Displaced burrowing owls
April 12th, 2007
As we build our homes throughout the desert, we misplace the homes of others. I’m talking about burrowing owls, the only birds of prey that live underground.
Archive
Archive for April, 2007
Zest for Food
April 9th, 2007
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Spring is here and it’s time to dust ourselves off and head out for a culinary adventure!
Inmate Idols… Rock Stars in Stripes
April 6th, 2007
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It’s the one story I get asked about most, singing cons at Sheriff Joe’s Tent City… so here are the high notes. The con-testants sang everything from soulful ballads, to hip hop, one guy belted out a Garth Brooks country classic.
Well, they may be in low places, behind bars wearing pink socks and hand cuffs, but at Tent City they’re rockstars in stripes. Let me tell ya, it was one captive audience!
Morenci Movers & Shakers
April 6th, 2007
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We’re back on the road this week, shooting stories for the road trip in May, and this picture should show what a great couple of days it’s been.
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Are You My Family?
April 3rd, 2007
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Did you know there are about 10,000 children in Arizona’s foster care system? To me, this is shocking. And it’s become even more surprising now that I’ve gotten to know some of the kids.
It was about a year ago when I heard 3TV was going to begin the “Are You My Family” segment. I can’t really explain why, but I was immediately interested. The stories are a collaboration between 3TV, AASK and The Fore Foundation. AASK stands for Aid to Adoption of Special Kids. They locate a child every other week for us to feature in the on-air segment. Usually it’s a child who has been in the foster care system a little longer than the others, or may have special needs. The Fore Foundation was created by PGA golfer Kirk Triplett and his wife Cathi. They adopted two children and want to help other Arizona families experience the same joy they have.
It’s been a year now, and through the “Are You My Family” segments, we have found 13 children homes. Some of those children were featured in the on-air segments, but others were simply profiled on azfamily.com. At the end of each story on a local child looking for a home, I encourage viewers to check out our website to learn more about adoption and the other kids who need a home. Apparently, it’s working!
I am so happy that people are responding to this segment. I wish everyone had a chance to go spend a day with these kids as I have. It’s not their fault they’re in foster care. They have such amazing attitudes, despite what they’ve been through. Because of a shortage of foster homes, many of the boys live in group homes. They want a real family and a real home more than anything. During a taping we did in December, one of the little boys told me he’d like a Nintendo and some video games for Christmas, but more than anything he just wanted a family. Another little boy told me he wish he could win the lottery so he could *buy a family. It’s not often that the kids actually mention their family situation. We usually just try to talk to them about their hobbies, their school, etc. But every once in a while, it comes through just how desperate these kids are to have a normal life.
Just this morning, I found out that two more children featured on 3TV found homes. I am overjoyed at this news, but still sad when I think of the kids who are still waiting.
Their profiles are still on the website. If you or someone you know might be interested in adoption, please take a minute to read them. I hope people will keep an open mind too about the age of kids they might adopt. The older boys have been some of the most caring kids I’ve ever met. Check out John, a sweet young boy who’s been in foster care way too long. His CPS worker says he would adjust well to a new family because he would be so appreciative; he’s been wanting a family for so long. Check out Austin, a boy who has more personality than any 11-year old I’ve ever met. Or Dakota, who’s sense of humor will keep *you smiling. Or Cleo and Robby, the two brothers who will do anything to stay together.
In the next year of this program, I’m looking forward to bringing viewers more stories of boys and girls who need a family, but also beginning to tell some of the success stories of families who’ve adopted the children from these segments. The “Are You My Family” stories air every other Wednesday night on Good Evening Arizona, but the videos are also available on azfamily.com/somethinggood. Please take a moment to check them out.
Another Woeful Winter
April 2nd, 2007
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The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and everyone is sneezing. That can only mean one thing, spring has sprung. Now for you Valley folk, it has been spring since October. 70 degree temperatures and nice sunny days, who could complain?
Well I can. That’s because once again the “High Country” folk were robbed of another winter. Let me give you some numbers to mull over. According to the National Weather Service since September, Flagstaff only had 47 inches of snow fall from the sky. The average? 97 inches. That means there is about a 50 inch deficit for snow pack in Flagstaff. Yeah, we’re doing better than last year when only 41 inches dropped during the winter, but that’s not saying much. However, it gets even scarier when you think that for the last two “WINTERS that WEREN’T,” Flagstaff is about 100 inches of snow below normal.
Some might argue it is devastating Snowbowl, the Northern Arizona ski resort. However we have a bigger issue when you consider the impact it is having on our national forest. From the Prescott to the Coconino through the Tonto National Forests there are thousands of acres of bug kill trees. How do bark beetles kill trees? According to the Arizona Forest Health Program here’s the explanation:
How do pine bark beetles kill trees? Pine bark beetles (Ips sp. and Dendroctonus sp.) feed primarily on the inner bark (phloem tissue). This has the same effect as girdling (peeling off the bark) of the tree. Damage caused by their feeding acts as an internal tourniquet cutting off the flow of nutrients from the leaves to the other parts of the tree. As the damage progresses, sugars and other complex compounds cannot be translocated downward from the leaves to non-photosynthetic areas of the tree. The beetle can also introduce a blue stain fungus which grows into the wood (xylem). This fungus prevents water from being transported upward to the leaves. Both of these factors contribute to the decline and death of colonized trees.
What caused the current bark beetle outbreak? The current level of bark beetle mortality has resulted from a combination of natural factors including, but not limited to: drought, dense forest stands, shallow/rocky soils, and relatively large quantities of bark beetles. Human activities such as fire suppression, past forest management practices, past grazing practices, and ongoing urbanization also have also contributed to current conditions. These factors all influence the amount of water, light, and nutrients available to individual trees in the forest. Trees not receiving enough of these resources become stressed. Bark beetles can detect stressed, susceptible trees and they respond by colonizing it and effectively removing it from the population. This inadvertently makes a larger quantity of resources available for the surviving trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
So why am I telling you this? All these trees are prime fuel for forest fires and according to the state forester more than 60% of all wildfires in Arizona are human caused. Please be careful while using the forest!
Accents
April 1st, 2007
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I’m sitting at home on a Sunday watching the news, listening to reporters at the various stations do their best Spanish accents.