The Faces Of Facebook

Do you remember the days before Facebook? When a conversation or discussion was made over the phone; not today’s cell variety but one that was actually attached to a wall? Or better yet, a conversation that was carried out eye to eye and face to face? I do. And maybe that’s why I have become increasingly less interested in opening up my Facebook account over these last several weeks. Admittingly, the need to keep in touch with the latest things going on in the lives of family and friends continues to drive me to click that icon more often than I probably should. 

Knowing that a new baby has been born, someone has reached an important place in their lives or yes, even the latest new cocktail recipe or cute animal video are all  fine reasons to flip through your newsfeed. Nothing better than to see photos of people you know simply enjoying their lives through work, recreation, exciting events or wonderful accomplishments. Lately though to me it has become a dumping ground for political half truths and sometimes even total fabrication, unwittingly or not by those who post in an effort to force their beliefs on those they think unable to understand the world around them as well as they do. Many times those types of posts come from people I respect and even family members that I love and that is when it becomes hardest not to get sucked into a conversation you, as a commenter, just cannot win. How can people with the same type of background; and in some cases even the same upbringing view the world so differently than you? But expressing an opposing point of view with them on the threads of Facebook? Well, that is tailor made for the origin of the phrase “it’s like pissing in the wind”. So, as difficult as it is for me to refrain from that type of conversation....and with some....it is almost impossible, I will do my best to resist that treacherous “Comment” section and save my energy & opinions for Face To Face conversations rather than Facebook To Facebook.

Filling Shelves Fills The Heart

A heartfelt “Thank You” to all Catamount Radio listeners & especially those of you who listen to The Drive for all of your help with another very successful Stuff-A-Bus. More than 21,000 pounds of non-perishable food items were collected this past Thursday, Friday & Saturday to be distributed to food shelves in Rutland County. In years past we have pretty much concentrated on the Rutland area for our food collection, but this year we added the food shelves in Brandon & Fair Haven to our efforts. So those of you in those areas of Rutland County deserve a thank you as well. The Drive spent some time in Brandon during this year’s Stuff-A-Bus setting up our broadcast at Hannaford there & helped the Brandon Food Shelf pack their shelves with 2,300 pounds of non-perishable food items. Rutland County is an amazingly generous place to live. One final thought; if you wanted to donate to Stuff-A-Bus but missed your chance remember that Catamount Radio is now in the process of collecting monetary donations for this year’s WSYB Christmas Fund. The Christmas Fund has been helping those in need throughout the county for more than 40 years. We would love to have you join us in this ongoing Christmas tradition of giving. Here’s to you enjoying a very happy holiday season and thank you again.

Wonderment...And Heartache

There was nothing better growing up than coming from a large, close & loving family. Not just with ten brothers and sisters but with nearly twice as many uncles and aunts on both my dad's side of the family and my mother's. Add in what seems like hundreds of first cousins and you get the idea of growing up in the Kelly-O'Brien family. Irish Catholic to the core! Perhaps a bit more Irish than Catholic for some today but the memories of both still linger for us all. The holidays, the birthdays; the visits. They were all amazingly special in a way that some may never understand, but amazing they were. Yet, life happens. We get older, we get grayer, we hopefully get wiser; and in the process we begin to say goodbye. For the wonderment of such a family is also its heartache. So many to love and so many to loose. Earlier this month we said farewell to the head of yet another great Irish family line, my Uncle Bill Halloran, my mother’s brother-in-law. Then just yesterday my mom’s own brother Charlie, the last of her generation. Heartache. But for those of us who remain we hold on to the wonderment. The wonderment of the family that they both helped build. The brothers, sisters, cousins….the families that they now build to hopefully create that same wonderment that my generation has known. Because that wonderment will be the only thing to help lessen that inevitable heartache.

I Love A Parade

So it seems that Mother Nature doesn’t feel like turning things over to Old Man Winter any time soon in Rutland County. She hasn’t even really invited autumn in just yet but that won’t stop the festivities planned in Rutland this weekend. Saturday night the streets of downtown Rutland will be full of the ghosts, goblins, witches & spectacular floats that will make up the 58^th annual Halloween Parade. The parade is one of the largest & longest running Halloween parades in the United States, getting its start when Eisenhower was still President. The first parade took to the streets of Rutland in October of 1960 and has been part of Rutland’s history ever since. My first parade was in 1993 and as a local radio guy I have been part of it ever since.

So even though Mother Nature isn’t quite ready to relinquish her hold on the warmer weather, the good news is it should be a perfect fall evening for the 58^th Halloween Parade. 94-5 The Drive will be there on Saturday night as we have been since we went on the air here in Rutland in 2008. Look for us….we’ll be looking for you!

Isla

Five years ago this past September I was enjoying one of the special days in my life when my daughter was married to one of the finest men I know. Now, five years on I spent the anniversary of that wonderful day with my granddaughter as mom & dad celebrated their fifth anniversary. When you have a chance to spend time with the innocence of a beautiful child you remember how truly special & truly important the simplest things in life are. The burdens of everyday life that always seem to bog you down melt away when you take the time to let yourself look inward; to the truly important things in your life. Like the wonderment  of being a grandfather. A beautiful feeling only surpassed by an even more beautiful little one...named Isla.

Thoughts On Those In the Gulf Region

I was thinking about the people in Houston and how so many have lost so much in such a short period of time. It caused me to think of how lucky most of us are that we have never suffered through anything of that magnitude. All of us have gone through a tough stretch here and there I have no doubt. Some more than others I am sure but so many in the gulf area have lost everything. Some today grieve over the loss of family members. Others have lost cars, homes…. And in some cases even jobs. So very many have no place to return to. We know how difficult it was to put lives back together here in the northeast after Irene. We can only hope that those in the gulf region will find a way to put their lives together after a storm that was so much worse.

It's Getting Very Near The End

Only a couple of more weeks to go before we find out who the winner is in our Sgt. Pepper Summer Giveaway. All summer long we have been qualifying our listeners for a chance to win the complete 50^th anniversary collection of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The collection is chock full of great Beatles music, memorabilia, CD’s & DVD’s. You can see the complete layout of our prize by checking out the Sgt Pepper video here on our website. So yes, we are coming to the final weeks of our Sgt. Pepper Summer but you still have a chance to qualify to win this great package by listening to Uncle Dave weekday mornings and my show in the afternoon. If you’re a Beatles fan…or know someone who is I can tell you firsthand how great an anniversary collection this is. You see, I purchased my own set back in early June. So be sure to listen for your last few chances to qualify over the next couple of weeks because if you are chosen as the winner…”A splendid time is guaranteed for all”

Rutland County & Beyond

Although 94-5 The Drive is Rutland County's choice for great classic hits, it's pretty obvious to us that we stretch well beyond our home county. Thanks to all of our Drivers in Addison County, Windsor County and those of you in Washington County, New York too! We can't say enough about how much we appreciate you all as listeners. Hope you'll keep DRIVING along, and in turn, we will keep playing all the great classics of your past; whether you are here with us in Rutland County or beyond.

Celebrating Sgt. Pepper At 50

Though you may not be of that certain age where the 50^th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a big deal, my guess is there is someone in your life that remembers the release of that iconic album when it first came out in America on June 2 back in 1967. Ask them and they will tell you what an amazing thing it was to hear that album for the first time for a variety of different reasons. From the album cover itself to the magic that waited inside for your ears to experience, in its day, it was unlike anything in rock that had come before. And now, 50 years on it has been remastered, repackaged & re-released to rave reviews and sales that in its first week of release put it at the top of the album chart in England and nearly matched that here in the U.S. where it sold over 75,000 copies in its first week to re enter the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #3. The last time Sgt. Pepper peaked that high was on December 30, 1967 after a run at #1 that lasted 15 weeks. I mention all this to set the stage for the package that you could win here on The Drive during our Sgt. Pepper Summer. All summer we will be giving you a chance to win the 50th Anniversary Edition of the LP both on the air and at various locations throughout Rutland County. Before Labor Day we will award the ENTIRE package to one lucky listener. Take a look at the special video here on our website to see what the 50th Anniversary Edition includes and listen to The Drive in the days and weeks ahead for your chance to own a very special piece of rock music history.

All In The Family

The Drive is part of the Catamount Radio Group and because of that we remind you that the Catamount Radio Auction is coming up on June 3^rd from 7:30 in the morning until 2:00 Saturday afternoon. We can promise you here at The Drive that we will be Driving you through that Saturday with the perfect weekend soundtrack of great Classic Hits, but if at any time on June 3^rd you want to take a stab at grabbing some great items at huge savings then tune to one of our “sister stations” that will be airing The Catamount Radio Auction. You can hear the auction on Cat Country at 105.3 FM or on one of the two signals that broadcast WSYB in Rutland. On the AM dial you can hear WSYB on 1380, but Catamount Radio has now added WSYB to the FM dial too. Listen to the auction there at 100.1. Between now and  the 3^rd of June you can check out all the latest items that will be up for bid by clicking “CATAMOUNT RADIO AUCTION” on the front page of this website. New items seem to pop up there on a daily basis, so check it out. Save on big, expensive items to certificates for food & services. It’s all on the radio at 105.3 & 100.1 FM or 1380 AM. So on Saturday June 3^rd you have a chance to bid on some great items from local businesses on those stations….but if that’s not your idea of a good Saturday of radio, remember…. We’re always here with great Classic Hits for all of Rutland County…….94-5 THE DRIVE.

Frampton Comes Alive on The Drive

Earlier today I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes chatting with Peter Frampton. Yes, the artist that released an album of live music in 1976 that remains, after more than 40 years, one of the best selling LIVE albums of all time. Admittedly I didn’t know what to expect from an artist that has shared the stage, and the studio, with some of the other big names of our generation; George Harrison, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, B.B. King and even Jerry Lee Lewis. But what I found was a gentleman. The kind of guy you would hope to have a chance to meet in a quiet pub and have a sip or two with. When you found out who he was (if somehow you didn’t recognize him right away) you would hope he would pull out his acoustic guitar & play a song or two for you from his amazing body of work. Well, that is just about what he plans to do at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland on April 12^th. He is touring with his son Julian along with his best friend & fellow musician Gordon Kennedy. Together they bring that intimate meeting I described a moment ago to the Paramount for a more than two hour show. Plan on an evening of great music, stripped down to its acoustic form from two of the best guitarists of our time. I’m looking forward to it. So should you. Get your tickets at the Paramount Box Office or direct from paramountvt.org

Some Thoughts On The Blizzard.

During yesterday’s blizzard many things came to mind for me. Like the stories that my great aunt told me as a child about the famous blizzard of 1888. She was a very young girl at the time and only remembered that it was impossible to go anywhere for weeks. The storm dumped up to 60 inches of snow in its wake in parts of New England including her town in Connecticut. Over almost two full days  the wind blue drifts as high as 50 feet in some areas. I imagined what it must have been like. A blizzard more powerful than our blizzard of 2017 trapping people in their own homes during a time that only offered a hand shovel to most people of the 1880’s. Roads & walkways couldn’t be cleared for days on end and good old radio was still more than 30 years away from broadcasting the spoken word. An event that would be a literal lifesaver in the time of future storms. It’s been just short of 100 years since radio began broadcasting those first words and here we are again finding ourselves in the mist of another blizzard and the need for information that for some could be lifesaving. The difference is today snowplows, snowblowers and other devices to make our life easier are plentiful & there are so many other ways to get information that to those who need help radio becomes an afterthought. Perhaps getting the information that you need from radio isn’t as important as it once was but a local radio station like The Drive is still a place to know that in your community of Rutland County Vermont we care about what happens because it is our community too. I live here with you. So does Uncle Dave and the rest of the Drive family. By all means, check your text messages, tweets & facebook pages but remember; we will be here not only as a music radio station, but as a community one as well. For you.

 The Blizzard of 1888. New Britain, CT. My Great Aunt Nellie told stories to us of that day.

Might Need To Re-work The Image

Once in awhile I will walk across the street here in downtown Rutland to grab a coffee from one of the shops. I did that this morning and added a cookie to go along with it and as I walk in with the snack balanced on top of my coffee cup it seems people thought I was enjoying a bit of Guinness to get my day going! So either I need to re-work my image or begin starting my work day with a bit of the frothy brew!

We Called Him "Big Dog"

I want to take a minute to honor the memory of a man who is well known here in the Rutland community, especially the hockey community. Over the weekend my good friend Phil Varney passed away. Phil was instrumental....and really the catalyst behind the creation of the Rutland Regional Field House which is now Spartan Arena. I remember Phil floating the idea of the Fieldhouse years ago when his kids were playing local hockey for the Rutland Amateur Hockey Assn (RAHA) at the Mandigo Arena here in Rutland. Through his vision and hard work a new place to play hockey became a reality.....something that he was very proud of. Phil was also there at the inception of the Castleton University hockey "Blue Line Club" serving on the board of directors from the very beginning and held the position of the club president for three years.That's just some of what Phil has done for this community over the years, but what was more important to me was the Phil Varney I knew on a personal level. Phil was one of the very first people that I met when I first brought my family to Rutland almost 24 years ago, and we became instant friends. He loved the Red Sox, the Patriots....and The Moody Blues. But most of all he loved his family and I was honored that he considered my family part of his. It is always hard to say goodbye to those who are especially close to you...but sometimes certain lives, like Phil's, make it almost impossible. So instead. I say sleep well my friend, until we meet again.

Thinking Back

I’ve been in this business that we call radio for almost all of my adult life. I have been one of the lucky ones. I have been able to make a living & raise a family doing what I love in a business that doesn’t allow that luxury to most. I say that from my perch here in an “unrated” Vermont radio market that some working in larger markets may scoff at but it is a place that I fell in love with many years ago and has become my home just as surely as the place that I was born and raised as a child was once the place I loved most. I never think much anymore about what got me to this place or the larger “rated” markets that I worked in years ago but this weekend I was reminded of one of the best “gigs” I ever had in this business. The reminder came however in the sad news that one of the best men I ever had the pleasure to work for passed away last week. His name is Joe Rizza. Joe was my boss for nearly all of the seven years I spent at WMAS-FM in Springfield, Massachusetts. Joe and I didn’t always see eye to eye on things but he was always fair and pleasant no matter what the issue. I certainly wasn’t always as accommodating in return. The last conversation we had ended badly; and I never spoke with him again. That was more than 20 years ago. It wasn’t because I was angry at him and I know it wasn’t in his make up to remain angry over an unpleasant exchange of words that took place two decades ago; of that I am sure. But life does have a way of putting you in the position of looking back and finding a regret here or there no matter how successful or happy you are. And for me, one of those regrets was never having the chance to finish that conversation. To tell him that he had a hand in allowing me the luxury to work at what I love so many years later. All I can do is hope that he knew that already.

Me, Bob O'Brien, Jack Kratoville, Joe Rizza & Chuck Herlihy- WMAS-FM, Springfield, Ma

       

Time's Failure

I was born only a week after the calendar had turned from December to a new year in January. My first birthday gift was being born as the 7^th of 11 children right on the heels of a brother who joined a chaotic but loving family just 15 months earlier. Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around the seemingly endless hours I would spend side by side with my older brother. It seemed we shared everything; from the clothes on our backs to the bed where we slept.  As we grew older together we watched our family grow larger. My younger brother followed just a year and a half later. Then it was two more sisters (4 in all) and finally the last born….a brother that none of us ever knew, losing him just days after he came into this world.

Far more than half a century has now passed since that first January and in all that time so have so many family members. Grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins….all lost to the ages. None ever forgotten or loved any less. But today marks the day that the brother who was born just 15 months earlier than me would have celebrated his 63^rd birthday. For as long as I can remember Matt was fun, serious, cerebral & goofy all at the same time. And then, far too soon, he was gone; less than six months before his 22^nd birthday. I was only 20 at the time and like my parents, brothers & sisters, that sudden loss in a traffic accident cut through me like a blade so sharp that the wound would never heal. But…time heals all wounds. Years go by and the pain will gradually disappear. The wound will one day stop causing the pain of sudden loss. 

So we were told.

But as time has ticked away and attempted to close that wound all it has been able to do is dull the pain.

Time has failed. The wounds that it has always been entrusted to healing never fully close. The pain from the loss of those you love never fully subsides. The comfort to soothe that enduring pain comes from those loved ones who remain; through the stories…through the shared sorrow...through the memories. Time has done its best….but the healing only comes from those you love.

Ob–La-Di, Ob-La-Da

To many Americans, some too young, some too old, the anniversary taking place this weekend may be lost amid more important things going on in their daily lives, but to me and millions of other Americans the event taking place this weekend is ingrained in our very psyche just as surely as those often discussed tragic “moments in time” that all of us young & old remember like it was yesterday. For it feels exactly like yesterday that on a night in February half a century ago school aged American kids everywhere sat in front of their television sets (almost all in black & white) to witness what years later would become “The Night That Changed America”. For my family, well most of us anyway, it was a major event. With the exception of my oldest brother who at 20 was committed to the still popular music that eight or so years earlier gave us Elvis, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers and other early Rock & Roll greats like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, my other eight siblings and I were all as swept up in the hysteria of that night as much as any one of the 700 people in the studio audience to watch The Ed Sullivan Show live or the record breaking 73 million television viewers across the country. My mom & dad were even less impressed than my 20 year old brother but as long as we had our homework done & were ready for bed they allowed us an extra hour of TV time that Sunday night. It was a night none of us would ever forget….especially me. That night truly was magical for me in a way even all these years later I cannot completely explain. Yes, like so many other kids my age I bought every record and collected any Beatles related item I could get my hands on and now have quite an extensive collection of Beatles memorabilia, but it was something more. Something deeper; Something that not every youngster that night would come away with. Oh, we all were equally as excited and mesmerized by these four guys from England that looked and sounded unlike anything we had experienced before, but for me it became part of what I was all about from that day on. My musical tastes, my look and even the very fact that I began a career that I have had the good fortune to be part of for 40 years can all be traced back to that one night. Even on my wedding day the songs we chose were written by Lennon & McCartney. And now although it is hard to fathom, fifty years have gone by since that night in February. Many musical artists have come and gone, those school kids are all much older….and much grayer, but the music of those “four lads from Liverpool” continues to influence a whole new generation.

And now the same network that aired that original history making broadcast at 8pm on Sunday night February 9, 1964 will air a special program marking its 50^th anniversary on February 9, 2014.

So Sunday night just before eight o’clock, get ready for bed….make sure your homework is done, and tune into CBS television. ….and through a combination of modern day artists and memories of a half century ago we’ll all be brought back to that age of innocence; To that night in New York City when Ed Sullivan walked out and said:

“Now yesterday and today, our theater’s been jammed with newspapermen and hundreds of photographers from all over the nation, and these veterans agreed with me that this city never has witnessed the excitement stirred by these youngsters from Liverpool who call themselves the Beatles.
“Now tonight, you’re gonna twice be entertained by them. Right now, and again in the second half of our show. Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!”
So enjoy the trip back because as the last 50 years have proven to so many of us it will only be a blip in time and soon we will all be back to the reality of our daily lives. Because after all, “Ob–La-Di, Ob-La-Da……life goes on”