March 1 Is A Special Date

March 1^st will always be a significant date for me for two reasons.  It is the anniversary of 92.7 WOBM coming on the air as the first commercial radio station in Ocean County.  That was in 1968 and the story goes that it snowed heavily that day and school closings were among the first things aired on that date.  March 1^st is also the anniversary of the passing of the legendary Bob Levy and in a very strange twist that took place six years ago on what was the 50^th anniversary of the radio station.  Bob of course was the original employee of WOBM and the Sales Manager when we first hit the air waves.  He used to joke (at least we thought it was a joke) that he wanted to make it to the golden celebration and as fate would have it he died suddenly on that date.  Regardless of what you believe it does make you think twice.

Many of you know Bob was my mentor…at least in some ways.  Next to my own family he was the one I talked first with when it came to a variety of things from business to personal.  I still have his home phone number etched in my memory because even out of the office we talked often, especially during sporting events. We would call to alert the other guy if something special was taking place, like a no-hitter in baseball or Tiger making a charge on the golf course.

To this day I find myself from time to time grabbing the phone to call him but of course then realizing he can’t pick up.  I often think of what his incredibly popular Topic A program on Sunday mornings would be like if he were still around in these troubled times.  That thought always brings a smile to my face.

You now know why March 1^st will always been meaningful to me.  Happy Anniversary to WOBM and Bob I still miss you and always will.