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Keep on Rockin’ - Turning 70
Keep on Rockin’ – Turning 70 by Sophia Misle, photos by Steven Hertzog
Celebrated daytime radio station KLWN turns 70 this year, and its longtime announcers remain consistent and timely.
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At 7:15 the morning of Feb. 22, 1951, Arden Booth said to the city of Lawrence, “Good morning. This is KLWN, Lawrence, Kansas,” and the daytime radio station on 1320 kHz debuted.
Booth had found out a 1320 frequency owned by an individual in Texas would be available for Lawrence while he was helping the local newspaper in Oroville, California, put a radio station on the air. He got a group of stakeholders together, and they got to work. “They took all of their combined money that they put into the business, including his brother, who was one of the primary stockholders, and built KLWN from the ground up, brick by brick, stone by stone, for about $50,000 with all the equipment, with everything in it to broadcast,” says Hank Booth, son of the late Arden Booth. After Arden’s death, the Booth family sold the station to the Zimmer family in the late 1990s. Hank says the Zimmers did a great job taking care of things after the transition. The Zimmer family grew up with a father who understood the importance of starting a radio station from the ground up, because the family did that in its hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. When the Zimmers purchased KLWN, they maintained the hometown connection it had with Lawrence. As an independently owned family company, it was important to the Zimmers to keep family tradition going, so Hank Booth remained on the air to maintain the deep, local connection established by his father. And now as a part of Great Plains Media, Hank continues that legacy. When the Booths started KLWN, operations took place in a small building on what is now 31st and Iowa streets. Today, KLWN is located on West Sixth Street as part of Great Plains Media Inc., with several studios and office spaces. The expanded space needed to accommodate KLWN’s growth and its sister stations, “92.9 The Bull” and “105.9 KISS FM.” In 2009, “92.9 The Bull” became the contemporary country station most Lawrencians know today. The Top 40 station, “105.9 KISS FM,” came along in 2012, replacing KLZR, “The Lazer,” at the 105.9 FM frequency which has been part of the KLWN family since it first signed on Aug. 20, 1963, as KLWN FM. This year, KLWN celebrated its 70th birthday, and many of the people who made the station what it is today are still as consistent and timely as ever. Hank Booth is one of those people. At 75 years old, he has educated Lawrencians about fascinating people and current events for many years through his show “According to the Record.” The first episode aired when Hank got back from military service in 1973. He has taken occasional breaks from the show, including when he ran for county commission. “Otherwise, I’ve done the show nonstop for all those years, even with my other jobs as head of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and head of the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce, and other positions that I’ve held after I officially retired,” Hank says. The best part of hosting “According to the Record,” he says, has been meeting people and finding out what their hopes and dreams are. Former president Barack Obama was interviewed by Hank before his presidential election. He has also interviewed and maintained relationships with many local and state government officials throughout the years, such as Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, State Sen. Marci Francisco (D-Kan.) and State Rep. Barbara Ballard (D-Kan.). “That’s the thing I love about the show is listening to people’s stories, asking the questions for them to tell their dream, their wish, their aspirations for their club, their organization,” Hank explains. He says he was never expected to follow in his late father’s footsteps in broadcast journalism. His father encouraged him to find another niche, but Hank believes Arden secretly wanted him to be in radio and take over the business. As a young man, Hank thought of himself as more of a writer and wanted to work for a newspaper in San Francisco. He never thought he would end up in Lawrence for as long as he has, especially working in radio. However, things changed after serving in the army and meeting his wife. The couple met when Hank was 75
Hank Booth
Clenece Hills
Joel Becker
Matt Llewellyn working at a radio station in
Wichita to see if he could make it on his own in the business without his father. He worked as the news director at KLEO, an AM-only station. “AMs were still the thing, and FM was just creeping along back in the ’60s,” Hank says. After working in radio in various places, including Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Denver, Hank and his wife moved to Lawrence. He thought they’d be in Lawrence about two years to help his father sell advertising for KLWN while Arden was in the Kansas senate. “We’re still here,” Hank says. “We’re still going. Forty-five years later, we still haven’t escaped to San Francisco.” Hank says he’s stayed in Lawrence for as long as he has because he and his wife loved raising their kids here with the great schools and teachers. The only thing that has been consistent throughout his years in Lawrence, he says, is “According to the Record.” Clenece Hills is in her 80s and has been a part of KLWN since 1958, when her family moved to Lawrence. Hills wrote to KLWN inquiring about a job opportunity, and she received a note written on the back of a 4-H livestock sale premium from Arden asking her to come to the station. As a junior at the University of Kansas, Hills began her journey with KLWN and estimates she has contributed about 9,000 hours since she started her shows “Class Act” and “Timeline.” On April 11, 2005, Hills began “Class Act”, a weekly talk show from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday mornings. It featured good news about people in the listening area. Students, teachers, coaches and many others who were making news for good deeds and successes were interviewed during the two years the show was on the air. Then in 2012, Hills created her show “Timeline,” which is still on the air today on Monday mornings and covers local and area history. “I look forward to every ‘Timeline’ program because I prepare my guests, I spend a lot of time, and I prepare myself,” Hills explains. She is looking forward to many of her upcoming guests, including Leonard “Kris” Krishtalka, recently retired, head of Lawrence’s Natural History Museum. Krishtalka will be a guest Sept. 27 on “Timeline” to discuss his new novel, “The Body on the Bed,” which will be released on Sept. 26. The station continues to stay true to its original purpose of broadcasting local news, weather and sports through shows like “According to the Record” and “Timeline.” Additional shows include “Radio for Grownups,” with Joel Becker, from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays, and “Rock Chalk Sports Talk,” with Derek Johnson, from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. “The Clinton Parkway Nursery Garden Show,” with Ann Peuser, airs at 7:30 a.m. Saturdays, and “The Schmooze with Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel” is at 8:30 a.m. Sundays. And, for in depth stories on local businesses and community leadership tune into the “Lawrence Business Magazine Radio Show,” with Steven Hertzog at 9 a.m. Thursdays. If listeners cannot listen to these shows at their designated time, all of the shows are uploaded in podcast form on SoundCloud and can be accessed via KLWN’s website (klwn.com). KLWN also has an app through which Lawrencians can access KLWN anytime, anywhere. This fall, KLWN listeners can look forward to more local sports programming. KLWN is the home of KU sports, with live coverage of football and basketball (which can also be heard on sister station KKSW 105.9 Kiss FM), and Royals baseball. Each, Lawrence High and Free State High School football games, as well as many boys and girls basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball games are broadcast – so if you can’t go in person, listen live. Hank and Hills agree KLWN will continue to stay relevant and thrive another 70 years by providing local coverage. “Stay local, stay local, stay local,” Hank says. p
THE CHAMBER
Ribbon Cuttings
St JOHN FIESTA
Whitney Lang
Whitney Lang has been promoted to Associate Principal at Gould Evans
Whitney Lang, AIA, LEED AP BD+C | Architect, is a skilled leader and project manager, who excels at bringing together a wide range of perspectives to artfully solve design problems. She’s comfortable in the messiness and exploration of the early design stages but excels at building consensus and clarity as projects move forward. She brings a deep sense of empathy and compassion to her work, and enjoys building partnerships with community organizations in her hometown of Lawrence, Kansas. “We’ve been gifted with a moment in history that demands process iteration. With humble ears, I want to hear more people’s perspectives and help provide new opportunities for shared experience, stability, and joy.”.
Peaslee Allen Press Announces Mark Kohlhase, CEO
Peaslee Mark Kohlhase has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Kohlhase had been serving as the Interim CEO since January 2020. As CEO, Kohlhase will continue overseeing all aspects of the company and setting long-term strategic goals and objectives. “Providing excellent customer service has been and continues to be my primary focus,” Kohlhase said. “As CEO, I believe that a servant leadership approach and a laser-like focus on our customers’ well-being will help us create long-term stability for Allen Press.” Kohlhase will continue to focus on the core competencies of commercial printing and scholarly publishing services that are Allen Press mainstays. Recent technology upgrades and long-term partnerships with scholarly service leaders in peer review and online publishing have created a solid foundation upon which the Allen Press team serves independent commercial and scholarly publishers.
Kim Anspach
eXplore Lawrence announces Kim Anspach as Executive Director
The eXplore Lawrence Board of Directors is pleased to announce Kim Anspach as the new Executive Director of eXplore Lawrence, the organization devoted to improving the local economy by attracting visitors, meetings, conferences, and events to the city. A nationwide search was conducted for the position after the retirement of Michael Davidson. Anspach has most recently served as Interim Director of eXplore Lawrence since May 2021. She has excelled in o!ce management and community relations roles since joining the organization in 2014..
Envista Credit Union is pleased to announce that it will highlight Lawrence Habitat for Humanity through the EnvistaCares Challenge during the month of September. Envista is challenging the community to give to Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, and for every dollar given to the organization during the month of September, Envista will match up to $2,500. Giving can be done online at www.envistacares.com.
Lied Center of Kansas Reopening for the 2021–22 Season
The Lied Center of Kansas will open at full capacity for the 2021–22 season with some new performances in the lineup. A few highlights of the season include Grammy Award-winning artists, like Rosanne Cash, America–50th Anniversary Tour, the Steep Canyon Rangers and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, as well the Broadway hits BEAUTIFUL–The Carole King Musical, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and much more. The Lied Center will also continue presenting its Folk, Chamber Music and Just Friends Jazz Series’ performances. The first event of the season is September 17, and it will mark the first in-person Lied Series performance in the venue since February 2020. During the pandemic, the Lied Center continued to fulfill its mission of sharing performing arts experiences with the community by offering dozens of free virtual programs and more than twenty outdoor pop-up performances. Tickets for shows in the 2021–22 season are on sale now at the Ticket Office or by phone.
Truity Credit Union adds Audra Fussell and Mallory Schwank to Lawrence Team
Truity Credit Union is pleased to welcome Audra Fussell as the newest Lawrence Branch Manager and Mallory Schwank as a Mortgage Loan Officer. “We are thrilled to add both of these professionals to our team in Lawrence,” said Vice President and Lawrence Market Manager Kaylee Johnston. “They each bring a wealth of experience and knowledge which will be great assets to the credit union, our members and the community.” Audra Fussell Mallory Schwank Fussell brings 10 years of management and two years of networking and marketing experience to her new role as Branch Manager at Truity’s 31st Street location. She currently serves as the Lawrence Chamber Envoy Co-Chair as well as the Membership Chair for the Lawrence Women’s Network. She is also involved in Lawrence Young Professionals and Lawrence One Million Cups. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Before joining the mortgage team at Truity, Schwank worked 4 years in real estate and another year in insurance. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas and currently serves as a youth group leader at her local church. She has a husband, a daughter, a stepson and is a longtime Lawrence area resident.
Good Energy Solutions Recognized as Top U.S. Solar Installation Company
The U.S. solar industry is on the upswing, thanks to a pro-renewables presidential administration and increased concern over climate change. Good Energy Solutions has had a front-row seat to this action, with business increasing over the last year. Solar Power World has recognized the company’s installation success by ranking Good Energy Solutions at No. 369 on the 2021 Top Solar Contractors list. The Top Solar Contractors list is developed each year by Solar Power World to honor the work of solar installers in the United States. Solar firms in the utility, commercial and residential markets are ranked by number of kilowatts installed in the previous year. Companies are grouped and listed by specific service, markets and states. Good Energy Solutions currently employs 42 workers who installed 623.41kilowatts of solar power in 2020. Since its founding in 2007, the company has installed 12,466 kilowatts of solar. The company expects to see more growth in the commercial solar and energy storage sectors in the coming year.
