Life. In Black & White!

     MONDAY, DECEMBER 14TH.

      LIFE. IN BLACK & WHITE

     My Grand daughter was in the
spotlight a lot yesterday. First she
sang a solo in church. Later she
joined her school chorus in a
Christmas concert.
     As usual I was there with a
video camera to record the events.
I've been doing that for 17-years-
with the grand kids and a lot longer
with their parents.
     Home movies, T-ball, soccer,
concerts. You name it and I've
probably photographed it on film,
video tape, or camera card.
     But as those things happened
I was seeing them in black and
white! I've had a lot of cameras.
But all but one of them had black
and white view finders. So, that's
how things looked to me.
     All of my "newer models" have
those little flip our screens so you
can see what you're photographing
in color. But I seldom use them.
They drain the batteries much
faster and if the sun is shining on
them you can't see anything. Even
black and while is better than that!
      Of course my videos all came
out in full spectrum color so I got
to see all those great events all over
again just the way everybody else
saw them as they happened. 
      I've even got home movies of
myself when I was just a kid. Of
course, now that I think of it, most
of them are in black and white. And
my Dad probably shot them looking
through a glass view finder which
would have shown me....in color.
There's something confusing about
all of this. I guess nothing is just
"black or white."
       Hope everything is in focus...
and that all your NEWS is good!

SCHOOL DAYS!

   SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13TH.

          SCHOOL DAYS!

   It was close to Noon when they
bell rang yesterday. Salvation Amy?
Christmas Bell? Nope! It was the
school bell!
    I was never overly pleased to
hear the school ring. That would be
especially true had it sounded on a
Saturday! But this was no ordinary
Saturday. And this was no ordinary
school!
    The bell was the from the original
Bear Creek Elementary School. Its
sounding marked the official
dedication of the brand new Bear
Creek Community Charter School at
Ten Mile Run. The 22 million dollar
complex will officially open to
students as they return from their
Christmas/New Year's holiday
break.
    There are, of course, new modern
classrooms, a state-of-the-art
gymnasium and cafeteria. But this
campus also features garden space
for each class, water fountains that
include a dispenser where students
can fill their own water bottles, and
computer carts that can be taken
where ever they're needed. There's
a mural filled with photographs
that trace the history of Bear Creek's
school, and......get this.....a fireplace
in the entrance hall!
     Developers say kids will want to
come to school everyday! I never
had that feeling. But, after seeing
the rocking chairs on the back porch
overlooking the nature pond, I may
have some second thoughts about
that!
      Hope visitors can use them too
and that all your NEWS is good!



























































   

Certain Parties!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12TH.

       CERTAIN PARTIES

     My wife and I were invited to
the annual WBRE/WYOU Christmas
Party last night. We were grateful to
be included! I retired 6 years ago so,
to be honest, there were a lot of
people at that gathering I really
don't know. Some I've met but just
can't remember their names. A lot
of the "new kids" I've never seen
before.
       That always puts me in a
difficult spot. Someone will say
"Hi" and my wife asks who it was.
Or, worse yet, they begin a
conversation with me as my wife
stands or sits nearby. But I can't
introduce them. It's not that I don't
know any names. I always remember
my wife's!
       There's also a group there who
you don't know. But you really should!
The people you see on your TV screen
are usually hard workers who deserve
the credit they get.
        But there are many more people,
behind the scenes, who work to make
those of us on the air look and sound
good.
        I ran into some of them at the
party and seeing them again brought
back some great memories.
        Joe Butash and Jimmy Keenan
are two of the photographers who
worked hard to keep me in focus over
the years. It was great talking over old
times with them.
       Butash is still on the job as is
Lonnie Miller and his wife Dawn.
Lonnie is Chief Photographer at 28/
22 and his wife was my boss as my
Executive Producer when I was still
on the job. I probably talked with
her on the phone a lot more than she
talked with her husband back then!
      Lynda Parry is one of those
"secretaries" with whom the station
could not function. She's the boss's
right arm!
      And Becky Stitzer is a young
Produce who pulled an old reporter
(Me) back in to anchor the station's
anniversary special two years ago.
"Just when I thought I was out they,"
well I actually enjoyed it a lot!
          There are many more and, as I've
said, I don't know a lot of them. Even
so it was nice to spend an evening
together celebrating and, in my case,
remembering!
       Hope we do it more often and
that all their, and your, NEWS is
good!

 
       

Hungy To Learn!

    FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11TH.

        HUNGRY TO LEARN!

    It's never too soon to start leaning.
So each week when our new grandson
comes to visit (he's 4-months-now) we
become teachers as well as grandparents.
     I always greet him by speaking to
him as though he was an adult. He seems
to enjoy it and my wife seems impressed
I can rise to that level!
      I've found a site on my computer on
which I can call up popular "learning
songs" like the "Alphabet Song" and the
"Wheels On The Bus" so he can learn a
few letters and a little about technology.
Where else can an infant learn that the
wipers on the bus go "swish, swish,
swish?" I don't think that song was
available when I was growing up. Had
I heard it I probably would have known
to replace that passenger side wiper
before it scratched the windshield last
year!
     Anyway, my wife decided her lesson
would involve a good book. We have one
that survived all of our kids and their kids
so far. It's made out of some rubberized
material and has pictures of a dog, a duck,
a fish, and several other animals.
You can see what they look like, how their
names are spelled and even get a little
squeak out of it if you press it in the
right spot.
     Or, if you're like my grandson, you
can try to eat the book! Like I say....he's
got a real appetite for education!
      Hope there's some good literature on
the menu and that all your NEWS is good!

WAITING FOR THE CALL!

   THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10TH.

      WAITING FOR THE CALL!

   I'm thinking I ought to sit by the
phone today.
   Last month I received a Facebook
message that this Blog had won a 1st
place award from Happenings
Magazine. In fact all the winners in
numerous categories are listed in the
magazine's December issue.
   Last December my Blog took 1st.
place in the "Best of 2014" competition
conducted by the Diamond City
publication.
   In both instances someone must
have nominated me without my
knowledge. So, the way I figure it,
it's probably one of you who are
reading this!
    Today I'm hoping the same person
(or persons) nominated me again.
You see this is Nobel Prize Day!
    When Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel
died on 10 December 1896, he left his
fortune to individuals or organizations
in all sorts of fields. There's a Nobel
Prize for Physics. One for Chemistry
and another for Medicine.
    And get this. There's one for
Literature! I'm thinking a Blog could
fit in that category! My Blogs have
been pretty peaceful too (except for
the ones about the water gun I bought
to chase cats) and there's a separate
Peace Prize.
     I loved receiving the Happenings
and Diamond City honors and the
certificates and food that came along
with them. But the Nobel Prize includes
over a million dollars and, well, you
know, it's nearly Christmas.
    Alfred Nobel made his fortune by
inventing dynamite so winning this one
would be a real blast!
    Hope you guys gave them my number
and that all your NEWS is good!

A HALLMARK HOLIDAY?

   WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9TH.

        A HALLMARK HOLIDAY?

     It's December 9th. It's "Christmas
Card Day!" This day honors Sir Henry
Cole (1818 - 1874) of England. Cole
created the first commercial Christmas
Card in 1843.
     I'm not so sure you local mailman
(or woman) is celebrating. Every year
about this time their mail sacks get a
little bit heavier!
     Of course there's not as much
Christmas mail, at least in the form
of cards, as there used to be. The cost
of stamps and the time involved
writing and addressing cards has seen
many people switch to email versions
of the traditional Christmas greetings.
     We still enjoy receiving and
sending Christmas cards. We started
our own tradition back in 2009 after
visiting the house used in the movie
"A Christmas Story." You know, the
one where little Ralphie wants a 200
shot Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas!
We had our picture taken in the front
window by the famous "Leg Lamp"
and turned it into a Christmas card!
Each year we come up with our own
version of a scene from that movie.
It's a challenge. But it's fun!
     Family and some close family
friends should be getting this year's
version this week. Blog, or Facebook
followers will get to see it much
closer to Christmas right here on
line.
     Since we produce our own we
haven't officially participated in
this "Hallmark Holiday." But we
still welcome the Hallmarks we
find in our mailbox!
      If you're still a card sender you
probably ought to be working on
yours about now. As of today there
are just two weeks of mail delivery
days until Christmas!
     Hope the mailman (or woman)
holds up....and that all your NEWS
is good!
    (Our 2009 Christmas Card)

COMING OR GOING?

    TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH.

       COMING OR GOING?

    If you've ever been told you're
living in the past, or are ahead of
your time, this day may be for
you.
     This is "Pretend You're A
Time Traveler Day!" It was created
in 2007 by the Koala Wallop online
community.
     A lot of people fantasize about
the possibility and it's nothing new.
Charles Dickens envisioned it. In
his story  “A Christmas Carol”
Ebenezer Scrooge, is  transported
back and forth through time to witness
various events, leading to his eventual
change of heart towards Christmas.
     I'm not sure I want to envision the
future. I could look ahead and find I'm
not there! That could be a bit
unsettling! It would probably be better
to go back and relive some of my
better days. Or buy some stocks like
Amazon or Macintosh!
     Of course this is just "Pretend
You're A Time Traveler Day." I, as
I've reported before, have actually
done some Time Traveling. Several
times just after the New Year's ball
fell at Times Square I've called
family members in California
allowing me to speak to people in
the previous year!
     Since I haven't reset my car
clock since we switched to Standard
Time, I'm an hour into the future
every time I go for a ride!
     So enjoy the day. Perhaps you
can pretend it's next weekend...and
take the day off!
      Hope you get away with it and
that all you NEWS is good!