February 28th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
I am in the habit of listening to The Writer’s Almanac every weekday morning with my first cup of coffee. Garrison Keillor highlights important birthdays and other anniversaries and ends the broadcast by reading a poem. On Wednesday the poem was “Yard Sale”, by George Bilgere, the first line of which is “Someone is selling the Encyclopedia Britannica in all its volumes, which take up a whole card table”.
I wish that I could remember the name of the salesman that came to our basement apartment in Richfield in 1965 and refused to leave until I signed the sales agreement. For only $10 a month for three years, we could own a 30 volume set of the “Encyclopedia Britannica” and for only $1.50 more, we could get a genuine walnut bookcase to hold the set of invaluable information. He guaranteed that our children would be brilliant and success in life would be theirs if only I would sign. I held out until 11:30 PM. Today they are in the finished attic room of the Parsonage that my daughter rents from me in Upsala. By the way, my children are brilliant and cute too.
The APHC show this week is the last of the winter re-broadcasts. It is a blast of warmth originally broadcast from the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in June of 2013. Colin Hay sings “Send Somebody”, Lily Tomlin and Martin Sheen join the gang for a few skits, Paula Poundstone ponders life in L.A. and Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele ask “Are You Ready For A Miracle”. In the News From Lake Wobegon, high school graduation brings to mind tales of senior pranks. By the way, Paula Poundstone is coming to The Paramount Theater in downtown St. Cloud on Saturday May 10th. Tickets at paramount arts dot org.
“No one can excel in everything. The decades demand decisions. Choose wisely. Your choices pinpoint your priorities and determine your destiny. Use it or lose it.”
Patricia Souder
February 21st, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Nine of the twenty-nine members of the 1957 Upsala Cardinal foot ball team showed up for their induction to the Sports Hall of Fame. One of the guys, Dave Chuba. came all the way from Ohio. I was the only freshman who was there and Ralph Nelson was the only sophomore. Our quarterback, Bob Soltis, lives in Upsala, but he was not up to it. This is the second year that inductees were chosen. Bob’s brother Ralph was chosen last year and another brother John was a junior on the 1957 football team.
Bob was chosen as one of the four inductees this year, so brother John accepted his award for him. Bob, class of 1958, was the first Upsala athlete to be chosen to the All State Football Team. Kristi Pangrac, class of 2003, was an All State Volleyball player with 1011 kills and the final inductee was Neal Swanson, class of 1955. Neal was a two-sport athlete who was the first to sink a jump shot in the Upsala gym. It was a fun evening plus the Upsala basketball team won the game. Go Cardinals!
The APHC show this week is a re-broadcast of a show that was first broadcast in January of 2013 from the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Special guests include Elvin Bishop and his band plus singers Michael Tilson Thomas and Laurie Lewis. The News From Lake Wobegon includes a story about texting during a choir concert.
“Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”
Thomas Carlyle
February 7th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
There are five of us Osberg brothers and of the five, without a doubt, I am the least talented when it comes to sports. Yet, tonight I get to be inducted into the Upsala Cardinal sports Hall of Fame along with the other members of the 1957 football team. That year no points were allowed by our defense. I got the phone call from John Atkinson last Friday, the same fellow that I have mentioned in the past when writing about my experience as a freshman. Trying to tackle John during practice was not fun. John ran hard with his knees pumping up and down. I clearly remember bouncing off of him with a ringing in my ears every time we practiced. In will be fun to meet classmates and upper classmen.
The APHC show this week is the first of the winter re-broadcasts. This show was from May of 2013 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Time Jumpers play “Six Pack to Go”. Suzy Bogguss sings “I Always Get Lucky With You” and Stuart Duncan joins the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band for a medley of fiddle turns. In the News From Lake Wobegon it is time for the fishing opener and annual Willis Bunsen Grocery Run footrace.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and come short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt.
January 31st, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good chilly morning from Collegeville,
Only three more months of winter. My plan to enjoy the winter by getting out on cross-country skis has been foiled by the return of the old “Hip Bursitis”. A “bursa” is a fluid filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. Of course treatment includes “ice packs”. Just what one needs when it is minus 15 degrees. I was pleased that the therapy dept of St. Cloud Orthopedics was ok with faxing me the instructions on the exercises that help to treat the condition.
The big game is Sunday. I was not aware that the Met Life stadium does not have a roof. The forecast is for a high of 46 degrees on Sunday, so that should be ok. It is hard to imagine paying $3,000 for a ticket to sit outdoors for 6 hours. Barby and I will be watching Downton Abbey.
They say that when it comes to buying a home, the three rules are “Location, Location, Location” I have attached a flyer that describes a home on the Mississippi River in Sartell. If you choose to buy it, I look forward to a cup of coffee on your deck.
The APHC show this week is another live performance from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. Special guests include roots rock radical Neko Case, comedian and author Paula Poundstone, gospel-bluegrassers Doyle Larson and Quicksilver and vocalist Hilary Thavis. Plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors will entertain you with skits that you love. The News From Lake Wobegon will try to warm you up.
“The sense of humor is the oil of life’s engine. Without it, the machinery creaks and groans. No lot is so hard, no aspect of things so grim,
but it relaxes before a hearty laugh.” G. S. Merriam
January 24th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
This week we celebrated the 47th Anniversary of the first broadcast on KSJR 90.1 from the third floor of Wimmer Hall. This is the story of how Bill Kling was selected to lead the creation of what has become the largest network of public radio stations in the United States. It was written by our intern Ellen Newkirk..
“The Saint John’s University monks chose Bill Kling to help run their fledgling public radio station (which would later become MPR) because of his “bright mind” – literally. SJU graduate Marty Mahowald shares the story of Bill Kling’s selection as the station’s leader told by his professor at Saint John’s in the 1970s, Fr. Gunther Rolfson. According to Fr. Gunther, in the 1960s, Saint John’s had a mandatory lights-out policy at 10 pm when the faculty residents would flip a switch that turned off all power on each floor of the residence halls. However, one evening Fr. Gunther took a walk around campus after he and several other monks were struggling to come up with someone to run the radio station, when he noticed a light illuminating a single room in Benet Hall.
The next day, Fr. Gunther used a master key to enter the room and found a system rigged by the student to keep the power on after the switch was flipped each night. The room belonged to Bill Kling. Eventually, the monks decided Kling’s innovative and determined spirit was just what they needed for their new endeavor. According to Mahowald, “He (Fr. Gunther) said that they knew that as a fledgling business that it would have struggles, budget challenges and many other issues to deal with and it would take someone with a lot of moxy to lead it through to success.”
It turned out to be a very successful decision; Kling served as president of MPR until 2010 and created one of the greatest public radio stations in the country. “
Ellen Newkirk, CSB, Class of 2013.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. Guests include country and bluegrass outfit Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, traditional music masters Mike Compton and Joe Newberry and the women’s vocal group The Nightingale Trio, plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the latest News From Lake Wobegon.
“There is no limit to the good a man can do if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” Anonymous
January 17th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good chilly morning from Collegeville,
When the family moved from St. Louis Park to Upsala in 1956, I did get out of having to do “detention” at the SLP school. My rebellious nature had already kicked in. That fall I started hanging out with other “town kids”. Note: The Upsala school population was divided into “farm kids” and “town kids”. For some reason one of us decided to steal a gas cap off of a parked car. I am not sure which “genius” came up with this idea, but in any case the prank turned into a long term project. Everyone in town was talking about it and I am sure that old man Miller printed a story in the local press. Earl Metzger was the local police and in time one of the “gas cap gang” confessed to his parents and we got busted.
We were gathered up and forced to reveal the hiding place for the gunny sack of gas caps. All of those who were missing their gas cap were told to come to Earl’s garage and sort through the lineup of gas caps. We appeared in front of the Justice of The Peace in the backroom of the fire hall. Justice Bernard Lunder sentenced us all to “six months of church attendance”. Not all of us learned our lesson. The “Black Knights Car Club” was born a few years later.
The APHC show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. Special guests include the eclectic Ukrainian quartet Dakha Brakha and blues vocalist Hilary Thavis. Plus The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will bring us the usual cast of characters. Guitarist Dean Magraw sits in with The Guy’s All Star Shoe Band. Enjoy the show and the News From Lake Wobegon.
“It is unwise to pay too much, but it’s also unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, all you lose is a little money, but when you pay too little you stand a chance of losing everything because the thing you bought is incapable of doing what you bought it to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It just can’t be done. So, when you deal with the low bidder, it is wise to put a little something aside to take care of the risk you run. And, if you do that, you can afford something better.” John Ruskin
January 10th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
This winter is getting old already. Monday was the worst. My face hurt when I walked to the Post Office on campus. Now there is the threat of ice. Next year I am thinking that I will spend the month of January in Sun City West. I dug out my 40 year old cross-country skis and they are in the shop for waxing. Even the boots seem to be in good shape. The complete set of gear was made in Norway, the land of my forefathers. Maybe that will help.
Next Monday is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. I like to come in on Saturday mornings to keep up with the task and water the plants. But there is always a stack that could be sorted and stuff that could go in the trash or the recycling bin. Best Buy will accept almost any old screen or printer at no-charge. That would help a lot.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Nourse Theatre in San Francisco. Special guests include three-part harmonizers The SongBirds, home grown music masters Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur and fiddler extraordinaire Sara Watkins. Plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will perform a variety of skits. The News From Lake Wobegon will touch on the cold wave that hit the small town in Mist County.
Harper’s Chord is going to perform at The Paramount Theater in downtown St. Cloud on Saturday night. They are a trio from Little Falls that is sure to please. Details at paramount arts dot org.
“All that a man does outwardly is but the expression and completion of his inward thoughts. To work effectually, he must think clearly; to act nobly, he must think nobly.” Channing
January 3rd, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
I celebrated my tenth birthday on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. My mother and her four children were returning from a stint as a US Army Dependent Family stationed in Vienna, Austria. My Dad was held over in Vienna and when he arrived in Upsala a few weeks later, Ma was in New Ulm visiting her cousin Helen. Dad borrowed a brand new 54 Chevy from Uncle Duke who owned Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala. My brother Bill and I rode along with Dad to New Ulm.
I was napping in the back seat and I woke up when our car was broadsided by a dump truck. I had a broken leg. I can still remember the pain when they lifted me on to the X-Ray table at the hospital in Cokato. The cast that they put on went from my toes to my crotch. I was in the hospital for a few weeks and when it came time to transport me back to Upsala, Dad took me to Uncle Elmer’s house which was the Dokken Funeral Home in Cokato. I had to spend a night on a cot on the main floor in the living room next to the viewing room. The next day they took me to Upsala in a black Studebaker hearse. That explains a lot, huh!
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the San Diego Civic Theater. Special guests include the folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys and singer-songwriter Sara Watkins. Plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman. The News From Lake Wobegon will highlight the variety of winter sports.
“Any idiot can face a crisis; it is this day-to-day living that wears you out” Chekhov
December 27th, 2013 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
I consider myself in recovery. I quit drinking in 1976. I am a “recovering entrepreneur”. I couldn’t work for the man, I had to be the man. Lastly, I am a “recovering jerk”.
It is the last one that is the hardest to deal with. I have been known to grow very impatient with lines. There are too many coffee selections. What happened to just regular or decaf? Lottery ticket sales drive me nuts. I love the self serve gas pumps with swipe card capability. To help me deal with these defects, I have adopted a morning reading ritual. This one I stole from Ann Landers. It is usually published in the local newspaper every New Years Day.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct, and accept those I cannot.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I’m a smoker, I’ll quit. If I am over-weight, I will eat healthfully, if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it’s only around the block.
JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.
The APHC show this weekend is a re-broadcast from last December at The Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include Diana Krall singing “Glad Rag Doll”, Rob Fisher and the DiGiallonardo Sisters have the “Heebie Jeebies” and there will be a word from Lutheran Air, the airline that insults you with a smile. In the News From Lake Wobegon, the Chatterbox Café’s potato sausage gives the town a festive aroma. Enjoy the show
“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that’s the stuff that Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
December 20th, 2013 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Five days until Christmas. I have all of my shopping done and now I simply have to pace myself on the cookies and candy.
Children love Christmas, as well they should. As with most families, some years, Christmas gifts were easy to come by and some years the budget would not allow for much. The Christmas of 1956 was a memorable one for me. My mother had to make a change due to Dad’s inability to handle alcohol. We were living in an apartment in Little Falls. That Christmas, Santa brought us six big Tonka Toy 18 wheel trucks. There was a cattle truck, an oil tanker, a freight truck and three more. This was a perfect gift for a family with five boys. For many years I had the impression that they were from some sort of social agency that served the poor. It turned out that the “Santa” was Dewey Johnson, a classmate of my mother from the Upsala High School class of ’37. Dewey’s friend was one of the founders of Tonka Toys. Dewey had already passed on before I learned the “rest of the story”, so I never did have a chance to thank him.
Perhaps you know of a family that has come upon hard times and they could use a “Secret Santa”.
Here is the link to getting the 24 foot Christmas tree into The Great Hall: http://bit.ly/7H3YDf
The APHC show this week is live from The Town Hall on West 43rd Street in New York City. Special guests include pianist Rob Fisher, Bensonhurst carolers The DiGiallonardo Sisters and vocalists Heather Masse and Aoife O’Donovan, plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman. Enjoy the show.
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” Thomas a Kempis
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