[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 14, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO VAN HARDEN AND BONNIE LUCAS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 14, 2007

  Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Van Harden and 
Bonnie Lucas of the ``Van and Bonnie in the Morning'' radio show. Van 
and Bonnie are Iowa radio icons and winners of multiple Marconi Awards, 
including the 2007 ``Personality of the Year'' among medium-sized 
market radio stations.
  Van Harden was raised in Adel, Iowa, where he developed a deep love 
for small Iowa communities and dreamt of being on the radio when he 
grew up. His dream became a reality after graduating from Drake 
University in 1973, where he majored in broadcast journalism and got 
his first on-air job with KDLS-AM in Perry, Iowa. After jobs in Tulsa, 
Oklahoma at KWEN-FM and KRNT-AM in Des Moines, he became the host of 
the morning program at 1040 WHO-AM in Des Moines in 1986.
  Van's current co-host, Bonnie Lucas of Monroe, Iowa, has been with 
the WHO morning program for 13 years. Bonnie's first job in radio began 
in 1979 at KRNT, where she was a former co-worker of Van's. In the 
seven and a half years Bonnie spent at KRNT, she worked in the traffic 
department, served as secretary to the General Manager, worked as the 
Assistant Sales Manager and finally went into sales for KRNT. After 
Bonnie started her own small fitness center business and worked for a 
communications company, she tried out for Van's co-host position in 
August 1994 and has been with the program ever since.
  Van and Bonnie are up every morning by 3:30 a.m. and on the air at 
4:59 a.m. Their creativity, family-friendly humor and enthusiasm have 
made WHO's morning show the most listened to in the state. They do a 
phenomenal job at connecting with Iowans and starting their day off 
with a smile.
  Van and Bonnie provide a valuable service to the state of Iowa, and I 
am honored to recognize this most recent accomplishment. I wish Van, 
Bonnie and all of their coworkers at WHO the best of luck and continued 
success.

                          ____________________