Something to Think About
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Steve Sauder is president of Emporia's Radio Stations, Inc. the owners of KVOE-AM 1400, Country 101.7 and Mix 104.9. Steve has been in a leadership position with ERS, Inc., since 1987.
- Details
“That’ll be the day!”
John Wayne or Buddy Holly?
Take your pick cause they both said or sang that line. Duke in the movie “The Searchers” in 1956 and Holly after he wrote a song with that title.
Holly is listed as the 13th most influential rock and roll personality of our time. That’s pretty amazing when you learn that his career lasted a mere one and a half years before he died in a plane crash on a snowy Iowa night.
Richie Valens, the Big Bopper and their pilot died in the crash. Waylon Jennings, a band member gave up his seat that night.
Holly’s wife of two months missed the flight because she had morning sickness. She later said had she been there “Buddy would not have gotten on that plane.” She miscarried the day after learning of his death. She did not attend the funeral nor has she ever been to the gravesite.
Holly grew up in Lubbock, Texas as Charles Hardin Holley – spelled with an “e.” The “e” got dropped when it was inadvertently spelled wrong on a recording contract.
Holly has 40 songs registered with ASCP and BMI. He actually did his first recording at age 13 with Hank Snow, but released only three albums in his lifetime.
Buddy Holly’s most famous songs? Take your pick from: That’ll Be the Day; Peggy Sue; O Boy; Maybe Baby; It Doesn’t Matter Any More; It’s So Easy; True Love Ways; Well All Right; or my favorite Not Fade Away that the Grateful Dead reportedly performed over 500 times in concerts and appears on 8 of their live recording releases.
Holly had a profound effect on other artists such as Bob Dylan who attended a Holly concert at age 17, or the Rolling Stones’s Keith Richards who attended a concert and heard “Not Fade Away.” The Stones later did a cover on that song.
The Beatles watched a Holly concert on TV in England and reportedly took their name partly in homage to Holly who’s band was the Crickets – also a bug.
The death of the three performers was the subject of several songs over time with the most noted being Don McLean’s “American Pie.” It references the tragedy as “the day the music died.”
Buddy Holly was in Emporia last Friday night and it was time of fond memories for at least one person who was 13 when the music died. He did own several Buddy Holly 45’s! Including…… That’ll be the Day.
I’m Steve Sauder
- Details
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and all across America people will give thanks for their many blessings.
While Thanksgiving goes all the way back to the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620 the official Thanksgiving in America was finally proclaimed as such by President Abe Lincoln in 1863 the same year our university in Emporia was founded.
Prior to Lincoln’s proclamation this celebration took several turns.
In 1620 the 56 Pilgrims who made it through the first winter celebrated their survival and their bumper crop. Their celebration included 91 Indians who helped them through the winter.
During the three day celebration they dined on wild ducks, geese and venison. It’s doubtful if turkey was part of the meal. Confusion may have set in because the term “turkey” was used widely to describe all wild game.
In 1676 Charlestown, Massachusetts declared June 29 as a day of thanksgiving to express thanks for all their good fortune. Interestingly, their feast did not include the Indians because part of the occasion was to celebrate their victory over those “heathen natives.”
October of 1777 was the first time all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration.
George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789 although some were opposed suggesting the hardship of a few Pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday.
Later, President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of having a day of thanksgiving.
It was a 40 year campaign by Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, that led to Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863.
Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. FDR picked a date creating a longer Christmas shopping period, but the public didn’t like it. Finally Congress made the fourth Thursday in November as a legal holiday.
One has to wonder if our Congress today could even agree on that!
So here we are. Thanksgiving 2013. While we have many blessings to proclaim we also have a state, country and world in turmoil. Seems like a proper time to say thank you for our blessings and ask for guidance to help us solve our problems. Shall we pray………..
I am a thankful Steve Sauder.
- Details
Webster defines to teach as: to give instruction; to train by example, practice or exercise.
Wow, that sounds pretty simple doesn’t it?
This is National Education Week. The Emporia State Federal Credit Union, Country Mart North, the Emporia School District and the Emporia NEA delivered cookies to all USD 253 facilities yesterday to say “thank you” to teachers. That’s a nice touch, but not nearly enough. Teachers deserve more than just a cookie.
Dan Rather said, "The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.”
Horace Mann said, "Teachers teach because they care. Teaching young people is what they do best. It requires long hours, patience, and care."
Charles Platt said, "Compassionate teachers fill a void left by working parents who aren't able to devote enough attention to their children.”
William Arthur Ward said, "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."
Thank a teacher today.
If you love to read, thank a teacher.
If you learned a second language, thank a teacher.
If you can write a good sentence, thank a teacher.
The National Teacher’s Hall of Fame Auction is tomorrow night right here on KVOE. You can go kvoe.com right now and see the items for sale then tune in and support teachers everywhere. It’s a lot of fun.
Thank you teachers, you are our future.
I’m Steve Sauder
- Details
November 19th marks the 150 year anniversary of Lincoln’s amazing Gettysburg Address given at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery four and a half months after the Battle of Gettysburg.
It seems proper to hear these words again as we celebrate Veteran’s Day in America.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
The Gettysburg Address
Delivered on November 19, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.
Visit learntheaddress.org to see Ken Burn’s attempt to memorialize this great speech.
I’m Steve Sauder
- Details
Attending the funeral for a co-worker is something I believe I have never experienced before.
Yesterday we laid Roger Troutner to rest.
I remember when we hired Roger at Valu-Line. He was finishing up his schooling at the Goodland, Kansas Technical School in the telecommunications area. Valu-Line was growing and needed technicians. The competition for techs at Goodland was strong. We were very excited to land Roger.
He moved here and made Emporia his home. Roger started with Valu-Line which became Birch. After Birch he worked for Stutler Technologies and recently joined the Valu-Net team.
Roger served 4 years in the Navy and was Gulf War Veteran.
He and Deanna were married in 1996 and have three good looking children.
On October 30th Roger lost a courageous battle with leukemia. He had just turned 45.
Roger’s brother said during the service he understood why Roger made Emporia his home citing all the love that has been shared for he and his family during his illness.
The number of friends attending the services was a wonderful tribute to Roger.
Death is a part of life. Unlike those who do not believe, Christians are blessed with hope. That hope is based on a belief of an eternal life in Heaven with Jesus.
Admittedly I struggled during the service to understand how and why this happens to someone so young. But, in those struggles I am reminded and thankful for my Christian upbringing that does give me hope.
On the other side one has to wonder how non-believers get through such ordeals.
Roger was a good man and you know what? I’ll bet God needed a good tech in Heaven.
I’m Steve Sauder
- Details
This is an open letter to the Emporia City Commissioners
Commissioners:
I thank each of you for serving on the Emporia City Commission. Few know the time and effort you extend.
With the resignation of Matt Zimmerman you are faced with not only with a challenge, but also a good opportunity.
Matt did a good job for our community. His leadership helped put our city is excellent financial condition while also attending to issues like infrastructure improvement, clean up efforts and a host of other items.
Here are a couple of thoughts about his successor.
First, we need someone knowledgeable, aggressive and assertive. We need someone on their way up, not someone looking to retire in Emporia. Emporia has too much riding on this person to not find a “go getter.”
With that said let me suggest this is NOT the time to try and save money on this hire. We will get exactly what we pay for!
Emporia’s best shot at growing over the next decade is tied closely to Emporia State University. President Shonrock has the university on an upward spurt, so it is important to find someone with a good grasp on how the city might best assist the campus in their growth.
It would make sense to me to ask Michael Shonrock to be a part of your search process.
Other groups you might consult on this decision are the Flint Hills Technical College, the Regional Development Association and the Lyon County Commissioners. And, it wouldn’t hurt to include USD 253 in the process.
I am curious why you are waiting to start your search. I hope it’s not because you want to try running the city for awhile without a city manager on board.
Emporia’s chosen form of city government demands a professional manager leading the way with policy set by the city commission. Operating for an extended period of time without that professional leadership seems to me to be taking an unnecessary chance.
Good luck in your deliberations. Much of Emporia’s future is tied to your selection.
I’m Steve Sauder and there’s something to think about.
