Howdy Hello Everyone
Allow me to introduce myself… John Button, KVMR’s webmaster and Techie 2nd Grade.
I’ve been around KVMR since 2000 when I returned home to N.California from a 12 year absence while working in the semiconductor industry.
I first became aware of the Nevada City and Grass Valley area while I was the soundman at The Shire Road Pub in Fair Oaks, CA for their first couple of years of existance.
That was in 1972 and 1973 and while KVMR wasn’t in operation, I became acquainted with an amazing number of musicians that came out of that area.
Now, back before that, I had the wonderful opportunity to work at KZAP in Sacramento, CA for a couple of years around ‘70 & ‘71. Those were wild times and I was absolutely blown away by all the great music that the KZAP broadcasters were playing. The late ’60s and early ’70s were incredible as far as the creative new music that was being played and recorded… and being just a couple of hours from San Francisco sure helped utilize all those free concert tickets we were given to promote concerts.
KZAP was a commercial radio station that probably didn’t make a buck until after it was sold after the first few years of its lifetime. I could go on for years about what happened at KZAP, but for those that are interested … here’s a link to some KZAP history that might be fun… and sometime in November of 2008 we are going to have another reunion to see who’s left and who can remember anything?!
Anyways. shortly after KVMR went on the air in 1978, I gotta a call from an old KZAP & Shire Road Pub friend, Paul Emery. At the time he was part of a musical collaboration that was reminiscent of earlier jug bands, The Greater Charmichael Traveling Street Band and Scantified Singers with Brother Lee Love.
Paul and Brother Lee Love were going to be interviewed on KVMR and they might get to play a little live music, so they wanted someone along to help make sure everything sounded just exactly perfect. Instead they were able to get me to join them. At this point KVMR was broadcasting from the transmitter shack on Banner Mt. and when we got there. I learned that there wasn’t enough room in the control booth for everyone and so I got to listen from outside.
Since that period of my life, I’ve been around the western states involved with a small welding shop of another good friend, Alan Hiatt. Hiatt’s Metal Fab is now in Plymouth, CA, but he started his shop in Folsom, where I hooked up and spent 12 years becoming a metal fabricator.
My next career was in the semiconductor industry that took another 12 years and lead me to Samel, OR for a few year and finally to San Antonio, TX. It was there that I finally had enough of working for big business and dealing with all the stress that working with seriously toxic chemicals on a daily basis.
About this time KZAP was having their 30th anniversary and after that party I knew I had to come home to N. California. It wasn’t too long before I was listening to KVMR and and calling in requests and membership pledges.
It was also about this time that I decided that KVMR’s web site needed a little help and I volunteered. After another several months, I gotta call from another old KZAP buddy, Paul Paterson who was KZAP’s chief engineer. He had recently been hired as KVMR’s engineer and he as looking for a room mate. And that was it, we found a place on Zion St. and I’d found my home here in Nevada City. Since then we’ve each found our own homes, but we’re both still home in Nevada City and at KVMR!
Ok now, I’ve introduced myself … it’s your turn
July 11, 2008 at 8:11 am
I began my association with KVMR sometime around late 1989 or early 90. My first wife and I separated. I was pretty much wandering around looking for something in my life. My wife and I were heavily involved for 14 years with our local community theatre. She was a scene painter/set designer for the company and had shared in a number of Elly Awards for their sets. I had also begun judging theatre for the SARTA Elly Awards from 1989-91.
I had been an avid listener of KVMR since the time I discovered the station a few years prior. There was a mention for volunteers to work on Fight Night and I stepped into the breach. With background for set building I soon found my way into helping on constructing the sets in the Miners Foundry for Fright Night as well as volunteering for working the event. Thus began my emersion into the world of radio, in particular, Community radio.
Soon after I began to volunteer I was approached and asked if I were interested in broadcasting and soon found myself being trained by Betty Worth who did the superb Friday afternoon Jazz show. My training was pretty spotty as I was so busy with judging over 50 plays that year. Betty was an excellent trainer and I learned much from her. Betty soon asked if I might consider joining the KVMR board of directors. Little did I know where that was soon to lead me.
I was not long on the board when we unearthed a huge debt that had been what you might say swept under the carpet. The station was not long from having the doors closed by the IRS and other creditors had not been paid in months. Thus began what has become known as the DEBT CRISIS.
This also was a time that we discovered just how important the station we had taken for granted really was to ourselves and the community. I will always recall that late night executive board meeting in which we sat dumb founded as we looked at the debt that we had as yet not fully uncovered, more would eventually surface. We only knew we had a serious problem and were not as yet sure what we would do as the amount was very large. Faced with one of the worst recession in California’s history it was looking grim. Thus began what could be called the Cheryl Dachlor “Board of Achievements”. Indeed Cheryl as President was the true leader of this board.
That night was would become special night for those of us in that room. We bonded closely from that time forward. We made a vow that if the station was going to go down it was not that by lack of what was needed, a herculean effort on our part and the KVMR staff and Volunteers.
Nothing was too small to help to bring funds in, garage sales, auctions, on air fundraisers, outreach to the communities that KVMR reached, increasing the Nite Live concert series from the 10 a year to well over two dozen in one year, the KVMR Acoustic Music Festival were among many projects organized.
This board also rewrote the policies and procedures needed to put a more balanced structure with a sound business footing for the future. We rewrote the job descriptions, began putting a board manual together, began the process of changing the way accounting was kept. I do not recall if we made changes to the by-laws, I believe we did but with so much committee work we were all doing many things were shared between each of them. Each of us was on more than one committee. It was with this board from which the grant was written for the Antenna/Transmitter upgrade and later another board brought that project to fruition. We also were successful for that time in installing a Translator in Sacramento which for a few years helped reach into Sacramento. It has been said this board built the foundation for which the present house of KVMR sits on.
Most of us were at the station at least three or four days a week, I could say that outside of my job I spent as much if not more time at KVMR than I did at my home. We all began our terms hoping for some other goals we could see during our time on the KVMR board, capital improvements, growth in community outreach and increase in revenues and membership. We did see and increase in membership and revenues but the revenues were going towards retiring the debt.
By the time my three plus years on the board termed out I was pretty burnt out. The debt problem was by then manageable, nearly erased. Within six months of my leaving none of us who were in that room the night the full impact of the debt was reveled were on the board. We had all left, tired burnt out but with a feeling we had truly accomplished something.
During this time we also set up the first broadcast training classes for which I completed the class. I still hear several of those who were in my class on air at KVMR.
Later I would meet Cindy who would become my wife. She would also get the music and radio virus. Presently Cindy is now a part of the KVMR broadcast family.
If it were not for KVMR Cindy and I would never have begun the American River Folk Society from which I founded KFOK-LP in Georgetown. We would not have begun a concert series which we are just now ending after 10 successful years. We would not have begun the American River Acoustic Music Camp. I would never have come in contact with Folk Alliance for which I now sit on the FAR West Region board.
To say KVMR has had a profound effect in my life and now Cindy’s is an understatement.
Bruce Hayden