Raw Deal for Kavanagh

Ken Kavanagh is gone as Athletic Director at Bradley University. After 13 years of successful leadership in a very demanding position, he was forced to seek employment
elsewhere by new BU president Joanne Glasser. How ironic that the very week he was
unceremoniously told to clean out his office and be gone by 5:00 p.m. that the Bradley Lady Braves softball team would win the Missouri Valley tournament for the first time in school history. God does work in mysterious ways.

I won’t brag about how many people I interviewed because it isn’t the number but the quality of contacts that’s important in writing a story or a column. Readers of this column were the first to learn about the impending departure of the Bradley A.D. Others in the media were hesitant to admit what many Bradley supporters and employees already knew; Kavanagh was told to look for other employment despite a sterling record of achievement. And I don’t buy what one Bradley source told me; “Glasser has a right to bring in her own people.” While I know that’s a corporate mantra, I think it’s horse manure. We’re dealing with people, families and children not business philosophies.

Critics of Glasser point to her appointment of the new baseball coach, her friend from
Eastern Kentucky, and this year’s record. Former major leaguer Mike Dunne, an assistant to former Bradley baseball coach Dewey Kalmer, was hardly considered for the top post. The snub has not gone unnoticed. Stories are floating around that she had also called on the carpet basketball coach, Jim Les. Reportedly, that didn’t set too well with some university trustees. As I stated in a previous column, the honeymoon is over for the new school president.Meanwhile,Ken Kavanagh leaves Peoria with his head held high for doing an outstanding job as Bradley’s athletic director. He once again showed class with a heart-warming letter of appreciation to the community opposite the hit piece written by sports writer Kirk Wessler. We thank Ken for a job well done and wish him well at Florida Gulf Coast. Friends of Ken and his family will host a farewell reception at the Peoria Civic Center on Tuesday, June 9th, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Donations to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Peoria will be accepted. New playground equipment will be dedicated in the family’s honor. I’ll be there and I hope you will, too.

SPEAKING OF HITS

The acid tongue PJS columnist Phil Luciano apparently decided to do some hitting beyond his computer keyboard at a West Peoria bar. Gosh, the guy was booked at the Peoria County jail for battery, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. His fellow buddies at the PJS did their best to hide the details in the “B” section with a single one column story. The writer or writers tried to downplay the apparent serious incident with words like “appear” and “allegedly.” When he was arrested, the columnist apparently “declined to speak to officers.” People are still laughing over that PJS quote – a columnist declining to speak. And get this quote in the story: “The case has been referred to the state’s attorney’s office for further review.” What the hell does that mean? Did he hit the woman? Did he hit the guy? Did he or didn’t he cause a disturbance?

An apparent defender of accused terrorist or enemy combatant Al what’s his name,
Luciano recently wrote “we have a problem.” No Phil, it appears you have a problem. The country is doing okay in capturing terrorists.

It’s interesting to see how our local newspaper is treating this serious incident with Mr. Luciano. A day or two later they put his column on the front page as an “alleged” reward for his “alleged” behavior in a tavern at 1:00 a.m. Compare that with the treatment of Alicia Butler and Jeanette Mitzelfelt. Ms. Butler, who served with distinction and without pay on the board of District 150, was smeared in columns and on the front page numerous times for allegedly misrepresenting her education credentials. She didn’t hit anyone, wasn’t out until after 1:00 a.m. “allegedly” causing problems in a bar, she didn’t hit a woman or a man or even kick a dog. Ms. Butler wasn’t arrested and booked at the County jail either. Luciano was one of those who joined in the Butler journalistic lynching at the newspaper. Reminds me of the old saying, “What goes around comes around.”

And there’s more irony to this story. The so-called WMBD “personality,” pardon the
pun, “hit” the news the same week WMBD radio executive Mike Wild fired long-time
(true) radio personality Dan Dermody. Now there’s a class guy. Dan is well-known, not only as a radio personality, but also for his community involvement with numerous charities and charitable causes. He’s never been arrested and has never hit a woman, on purpose or accidentally. Calls to mind another great guy Wild fired, Harry Canterbury. Harry had a popular Sunday morning radio show on WMBD. He got dumped for
”allegedly” threatening a WMBD employee the same day his son was shipped to Iraq.
Harry didn’t hit the employee, male or female. He wasn’t booked at the jail and
didn’t post bond. Hmm.

I like Phil Luciano on a personal level and would like to take credit for his jump into radio. He appeared on “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” a couple of times on WOAM. WMBD must have been listening (as they often did) and recruited Phil for their afternoon gig. No one should dance over Phil’s troubles.

THIS IS A RECORDING

Remember the joke about the new airline where everything was automatic? As the
passengers settled in their seats, a voice on the intercom came on welcoming everyone and then explained how the plane was automatic and safe. At the end of the recorded message the voice confidently said, “You have nothing to worry about.
Nothing can go wrong. Go wrong… go wrong … go wrong … go wrong … go wrong.”
Well, apparently since things went wrong with Luciano, WMBD resorted to using
old recorded programs. That fairly well describes, unfortunately, our local media.
Too much is recorded. The weather on weekends is recorded out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, on WEEK-TV and WHOI-TV. Apparently, so is the news on Channel 19.

How else can a weekend anchor be on both stations at the same time with two different
sets? WMBD radio plays Dennis Miller at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, but you can hear
Miller from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Chicago’s WIND, 560. Dan Dermody could be heard on WIRL throughout the day because his voice was recorded through a system known as voice tracking. Whatever happened to “live” local broadcasting?

THE FINAL END TO WOAM?

You can always tell when Arbitron, the company that does radio surveys, is in town. Radio stations live and die by the surveys. If a station has good ratings, compliments of Arbitron, they hit the streets calling on businesses using the ratings to sell against the competition. So when it’s a ratings period, radio stations use TV and billboards to promote their giveaways to pimp for listeners. One station is giving beer for a year. Another is claiming cash every hour and another flat screen television sets. You can see how accurate the surveys are with the contests.

As stations compete for ratings, it appears the final end for WOAM and sister FM station WPMJ. The final nail in the Kelly Communications’ coffin was hammered as a semi-trailer pulled away from 3641 Meadowbrook Lane loaded with consoles, microphones, and other sophisticated radio equipment for storage. As it left, large pieces of plastic on the leaky roof top building was flapping goodbye in the breeze. The building, by the way, is for sale for $379,900. Kelly is still trying to sell the stations, but without success. Word is he will lose station licenses September 29 of this year and that could be the end of WOAM and WPMJ … forever. Too bad. Both had a place in the local radio market
that has too many rock stations.

Special thanks to PJS broadcast writer Steve Tarter for his nice column about “Royce and Roger.” He mentioned that I often turn on Comcast cable TV to hear the kind of music missing from Peoria radio. Indeed, there are some great choices on the digital music channels like Solid Gold Oldies on Channel 873 and Stage and Screen selections on Channel 875. Party favorites can be heard on Channel 874. You can hear Christian music, music for Kidz and even a channel for Toddler Tunes. Try it. You’ll like it.

STRAIGHT NOTES

Despite facing a projected deficit of over $4 million, Peoria County will approve plans to
build a badly needed new nursing home costing millions more.
According to the Peoria Journal sports department, baseball is no longer America’s
national past time. How else can you explain burying Major League scores and stories on the back pages and putting the (ugh) NBA on the front page?

Dumb quote of the month?

University of Illinois spokesman, Tom Hardy, commenting on the admission scandal involving politicians, said, it’s manageable and likely only a
handful of students had questionable admissions. That’s like saying, “We caught the bank robber, but it’s no big deal ‘cause he escaped with only a few thousand.”

With all of the shootings, some fatal, Peorians have to be concerned. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel safe in the city anymore, especially at night when the goons come out
of their nests.

REMEMBERING DAD

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21. Like readers of this column, I have a lot of fond memories of my Dad. One of the best was when he took the family to New York City. We didn’t have much money so Dad drove straight from Peoria to New York, stopping only for a few hours at night to rest. As I recall, we stayed at the Plymouth Hotel and took in a New York Yankee baseball game in “The House That Ruth
Built.” The Babe’s days were long over, but we did watch as Jolting Joe DiMaggio hit one over the wall in left field and then took his famous jog around the bases.

Dad had to quit school in his freshman year to help support the family. Much later in life he took the GED to earn his high school diploma. But when he
arrived in Peoria from Sullivan, Illinois, at the age of 16, he was carrying a bag of barber tools with 25 cents in his pocket. Dad learned the barbering trade while shining shoes. He used his earnings to buy clippers and shears for the occupation
that was the catalyst for his later success in life. He had a tough life. His 25 cents couldn’t buy him much so he spent nights sleeping in rail cars in Bartonville until he convinced a barber to let him cut hair on Sundays when shops were normally closed.
When Dad was Overseer of the Poor, also known as Peoria Township Supervisor of
General Assistance, an occasional critic would claim Dad didn’t know about the
woes of the economically disadvantaged. Little did they know.

Dad lived to be 96. During his life, he accomplished things beyond even his wildest dreams as a young boy who spent much of his time on his grandfather’s farm in Moultrie County. He served on the City Council for eight years as 10th Ward Alderman and another 40 years in the Relief Office. He purchased the Peoria Barber College at 422 SW Adams Street and trained hundreds of men and women as barbers. At one time he had
over 100 students. Now located at 1315 West Garden Street, it remains the oldest barber school in the nation. At one point, Dad bought a former house of prostitution on Walnut Street and turned it into a dormitory for out of town students.

Dad was the one who urged fellow council members to name the new road from the Heights to Galena Road, War Memorial Drive, in honor of our fallen veterans. Space doesn’t permit other stories and accomplishments about Dad, but for someone who didn’t have a pot to pee in when he came to Peoria, he became a helluva man for our community and was a great husband and father. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

TWO PRAYERS

OF A FATHER

Last night my little boy confessed to me

Some childish wrong:

And kneeling at my knee

He prayed with tears -

“Dear God, make me a man

Like Daddy – wise and strong;

I know you can.”

Then while he slept,

I knelt beside his bed,

Confessed my sins,

And prayed with low-bowed head.

“O God, make me a child

Like my child here –

Pure, guileless,

Trusting Thee with faith sincere.”

—Andrew Gilles