10 years...

Hard to believe it's been exactly 10 years since I was hired here at T-102.

I remember walking in here for the first time, semi-nervous. I had been on an interview the day before, too, so I knew a bit of what to expect.

Tony Tophoney was still here in 1997, and he ultimately hired me. One mistake I made was answering the question, "How long do you see yourself here?" I said at least a year, then perhaps move on to a larger area. Shoulda answered that one different, considering I moved to State College a little over a year later.

My first night on air was September 15th, and the first song I played was the Proclaimers' "500 Miles." My first night on my own was October 3rd.

I filled in for sports twice during the Breakfast Crew (Tony & RC), and based on those two times on sports duties, they moved me to sports in the morning and middays around Thanksgiving '97. Waking up at 4AM to do sports was super-tough. I did strictly middays that spring, then went back to nights in June.

You may not remember this, but I was in State College from Thanksgiving 1998 to July 1999... I did work a few Saturday shifts on T102 during that time.

I returned to T-102 on August 16, 1999, and have been here since. I've done a little bit of everything here on T-102 and WPPA... news, sportscasting, middays, afternoons, nights, weekends, fill-in on mornings, sports play by play, Touchdown Tips, Sports Saturday, and a few other things I can't recall right away.

My thanks to everyone along the way who has listened... to all the incarnations of Sparks After Dark, sports, news, commercials, whatever. I don't stay here as long as I have unless you listen and you support our stations. Thank you.

I remember my first fan... Kristin Parulis... and everyone who called in religiously to vote on the Top 9 at 9 during the NSYNC/Backstreet Boys years... especially the biggest BSB fan during those times, Allison Stock. She went as far as getting people from around the world to vote on our little countdown. Those were fun times. To tell you how long ago that was, Kristin graduated college two years ago and Allison graduates next year and is getting married. Good luck to both of you... I miss talking with everyone from those days every night.

I enjoy spending evenings with you now and however long I will be here. You kids, enjoy your young years, because you can't get them back once they're gone.

Buckle up, and thank you for listening to me for 10 years.
TS

Buckle Up,
TS