7:16 AM Thu, Feb 26, 2009 | Permalink
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Maggie O'Mara: February 2009 Archives
It seemed like there were a lot of people out there in our community that really DIDN'T want the beer and wine tax to pass. I even noticed a Facebook group where you could become a FAN of not wanting the tax approved. (Have you noticed Facebook seems to have a "group" for just about everything these days? You can be a FAN of KTVB News too!)
The proposal would have more than tripled the state tax on adult beverages, but the House Revenue and Taxation Committee rejected the bill in a 13 to 5 vote.
Supporters say the revenue could have provided 14-million dollars a year for substance abuse treatment. (Which is something we could certainly use here in Idaho) But those against it argued a recession is not the time to raise taxes. The 10 Commandments Monument drama is back! Five years ago, Mayor Bieter had the monument moved from Julia Davis Park to a local church. He did that after an anti-gay activist threatened to sue the city for not allowing him to put his own monument there too. The city didn't want that, so it was moved.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision yesterday (in a separate Utah case) says cities (like Boise!) have the right to pick and choose which monuments are put in parks. So, will the monument go back to Julia Davis Park now? The mayor says the issue is over. Some want it put back... we'll have to see what happens. I wanted to show you this funny cartoon of our "Today's Morning News" crew...
Our studio camera operator Nick McMullin is a super talented artist... and he started drawing these funny cartoons of us recently... they crack me up. He even put a tiny coffee cup in there for me because he knows I'm useless without caffeine...
I think the characters he draws really do look like us... (which may not be a good thing, by the way - check out my huge BUG EYES and ginormous head)
Anyway... we get a big kick out of them here at KTVB, so I thought you would too! I've asked him to draw us a special "Behind the Scenes" cartoon once a week for the blog! So look for more in the future... P.S. There won't be a BLOG entry tomorrow because I'll be taking Friday off this week... I'm heading to Sun Valley to go to the Share Your Heart Ball! It's a fundraiser for Camp Rainbow Gold - which is a camp for kids who are battling cancer.
What a wonderful cause! More on that coming up on Monday...
Times are tough right now for Idaho. We can all feel it... it's just in the air - isn't it? On Monday - we learned Micron is laying off 2000 people, and now another high tech company has announced layoffs. Cypress Semi-Conductor says it will cut 40 workers in Boise. The competition to find work in our state is going to be tough!
We did a story yesterday on the amount of people looking for jobs at the Department of Labor, and what we found out really puts things in perspective...
The staff there tells us they are already averaging 200 PEOPLE for every ONE available job that's posted. That was BEFORE the Micron announcement. Last night President Obama assured nervous Americans, saying in time and with hard work - we will get out of this recession.
"Tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before." -President Obama Today, I'm heading to Horseshoe Bend High School to shoot a story on Andrew Skeen. He's on the basketball team there. He has some disabilities that make it hard to play, and he had quite a game recently! He had his moment in the spotlight - and it was all caught on home video. I plan to show it to you this Sunday night at 10pm! He is this week's Seven's Hero. Here's a pic of him, he's the one in the middle!
I'm looking forward to meeting him and telling his story to all of you... we need some uplifting news at a time like this, right? Right.
Yesterday Micron Technology announced it will be cutting 2000 people by the end of this summer. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I think we've all been trying to stay positive with the recent layoffs, but this one hit us all hard! This morning, I was emceeing a fundraising breakfast for the American Cancer Society downtown - and it was all people could talk about. It's depressing to see our economy and so many good people suffering this way. The good news is, The Idaho Department of Labor will be OPEN extended hours until March 14th to help people find work. Tonight President Barack Obama will address the nation. He'll make the case for his economic agenda and budget. It's at 7pm right here on KTVB.
Last night, Boise's Heather Rae was on the red carpet at the Oscars!
She's one of the producers of the movie "Frozen River" about two single moms who triumph over tragedy. The film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. The star of the movie, Melissa Leo, was also nominated for Best Actress. The film didn't win an OSCAR, but just being nominated is such an honor! Congrats to film maker Heather Rae for making Idaho proud!!!
Last winter, the film earned the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. FYI - Heather Rae also co-produced the highly acclaimed Boise State Football documentary "Out of the Blue" alongside fellow Boise filmmaker Michael Hoffman. This past weekend - some of the KTVB staff celebrated our Assistant News Director's (Xanti Alcelay's) wedding! (I tried to make these pictures bigger for you, but for some reason my computer wouldn't let me...)
You've heard of the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", right? Well, this Basque wedding topped that! It was the BIGGEST BASQUE-est WEDDING ever!!!!
There were hundreds of people there, so sadly I never got a picture of our whole KTVB crew together at one time... but it was an incredible night! I think every Basque person in Idaho was there. :) (Most of our news team was there too)
See, we all socialize too. We're not just co-workers... we're FAMILY. Congrats to Jill and Xanti!
The Special Olympic World Winter Games are over.... so where should the cauldron go now? The woman who created it - Irene Deely of "Woman of Steel" Gallery - wants it to go somewhere special right here in Idaho.
I had the chance to stand right next to it at Closing Ceremonies, and it is TALL. We're not talking Larry Gebert tall, we're talking 22 feet high! The beautiful display has been taken apart and is now sitting on a trailer in front of Irene's studio:
Last night on the news, we put out a call for ideas on where it should go... we got lots of comments: The Idaho Center, The Grove, The Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Sun Valley, Bogus Basin... all great ideas! We'll see where it winds up. Send me your ideas if you have a good one. It really should have a special spot here in our area, so we can always remember the spirit of the games. I've been working on a really special story this week. It's about Matt La Manna - a sophomore at Kuna High School with cerebral palsy who has always dreamed of being an athlete. Due to his disability, he's been managing school teams instead of competing on them. But this year, he'll be competing in Track for the very first time with this brand new wheelchair racing bike. WOW! He is such an inspiration to me, and I think he'll inspire you too...
His coach Steve Kilgore (who has a heart of GOLD) is the one who made this miracle happen, with lots of help from the Kuna community! Tune in Sunday night at 10pm to watch this heartwarming story of people coming together to help a fantastic kid race for the first time... you'll be so glad you did. :) Have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy this weather! P.S. Tonight we're having four couples over to our house for dinner - and we've decided to have a "Board Game Night" - MEN VS WOMEN. We're going to play TABOO with that annoying buzzer thingy - if you have played, you know what I mean:
My better half says this dinner party/game night is a sign we're all getting old. Maybe he's right???? Oh well, I'm embracing it!
Taco Bell Arena was packed with over 10,000 basketball fans last night! It was the big rivalry game - BSU vs. U of I. The game was up in the air until the final seconds... when the Vandals pulled out a win. The score? 56 to 54.
We televised the game on 24/7... so most of our production crew was there BEHIND THE SCENES. Not a bad game to be on the clock for, huh? Well, that might depend on if you are a Bronco, or a Vandal. We have both around here at Channel 7. It can get pretty heated! So, President Obama unveiled yet another bailout plan. This time for the housing industry. His 75 billion dollar plan encourages lenders to restructure loans and lower monthly payments.
According to Idaho Data Providers, the Treasure Valley set a new record last month with more than 600 foreclosure starts filed in Ada and Canyon counties - so we have some people who could really benefit from this. The program ONLY pertains to loans that are owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. How do you know if that's your loan? Contact your mortgage lender after March 4th. Guess what? The famous Idaho Elk-Cow is back! Remember this guy? He's a wayward elk that decided to move in with a herd of cattle near Harris Ranch -kind of a strange sight, huh? But one of my favorite stories...
Last year, he stayed there for months. He had a fan club along the popular Greenbelt path that went right by his field. People would stop and take pictures, ask for autographs ets. (Well, maybe that's stretching the truth a bit, but they did take pictures!) He took off in the late fall looking for a mate, but now spring fever has brought him back to his cow family. I bet you can get a peek at him today!
I am soooo excited to see the SUN. That beautiful yellow thing in the sky... ahhhh!
Could help be on the way to get Idaho out of this recession? President Obama signed the 787 billion dollar stimulus package yesterday...
Idaho is expected to get between 600 million and one billion dollars very soon! Boy, that seems like a lot of money, doesn't it? Yesterday we learned up to 17,000 new jobs are expected across the state! Our four lawmakers of the U.S. Congress voted against this stimulus plan and they had their reasons for that... but Idaho gets the money anyway. Now our legislature will decide how and where to spend all that cash. I think most of us are hoping it will really help us during this tough time... Do you ever watch the show called "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel? The host Mike Rowe is best known for getting down and dirty- trying out some of the nation's TOUGHEST JOBS.
In last night's episode of the show - Rowe went to work here in Boise at Motive Power. He got his hands dirty learning what it takes to build and restore locomotives. If you missed it, don't despair! It will air again on the Discovery Channel next Tuesday (Feb 24th) at 9pm. When Mike and his crew were here, it was TOP SECRET. We called, but Motive Power wouldn't let us in! (We'll have to watch the show with the rest of you... no behind the scenes perks there...) Ok, who watched The Biggest Loser last night?
I did, I did! Our local sisters Mandi...
and Aubrey are still holding on!
The girls are looking very GOOD I might add... and making Idaho so proud. Go YELLOW team! I am so impressed with them... they make me want to get out and run up a hill or something. Not Robie! (A small, more manageable hill) Yesterday, I was a bit of an idiot and I left my car lights on. Yes, I did. I do this often (which is hard to admit) and my husband is always there to jump my car and save me. But - I was here at work when it happened this time, with James no where in sight! I was about to call him for help, but my co-anchor Doug Petcash came to the rescue! SUPER DOUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank goodness he was able to jump my car and get me back on the road. Not only is he a great co-anchor, but he knows how to get a car moving again... that's a great skill to have when you happen to work with me! Will I ever learn?????
I admire runners. People who can run for miles and miles... they are amazing to me! But I have to tell you, they are strange and foreign creatures - who I can't relate to in the least. Let's be honest. I'm a wimp. I hate to run, it's torture and I feel like I'm going to die when I do it. I much prefer a long leisurely walk or stroll...
That being said, I'm in awe of people who run the Race to Robie Creek! They are my heroes... because a half marathon UPHILL is something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. :)
Yesterday, was the registration for Robie - and all 2000 spots were gone in 43 minutes! They even have a lottery for people who missed out on a spot. WHAT???????? What kind of a lottery is that? A lottery where your prize is a 13 mile run UPHILL? It just defies logic.
If you are a die hard runner, and you MUST Race to Robie Creek - we have more information on this lottery in our HOTLINKS. Good luck! You are amazing... I just can't say it enough. (The only part of that race I could take part in is being a water girl) Today, more than 600 TV stations will turn off their analog signals, but KTVB is not one of them! Congress voted earlier this month to allow stations to delay the digital transition from February 17th (TODAY) until June 12th, 2009 - to give people (like you and me) more time to get ready for the big switch to DIGITAL TV.
We'll wait until JUNE 12TH to turn off our analog signal. So if you're not ready, or if you don't have a converter box for all of your TV sets - you still have time to do what you need to do!
It's hard to believe The Special Olympics World Winter Games are over! The Closing Ceremonies were so incredible to be a part of. I met so many athletes, coaches, and volunteers. My reporting spot was right near the Cauldron, which was a pretty neat place to be. People were up out of their seats and dancing all around me... I think you can see that in this pic! I think I see my tiny head in this shot somewhere...
Here's a shot of Dee, Mark, Kaycee and I getting ready for our coverage - notice Mark Johnson making a crazy face - he makes us all laugh:
Here's my photographer Troy Colson and I on the floor... he is the one who did all the heavy lifting. That camera gets VERY heavy after a couple of hours. Thanks Troy!
The best memory from the night was getting to meet Mustafa - the Sudanese man who stole the show at Opening Ceremonies! You may remember, he was up on stage dancing with the bands, and in midst of the athletes. He's so tall, he's hard to miss! (Even taller than Larry Gebert!) Kaycee and I both had high heels on, and we still look small in comparison:
All in all, it was a great night, and a great week. What an amazing host our state was... a host to the WORLD. It was a week Idahoans won't soon forget!
Don't forget The Special Olympics World Winter Games Closing Ceremonies tonight! We'll bring you the event LIVE here on KTVB from 7pm to 9pm. Dee and Mark will anchor our coverage, and Kaycee Murray and I will be there LIVE too! Larry was out there this morning previewing the set up for tonight. Here's a look at how the Idaho Center looks right now, but it will be a flurry of activity with thousands of people in a matter of hours:
It's going to be quite a celebration wrapping up an incredible week of memories for all of the athletes, volunteers, and spectators. My favorite memory is meeting little Anthony Dandrea. He's a future Special Olympics Athlete, and just six years old. Everyone who meets him wants to take him home! (Including me!)
His Dad Trace Dandrea created the McCain "Be a Fan of Joy" Bracelet Program. I think almost everyone is wearing a blue rubber bracelet by now! His mom took these pictures of him when he had the honor of participating in a medal ceremony this week. He loves to give hugs, how cute is this pic? I had to share it with you...
Today, I'm working on a story about The Apprentice's Troy McClain and his involvement in bringing the games to Idaho. His sister DoraLynn is his biggest inspiration! She has intellectual disabilities, but she won't let that stop her from doing whatever she sets her mind to.
I interviewed both of them about the special meaning of the games - and what being a part of making it a reality feels like! You can watch the story at 6pm tonight! I was very touched by their story. Oh, one more thing... tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Don't forget your special someone!
Women tend to really, really like this holiday. We find it important for some reason... it's all about romance and LOVE and all that girlie stuff. One GOOD idea... you can make a video Valentine by noon today and upload it to www.ktvb.com. We'll play the best ones on the Saturday Morning News tomorrow morning... the show starts at 8am.
You will thank me for this later! You don't want to be in the DOG HOUSE all weekend, do you???? I thought not. :) Have a great weekend everyone!
It's a BIG day for Idaho! Vice President Joe Biden is coming to The Special Olympics World Winter Games!
He'll be arriving in Boise today on Air Force TWO. We've just learned his plane could be up to three hours late due to weather conditions! But, he'll be here! We'll have full coverage at noon, 5pm and 6pm. Reporter Ysabel Bilbao is the pool reporter - she'll be with the VP all day. Pretty neat assignment, huh? Also today, don't forget to say Happy Birthday to "Old Abe". Abraham Lincoln that is... I wonder if he enjoyed being called OLD ABE? I would think not. He's such a serious fella:
It's his 200th birthday. My co-anchor Doug Petcash did a special feature on our Idaho statue. It was covered in bird droppings (that's a pleasant word for bird p**p) and vandalized. So, our Idaho Abe went to rehab, and now he's good as new!
Well, as good as 200 years old can look! The rennovated statue will be unveiled in front of the Capital today at noon. You can go! Here he is, all covered up and ready for the big moment...
This is a neat part of the story - elementary school children statewide collected about 300,000 pennies to help rehab ABE. Good job kids! Abe Lincoln is close to our hearts as Idahoans, because he created the Idaho territory in 1863. Many people don't know that... One more fun fact: the statue was created in 1915 and is the oldest public monument to Lincoln in the west. (I'm geeky and I enjoy little bits of information like that.) P.S. Today and tomorrow are the last days of The Special Olympics World Winter Games! You still have time to be a fan. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. Yesterday I went to Speed Skating at Idaho Ice World... it was incredible!
One more thing, tomorrow night, plan on a front row seat to the Closing Ceremony! That front row seat is on your couch! We'll be broadcasting the event from 7pm-9pm right here on KTVB.
Well, SIX MORE WEEKS of winter it is... we got some snow overnight!
Boise Bill also saw his shadow at Zoo Boise with Larry Gebert... he's our very own "Prognosticating Praire Dog". Maybe these little critters really do know their stuff?
Here at the station, we went into full weather mode. That means calling in Rick Lantz, and sending Larry and Edgar out into the cold! People always ask me... "Why do you and Doug get to stay warm and cozy in the studio (with coffee), when poor Edgar gets tossed outside?" He is a such a good sport! But he doesn't work alone, his photographer Theresa is also out there with him - making sure the LIVE shot is set up and working! Here they are in the truck trying to stay warm:
They jump inside during commercial breaks to prevent popsicle-ism. (Which by the way, is my own word, it's not in Websters or anything) This snow is great news for The Special Olympics World Winter Games! The outdoor venues can always use some new snow. Our 7 Day Forecast looks great for that...
You have to check out some of the incredible sporting events. Talk about inspiring! There is still time, but don't delay - Closing Ceremonies are Friday night! More on that coming up this week... stay tuned! Enjoy the snow today! Stay warm...
Big happenings at the Boise Towne Square Mall last night... 5 suspicious devices (made to look like bombs) were discovered at different locations inside the mall.
This caused an immediate evacuation at about 7:30 last night. 2000 people inside were told to get out quickly! The bomb squad came in, and it turns out all the devices were fakes! This is the first time in 20 years that the mall had to be evacuated. It will be open today for shoppers... President Obama held his first LIVE news conference last night:
He addressed all Americans about the importance of passing an economic stimulus plan... but in a rare opportunity, reporters were allowed to ask him questions after. It's rare we get to see that after an address in prime time. Also making news - The Special Olympics World Winter Games continue this week. You can watch free events across the Treasure Valley, and in McCall and Sun Valley too! Check the events schedule - you can find that on our homepage.
It's disappointing to organizers of the games. In this tough economy, some GOOD news would be wonderful to cover, wouldn't it? Vice President Joe Biden is coming to Boise Thursday - and he could bring quite a bit of media with him.
Maybe that will boost national coverage? We'll see!
So, this weekend I really lucked out and had the chance to go to the Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies as a regular spectator. What an incredible experience it was... something I won't forget! Take a look at the LINES to get in.... it was the longest line I have ever seen - I had to take a picture to show all of you:
All the pomp and circumstance was so much fun to be a part of! Here is the cauldron before it was lit... and before the athletes came in:
Then the athletes filled the Idaho Center up!
Wouldn't you know it... right after that picture was taken... my camera battery died. I was kicking myself for hours! All in all, it was really a special experience. I'm so glad I had the chance to go. Our TV production was even more impressive - we are going to replay it again and again - so if you missed it, check our 24/7 listings. *We also have a Special Olympics Event Schedule online... so look for that! What a great chance to see some sporting events, and to feel inspired.
Let the "Special Olympics World Winter Games" begin!
Opening Ceremonies are tomorrow at 2pm at the Idaho Center in Nampa. The tickets to this event are all gone, but the good news is - you won't miss a thing! We'll be broadcasting the event from start to finish right here on KTVB, and even online at www.ktvb.com! It's sure to be an inspirational start to the games... If I have the chance to go (which I'm still not sure about yet, tickets are THAT hard to get!) - I will certainly take pictures and share them with you on Monday. We have confirmed that the Vice President Joe Biden is coming to Idaho for the games!
Lots of other big stars coming into Idaho too... actor/politician Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger:
Tom Arnold (of Roseanne Barr fame), Kenny G, Darius Rucker from HOOTIE and the Blowfish... etc etc.
Crews are busy getting the Idaho Center ready as you read this... it's crunch time and everything needs to be done in time for tomorrow. It's going to be the biggest thing Idaho has ever seen or hosted! Just wait... MAKE SURE YOU TUNE IN TOMORROW AT 2pm, Mark, Carolyn and Dee will be there to bring you this very special event LIVE!
Yesterday, you may have seen - I had the chance to go LIVE at the Boise Depot for the Special Olympics World Winter Games Torch arrival. I was excited to take part in it, but I had no idea how truly special it would be! Look at it go!
My good friend Troy McClain from The Apprentice - has been involved with bringing these games to Idaho for three years now... so it was quite a day for him. Also, Trace Dandrea of McCain Foods joined me for interviews about his quest to raise money for the games with his "Be a Fan of Joy" bracelet campaign...
But the little man who STOLE THE SHOW... was six year old Anthony Dandrea (Trace's son)... he passed out the blue "Be a Fan of Joy" bracelets to all the law enforcement officers (from around the WORLD) involved in running the torch. They were thrilled:
This little boy not only stole the show, he stole my heart... we could be looking at a future Special Olympics Athlete!
My job takes me to wonderful places, and gives me incredible opportunities - and I can truly say yesterday was one of the best! Take advantage of the games next week, BE A FAN! You'll be glad you did. :)
So today is the BIG day! The Special Olympics World Winter Games torch will arrive at City Hall in Boise today... we have full coverage coming up at 4pm. I'll be live at the Depot, and our crew will be staged from the Depot to City Hall as we show you the final leg of this world journey! Gold Medalist Kristin Armstrong will be there too! Tune in today at 4pm... you can also watch it online here at KTVB.com.
Did you watch the Today Show this morning? If not, you missed Matt and Meredith and the gang wearing SNUGGIES. Do you know what a Snuggie is? Have you seen the infomercial? If not, here is the TODAY crew modeling them!
(It's a blanket with arms... that you wear to lounge around the house. LOL.) I have a confession to make! I recently ordered the SNUGGIE as a gift for James (My husband). He saw it on TV, and thought it would be great to watch TV in. (I'm serious) We joked about it so much, I had to order it for him for Christmas. I also ordered one for me! Why not? A "his and hers" pair! Doug agreed to model the SNUGGIES with me - But I have to say, it's hard to get work done around here with a pair of SNUGGIES in the newsroom... they are pretty cozy...
PS: The mint SNUGGIES go in the closet at my house when we're not actually wearing them. :) They totally clash with my couches.
Happy Tuesday to all of you in the blogosphere... Did any of you see FORMER Gov. Rod Blagojevich on the Today Show this morning? Sometimes I wonder why he keeps doing interviews... he never seems to answer the questions asked! It's so frustrating to watch.
I think he's in his own world - or his own "BLAGOSPHERE", so to speak. Time will tell what happens to him. He's facing serious charges of trying to sell Barack Obama's Illinois senate seat. Lots of news today... I think the most compelling story is how a Japanese Exchange Student from Capital High survived a night in freezing temperatures - after getting lost snowboarding out of bounds at Bogus Basin.
You have to watch the story on our homepage, to really get the sense of just how fortunate this 17-year-old is. For me, it was touching to see his host family so concerned about him. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending! Also making news today - Governor Otter is recovering as we speak from shoulder surgery.
We all know he's an active guy out on his ranch is Star. Word is he was out roping with his friends - when he tore some ligaments, his rotator cuff and the tendon that connects his bicep to the bone. OUCH! This isn't the best time for him to have surgery since the Special Olympics World Winter Games start this Saturday... but he didn't have a choice! He's a trooper so I bet he'll rally and be a part of the games anyway. We'll see. More on the games tomorrow! We have some exciting stuff planned around here at KTVB... :)
It's what everyone is talking about today! The Superbowl was a nail biter!!!! Now, even though my husband was cheering for the Cardinals, he agreed the Steelers really pulled it out at the end... he was almost bi-partisan by the end of the game. (Kind of) Here's a look at the trophy:
My co-anchor Doug took the day off today to "recover" from the game and he probably needs it! He is a HUGE Steelers fan, and that was super duper close... he bites his nails when he's nervous - and something tells me there are NO nails left to bite today! :) LOL. Congrats to Doug tho... I'm sure this made his year. (He'll have a spring in his step all month!) There was an explosion overnight at a house in the North End. Two people were airlifted to the burn unit in SLC. Scary! Imagine waking up to that? Apparently, we hear the injuries are not life threatening. We'll keep you updated today as we learn more. A happy ending to a weekend story for you - two teen boys were found safe after wandering off on a sledding trip, and getting caught in a freezing ravine near Bogus. A blackhawk had to come rescue them in the middle of the night:
Finally - on a lighter note, I took Friday off and my husband and I went to Winter Carnival in McCall!
I was shocked at how many people were there... it was a blast! There was a huge parade... one float creator turned this backhoe into a dragon:
It seems dragons were the theme there, take a look at these incredible ice sculptures...
And look at the lake! It's completely covered in snow... there were people on it... if you look really closely you can see a guy (very tiny) cross country skiing in this pic - you may need a microscope tho.
You still have time to check out all the fun... Winter Carnival lasts through Sunday. A lot of people just drive up for the day. You don't want to miss it! |
