Champaign Lion's Chatter

1. Champaign Lion's Chatter (Click here to go to our website) 17 July 2013 Call to Order – President Weldon Garrelts called the meeting to order and led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Invocation – David Hunter: For food so good, we thank Thee, Lord, and these friends all so good. Help us do the things we must, and also, those we should. Amen.Vittles – Roast Pork, Cheesy Potatoes, Gravy, Mixed Vegetables, Rolls and Butter and Carrot Cake,

3. and Belgian Chocolates,

4. and sugar-free Apple Pie!

5. Lions Report – Sam McGrew had a root canal yesterday. If you are ill or know a fellow Lion who is under the weather, please call Pat Bryan at 586-4535. Birthdays – Marvin Paulsen (July 17) and Herb Bail (July 19). Attendance – 24 members, 2 Guests –Fonda’s husband Larry Bowden, above and

6. Benjamin King, Paul Kunkel’s grandson.

7. On July 16, Nomy Sharief wrote: My father, Mohammed Sharief, passed away from natural causes at home this afternoon. My mother and sister were with him. He was not sick or suffering from anything, just his time in earth was up.He was a charter member of Rogers Park Lions Club (started the same year I was president of Champaign Lions Club). He was installed as their President last month, and that was really his happiest moment. He will be missed dearly by everyone who knew him - and he knew a lot of people in many circles.Your prayers are appreciated.Regards,Noaman Sharief Mohammed Sharief helped MANY people in MANY ways

8. David Lin was back today and asked if anyone would like to buy a scooter.

9. Lottery – The $12 lottery was won by Omer Benn.

10. Announcements – Jay Hoeflinger announced that we will be at Women in Transition, 1304 E. Main in Urbana, 8 am to noon on Saturday, 27 July, helping them by mulching their playground and power washing their building. The plan is to invite others to join us so they can see things we do first hand – and that we don’t just go have lunch.

11. President Weldon Garrelts reminded us that Lions International President Barry Palmer’s theme for Lions this year is, Follow Your Dream.

12. Program – Sam McGrew introduced today’s speaker, “More than forty years after hosting a weekly Champaign High School radio show, Dave Shaul returned to WDWS-WHMS in September, 2000, as daytime news anchor. Dave's move back to his first-love of radio came after a 37-year career with WCIA-TV as a news anchor, producer and news director of downstate Illinois' largest broadcast news department. In 1999, Dave was honored with the Associated Press Mark Twain Lifetime Achievement Award, was named to the Eastern Illinois University Hall of Fame and was designated a lifetime member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association. A lifelong Illini fan, Dave won the UPI Best Television Sports Play-by-Play Award for his coverage of Illinois basketball in 1980 .In 2011, Dave was honored with a Mid-America Emmy award for his accomplishments in broadcasting. Dave is a graduate of the University of Illinois as is his wife, Annilee, and their three

13. children. The Shauls have six grandchildren. Dave is also a member of the Kiwanis like his Dad, who it was said never missed a meeting except the day Dave was born.”

14. Dave talked about the early days of Channel 3. Broadcasting was all Dave ever wanted to do He would do pretend radio shows from age 5 or 6 and even climbed on the roof of his house so he could see the radio tower.

15. In 1953 Channel 3 made its first broadcast. People lined up in front of an appliance store on East Main Street just to watch the test pattern. August C. Meyer, Sr., a lawyer and chairman of the board of the Bank of Illinois, owned Midwest Television.

16. He also owned a station in Peoria and San Diego, CA. WCIA was a VHF station. It reached viewers in Springfield, Kankakee, and Indiana. UHF stations could only reach the local communities. VHF led to the station’s success.

17. Dave recalled one time when Mr. Meyer yelled at him. Mr. Meyer was a good friend of Governor Jim Thompson, back when Governors used to actually live in Springfield. Thompson was gone a lot so they did a series called Big Jim doesn’t live here anymore.

18. Mr. Meyer yelled at Dave for that. The next day it was titled, Governor Thompson doesn’t live here anymore. In the 1960’s they discovered that news was important and it was also a source of revenue. At first the news, weather, and sports were all kept separate.

19. Then they began to show them together and converse with one another. John Coleman, the weather anchor, went on to start the weather channel. Coleman hosted “At the Hop,” before Ed Mason. Sun-Up was hosted by Tom Jones.

20. Sheriff Sid, Captain Eddie, Mr. Roberts (long time weatherman) and Paul Davis all had major roles in the development. Ron Davis at Channel 15 made a remark about the farm protests and someone thought it was Paul Davis who said it.

21. 50 tractors showed up at the station to protest the remark. Paul was out at the time getting a haircut. The JFK assassination was the first time they did live coverage of a news story. They covered the campus protests of the late 1960’s and the streakers in the 1970’s.

22. Interns worked at the station including Erica Harold, Howard Griffith, and Dana Perino (who went on to become the White House Press Secretary). Bonnie Blair’s mother worked across the street from the station,

23. so an intern was sent to get a story on Bonnie’s Olympic performance. That story was broadcast in New York and Norway and millions of people watched. That was the intern’s first day. The next day she was sent to cover the Champaign City Council.

24. In 1999 the Illinois stations were sold to Nexstar for $112 million. Nexstar made changes to make the money back so many of the higher paid long time employees’ contracts were bought out.

25. Dave said he decided it would be a good time to retire. A short time later Stevie Jay (a former intern) asked him to come work at DWS where he is today 13 years later. Dave said cable has completely changed the way news is presented.

26. Before they always tried to be fair to both sides. Now, cable channels take sides. Graphics and communications have changed. Breaking stories change as they get more information. It lacks the editorial process it had before. Family owned stations have died out.

27. They cared for the local communities. Mr. Meyer was told by a local farmer who had never travelled very far and that TV had brought places and things he had never seen before right into their home. Dave met Annilee (his wife) at the station.

28. Tailtwister – Tom Yaxley, today’s Tailtwister, called on Charlie Osborne to carry the bucket.

29. He fined people at one table for not knowing Mr. Roberts’ first name,

30. Paul Kunkel for his grandson’s accident (spilled milk), and Jay Hoeflinger for who knows what,

31. Omer Benn for his lottery winning

32. and people at Herb Bail’s and Marvin Paulsen’s tables for those gentlemen's birthdays,

33. Byron Balbach had to pay because a guy drove his car into wet concrete in front of Byron’s office.

34. Jay Hoeflinger bragged that his church team won its first game 18-8, the last game of the season.

35. Marvin Paulsen bragged that he has a new grandson born last week.

36. A zucchini,

37. two cucumbers,

38. and some green beans were auctioned off, thanks to Marvin’s garden.

39. Coming up Greeter: Earl Swanson July 31 – Lou Liay and Jeff Goldberg from the Virginia Theater August 7–Business Meeting, Know Your Lion Click here sammcgrew@att.net to email Sam McGrew and let him know what you would like to see in a Lions Club program some time. July 24 – Jeffery Houch - State University Retirement System

40. Thank you for watching Editor Fonda Bowden Publisher David Hunter To email Dave with your comments, click here → hunter4000@comcast.net To go to the our website, click here → http://www.champaignlions.org/