MARTHA JOE THRASHER (Dallas-Farmers Branch, TX) From 1958-1961, I worked on the switchboard at the Fort Worth Star Telegram. It seems to me that Bob Schieffer was a reporter there at some point during that time. Is that true, or is my memory faulty? Martha Joe Thrasher; Farmers Branch, TX USA

KRISTEN HULSE (Little Rock, AR) Sadly, after the loss of my grandmother, Lou, to cancer, his Alzheimer’s seemed to worsen and he too passed. I am sorry you can not visit with him…I know he would be proud of your accomplishments. I know, for me, he was an excellent teacher. I am an artist because of the art lessons he gave me as a child. Digger is still living. Unfortunately, he is now completely blind from macular degeneration. He still lives in Minden with his wife Nelva…they too will be celebrating 60 years of marriage this summer. I remember going to KASO as a kid…we would sing Happy Birthday to each of the cousins on their birthday. Or, we would wish our mothers a Happy Mother’s Day. Did you know my other grandparents, Marguerette and Verle Hulse? Kristen Hulse, Art Specialist; Wilson Elementary

KASO-1240 in Shreveport-Minden. LA, my very first radio position in 1965, brings back fond memories of a wonderful town on the edge of a dense pine tree forest. The nice new KASO studios are on the shoreline of Minden's beautiful Town Lake. Digger O'Dell is one of the co-owners and Chief Engineer. KASO's other owner who is also GM/morning show host Boe Cook calls Elkins Institute of Radio in my home town of Dallas, TX. He's on the prowl for a new DJ to add to his line-up. Over the telephone, Boe has me read a couple of radio ads that I write. That becomes my first radio audition. Boe says head on out the brand new I-20 to Minden, LA. Remember my first day on the air is on a Sunday morning before the rooster crows. The control room audio console faces the new Collins transmitter on the other side of a double-pane glass window. A live broadcast studio is to the left of the control room with an RCA ribbon mic on a tall chrome floor stand in the middle of the room. Boe hands me the KASO sign-on script to read on the air. KASO can be a 24-hour radio station but Boe tells me that everyone in Minden goes to bed at 9 pm. KASO has no cart tape machines. We read all commercials live from small file cards and ad-lib commercials from full-page newspaper ads. Boe stands beside the transmitter and clicks on the filaments to get them all warmed up. At 7:00 am he hits the transmitter's power voltage switch and gives me the high sign to read the sign-on copy. Then I spin the Star Spangled Banner on turntable #1. Live and taped broadcasts from preachers and singers fill KASO's Sunday morning airwaves. The tapes roll out on a maroon Ampex 601 reel-to-reel tape deck that is to the right of the audio console. Have to be mighty careful because when I turn the big start lever it sometimes pulls the tape deck forward and falls with a loud wham! There is a hap-hazard unlabled patch panel with holes in the wall to the right of the DJ for preachers' and singers' remote broadcasts. My Sunday morning schedule is from sign-on to noon. By the time the noon hour arrives, like Elvis, I'm all shook up, shakin' like a leaf on a tree. Boe tells me to relax and go see a movie at the downtown theater. The film on the screen happens to be Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte which is a horror flick where a crazy woman chops off someone's head. What a way to begin a radio career.

JOE FORD (Houston-Spring, TX) Hang on, buddy! This is gonna be a rough ride! Joe Ford Voiceworks

MARK CARRILLO (San Antonio, TX) Jim, A nice article about our pal "Blazin' Blake Lindsay appeared in the San Antonio business Journal. We love Blake down here in The Big Tortilla. He has lots of friends in S.A. town...a gathering of KONO alum at the COX studios...to see the people whom i still consider my family...the COX folks...and we'll get to swap memories of the mighty KONO. Mark Carrillo, www.mysanantonio.com/

BOB CROWLEY (DFW-Arlington, TX) Jim, I always get a smile when I see Mark Carillo's messages in JRRR. He and I worked at the same stations, together and seperately more times than I remember. I recall he was doing the SAC Show on KTSA on Sunday nights when I was babysitting the Trinity Show on KTFM. We both worked at KMAC/KISS... And I recall visiting with him at KONO/KITY during my third tour of Mission Broadcasting. I think we worked together at KLLS-FM. He worked at KSAQ after I did, and was the wedding dee-jay for my disastrous marriage to the then-KSAQ news director. I'm sure there are some other stations we have in common, but the years have dulled the memories. Those dull memories have led me to some errors, like adding an extra 'N' to Charlie Van's name, plus I think I got the name wrong of my co-worker at KITY who was to get morning drive. He went to KKYX, and I can't for the life of me remember the right name... I do remember he had a fantastic set of pipes. Plus, I think now it was mid-days that they put Johnny Shannon on when they moved him to KITY. I do remember Dick Porter, but not from KONO. He was Assistant City Secretary for the City of San Antonio when I worked with his daughter Kelly at WOAI. I remember the day I discovered they were related, and he said "I'm Sorry." Kelly was really something. She put up Megadeath posters at her news workstation at WOAI. I really enjoyed being around her. I worked with Couser at WOAI. He was just a salesman then, and I was a starry-eyed fan when ever I was around him. He was always one of my favorite personalities, and a genuine super human being. (Super-human might be the way to describe his schedule in the '70s, when he did mornings at KONO, taught at SAC and ran his own ad agency.) There's so much more to recall, but that's all water over the bridge Take care, Jim and keep those radio memories coming. Those were the days, my friend. Bob

TRIVIA ANSWER: The Shadow makes its radio debut in August 1930 when a deep-voiced announcer declares: Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men. These are the opening lines of the classic Detective Story radio drama that scares all listeners into submission.

DAVID PERKINS (DFW, TX) To all my friends, family and neighbors. I want to remind you that I will be preaching on the radio (KKGM-1630 in Dallas/Fort Worth) Sunday afternoon at 12:30 pm Central Time. If you're not in the DFW area you can listen live on the internet at www.KKGMam.Com. You can also go to my website www.JesusChristSaid.Com and listen to past sermons. Love, David. The Jesus Christ Said Ministries

MAUREEN O'HARA (August 17, 1920-p) I'm terrified about the day that I enter the gates of heaven and God says to me, just a minute.

Jim Rose and Tejas
Houston, Texas États-Unis
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