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July 2009
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April 2009If you visit our home anytime soon, my 6-year old son will be quick to offer a viewing of his "dead pet." ...I started off my day sifting through a bunch of facts and figures. On Wednesday the Issaquah School District made the announcement that 195 positions may not be guaranteed next school year; that translates to the elimination of158 teaching positions.
I don't ever remember a single episode of "Leave it to Beaver" in which June Cleaver carted the neighborhood kids all afternoon -- from track practice to baseball game back to spring soccer, pleading with the kids all along the way to stop calling each other "vomit breath." When Seattle hands you a dry weekend in April, you don't look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth -- i.e., you don't quibble about high clouds filtering the sunshine. So on a milky-hued Sunday that promised to head near 70 degrees, I set out to test my conditioning. I went for the steepest hike I know: Mailbox Peak. ...Who deserves the optimism of Opening Day more than the residents of Seattle? Companies can get all hung up with their corporate identities. Trademarks, the colors they use on their packaging, etc. It's all intended to create a consistent look, and all too often consistency equates to boring and bland. I love this story we covered out of Moscow, Idaho, today - where the principal at J. Russel School replaced the chairs in an elementary classroom with exercise balls. It was an experiment to see if the students would pay better attention in class if they were allowed to move around more and be more comfortable. The principal admits, he was skeptical when the chairs were rolled out and the balls were rolled in. But it was a smashing success. He... She's off and running - Running away from a television interview.
Temple University researchers released the shocking results of their new study, which shows one in five 4-year-olds in America is obese. Houston, we have a problem! As parents, we want to steer our kids clear of the problem, knowing full-well we hardly have room (literally) to talk! Most of us are packing at least a few extra pounds, too (present company included). ...To be honest, most of the 19-21 year old guys we put on KING 5 are not upstanding members of society. But that's whom I met today when I interviewed Matt Hornung, 19, Chet Abbott, 20, and Scott Carlson, 21.
Have you ever had one of those moments when you get a very strong sign that it's time to slow down? Tami Silicio called me today after watching a flag-draped casket being unloaded at Dover Air Force Base on television. It's the first time media were allowed to witness the arrival of war dead since 1991. If there's one thing we know about people in Seattle, it's that they will go outdoors en masse when the sun finally comes out. We can safely say demand for that mysterious golden orb has been more pent-up than usual after a winter that has muscled its way into spring. Nobody wants to cover a story like that of the 5 children killed by their father near Orting this week. Nobody. Ever. Most reporters I know avoid these stories like the plague. They're miserable for everyone involved. Yet, there still seems to be a feeling among the general public that we want to be there, maybe even enjoy it. One family member cried out, "Monsters!" at reporters after crews arrived on the scene on Saturday. While I understand... Five children killed by their father in Graham, WA. Our newsroom is busy now trying to cover all the angles. How did it happen? Who could have done such a thing? Why did he do it? But the question I want to know right now - in the very beginning of the investigation - is who were these sweet, precious children? In our pursuit of information, I don't want to overlook their lives. Having three sisters myself, I read this bit of news with particular interest today: British researchers at Ulster University found people who grew up with sisters are more likely to be happy and balanced. They found having daughters in a family also made people more open and willing to discuss feelings. ...Apparently the joke is on us. |
