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Program Wendell Jones introduced Ron Hoon who joined Channel 10 when it was known as KOOL TV. He said it is still cool and The Fox 10 Morning Show is the #1 morning show in the Phoenix market. Ron loves travel and hiking. He likes 70's music, especially Elton John, and is a proud grandparent with another little one on the way. Ron is from a long line of Kiwanians. His father, who is a retired teacher, became a financial planner in 1981 specializing in helping teachers to develop a savings ethic. His father ran this business from his home in Wenatchee, Washington. Ron and his sister travelled to Washington to surprise their father when his final retirement was announced. They anticipated a small party in a small town, and were surprised and delighted to find that 300 clients were there. After retirement, his parents moved to Arizona. Ron regularly meets his dad at the IHOP at Signal Butte and Southern where his dad will pretend to study the menu but orders the same thing every time. Ron was thankful to have a wonderful father and mentor and glad they are close. Ron told of his grandmother who was a widow at the time she heard JFK speak of the formation of the Peace Corps. She was inspired by that announcement and ended up moving to Brazil as a member of the Peace Corps. Ron told an anecdote about his father who in the relative recent past broke his hip. When he got home following a stay in a rehab facility he wanted to go to the gym where he rode a stationary bike 40 miles. Afterward, he complained of being sore... When Ron was hired, he was hired by a unique anchor man who always wore a bolo tie. Bill Close was the person who hired Ron away from Spokane Washington bringing him to Arizona. Bill's home when he was growing up was in Omak, Washington. He went on a field trip at age 9 to the local AM station. He knew from that day forward that broadcasting was what he wanted to do. When he goes out to talk to kids in classrooms today, he talks about music on the radio when he was young and asks if they know of the Beetles. Much to his surprise, they always do. During high school, he worked in a local station. He graduated from the University of Washington. People often ask about the biggest story he ever had to report about. It was September 11, 2001. They were on commercial break when the first plane hit the world trade center. As they went live, the second plane hit, sending alarm bells off everywhere. They had three straight days of continuous coverage. Jeff Flake's wife, Cheryl, was on a plan that had to be put down in Kansas that day. His second biggest story was when he was 10 days into his job in Spokane in May, 1980. Mt. St. Helen's erupted. By 2:00 PM after church, Spokane looked like it was covered with a black blanket of volcanic ash. He took his wife home and went to work. When he went to downtown Spokane, it was as black as midnight at only 3:00 PM. It was raining volcanic ash. He clearly remembers seeing three ladies out with shopping bags...he still wonders why. By 5:00 PM the cloud was passing on east. Birds began to chirp like it was morning. He says he has lots of fun on Fox 10. People that you work with make your job enjoyable. They try to strike a balance of good news/bad news. A positive story he recalled was about a firefighter in Bullhead City Arizona who was a victim of the mass shooting at the concert in Las Vegas. His department kept his job waiting for him. There was not a day went by without a visit from someone - family, friend, or co-worker - to encourage and cheer him on. Some recent fun news was about an Amazon delivery which made headline news. The driver in Lester, UK realized there was no porch to leave the package on. He threw the package through an open second story window. The package of light bulbs arrived with the contents undamaged. Ron is proud that he has been on the air for thirty-seven years in one city. He started at Channel 10, was at 12 for a while and glad to be back at 10. Channel 10 does not have an intern program, but many young broadcasters get their start here before moving on to other markets. A new evolution at the local Fox 10, was recently visited by the President of Fox. Fox 10 has developed a You-Tube "News Now" production. Arizona ranks tops in the nation with the amount of time individuals spend on their phones. We are so connected we know about news soon after it occurs. Ten to fifteen years from now, what platform will we be on? TV is doing quite well. On-line is growing like crazy. One of the most fun stories Fox 10 covered was the Llama Drama in Phoenix, when a llama was on the loose in Sun City.
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President Jim Schmidt asked Ray Smith to open the meeting with song. Ray, who had travelled from 73° high temps to HOT for the meeting enthusiastically led everyone in singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Dick Myren offered the invocation, and John Pennypacker led the Pledge of Allegiance. Pam Cohen was the official greeter welcoming members and guests to the meeting..png)
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