The Royals Radio Network is comprised of over eighty affiliates and stretches across seven states. In this recurring series (previous features listed below at the bottom of the page) Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional reach and heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

 

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Miles from Kansas City: 244

Population: 389,000

 

Somewhat surprisingly, Tulsa, Oklahoma is one of the easiest places in the United States to listen to a Royals game on the radio, at least at first glance. According to the team website, the Royals have a four station presence in Tulsa: 1550 KYAL-AM, 1490 KBIX-AM, 1470 KGND-AM, and 97.1 FM. At any given moment, like half the radio stations in Tulsa are broadcasting the Royals, this is wonderful! Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case. First, 1490 KBIX-AM is actually a Muskogee station (does this mean they deserve a separate Radio Affiliate Profile? Yes.) and Muskogee is fifty miles away. Similarly, 1470 KGND-AM is based in Vinita, which is about 65 miles northeast of Tulsa, an affiliate that especially dedicated readers will also note has already been profiled here. Second, 1550 KYAL-AM and 97.1 FM in Tulsa are actually the same station, "The Sports Animal". Thus, from four stations on the team website, we can whittle it down to something like 1.5, depending on how you’d like to divvy out partial credit. Presence on The Sports Animal is huge however, as 97.1 FM can be heard over a huge area in Eastern Oklahoma. As far as I can tell, the Animal’s affiliates in Oklahoma City and elsewhere do not carry Royals baseball however.

 

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The Royals Radio Network is comprised of 86 affiliates and stretches across eight states. In this recurring series (previous features listed below at the bottom of the page) Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional reach and heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

 

Enid, Oklahoma
Miles from K.C.: 314
Population: 46,000

Home to 46,000 souls, Enid is one of three Royal strongholds in Oklahoma, and the eighth largest city in the Sooner State. If you remove technical cities which are more suburbs of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Enid is about the fifth largest town/city/place in Oklahoma, and the biggest population center in the northern part of the state. The Royals are likely the third most popular team in Oklahoma, far behind the Rangers and somewhat surprisingly, the Cardinals, who remain strong in pockets there, especially east of OKC. The radio home for the Royals in Enid is 1640 KFXY-AM,  The Score! a member of the Sporting News Radio Network, and owned by the  Chisholm Trail Broadcasting company. Thanks to the team’s presence in Enid, according to this coverage map, on certain nights, Royals baseball on the radio can be heard on the northern side of Oklahoma City (maybe even the whole metro), and, perhaps, in Stillwater. A divided city, Enid also is claimed by the Cardinals, who are broadcast on 1390 KCRC-AM, one of their six affiliates in Oklahoma. Interestingly, despite their strong fanbase in Oklahoma, the Rangers do not have a radio affiliate there, instead relying on the franchise’s historic minor league connections to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the proximity to the DFW metroplex, and the Rangers-tilt to Fox Sports Southwest. For whatever reason, I’ve always sensed that Oklahomans, despite the Texas/Oklahoma rivalry, have always looked south for their pro sports teams, especially the Cowboys, rather than north or northeast towards Kansas City, especially in Oklahoma City. With affiliates in Tulsa and Vinita, the Royals have staked out some northern turf, but it remains contested.

 

 

Continue reading this post »

The Royals Radio Network is comprised of 86 affiliates and stretches across eight states. In this recurring series (previous features listed below at the bottom of the page) Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional reach and heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

 

Butler, Missouri

1530 KMAM-AM
Miles from KC: 68
Population: 4,200

Other than the flagship - 610 AM - the Royals only have seventeen radio affiliates in Missouri. By way of comparison, the Cardinals have over thirty affiliates in the Show Me State, including a number deep in what should be true blue Royal territory (Joplin, St. Joseph, Nevada, most especially). No team is going to strike it rich by claiming half of interior Missouri, considering that, if you subtract the Kansas City and St. Louis metros (accepted as givens for both teams) you're only talking about three to four million people, which if you divide in two isn't a huge number. Nevertheless, as a pride thing and as a marginal revenue opportunity, reclaiming western Missouri wouldn't be a bad idea. Or, the Royals could just ask for more taxpayer money. Maybe Selig can promise the All-Star Game the week before the vote... again.

One of those proud Missouri affiliates, sadly close to the Cardinals-leaning Southwestern corner of the state, is Butler, a charming hamlet of 4,200 souls, a sizeable majority of which is female (77 men for every 100 women). Back when the Royals were on 810 WHB, the Butler affiliate seemed somewhat superfluous (along with about half of the other affiliates as well, given this map) given 810's reach, but with 610 as the primary signal, I'm not so sure the Royals won't need a little local bounce from 1530 KMAM-AM in Butler.

According to the Butler Chamber of Commerce, Butler is "The Electric City", thanks to its status as "the first city west of the Mississippi to have electric power". Living, as I do in Iowa, I'm quite familiar with "the first ____ west of the Mississippi" formulation, where it's especially ridiculous. I wonder how long its been since that distinction really meant something to anybody. 1920? 1880? I don't know. Still, there you have it. Butler spits in the face of Scranton and lets the world know, it is The Electric City.

But the Butler Chamber doesn't stop there. Far from it, in fact. The Chamber also notes:

Aside from the fact that that second part after the comma makes no sense, I love how that is one sentence. But who wants to talk about Bleeding Kansas again? I don't.

Moving on.

Horribly inappropriate and really not a legacy to be proud of ("we were pro-slavery terrorists!"), but still a sweet shirt.

Noted writer Robert A. Heinlein was born in Butler in 1907. Best known for his 1961 novel Stranger in a Strange Land, Heinlein, along with Ernest Hemingway, is one of two people mentioned in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" to also live in a Royals Radio affiliate. Strange Land became a cross-over hit of sorts, winning praise in the science fiction quarters Heinlein was already established in, as well as becoming associated with the 1960s counter-culture. Heinlein's second best known novel is 1959's Starship Troopers, which is either a celebration of fascist militarism, or a criticism of it. Of course, Starship Troopers was also made into a movie, which has been similarly confusing to critics. Butler celebrated the Heinlein Centennial in 2007, which also featured a weekend of events in Kansas City. (With a nice writeup in the WSJ here.) The Butler Public Library has a Heinlein Collection, but it is not clear just what of note it contains.

While Butler is the anchor of Bates County (pop. 16,754), the metropolis also serves nearby satellites in Adrian (pop. 1582) and Rich Hill (pop. 1317) most notably. No other cities in the county have over 300 people. Just outside of Butler lies the Bates County Museum which has been "a very popular attraction for both tourists and the local population," and "a delight to visitors from every state in the union". Really? I want proof someone from Delaware walked through those doors! Unfortunately, the official bird of the county is the Northern Cardinal.

Surprisingly, tiny Butler is the proud birthplace of a former Major Leaguer, left-handed relief pitcher, Stan Wall (stats). Drafted by the Dodgers as an eighteen year old in 1969, Wall reached the big club in 1975, throwing sixteen innings for a very good Dodgers team that finished second in the old NL West. Wall posted a 1.69 ERA that year, good for an ERA+ of 202, the best mark in both categories of his career. In '76 the Dodgers again finished in second, winning 92 games but nevertheless left in the dust by the Reds. Wall appeared in 31 games that year, and posted a 3.60 ERA, which was actually slightly below the league average. In 1977 the Dodgers would finally break through, winning the NL West with a 98-64 record. Sadly, Butler's golden child would not be part of LA's pennant winning team (which lost to the Yankees in the WS) as Wall's last game was a July 3, a 10-7 victory over the Giants. Wall faced three batters in the eighth inning of that game, retiring two and allowing a hit, lowering his ERA to 5.34. Wall got off to a rough start that season however, and 5.34 was the lowest his ERA ever got.

Wall never appeared again in a big league game, and ended up with a career 3.86 ERA in 98 innings. Wall faced Cesar Geronimo and Rowland Office more than anyone else, allowing .300+ averages to both men in 8 matchups. However, Wall owned Pete Rose, retiring the Hit King six of seven times. In a 2003 story by Mike Kiley in the Chicago Sun-Times, a bitter Eric Karros, who had left the Dodgers, used Wall as an example of obscurity:

Karros didn't start the fire.

Previous Affiliate Profiles:

York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas
Trenton, Missouri
Fairbury, Nebraska
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Winfield, Kansas
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

The Royals Radio Network is comprised of 86 affiliates and stretches across eight states. In this recurring series (previous features listed below at the bottom of the page) Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Population: 8,900
Miles from KC: 265

A Royal Outpost in the Heart of National League Territory

Since the fortunes of the franchise began to turn sour in the 1990s, the Royals have increasingly maintained only a shadowy presence in the state of Iowa. Although the Royals have something of a foothold in the western portion of the state (with affiliates in Shenandoah, Sioux Center and Storm Lake) this is the decidedly less populous side of the Hawkeye State. To wit, five of the ten largest cities in Iowa are east of Des Moines (Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Waterloo, Iowa City and Dubuque) while only two are to the west (Sioux City and Council Bluffs). And while the Royals have stayed on the air in Des Moines (KPSZ-AM 940 AM), thanks to the longtime presence of the Iowa Cubs, the capital city is a Cubbie stronghold. In fact, the Cubs seem to be clearly Iowa's team - they have more radio affiliates than anyone else in Iowa and WGN and Comcast-Chicago are on most local cable packages - and certainly this is the case in the parts of the state where people, actually, like, live.

As many of you will recall, stints in Cleveland and Washington D.C. notwithstanding, during the Royals Review Era I've lived in Iowa City. I can pretty clearly state that the Royals are at best the fourth most popular baseball team on campus, at least in terms of dudes wearing their gear. Thanks to the influx of Chicago kids, there's actually quite a bit of Sox fans, along with a good number of Cardinals fans, who maintain a strong presence around the Quad Cities and in southern Iowa. In four years here - goodness me, I'll be in the ground soon - I can only recall a few times actually seeing Royals fans. Once, I was wearing a Royals cap and while waiting to cross the street, a group of college guys were walking by me going the other direction, one saw me and loudly yelled something like "ALRIGHT!!! GO ROYALS!!!" The fact that I can recall this event two years later should speak to the uniqueness of the experience.

The amazing thing is however, Kansas City is not far from most of Iowa at all. Even here in Iowa City, in the eastern side of the state, KC is basically a four hour drive, and a very easy one at that (I-80 to I-35). Of course, Chicago, St. Louis and even the Twin Cities are also about four hours away, so that negates matters a bit, to be sure. Still, one of the problems the Royals face is that their actual, true geographic footprint has shrunk remarkably from what it was during the team's heyday. The Royals are only THE TEAM basically inside the KC Metro, in Kansas and in Nebraska, that's it. And the Nebraska people don't actually care much. There are still fans in the interior of Missouri, but for the moment they are still decidedly outnumbered. If the Royals ever became a great team again, there are large chunks of Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Missouri that could be reclaimed. If you look at what the Rangers have done in claiming Oklahoma thanks to use of their minor league affiliates as well as how some of the Fox Sports regional breakdowns have gone (lumping OKC in with Dallas) I think it makes sense for the Royals to go "all in" in Arkansas, especially if there is a way for the soon-departing O Royals to find a place to call home in the Natural State.

But, let us return to the matter at hand, to Battlefield: Iowa, specifically the lone Royals Radio affiliate in Eastern Iowa, the Mount Pleasant stronghold. While the Royals are the third team, if that, in this part of the state, that hasn't stopped the good people KILJ-AM from carrying Royals games. As is often the case, KILJ- 1130 AM is paired with Smooth Sounds 105.5 with the AM-side handling the news and offering country music in between syndicated conservative talk.

Unfortunately, KILJ-AM isn't quite strong enough to reach Iowa City or more ambitiously, Cedar Rapids or the Quad Cities, even at night, although it does seem likely that it can reach Burlington, a river town of some size (27,000) just to the east. Of course, Burlington is also home of the Royals Class A affiliate Burlington Bees, so maybe there are some Royals fans there regardless. Nevertheless, there's no radio affiliate for the big club, and given Burlington's promiscuous history as an affiliate (six franchisees have been associated with the Bees since 1990) it's hard to imagine Burlington's a hotbed of partisan support.

Well, Burlington bee (pun intended) damned because Mount Pleasant is home to roughly 8,900 people who may have some regular opportunity to listen to the Royals on the radio over a relatively clear signal, making it the around the 40th largest city in Iowa. Mount Pleasant is the largest city in Henry County, which is itself home to about 20,000 people, 34th largest in the state. The master plan is starting to become clear. See, first we claim Mount Pleasant, see. And once it falls, then we move east to Burlington and north to Riverside and west to Fairfield. From Burlington, we can take Muscatine and Keokuk thanks to the river, before sliding all the way down to St. Louis!

It was in Mount Pleasant that former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced he was running for President way back in November of 2006. Vilsack made his big announcement in Mt. P because he had served as the town's Mayor in the late 1980s. Despite being one of the first candidates to formally announce he was running, Vilsack then somewhat oddly quit the race in February 2007, over ten months before the Iowa caucuses. Well, first in, first out. Curiously, his somewhat 1984 looking campaign website is still up and running. Donate today! Add Tom to your MySpace!

Sadly, Vilsack's political career began in 1987, when he replaced Mount Pleasant Mayor, Ed King, who was murdered during a city council meeting in December of 1986, certainly one of the most notorious episodes in Mount Pleasant's history. The gunman was a man named Ralph Davis, who was angry over a sewer backup at his home. Later news stories described Davis, who was 69 at the time, as a "hermit" and an "oddball". Two city council members were also shot, but survived. Davis died in prison in 1991. Understandably, this strange and tragic episode was national news, much like the recent shooting in Kirkwood, Missouri. King had been the town's mayor for eleven years, and his funeral was attended by two thousand people.

But, we would be remiss if we only focused on the sad times in Mount Pleasant. According to the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce:

The Harlan-Lincoln House, one of Mount Pleasant's landmarks.

While I'm having trouble finding good pictures of Mount Pleasant, I can report to you from first-hand experience that it really is a very pretty town. Essentially, it's the kind of small-town you dream about: there's a courthouse downtown, lots of pretty, picture-book looking houses with big yards in town, a train station and a small college for your viewing pleasure. For whatever reason, the Amtrak line from Chicago west takes a decidedly southerly route through Iowa - its much further south than I-80 and avoids Iowa City, Des Moines, the Quad Cities, etc. which seems dumb - and makes Mount Pleasant one of its major stops. If you went to Iowa and wanted to take Amtrak to Chicago, you'd have to drive about an hour south to Mount Pleasant to do so. Although I'm baffled by Amtrak's decision-making process, I must also admit that I've played a part in this game, having once picked up my girlfriend at the train station in Mt. P. To date, that's been my only visit to the town.

If Osceola and Ottumwa had become the biggest cities in Iowa, this route would have been very convenient for everyone!

Mount Pleasant is also home to the Old Threshers, a group I'd like to be sympathetic towards, but whose website is manifestly hard to understand. As far as I can tell, its some sort of farming group who hold a reunion each summer with concerts and such. Beyond the reunion, which features old cars and country music and good food and all that, the Threshers run the Heritage Museum in Mt. Pleasant, "To Preserve and Celebrate Our Midwest Rural Heritage". The Museum offers a replica farm house, but potentially more interesting collections like lots of old equipment - the Threshers seem to have a technological bent to their antiquarianism - such as antique harvesting devices, tractors and, more recently, a printing museum with an 1870s handpress (I'm so there!). For reasons that are less clear, there is also a Doll Collection.

Finally, Mount Pleasant claims Iowa Wesleyan College as her own. Founded in the 1840s, IWC is the "oldest, four-year, coeducational, church-related college west of the Mississippi River", but don't take my word for it. Actually, at one time, the town was also home to two other now-defunct colleges, and was known as the "Athens of Iowa". Home to 850 students, IWC offers 30 majors and a wide-variety of student activities, including some of the longest-standing organizations for women in the state. IWC offers small classes and a chance to study under the guidance of the United Methodist Church, "with which it shares a commitment to spiritual values, social justice and human welfare". One of the more interesting administrative details of IWC is their Division of Human Studies which houses, in addition to standard majors like History and Sociology, a cluster of church-related majors (Church Leadership, Christian Studies and Philosophy of Religion) along with, umm, Criminal Justice. Well, all part of the spectrum of man, I suppose.

In addition to a full slate of athletic squads, IWC offers one sorority and one frat, along with student government, a literary magazine and campus radio.

The 2007 IWC Volleyball Team listened to the Royals pretty much constantly on KILJ-AM.

Likely visitors are encouraged to visit the County's Tourism Website, which provides the low-down on where to stay - Heartland Inn's are very nice, I stayed in one for almost a week when my apartment was destroyed by a tornado in 2006 - and all the various local attractions. Just outside town lies Lake Geode/Geode State Park, where local rocks are harvested for food and used to make clothing. Lake Geode will also be hosting a triathlon this summer, so you'll want to start training for that. Then again, that may be more Burlington folk out towards the lake, and I'm not sure how we're supposed to feel about them. As for restaurants, in addition to the ubiquitous Casey's you'll find Breadeaux Pizza and Jerry's especially to your liking.

Previous Affiliate Profiles:

York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas
Trenton, Missouri
Fairbury, Nebraska
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Winfield, Kansas

The Royals Radio Network is comprised of 86 affiliates and stretches across eight states. In this recurring series (previous features listed below) Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

Population: 11,861
Miles from Kansas City: 215
Affiliate: 1550 KKLE-AM

The county seat of Cowley County and the fictional home of fictional Mary Ann Summers, Winfield, Kansas is one of the more unique cities in the Royals Radio Network. Winfield weighs in with a healthy population of 11,861, just larger than its Cowley County rival, Arkansas City's 11,581. (We'll all watch this population battle in coming years with great interest. Overall, Cowley County is home to roughly 36,291 Kansans, barely more than the number that called the place home in 1890, when over 34,000 were already there. Kansas, give us a century and change and we'll incrementally grow!

It was the westward migration to California, and later the railroads that spurred the dramatic growth of Winfield in the second-half of the nineteenth century, leading to a period "national acclaim", according to the town's official site. Just as the older trails and telegrams era was fading in the early twentieth century, Winfield was revived again. First by the discovery of oil in southeastern Kansas, then by the sweet sweet manna of government monies - although I'm sure Winfieldians remained staunch conservatives - in the form of Strother Field and a strong military presence in Winfield until the end of WWII. To this day, Stroher Field fuels the Cowley County economy.

Since then, there's been a certain leveling off, which is nevertheless preferable to an all-out decline and fall. Every year, Winfield proudly celebrates its history with the KANZA Days festival. Strangely enough, this festival named after a mistranslation of the indigenous group which was pushed off the land in the nineteenth century, only glancingly refers to the Kansas/Kanza/Kaw people, instead focusing more on the Car Show side of things. The whole thing is rather like the a group of Englishmen celebrating St. Patrick's Day by eating pizza, but when you see the morning sun rising over a vintage ash gold El Camino, you get it.

Winfield also hosts the Walnut Valley Festival (link here) a folk/bluegrass/etc gathering of some history, as the 2008 edition will be the 37th. The WV Fest features performances by a whole array of professional artists, as well as a number of contests in categories like "Mountain Dulcimer", "Old Time Fiddle", "Flatpick Guitar" and the like. As you might expect, you can also camp out at/during the event, and prizes are also given to the best decorated campsite. According to the official website, the campground features wireless internet, at leaving open the theoretical possibility of yours truly live-blogging from on site next September, while preparing to perform my rendition of "Greensleeves" on the mandolin. Somewhat amazingly, the Dixie Chicks played the fest in 1990, 1991, 1992. I say amazingly not because the fest is beneath them, but because this raises horrifying implications regarding the Chicks' ages. Band member Martie Ewin - I have no idea which one this is, and I'm not looking it up - also participated in the Fiddle competition in 1987 and 1989. For more on the Chicks at Winfield, click here.

The Dixie Chicks twangled and picked their way into the hearts of Winfield back in the early 90s.

Winfield really does seem to be something of an arty town, as the music festival is complemented by an annual "Arts in the Park" festival, as well as a thriving Community Theatre scene, which takes full advantage of a renovated Meyer Hall and the generous support of the citizens of Cowley County. Still, it was hard moving out of The Barn for many two years ago, but alas, as Queen Elizabeth has so gracefully put it, "grief is the price we pay for love". Winfield also boasts the Cowley County Museum, which offers the visitor a wonderful chance to view numerous rooms done up in nineteenth century fashion. In one room you can find pictures of the Dixie Chicks welcoming the troops home from the Spanish-American War.

No trip to Winfield would be complete without taking advantage of its gastronomical delights, and those delights might begin with breakfast at Braum's (or better yet, the local Daylight Donuts), continue onto lunch at College Hill Café (the perfect place to read RR while pretending to work on your novel), before wrapping up with a relaxed dinner at The Ridge. At the College Hill Café you'll also find the work of local artists featured on the walls, and frequent performances by local musicians. Seriously, on second thought, never leave College Hill Café, not with this menu.

The Black Cats listen to the Royals constantly on KKLE-AM.

Winfield is also home to Southwestern College, a holdover from the town's fin de siecle glory. Established in 1885, Southwestern College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, and offers 37 majors mostly in education and the natural sciences. The school operates a 10-watt Fm radio station (KSWC), and features an active campus ministry. The school's English Department page also helpfully lists the careers available to English majors, but I can't find Blogger listed. Southwestern athletes also participate inter-collegiate sports (Go Moundbuilders!), and are spirited to victory by both cheer (squad reflections here) and dance squads. The dance team is known as the Black Cats and are reportedly rabid Royals fans.

Maybe the school's most distinctive feature is the large rockpile/Rock Mound on campus, a tradition started in the mid-1920s, and now home to numerous commemorative rocks. Each year campus groups are encouraged to add their rock to the pile. It is for this reason that the school's teams are known as the Mound Builders, not because the school founders were massive fans of the bizarre 1839 Cornelius Mathews novel Behemoth- A Legend of the Mound Builders. As you'll recall, there was a brief period in our history in which people were convinced the elaborate and mysterious mound formations across the Midwest had to have been the work of some long-lost civilization, (i.e. white people). In Behemoth, the vaguely Atlantean mound-builders were tormented by a gigantic mammoth-like thing that eventually destroyed their society. Anyway, none of this has anything to do with the S.C. mascot.

Of course, by pop culture law, all prolonged discussions of Winfield are required to include the tale of Mary Ann Summers, an ingénue who left on a three-hour tour and ended up stranded on Gilligan's Island. At press time, I have emailed the Mary Ann on GiligansIsle.com asking about her ties to Winfield, and will let you know if the correspondence comes to anything.

If hands could free you heart...

Of the 202 Kansas-born Big Leaguers, none found a way to have their mothers give birth in Winfield, although the city has found its way, on a darker note, into the annals of the game. On August 14, 1960, Hall of Famer Fred Clarke, died in Winfield, at the age of 87. Clarke was a 1945 Veteran's Committee enshrinee, and is also a member of the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. Clarke's career line of .312/.386/.429 is augmented by the fact that he was a prolific base-stealer and a key member - and manager -- of four pennant winning teams in Pittsburgh (1901-1903, 1909). A look at Clarke's page on baseball-reference, reveals that he truly was one of the most dominant players of the turn-of-the-century, especially from 1897-1903. As manager, in 1901, Clarke famously moved Honus Wagner from the outfield to shortstop. In a 2000 article at Baseball Prospectus which argued that Tim Raines should be in the HOF, our own Rany Jazayerli pointed out that Raines' profile was somewhat similar to Clarke's.

Fred Clarke is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Winfield.

Previous Affiliate Profiles:

York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas
Trenton, Missouri
Fairbury, Nebraska
Nebraska City, Nebraska

The Royals Radio Network is comprised of 86 affiliates and stretches across eight states. At first glance this might seem less impressive than the numbers suggest, as the typical view of small-town Nebraska differs little from the typical view of small-town Kansas or small-town Iowa for that matter. We know better. In this recurring series Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

Previous Affiliate Profiles:

York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas
Trenton, Missouri
Fairbury, Nebraska

-----------

Nebraska City, Nebraska
Miles from Kansas City: 143

Truckers of Nebraska City, the world is yours.

Proudly labeling itself as "The Home of Arbor Day", Nebraska City, Nebraska, is a proud outpost of Royaldom in the crucial region of southeastern Nebraska. With a population of 7,100, Nebraska City is the 23rd largest city in the state, and one of the larger affiliates of the Royals Radio Network in the Cornhusker state. Nebraska City is one of the more diverse cities in Nebraska, with only 75.1% of the population listed as white; about 12.5% of the population is African-American and Hispanic. Just across the Missouri River and the wilds of Iowa, Nebraska City is also the largest city in Otoe County, which, with a population of 15,000+, is the nineteenth largest of Nebraska's 93 proud counties.

As the official Arbor Day Website points out, the first celebration of the holiday was in Nebraska City in 1885. After planting trees, just as fun then as it was in 1885, things got real:

I love that the account ends with "the large audience was dismissed", which sounds oddly ominous, while also being unnecessary. You mean they eventually stopped the ceremonies? I thought they were still going on!

Morton of course, had settled in Nebraska City in 1854. Morton moved fast, after being elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1855, he was appointed as governor of the Territory in 1858. He was 25. Morton's interest in tree-promotion began in the 1860s, after he'd been defeated by David Butler in the election of 1867. Back in Nebraska City, Morton published a newspaper called "The Conservative" and represented all things arborial in his mansion, known as The Arbor Lodge.

Ain't no party like an Arbor Lodge party...

Nebraska City is also home to three museums, The Old Freighters Museum, The Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting and a Civil War Museum inside the Republic Hall. Outside town lies the Arbor Trails Winery, and the Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard. Sadly, Kimmel Orchard is not hiring at this time. Thankfully, American Meter Company, one of the largest employers in town, is. When you head into town for the museums and the jobs, make it a point to stay at the Lied Lodge, the pride and joy of Otoe County. The Lied Lodge features just about everything, including the Arbor Links Golf Course.

Nebraska City High School is home to the Pioneers, who are celebrated and glorified on one of the better high school athletics sites I've seen. Neb City Sports features streaming audio of Pioneers games, as well as archived audio and video. You do not go into Pioneer Palace on a winter night and expect to snag a win.

The lunch menu for the remaining week at Nebraska City High is Wed- Soft Shell Taco, Thur- Salisbury Steak, Fri- Pizza. In addition to Pizza (!) the Friday menu also features Jo-Jos! Is that only a midwestern name for potato wedges? Hmm. Maybe not. I was at debate camp in Oregon once, and in the dining hall they proudly offered jo-jos. The plot thickens...

The 2005 N.C.H.S. Violets listened to the Royals non-stop on 1600 AM. (Violets? No idea.)

The Royals play on KNCY-1600 AM in Nebraska City, which is the sister station of 103.1 KNCY FM, a country station.

No one born in Nebraska City has ever reached the Major Leagues, and no Major Leaguers have ever died there... yet.

More off-day theatre. This was the second profile in the Royal Radio Affiliate Series, an occasional feature here on Royals Review that looks to highlight the regional character of the Royal fanbase. The mysteries of Conway likely remain hidden from us a year later.

Conway, Arkansas- Population: 45,000
Distance from Kansas City: 394 Miles

Last month Royals Review profiled Royal Radio Network member KAWL AM in York, Nebraska, a quaint little berg of 8,000 in the east central corridor of the Cornhusker State. Today, we turn our attention to Conway, Arkansas, the southernmost affiliate in the Royals network. While the Royals have all but abandoned Oklahoma to the Rangers and the outreaches of the Cardinal Nation, the KC'ers still have some presence in Arkansas. Doubtlessly, there's the Glass factor at play regarding the Bentonville affiliate, but the Royals also maintain affiliates throughout the north-west portion of the state: Fort Smith, Russellville and Harrison.

Which brings us to Conway. As Conway Online states:

Only 130 miles from Branson? Well, I'll be.

You can find Conway right there in the middle, just north of Little Rock.

As the snippet above notes, Conway is something of a college town. Conway is home to Hendrix College, which was founded in 1876, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and boasts 1,042 undergraduate students. Weirdly enough, they also boast "7 graduate students". Seven? Thats just strange, although I assume there's probably a small Methodist seminary somewhere on campus accounting for those lonely few. 58% of Hendrix students are native Arkansans, and 80% live on campus. I'm pretty sure I received some Hendrix mail during my JR/SR year of high school as well. Beyond Hendrix, Conway is home to The University of Central Arkansas, itself founded in 1907 and home to 11,375 students, including 1,406 grad students. Some of my favorite on-campus organizations at UCA are this, this and, of course, this.

The ladies of Sigma Kappa (UCA Chapter) listen to the Royals constantly on KASR-FM.

The more I read about Conway, the more interesting it sounds. Conway is the 8th largest city in the state, although according to the US Census Bureau, its also more generally a part of the Little Rock Metro Area, considering its proximity to the Capital. Nevertheless, Conway's population has grown by 10% in recent years, making it one of the fastest growing cities in Arkansas. More Conway facts: 84% White, 16.3% Below Poverty and an average travel time to work of 19.9 minutes. I'm not sure if that means some people work in Little Rock (30 miles away) or not.

As for KASR-FM itself, the station a) has a website (the one in York didn't) but b) it hasn't been updated since around June, depending on where you go. Sadly, it looks like they also broadcast the Cardinals, as well as minor league, college and high school sports. Even Yankee Games are listed on the schedule from last month thats still around. Sheesh. Even more sadly, the Cardinals also list Conway's KASR-FM as an affiliate, so its questionable to consider Conway anything resembling a Royals' Town. If anyone lives around the area, I'd love to know more about what games they carry most...

Jeff McKnight, an infielder with the Mets and Orioles from 1989-1994 was born in Conway, the only Major Leaguer I could find born in the town. McKnight (who I admit I've never heard of) never hit higher than .256, and posted a career line of .233/.284/.304 in 404 at bats. Nearly half of McKnight's career work came in the 1993 season, with a dismal Mets team that went 59-103. McKnight played in 31 games in 1994, and never appeared again in a Major League game. How the Herk-era Royals avoided signing him in the late 1990s, I do not know.

Amazingly, there's a web feature I've found devoted to Jeff's Mets career. Actually, there are (at least) two such sites. Incredible.

Conway also boasts a sadder alumnus, as it was where Marv Blaylock died in October of 1993. Blaylock, like McKnight, was a bit of a limited hitter, holding a career line of .235/.314/.363 in 746 at bats. Marv played in one game with the 1950 New York Giants, only to spend the next four years out of the Big Leagues. Blaylock resurfaced with the 1955 Phillies at the age of 25, and was the regular first baseman for a 77-77 Phillies team. The next season, also with Blaylock getting the bulk of time at first base, the '56 Phillies went 71-83, and despite his 8 triples, Blaylock slugged only .385. Blaylock played in 37 more games -- often as a defensive replacement -- in 1957, then vanished from the registers of the National or American leagues. According to the Baseball Almanac, Marv was part of a fairly large number of unrelated baseball Blaylocks playing during the middle part of the last century. Here is their summation of Marv's life:

The first and most successful was Marv, a left-handed first baseman and outfielder. His twelve-year career included two stints in the majors - a pinch-hitting appearance with Giants in 1950 and a stint of two-seasons-plus-change with the Phillies in the mid-1950's. Altogether, his major league record shows a .237 batting average, fifteen home runs, and 78 RBI. A high rate of strikeouts and the presence of the more promising prospects made Marv a temporary answer to a permanent question, and most of his career was spent in the minors. A native of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Marv attended Fort Smith Junior College briefly before turning pro in at seventeen. A quick climb up the Giants' organization resulted in his one-game appearance in 1950, and in 1953 he was traded to the Phillies for shortstop Claude Corbitt. A successful season with Syracuse in 1954 (.303, 22-76), gave him his longer shot at major league status.

When that ended early in the 1957 season he was sent to the Phillies' International League affiliate in Miami. A .300-season at Nashville in 1959 ended Marv's career. Following his baseball days, Marv was a salesman in the music business in the Little Rock area, and he died in Conway, AR, in 1993.

Moment of silence for Marv.

(moment)

The primary Newspaper in Conway seems to be the Log Cabin Democrat, but considering the purpose of the Log Cabin Republicans, I couldn't help but wonder if I was somehow mislead. Either way, the Sports Page of the online edition includes no mention of the Royals. Tragic.

You can fish or (in theory) swim in this spooky looking lake near Conway.

Unlike our last spotlighted city of York, NE. I'm not sure I've ever been to Conway. I've driven through Arkansas four or five times, and have even left the I-30 corridor from Texarkana to Memphis a few times. Before Christmas 2004, I was caught in an Arkansas snowstorm as I crawled my way through the state, eventually abandoning I-30 for a more southerly route (thinking south=warm). I never made it home that day, in fact, I never made it out of the state, spending Christmas Eve Eve in Magnolia Arkansas before heading to Austin the next day. Obviously, this heartwarming memory has nothing to do with anything...

According to Radio Locator, the range of KASR is 2.1 miles in Conway, but 21.1 miles in nearby Vilonia. Either way, most of the time, most of Little Rock should be able to hear KASR.

Whether its a Royals, Cardinals or random high school game, well, I don't have that information.

The Royals Radio Network is comprised of 86 affiliates and stretches across eight states. At first glance this might seem less impressive than the numbers suggest, as the typical view of small-town Nebraska differs little from the typical view of small-town Kansas or small-town Iowa for that matter. We know better. In this recurring series Royals Review attempts to give each affiliate its proper airing, celebrating the regional heritage of Royals baseball. In a sporting era corrupted by the endless quest for the big money, baseball on the radio is a decidedly low-stakes, low-tech venture. Let it always lay hidden like a strength in the backyards of the mind.

Previous Affiliate Profiles:

York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas
Trenton, Missouri

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1310 KGMT-AM: Fairbury, Nebraska
Population: 4,262
Miles from Kansas City: 203

Unstoppable baby: Southeast Nebraska rises gloriously out of abstract white space.

Located almost directly northwest of Kansas City, just over the Nebraska-Kansas border lies the proud berg of Fairbury, Nebraska, the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2000 Census, Fairbury is 97.9% white, with 42.9% of the town's population claiming German industry. Interestingly enough, 5.7% of the town's population was living in another state in 1995. Kansas probably. You know how fickle Kansans are. Only 2.2% of Fairbury is unemployed, but 44.9% of the town considers itself "outside the labor force"; perhaps because, like many small-towns, Fairbury has a graying population, 29.7% of Fairbury's populace is over 62.

Pie chart showing Weeks With Seven Days/Weeks Without Seven Days also available.

Fairbury's history goes back to the days of the Oregon Trail and has long been associated with the Rock Creek Station, a major stop on the Trail that lies just southeast of the town. From there, Fairbury was later conceived as a town in anticipation of an as-yet-un-built rail line. In 1869 the town was founded, taking its name from the Illinois hometown of one of the founders, Woodford G. McDowell. Today Fairbury is home to a Pizza Hut, Subway and a McDonald's as well as a few local choices, including TrailBlazers, Doozy's, Griffey's and a quaint delicatessen with no name located inside a hidden gem called "WalMart". This place might takeoff. In Fairbury you can shop at Dollar General, the Memories & More Antique Mall and work on your tan at Enhancements Tanning, store motto: "If You Bare It, We'll Brown It".

According to this promotional photo from Enhancements Tanning one under-reported side-effect of tanning is a loss of balance. Keep hunky Jeep-driving types around for safety purposes.

Every year the Fairbury City Park hosts the obscurely named "Fairbury Fest" in early September. This year, its Sept. 7-9, with a theme of "Smokin Good Time". In addition to a second-hand smoke endurance competition, a smoke ring contest and a Putting-a-cigarette-out-with-your-tongue-a-thon, Fairbury Fest will feature a BBQ contest, a 10K, an Art & Quilt Show, a Classic Car display and a dance on Saturday night. On Sunday, Fairbury will host its first major "geocaching" competition.

Indubitably, many students from Fairbury High School will be in attendance during the "Smokin Good Time", enriching the social fabric of the town with their characteristic enthusiasm for cross-generational social interaction. F.H.S. can proudly claim one of the odder mascot names in Nebraska, as all Fairbury teams are known as the "Jeffs", a title apparently in honor of Fairbury's Jefferson County. Apparently county pride is a big deal in Fairbury, which at least partially explains the town's long-standing tension with the states of Louisiana and Alaska, which instead have parishes and boroughs, respectively. This outsider wishes the mascot "Fairies" was considered, but native Nebraskans will note that their state has long been controlled by hobgoblins and trolls.

Still, despite these numerous and sundry charms, not all members of the community are spending their days floating in everlasting bliss. On Facebook, a group called "Why Living in Fairbury is Pointless" boasts 70 members, all willing to subscribe to the oath: "For everyone who wishes that they didn't live in Fairbury (aka: Pointless USA, NE)".

If those ne'er-do-wells think "Fairbury is Pointless" then perhaps they should follow the lead set by Loren and Barb Ebke, the Fairbury couple who are attempting to drive every mile of every paved road in Nebraska. In previous years the Ebke's have visited every town in Nebraska, as well as every county courthouse. Thankfully, the Ebke's are giving themselves credit for the roads they've already driven - the visiting every town thing took thirteen years to complete - but it isn't immediately clear if they mean every road (as in town to town transportation) or every street (i.e., having to drive around Omaha for three days, if not more). Still, in this story by KHAS-TV, the implication seems to be everything:

I hope they listen to Royals games when they're out driving around.

Near Fairbury, the Ebke's might consider tuning into 1310 KGMT-AM, your "Good Time Oldies Station" in southeast Nebraska. According to the KGMT website, the station only broadcasts twelve hours a day (6:00 am to 6:00 pm), "depending on the time of year". Presumably however, that doesn't include baseball season, since the KGMT website proudly advertises their affiliation with the Royals! While KGMT sticks to the oldies, they also simulcast with their sister station 99.5 KUTT-FM, "today's best country". The highlight of the simulcast schedule, at least for me, is the 6:00-8:00 AM Phil and Randy Show:

Remarkably, despite being a small community, Fairbury claims at least one Major League Baseball player as her own, a right-handed pitcher named Doyle "Porky" Lade. Born on February 17th 1921, Lade made his big league debut in 1946 with the Chicago Cubs, the only team he would ever play for. Lade's minor league career had begun in 1939, and was interrupted for three years while he served in the Coast Guard in World War II. In five seasons (1946-50) Lade appeared in 126 games (including 64 as a starter) en route to a 25-29 record and a 4.39 career ERA, slightly below average for his era. Lade's best season was 1947, when he went 11-10 and posted a 3.94 ERA, exactly league-average. That same season he finished 8th in the National League with five wild pitches, tying the legendary Warren Spahn in that slightly shameful but mostly harmless category. Despite being thoroughly decent, Lade was out of the majors before he turned thirty. Nevertheless, Lade floated around the minor leagues until 1954.

Lade died in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2000 at the age of 79.

[editor's note, by royalsreview] In honor of Denny's HOF Induction, here's a blast from the past, the first Royal's Radio Affiliate Profile, originally posted last summer.

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One of my favorite things about baseball, in a cultural sense, is the way that certain teams take on regional identities. Having criss-crossed the Midwest many times, its always a joy to scroll through the AM dial with the possibility of listening to the Cubs, Cardinals, Royals, Twins, Reds or Indians depending on where I happen to be. In a homogenized, often generic world, these sports loyalties sometimes seem like all thats left of an older, more regionally diverse America thats floated away. The regional pull of the Royals isn't what it used to be -- we all know how many casual fans the Cardinals have claimed back in Missouri in the last decade -- but it isn't wholly erased either. Throughout the season I'll be profiling some of the more far-flung Royals affiliates that together compose our regional fan base. The next time you're listening to the Royals in metro KC, think about the expanse of space thats united under the dial...

York, Nebraska- Population: 8,000ish

Located just off Interstate 80, about 63 miles west of Lincoln, lies the charming village of York, Nebraska. Despite being 241 miles from Kansas City, thanks to 1370 KAWL AM the citizens of York can listen to Royals baseball. KAWL is also a proud member of the University of Nebraska Sports Radio network.

According to the official City of York website, York boasts a population "just over" 8,000 (give us the truth York, how many is it!?!?) and combines the best of small town and city living. According to the US Census, the population of York is actually below 8,000, at a more modest 7,796. Moreover, York is proud of its Middle America status, proudly stating, "York is the heart of the nation." (Take that Omaha!) Of the 93 counties in Nebraska, York County boasts the 20th largest population, with an estimated total of 14,397. York county is 52% female and 96.8% white. Only 6% of families in York are below the poverty level, beating the national average of 9.2%, however the average income figures are below the national average.

No, not that York.

The town has a nice baseball history, as York was home to the York Dukes of the Nebraska State League in the 1920s. The decade before, the team played under the name "York Prohibitionists" thanks to the nickname of a Fremont reporter. The old baseball field where the team played is still around, and is happy to be photographed. For more on York baseball, click here.

York is also home to York College (founded 1890) a small private school affiliated with the Church of Christ. After chatting with York students and faculty about their favorite Royals (I'm sure the girls think Minky is a total cutie), a visitor can take in a game of golf at the York Country Club, home to this unique hole:

I'd give anything to play that hole. If I could play it while listening to the Royals on the radio, well, I might be so deliriously happy that I might ritualistically execute myself upon the hole's completion. Its good to end on a high note.

Just outside of town you can visit the Wessel's Living History Farm, which was recently visited by one of my favorite poets, native Nebraskan and former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. For more on Kooser, click here.

Every year York High School crowns the Duke and Duchess of York. I'm sure at least 10% of them have been Royals fans, but I can't prove it.

You can listen to the Royals while fishin' out at Recharge Lake just outside York. Recharge was created in 1990, and is one of the most beautiful natural wonders west of Omaha.

As far as I can find, no native born Yorkian has ever played in the Major Leagues, nor has any player ever retired and died in York.

Lastly, in early March of 2004 I spent the night in York, during the second day of a long trip from LA to South Bend Indiana. Caught in a snow storm, I had no idea where I was, only that it was possibly deadly to continue driving. Later that night in the motel room, I looked over my receipt and saw that I was in York (or close to York). I never saw the town proper, only the strange, fairly awful 60's-era motel room. I remember getting up early (7 AMish) the next morning due to the half-hour I would need to scrape ice off my truck. An irrational fear of the Omaha I-80 traffic also fuelled my early rise. And so, I said goodbye to York quite quickly.

If any readers are from York or the surrounding areas, I'd love to hear more about the city, its people, its history etc.

More than any other sport, baseball is a creature of the radio, and is the rare form of programming which can be almost fully captured by a box and an antenna. A child of the nineteenth-century, baseball expanded via radio in the twentieth, giving rise to the charming concept of the team radio network. In this cynical age of team-owned television networks, seat licensing and luxury boxes, its important to remember that baseball can still be enjoyed essentially for free in a backyard or the front seat from April to October. In an ongoing series, Royals Review highlights the once and future regional appeal of the Royals by exploring the Royals Radio Network in detail.

Previous Affiliate Profiles:

York, Nebraska
Conway, Arkansas
Waynesville, Missouri
Topeka, Kansas
Storm Lake, Iowa
Vinita, Oklahoma
California, Missouri
Garden City, Kansas
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Ulysses, Kansas

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Trenton Missouri- KTTN 1600 AM

Miles from Kansas City: 94
Population: 6,121

Located 94 miles northeast of Kansas City lies the humble berg of Trenton, Missouri. About 30 miles east of I-35, Trenton is only 37 miles from the appropriately named Lineville, Iowa, and serves as a key outpost of the Royal Dominion in Northern Missouri. The seat of Grundy County, Trenton is home to around 6,200 proud citizens, and is, according to the Trenton Chamber of Commerce, "one of the most desirable and attractive small cities in the Midwest". Thanks to an only slightly declining (ya! non-Sun Belt!) population base, Trenton proudly stands as the 110th largest city in Missouri, about 100 people behind the scandalous Sullivan, who whores itself across two counties. As surprising as it might seem, Trenton is one of the larger cities in the Missouri division of the Royals Radio Network.

Not a hotbed of interracial dating, 99.1% of Trenton residents claim allegiance to one race, 97.2% of which are white. Rounding out Trenton's numbers is a small African-American population (0.6%) and a smattering of Hispanics (2.1%). Proudly, 78.7% of Trenton residents are high school graduates, with 13.5% college grads, although both figures are below national averages.

Trenton is sometimes said to be a part of the Green Hills region of Missouri. Although the "hills" are quite modest - even by Missouri standards - Trenton is home to the lovely Crowder State Park, which offers camping, picnicking, swimming and mountain bike trails. "Deep ravines" are said to exist as well. As the internet makes clear, the region is home to friendly and interesting people. Sadly however, despite bouncing around all over Missouri, Bigfoot has not chosen to make an appearance in Grundy County. Yet.

In recent years communities in Northwestern Missouri have formed an alliance known as The Great Northwest a political action committee designed to "unify and enhance our region's image in Jefferson City". Since 2003 the group has organized a Great Northwest Day at the capitol, and plans are being made for the 2008 event. Tentatively, on February 5th, after a hard day of meetings and lobbying, there will be a "Great Northwest Celebration" in the Capitol Plaza Ballroom:

Royals Review has requested a ticket and if 2007 was any indication, I won't soon forget it. Although I'm more of a plum wine or Old Fashined guy, I can't pass up Mardi Gras "style" food, music and fun, especially if the Mudbugs are involved.

Don't bring your fancy potato chips and candy bars into Trenton.

One can only hope that the lobbying efforts of the Great Northwest include a little favor currying for the popcorn industry, considering that Trenton is home to Popcorn World -- "Our Business is Popping!" - a Trenton institution for over twenty-five years. Popcorn World currently produces popcorn in eight flavors: including cinnamon, salsa, caramel apple, nacho cheese and vanilla butter, in addition to your standard butter and cheese. Unexpectedly, Trenton is no monopoly town when it comes to Popcorn Production, also serving as the home of K&W Popcorn the founded-in-1991 Johnny Come Lately to the staid tradition of Popcorn World. Looking at K&W's product line however, this uninformed outsider can only assume that the two companies actually don't truly compete with one another. And that means peace, which means a more harmonious Trenton.

No mention of Trenton would be complete however, without reference to N.C.M.C., North Central Missouri College, which according to President Neil Nuttall is "truly a remarkable college known for its academic excellence and strong sense of community". While its unclear just how large N.C.M.C. is, should you have the question "I'm hungry?" floating around your mind, the F.A.Q. page can answer that question:

N.C.M.S. offers Associates Degrees in a variety of programs, and with an A.A. in hand from N.C.M.S. one can smoothly transfer into a four-year institution in the Missouri system, like, perhaps nearby Truman State. A few years ago, a wide eyed young man who would eventually become a moderately successful blogger won a debate tournament at Truman State. Clearly, all knew that great things would be in store for him. Ahh, it was an age of romance.

The women of the Truman Chapter of Delta Zeta have doubtlessly associated with people who know people from Trenton, and those people listen to the Royals constantly on KTTN AM

The sounds of Royals baseball are brought to the people of Trenton via 1600 KTTN-AM, "Soft Hits Stereo Sixteen", an "adult contemporary" counter to the radical hip hop and rock metal currently - along with Arod and Barry Bonds, of course -- destroying our national innocence three minutes at a time. KTTN-AM is not a large station broadcasting at only 500 Watts during the daytime before powering down to 33 Watts in the evening. Nevertheless, come day or night, all of Grundy County is easily within range, assuring the proud continuation of Royals fandom in this lovely corner of northwest/north-central Missouri.