When I first went to work at KKOW radio in Pittsburg, Kansas, I had about as much experience on the air as the average person.  Zero.  To Chris Kelly, however, that didn't seem to matter.  I had worked in newspaper and when I expressed interest in taking over the station's news department, Chris, then program director and then general manager Lance Sayler decided to give me a shot.

You might never know it by hearing me on the air today, but I was really bad at this stuff when I started out.  I mean it.  Really, REALLY bad.  I listen to some of my old recordings from time to time and wonder how Chris could bring himself to be so patient with me.  He knew something I didn't.  He saw something that needed polishing.  He clearly purchased a lot of polish.

I have mentioned in the past that I often found myself frustrated with Chris.  At times, it seemed he would never give me any credit.  His criticism was constructive, but common.  But then something happened.  A co-worker that I trusted like family, legendary Kansas broadcaster Dan Willis, told me sternly that I should listen to everything Chris had to say.  If I did that, he said, I'd go far in the radio business.  You can guess how the story ends.

I can't say it enough.  My nearly ten-year broadcast career was shaped more by Chris Kelly than by anyone else.

More on Chris coming up.

In the meantime, there have been others along the way whose names must be mentioned.  Dan Willis is one of them.  He's known to many as a legendary broadcaster who spent 40 years doing the same morning show.  That's true.  But to me, Dan was like a grandfather.  What I learned from Dan wasn't so much about broadcasting as it was about life.  Dan taught me how to treat people with love.  He taught me how to care about a community.  He taught me how to be humble and though I hope my time on this planet is not short, when my time comes, I will know that Dan Willis taught me how to die with grace and dignity.  We lost him to bone cancer in 2005.  Serving as a pall bearer at his funeral was the honor of my life.

There are so many names.  So many people in this business who've touched my career.  I mentioned Dalton Windsor in an earlier blog.  Another friend who has been there through it all has been Thom Watts, who taught me the most basic lesson of radio.  "Don't screw up".  I had lunch with Thom, his daughter and his wife   Sarah a couple of weeks ago.  When I interviewed for the job at KKOW, little Lily Watts was asleep on the floor of her dad's office.  She couldn't have been more than three.  It's hard to believe how quickly time passes.  We haven't worked together for years, but I usually talk to Thom weekly.  We've always been on the same page.  Our wives will tell you we've always been obnoxious.  Both statements are true.

So many people have touched my life.  Bob Burk, Amy Gillespie, Greg Akagi, Jen Rezac, Dave Relihan, Jim Doblin, Raubin Pierce, Megan Mosack, Jerry Chapin, Jan Lunsford, Kevin Allen, Jim Cunningham, Rob Trainor, Tom Bamford....I could go on an on.

And finally, my KMBZ family.  And I do mean family.  We get up every morning and do our best to put the best possible news product on the air.  But we're so much more.  Neil Larrimore gave me a chance to work at a station I dreamed of working at since I began my career.  He has always told me to put my family first.  He means it.  Bill Grady been a dear friend, a wise advisor and a darn fine Episcopalian, if I do say so myself.  Eric Bushman has brought more smiles to my face than any co-worker I've ever had.  Ellen Schenk's sense of humor made us instant friends.  I will miss her wit when times are tough.  Jayme Monacelli is the only person I know who can keep the wide range of personalities that work on the morning show on task while still keeping her sense of humor and her love of pasta.  Someday, in the distant future, our dream of running an Italian restaurant may yet be realized.  E.J. Becker has gone above and beyond.  I've dealt with my share of personal tragedies in the past few years, and he's always around with good food and a helping hand.  Rob Ladd is nuts.  Jay Edwards has always been there to listen, and more importantly, to let me know where I should be having breakfast.  Anytime I get a "truckstop" at Town Topic, I'll think of Jay.  Lisa Carter is the news director everyone should have.  She has this amazing quality.  It's called listening.  She's always had my back, and always been fair.  Scott Parks' love of politics meant we were instant friends.  I'll miss our discussions in the newsroom.  Mike Shanin is the definition of gentleman.  Just don't make him 'go Shanin' on you.  Darla Jaye has always told it like it is.  I've never had a conversation with her and felt anything but honesty.  She'll give it to you straight.  I'll miss that as well.  Chris Merrill roots for the Detroit Redwings.  As a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I have nothing nice to say about him.  Only kidding!  Kara Marxer is a joy.  Period.  The only fault I can find with her is that she roots for the St. Louis Cardinals.  The good news about that is that she'll owe me a few beers once the season is over.  Go Cubs!!  And finally, I must mention Bob Mead.  There are few people who can make you feel good the instant you see them.  Bob is one of those guys.  If I can make even half the people I meet feel as special as Bob as made me feel, I'll be doing alright.

So I'm moving on.  And as I mentioned at the onset of this final blog, the most important lesson I learned from Chris Kelly happened to be the lesson that led to my decision to move on.  Chris taught me, above all else, that honesty and integrity matter in this business, and in life, more than anything else.  When I'm truly honest with myself, there are things I'd like to do in my life beyond the realm of broadcasting.  I want to go back to school, I'd like to work in government someday, I want to be able to spend more time with my kids in the morning and stay up later at night, and I want to continue to search for ways to be part of something bigger than myself.  I'm starting that with a new career in healthcare.  From there, who knows?

In closing, I feel like I've grown up in radio.  I was literally just a kid when I started in journalism and now I'm a man with a wife and the two greatest little boys anyone could ask for.  I have always been a big fan of the television program 'ER', and for those of you who've watched it, you'll know who I'm talking about when I say I feel a bit like Dr. Carter.  A med student in the beginning, much more when all was said and done.  So as I leave the business next Friday, and mention the KMBZ call-letters for the final time, in the true spirit of Dr. Carter I've got to say it.

"You set the tone, Bushman."

Radio is a unique business because the people are fantastic, and yet, you never end up working with them very long. People tend to move on quickly, and staying in touch isn't always easy. In my case, there are a few exceptions to that rule, including someone I find truly exceptional.
I first met Dalton Windsor back in 2002 when I was hired as News Director at KKOW radio in Pittsburg. We were instant friends, bonding over a love for God, politics and "The Andy Griffith Show". During the three years I worked in Pittsburg, we shared lunches, prayers and political arguments, met President Bush together in Pierce City, Missouri and comforted each other during the loss of our dear friend Dan Willis.
I moved to Kansas City in 2005, but never lost touch with Dalton. Maybe it was the discussions about God and politics over email. Maybe it was the fact that his mom and my dad worked together years ago at A&W Root Beer in Pittsburg. Whatever it was, this was clearly a friendship meant to stick.
Dalton has been there through everything. His prayers helped me through my dad's heart attack a couple of Christmases ago. His advice on matters of faith has made me a better husband and a better father. He even showed up unexpectedly for my baptism last May.  I've probably never told him in person how much I value him as a friend.  The good ones are hard to find.

This blog is supposed to give you a "behind-the-scenes" look at broadcast journalism, and to some degree, the life of this broadcaster.  So here's something you probably didn't know.  That clown over there scares the living daylights out of me.  And it's not just that clown.  I'm talking about any clown.  I am scared to death of clowns.  Children fear the "boogeyman" less than I fear clowns.

You probably remember Stephen King's book and movie entitled "It".  Well, "It" made me hide under the bed.  For that matter, Bozo the Clown made me hide under the bed.

I have to admit, this always made me feel a little odd.  When my wife and I were dating, there was a clown at the mall.  She turned around and I had disappeared into the nearest restroom.  I even wonder if I'll be able to take my kids to the circus without getting the "heebie jeebies".

Thankfully, I'm not alone.  Clown fear is a real problem.  It even exists on my block.  I found out one night last summer that one of my neighbors shares my clown terror.  His wife apparently didn't realize how bad it was, and hired a clown to surprise him for his birthday.  Let's just say the clown didn't stick around for cake.

I don't know why clowns scare me, but they do.  What would you do if a clown scared you?

"I do believe in spooks.  I do believe in spooks.  I do believe in spooks."

Not exactly.  But I'm less of a skeptic than I was 24-hours ago.

Last night, I kissed my boys goodnight early and made my way to St. Mary's Episcopal Church at 13th and Holmes in Kansas City.  There, I hooked up with "Paranormal Investigations of Wichita", headed up by a man named Tom Tongue.  You might remember Tom from the Halloween series I ran on KMBZ (Monsters of the Metro).

My purpose in spending most of my evening inside this very old church (it was built in the 1880's) was to sit in on a good old fashioned ghost hunt. (I say old fashioned, but these guys and gals are pretty high tech.)  The bottom line is this, I saw some things in that church last night that I can't exactly explain.  But let's back up a bit.

As you might remember from my Halloween series, a Father Jardine is said to haunt the old church.  His death was rather suspicious (possibly a suicide) and he is currently buried at the 13th and Holmes location.  The goal of this group of paranormal investigators was simple.  Contact the good Father.

One of the tools they use to accomplish this goal is a simple, hand-held flashlight.  They place it on the ground or on a table in an area where a spirit or entity has supposedly been heard or seen and they attempt to talk that spirit into using the flashlight.  More than once last night, something responded.

The investigators would simply address any entity that might be in the room, explain how the flashlight worked and ask that entity to turn the light on or off as a sign of their presence in the room.  I could feel the little hairs rising on the back of my neck as the light turned on, then off.  The "ghost" even responded to commands to make the light brighter or darker.  There may be a perfectly logical explanation for this.  If anyone has one, send me an email. (jbell@entercom.com)

The other interesting event was witnessed not by me, but by a friend, (Sally Fox) who was also along for the ride.  You've probably heard about EVP's and EVP detection devices.  These devices are used by paranormal investigators to attempt to communicate with the spirit world.  Supposedly, you can sometimes hear the responses of these spirits to various questions you asked while in their presence.  I am awaiting word as to whether any communication was picked up last night.

These devices also keep track of the temperature in the area in which you are attempting to communicate with the dead.  According to Sally, when one of the investigators asked the "spirit" to make the area warmer, the temperature on the device rose from 57 degrees to 62 degrees in a matter of seconds.  Freaky, right?

Now, I'm not saying I believe in this stuff.  I'm not sure what I believe most of the time.  But I can tell you this.  The "ghost hunters" involved in these investigations take this stuff seriously.  After last night, so do I.

Now the fire.

I'm still at the scene as I write, so some of this could change.  Here's what we know so far.  The blaze was massive and impacted all three stories of this building near Van Brunt and St. John.  The top two stories were vacant, but the bottom one held a mosque.  Fire crews are still working to get this thing under control and there's sure to be an investigation once all is said and done.  Keep it tuned to KMBZ and KMBZ.com for the very latest!

So there you go.  The past thirty days have been eventful to say the least.  My goal is writing, as always, has been to give you a small glimpse into what it is I do each day as a broadcast journalist.  As you've probably noted, each day is different and some are downright unpredictable!

For the first time since the 1920's, a Kansas City Mayor will not be retained in office. Mark Funkhouser didn't even make it out of the primary.  For the past couple of days, I've been talking to voters trying to find out why.  And while the general public doesn't normally agree on anything, this would be the exception to that rule.

Both supporters and detractors alike told me over and over again that Funkhouser's defeat was a combination of public perception of his wife, the "mammy-gate" scandal and a general "failure to communicate" (if I may quote Struther Martin).

The "Funk" has had a tough term in office.  He'll tell you (and maybe he's correct) that when you try to right the ship, you're bound to ride some rough waves.  And in this case, the proverbial crew didn't like the waves or the direction the ship was heading.

Fletcher is a candidate for the seat currently occupied by Sharon Sanders-Brooks.  He's in a tough spot, however, because a judge ruled on Friday that he doesn't meet the residency requirements to run, stemming from a legal challenged by Sanders-Brooks claiming that Fletcher resides in California.

Right now, we're awaiting an appeals court judge's ruling.

As I sat in the courtroom on Friday, however, I was amazed at the influence Fletcher has clearly had on the community.  One person on the witness stand talked about "everyone" knowing Fletcher and the impact he's had in the metro.  Fletcher claims his family lives in California, but that he does not.  He says he moved them there because of death threats he'd been receiving several years ago.  Whether that's true or not is anybody's guess, but death threats and influence certainly go hand in hand.

The election is tomorrow.  What that means for Fletcher is yet to be seen.  It's certainly been an interesting day in the courtroom for this reporter.