Via Awilda Rivera Oh, oh! Old man winter is about to pounce on us in a big way. This weather always reminds me of the winter of 95-96. Once upon a time, I was hosting 2 shows on WBGO on Sundays...Sunday Morning Harmony, 6am-IOam & the Latin Jazz Cruise 12 hrs later at 6pm-10...plus I had a full-time job. I was living in Montclair, so I would usually run out of there at 10am & return about 5. On a Sunday in February of 1996, a blizzard started blowing in around 9 that morning, so therefore, going home was not an option. There was nowhere I can go for food...but sometime in the afternoon, I decided to brave the elements and check out the Chicken Shack on Broad Street. They were the only business open in the neighborhood. I must of been in denial in regards to the weather, because I really thought I was going to get home that night. So I purchased a 3 piece snack box to hold me over. Everybody shows up to work Sunday afternoon. In those days, a board-operator was scheduled to be there on Sundays, 6pm to midnight. The young man who was scheduled that day lived down by the Jersey shore. Around 4 oclock he calls to let us know that he wont be able to make it in. That meant that I would have to stay after my show was over at 10 and board-op till midnight. I talk to my boss and he makes calls to all scheduled jocks. He asked them to leave earlier than usual to allow for delays. Im still feeling hopeful that Im getting home. I even arranged for a ride. Now its going on 11:45pm and Im waiting for the jock who is scheduled to do jazz after hours...and no, it wasnt Brian Delp. It was a guy who lived not that faraway from WBGO, in Newark. The telephone rang 5 mins later. Till this day I will never forget that telephone exchange. ME: WBGO Studio HIM: Who is this? ME: Its Awilda HIM: What are you still doing there? (Now Im feeling a bit annoyed by his question and dread starts to set in.) ME: The board-op couldnt get here. HIM: Im sorry babe, but Im not coming in...CLICK! Yes, he hung up the phone before I could say another word. I called him back and I got his answering machine. At this point I regret buying a 3 piece chicken snack box earlier. I should of brought a bucket. When I realized I was stuck doing overnight, all I could think about was food, booze & coffee...LOL! I run into the studio to pull my first song. I run outside to let my ride know I couldnt leave. I call my boss to let him know about the overnight jock. He to calls the guy and gets the answering machine. He cant get anyone to come in. Im wiped out but I proceed to embrace my fate and I forge on. In the course of the night I got calls from listeners who could not believe I was still on the air. I will always be grateful for their words of encouragement. Fast forward to 5:55am...Im still regretting that I didnt buy a bucket of chicken on Sunday afternoon. Then this...Gary Walker (Morning Jazz) and Steve Inskeep (our news director at the time) call me from Journal Square PATH station to tell me its shut down. I am hopeful no more. He asked if I was up to doing live news coverage via the phone. I said, sure!. What I didnt realize is that I had to do the news breaks from the news studio down the hall. First, I had to set up the studio to do the live telephone coverage from a Journal Square telephone booth. Steve Inskeep told me how to and now Im doing drive time. Im spinning music, doing news coverage with the news guy reporting live from Journal Square and still regretting I didnt buy a bucket of chicken the day before...LOL! Around 8 in the morning, bossman calls to tell me he had to dig himself out of his house to get to Newark. He didnt know if he was even able to leave Montclair. They didnt want anyone on the roads. Thats the last time I talked to him. 10am: Im on for Rhonda Hamilton (Midday Jazz). My legs are quivering and Ive got a headache. I have no idea when I will be relieved. Sometime in the 11 oclock hour, Im on air and someone is waving at me from the next room. Its my boss. Just when I thought I would never see another human being again. Thanks Thurston Briscoe! When he finally got to the station, he had to snow blow his way from the road to the front door. Good thing he brought his own snow blower. He relieved me at noon. I logged in 18 hours on the air. Every time I hear about an impending snow storm/blizzard, like the one they saying were getting tomorrow night, and Im scheduled to work...I relive that day. I think I was tramatized by it. LOL! Thats my horror blizzard story. May it never happen again.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 22:29:44 +0000
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