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Show November 18,1981 FRED BROWN TOLD HE WOULD NEVER MAKE IT IN RADIO in the Basin? "Im too old (47) for the rat race, he insists, 1 don want to fight all that. Fred spent last year as the president of the Roosevelt Chamber of Commerce. While that is the only formal office he has held, he has donated air time and his own time to most worthy causes that make the rounds in the Basin. While he isn afraid of the growth that is advancing. Brown feels that the old ways are gone. "There is nothing that will keep the Basin from a polluted center of becoming industrial development, he says in a (ROOSEVELT) The first thing that former Roosevelt Mayor W. Ralph Shields will do when he steps down after eight years as mayor and 18 years of elected service to the city is 'get rid of In talking my ulcer. with the Tame duck mayor, he clearly isn lame, and his reference to ulcers is another way of saying that the pressure is off. Councilman Lawrence Yack will take over for Mayor Shields come January. 'I've been interested in the city for years,' says the 67 year old Shields, and 111 continue to do all I rare moment of serious retrospection, We will never, ever again enjoy that lifestyle.' One of the great joys that Fred has experienced in radio has been the constant flow of interviews with famous people. Among the many were Bobby Kennedy, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Robert Redford. He has talked with just about every famous country star at one time or another. Who would he most like to interview? Louise Mandrell. "There something there,'says Fred, with apologies to his wife. Dawn. Dawn and Fred have a 27 year old son, Kyle who is also in broadcasting in, of all places, Logan. The chip off the old block must be able to hack it where the old man couldn. Fred Brown says that the epitome of his radio career was interviewing Paul Harvey. The story behind the interview epitomizes rural radio. While at KVEL, Bottle Hollow was having its grand opening, and Fred committed the station to covering the event, live. 'We worked Bobbie Mott for weeks to set up the thing, says Fred, We set up the phone line well (VERNAL) Mrs. Warren (Bobbie) in advance. Boy. were we going to e Vernal businessMott, cover Paul Harvey who was the woman has been chosen to sit. on the master of ceremonies at that Small Business Administraion Utah opening. Advisory Board for a third term. The day of the event arrived and Mrs. Mott is beginning her fifth year early in the day Fred and crew on the board which advises the hooked into the phone line only to federal agency in dispersing low find it dead. 'While we checked and interest loans to small businesses. rechecked, the phone company came The IS who sit on the Utah board out and found that the line haid befti art all bank presidents save an Ogden severed. Brown recalls, We got it woman and Mrs. Mott. 'Hie board fixed five minutes before the meets four times per year, twice in Salt Lake City and twice in program began. Vernal Woman Con't on Pg. called 'Mr. Uintah Basin' by some, and he may certainly be called the 'dean of Basin broadcasters.' He is Fred Brown, veteran of 16 years in broadcasting with both radio stations in the Basin. Brown is the Ttop jock at KNEU in Ballard. His career began, in Vernal back in KVEL at however, is insists that outright compliments are rare but that approval takes the form of "it's not obnoxious' or 'I can understand him.' Singing is another hobby for Fred. He is in great demand at funerals. Brown tremendous sense of humor is obvious by his line: 'People are literally dying to hear me at 196S. He insists that he has funerals.' Fred is a third generation Basin written a song and has taped his native. His grandfather homesteadrendition. 'It may find its way into ed in the Roosevelt area, specifically the country archives someday, he 1 miles to the north of Cedarview. chortles. Fred favorite country artists are Brown was born and raised in Roosevelt. Jim Reeves with Ray Price coming in Utah State University in Logan, a close second. Brown loves the Brown decided to act upon what he ballads so common in country music. 1 think that telling a story in song today calls 'sort of a desire' to be in radio. He interviewed and cut a appeals to most people by touching some emotional nerve, he says. demo tape at KVNU in Logan. "The Fred loves some of the double station manager told me that I would never make it in radio. laughs Fred. meanings in country music pointing He finally got a start with KVEL to a current tune that has a line: 'I'm when he applied for a part time job. looking out the window and all I can 1 didn't see is the pain. go to work right away, Most of his success. Fred Brown recalls, 'But you know how radio is...' Back in .those days attributes to his listeners. "They are KVLY programming was what the key, 'he says, "TheyVe been super nice. Brown couid almost certainly would today be considered 'easy listening.' 'we had a whole rack of be a 'top jock at a major station country records, says Fred, 'but we almost anywhere. Why does he stay couldn't touch them . Brown recalls that the station was located in the old Hotel Vernal, now The Life Of the Lamplighter Inn. transmitter was all that was at the present site of KVEL. Fred quickly worked into a fullAt approximately 7:30 pm on time position at the Vernal station. Monday, the ninth of November, He handled news eventually became Greg Horrocks, of Neola was the program director, and even did traveling on the Neola Highway some engineering work thanks to his north of Roosevelt. Suddenly a earning a First Gass FCC license. 'I vehicle pulled up behind Horrocks. did everything from janitor to jock,' Four shots were fired from this vehicle. The shots shuttered the says Brown. Thanks to his wife inheriting some window of the oick-u- p sleeper and able was Fred in Montwell, of the truck, entered the cab proerty to come back into the Roosevelt narrowly missing his head. Because the bright light of the area. KNEU was the other lure. When the Basin's second station vehicle following Horrocks reflected mirror and because in 1978, Brown was the in his came Mr. Horrocks left the scene quickly first station manager. What was it like to start a new in fear of his life, he was unable to get station? 'It was scary,' Fred recalls, a description of the sniper car. The incident is now under "But I thought it worked pretty by the Duchesne good.' Thanks to some hard workers investigation Sheriff Department. willing to put in some extra time and County was KNEU a within month, effort, radio humming like a into still run station. 'I people who loved what we were doing,' says TO 1 Shooting Incident Threatens Neola Man on-li- rear-vie- w ne full-fledg- ed Fred. After just a short time, Fred quit his management job. He decided to make his avocation, square dance calling, his full time vocation. But thanks to the energy crisis of the midseventies. Brown got back into radio. 1 work at KNEU during the week and spend the weekends traveling to square dances,' says Fred. He sticks within a 300 mile radius which allows him to visit Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, and most of Utah. Brown is the driving force behind the "Curley square dance club in Roosevelt and claims some responsibility for the founding of the Vernal Club. Fred's voice is known to most listeners in the basin, but he has never really analyzed his voice. 'Like most radio people.'heexplains. 'My voice is my bread and butter; I don't criticize it. His voice could best be described as Veil modulated' but too bassy.' Fred says 'it's real unique. Despite the bass tones so easily attained. Brown can still yodel and often does hell calling a dance. when "Sometimes I hear that someone remarked. 'Who that DJ with the He sexy voice," Fred chuckles. Q' SUBSCRIBE NEWSPRINT TODAY Carpet Laid In According to City Administrator Glen Vernon, the savings are largely due to some good fortune. The project was awarded to Karl Carpets, Ballard. When that firm was placing the order, the carpet mill advised that an irregular color of the same specification of carpet could purchased at substantial savings. The color was practically the same as the original choice and Roosevelt told Karl to go ahead. The Ballard firm passed along the savings to Roosevelt City. Further savings were made when several employees of the city, including the administrator and the recreation director spent their Veteran Day Holiday preparing the floor for the carpet layers. Publisher W. Girth Nuttall Dennis Holmes Production Manager Wally Goddard DealdlTnes News 12 noon Monday Display Ads - 6 p.m. Friday Want Ads -- 12 noon Monday -- Colorado, Headquarters office will be closed from November 26 thru November 29. For more information, call (801) IS or (303) 789-2- 1 374-221- Construction ISI Cuckler tUNMOflRC UlLDIflG SVSTimi Using tho Cuckler System we can help you design and build that good looking, hard working, economical building. Commercial - Industrial - Warehouse - Farm Countryside i" Ranch - Dean Merkley 789-049- 9 1632 N. 3500 W. Vernal from comes Business experience is a prerequisite for seating on the board. Mrs. Mott is currently affiliated with Aspen Brook Realty. She is the former owner operator of Bobbie Dress Shop for 21 years. Mrs. Mott with her husband and is sons, of Twin Cinema Theatre. El Center. Dia Monate Reception Aspen Cove Resturant and Men Bull Pen. er, ALTAMONT ELEMENTARY COLLECTS PRODUCT LABELS be OUBLE If you eat 'Campbells' soup or any 'Franco-American- '. 'V-- 8' or 'Swanson' products, please take a moment and clip your labels from the can and save them for your elementary school. Altamont elementary and several of the local elementary schools are busily storing away the labels to use in exchange for all sorts of audiovisual, sports and other equipment. The companies who sponsor this program offer a wide range of products that are free of charge to the schools who save the required amount of product labels. For added encouragement to their students, the Altamont school is offering a party to the class who collects the most labels. Working Rig Cont Irom Pg. 2 Editor Dali Kansan Ad Manager travelers. out-of-to- The Dinosaur. advisory board appointments. Roosevelt (ROOSEVELT) is slowly but Municipal Building The renovated. laying of surely being new carpet is the most recent improvement in the building which was originally designed as a hospital. The light brown carpet adorning the halls and the courtroom has been purchased and installed for just under S2.000. The cost represents about half of what the low bid on the project called for. Every Wednesday at 642 West Main - Vernal, Utah and . D.C. Thomas P. Kerester. SBA Director makes all The is published.... Superintendent Joe L. Kennedy, "Traditionally Thanksgiving is a low-us- e day anyway, so weve taken these steps so that park employees can spend the day with their families and friends. The Quarry Visitor Center. 7 miles north of Jensen on Utah State Rd 1 49, will reopen as usual the day after Thanksgiving to serve area visitors Washington Municipal Building NEWSPRINT Day. according to Park Merkley Bros. long-tim- Washington. D.C. The appointment on Thursday, November 4 Term (BALLARD) He The Visitors Centers at Dinosaur National Monument will be closed can to see that Roosevelt develops properly. As for a furture in Roosevelt politics. Mayor Shields doubts that elected office is important to his ability to contribute. 'At the present time I have no great urge to get back into politics, says Shields. In addition to continuing service to the city. Shields plans to do plenty of L.D.S. Church work and to travel with wife Geraldine. Shields retired from the Duchesne County School District two years Appointed To Third Fred Brown, while on the air at KNEU. Monument To Close Thanksgiving Day Mayor Ralph Shields Goes Out With Good Feelings And Pride "MR. UNITAH BASIN" WAS ONCE pae 3 newsprint CLOSING HER IN FOR THE NIGHT - Shutting all the valves, etc. when no one is at the well site. LOCATION - Oil well site. Thanks to the crew of Rig no. 16 for the information and the fantastic pictures from the top of their derrick ! Gary Smith. Pusher: Tom Houston, Operator; Tom Young. Relief Operator; Ferron Wyaskct. Derrick hand and photographer: Steve Kellum. Floor hand, and Mitch Davidson. Floor hand. Someplace Special DISCOUNT Brings you the Roosevelt Turkey Trot Thanskgivlng Turkeys - FREE Register at Dove's, Listen to KVEL. : This Is The Last Big Week. |
