Few people enjoy the satisfaction of knowing, from childhood, exactly what they'll do with their life. Jim Turner was one who knew, and that bit of intelligence gave him a head start in a career that's still going strong. Still, he had to go through a few career changes before he found his niche as a radio announcer for WDBO-AM. Since 1972, Turner's has been the constant voice amid format changes and a revolving door of radio personalities. While continuing to help WDBO win the radio ratings, he recently won recognition for himself when the National Association of Broadcasters presented him with a Marconi Radio Award as the nation's medium-market personality of the year.

I grew up in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. There was a hosiery mill across the street from us that made women's nylons and pantyhose, and back along the railroad track was the Bethlehem Steel plant. When I was growing up, Lebanon was famous for steel mills, but they're not there now. In those days it was fairly common that every couple of blocks there would be a neighborhood store--the convenience stores of the day. My parents had a combination neighborhood store and restaurant, and the customers were people from the neighborhoods and the workers at the plant.

Before that, my father had been a cook in the Army, and that's how he made his living when he got out of the service. He and my mother would make doughnuts, and they would load up a wagon and go door to door and sell doughnuts. I remember a few times when I was a little kid getting in the wagon and being towed around by my mother as she went to sell doughnuts.

When they started the restaurant, they'd open at 5 in the morning and stay open until 10 at night. Later on, they'd close at 7 so they could rest for a few hours, because there was a late shift that got off between 10 and 11 and the people just wanted coffee and stuff. My mom would get up, go downstairs, and open up for them. God, I knew they were working hard, but I really didn't appreciate how hard they worked until I was older.

We lived upstairs and my brother and I would work in the store. At first I was washing dishes and taking out garbage. I wasn't into serving, but starting at about 11 years old, I would help cook. We'd have specials like meat loaf, fish on Friday, a chili day, and a hot dog and sauerkraut day. I was making hamburgers and chili and meat loaf. We also had a candy case I used to work because my father just couldn't take it. He'd get too stressed out. Kids would come in with about three cents and stand there for 10 minutes trying to decide what they wanted.

Keep Reading