The "Manhattan Optimist Club Bulletin": Vol. 2024 #50: 9-11-24

                VOLUME 2024          SEPTEMBER, 2024         NUMBER 50

President Bill Wisdom welcomed the membership and guests, then presented the reflection, a tribute to James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams.  The flag salute followed.

Ed Klimek noticed the radio towers on the KSU campus and found they had been erected in 1924, thus this was their 100th year.  He contacted the president of KSU and discussed their significance with him and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the towers was launched.  Ed introduced Steve Smethers, retired head of the Miller School of Journalism at Kansas State University and Erick Atkinson, retired KSU agricultural broadcaster who has been with KSU since 1983.

KSU has been innovative in the field of broadcasting and providing outreach to the people of Kansas.  In 1915 the college’s physics department put a radio station on the air with the call sign 9YV.  Voice transmission was not invented yet, so 9YV was used to send weather information to farmers in Morse code.  The farmers were sent a “cheat sheet” of Morse code to decode the messages.  In 1920 voice transmission was possible and the university physics department put radio station WTG on the air and no one seemed to know what to do with it.  The college started to put its course work on the air for distance education.  At first, they partnered with WDAF in Kansas City.  In 1923 a radio station, KFKB, was put on the air in Milford, Kansas, by the infamous “goat gland” doctor, John Brinkley.  The station was on the air 24 hours a day and he needed additional content, so he contacted the university to transmit course information of his radio station when he was not using that airtime.  The university did use that station for a short period of time, as John Brinkley’s business, goat gland therapy for middle aged men did not fit well with the college.  In the fall of 1923, the college had had enough and applied for their own frequency. 

The two towers west of Nichols Hall were constructed to support the antenna.  The first broadcast was December 1, 1924; when KSAC 880 AM went on the air with programs to bring the college to the people on “The College of the Air”.  The Division of Extension used the station to take the college to the people.  Steve Smethers introduced Erick Atkinson who had broadcast farm information to the people of Kansas for 39 years.

Eric discussed the people who served KSAC (the call letters changed to KKSU in 1984) for many years.  In 1928 KSAC received permission from the Federal Radio Commission to change from 880 AM to 580 AM.  1929 the college reached an agreement with WIBW to share the frequency with WIBW in Topeka.  WIBW would sign off at noon and the college station, KSAC, would sign on.  Jack Burke was the station manager and a visionary.  In 1966, Jack Burke was elected chairman of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and was instrumental in including radio in the Public Broadcasting Act, which was originally just for TV.  Jack and some of his colleagues were instrumental in including radio in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting bill.

Ralph Titus was the KSAC Program Manager and had the ability to tell stories.  President Regan was 17 minutes late to a Landon Lecture and Ralph fill the time gap, partially by eloquently describing the rafters in the Ahearn Field House.  In 1970 KSAC Program Manager Ralph Titus acted as a committee member to create National Public Radio and was one of the five creators of All Things Considered. In 1971 “All Things Considered” airs for the first time on NPR. During NPR’s first decade KSAC provided more reports than any other station.

Dev Nelson also was a broadcaster for KSAC, as the sports broadcaster for Kansas State University from 1954 to 1979.  He was a great play-by-play announcer.  He began his broadcasting career in Pittsburg in 1949 after graduating from K-State and also worked at radio stations in Lincoln, Nebraska, Salina and Hutchinson before becoming director of the Kansas State Sports Network and sports director of WIBW Radio and Television in Topeka.

Paul DeWeese was the Director of Agricultural Programming and the K-State Radio Network from 1948-1983.  DeWeese served many roles at KSAC and the university, providing his voice in both the agriculture and sports world. He was the long-time host of "Agriculture Today," providing Kansas farmers with up-to-date information.  He was the “Dean” of midwestern agricultural broadcasters.  DeWeese was the color commentator for Dev Nelson, and they worked well together.  "Agriculture Today" is still on the air on the K-State Radio Network.

A celebration will be held on Friday 13th at 10:00 to 11:00 am at the towers. 

Heather Peterson introduced our second speaker, Lauren Farwell, Wonder Workshop Board President, who spoke on Wonder Workshop serving our community youth.

Wonder Workshop is a local nonprofit celebrating 30 years this year.  Wonder Workshop started in 1994 by Richard and Cindy Pitts.  Richard was an incredible guy, unfortunately, he passed away on May 11, 2020.  Wonder Workshop’s mission is to instill lifelong learning, recognize cultural diversity, and foster creative potential in children, families, and community.  Lauren shared a number of pictures of the Wonder Workshop program.  Wonder Workshop is a place of inclusion and offers scholarships to those who can’t afford the program.  Wonder Workshop offers summer camps when school is not in session, Discovery Days when school is not in session during the school year, a pre-K STEAM program, and after school clubs, which will be at the schools.  Everything at Wonder Workshop is hands on learning.  They are grant funded and they fundraise.  They are housed in a tiny house on Fourth Street and are in need of more space.  They are hoping to move to a different building in a couple of years.  During summer camp they go on weekly field trips.  During the Valentine’s Day celebration, nearly 200 people came through the tiny facility. They do a lot of interactive activities.  They plan to have a fundraiser in mid-November that will involve drumming.  For teens, Wonder Workshop offers a Wonder Teens mentorship program where teens can mentor younger students.  Link to Wonder Workshop

Michele Blanton attended with Jim Blanton.

Doug Jardine read several thank you notes from 4H participants in the Riley County Fair Lego competition.  He also noted that he is riding again in the Great Cycle Challenge this year to raise funds for children’s cancer research and was requesting donations.  Follow the following link to donate:  Great Cycle Challenge

President Wisdom commented a very successful Optimist Social.  He thanked Bruce Bidwell, Jim Franke, noted so many others who helped.  Mark Knackendoffel donated the pork and cooked it.  Optimist Social pictures are below.

President Wisdom announced Chili Crawl Sign-up forms are on the tables and ticket vouchers are available for sale for $20.

Thad Hall announced preparations for the 26th year of Hoop Holler and Shoot.  In addition, Student of the Month for high school students will start soon and the first student will be honored the first noon meeting in October.

Sharon Fincham announced the elementary Youth of the Month will begin in November.

Bill Wisdom mentioned planning for Bewitching in Westloop will begin.  Clyde Scott has volunteered to lead that activity. 

Greg McCune announced one or two more helpers are needed for the football parking September 28th.  Workers need to be there two hours ahead of time.

Clyde Scott announced Dues are due October 1st.  The Finance Committee will recommend to the Optimist board that dues to be set at $140 for regular members at the September board meeting.

Korey Klingenberg           Greg McCune

At the same time, the push mowing crew was doing their weekly mowing of Brummett Field banks and surrounding areas.  Steve Boeckman

SAVE THESE DATES: September 28, football parking for the OSU game; October 1st the 2024-25 Optimist year begins; October 19, Aggieville Chili Crawl.

Adjourned with the Optimist Creed

SEPTEMBER 18: MORNING MEETING: Steve Smethers, Retired Head of Miller School of Journalism @ KSU returns to the MOC to provide a presentation on “The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad; a Kansas Heritage Railroad”

SEPTEMBER 25: NOON MEETING: President William Wisdom: Topic: “Outgoing Presidential Farewell Address”

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Pictures from the Optimist Social, thanks to Jim Blanton.