radio course at Mercer County Community College (“why not?”), and liked it so much that I took them all. Since I was then beyond the normal age for a career in commercial radio, my professor suggested I contact WDVR. The stars lined up for me! I had a great interview with Ginny, who offered me a one-hour weekly talk show. That was in 2002. I’ve been part of the WDVR family ever since.” “Blame it on Vito,” says Jethro Kin, host of Freewheelin’. “Vito and I worked together for many years, never listening to the radio. Then one day when he was leaving early, he told me to try 89.7. A while after he left, I remembered the number and tuned it in to hear one of my favorite songs, “Witchi-Tai-To” by Brewer and Shipley. That was followed by grants, news and weather, and then a woman with a noisy baby on her lap reading a children’s story. Vito!, what kind of station is this?! The next morning, a Saturday, I tuned it in on my way to work and heard Russ playing some great bluegrass. After a week of tuning it in, PAGE 12

I was hooked on WDVR. Before long, I was calling the DJs and helping out, and after two DJ for an Hour shows, I got the bug. And here I still am, and I still listen to that first show I tuned in, the Bleecker Street Café, and all the rest.” Chuck Pelesky, host of Good Monday Morning, had been told several times in his life that he sounded like someone on the radio. “While the thought appealed to me,” recalls Chuck, “I never took it seriously. It was at a Chamber of Commerce Fair that I found the WDVR booth. The idea of being a “DJ for an hour” seemed like a good one. When I did it, I fell in love for the second time in my life.” Katy Stone, host of Katy’s Cafe, says, “It was my 3rd cousin, Ann Smith, former host of Songs from the Attic. I saw her at a family funeral where she found out that I had a degree in Radio Broadcasting and had worked at a number of stations in Warren, Sussex and Northampton counties in the 80’s. She told me about WDVR. I listened to it a few times but since I could only get it on my computer, I kind of forgot about it. A short time later, I heard from Ann again, who told me that there was an opening on the Sunday afternoon Polka Party and asked if I would I be in-

The next thing I knew was that I was now the new hostess of the Polka Party from 4-6 p.m. every Sunday afternoon, starting on the last Sunday in April 2009. Seven months later, Ginny wanted to lay the Polka Party to rest and Katy’s Cafe was born!” The Polka Party show figured into Walt Haake’s discovery of WDVR as well. Walt hosts Wednesdays with Walt every week and Celtic Sunday Brunch once a month. “Back in 1998,” he recalls, “my wife, our eight year old son and I were driving home after an early dinner at our favorite restaurant. I was fiddling with the car radio as we were coming down the mountain into Rocky Hill. Suddenly, polka music was playing and we found ourselves jumping up and down in our seats so much it felt like our old Subaru wagon was skipping down the mountain. Whatever the station was, I set one of the buttons on the radio to it. The next time I drove the car, bluegrass music was on the air. Another time it was big band music. Then I got the call letters: WDVR. Tuning in one Thursday morning, I heard the voice my old friend, Ted Lyons on the air there. I called Ted, and he said ‘Amigo, you need to talk to Frank and Ginny.’ The best advice I ever got!” ... How Did I Get Here? Continued on Page 14

seemed to be able to capture the sound and feeling that was, and is, Beatles music by The Beatles.

The Enduring Beatles by L. Paul Martin

About a year ago, The Other Side, hosted by L. Paul Martin, began playing Beatles music during the first half of the show. The Beatles, as most people know, came on the American scene in late 1963, fifty-two years ago(!), and by 1970, they were done. Of course, the individual members continued to produce solo efforts for many years, with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr still performing and releasing new music. But the songs created by The Beatles have lived on, generation after generation. The band, generally acclaimed as the greatest pop group ever, created a trove of good and memorable music for which people never seem to tire. On The Other Side, the music itself is the focal point, finding covers by popular artists and bands, and studio musicians and European acts, that play the music for the love of it. It is extremely interesting to hear artists covering these songs, giving them new flavor and voice, and exploring what the music says and means without the charm and charismatic influence of its creators. Often, it is just plain fun. The legacy of such a genre-changing band is not in its influence, as no one

Occasionally an Oasis or another band has come along and used harmonies and melodies that were reminiscent, but not with the changes and complexity of the Beatles, who themselves were influenced by early rockabilly stars, like Carl Perkins and The Everly Brothers. The band members were always proud that the bulk of their writing was about love and melody, not that they weren’t enamored with special effects from time to time (Revolution #9, Tomorrow Never Knows, etc.). There never will be another band so adept at producing instant memories through its music. Even the individual members have never been able to reproduce the feeling, though McCartney has come very close on occasion. So we listen on, remember, ponder, and mostly enjoy what the lads have given us, and, on The Other Side, we get to hear how others play this grand music. It produces a different reaction, that many think, is an enjoyable experience. ¶

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... How Did I Get Here? continued from Page 12 Ted Lyons played a role in attracting several other DJs to WDVR as well, one of which is Melba Toast, host of The Road Less Traveled. “It was around 2006,” says Melba, “and I had recently moved to Hunterdon County. Channel surfing on my radio dial to find something interesting (because main-stream radio just wasn’t doin’ it for me), I came across 89.7 FM. I heard this person talking, and I liked his character and his groove. He was easy-going, his show was low key, and yet he played great music, and told funny stories that made me laugh out loud. That DJ was Ted Lyons, and his show prompted a bunch of questions and comments, like: ‘Wow, this radio DJ seems like a real person!’ and ‘What exactly is this WDVR place?’ and ‘I want to learn more!’ I ventured out to a WDVR event just to meet Ted, and later he allowed me to come visit him several times during his show. It was great fun to be on air, and to learn the behind-the-scenes of a radio station. I had no intentions of doing my own show, until one day I had a vision for what my show could be. It was only a matter of months until my show vision became a reality. I’ve been on the air for six years at WDVR, and it is a true honor and privilege that I am allowed to be a part of this magical place.” Bill Kahlke, host of Hickory Wind, also got hooked on WDVR through Ted Lyon. Bill explains, “I had pretty much given up on music on the radio by 2007. I never found a replacement for WNEW-FM and floated from talk radio to sports radio and even Christian radio. One day I was on the left end of the dial and heard Willie and Merle doing “Pancho and Lefty.” I had never heard it on the radio before. I kept listening to a show, which was identified as The Honky Tonk Roadhouse by a DJ named Ted Lyons. I was hooked and soon heard him talk about something PAGE 14

called a DJ for an hour and the rest, thanks to Ted and Ginny, is history.” The DJ for an Hour is also part of story for Bob “BJ the DJ” Jackson, host of High Noon Country. “During our trips out to Pennsylvania,” recalls BJ, “My wife Cathy and I heard several of the shows on DVR and liked really liked them. Then Cathy gave me a “DJ for an Hour” for Christmas of ‘07. Then I was on-air with Charlie Harrison in May of 2008, followed by two more visits with Smith & Wesson, after which Ginny offered me the Thursday slot at noon. So I wasn’t lured; I was reeled in to DVR.” Manny Garcia, host of Out & About, is another one who was reeled in. “I was a weekly guest on a show on WDVR,” recalls Manny. “I enjoyed interviewing people and being part of the show, doing my part to make sure people knew about resources and important events in the community. When the host of show left, I was then asked to take over. That said, the most important reason that I stayed on at WDVR was Mr. Frank Napurano. Frank mentored me and encouraged me to be bold and to “just go out and do the right thing.” He helped me understand what a privilege it is to be on the air, and what a great responsibility one has as a steward of the airwaves. The many friendships that I have gained from the DJ’s and staff and our listeners made the whole “WDVR” experience a bright spot in my life.” Studebaker Hawk, host of Hot Wax, heard about WDVR more than 20 years ago, “while I was playing golf with Jeff Caldwell, and he mentioned he DJ’d for WDVR, a blues and jazz show. I contacted the station and began helping out when I could, sitting at the WDVR table at Shadfest, using my van to cart things back and forth for the station, and so on. It was a unique station to be a part of, certainly different than anything I had ever hear on radio.

One day, Ginny called and asked if I would do an interview at Merck. She handed me a tape recorder, and I returned with a half hour of Q & A. To my surprise (and delight!), it aired that night! Three weeks later, Ginny called on a Saturday and asked if I would be able to take an early Friday morning slot starting the next Friday. A bit terrified but very excited, I started Hot Wax with only a bunch 45’s and albums.” For ”Dead Air Don” Schlachter, it began with an as invitation to the Heartlands Hayride show about 15 years ago. “I was a fan of and a technical director for live theater” recalls Don, ”and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I tuned into Hot Wax the next Friday morning on my way to work and totally enjoyed Studebaker Hawk, his choice of music, his banter, and his sense of humor. When I tuned in again the following week, it was a fundraiser and I happily contributed. Subsequent show-time conversations with Hawk led to an invitation for me to visit the studio during a Hot Wax broadcast, after which.........I was hooked! I became the Hawk’s “second” and have been here ever since. The “Dead Air Don” moniker was hung on me by Ted Lyons and has continued to be my radio ID and persona.” Heidi, host of Heidi’s Hideaway, fondly recalls, “Tuning into an hysterically funny country music show on a Friday evening, with my husband. We became addicted to The Country Store, with a dog named Rufus beside a potbelly stove and two old timers that never seemed to end a simple game of checkers. The sheriff with a sweet tooth would stop by now and then, and the show host’s wife was laughing and teasing in the background. Years later, I went to the station to drop off a CBB for my church. A beautiful person came to the door. I asked if I could volunteer, and Carla immediately replied ‘yes’. I came back the next day, and here I am.” ¶

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WDVR-FM 89.7 Nonprofit Organization US Postage Paid Flemington, NJ

PO Box 191 Sergeantsville, NJ 08557 WDVR-FM is a service of PennJersey Educational Radio A Nonprofit Corporation

Permit #94

Celebrating 25 Years Broadcasting Our Fall Fund Drive is November 1st to November 14th

WDVR’s Heartlands Hayride Takes place the 2nd and 4th Saturday monthly from 6-8pm. Admission $12, doors open 4:30 for food At The Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts Center in 522 Rosemont-Ringoes Rd Sergeantsville, NJ

Dates November 7th Last Small Town BGB November 21st Wood Glen December 5th Mountain Heritage BGB December 19th Christmas Show

Travis Wetzel Christmas & Holiday Special Friday December 4 - 7:30pm $15, refreshments Join Travis & Friends for this special gathering at The Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts Center www.traviswetzel.com

Become a DJ for an hour. $100 Donation on the show of your choice. Call for details 609-397-1620 Page 16