October 22, 2010
Kelley’s Inspiration
I have decided to add a bit of variety to my DrDave’s Memory Blog and insert some special stories from the past. I got this inspiration from an old friend and my locker partner for 5 years (8th grade threw graduation)…Kelley Hoskins.
Kelley has been such an inspiration to my Blog Writing. (He responds to almost every Blog entry I make)
Blog # M-6 ( I think it was) I mentioned remembering our old “Icebox”. He commented about my age then went on to say that his family didn’t get a television until he was a sophomore in high school.
Those are the kinds of comments that get my memory stimulated. I then focused on that point in time and explained the following story and recollection of that period……. I told him that I too remember getting our first television when I was also a sophomore in high school.
New TV at Our Place
My dad came home in mid September and announced that he and mom had purchased a new TV so we could watch the upcoming World Series that fall.
One thing I must share with you is that TV was fairly new at that time, only people that had extra money usually were able to afford a TV and the extra tall antenna and rooter it took to receive reception back then.
Even with all that we still had difficulty finding the baseball on the screen because of all the snow (poor reception most of the time).
Tall TV Reception Tower
All of a sudden I remembered that just north of where we lived on 12th street there was a very tall “radio type” tower that I learned was used to bring in television signals better. I also remember recently communicating with the man that constructed and provided TV hook-up at a nominal monthly fee so their TV reception was improved.
Zeman’s Electronic Shop
This man also owned an electronics business on west main street of Sac City.I was fortunate to stumble across the name of his son (John Zeman) on Facebook (I think it was) and discovered his dad Les Zeman had and used an email address all the time. Since I contacted him Les and I have been communicating from time to time and it is so nice. Les told me that he and his wife still live in Sac City and are doing well.
Building my First HiFi Set
I felt so honored when I told Les that I remember swapping my portable 45 record player for an amplifier and some speakers so I could build my HiFi sound system. Les said he remembered that…… plus he remembered helping a lot of young people with their electronic projects back then.
Foggy Days were the Best for TV Reception
Back to the TV arriving at our home. There wasn’t too many different programs back then, and the reception gradually got better. I was especially good on days that were very humid and foggy.
TV Programs that We Enjoyed
I loved to watch Howdy Doody, the Rough and Ready cartoon and a program called Winky Dink. Winky Dink was a show that for a small fee you could send in and get a special light green plastic that would stick to your TV screen and you could interact by drawing with Crayola's on the green plastic to solve puzzles and discover who the “bad guy” was as the story unfolded.
“Toast of the Town” with Ed Sullivan, “The Lucky Strike Hit Parade” music program, “Beat the Clock” were a few of the other programs we would enjoy watching. Probably one of the most watched programs at our house was Saturday night wrestling.
Grandma & Grandpa Niemand (Rich) had the First TV in East Spencer
I remember before we left Spencer my grandpa and grandma Rich (my mother’s parents) had the first TV set in the East side of Spencer and they watched wrestling all the time. It wasn’t quite as theatrical as it is now, but it was on it’s way. I remember Hans Schmidt and the sleeper hold of Vern Garnia.
Kelly didn’t realize the memories that his comment made to help me remember all this.
Thanks for the inspiration, Kelley!
PS: my ramblings remind me one time when my son told me….Dad when someone asks “what time is it?”…you really don’t have to tell them how to make a watch!
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