7:39 AM Thu, Jul 02, 2009 | Permalink
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Happy 4th of July!
No matter where you spend this weekend, there is fun and there are FIREWORKS all over the place!
We the People Liberty Day Parade Fireworks On Saturday, a celebration will be held at Storey Park in Meridian. CALDWELL: Parade at 10 am MELBA: A family fun celebration all day long in Melba *Kuna, Ketchum, McCall and Sun Valley also have fireworks displays. PS: Have a safe, happy 4th of July - I'll be off on vacation for a few days! But, I'll be back next week...
Camping Clean Sweep! This weekend, many of us will be spending the 4th of July camping in our great state of Idaho! By the way, our holiday weekend weather looks really good, that's according to our very own Larry Gebert...
Ahhh... the great outdoors! I got an e-mail today that I wanted to share with all of you. This local family really had a great idea, and it's something you may want to do with your kids while you're camping... if you have the chance, that is. Hi Maggie, My name is Chad and I wanted to tell you about my nieces and children. Last weekend we went camping in the Grimes Creek area past Lucky Peak. The kids wanted to go for a hike up a mountain, so we all made walking sticks and took off on our journey. Once we got out of sight of the road and campgrounds, we came to an opening that was an obvious party area. The are was loaded with trash, like beer cans, boxes, old tent pieces - you name it! The kids thought it would be a great idea to come back up in the morning and clean the area up. So the next day we headed there again loaded with trash bags. It took almost an hour to pick up everything, but it looked much better when we were finished. We took out two bags of trash and one bag of crushed beer cans. (The largest black trash bags you can buy!) I'm proud of my family and wanted to share it with Channel 7, and show everyone that with all of the bad things going on all over the world, we can still have a positive outlook on things. Sincerely, PS: I've included a picture of the "Crew" - Jordyn, Alyssa, Emma and Wyatt
What a great thing to do! If you happen to see a bunch of trash while you're camping this weekend, why not clean it up? These kids are a great example of what we can do to keep our recreational areas clean... Happy Camping!
Watch the BRONCOS on Channel 7: Great news Bronco fans!
We're so excited to tell you that KTVB will be "THE OFFICAL STATION FOR BRONCO NATION" this fall. The KTVB Newsgroup will be home to every Bronco game except for the games that ESPN has already decided to air. That means, you'll be able to watch 7 games right here on Channel 7 - right from the comfort of your own couch! In the booth this fall for our games? Mark Johnson and Tom Scott. Replays will be aired on our 24/7 channel if you just can't get enough! Get this! Our coverage is going to be even BROADER this year. Our President and GM Doug Armstrong - says our plan is to give fans across the state and around the region a chance to see their Broncos in action:
"You're going to see Boise State games not only in the Boise market but in the Twin Falls market, most likely in the Idaho Falls-Pocatello market, and then also in the Spokane market. Each game will probably be carried into the home of the team we are playing. So the exposure for Boise State is going to be extensive throughout the state of Idaho, unlike any other school in the state." - Doug Armstrong, KTVB President and GM The first game that will air on Channel 7 - will be September 12th versus Miami of Ohio.
KTVB TV Schedule
*The other 6 games, including the season opener vs Oregon will be televised on ESPN. PS: If you're a basketball fan, the contract also includes a few BSU road basketball games during the 2009-2010 season.
Dog Hero Once a week, I get the opportunity to feature a "Seven's Hero". (One of the best parts of my job!) Usually our "Heroes" are people - making a difference in our community - and doing great things for others. But, this week was kind of special! I featured a service dog by the name of Ovelle, and her handler Diane. Believe it or not, I have featured dogs before, but this one really stands out.
"Ovelle" is a certified assistance dog from Canine Companions for Independence. She volunteers with her handler Diane Rampelberg at places where people with disabilities need help and motivation with physical therapy sessions. One of those places is STARS (St. Alphonsus Rehabilitation Services) - in Meridian. Ovelle can get the kids to do things their therapists can't get them to do. They all want to be around Ovelle and play with her. Diane, her handler - makes the therapy fun with Ovelle. I had the chance to see Ovelle in action, and it's just an amazing thing to watch...
Julia and Claire Gambassi are 7 years old, and because of a genetic disorder they struggle with a lot of things that are easy for most kids. They love Ovelle so much, and learned so much from her in therapy at STARS - that they applied for an assistance dog to have at home too. After a year long process, they now have Zane (a black lab) to help them do more at home!
Now the twins have "Ovelle" at therapy at STARS, and "Zane" at home. Proof that dogs truly are man's best friend, and in some cases - HEROES too.
"Fat for Food" Fitness Challenge
Here's how it works, you lose the weight - and then corporate sponsors match your weight loss with food donations. Pound for pound. You need to be 18 years old, and the program costs 50 dollars. This is all organized by Jacob Nordby and Mike Winsor - who have both lost a lot of weight - and know how to help you do it too! Jacob is a recent twitter and facebook friend of mine, and sent me these before and after pictures of his success: Jacob - BEFORE:
Jacob - AFTER:
Local celebrities are taking part in the challenge too. Celebrities like The Biggest Loser's Mandi Kramer. She recently emailed me because she wants me to get the word out about her team. She wants you to join it!
From Mandi Kramer: "I think this is an awesome opportunity not only just to get healthy but to support people in need by supporting the Idaho Food Bank. Its not everyday you get to find motivation outside yourself to meet your personal goals; especially if you're competitive like me, sometimes it helps to have other incentives to lose weight other than just yourself. Not only that, its not often you get to work in a group setting and have team members to support you and push you along. If you want to join Mandi's team - email her at: mandi.kramer@yahoo.com Fat for Food Kick Off Party! *Saturday, June 27th @ 11am
(Notice Larry even has a mustache when he's a baby! LOL!)
The Special Olympics State Games
If you enjoyed the Special Olympics World Winter Games in February, you can recapture that same feeling this weekend! The state games are this Friday and Saturday... and you can be a part of it.
Torch Run: This weekend, you can cheer on the athletes and take part in the "2009 Final Leg Torch Run" - When: Friday, June 26th at 2pm. Where: The run will start at Julia Davis Park then go through downtown Boise ending at City Hall. (Mayor Dave Beiter will give a speech at City Hall) Why: The torch run is a great event that helps raise awareness for local Special Olympic athletes. This is your chance to run with local Law Enforcement Officers and athletes to help raise money for Special Olympics Idaho. Opening Ceremony: Friday night @ 7:30am is the Opening Ceremony at Boise Hawks Memorial Stadium! 21-year-old Coty McMurry from Payette will be the lucky athlete to light the Cauldron. (He'll be participating in Track and Field events this weekend)
Saturday, June 27, 2009 BE A FAN!
A TRUE HERO
Today, is the funeral for TJ Tally, the 21-year-old man who drowned while trying to rescue a 6-year-old boy last week. Young Jonah Johnson fell off a dock and right into the fast moving Snake River at Hells Canyon Park. TJ Tally and several other rescuers jumped in to save the boy. Tragically, Tally (who jumped into the water fully clothed with heavy boots on) didn't make it. Jonah did survive, and was brought to safety. The other people who jumped in to rescue him made it too.
This story really touched me, because this man is truly a HERO. I decided to BLOG about him today because he certainly deserves to be recognized and honored for what he did. He sacrificed his life to save little Jonah... search crews found his body the day after the incident. Tally is from La Grande, OR. Today, the public is invited to a graveside service at 2pm at Cove Cemetery in Cove, Oregon. There will also be a celebration of his life at 4pm. Tally was engaged and had a one year old child of his own. If you can, take a moment today to honor this young man, a true hero who sacrificed his life to save a young boy. It's a good reminder for all of us about how precious life is...
Free Prostate Cancer Screenings
This week offers a great opportunity for Dads, brothers, husbands, sons... all the men in your life! (If they are 45 with a family history of prostate cancer, or 50 years old and over) The "2009 Main Street Mile" Prostate Screening will be offered in the Treasure Valley... "A Mile for Men's Health" will be sponsoring four different chances for men in our area to get a free prostate screening. The Drive Against Prostate Cancer mobile screening bus will be out and about starting TODAY: Tuesday, June 23 (TODAY) Wednesday, June 24 Thursday, June 25 Friday, June 26 Boise City Hall
Don't forget - "A Mile for Men's Health" is a running and walking event on Friday night in downtown Boise. There are seven different ONE mile waves including races for children, teams, etc. *There's a $15 fee & you get a race t-shirt! Check out the race site: www.mainstreetmile.org
Rainy Parade Coverage:
Friday night was a night to remember at Meridian Dairy Days. I've anchored a lot of parades in my years here at Channel 7, but never in the pouring rain! Who would have thought we'd have such a storm in the middle of June? The entire KTVB crew decided to make the best of it! Our coverage went on... despite the rain.
You know what? I was really surprised by the turnout... it was one of the best parades I've been a part of! Thanks to the people of Meridian who turned out in droves with rain coats, umbrellas and blankets. It certainly was wet, but a lot of fun for all of us. Here's a picture of the "Mighty 7" production truck... and several of our co-workers were inside hard at work- directing the rainy parade coverage!
We were all soaking wet at the end of the 90 minute parade... good thing I had my trusty KTVB rain jacket in the car. I looked like a wet rat, so I borrowed the hat from our camera man Paul... thanks Paul! See how glamorous TV news really is????
Weekend Planner: Here are a few ideas for family fun this weekend...
It's time for Meridian Dairy Days! The parade is tonight at 7pm in downtown Meridian. Doug Petcash and I will be anchoring the parade coverage LIVE on 24/7. Join us for a night of fun! If you miss it, It will air again tomorrow at 6:30am, and at NOON on 24/7. Today and tomorrow you can enjoy the Dairy Days Carnival, and the Meridian Dairy and Cattle Show!
The Emmett Cherry Festival is this weekend. If you like cherries, this is your gig! The traditional Cherry Festival events, concerts and carnival all happen in the Emmett City Park through Saturday. Families gather, friends reunite and over 40,000 people get together for one of the greatest family-friendly events in Idaho.
The Payette River Experience in Garden Valley is also on the calendar this weekend! It features more than 41 events in just three days, this family-fun event is free for all. Highlights include whitewater events, trap shooting, 1K, 5K and 10K runs, mountain biking race, Dutch oven cook-off and much more.
This week's "News to Me" cartoon could not be more true! Nick captured me perfectly. Getting up at 2am isn't easy, and getting ready to go on TELEVISION at that hour is no easy feat. (What's up with the drooling tho? I sure hope I don't do that!)
Enjoy your weekend, and Happy Father's Day! |
