An important personal message from me, Paul Walker, Program Director at KSKO.

I have greatly enjoyed my 5 1/2 years at KSKO but that time is coming to an end. My last day on air at KSKO will be February 6th. Before I go in about 10 days, I want you to know a bunch of things....

.. this was not an easy decision to make. I have come to have great respect for this entire region and leaving a job you love is an incredibly tough decision.

What you heard on the radio is pretty much exactly who I am, which you soon figured out if you met me in person. I absolutely love what I do for a living. I'm a 42 year old fat kid from New England who dreamed of working in radio as early as 4th grade and I've been living that dream for 22 plus years.. so I consider myself blessed to live my dream, something not many folks ever get to do and do it for so long.

I think I have one of the most unique jobs at one of the most unique stations in one of the most unique regions of the country. KSKO is certainly like no other NPR member station in the country.

It has been my distinct honor to guide this radio station for 5 1/2 years. I arrived here in the middle of the Covid pandemic, October 30, 2020. And I was welcomed right away...... with a bag of halloween g oodies on the steps of KSKO the next night.

What helped drive what I do here? Alot of things. But I have to give 3 very important people thanks for being my main bits of inspiration and drive.

First of all, Natalie Baumgartner.. a lady I affectionately call McGrath's Grandmother... if she didnt know or couldn't find out, you didn't need to know. She and I emailed back and forth for weeks before I got here. I had been a follower of McGrath via the McGrath message board for a decade at this point, so I knew her name from there and reached out to her. Natalie provided me with so much valuable information that I never ever would've gotten anywhere else. That information made my transition and landing in McGrath alot smoother than it ever would've been without.

BTW, the McGrath message board is how I came to know Amanda Parker back when she worked here in 2009. WE've been friends ever since, but way back in 2009... I had no real vision or idea of working here. Strange how life works out.

Two other people have been my big inspiration and drive .. Sarah McClellan Welch.... she was our city administrator when I arrived... over the months I saw her tireless effort, care and dedication for this city and how much she wanted to see people, places and things around here grow and be better.


Jenni Baumgartner... at the time, she was the owner of the B&B at the time and what I saw in the middle of a pandemic was a person who genuinely cared for her community and was there to lend a hand or pitch in when someone needed help.

Natalie, Jenni and Sarah have been 3 people who I saw expend so much effort in making McGrath a better place that I knew my efforts to shape KSKO would be needed and appreciated.

Every decision I ever made when it came to regular programming, interviews or news coverage, was done with the listener in mind. Every late night during wildfire season or break up was done with nothing else but the listeners safety in mind.

Bringing you the governors messages, or Iditarod coverage at 4am was done because it was important and I knew not everyone has a radio.

I think its pretty obvious at this point, I made sure the radio stations, our programming and everything involved was never about my likes, it was all about you the listener, as public radio should be. I hope in the last 5 1/2 years I've made you proud to be a listener and supporter of KSKO.

Theres a bunch of people I wanna thank and I know I'll probably forget someone, so please don't take that as a slight that your contribution to my time and KSKO didn't matter.

The board and management of KSKO who believed me to be competent enough to be hired to run this radio station.

The people who work to keep the city of mcgrath running.. its a very small, but mighty team... wether its plowing the roads or dealing with a failure of some kind outside at 30 below, they are to be commended.

Our clinic staff. I know healthcare can be tough and frustrating for some, especially living rurally but our clinic has had some incredibly kind, caring, compassionate providers in the 5 1/2 years I've lived here. I know no one person or place can be perfect, but as a patient they have made me felt listened to, heard, understood and cared for. As medical providers they often have to see or deal with stuff, even out here, that we can't even begin to imagine. To the medical providers.. I want you to remember one thing in life and take it with you wherever you go.... remember the excellent bedside manor as one might call it, how you make a patient feel heard, understood and cared for will carry you far. Easing the anxiety of medical situations and that caring bedside manor is almost as helpful as any medical treatment. Never lose that quality and remember to always focus on the patient.

To the folks at the AC store.. thanks. its not easy running a retail store in remote alaska and I appreciate all your efforts. Lori and terry... thanks for saving me from myself from time to time when I get into a pickle.

Hayley... especially early on, she was kinda like my right hand woman when I needed extra help... wether it was a project, a repair or some crazy idea I had..... she was usually right there helping out. Oh and she cut my hair several times... doing a fantastic job.

To the airport crew cleaning the runways after a snowfall... thank you, I see you. I see you working before most people are even awake.. I see the flashing lights as you work to clear the runway so life can continue by getting stuff in and out of here.

Thank you to our post office crew. I appreciate your patience, I appreciate your help and answering my questions. I know a few times I jammed up and slowed down the system.. and I always thought "man, only in pauls life would this happen"

I want to be clear... me leaving ksko february 6th is ENTIRELY my decision, it has nothing to do with a decision by management nor is it related to funding. The decision was driven by my choice to take an opportunity that was presented to me in the lower 48 that would be hard to say no to.

Yup, I was one of those people who watched alot of the Alaska shows on TV more than a decade ago and I wanted to know if I could hack it because I don't live with what ifs. It took me about 10 years and I landed in Galena at KIYU For about 16 months 2015 to 2017. I left, somewhat prematurely and within 6 months, I knew I'd be back in Alaska. I saw the KSKO program directors job advertised and I *KNEW* with that "no, what ifs" mantra, I had to go for it. I hated leave the job I came to KSKO for but I knew I had to give this a shot.

And I've given it a shot for 5 1/2 years. It has been very tiring and overwhelming at times, I'll admit. But it has also been very unique.. I tell people that KSKO is bar none the most fun, unique learning experience of my career. Most days I love my job and I find something fun to look forward to, other days its a learning experience and whatever is left over, I just laugh or I'd get upset.

I have become a better person as both an individual and a broadcaster because of this job. Because of the wonderful people at the clinic, I've learned alot about myself for the better to make me a healthy, productive adult. As a broadcaster, I've been pressed into situations most program directors would never face.... from equipment failure or the MUST GET DONE NEED to get something on the air.

I can't forget the people who calmly step in and are a steady voice of reason when something here goes kaboom and its beyond what I can do without help.. our engineers from Van Craft, Steve Hamlin and Chris Alloway. Men with patience of steel as I'm having a freak out at 1am when I cant get our console to come up or I'm trying to get the Back To Bluegrass on the radio and having problems with the gear.

No matter my level of anxiety, they've been there to help... I'd have been lost without our engineers..... the men you never hear or see but who've played a big part in making my job possible.

I can't forget all of our village volunteers who've pitched in to help, giving up many hours of their time. Stephanie in Nikolai has given hours of her time especially when we've experienced failure. Harvey and Joy in Shageluke who help as much as they can. I owe a big big thank you to Barb in Sleetmute who has been so helpful, its immeasurable. Shes been there to help our engineer during an install or repair, shes stepped in when we go off the air. Without Barb in Sleetmute, KSKO would struggle to exist there. I can't forget Brian either, hes been right beside Barb a time or two as well when we needed the help. In Crooked Creek, Nathan Underwood has been absolutely instrumental in maintaining our system there and getting the transmitter sponsored by the tribe.

I know I have forgotten names, people or places but this has gotten way longer than I've ever intended for it to be. I Can tell you this, I will be telling KSKO and McGrath stories for the rest of my life. WE all get to live in a place people want to visit, many never do and the few that do, its an expensive trip for them.

It is hard to put an end on 5 1/2 years at a place like KSKO in McGrath... its hard to put an end to this in words and it'll be even harder to physically step away in 10 days.

In the interim, there will be some people filling in and pitching in to get things going until a new program director is hired. They're also looking for a general manager.

If you wanna say hi, have a chat... you are most welcome to reach out while i'm here. You listeners have meant the world to me.. I know so many of you even though we've never met. I know you're voices, I know your favorite songs.. and we are kinda like family.

Speaking of that, no, I'm not related to the Walkers in Holy Cross. When you hear me sign off each broadcast with, "smile, know that no act of kindness however small is ever wasted and know that i love ya.....". I mean all of that. Thank you!