Sexton Reunion - Reflect and Regroup with the Lansing Big Reds!

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Dave Timpe commented on the group Big Reds for Obama 16 hours ago
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Dave Timpe commented on the group Big Reds for Obama 1 day ago
Dave Timpe commented on the group Big Reds for Obama Nov 20
Dave Timpe commented on the blog post Today Show loses Lansing, again Nov 20
Dave Timpe commented on the group Big Reds for Obama Nov 19
Dave Timpe commented on the blog post Today Show loses Lansing, again Nov 19
Dave Timpe commented on the event Sexton Reunion X-Mas Holiday Get TogetherNov 19
Dave Timpe commented on the event Sexton Reunion X-Mas Holiday Get TogetherNov 19
Dave Timpe commented on the group PALIN SPEAK ONLY PLEASE Nov 19
Dave Timpe commented on the group Big Reds for Obama Nov 19
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Dave Timpe commented on the group Big Reds for Obama Nov 18
Dave Timpe replied to the discussion So what exactly is Palin's next move? Nov 18
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Dave Timpe replied to the discussion So what exactly is Palin's next move? Nov 18
Dave Timpe added 2 photos. View Photos Nov 17
10th Ave looking W from 10th St, SW Corner 10th Ave looking E from 10th St SW Corner

Profile Information

What Year Did You Graduate From Sexton?
1963
Relationship Status:
Single
About Me:
Short version:

I was in Band, Orchestra, Latin, German clubs at Sexton. Went to Michigan State, BA TV-Radio (these days they'd call it Communications). Interrupted by the US Army to visit scenic SE Asia, then returned for a 27 year career in radio before consolidation hit the industry and it became hard for 50 or 60-somethings to hold a job.

I'll flesh this out in stages, starting with a very few words about the Army. I didn't do anything exciting, mainly pounded a typewriter for three years. I spent a year in the 'Nam, but wasn't directly involved in anything of note. I filed reports, filled out paperwork, and tried to keep my feet up on the desk as much as I could. A couple of times I got into places where some kind of incident had just happened, or happened a half mile or so away, but mostly just waited for it to be over. The most exciting time was when some sappers got into a base I was on, and the last of them were chased in my direction and captured about a block away.

After the war, I got my radio career seriously underway at WITL, 1010 AM, 100.7 FM (they made up corny air names there and called me Jack Daniels). I spent the early to mid 70s there, sometimes doing overnights, but would fill in on morning drive a lot. On MSU Game Days I did traffic reports as "The Eye in the Sky". The morning guy overslept frequently, so I did half his show, anyway. I was attracted to more outdoors activity than you could get in Lansing, so I went looking for, and found a job in the Upper Peninsula, at WDBC, Escanaba.

No funny air names at WDBC. In fact, it was station policy to use real names only (although one of the announcers sort of bent the policy). I started doing the evening shift there, and did various stints in afternoons, overnight, you name it. I was Program Director for awhile, as well as scheduling commercial traffic on the FM automation. Whenever I could, I'd take off for the weekend, with the Keweenaw Peninsula a favorite destination. I shot a lot of slides (and processed them myself) during that era. I'm just beginning to start scanning them into my computer. I have thousands to go yet. Sooner or later, some will get uploaded here.

During that period, I also got hooked on computers. When the FM station went on the air in 1976, they put in an automation system that was controlled by an early microprocessor. I was impressed by the improvements having a CPU brought to the rickety old relay-driven devices that were the first radio automation systems. When the boss brought in his Model I TRS-80, he wanted me to see if I could write software for it. It used casette-based Level II BASIC (an early Microsoft product), and the computer came with a book for a more primitive version of the lanuage, Level I. I had a lot of fun figuring it out, but a year later I was doing machine language and having all sorts of geeky fun.

When I first started working there, there was only one other station in Escanaba, and it was a daytimer. The station was primarily owned by a man in Minnesota who died in a plane crash in Alaska within a year or so of my arrival, and the chain (seven whole stations were all you could have back then) broke up. The local General Manager bought the place, we put on an FM station (WFNN originally, later WYKX, 104.7) and an economic downturn hit at about the same time. We also gained some competition on FM, and suddenly a station that had been a cash cow had to work at earning a living. We had some good years, but gradually the financial situation worsened, and the staff got pared way back. Eventually, they got around to me, and I wound up down here in Marinette as a result. That's the next chapter.
What Are You Doing Now?
Computer odds and ends (databases, publications, surveys, images) at UW-Marinette.

I'm slowly building a library of photos of the area (and other points of interest), and locating them on a map. I'll probably be putting in more links to satellite maps as well in the comments on each photo. No Google street views are likely in Marinette-Menominee in the near future, but I'll try to give a feel for the area.

Comment Wall (90 comments)

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At 10:37pm on November 17, 2008, Laura Bodnar (Glasscock) said…
Did it reflect badly on MSU that the president wanted to go on with sporting activities after such a tragic event? I understand that they ended up canceling or rescheduling the game, but only after public opinion forced them too...
I think your right that John Hannah was a republican.
At 7:38pm on November 12, 2008, Laura Bodnar (Glasscock) said…
Ha!! Being on the Michigan side i'm sure does lead to more michigan plates!!!!
I know that i'm not ready for winter, and am already looking forward to spring!!
getting dark @ 5pm..that just stinks!! And walking really,really isn't as enjoyable, unless you have on your carhartt overalls...then your not very comfy walking...yeah wait to spring!!! I've never been that far into the u.p. before.
At 12:01pm on November 6, 2008, Laura Bodnar (Glasscock) said…
It looks like alot of people fall on their asses!!! This corny crap always makes me laugh!!
At 6:50pm on November 5, 2008, Derf Retrop said…
Love Sam Cooke! Great song Dave!

No, I don't think we are related to Liliane. I'm curious though, I'll let you know.
At 12:03pm on November 5, 2008, Derf Retrop said…
WHOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
At 3:11pm on November 1, 2008, Laura Bodnar (Glasscock) said…
Hey Dave, how's it going?
did u get a chance to get those new tires?
just saying hi!
are you able to vote early?
At 7:50am on October 21, 2008, DINA HUCKINS said…
holy cow! i just realized google maps has the real time photos out there! amazing! thanks for showing me that!!! =dina=
At 11:12am on October 19, 2008, Mary (Graham) Palmer said…
I joined your 60's group. Great idea! I was wondering if there were other "old timers" out there! Since I've been back in Michigan, I have seen but am not in touch with with Juanita Grew and Ida Mendel (Class of '63) and don't know if they have computers. I have no idea where my classmates are these days. Strange how our lives take us all over the place and we lose track of our high school friends. Not sure of the Christmas gathering, but will check into it. Hard to believe we graduated 45 years ago! Oh my God!
At 8:00pm on October 18, 2008, Patrick G. Burke said…
Hi Dave.....You lived up the street on Walnut....I lived at 1019 N. Walnut St...across from the school. You were also in Band with me....I played the French Horn....but only for a year....Mr Corbett and I didn't get along too well. I have only been back to Lansing a few times since I moved out of Michigan, the last time was 1984 for my 20th reunion. I hope to come back for our 50th reunion! alk to you later.
At 4:29pm on October 16, 2008, Jabari Cain said…
LOL....Dave you're crazy!!! No problem:-)

Dave Timpe's Blog

Dave Timpe

Today Show loses Lansing, again

Lansing was "Today's Pick City" again, and once again they got it wrong:

Through the computer generated rain, you will see a Capitol Dome that doesn't look much like ours. That's because it's Madison. Compare this picture:

Continue

Posted on November 15, 2008 at 3:00pm — 4 Comments

Dave Timpe

Unconscious Racism: Another view

This NY Times article implies it can be overcome: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/us/07race.html Tolerance Over Race Can Spread, Studies Find By BENEDICT CAREY Published: November 6, 2008 This was supposed to be the election when hidden racism would rear its head. There was much talk of a “Bradley effect,” in which white voters would say one thing to pollsters and do another in the privacy of the booth; of a backlash in which the working-class whites whom Senator Barack Obama had labeled “… Continue

Posted on November 9, 2008 at 2:57pm — 9 Comments

Dave Timpe

New Group for 40s-50s-60s grads

I just started a new group called 60s (and earlier) grads. All are welcome, especially those from Sexton's first 2 1/2 decades, 1945=1969. We don't have enough from each class to form a reasonable-sized group yet, so maybe this will get something going. I've sent out invitations to all members who were there while I was, and one from 66. If I missed you, don't feel left out. All are invited. At least it's a break from politics (although if you want to discuss Kennedy-Nixon, Eisenhower-Stephens… Continue

Posted on October 18, 2008 at 3:30pm — 2 Comments

Dave Timpe

Street View Sites: Dead Deer on I-96

I've been driving my virtual car around my hometown I haven't seen for awhile, and there are lots of things I probably will come back to and comment on. I just ran across this one, which requires little comment. …
Continue

Posted on September 13, 2008 at 2:51pm —

Dave Timpe

On West Junior

Calling all Cowboys. Anybody out there go to West Junior? Are you interested in a group? We have a few people who graduated in the 70s and earlier, and some must have gone to West before they became Big Reds.

Google Street View from Lenawee and Chest… Continue

Posted on August 7, 2008 at 8:00pm — 4 Comments

 
 

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