Mint Canyon Community School fourth-grader Katherine Oliveras helped KHTS AM-1220 celebrate the 25th anniversary of the station’s partnership with Santa Clarita Valley elementary schools Wednesday.

Katherine read her book report, which was on “George’s Marvelous Medicine,” on air as part of a time-honored station tradition — the weekly Hometown Station Book Report dates back to May 13, 1990, at Sulphur Springs Elementary, when the station was known as KBET.

Katherine Oliveras reads from her book report about “George’s Marvelous Medicine

“I laughed at Grandma’s attitude and the similes that the author added,” Katherine said, reading her book report on air during the “Jesse and the Jellyman” morning show. “I enjoyed the theme, which was, ‘being mean gets you nowhere.’”

The first “reports” were water safety tips, said station co-owner Carl Goldman, but then-Sulphur Springs Assistant Superintendent Marc Winger — who later went on to lead the Newhall School District — helped make the book reports a regular feature, which is now sponsored by California Credit Union.

“We now do this throughout all the elementary school districts,” Goldman said. “We’ve probably done hundreds of books reports. Now some of these children are in their 20s, and they’ll see someone around town in a KHTS shirt and say, ‘Hey, I remember my book report.’ It’s a great experience for the kids.”

From left: KHTS AM-1220 co-owner Carl Goldman; California Credit Union Assistant Branch Manager Edvie Villanos; Katherine’s mother, Omayra Oliveras; fourth grader Katherine Olveras; and Mint Canyon Principal Veronica Andrus.

The first “water safety tip” for listeners given 25 years ago: “Don’t flush spiders down the toilet,” courtesy of Chelsea McKeon, a kindergartner in Mrs Huogo’s class at Sulphur Springs School District.