Dave, Reisterstown, Maryland

I live in Maryland and have lived away from Rhode Island for more than twenty-five years now, I miss it, but I still recall the snow closing announcements like it was yesterday!

Tonight I was having dinner with my kids (14 and 16) listening to classic Christmas songs. (They get their no-school announcements via text, poor kids.) It brought back a fond memory of my Grandparents listening to Bing Crosby on their stereo. Then I described the large piece of furniture this stereo was to my kids of the iPod generation and it brought forth another very specific memory...

I was six and my younger brother John and I were laying on the floor of my grandparents home on Harbor Island early one morning listening to Salty on WPRO. It was March 3rd. Out of the speakers came the announcement of my sister's birth the day before. How cool was that!!?

He made a lot of announcements like that and it all seemed quite random, but my grandparents had a bit of an "in" as Salty lived a few doors down from them and they were good friends. I can vividly remember him visiting them and seeing him when I visited. He was larger than life to me, after hearing him ALL the time on the radio. Yet, he was so friendly and you would have never known he was a "celebrity" of any kind. When the adults sat around after dinner with a cocktail, he'd often loosen his leg to get more comfortable. I guess most people didn't realize he had lost most of it, as he was on radio.

The Southland tour boat used to go by on the water (Salt Pond if I remember right) in front of his house a couple times a day and announce over their PA that Salty Brine lived in the grey house up on the hill. It was hard to miss!

Once in a while my brother and I would be fishing off the rocks or the beach and Salty would make the trek down the steps from his house to the dock where he'd strip down to his bathing suit, leave his leg on the dock and jump in for a swim.

On a visit to Rhode Island years ago I was thrilled to see they renamed Galilee State beach after him. It was just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from his house. My grandparents took me there all the time as it was the most kid-friendly beach. How appropriate.

After all the discussion with my kids I wanted to look up some of the details about Salty and found your page! Keep up the good work!

Received via email, December 19, 2014.