Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.
Well, Happy Mother's Day this weekend. I first want to say thank you -- a great note of gratitude -- to all those people in Maine celebrating Mother's Day. That includes mothers, step mothers, step grandmothers, and aunts, and other people who serve as mother figures to thousands of people in Maine. That includes foster parents as well, who do so much work in helping kids grow here in Maine. So Happy Mother's Day!
In addition to celebrating Mother's Day this week, I was proud to proclaim Friday, May 8th as "George Hale Day." We proclaimed this throughout Maine in honor of our friend and legendary broadcaster from Bangor, George Hale. His career in television and radio here has spanned more than seventy years.
George was a Navy veteran, and he first moved to Maine in 1953, when he was hired as a staff announcer for WABI Radio in Bangor. George Hale's role grew quickly, first to doing live commercials on TV, and then to broadcasting sports with coverage of University of Maine football games in 1957. Well before long, George found himself traveling the country to broadcast UMaine football, basketball, and baseball, and that was only the beginning of decades that he would cover thousands of games at the collegiate and high school level.
While his voice became synonymous with sports, George Hale also covered nearly every other aspect of Maine life and news through his role as a broadcaster, including the past two decades when he co-hosted the George Hale/Ric Tyler Show, providing his thoughtful commentary and insights on the issues of the day.
Throughout his various roles, generations of Maine people came to know and love George Hale for his work, and found comfort in his voice. Maine is so much better off today because of George Hale's decades of dedication to our state and all of its residents.
George Hale's longtime Black Bear Sports broadcasting partner, Walt Abbott, said that the thing that impressed him the most about George was his care for student athletes and their teams. "If there was a mistake made, he never blamed the kid," Walt said. "He always put a positive spin on what happened, and that was important."
Another longtime broadcasting partner, Ric Tyler, said, "George Hale could have been an outstanding television and radio broadcaster in Boston, New York, or Los Angeles, but he chose to stay in Maine." As Ric said, "We are beyond blessed for it."
Well, a special tribute episode of The Nite Show with Danny Cashman dedicated to George Hale will air this weekend on television stations in Portland, Bangor and Presque Isle. I ask Maine people to tune in and join me in recognizing George Hale's legendary career and countless contributions to our great state.
And again, Happy Mother's Day to all those who serve as mothers, mother surrogates, mother figures, grandmothers, aunts, great grandmothers, stepmothers, and those who help children grow into productive, healthy citizens here in Maine.
This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.