Frank McMinn, the iconic radio voice of Raley's, has exited the airwaves.

The upbeat, folksy McMinn aired his final spot for the grocery chain last week. His unnamed replacement is already voicing new ads on a trial basis.

Why the change?

Raley's spokeswoman Nicole Townsend says McMinn "retired" as narrator for the company's radio ads but will continue to work "behind the scenes" writing ad copy.

McMinn, who is in his 70s, says only "no comment." Others suggest his retirement was not exactly voluntary.

Regardless, his departure from the airwaves will be a surprise for many Sacramentans who've heard him rhapsodize – "ummm, ummm" – about Raley's fresh produce and meats for the past 15 years.

McMinn joined Raley's in the late 1940s as an ad guy and rose through the ranks to become part of a management team that insiders still remember as "The Trinity."

After retiring in 1993 from his VP marketing post, McMinn became a consultant – writing, producing and narrating spots for Bel Air Supermarkets and then Raley's.

As the voice of Raley's, McMinn acquired a following. "He had a way of romanticizing the retail product," says local ad exec Paul McClure, whose Sacramento firm represents one of Raley's competitors, SaveMart.

Another fan, Scott Rose of the Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn agency, says listeners trusted the "maturity" in McMinn's voice.

"If he was telling me (Raley's produce) was fresh, by God, I believed it was fresh," Rose says.

Can the company find another radio spokesman with the same connection to listeners?

Of course. But maybe not one as personally identified with the longtime grocery chain.

Thinking big

Suheil Totah has grand visions for the expansive railyard north of Sacramento's downtown.

Certainly, as VP for railyard developer Thomas Enterprises, Totah wants to see the massive parcel become an intermodal transportation facility surrounded by retail shops, housing and hotels.

But he's got even grander goals. "What we're trying to do is rebrand (Sacramento) into a first-class region," he says.

Some of that broader vision is evident in a new YouTube video that his company recently launched. (Check it out at www.youtube.com/Railyards2008 .)

The six-minute flick celebrates the milestones achieved by Totah's company: Chosen by Union Pacific to buy the site. Closing the deal. Getting city entitlements. Collecting state money and the governor's endorsement.

Perhaps the best part is the video's final 30 seconds that envision Sacramento's future. One with giant skyscrapers popping up all over downtown, light-rail trains swooshing across town and bullet trains pulling into a modern railyard terminal.

Given the railyard project's long history of stops and starts, the video's theme song is most appropriate. It's the Journey tune: "Don't Stop Believin'."

Ready to rumble

Local attorney Scott Hervey would probably like to put a "sleeper hold" on World Wrestling Entertainment.

Hervey represents the producers of Hulk Hogan's new reality TV show on CMT, which has minor celebs competing in choreographed wrestling matches.

One of the coaches is Edward Leslie, who wrestled for WWE under the name Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake.

That's the name he uses on the show. Much to the irritation of WWE lawyers, who recently issued a cease-and-desist letter, claiming trademark rights to the "Barber" stage name.

Hervey, a partner with Sacramento's Weintraub Genshlea Chediak law firm, responded by letter, saying that WWE "abandoned its rights" to the trademark. Especially, he noted, since Leslie has used the name for years without any WWE complaint.

A court battle looms.

Wouldn't it be more entertaining to see the lawyers settle this one … in the ring?

Reach Bob Shallit at (916) 321-1049. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/shallit.