Littleton, birthplace of my radio career

Floodwaters enveloping Minot have nothing on the sea of memories stirred in me as we turned onto Littleton’s Main Street.

Once upon a time, this stretch of shops and restaurants was declared the prettiest Main Street in America. Stella was captivated by it’s quaint charm. Kate, on the other hand, was filled with a burning desire to flee. I felt the same way when I was her age—until I saw a certain lightbulb.

A red lightbulb seen through that second story window with the air conditioner captured my teenage imagination. It was the ON AIR light in WLTN’s studio. I’d look up to see it whenever we came out of the movie theater across the street. What would it take for me to get on the radio, I wondered. It was less a dream than a growing obsession. (Some things never change, eh?)

At age 15, I managed to get an audition with WLTN’s long-time station owner Jack Bowman. I choked, crashed, and burned. He was a crotchety old guy who succeeded in chasing me off. I had nearly given up when news of the station’s sale hit the paper. I came through those doors behind me here with unshakable determination. Whether I persuaded or just pestered him into submission, I will never know. But, Peter Aydelott, the station’s new owner, finally gave me a shot right behind that door at the end of the hallway.

Keying the mic that first time, I remember looking up at that same red light bulb and grinning ear-to-ear. My first job in radio. I was hooked. Still am, but now from a distance. Even so, I will forever be, first and foremost, a radio guy.