590 MIGHTY MEMORY #315

8th ANNUAL POCONO DRAG LODGE REUNION TAKES PLACE

A staple of WARM Radio was the Pocono Drag Lodge every summer. This year The Drag Lodge Reunion went off without hitch in early August. Historic cars lined the area and The Big Kahuna spun the records of an era where WARM Radio was King.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #316

WARM DUMPS FM 

Our good buddy Joe Klapatch sent is this story fro  the Scranton Tribune dated May 26th, 1951. In the release it was revealed that WARM FM stopped broadcasting in April and its staff was reassigned to the Falls transmitter site.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #317

WHEN MARY AND KELLY MET THE PHANATIC!!!!

During the heyday of the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Red Barons and WARM's involvement in it, two WARM staffers, Mary Sanderson Ruda and Kelly Reed met the Phan Man himself. 
WARM was carrying the Phillies and the Barons were the Triple A team. Kelly at the time was doing field interviews at the Stadium and doing Morning Sports on the Mighty 590.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #318

JOE CAFFREY HAD THE INSIDE SCOOP 

Wilkes Barre Area School Director Joe Caffrey. (Photo: Citizen's Voice)

Wilkes Barre Area School Board member and former educator Joe Caffrey was one of thousands of people in NEPA that grew up on WARM Radio. Like many, Caffrey collected those very popular WARM survey sheets.

Joe mentioned the other day that his father actually worked for the Llewellyn & McKane Printers in Wilkes Barre. That company printed up those surveys and Joe's dad worked there. His dad, knowing how much Joe liked the Mighty 590 usually gave his son a survey before it hit the stores! 
So the young Caffrey actually had the sheet in hand as Ron Allen conducted the 1pm to 6pm Saturday afternoon Countdown show while the rest of us were scrambling to pick up our own copy.
Or worse yet, waiting for Monday to get it!
Another great 590 Forever Mighty Memory. 
Thanks Joe for sharing and letting me tell the story.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #319

BOBBY DAY AND WARM SOFTBALL SOFTIES SEMI REUNION

Back in the heydey of WARM, the summer meant appearances by the WARM Softball Softies. The team would travel to various venues for fun or to raise money for a charity.
The other night Day and some team members had a reunion of sorts at Flaherty's in Edwardsville.
From Bobby Day's Facebook page, he wrote: Great time with dear friends and former teammates of the WARM Softball Softees at Flaherty's Eating and Drinking Establishment in Kingston. L-R: Me, Mr.B, Pete, Rich, Jack L, Clark, Budd, Jack B,  and Stan.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #320

WARM’S CHARLIE MORGAN DIES 

The late Charlie Morgan. (Photo: Citizen's Voice) 

If members of the WARM Sensational Seven were legends in front of the microphone, Pittston’s Charlie Morgan was one behind the scenes. It was Morgan who made those five towers of power run with their broadcast juice. Charlie was a gregarious and charismatic fellow that commanded the room when he walked in. He will be missed. Here’s his obituary. 
Charles "Charlie" Thomas Morgan, 82, of Pittston, died Saturday, July 30, 2016, in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. He was the son of the late Charles and Margaret Gallagher Morgan of Pittston. Charlie was a 1951 graduate of Pittston High School. Early in his career, he was chief engineer of WARM Radio and served until his retirement as senior vice president of radio for the parent company, Susquehanna Radio Corporation, in York. As a leader in his field, he was the chairman of the National Radio Systems Committee, a position he held for over 20 years. 
In 1993, he was the recipient of the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Engineering Achievement Award. He was a charter member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers and former member of the National Association of Broadcast Engineering Advisory Committee, where he served as the chairman of its AM Improvement Committee. He has written numerous published articles on the radio industry. 
He was the founding owner and operator of WTLQ-FM 102.3 Pittston. He was an active member of Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish and a Fourth Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus Council 372, Pittston. He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Genevieve Clarke Morgan, and his brother, John Morgan, Pittston. 
Surviving are his three children, Chuck Morgan and wife, Cathy, Moosic; Donna Dunn and husband, Gary, La Plata, Md.; and Linda Morgan, Pittston. He has four grandchildren, Chucky IV and Colby Morgan, Moosic; and twins, Kyle and Alicia Dunn, La Plata, Md.; sister, Mary Morgan Parente and husband, Charles, Harveys Lake; brother, Joseph and wife, Carol, Binghamton, N.Y.; and sister-in-law, Mary Morgan, West Pittston; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. 
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday from Paul Leonard Funeral home, 575 N. Main St., Pittston, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish, Pittston. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in memory of Charlie to the Care and Concern Food Pantry, 35 William St., Pittston, PA 18640.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #321

WARM’S SUMMER REPLACEMENTS 

During the early 1970s when Harry West’s replacement Len Woloson left and before WARM could find a replacement, the station did some creative juggling of personalities and schedules. With vacation time looming during the summer of ’71 George Gilbert did Mornings and the station aired The History of Rock and Roll until things got back to normal. 
It was a 52 hour show and had WARM covered. Here’s just one of those early songs you heard.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #322

THE FIRST WARM TALK SHOW HOST FIRED? 

Well when WARM Radio was in its talk phase there were a few who were asked politely to leave. But our friend Joe Klapatch sent us an article from April 12, 1951 where WARM Management fired the head of the Home Owners and Tax Payers League. Emil Legmann was dropped from his Saturday night WARM slot by General Manager Bill Dawson. 
After a meeting in the Bowman Building, it was announced that Legmann was let go because he departed from his original intent by indulging in personalities. Legmann was a frequent critic of the Mayor James Hanlon administration as well as the Scranton Times and the Democratically controlled School Board..
At a later meeting Legmann expressed appreciation to WARM management for providing free air time to discuss issues that affected the city. The thing though that pretty much ended the association was the League’s decision to support and endorse candidates in the upcoming Primary Elections.