KUJ--Walla Walla's Pioneer Radio Station

If you are entering the City Of Walla Walla from the west, the first thing you may notice is the twin radio towers of KUJ. KUJ is Walla Walla's oldest and most powerful radio station. At 1420khtz, it was between K-HIT and KTEL on the dial. If K-HIT was the station that your father would listen to, chances are, in the 60s and early 70s KUJ was the station that your mother would have on. It's soft adult contemporary music and low keyed radio hosts were probably perfect for a "stay at home" housewife. For many years, it carried the Arthur Godfrey show. The owners of the two other stations in town had both worked early in their careers at KUJ. It's owner, Verne Russell , was perhaps the valley's best broadcaster, known mostly for his recorded end of day sign off ("we will shake those watts and Kilocycles out of bed..."). While KTEL carried most of the high school sports play by play, KUJ carried the local minor league baseball team's broadcasts. Russell himself did play by play in his smooth broadcaster's voice. Eventually, he bought the team.
In the mid 70s , Russell sold the station as well as the baseball team to Jim Nelly.

KUJ--Walla Walla's Pioneer Radio Station Part II

I'm not going to go into Mr. Nelly's ownership of KUJ. It is probably still fresh in people's memories. To say that he changed the culture of the station would be an understatement. The station became a 24 hour all hit station. Suddenly, the KUJ salesman who was your buddy popping in, sitting on your couch and shooting the breeze with you, was now pulling at your sleeve, it was "sell to survive" Nelly's wife Pat ran the minor league Walla Walla Padres and their son Jim, Jr. worked at the radio station. He would later work a few days at B. Barer And Sons until he decided that there where better ways to make a living.

Former Washington Governor Dies At 101

The man whom I credit my love of politics, former Washington  Governor Al Rosssellini has passed away at 101.  My parents, who were active in the Democratic party, took me to a rally for him in Walla Walla's Pioneer Park in 1964 where I would meet him.  At the time,Rossellini was staging what would be an unsuccessful attempt for a third term in the state house.  Rossellini lost that year to a young Republican state legislator named Dan Evans.  Evans would himself serve 3 terms beating Rossellini in a rematch in 1972   Rossellini was the first Italian-American and first Roman Catholic west of the Mississippi to be elected governor and the oldest living former governor at the time of his death. 
He had the distinction of being governor during the Seattle World's Fair in 1962.

Walla Walla's Whitman College To Change Newspaper Name

Whitman College, in my hometown of Walla Walla, is igniting controversy nationally by changing the name of it's on campus newspaper.  The paper, known as "The Pioneer", has been publishing since 1896.  The college, known for being much more liberal than it's surrounding town, claims that the paper's name honors "white invaders".   Many though say, that even though the area's pioneers were far from perfect, they made sacrifices to make better lives for later generations.  The paper is hoping that the name change will encourage such discussion.  No new name for the paper has been announced.