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March 2009 Archives
Better Than Expected? There was so much worry over raising enough money to host The Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise! The goal was to have 31 Million dollars to host the games, but by the time the games started - it seemed like we were in the clear. The games appeared to go off without a hitch! Everyone was a winner...
Today, many of the SOWWG staff members will be packing up and moving out of the downtown Boise offices. But we've learned they are leaving on a high note! Before the games, CFO Bruce Shrepple talked about a possible budget shortfall, now he tells us there's a surplus! Donations for the Games topped expectations. That means many of the employees will get an additional month's salary. Shrepple says it will be about two weeks before we know exact numbers on how much money was raised total.
Have you heard of Meth Mouth? If not, here's what it is - and be warned - it's not easy on the eyes!
It's what can happen to your teeth when you use meth. It's pretty bad, isn't it? Well, Congressman Mike Simpson is doing something about it. Here's something you may not know... Simpson is a dentist AND a congressman. When I was working in Eastern Idaho at the beginning of my news career, he was well known as a dentist there...
He says the rising epidemic of meth use has lead to a growing need for dental care. Now he's co-sponsoring a bill that will fund teaching kids in our local schools what meth can do to their teeth. (That could be a serious deterent) The bill would also fund educating dentists about substance abuse.
This morning, I created a professional Facebook account! In the process, I actually deleted my personal account. (Which is still bugging me as I blog, I'm trying to get it back, but something tells me when you email Facebook for help, you better stand in LINE) If you're on Facebook, look me up and send me a friend request. I twitter, and blog... now I'm going to try to network on Facebook with our viewers! You can find me in the Boise, Idaho network under Maggie O'Mara... Send me story ideas, questions, comments! I'm looking forward to connecting with all of you...
WIND STORM 2009 The 53mph wind storm early Sunday morning woke me right out of bed! I'm sure the same thing happened to you... I thought the second story of our house was going to blow off! (The good news is, it didn't) Luckily, my neighborhood was fine the next morning... just a few branches down in the area. But - that wasn't the case for other people in our community!
These are just a few of the shots, you have to check out the full slideshow on our homepage... what a mess! Tree and branch removal companies are in big demand today. The good news is no one was hurt... Here's what's kind of spooky:
This same storm happened 28 years ago TO THE DAY. It was March 29th, 1981 - over 50mph winds toppled trees and damaged cars and homes. Amazing that it happened on the SAME day 28 years ago.
This morning - there was a lot going on when I came in to work. Someone hit a power pole in Nampa and took off - that caused a power outage, someone robbed a Best Western too. We sent Edgar Linares out to Nampa to cover an unusual police pursuit and chase! It's always crazy during our two hour morning show. Trying to get information in the middle of the night is never easy!
Behind the Scenes, we listen to police scanners (like the one above) all night long! That's how we know what's going on... People might think nothing happens in the wee hours, but listening to the scanner at 3am is always entertaining... you wouldn't believe the things we hear!
I'm back to work! Sorry I didn't BLOG Wednesday and Thursday of this week... I wasn't on an exotic vacation, or on assignment somewhere exciting... I was in my BED. I got the worst cold EVER! It arrived on Tuesday... and I've been feeling a bit like "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" for three days now! (All stuffed up with a red nose!)
Fortunately - if I really cake it on, make-up covers my Rudolph! I should be back to "normal" Maggie (whatever that is, my co-workers say I'm not 100% normal???) by Monday... I hope. :) Thanks for all the nice "Get Well" messages! I appreciated them... MARCH MADNESS! It's Friday... and it's a March Madness weekend. That means, for many of the ladies out there (including myself) - our lovely husbands/boyfriends will be OUT OF COMMISSION when it comes to anything other than basketball - planted on the couch kinda like this...
or maybe like this??? Depending on who is winning -
... with lots of (delicious high calorie, high fat) snacks, burgers etc. Of course!
It only happens once a year, I say - go for it! Enjoy all the fun and food debauchery! (BTW, Why is it that men can eat and drink whatever they want and not gain weight??? For example, my boss eats BAGELS all the time. He's eating one right now... and he's a stick! Life just isn't fair. That's another BLOG topic entirely!)
Today is Friday, and that means it's time for NEWS TO ME! It's a cartoon take on the news. Here is Nick's latest installment... Larry is the star this week: Enjoy!
Have a great weekend and... GO ZAGS! (I had to get that in for good luck tonight!)
Lucky Lottery Winners Can I tell you a secret? I love my job and I feel very lucky to do what I do... but it's not always easy to dish out the BAD, and SAD news. That's why I love it when we have the chance to tell you all about some GOOD stuff. The HAPPY stuff! And I'm about to do just that with this story!
Two local families won a total of $300k in The Idaho Lottery!
Angela Burt is a single mom from Bellvue, Idaho who won $200k! She told us she just felt the urge to buy the last scratch off ticket in the dispenser at "Guffy's" - she works there too. BTW, Guffy's will get $20k for selling the ticket to Angela. She probably sold it to herself! It's a win-win situation for everyone... she says she plans to buy a new car, and put money away for college for her kids! Ron and Alice Howard of Emmett are also big winners! They won $100k on a scratch ticket Friday.
The couple bought the winning ticket at Scogan's Food Mart in Emmett. Scogan's will get $12k for selling the ticket! Ron works for the Gem County Road Dept. He and his wife are now looking at retirement options. Congrats! (Note to self: Buy Idaho Lottery Tix at Guffy's and Scogan's)
Remember when Treasure Valley local Brad Duke won the 220 MILLION DOLLAR Powerball Jackpot? WOW! He pocketed 85 MILLION after taxes. You know what? He's also a NICE guy! He still lives here... and I see him at charity events from time to time donating his cash to good causes:
Have you ever wondered how he's spending all that DOUGH? He's pretty shy about it all, but I did some research and according to Fortune Magazine - here's how: $45 million: Safe, low-risk investments such as municipal bonds His goal: to use his winnings to become a billionaire! I think he may just do that....
So... did you know Boise, Idaho can lay claim to a NASCAR TRUCK SERIES racer?
21 year old Brian Scott is a native Boisean and he's the great grandson of Joe Albertson. He's always wanted to race... and now he does it for a living. I've had the chance to talk to him a few times, and he's a sweet, down to earth guy too. (His mom raised him right!) His truck has the Albertson's Logo displayed along the side with pride:
This Boise High School grad is making Idaho proud! His next race is this coming Saturday at the Martinsville Speedway for the Kroger 250. It will be fun to watch his career grow! PS. You can watch a full report on Brian by KTVB's Zach Wolken online right now on the home page... ENJOY YOUR TUESDAY!
The "Big Dance" means "BIG" Business!
What a weekend of basketball action at Taco Bell Arena! The tournament brought in lots of business for local restaurants, and even car rental agencies. We found out some car rental places had to turn people away! Restaurants tell us this weekend was a lot like The Special Olympics World Winter Games, in terms of a boom in business. The NCAA action brought a much needed boost to our local economy. It's always nice to start a Monday BLOG entry with GOOD news.
And there's MORE good news - my Gonzaga Bulldogs won in the final seconds on Saturday night! Did you see it?? WOW! (As a grad, I would be remiss if I didn't mention it! Wouldn't I?) There are a lot of Gonzaga Graduates in our community! We have special parties and gatherings to watch the games - an adult version of The Kennel Club. It's an excuse to be ZAG-a-licious all together in one spot... (Which may be a teensy weensy bit annoying to those who are not Zags?)
Thanks Nick!
"THE TONIGHT SHOW" President Obama made the first ever appearance for a sitting President on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. Toward the end of his 40 minute interview, he made a comment about his bowling skills at the White House bowling alley - and referred to The Special Olympics: President Obama: "I have been practicing... I bowled a 129."
This morning, he's apologizing to the nation for his off the cuff comment. After the show, White House Spokesman Bill Burton issued this statement: "THE PRESIDENT MADE AN OFF-HAND REMARK MAKING FUN OF HIS OWN BOWLING THAT WAS IN NO WAY INTENDED TO DISPARAGE THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS. HE THINKS THAT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS IS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD." -Bill Burton, White House Spokesman Tim Shriver - the head of the Special Olympics says President Barack Obama has called him to apologize and "did not intend to humiliate" special needs people. But he also said that the president's words could be seen as a "put down."
"I think it's important to see that words hurt and words do matter. And these words that in some respect can be humiliating or a put down to people with special needs - do cause pain and they do result in stereotypes." -Tim Shriver, Special Olympics Shriver said that last night, Obama offered to have some Special Olympics athletes visit the White House to bowl or play basketball in the future.
March Madness starts in Boise at Taco Bell Arena today! 12,000 people are expected at each session. Tip off for the Marquette VS Utah State game is at 10:30am. It looks like Utah State will have a huge crowd advantage. Most fans in Boise will be cheering for the WAC team, and Boise is also a very short trip from Logan, UT. The Aggies are expected to show up in DROVES! Because it's going to be so crowded - ACHD will adjust traffic signals around Taco Bell Arena. The changes will make it easier to get around, and safer for people who are going to the games on foot! Have a great weekend! P.S. "NEWS TO ME", our weekly cartoon take on the news... will be featured on my BLOG and on "Today's Morning News" Monday! Doug wasn't here today, and it features him, so we are saving it for when he gets back. Be sure to log on and check it out.. :)
Congrats to the Finken Family!
A Boise couple welcomed four (COUNT EM!) FOUR babies into the world this week. WOW! Alexander, Benjamin, Samuel and Emilee are the first quadruplets born in Boise since 1994.
AND - they are the first babies for Tracy and Richard Finken. Here's some interesting inside scoop - Tracy and Richard tell us they have been trying to have a family for TWO years. They did get the help of fertility drugs in order to get pregnant... and her doctor delivered the beautiful babies by c-section. Now they have an instant family! The doctors say the babies are doing great, and should be able go home in several weeks.
Last night, lots of people (including me!) gathered at The Idaho Center to hear more about Rachel's Challenge. It's a program about kindness and compassion that's impacted thousands of Idaho students this month alone in our schools. Dee and Mark emceed last night's event:
Rachel Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine School Shootings in Littleton, CO in 1999.
A month before the massacre, Rachel wrote an essay about the power of kindness and compassion. What was written in that essay is now her challenge to students across the country! (Click to enlarge and read)
Last night, her brother Craig Scott (who also witnessed the shootings) spoke to the crowd about Rachel's message and her legacy. He was powerful and moving... there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I had the chance to meet him, and another Rachel's Challenge speaker - Derek Kilgore.
What incredible people! Dedicated to making schools safer, and the world a better place. Honestly, you don't have to be a student to take the CHALLENGE. It applies to all of us.
Last night on NBC's "The Biggest Loser"...
Aubrey (of the Yellow Team's Mandi and Aubrey) came home here to Idaho to spend time with her family. You may not know this, but the show hires an Idaho crew to shoot footage of the sisters at home! That crew includes Tom Hadzor and Bill Krumm, both former KTVB news photographers who spent years shooting for us. So, I asked Bill to give me some inside "Behind the Scenes" scoop on last night's show! He had a lot of cool things to tell me...
"I'm glad to say that I was pleased with the final edit! I'm not sure how they sifted through all that footage, but they managed to keep the essence of the marathon experience true-to-life. Sometimes I've had doubts about how "real" reality TV shows are, but I can tell you that in this case, what we shot is what you got." - Bill Krumm, Wide Eye Productions BTW, Aubrey's half-marathon was run at an indoor track at the Idaho Center. You may have noticed that. Bill says she was a real trooper!
"I was amazed that she ran the whole time and never slowed to a walk even once. She never would have believed that she could run that far... but then she just went out and did it. That was a pretty cool lesson...that you can accomplish what you put your mind to when you really want to." - Bill Krumm, Wide Eye Productions Bill tells me he was so inspired by his time with Aubrey and Mandi - that he's been spending a bit more time at the gym too! Go Bill! (AND thanks for the inside scoop!)
Rachel's Challenge Community Night! Tonight, KTVB invites you to the Idaho Center in Nampa for the Rachel's Challenge Family Community Night! Rachel Scott was killed in the Columbine School Shootings - and after her death - her message of spreading kindness and compassion continues in schools and communities across the country!
Tonight, her brother Craig - who survived the shootings on that terrible day in Colorado - will speak to us about Rachel's legacy. It's a powerful message for your whole family. This event is FREE and open to the public! It starts at 7:30pm and I hope to see you all there! Bring your neighbors, friends, and kids... it's a night you won't forget!
"Erin Go Bragh!"
(btw, Erin Go Bragh! means Ireland Forever...)
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but his life is kind of a mystery. Many of the stories about him (including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland) are false, the result of hundreds of years of storytelling!
Tonight, lots of Irish American families will gather to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage. Cabbage has long been an Irish food, but corned beef wasn't. At the turn of the century, Irish immigrants living in New York substituted corned beef for Irish bacon to save money. So corned beef it is! My Mom makes this special Irish meal every year, my Dad loves it. It's a great memory from my childhood. (I'm sure she's making it tonight back at home!) So, tonight I think I'll attempt to make my mom's recipe for my husband. Notice I used the word "attempt". I'm still new to all this cooking stuff... you win some, you lose some. I have a captive taste tester... now that I'm married. Now, he's a SAINT!
Now what about the leprechaun? The little green guys? I found out the leprechaun isn't Irish at all!
These little men are an American invention - but they quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of St. Patrick's Day, and now a symbol of Ireland too. I'm sure they love us for that! (I personally think they are creepy looking! I would prefer not to run into one. EVER! LOL.)
OH.... I WISH!
It was so much fun watching Al Roker -
... and of course Meredith in Ireland this morning. What a wonderful gig! I think most of the show took place in front of this historic home. Beautiful!
I was thinking of asking my boss if he'd fly our "Today's Morning News" crew there to go LIVE as well... (but then thought better of it due to the current economic climate) Someday, maybe? I'm Irish - (Dad's Irish, Mom's Italian) but I've never been to Ireland. That needs to be remedied one of these days. :)
So, the NCAA tournament is all set, and Boise is getting excited to welcome several teams! Here's how the pairings pencil out for Friday's first round games at Boise's Taco Bell Arena. * 6-Marquette will take on 11-Utah State * 3-Missouri matches up with on 14-Cornell * 5-Florida State plays 12-Wisconsin * 4-Xavier goes up against 13-Portland State Winners will play second round games on Sunday. Tickets will be hard to come by! From what I hear, they go to Boise State Season ticket holders first, and then the rest of the public... but word is - all the tickets are GONE. Good Luck!
Taylor Swift concert tickets sold out in less than an hour!
There are some unhappy people out there today... According to our sources at The Idaho Center, some people tried to get tickets online, but couldn't! We're told the demand was so high, the server couldn't keep up and some online orders didn't go through.
By all means, don't forget to wear GREEN! One year, I forgot... and I never heard the end of it from our Irish viewers. :) I will NEVER make that mistake again - I have my GREEN all ready to go!
It's Friday! SO... It's time for some fun "BEHIND THE SCENES" stuff: Do you watch our noon newscast? (I sure hope so!) If you do, you are well aware of who P. Allen Smith is. He's our noon gardener.
(He totally stole my hair style by the way - our hair syles are strikingly similar, don't you think? I wonder who had it first? Since he's older, maybe he did.)
So anyway, our morning/noon crew has grown FOND of good old P. Allen, so fond in fact - they celebrated his birthday yesterday! Cake and the whole SHABANG...
Well, they emailed P. Allen (he's based in another state) and sent him some Happy Birthday wishes... and much to their surprise... P. Allen sent this picture back!
What a good sport he is! Love that... Happy Bday P. Allen! Have you realized it's Friday the 13th??? Every Friday we bring you a cartoon take on the news by our very talented camera operator, Nick McMullin. It's called "NEWS TO ME". Here is this week's installment with a Friday the 13th theme... (I think he has drawing me down pat) "NEWS TO ME" I hope this isn't a preview of what's to come for me... I need all the luck I can get! Have a great weekend!
(Click to enlarge)
Tune in today at 4pm for "Oprah"... Some Idaho teenagers will be on the show VIA Skype! Ten teens from the Idaho Teen Dating Violence Advisory Council will be talking about dating violence - in light of the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident. Should be an interesting show...
Can I just say - I LOVE Oprah. I had the chance to meet her when I was 12... (she is a total "hugger", by the way - she hugged me!) but one of the things on my "TO DO IN LIFE" list (yes, I have one of those) is to meet her again now as an adult... we'll see! This week, we got word of another restaurant closure. Gino's Italian Restaurant in downtown Boise is closing at the end of this month! Here's the thing... I LOVE GINO'S. I also love Gino. The wonderful guy who owns it! There really is a Gino - here he is:
He makes the most amazing meatballs on earth. His mom's special recipe! He won't give it to me... because it's a family secret! My mom is Italian and makes the most amazing food - but Gino is the only one who can top her! (Sorry Mom!)
The good news here is - Gino is opening up a restaurant in Meridian next month. Yippee! Meatballs for everyone! One more thing... if you have a little girl, a "tween" or a teenager... you have heard by now that The Jonas Brothers (insert girlie screams here) are coming to The Idaho Center this summer!
The concert date is June 26. Tickets will likely go on sale Friday, March 20th. How long do you think it will take to sell out? My guess is, not long at all. I know my nieces are crazy about The Jonas Brothers they have already decided (between them) who will marry each brother... they actually fight over who will marry who. I don't really get it... but hey, I'm not a tween!
Did you watch "The Biggest Loser" last night? I love watching the show, and get totally inspired by our local team of sisters!
Mandi Kramer (of Meridian) and her sister Aubrey decided to take on The Biggest Loser competition together. If you are wondering how it all works... Mandi spent three months filming near Malibu, California. She told KTVB they all worked out 8 hours, and only ate 1000 calories per day! She also told us it was mentally and physically exhausting. Last night, Mandi and Aubrey had an emotional night (lots of tears) at elimination. Mandi sent herself home in order to keep her sister there... now that is sisterly LOVE. Here's what she had to say to us last night! "The Biggest Loser was probably one of the best experiences I have had. Its a bummer that I am home so early but I am excited to see if I learned enough to continue this at home." -Mandi Kramer Just look at how fantastic she looks!
Mandi says she's looking forward to the finale and losing even more weight! So far, she's lost a jawdroppping 90 POUNDS! Today, Ysabel Bilbao will spend the day with Mandi and get more insight on how she plans to keep up her new healthier lifestyle, now that she's back at home. Look for that at 6pm! On another reality TV note - The Real World casting call at The Reef downtown yesterday was a big success... lots of locals showed up!
People lined up to audition for the show. You have to be 18 to 24 years old to be on The Real World... (hearing that made me feel so old, by the way) and our spies at the casting tell us applicants had "roundtable" discussions on politics, drugs and current events. Very serious stuff indeed! I'm sure high drama was involved too... they NEED drama on that show. The location has not been set, but we could just have a local on the next season... Idahoans seem to get lucky when it comes to REALITY TV!
Yesterday, when I was blogging... my computer was attacked by some sort of VIRUS.
Suddenly, my computer was out of commission all day long. I ended up getting a lot done around the office, but I have no idea what we all did BEFORE computers, email, twitter etc! I felt totally lost without access. Thanks to our engineer (Thanks Dave Allen!) - I'm back at it again. :) Phew! Construction crews working on the Capitol's $122.5 MILLION DOLLAR rennovation and expansion have to make up a lot of time to meet the November completion deadline.
Turns out, crews are about 28 days behind schedule. A basement floor was cracked and had to be replaced last minute, and a shipment of the WRONG marble arrived from Italy. So... they will have to put in some overtime to have the building ready for our lawmakers to move back into by November. They might have to stay in the very cozy (a nice word for CRAMPED) old Ada County Courthouse for a bit longer! Yesterday, we found out "Western Days" in Twin Falls will be canceled this year! Organizers have to cancel the event due to area layoffs and business closures. It's been a part of life in Twin for 30 years... so a lot of people are disappointed. Last year, Doug, Edgar, Larry and I had the chance to go and be in the parade... it was such a blast! (Notice the extremely LARGE foam cowboy hats, somehow I didn't get one)
Organizers are hoping next year, the event can go on as planned! We hope so too. One more fun fact for today... you can audition for MTV's The Real World today right here in Boise - if you dare!
I can't imagine doing a reality TV show, it would drive me crazy to have people following my every move with a camera! But people seem to sign up in droves... don't they? Auditions are being held at The Reef downtown. Good Luck!
So, it's Monday again. Already.
Mondays seem to come faster now that I'm older... and I know I'm getting old, because I actually enjoy the routine of a work day. It makes me feel like I'm getting stuff done... (you know... being productive vs. lounging on the couch!) Yesterday, I couldn't believe it when I (actually got up from the couch) looked out the window and saw all the snow! It could snow more today. Spring is supposed to be just around the corner but with temperatures in the 20's this morning - it certainly doesn't feel that way... Lots of happenings over the weekend in the news world. One neat thing we covered... did you know that a 1988 Boise High School grad is President Obama's Deputy Chief of Staff? How cool is that? He was in Boise over the weekend to speak to Idaho's Democratic Party.
"For a kid from Boise, this is a once in a lifetime privilege to work 40 feet from the oval office." - Jim Messina Messina knows he's working in the White House at a historic time. Messina says with all the pressures related to being the President, Barack Obama hasn't forgotten what's most important in his life: his family. Jim says the President even goes sledding with his daughters on the White House grounds!
I heard Sasha and Malia just got a new swingset in the yard too... that's something we haven't seen before! This morning on our show - Larry went "Behind the Scenes" at Cinderella's Closet. It's a wonderful organization that provides/lends prom dresses, and now tuxes to teens for just $10 for prom! I remember how expensive prom was back in my day... and the help is really needed right now (for parents and teens) with this tough economy.
Cinderella's Closet will open on April 1st and run through May 30th at the Assistance League of Boise. The hours are Wednesdays 3:30 - 5:30 pm and Saturdays 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm. The Assistance League is located at 5831 Glenwood. This year teens in Canyon County also have a place to go - Lake Ridge Elementary in Nampa at 615 Burk Lane. The hours in Canyon County are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:30 - 6:30. Thanks for the info Larry! Speaking of the local economy... another one bites the dust!
The Circuit City by the mall closed down over the weekend. There was a huge blow out sale to liquidate everything... even fixtures and display shelves! Just my luck, that's where I bought my laptop and my warranty! I'm sad to see another retailer go...
Hopefully you all changed your clocks Saturday before you went to bed. It's time to spring ahead!
Ok, there REALLY IS a restaurant in Boise called "Boobies" ... I'm dead serious. It just opened...
Well, as you can imagine - it's causing some controversy! Some parents are upset about their kids seeing the sign and giggling... the owners say it's a tribute to their DOG, and they don't plan to change the name. At least one person called the city of Boise to complain about the new restaurant. We called the mayor's office and a spokesman told us there is no city ordinance that prohibits the name. So, BOOBIES it is. Attention all BRONCO FANS...
Ticket prices for the 2009 season are going way up. We've learned the price for a season ticket between the ten yard lines will be at least $70 a game in the fall! (Yikes...)
In this tough economy, that's not good news. But Bronco Fans who bleed BLUE AND ORANGE say they'll pay it. We'll see if it has an impact on game attendance... but something tells me people WILL PAY to see their beloved Broncos. Today, I'm heading to the Grove Hotel to emcee the Dress For Success Celebrity Teapot Extravaganza with KTVB's Mark Johnson! He's always fun to emcee fundraisers with, and we've been doing this event together for 7 years now. We'll help auction off handmade teapots created by local celebs... raising money for a great cause in our community.
Have a great weekend everyone! I know I'm ready for some serious R & R...
When I walked out of the house this morning at 3:55am (I know, way too early for anyone to be up) I had to turn back around and get a coat! It was really snowing out there... and I'm talking big, fluffy, flakes.
We had a little hint of spring with the 68 degree temperatures on Monday, but this is Idaho folks! "You just never know what you're going to get"... kinda like Forrest Gump and that darn box of chocolates. So, Tamarack shut down yesterday at 4pm. So sad... here's a pic of the ski lift in operation for the last time! (or until it gets more cash to re-open)
But there is good news for all of you Tamarack season pass holders - you can ski at Brundage and Bogus for a reduced rate! Now would be a great time to take advantage of the offer, with all of our new snow. Brundage is offering 10 to 20 dollar discounts, and Bogus is offering half price tickets until the end of the season for 2008/2009 pass holders! Last night "The Food Network's" Guy Fieri dropped the puck at the Steelhead game. AND -a friend of mine sent me a picture of Guy at the Westside Drive In with her daughter...
I'm glad to see he spent some time with Chef Lou - he's always a hoot!
GO Chef Lou!!!!!!!! I'm excited to see the episode of "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" when it finally airs... I'll let you know when I know!
Great news about Cody Barden - the Eagle High School student who was hit by a car driven by another student.
Barden was in a coma for two weeks with severe head injuries. We talked to his mom yesterday - and she says he still doesn't remember what happened. He has a lot of rehab and surgeries ahead... but his family and classmates are so happy he is on the mend! Today I'm heading to Grace Jordan Elementary - to speak to a group of young girls who are part of a special Soroptimist program called ATAP. It stands for "All Things Are Possible!"
ATAP is a series of self-esteem workshops for 6th grade girls in the Boise Public School system. It designed to promote self-esteem! We talk about the importance of education, goal setting and community service. The girls seem to really like it, and they also get to come on a tour here at Channel 7 to see where I work and what I do... which is fun for all of us here at KTVB. We love visitors! One more thing... do you say CHIN-den or SHIN-den?
There's a cool segment on KTVB.com by our Digital Media Producer Don Day called "I Wonder?".... check it out! There is a big debate over the CORRECT pronunciation... (I was happy to find out - the way I say it, is the right way) Thanks for clearing that up for all of us DON!
Here's a Behind the Scenes secret for you: We have a teensy weensy bit of a mouse "issue" here at Channel 7. We're not sure where they come from, but mice seem to like us. We don't see them every day. But once in a while, one will make a run for it across the newsroom! (Brave little guys, huh?)
Yesterday... our boss Jim spotted one of our little friends in his office. He was hiding under the leather couch!
So - the task force went into Mouse Mode!
Turns out he was a cute little thing... so we carefully carried him out to freedom...
...and let him go in the KTVB Garden (which is a nice way of referring to our bushes) - with strict instructions to avoid the connector! (It's very close by...)
Another cool thing happened yesterday...
Well, Molly loves Guy and ran over to stalk the poor man. He was so nice, and even agreed to a picture with her!
Guy was also kind enough to let KTVB interview him on the job! He'll be in town for the next few days - you may just see him out and about...
When Tamarack Resort first opened, it was HUGE! Everyone wanted to go, experience it, ski it, etc.
Now, just a few years later - the resort is CLOSING this Wednesday, and 100 people are losing their jobs! :( Tamarack has a special place in my heart because I got married there last summer. It was a wonderful place to say "I DO" and spend time with family and good friends. Now, all reservations, weddings, and special events planned there are being cancelled. Ski passes are being refunded. But, don't count Tamarack out yet. We're hoping someone (or a corporation) with deep pockets shows up and saves the day! We need a big money buyer! It would be a shame to see Tamarack gone forever... If you read The Idaho Statesman on a daily basis, you'll notice something different about it today - it's smaller! The paper is downsizing the daily to save money in this tight economy.
It's now the size of The Idaho Press Tribune. I think I like the smaller, more compact version! It was easy to read, and the best part is - it fits in my purse so I can take it with me on the go. How do you feel about it? I'd be interested to know... This weekend my husband James and I went to Sun Valley and spent Saturday night at the Share Your Heart Ball.
All the money raised goes to Camp Rainbow Gold... and this summer camp is unlike any other - because it's for kids who are battling and surviving cancer. James is a camp volunteer, so it really means the world to him...
I've done stories on camp before, and it's just an amazing thing to be a part of... the kids all go to camp for a whole week free of charge in Sun Valley - and they get that special "summer camp" experience that every kid should get!
This year at the ball, there was a tribute to Briana Flanders - a little camper who lost her battle with cancer last year. Her parents put together an emotional video of what camp meant to her - her struggle to fight her brain tumor and her courage at the end... everyone from camp misses her.
But, the positive news here is even in this recession - people were SO GENEROUS that night... It was a great feeling to see so much money going to sending kids like Briana to camp. That giving spirit is what Idaho is all about! |
