Nancy Gould-Hilliard
Around the Island
Susan Stephens, Islander of 15 years, is one of approximately 15 percent of females who has cracked the glass ceiling in radio general management, according to a recent study by industry leader Edie Hilliard. On Sept. 27, Stephens vies with five other men in the industry to be named “Radio Industry Executive of the Year” by Radio and Records, Inc. Magazine.
Stephens began as a weekend “oldies” disc jockey and eventually became news director at WNIJ public radio in northwest Illinois. She produced news and documentaries and later moved into sales. The former Islander is now working as general manager of Jones Radio Networks Nashville division and also its larger Seattle division, where she packages programs for radio stations in medium to large markets in the United States and Canada.
Stephens has worked with Jon Bov Jovi, Steve Ingram and others in country music, has helped manage radio personalities Delilah and Lia, and has greased the skids to provide music to U.S. ARAMCO workers in Saudi Arabia.
She came to Seattle to work for Broadcast Programming (founded by Kemper Freeman, later acquired by Lester Smith), which sold several times before becoming part of Jones, now next to Seattle’s new SAM park.
Susan’s husband, Sam, says she’s also a remarkable homemaker, interior designer and landscaper, having “turned a neglected property on North Mercer Way into a showcase. She had drainage pipes placed underground to link the storm drains and eliminate the ditch, thereby making room for parking, biking and walking.”
We’ll tune in for you next week, Susan.
U-Tango’s sign is up near City Hall and is occupying space on S.E. 36th Street where John L. Scott temporarily resided until the real estate agency’s downtown space was ready at S.E. 27th Street. U-T’s slogan — “It Pays to Be Loyal” — refers to loyalty to merchants and to marriage partners. Long-term commitments to both bring cash awards, sort of like Green Stamps of an earlier era.
“It is leveraging your dollars today for tomorrow’s health, retirement, college education costs,” explains Tango CEO Jim Miller. It works like this: You shop with about 350 designated merchants, such as Nordstrom, Starbucks, Home Depot, Target, Zales, Barnes & Noble and Expedia.com, and earn points. Once spending targets are met, couples may get cash payouts up to $200 a year; $10,000 at 10 years; $100,000 at 20 years; and $1 million at 30 years. All you need is a valid marriage license to prove you’ve put in your time as a couple.
U-Tango (www.uTANGO.com) began in 2005, is owned by Afiniti Ventures, Inc. and now is headquartered here. Venture capital is growing, just as the customers accrue “Tango-bucks.” Welcome U-Tango’s new Island residents Marty Duncan and Yu Sze Meegan.
Grand slam transplant: At first glance, the insignia on the chef’s baseball hat at Yusen’s Japanese Cuisine Restaurant on the South end looked like a stylized “MI.” But we soon learned that the writing is Japanese calligraphy for the Hanshin Tigers in the Osaka-Kobe region. The team’s motto is “Hustle, Hustle, Hustle,” just like Yusen’s chef Dansan Hanamoto and his team do to prepare fresh lunch specials and dinners. The menu is written in both English and Japanese, and the authentic cuisine always includes the chef’s choice of fish of the day, sushi specials and even a kid’s Bento box with chicken strips, steamed rice balls, fruit and soup. Batter up.
Dream cars: We were wowed Sept. 9 by some of the finest cars ever built showcased at Concours D’Elegance in Kirkland. The auto fundraiser brought in more than $300,000 for seriously ill children at Evergreen and Children’s medical centers at this, the fifth such event. Decades ago, Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce hosted this show from 1962-65, attracting comparable numbers of cars and more than 8,000 people.
9-11 Invocation: On that day of terrorist attacks in 2001, Chuck Wischman delivered the following invocation to the Mercer Island Rotary Club, which he repeated again this Sept. 11, fittingly on the eve of Jewish holy days Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 12) and Yom Kippur (Sept. 21) and Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting:
“God rest the souls of those who perished today
God protect our freedoms from outside and inside forces
We pray for understanding about what happened to us as a country, and why God lead us to remember that the goals of all religions — Islamic, Jewish, Christian — are love and tolerance
Do not let a few madmen of these groups cause intolerance or hatred in us.
God help us to deal effectively with the madmen who promoted this tragedy in a way that does not produce more madmen.
Help us bring peace and prosperity to this world.
Because we are in the end, one.”
To contact Nancy Hilliard, e-mail her at nancybobhilliard@msn.com.
