Spring 2015 Newsletter

April 2015
www.wdvrfm.org
WDVR-FM Spring Newsletter
Tidbits & Tales
Penn-Jersey Educational Radio Corporation
Frank Napurano founded WDVR
with a unique vision back in February
1990. For the last 25 years, he acted
as President and General Manager
to create a community minded radio
station where listeners could feel at
home. He hosted numerous shows
since then including Tidbits & Tunes
with his wife Ginny Lee and the ever
popular The Country Store. Frank
was 78 when he died at home. He
was not only our leader, he was a
kind friend and inspiration. The entire WDVR family appreciates your
prayers…and understanding…as
we adjust during this very difficult
time.
Memorial service Sunday
April 12 at 2pm in The Virginia
Napurano Cultural Arts Center In lieu of flowers donations can
be made to WDVR in memory
of Frank for his labor of love –
WDVR. ¶
In Memorium
Frank Napurano June 7, 1936 - March 20, 2015
From the President:
The Dream
by Frank “Napp” written on March 17, 2015
It stood in her living room between the two windows like a tall, carved
wooden shrine. As a seven or eight year old, I often spent Friday evenings
at Grandma’s house, sitting before the shrine on an oval, living room rug,
listening to that big radio. As I recall, it was at least 12 feet tall and 4 feet wide
and had two big cathedral doors that took at least two little anxious hands to
open. Behind those doors there was a large, round, yellow, moon-faced dial
with a double-pointer and frequencies numbers all around its circumference.
At some spots it read Police, Amateur, Aviation and even “Foreign”.
The shortwave bands crackled with strange, wonderful sounds of
Morse code signals, foreign music and voices that intrigued me.
This shrine boasted of three shortwave bands plus standard
broadcast, each in a different color, and a mysterious magic tuning
eye that winked at you as the stations went by. It was that very magic
box that infected me with a life-long “air-borne” virus, thousands of
mind pictures and a special dream. A dream to continue producing
those life-long mind pictures for another generation of us kids.
Oh yes; you may not know it, but
radio does have pictures, pictures
that are limited only by the listener’s
imagination. And even more
amazing, unlike TV, every listener
sees completely different pictures.
I can still see Roy and Dale
down at the Double “R” Bar Ranch,
complete with the horses tied up out
front at the hitching post. I still have
full-color file footage somewhere
way back in my head of Superman
saving the day by swooping down and
holding up that dynamited railroad
trestle so the train can pass safely.
And I can delve way back into
my dark recesses, anytime I want,
to download images of the Lone
Ranger and Tonto riding through the
canyon on their way to head off the
...Continued on Page 2
Page 1
WDVR-FM 89.7
Tidbits &
Tales
WDVR-FM
25 YEARS
ANNIVERSARY
…from The Dream Page 1
bad guys at the pass. And the scene
is in full glorious color, accompanied
by the William Tell Overture in full,
rich stereo sound; even though
those things were yet to be invented.
Memories are like that, you know,
you can download them, dust them
off, shine them up and make them
more glorious than that day in the
dim past when they were recorded.
The lyrics to that Disney song
claim, “A dream is a wish your heart
makes, when you’re fast asleep”.
I guess, in a way, there is some
truth to that, but in real life it takes
a lot more than just a dreamer
and his dream. I certainly didn’t
manifest the dream all by myself;
it takes many hands and dreamers
to make a dream come true.
Lucky for me I had an
unbelievably positive and wonderful
soul mate in Ginny who never said
no to any of my ideas and the aid,
ideas and clever planning of Lavina
Louise. Add to that some very
talented engineering collogues like
Charles Loughery and Bob Wick
who always have a ready black
box of electronic tricks of their own.
And of course literally hundreds
of very talented and dedicated
volunteers who freely give of
their time and talents on the air.
But, you know, even all that
would not have kept the magic
box alive for very long. It required
the WDVR “Family” of thousands
of listeners and local business
owners who also believed it was a
worthwhile dream and showed their
financial support. For 25 years our
listeners and underwriters never
...continued on next column
Page 2
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: [email protected]
STILL GOING
STRONG…
Memories and
Musings
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.
by Tim Bush
I remember it well… the day I
discovered a ‘friendly’ radio station
on the left end of the FM dial.
My fourteen year old daughter,
watching me adjust a shelf-top
rabbit-ears antenna, witnessed the
happy sounds of POLKA music
emanating from the hi-fi speakers.
Shocked and appalled, she covered
her ears and ran out of the room,
yelling “Oh, no, he’s found a new
polka station on the radio!” (I guess
...continued on next column
...continued from previous column
failed to come to our aid, especially
at fund raising time. It didn’t matter
that the economy was poor or they
were a little low. They never failed
to dream right along with us. ¶
Please Support WDVR
During This Spring
Fundraiser
April 13 - May 10th
Call 609-397-1620 ext. 5
To make your pledge.
We Thank You!
...continued from previous column
my part-German heritage has
provided a penchant for the brassy
oom-pah-pah beat!)
It was Spring of 1991; that
was the beginning of my developing
a special FM-radio companionship.
The FM station presented their
Delaware Township identity as
“WDVR, 89.7 FM,Your diversification
station, Your neighbors serving
you.”
Indeed!…
Captivated
by
both musical variety as well as
fascinating
comments
about
the artists and the music, I was
permanently hooked. Not wanting
to miss the companionship of this
‘WDVR’ family, I had portable radios
playing throughout the house—
office, garage-workshop, back
patio—constantly playing ‘89.7
FM’, day in and day out. Savoring
the scrumptious radio content, I
discovered that the music was handpicked by knowledgeable volunteer
DJs, unlike the mechanicallychosen Top 40 playlist as played
on those other “chrome-plated”
stations. On WDVR, there was
news of community events, road
closings, lost pets, as well as
humorous comments.
A radio
station that entertained its listeners
with new songs, many old songs,
local talent, health issues. I found
…continued on page 3
…Memories from Pg 2
a collection of new friends- on the
radio! Imagine!
Little did I realize that my warm
WDVR discovery would lead me, 10
years later in May 2001, to become
one of the DJs, thanks to Darlene
Renner of the original Memories
& More program. Darlene had
invited me to share 50’s and 60’s
Instrumental “oldies” as a guest on
her show. The listeners loved the
music and presentation; I enjoyed
sharing my knowledge of the music
and artists.
The next step was
the five-session WDVR training
process which involved sitting in
and observing the expertise of
two different DJ’s and programs,
providing ample variety-enhanced
experience. This was followed by
various “Substitute DJ” stints on
different shows. For example, I
was able to pretend I could present
Jane Kessler’s Cabaret music
and info, only because I had been
indoctrinated to her “Broadway”
genre as an avid fan of Jane’s. Then,
sometime in August of 2001, I had
“graduated” from WDVR school, and
became a member of the DJ family.
There was no paper diploma, only
the understood pride of being able
to function as a competent radio
broadcaster, as a WDVR family
member.
Back in the early 1990s,
my WDVR reception was a bit
challenging in the Lansdale/
Doylestown area.
The youthful
WDVR 500 watt signal emanated
from atop a water tower in the little
hamlet of Sergeantsville, I found
out. The station studio was in the
“Old Blacksmith Shop”, next to a
General Store at the “blinking red
light” in Sergeantsville. Later in
the 90s, as WDVR grew up, that
youthful 500 watt mono signal grew
up to become a more powerful 3000
watt stereo signal on a bigger tower
at a higher elevation.
A decade or more later, that
3000 watts became nearly 5000
watts, and WDVR eventually built
and owned its very own transmitting
tower on a plateau between
Flemington and Frenchtown. With
the improved WDVR signal, it was
easy to enjoy the company of
my WDVR programs while often
traveling up and down R 309
between Lansdale and the Lehigh
Valley. Also, the 6am to midnight
programming became 24 hours a
day. Little did I know that, years
later, I would be a volunteer DJ
on the “All Night Diner” program,
accompanied by former fellow DJs
such as Jim Hynes and Bruce
Moyer.
Then circa 2005, I got involved
with Remote Engineering, working
with Remote Engineer Jim Jordan,
doing Heartlands Hayride live
broadcasts many a Saturday
night. The experience of learning
microphone set-ups, audio board
hook-ups,
and
broadcasting
technicalities—with fellow Ham
Radio acquaintances such a LJ
Werner and Greg Wetzel have
been a priceless addition to my life,
along with the memorable pleasure
of personally meeting dozens of
local artists, bluegrass bands, and
well-known
performers such
as Eaglemania.
www.wdvrfm.org
continue to operate only because
of financial support from kind
donations from radio listeners and
our Grantors, (whose announcement
spots are heard at the top and bottom
of each hour). The magic of WDVR
can prosper only because of the
priceless freedoms we enjoy here
in the USA, because of the flexibility
of non-commercial FCC licensing,
and because of amazing modern
technology we enjoy with music and
news playback equipment. We use
everything from turntables, cassette
players, I-pods and sound
recorders, various computers, digital
programs, Internet broadcasting,
and the individual talents of over 50
volunteer DJs and staff.
As of mid-2010, WDVR
purchased the property at 522
Rosemont-Ringoes Road, which
now serves as our live music
presentation venue for Heartland
Hayride and other shows and events.
The former historic, architecturally
unique Brethern Church property
is now known as the Virginia
Napurano Cultural Arts Center, as a
...continued on Page 8
The WDVR
experience
continues
to
be a priceless
phenomenon for
DJs and our tens
of thousands of
regular listeners.
Over 5000 of
them are WDVR
supporters who
receive
our
twice-a-year
newsletter like
the one you are
reading
right
now.
Please
keep in mind that
WDVR is noncommercial,
l i s t e n e r
supported radio.
We
can
Page 3
WDVR-FM 89.7
The WDVR Story:
Conversations with Frank Napp and Ginny Lee
by Walt Haake
When I came to WDVR back in
1998, I knew I had an opportunity
to live the dream I had had since
childhood. To be on the radio! Nowadays, they would call that a
bucket list item. Back then it meant
a dream come true. And I will not
deny that every time I find myself
behind the microphone in Studio A,
I still have to pinch myself.
I want to tell you, being in that
room with the two people I admired
so much was a thrill for me, and
I wanted so much to capture
everything and share it. But something even more
important happened
to me when WDVR
became a part
of my life. That
something
was
Frank and Ginny,
the founders of our
little radio station. They and Lavina
Louise,
Ginny’s
sister and a trustee
at WDVR, intrigued
me. They got me
to look at my life
differently. They
inspired me. So,
five years ago, as
WDVR celebrated
its 20th anniversary,
I asked Frank and
Ginny if whey would let me record
some conversations with them. I
was hoping to capture the magic
they seemed to hold in attracting
a small group of volunteers and
creating a radio station that was all
about, as Ginny called it, “serving
our corner of the world.”
It’s been five years since any
of us could bear
to listen to the
conversations
we recorded. But now the
time has come
to share The
Story of WDVR
as
told
by
Frank
Napp
and Ginny Lee. You’ll find it on
our
website,
wdvrfm.org,
in eleven bitesized chapters.
They agreed, and over a period
of a couple months we recorded
three or four sessions in Studio A. Meanwhile, I was teaching myself
about audio editing, podcasting and
all the technical stuff necessary to
produce a finished product we could
share with listeners.
Page 4
Just after the recordings were
complete, something happened. Something so terrible I still can’t
write about it, so I will only say
Ginny became ill, and we lost her.
Ginny had
a knack for
understanding
the
essence
of things and finding just the right
words to express what she saw. You’ll hear that throughout the
conversations, but I’d like to share
some quotes here.
About kids: “You have to catch
them early. We want them to
understand and be enthralled with
radio early.”
About life: “I think that people
should pursue their dreams. It’s not
often--that we toil through life--and
we get to pursue a dream.
About WDVR: “The reason
I think it’s as exciting as it is, is
because we are all-volunteer and
we are non-profit.”
“God doesn’t give you what
you ask for. He gives you what he
thinks you need. And I think was
the case here. I think that having
the volunteers and working with the
volunteers, and being non-profit and
getting involved in the community
and sharing the lives of so many
people over twenty years...it’s been
exhilarating!”
“The thing about radio that’s
different from television is that
there’s nothing more fascinating
than your own mind. And when
you create an image on radio,
everybody’s image is different.”
“When we look for volunteers,
we look somebody who has
empathy, who is willing to give of
themselves on the air and answer
questions on the phone, and talk on
the phone.”
“I think that even as the younger
people today are doing their texting,
and are on Facebook, and are all
on YouTube...I think they need a
human connection. And I think
they more than anybody else are
gonna be searching for a human
connection.”
“Our listeners love to laugh at
us and they love to laugh with us.”
“Play the music that makes the
memories, and make people laugh
and smile. That’s my motto.”
“We’re here because we want
to make this a better corner of the
world.”
Ginny’s spirit is still very much
alive at WDVR, and at The Virginia
Napurano Cultural Arts Center, the
place she envisioned bringing folks
together for good entertainment
and the joy of camaraderie. ¶
The interviews with
Frank and Ginny
can be heard on
www. wdvrfm.org
www.wdvrfm.org
TRIBUTE TO FRANK NAPP
By: Shep Cohen
I have been hosting the World of
Work since 1997. However, I didn’t
get to know Frank Nap at first. The
show got started when I was a guest
on Horizons with Ginny Lee, and she
asked me to create a show about
work. Eventually, I got to know and
admire Frank, and realized that he
was always steady, fair and ready to
help. He never raised his voice, but
he still made his point. Although he
was firm in his values, he was still
flexible and open to new ideas on
the radio.
A number of years ago, I interviewed a priest one week and a stripper the next. Before the interview
with the stripper, I asked Frank if it
was proper to air. He said, “of course
it is, you don’t have to call me. All I
want is for you to be professional on
the air, which I’m sure you’ll be.”
Early in my career with WDVR,
my guest did not appear for the
scheduled interview. Being a novice
at the time, I did not realize that I
needed a backup show. So, I was on
the air alone. For the first half-hour, I
just babbled. You can imagine what
it sounded like. During the second
half-hour, like an angel out of nowhere, a caller spoke to me about
his interesting job. After that show
Frank said calmly, “you had a tough
time last week, but you did a good
job. Just remember, next time try to
have a backup show.”
Frank was always at home in
his own skin and was his own man.
What American male would admit
that he doesn’t follow organized or
professional sports? Frank would
joke to Heidi about
not knowing who
was in the Super
Bowl. I remember
Frank’s last monologue a few weeks
ago. It was just
after daylight saving time started.
He spent about
five minutes talking about why he
didn’t like daylight
saving time. Only
Frank would do
that.
Staff meetings were always a
treat. Often, when Frank would say
something, Ginny would add, “no
Frank, it’s a little different than that.”
Frank would just smile with a twinkle
in his eye, knowing he was probably
right. It was almost like an episode
out of “I Love Lucy.”
I saw Frank
every week, as
my s h ow wa s
aired just before
“The Country
Store,” and we
became good
friends. I’m sure
many listeners also considered
Frank to be a good friend. Not
only was he steady, but Frank was
someone who cared about people.
He always asked me how my family
was and always complimented my
wife when she appeared on the air
to discuss genealogy. He was the
ultimate gentleman.
Frank we’re going to miss you. ¶
Page 5
WDVR-FM 89.7
Remembering
Frank Napurano
by Hilary Murray
We are all mourning the loss of
our leader Frank Napurano , who
died on Friday, March 20, 2015,
just four years after his wife, Ginny,
left us.
Frank fulfilled his dream of
creating WDVR, a radio station, a
special, magical space where music
of all genres were welcomed and
explored and where the opinions of
many would be free to be expressed
and debated.
Everyone knew where Frank
stood on a certain issues, yet he
would allow others the freedom to
express their own views, knowing
it was important to uphold those
ideals he espoused, even those
very different from his own. Frank
loved his country and the ideals for
which it stands.
He was a true gentleman,
kind, generous, and forgiving with
a gentle spirit. Frank liked harmony
and somehow knew that when
things got rough, it usually worked
itself out if given enough time, and
it usually did.
Frank’s dream of owning and
establishing his own radio station,
born 25 years ago, after retiring from
NJN, was a dream he and Ginny
realized together .They expanded
the stations access band width
to reach thousands of listeners in
central PA & NJ and of course our
worldwide listeners from Alaska
and points around the globe.
Frank could be witty with his
“stern” e mail warnings to the staff,
when programming mistakes were
made, but always left us with a
feeling of children being lovingly
scolded by their father, with a tinge
of humor added for levity, always
Page 6
signing off with appreciation and
gratitude for our contributions, as
DJ’s.
Frank would refer to the DJ’s
and WDVR as this “beautiful mosaic
quilt” made up of different colors
and textures brought about from
each unique DJ’s personalities,
creating an apparently disparate
collection of music and voices, into
one, unique symphony.
Franks love of country music
didn’t prevent him from allowing
others to play other genres to be
broadcast as well.
Seeing an opportunity to expand
the music into the community
and create a space for live music
shows, Frank and Ginny purchased
the little white church down the
road, creating the unique Ginny
Napurano Cultural Arts Center,
bringing an extension of WDVR’s
mission of music and community, to
the area, inviting neighbors to join
in the dream.
We were touched by your life
Frank and shall always be proud
to be a part of yours and Ginny’s
dream and hope you were proud of
what you accomplished together.
May you rest in Peace. ¶
Like us on
Facebook
WDVR 89.7
Sharing the
Pickle Barrel
by Heidi
I was honored to sit with and
share the space of this great man
who had a vision. To talk to him, he
didn’t feel he was anyone special.
He just liked the music that didn’t
“give ya pimples” and to share
some bygone days stories . He was
a gentle man and a gentlemen in
the biggest of ways. To know him
personally was truly one of the high
points of my life. God blessed me
with a friend as well as a father figure
to go to when needed. Because of
him he left me with an extended
loving family. ¶
www.wdvrfm.org
WDVR-FM Program Schedule
89.7 Delaware Township, NJ - 96.9 Trenton, NJ, 90.5 WPNJ Easton, PA - www.wdvrfm.org
MONDAY
Penn-Jersey Educational Radio Corporation
6 AM - 9 AM
Monday Morning
Magic
David McDaid
Morning Mix
of Big Band & More
9 AM - Noon
Music
Swing Time
Mike Stokes
Big Band Era
Noon - 3 PM
Echoes From the
Hills
Richard Evans
Bluegrass
SUNDAY
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
THURSDAY
WEDNESDAY
TUESDAY
6 AM - 9 am
9 AM - Noon
Noon - 3 PM
Heidi’s Hideaway Country Roundup Memories & More
Heidi
Radio Rita & Karen Marga & 45 Joe
Classic Rock & New Traditional Country
50’s thru 60’s
Country
Oldies
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 - 6 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
10 PM - Mid
5 PM - 6 PM
6 PM - 6:30 PM
7 PM - 10 PM
Hickory Wind
Stepping Stones The Children’s Shelf
The Sound
Bill Kahlke
Hilary Murray
Dee Smith & Kids
Alternative
Left Bank of Seine
Social Issues
6:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Carla Van Dyk
Tom Bleck
Technology Today New Age, World,
Richard Kazimir
Acoustic Guitar Jazz, Rock & More
(Last Tuesday Only)
Computer Info
3 PM - 5 PM
5 PM - 6 PM
6 PM - 7 PM
7 PM - 10 PM
10 PM - Mid
Dogs Rule
Into the Garden
The Lowdown Nashville Nightlife The Music Shop
Michele Armstrong
Carl Molter &
Victoria & Rosalind
Nancy Supko
Tom Foreman &
All About Dogs:
Leslie Guli
Davis
Country
Chuck Peletsky
Interviews with Talk about gardens Gossip & News
Acoustic Mix, Pop
Experts & Info on
plants & more
Vocals
Canine Care
2 PM - 5 PM
5 PM - 7 PM
Cruz In
Tempus
Scott O’Dowd
John Cole
50’s & 60’s Classic News & Interviews with a Little Music
R&B, Oldies
Thrown In
7 PM - 10 PM
freewheelin’
Jethro Kin
Folk, Rock &
Lots of Dylan
10 PM - 1 AM
Soundings
Bill & Mary
Rock, Folk, Blues
and Jazz
4 PM - 5 PM
The World of Work
Shep Cohen
Interviews with
Authors & Misc
Walks of Life
7 PM - 10pm
Country Routes
Len “LJ” Werner
Country &
Yodeling
10pm to Midnight
Arriba
Carla Maria
Latin Rhythms
3 PM - 4 PM
Anything Goes
Rock w/ Gene M.
5 PM - 7 PM
Country Store
Guest DJ’s
Traditional
Country
Noon - 1 PM
4 PM - 6 PM
6 PM - 8 PM
8 PM - 11 PM
11 PM - 2 AM
Classic Country
The Road Less
Heartlands Hayride
Jukebox Saturday
Midnight Jazz
Gold
Travelled
2nd & 4th weeks
Night
Al Berke
Richard Evans
Melba Toast
Live Barn Dance Show - from the
Art & Deb
4 AM - 6 AM
1 PM - 4 PM
Eclectic Mix, Folk, Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts Center Music of the 40’s
Inspirational
Bluegrass Junction Country & More
Mix of Country & Bluegrass
thru 50’s
Country & Gospel
Richard Evans
1st, 3rd & 5th weeks
Fun and Games
With L.J.
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 8:30
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
10 PM - MID
All you night owls
7 PM - 10 PM
The Other Side
tune in.
Currents & TradiL. Paul Martin
We play music
tions
Beatles, Blues & you’ll love all night
Eileen Fisher
B-Sides
long.
Folk, World, Native
WDVR-FM - PO Box 191 - Sergeantsville, NJ 08557
Tel: 609-397-1620 - www.wdvrfm.org
Page 7
WDVR-FM 89.7
...Memories 4continued from Page
tribute for the late Ginny Napurano
who initiated and completed closure
on the real estate deal.
The WDVR treasure which you
enjoy today, every day, never would
have happened, had it not been for
the extraordinary endeavor of our
fearless leader Frank Napurano
and his beloved Ginny, who made
an American dream come true, the
first time the WDVR transmitter was
switched on, at 6pm on February
19, 1990. Twenty-five years, still
going strong. ¶
New Show:
“Midnight Jazz”
My show “Midnight Jazz” is in it’s 4th month heard Saturday night from
11:00PM - 2:00AM.
I have been listening to jazz since the 1960s. I also love Blues, R&B and
Soul. I’ve been playing Blues Harmonica for over 40 years and still enjoying
it! When not playing music, I am out mountain biking along the Delaware. My show features artists like Joe Williams, Al Jarreau, Roy Ayers,
Carmen Lundy and Sarah Vaughan. Also, I like to introduce new and
upcoming artists.
It has been a thrill being part of the WDVR family and sharing my
passion with the listeners. Thanks, Al Berke ¶
It’s The 25th Anniversary of WDVR!
The Perfect Gift
Become a DJ For An
Hour on WDVR
with a $100 Donation.
Call 609-397-1620
www.lambertvilleanimalwelfare.org
Please visit to adopt or foster pets in need.
Blossom Remembered
7/13/96 – 2/28/15
My Blossom had an unusually
good life and became a radio
personality. Her feline charm
delighted me into making up stories
and creating a larger than life cat
who spoke out. And what fun it was
to have listeners comment on her
and share their own cat business.
It was a blessing to have this fur
companion for nearly 19 years. We
crazy pet lovers know they are never
completely gone from our lives as
we continue to feel the love and see
their faces. To honor Blossom, we
will continue her “Kit Kat Chit Chat”
feature each Tuesday night on my
show and keep that delight alive.
And I deeply thank all of you who
sent me messages and cards. ¶
Page 8
www.wdvrfm.org
The Fire
and the
Heroes
Spring Fund Raising
April 13 to May 10
Call 609-397-1620 with your
pledge of support or mail the pledge form on Page 15.
Upcoming Concerts:
Visit WDVRFM.ORG
by Carla Van Dyk
It cannot be said often enough
how important good neighbors are
and that we should all be good in
return. Very late as Sunday turned
into Monday on March 9, I awoke
to the sound of strange motors and
got up to look outside.
There in front of the WDVR
building the air was smoky with
fire hoses snaking down the road.
Going outside, I froze in shock, sick
to my stomach, to see the beautiful
Sergantsville Inn suffering full ruin.
Smoke and flames shooting out
the roof with blackened cavities for
windows said it all.
Our brave firemen arrived
quickly but it was too late. Being
so close to a fully destructive fire
was unreal and disorienting. Only
the Sergeantsville fire truck stood
between WDVR and the tortured
historical building. The heavens
were kind to keep dangerous winds
and freezing temperatures away
which allowed responders to focus
fully on the inn.
I made a difficult call to Frank
Napp who had to know the situation
no matter what. Fortunately, our
building and others were safe. The
thought of WDVR coming so close
to its demise was unthinkable. It
served as a reminder to the fragility
of all things and to take NOTHING
for granted.
Our
immediate
neighbor
Charlie Higgins saw the fire after
“something” caused him to wake up
and go to his window. It was he who
sounded the alarm. Charlie was an
active fireman for years and grew
up right here.
Not only is he an attentive
caring person, he is always there to
help. Thanks to him, our lawn gets
cut, snow blown away, trash cans
put out and details noticed. Charlie
worked at the same company as
Ginny Lee years ago and was an
original Trustee of the station.
May 8 Muriel Anderson on
guitar & harp guitar
$20 advance/$25 door,
7:30pm
June 7 Fred Miller’s
Copperpenny Revue
Free, 4-6pm
June 13 Mark Miklos, Louie
Setzer & Friends
A Benefit for WDVR
$15, 6-8pm
Aug. 15 Mark Miklos solo
$15, 6pm
Sept. 19 Rave On! Music of
Buddy Holly & more
$15, 7:30pm
He is part of our family and
one of the best
neighbors anyone
could have. There is
not enough praise
in the world to heap
upon this man. We
thank Charlie with
deepest gratitude.
¶
Page 9
WDVR-FM 89.7
The Song and the Story
Up on the Roof
by Walt Haake
“At night the stars put on a show for free and darling, you can share it
all with me.” Now isn't that one of the most inviting lyrics you've ever heard?
Especially when sung by The Drifters' lead singer at the time, Rudy Lewis,
whose burnished voice had also graced “On Broadway” and “Some Kind
of Wonderful.”
Of the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole
King, who wrote the song, it is King, the melody writer, who is best remembered. But her partner, Gerry Goffin, crafted the kind of lyrics that that grabbed
you and pulled you into the story. Just as he had done with previous hits like
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles, "Take Good Care of My Baby"
by Bobby Vee, and "Go Away
Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence.
“I climb way up to the top of
the stairs and all my cares just
drift right into space" Up the
stairway to heaven. "Where
you just have to wish to make
it so."
Now the first recording of
"Up on the Roof" was by Little
Eva, Goffin & King's babysitter,
who had had a #1 hit with "The
Loco-Motion," another Goffin &
King song.
Though other great artists,
including James Taylor, Laura
Nyro and The Cryan' Shames, covered the song and got chart action in
subsequent years--#28 in James Taylor's case, it was The Drifters who best
carried a song about the urgent need "to get away from the hustling crowd
and all that rat-race noise down in the street."
Around fundraising time at WDVR, you'll often hear a few bars of The
Drifters' "Up on the Roof" followed by Lavina Louise reminding us that listeners
often tell us that listening to WDVR is a little like going up on the roof, where
"it's peaceful as can be, and there the world below can't bother me." ¶
Page 10
Macaroni Saturday
Night
Saturday, April 18th
A Dinner Benefit for WDVR
6-8pm, $15 adults & 7 kids
4 Homemade sauces,
meatballs, sausage, Caesar
salad, bread
Desserts & beverages
Come celebrate our 25th
Anniversary over a delicious
meal.
Call 609-397-5991 for tickets
or online at WDVRFM.ORG
www.wdvrfm.org
Do You
Remember?
• Our live radio theater with Frank & Ginny in the cast
held at Northlandz
• When a llama was donated as a premium and
someone took it!
• Jethro’s road rally and concert afterwards
• Our yard sales in front of the building
• The Moonshine Mamas show
• Mulevis? See his photo with Ginny
• The original Loft Shows upstairs at WDVR
• The big estate sale Ginny organized
• Ginny and Lavina dressed in chicken suits
• Each show host reading the news with hilarious results
• Limericks on Juke Box Saturday Night
• Balloon Festival remotes
• Wine Tasting in Clinton
WDVR
Is Now Heard
on 96.9 FM
Trenton, NJ
Tuesday Program Changes
6 to 9am - Heidi’s Hideaway
Have your coffee with Heidi as she
wakes you up with classic rock and
newer country music.
3 to 5pm - Oldies and More
With Tim Bush
10pm to Mid - Hickory Wind
With Bill Kahlke
Bill is moving to nightime with a
slightly softer sound. His fans will
have to stay up later now.
Page 11
Garden
Maintenance 101 by Carl Molter; Into the Garden
Listen Wednesdays 5 to 6 pm
All gardens require maintenance,
and some need more than others
because of their style. Formal gardens
that use manicured plants will need
more effort to keep their look than a
rambling cottage garden. While many
homeowners use a lawn service , I
often see their gardens suffering from
lack of weeding and watering.
A yearly mulching will help with
both, keeping weeds down and soil
moist, but it’s only a start. Weed growth
can be rapid during the humid days of
summer, and weeds will compete with
your plants for food and moisture. It is
easier to stay on top of the weeding
than to wait for it to become a difficult
job, especially if weeds are permitted to
seed themselves.
Mulching can only go so far during
dry spells; drought-stressed plants are
prone to disease and death, or at least
will not mature properly. Make sure you
water plants you see wilting during dry
periods.
A proper landscape design will
leave plants with enough room to
develop, so pruning is mostly for
removing dead material or keeping
hedges trimmed. In addition to lawn
liming, select fertilization of shrubs and
trees to boost health can be done at the
direction of a professional.
I would like to think that all your
plants will lead long lives, but that (as
PAGE 12
you probably well know) is not true.
Plants do die, or at least become so
unsightly that in pulling them out you
are doing both them and yourself a
favor.
These holes in the landscape
should be filled, but before you get an
in-kind replacement, examine why the
plant did not thrive. There could be
conditions that need to be fixed, such
as water problems, before you fill the
gap. You can also get advice on another
species better suited to that location.
There also is the Unexpected:
trees fall down in storms, deer denude
evergreens, and earth washes away.
Responding to these challenges is
easier when you realize that gardens
are dynamic, evolving spaces that
change over time. Regard problems
encountered as opportunities to try new
plants, new schemes. ¶
Like us on
Facebook
WDVR
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 Sergeantsville, NJ
Sponsoring the
Hourly Weather is
Henry’s Asphalt
Paving, LLC
908-537-6264
Slim Edwards & Carla Van Dyk
How I Got Here
1998 at WDVR
by Carla Van Dyk
It was Spring of 1993 when I
returned East from Colorado and
turned on the radio. Preferring the
left end of the dial had been my style
for years and a particular community
station in the Rockies had sharpened my taste for such. What I had
tuned into was WDVR and the sound
of older country music mixed with
cowboy songs. Then the unpolished
voice of a friendly older gentleman
named Slim came on.
Become an
Underwriter
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! ¶
It was real. It was different. It
was interesting. In time, I called in to
answer quiz questions and stopped
by in person. After making the acquaintance of a few DJ’s, I blurted
out my desire to have a show. Was
that me talking or a possessed being? Before I knew it, I was getting
trained and suddenly thrown into the
fire. Stumbling and cringing did not
scare me off. And here I remain still
making a fool of myself and gladly
possessed.
Carla is on Tuesday 7-10pm &
Friday 10-PM to Mid Night ¶
WDVR Thanks Its 15 Second
Spot Underwriters:
Rite Move......................... 609-586-6833
Frenchtown Bus Assoc..... 908-797-3569
Plum Creek Designs......... 908-303-5944
Sonrise Church................. 908-782-6608
Bill’s Figs.......................... 908-806-4887
Belon Appraisals............... 610-923-6952
Four Seasons Lawn Care.908-783-5733
KJK Door Systems........... 908-713-4911
Oaks Family Restaurant .. 215-766-7838
Home Gym Dr................... 908-788-0102
Raritan Agway.................. 908-725-9252
Villa Milagro Vineyard....... 908-995-2072
Macs Oil-Burner Srv......... 610-847-8073
Parker Insurance.............. 908-782-5212
Sal’s Family Image Clinton
......................................... 908-730-0206
Stockton Hair Design........ 609-397-7878
Raab Coin......................... 908-782-0840
Artisan Interiors................ 908-797-0905
Fletcher & Sons ............... 908-782-3100
Jay Hoff Plumbing............ 609-397-0427
Stark & Stark.................... 609-896-9060
Central Liquor................... 908-782-2518
Ottoman Ceramics............ 908-284-0276
Vicki Azar, Kurfiss Sothebys Realty.........
......................................... 215-519-3981
PAGE 13
New Show
The Music Shop Is Open
On November 26, 2014
The Music Shop officially opened its doors on WDVR/ WPNJ.
Each of the co-hosts, Chuck Pelesky and Tom Foreman, began their
broadcast careers as “DJ’s For an Hour” and trained at the “Walter J. Haake
School of Advanced Broadcasting.”
Any future show complaints concerning our music selection or technical
abilities can be sent directly to Walt.
Upon meeting, Tom and Chuck noticed much in common except for one
thing: music. Chuck leans more towards early rock ‘n’ roll AM radio side A
hits, Broadway, singer-songwriters, and a little country.
Tom, on the other hand, has more eclectic taste including vocal groups,
early rock ‘n’roll, traditional jazz, swing and big band (parental influence),
light classical and American songbook (concert band influence) FM radio
rock, country, bluegrass, singer/songwriter, and folk. Both are able to compile
interesting mixes of music on their respective shows.
Tom takes the mic the first and third Wednesdays each month and Chuck
on the second and fourth. On a fifth Wednesday, both hosts join forces and
have, so to speak, a musical duel. You won’t want to miss that.
So stop by The Music Shop every Wednesday from 10pm to midnight (or
later) as they meander the aisles thumbing through the stacks for great
tracks. And feel free to call as the request line is always open. ¶
A Memorial
Concert For
Frank Napp
Saturday June 13th
Mark Miklos, Louie Setzer &
Friends
On Saturday June 13, regional talents Mark Miklos, Louie
Setzer and friends of theirs will
put on a memorial concert in
Frank Napp’s honor. The show
will appeal to both bluegrass and
country music lovers with proceeds totally supporting WDVR.
Tickets are $15 and the
show will run 6 to 8pm at The
Virginia Napurano Cultural Arts
Center. Call (609) 397-5991 or
buy online wdvrfm.org ¶
Bluegrass Rules !
Susan Rose and Mark Miklos
PAGE 14
Susan Rose celebrates her 10th
anniversary this June. She is the
host of Bluegrass Breakfast heard
each Wednesday 6-9am along with
Mr. Rooster who knows how to wake
you up. Susan came to WDVR doing
a DJ For An Hour on a country music
show. Soon thereafter a slot opened
up and the radio bug made her do it.
Her voice and music make Wednesday morning a delight to share. ¶
www.wdvrfm.org
Page 15
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 Spring Fund Drive is April 13 Until May 10
Sponsoring
WDVR’s
Hourly
News
WDVR Thanks Its 45 Second
Spot Underwriters:
Basil Bandwagon Natural Market........... 908-788-5737
Henry’s Asphalt Paving........................... 908-537-6264
Hopewell Valley Bank............................. 609-466-2900
Hunterdon Cancer Center...................... 888-788-1260
Hunterdon Health Care........................... 800-511-4HMC
Andrea Mergentine
River Valley Realty
45 N. Main
Lambertville, NJ,
609-397-3007
Page 16
Local 195, IFPTE.................................... 732-390-0650
Ringoes Diner......................................... 908-284-2240
NAMI of Hunterdon................................. 908-284-0500
Oraschin & Assoc Accounting................ 215-536-2841
Tinsman Brothers................................... 215-297-5100