OCTOBER 5, 2007: WILI’s 50th ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION
14/WILI invited current and former staff members, and local merchants and elected officials to join us for a celebration of our 50 years on the air. The Golden Anniversary event was held at the Windham Theater Guild’s Burton Leavitt Theater on Main Street in Willimantic. Over 200 people attended, including Bill Olds, who was a staff member the first day we went on the air.
Fifty years of memorabilia–from photos and newspaper stories to old program logs and music surveys–were on display as a slide show ran on the big screen.
Later, Nutmeg Broadcasting Company VP Colin Rice narrated a slide show which recapped WILI’s history.
Then Hall Communications president Art Rowbotham called up Hall Executive VP Bill Baldwin, GM Andy Russell, Michael, Colin, and Robin Rice, Hall CFO Evelyn Wolf, and WILI Program Director and morning man Wayne Norman, who also addressed the crowd, saying “In my 37 years at WILI, I have never had as much listener response as I got from the shows with WILI alums we did this week.”
Evelyn Wolf and Art Rowbotham arrive
WILI receptionist Latoya Mitchell and account executive Deb Marouski pass out name tags
UConn senior and WILI intern Joy Huang and the WILI “Frogcaster”
Former General Manager Dave Evan, announcer Dan Hayden, and newsmen Jeff Reisman and Mark Roy
Andy Russell, WILI Account Executive Chris Proulx, and WILI Sales Manager Donna Evan
Robin Rice and her husband Jack Nardi
WILI Office Manager Liz Bosco with Jack Nardi
Andy Russell, Bill Baldwin, Evelyn Wolf, and Art Rowbotham
70’s announcers Tom Lyons and Dan Hayden
1970’s voices Wayne Norman, Dan Hayden, Steve Kotchko, Tom Lyons, Les Morrell, Jeff Reismann, Willie J. Naughton, Mark Roy, with Vanessa Naughton
Wayne Norman’s original sports broadcasting partner–Frank Melo (1970’s)
Former WILI Account Executive Gretchen Fairweather, former WILI President Mike Rice, and announcer Les Morrell
Gretchen and Bob Fairweather talk with Donna Evan
Hurley’s owner Dick Anthony, 1980’s announcer Brian Lapis–now a WWLP-TVweatherman in Springfield, and WILI announcer Jon Duvall
Mike Gerardi and Bob Gregory
Wayne Norman and William J. Naughton 
WILI Newsman Lincoln Philips with WILI Sales Manager Donna Evan
WILI’s Production Manager Extraordiare Ken Bliven
Bruce and Deb Bellingham and Les Morrell
Colin Rice talking with Bruce and Deb Bellingham
