Ross Becker's Blog

WHERE THE TIRE MEETS THE ROAD

2007-06-28T20:49:00Z

I am not usually squeamish, but I did something this week that made me shudder.

I could not avoid it. It was just THERE! In a flash. I swerved, but it swerved, too...and where the tire meets the road I crushed a "potgut".

Thud. Not loud. Just a thud. It was my first Utah roadkill.

I said a prayer and then I laughed at myself for getting so upset for killing a rodent. The laughter faded about 100 feet up the road when a saw a family of "potguts" marching up the side of the road. Was it the family looking for a relative?

Days later the image of that stain on the asphalt was still with me so I began doing a little research.

I had never heard of these little varmits referred to as "potguts" before. It seems they are part of the praire dog family.

And then I ran across a United Press International article from a few years back and all my guilt went away.

BLANDING, Utah, May 16 (UPI) -- The campground at Utah's Natural Bridges National Monument has been closed because of an outbreak of bubonic plague among rodents, a report said.

National Park Service officials said fleas that transmit the so-called Black Death to field mice, potguts and chipmunks would be killed with insecticides.

In addition to Natural Bridges, rodent plague outbreaks have been reported in Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park and Colorado National Monument.

The United States averages 18 human cases of bubonic plague each year -- mostly in Arizona and New Mexico.

BLACK DEATH! If these little critters can carry the Plague then maybe I did the world a favor!

I hope the little family of "potguts" will understand, I really didn't mean it.

What an ODD coincidence!

2007-06-26T21:58:00Z

I know there is a plan, because without one these kinds of strange things would not happen in the world.

I have had the pleasure to work with a man named Robby Messer for the last 6 months. He is our 10 o'clock producer and he got me through my first day here at ABC4, through Trolley Square, through the Hanson Home Makeover, numerous snow storms and the rest of the day to day disasters and angst present in every newsroom.

Now..he is going home. My home! Robby is going to Green Bay, Wisconsin. He has a new job there in management and I am so excited for him.

You see, Green Bay is where I was born and raised. It is my "old" home and now his "new" home. Isn't that an odd coincidence? I have been able to share some of the things about my town, but the truth is that Green Bay has changed so much since I lived there, he can probably teach me more about it now than I could share with him.

I loved growing up in Green Bay. It was a small town with a big town attitude. The Packers made it a world-class city. My neighbor and friends and classmates made it my home. 230 Huth Street is where I lived during grade school and high school and then we moved to Allouez on 320 West Briar Lane.

I am a bit jealous. Oh..I would not want to go back. But, I am still somehow jealous that Robby is going there.

Congratulations Robby! Take care of my town....and make it your town.

THE REAL FAMILY FEUD!

2007-06-21T20:37:00Z

I just heard! No deal! I can't believe that a mother and daughter cannot back down and forgive, but that's what is apparantly happening in the so-called "Kidnapped Bride" case in Provo.

We have all heard about it. The daughter supposedly kidnapped by mom and dad on the night before the wedding. They took her on a "road trip" to try to convince her she was about to ruin her life with a deadbeat boyfriend.

Now, I am not making value judgements about the case or the cause. What amazes me is that it's clear there are serious issues between these two families and the legal system probably is not the place to deal with those issues.

Let's get to my point. Julia and Lemuel Redd are grandparents now. Their estranged daughter has a child with her new husband. I know there is anger on both sides. Anger and betrayl and injustice....I heard all about it when I interviewed the Redds after a court hearing in January. We were whisked into a tiny, overheated room in the courthouse and squeezed in a corner to conduct the interview.

They told me they were sorry about the battle with their daughter. If you asked me right now my opinion, I would say Lemuel is sorry and Julia is not. That's just my opinion. Another observation is that I sensed this mother and father were sincere in their intentions. They love their daughter.

As a reporter it might be interesting to cover this court case, now that the negotiations on a plea deal have collapsed. But, I can't help but think of that grandchild wondering about "Grandma and Grandpa" and why they are never around.

Families are messy. This one is really messy and about to get worse and we are apparantly going to see it play out in a courtroom.

Could there be a reality show in here? .......I hope not.

INVEST IN A VEST

2007-06-19T21:12:00Z

If you are expecting some kind of deep thinking blog entry you will be sorely disappointed this time. I want to talk about Wal-Mart.

There was a story this week about Wal-Mart changing it's employee dress code. It is dumping the tacky blue vests with the smiley face and asking workers to wear polo shirts and tan pants.

What is this world coming to?!! That's like taking the torch from the hand of the Statue of Liberty, or Park Place off a Monopoly board!

The Wal-Mart vest is an American icon. It is the symbol of capitalism that underlines the vison of Sam Walton. The vest is what saved hundreds of thousands of retirees from a life sitting and watching soap operas. They wore that vest proudly greeting Wal-Mart shoppers.

It is also the vest worn by single moms working 10-12 hour days trying to provide for their families.

It is also the vest worn by some men who lost their high-paying, white collar jobs and needed that job at Wal-Mart to keep their families together.

It's so much more than a vest. It's a symbol of supply and demand. It's the American way.

So, when I heard the Wal-Mart vest was going away, it was a sad day. The vests will be recycled into blankets for the troops in the Middle East, a noble cause to be sure. But, I think, history will show us those blue vests with the big, yellow smiley face on them will be a symbol of the late 20th century in the United States.

There is one already listed on Ebay. Go for it.

LET'S GO TO THE MARKET!

2007-06-15T22:00:00Z

I went diving into the deep end of the Utah pool last weekend when I went strolling through the Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park on downtown Salt Lake City.

I love those kind of weekly "markets". It reminds me of an old "Main Street". You know the kind of place where people walked and talked and shopped and had real conversations with their neighbors.

It was the first weekend of the downtown park marketplace and it was packed! People with their children and their dogs and their husbands and their wives. The food booths filled the park with a great aroma and there was music, too.

As we walked around, we began learning about the wonderful Utah crafts. My wife was particularly impressed with the hand-crocheted baby clothing. How cute!

We bought some fresh snap-peas and some of the reddest radishes I had ever seen.

Also just worth noting, there was one booth with two teenaged boys selling handmade glass pipes. You know, the kind used to smoke...well...possibly illegal drugs. As I walked by, I heard the man in the booth next to them ask, "hey boys, hows business?". I looked. There was no one at their booth.

Moving on we saw Utah honey and even Utah grown lamb. We have all summer to try a little bit of it all.

Maybe by August those two boys will find a product that will sell. Try chocolate. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

See you in Pioneer Park.

ANOTHER MELTING ICE CUBE MEMORY

2007-06-13T21:09:00Z

Go ahead....blame this on global warming, too! It occured to me this week that, one by one, tiny parts of my past are melting away.

I got a newsletter in the mail from the CBS Alumni Association. Now, it's not as important as it might sound. It's just a bunch of old CBS and CBS News employees from Los Angeles who try to keep in touch.

On the front page of this newsletter is the picture of our old "home". The story is that our "home" is going away.

On the corner of Sunset and Gower in the middle of Hollywood is a place called Columbia Square. It's an old, art deco building erected in 1938 to house the CBS family on the west coast.

If you "Google" it you can find a picture. It's a grand building! You know the kind that looks part mansion and part cruise ship.

I worked at Columbia Square for 10 years. It was my "home" for that time in the 1980's. It was a time when people still smoked cigarettes at their desks. We had a "commissary" and hot meals were served morning, noon and night. There were typewriters everywhere.

When I first started there as a 28 year old reporter from Indianapolis, I used to get lost in that building. It was so big and had been remodeled so many times that some hallways lead to nowhere.

It's where I met Billy Knaggs, one of the original male Hollywood make-up artists who would tell us stories about the old movies he worked on and the stars he made look like stars. He made us look good, too.

We always knew when CBS Chairman Bill Paley was coming west for a little sunshine, because the rented plants showed up in the main lobby. I met Dan Rather at Columbia Square. I also worked there with Brent Musberger and Connie Chung and Ann Curry and Pat O'Brien and a wonderful journalist who I considered a mentor, Bill Stout. I learned about Bill's death while at my desk at Columbia Square.

The story in the newsletter says Columbia Square is closing. The offices and studios and equipment is moving to a newer, bigger place.

The new owners say they will try to keep the "feel" of the building when they remodel the place into a destination shopping/living complex.

Well I "feel" the loss. I know there were ghosts at Columbia Square. The ghosts of old Hollywood roam those same dead-end hallways.

But, I roamed those hallways, too and I am glad.

So, I read the article in the newsletter about Columbia Square and felt the heat. It's hot in Hollywood these days and my "ice cubes", my memories are melting away.

Try to keep yours in the freezer as long as you can.

YOU COULD HEAR IT IN HIS VOICE.....

2007-06-07T21:40:00Z

When I do interviews with people involved in news events, I really try to listen, not just to the facts but the emotion. Last night I heard something in someones voice as I interviewed him "live" on the air and I had to check it out.

A fire broke out at Salt Lake City International Airport in the fire training area. A 12,000 gallon propane tank was leaking and the propane was sending flames into the air. Next to that tank was another 12,000 gallon propane tank. It was a huge bomb ready to explode. This was no training exercise, this was an accident.

The fire department could only spray water on the tanks trying to keep them cool and keep the propane from "boiling" and splitting the tank. They set the stream of water and backed off. An evacuation zone was set up with a two mile radius. This was a dangerous situation.

I was on the air with a "live" breaking news cut-in and we had the assistant fire chief, Dennis McKone on the telephone. He was going down the list of what the department was doing and explaining the evacuation zone and then I heard it.

You might call it a "gasp" or maybe it was just a gutteral reaction, but I heard something in Asst. Chief McKone's voice that told me he was concerned, very concerned, maybe even frightened. His "words" were reassuring us that the department had the situation under control and it was doing all it could.

But, I could tell that was not the entire story. So, I asked. I said to Dennis, "I can hear it in your voice, the fear, this is potentially very dangerous isn't it.?"

He said yes and he opened up. He said if this explodes most people in Salt Lake City will feel it. It could crack windows in the downtown area. He let out a breath. He was frightened, too and he let it show. He let his guard down. It was part of the story and in order for us to understand the importance of the event, we had to see him show his emotion, too.

I am glad I asked the question. I wish more public officials or police or firefighters would allow us to show their fear and concern. We know it's a dangerous job. Thanks for doing it...and for sharing it like Assistant Chief McKone.

By the way, the department ran out of water to cool the tank. But, the propane burned itself out and there was no explosion. It was still right to be afraid. In fact, go to our website and check out the story on June 7th by Larry Warren at 10 pm. He will show you what would have happened if that thing had exploded.

SHOULD I KEEP WRITING MY NOVEL?

2007-06-05T21:29:00Z

Doesn't everyone want to write the great American novel? I never did until about two years ago when, in a fit of emotion, I wrote the first line and then it gushed.

The problem now is that I have lost interest again. So I need your help.

Maybe it will give you an idea of who I am or how I think. I hope so.

I am also looking to you to give me encouragement to keep going.

Below is the first few paragraphs of my untitled novel. Please read it and let me know if I should rally and keep writing.

It wasn't the river that was on his mind.

He was getting ready for another trip down the rapids. Just another
couple of nights of floating and camping. He had the list of supplies
he needed in his head. And, he knew he would forget something. He
always did.

But, this trip he would be carrying something extra in the raft. It
was the memory of what happened last night.

As the darkness of the highway engulfed the road, Jack Lawford was deep in his thoughts. He knew he had to meet the guys by 9:30 that morning. The events of the last 48 hours had become such a distraction, that he missed the shortcut to the river, and lost precious time. This was his one trip a year, when he was allowed the pleasure of feeling completely free. Days spent with no cell phone, no meetings, no responsibilities to anyone except the three other people whom he had known since childhood.

He was thinking about that fate filled evening 4 years ago at a conference in Pebble Beach. He was in his element. At 46, he was the golden boy. The one man whose experience and expertise was sought by some of the most powerful men in business. He always knew he would achieve a level of success that would elevate the pain and shame he felt as a young boy. But in his wildest dreams, he never thought that a random introduction would threaten the dynamic of everything he had worked so hard to attain.

As he drove along watching the trees go by, he wondered if everyone had these flashbacks. For as long as he could remember, he was always re-living some moment from the past. He reached over and turned up the radio, hoping to drown out the thought of he grandmother’s cottage in northern Minnesota and cleaning fish on a wooden bench near the lake. There was no reason for this flashback moment. Maybe, he thought, it was God’s way of making him remember where he came from.

He shook himself into the present. He had more to worry about now. It wasn’t 1963 anymore. It was 2003 and life was a lot more complicated.

In the distance he noticed one of those big RV’s coming at him. It was a mile away, but he could still see the sun reflecting off the huge, bug stained grill. It was the only other vehicle on the road to the river.

It got closer and closer. And then…his cell phone rang. And the trance was broken.

“Hello, Jack can you hear me?” the voice said anxiously on the other end of the phone.

What do you think?

THEY CAUGHT A WHALE IN UTAH LAKE!

2007-05-31T20:28:00Z

Several years ago Elroy Colledge of Provo was fishing with his granddaughter in Utah Lake and she pulled a 15 pound catfish out of the shallow water.

Ever since she has teased grandpa about catching the "big one". Not any more.

It's not the state record, but it's a big one. After a 30 minute struggle Colledge yanked a 28.1 pound "cat" from the lake. It was 38 inches long and 28 inches around. Now that's a big fish!

It was just a little "blurb" on the Associated Press wire this afternoon. I thought the most interesting part was that Colledge was using a chicken heart as bait. It's not unusual, but it caught my eye. It's not often you see the words chicken heart in a news story.

It also caught my eye because it reminded me of my grandfather and our times in a boat on a lake in northern Wisconsin waiting for the fish to bite. Fishing was a passion for him. He loved to catch the bluegills and perch from the dock with the nightcrawlers he caught the night before. He liked to sit for hours on the lake trolling for northern pike, but he also like to cover himself in mosquito netting and trudge into some trout stream to "wet a fly".

So, when I read about the big catfish in Utah Lake and the grandfather who now has a bigger fish on the books than his granddaughter, I thought about my grandpa.

He taught me how to clean a fish while it was still alive. He taught me how to keep warm on the lake before the sun came up. He taught me to love the outdoors.

I know Elroy Colledge is proud of his fish. I suspect he is just as proud of his granddaughter. Take a picture of the catfish and fry it up, and hug your grandkids. They will remember.

Did You Ever Wear a Red Poppy?

2007-05-29T20:50:00Z

I printed a list from the Salt Lake Tribune last week. It shows all of the weekly community festivals and events in Utah, and there are hundreds.

Pleasant Grove has it's Strawberry Festival in June and the people in Mona are looking forward to July for Lavender Days.

All of these community festivals reminded me of how important these are to children because in the town where I grew up we looked forward to a once -a-year street party.

In Denmark, Wisconsin (just outside Green Bay) our community festival was the VFW Days Parade and Picnic. For one weekend of the summer the town was actually humming!

It all started on Friday night with the opening of Little League Baseball season. The entire community would gather at VFW Park and each burgers and hotdogs cooked by the American Leigon Post and then watch 3 baseball games. You could smell the food, and the beer and the exhaust from the pick-up trucks lining up in the outfield. There was no band, just some squeaky old loudspeakers playing the sound of songs picked up by an industrial microphone leaned up against a old phonograph in the press box.

The big fire truck from the Denmark Volunteer Fire Department was washed and parked nearby. Children could climb on the back and pretend, and after the games there where fireworks.

There was always the few guys in town, you know who they are, who got drunk and got loud and got arrested.

But for me, the biggest part of that Friday night was the carnival. It pulled into town on that morning and the workers were setting up the rides in a parking lot next to the community center.

They were dirty and bearded and rough. But, they always smiled as they answered the questions of the gaggle of kids on their bikes gathered to watch them work. Were there any new rides this year? How much do you make? Can you give us free passes? We all had questions and they lasted until the sun went down, way past the time we had to be home.

Saturday was the big day! It began with the pancake breakfast and then at 10 in the morning....the parade! Oh, what a show it was for a town of 1000 people.

The high school marching band, the shining fire truck again, the mayor in the only convertible in Wisconsin (or so we thought) and then the stars of the show. It was all about the men who served. They walked behind the American Flag, some of them in wheelchairs, some with canes, some with their grandchildren holding their hand.

They walked proud. This was just before Vietnam and just after Korea. So, most of these veterans honored by this picnic and parade served in Europe or the Pacific during World War II. The old ones served in the Big War....(google it).

And, they all wore red poppies.

The little cardboard poppies were on sale everywhere that weekend. Just a red circle, bent around the edges with a green pipe cleaner as a stem to twist around a button. Each one had a little white tag that said, "I proudly wear this poppy as a symbol of peace and to honor those who fought for that peace".

I wore one of those poppies. It seemed as if it was the law that special weekend.

I understand better now how important that poppy is and what it symbolizes.

So, as I read the list of community festivals in our state, I can't help but wonder the meaning of each of them for the people in those towns. How it will shape their futures and their memories of summer.

I am going to attend some of them this year. I hope to see you there.

A WALK DOWNTOWN

2007-05-22T21:05:00Z

I live in downtown Salt Lake City and I love it.! Oh yes, there are trees midst all the concrete. There are people on bikes and it's always fun to watch those getting off Trax on Main Street. There is always something going on downtown, or so it seems.

But, last Sunday, we took a longer walk downtown and we found that there is a silent rumble everywhere. It was warm and breezy and very quiet. As we walked down (or up) Main Street we passed one after another. I am refering to empty businesses or stores. Where did these people take their dreams? There are empty clothing stores and places that were obviously jeweler or shoe stores. Where did they go? The suburbs I assume.

However, as we walked we heard that rumble again. Urban growth is like a pendulum. It swings one way and they back. The rumble we heard is the pendulum swinging back.

There will be time when all of downtown is vibrant again. When it will be fashionable to do business downtown. It will be a destination, again. But, it won't be because of the politicians. It will be our job to make that happen. It will be one business owner taking a risk. That will be the seed.

I am glad I love downtown. I will see you on my walks.

A SPECIAL DELIVERY TO A TROLLEY SQUARE VICTIM

2007-05-17T20:53:00Z

I was asked to make a special delivery this week to a man who I have come to know as Stacey. Stacey Hanson is one of the Trolley Square survivors. He was gravely injured that night after taking 4 shotgun blasts.

About a week ago I got a phone call from a man, an LDS missionary, who is working with inmates at the State Prison. He said he had something for Stacey Hanson and wondered if I could get it to him.

He told me the story of the afghan. It seems a group of inmates at the prison, some of them in for assault with a deadly weapon, had also heard of Stacey Hanson and Trolley Square. They felt bad, he said, and wanted to do something for him. So, they knitted him an afghan. How nice. NO...really ..it is very nice. But, somehow a bit strange.

The missionary dropped the beautiful afghan in our lobby and I took it to the Hanson home along with a card and a letter. Let me share with you some of that letter.

"Dear Stacey Hanson

From those of us who wanted to let you know we feel very bad about what has happened to you and the other victims. So we want to make this blanket for you for those days you just need to feel warmth. We see what our actions have done to others so we wanted to do something for you. Each day brings a new challenge, and you have risen above and beyond. Hope you recover soon."

The note was signed by 20 inmates and their guards. Shane Connelley, Inmate #37166, is listed as the organizer. #23999 Travis Telford did the crocheting and inmate Steve Carter, #23040 did the pretty card.

When I delivered it to Stacey Hanson he smiled and he said thanks. He told me he was going to call the missionary and send his personal thanks.

I don't know how it felt to be shot. I don't know how it feels to be paralyzed like Stacey Hanson is now because of the shooting and I don't know how it is going to feel when Stacey grabs that beautiful afghan and pulls it over him to keep warm.

I wonder if he will think about the hands of the man who made it. Or, the heart of the man who organized the effort. The men who are trying to ease their pain and guilt by trying to do something nice for the victims of violence.

Stories about "people" are the best way to learn Utah

2007-05-14T21:21:00Z

Every day I am learning more about my new "home". As you know, if you watch ABC4, I am new to Utah. My wife and I are settling in and really enjoying the warmer temperatures.

When I was asked to do this twice-weekly blog, I decided that I would tell you what I am learning about your state, but in an unusual way. I am going to tell you the stories of the people I meet.

Sometimes it will be someone "famous", like the wife of our Governor who I had a chance to meet in our newsroom last week. Sometimes it will be the conductor on the "Trax" line that runs near my downtown home. Either way the people I meet will be the people you meet in my blog.

I found that the stories I hear from "real" people help me understand the culture and history of Salt Lake City and the state. People love to tell me stories about injustices they or others have faced, or politicians who they think have abused their power, or I just hear personal stories of family love and tragedy.

So, help re-learn Utah with me. As I am exposed to the wonders of Utah and the beauty of it's people, you can also find out that there is more to this state and this area than even you know.

Also, you can learn a bit about me and how I see my new home.

I will post again on Thursday. Check it out to see who is first on my list.