NEVADA CITY KVMR radio turns 30 in July The July 11 and 12 celebration could be a moment that you do not want to miss

It was a very warm day and Sparky was doing one of his favorite things; shooting hoops in the gym of the old Nevada City High School. This solo endeavor he could do for hours and had since he could control a basketball. And this place was very special with light flooding in from skylights above the knotty pine walls just glowed. His concentration was suddenly broken as the gym door opened and in walked David Osborne and Charles Wood with a third person. Introducing Lee Amundsen to Sparky they explained that Lee has an idea for a Nevada City radio station. David and Charles were the founder's of the newly opened American Victorian Museum in the old Miners Foundry in downtown Nevada City. They happen to be showing Lee the old high school spot for a home for this new radio station. While the three of them talked about how a community radio station would be super for our cute little town, Lee was checking out every nook and cranny of the building. It proved to be not the right spot. At the time Sparky did not realize that he was seeing the beginning of what would become one of Nevada City's most important and cherished things....radio station KVMR. The V stood for Victorian and the M for museum. Below is the new logo created by Kim Rogers of KIM ART Graphics. That was July of 1978 when KVMR started broadcasting their 10 watts from the top of Banner Mountain. The non profit community based station was on the air ! In 2008 KVMR the 24 - 7 radio station has a range from Truckee to Sacramento and has powered up to 2000 watts. Local has become regional with a large professional and volunteer staff. But the word community is still the key word in it's being. And when you think of America in 2008 is a media that has " a hundred voices from the same ventriloquist " a station like Nevada City's KVMR is a golden gem. Sparky remember when DJ Bobby Angel was doing his show " high a top Banner Mountain " which was a late afternoon show somewhat in the model of the current "Music Magazine Show" format. It began to snow, and on Banner that means SNOW. And it did not stop. Bobby soon found himself snowed in. He could not get out and no one was getting to him during this storm. After some time the enjoyment was fading and the then small music library was becoming to be stretched. Bobby Angel proved to be a warrior and stuck it out for at least a couple of days all the time keeping KVMR on the airwaves. If they do have medals for DJ's he had earned his ! And because it is a community station, Sparky had a chance to "his stuff". Now bigger and located downtown at the AVM he had the " Recreation Minute" on the air. A prerecorded minute that highlighted local recreation it was produced by good friend Dan " Governor" Scanlan and truthfully was short lived. Stumbling over words, fighting the time limits it not only proved how good and patient of a friend he was but Sparky from then on had huge respect for all those who were on the air.

Do not miss the celebration this July 11 and 12 it will be on a closed Spring Street, the parking lot of Miners Foundry and inside of the Foundry. A virtual who's who of local musical talent will perform. And if that was not enough the KVMR display of it's past 30 years will bring back your fondest memories of what this radio station and our town are all about. And finally, KVMR needs a new home having out grown their old one....make sure that you tell them that our community radio station must stay in Nevada City.