“We were looking to inspire people and to promote change more than manufacture . . . this type of technology.”
— Johnathan Goodwin of H-Line Conversions on why he and rocker Neil Young (whose ’59 Lincoln Continental he converted into an electric car) dropped out of the $10 million X Prize race to find the best “green” vehicle
WICHITA — Radio personality Dan Tooker hasn’t been on KVWF, 100.5-FM (”The Wolf“), the last couple of weeks, and it’s not clear if he’ll be returning.
“We’re not really sure which way it’s going to play out,” says program director Ron Allen.
“Basically, it had kind of been a fluid situation from day one,” he says.
Tooker was on KFDI, 101.3-FM, until 2007, when he lost his job (the Country Music Association named him broadcast personality of the year for medium-size markets shortly after that).
He took a job in Boise following that then returned here earlier this year.
Allen says Tooker’s wife is still in Boise and hasn’t found a job here yet, so they built in plenty of time for him to return home for visits, which is why he’s been off the air.
But the couple’s financial situation may keep it that way. If Tooker’s wife doesn’t get a job, he may leave.
“It’s still probably better than 50-50” that Tooker will stay, Allen says.
“He would still like . . . to be on the team.”
It looks like Wal-Mart’s possible move to Normandie Center at Central and Woodlawn is forcing at least one longtime business to leave earlier than planned.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, says Hal Schwarz, president of Gessler Drug Co., who hopes to open two new stores after moving out of Normandie in August.
Schwarz was manager of Gessler when it moved to Normandie in 1965.
“It wasn’t that long ago,” he says. “I still see people I saw that first year.”
But a while back, he decided to go month-to-month on his lease instead of renewing it.