Our perspectives page offers readers an inside look at the goings on here at NewsWatch 12. But sometimes the authors of their blogs get a bit carried away. So this week I’m using my forum to put said authors in check, namely Tim Conroy and Derek Kevra.

In the past few months, Derek has belittled my March Madness picks and Tim made a not-so-subtle dig on the teams I root for. I’ll use direct quotes to illustrate my claim. Derek writes, “Oh and I am obligated to point this out – our own Will Southwood is currently in last (in March Madness picks) (uh-oh).  I guess what they say is true, ‘the more you know, the less you know’.” He also apparently feels sorry for me because I’m an A’s fan. Also, when Tim writes about cheering on his hometown teams in the playoffs, he pens, “We just have to make sure a team Will likes makes it to the postseason.” Nice.

Let’s refute each of their claims, starting with Derek. For the record, I won two of the three NCAA pools I was in and ended up finishing in fourth in the KDRV pool. Plus, I correctly picked Kansas to win it all. If only I had that foresight during my recent trip to Vegas.

As for Tim, where do I begin? How about the evening of January 19, 2002? Although Tim and I didn’t know each other back then, our favorite NFL teams were making nice on a snow-covered field at Foxboro Stadium in New England/Boston/Connecticut/Rhode Island/wherever the heck the Patriots play. Everything was going great for the Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoff game until arguably the worst call in sports history was made. With Oakland up three late in the fourth quarter, Charles Woodson clearly forced Tom Brady to fumble. The Raiders recovered and the game had seemingly been won. But then the officials cited the “Tuck Rule” and called it an incomplete forward pass (he fumbled for God’s sake!!!). The Pats kicked a field goal and went on to win in overtime. They used that miraculous victory to springboard them to the first of three Super Bowl titles in four years. The Raiders’ budding dynasty began to crumble, as Jon Gruden left for the Bucs and put a massive beat down on Oakland the following year in the Super Bowl.

But what if there were no Tuck Rule? Allow me to paint a beautiful picture. The Patriots would not have won the Super Bowl in 2002 and a dynasty would not have been born. Tom Brady would still be a back up and thus would not be dating supermodel Gisele Bundchen. Heck, maybe the Pats would even go back to their old uniforms with Pat Patriot on the helmet. The world truly would be a better place.

The Tuck Rule is just one of the many reasons I loathe Boston teams. I'm a certifiable Red Sox hater. Was anything more obnoxious than their “Cowboy Up” and “Idiots” acts of 2003 and 2004? Naturally I was burnt when the BoSox rallied from an 0-2 deficit to knock the A’s out of the playoffs in 2003. But Boston certainly didn’t win that series with class. Red Sox players taunted Ted Lilly in game three and Derek Lowe’s gesture on the mound at the end of game five was infuriating.

My teams may not always make the playoffs, as Tim points out. But I enjoy rooting for them because they’re usually the underdogs. Look at the A’s this year. With a 47-million-dollar payroll, they’re 22-14 through Thursday. Meanwhile, with payrolls that exceed Oakland’s by nearly 100 million dollars, the Tigers (Derek’s team) are 15-20 and the Red Sox are 23-14. It’s unlikely that the rebuilding A’s will stay on this pace and make the playoffs. But I still think it’s more rewarding to see a team of young, hungry guys playing well together than to cheer on an assembly of big-name, big-contract players.

So here’s to the little guys in this world. I can’t wait until Northwestern beats both Michigan and Syracuse on the gridiron next season.

Derek Kevra

May 8, 2008

If you read my last blog entry you found out about how I took a spill playing softball and had to get stitches for my ear.  I am almost all healed (I get the stitches out today) but while hurt I realized just how important ears are.  No, not for hearing (but I hear they are important for that too – no pun intended) but for other things.  So I made a list of my “complications”.

1.          Wearing glasses
2.          Sleeping on my left side
3.          Putting on clothes without hitting the ear
4.          Wearing sunglasses
5.          Wearing a hat
6.          Combing my hair
7.          Using Q-Tips
8.          Leaning on it
9.          Getting a haircut (yea, that was fun…)
10.          Being on TV and not turning to the left
11.          Putting on a batting helmet at the batting cages
12.          Using headphones
13.          Talking on the phone

Ok so you get the point.  Good thing that I am feeling better now.  Nobody likes a complainer…

Luckily for Tim and I, both our teams made it to the second round of the playoffs (Pistons and Celtics) – although it took his team a little longer to get there… I can’t wait for them to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, that will be so much fun.  Well, if the Pistons win.  Otherwise it’ll be agonizing.  However, in classic sports-fan mode, I’ll just blame it on the refs/injuries/cheap-plays/etc.

-Derek

dkevra@kdrv.com

May 7, 2008

My parents were in town this weekend to meet their newest grandson and to wish their fourth grandson a happy birthday. Our new son Reece is their SIXTH grandson, with no granddaughters to speak of! Hopefully, that will change eventually, but for now they are thrilled with their bounty of boys.

My parents live in Wisconsin, so the beauty of Oregon is a rare treat. We decided to plan an overnight trip to Florence to show off all our state has to offer. Traveling with two little ones is an entirely new adventure. First, we had to rent a bigger car to accomodate four adults, two car seats, a stroller and luggage. We had to plan stops for diaper changes, snacks, and nursing breaks. Restaurant meals required a lot of patience and creative distractions and getting two little boys to sleep in a hotel room is a near impossible task. Despite the challenges, Quinn loved running on the sand and throwing rocks into the surf. We visited the Sea Lion Caves and looked at ocean birds dotting the boulders along the coast. Little Reece even got his first taste of the ocean when we quickly dipped his toes into the water. Vacations now require a lot of flexibility and patience, but are an adventure to be remembered!

On Monday, we celebrated Quinn's second birthday. It is amazing that two years has flown by so quickly. Quinn was born on Cinco de Mayo, so we enjoyed tamales and chips and salsa. Quinn had his favorite meal of oatmeal. He loves toys that he can push around, so two of his favorite gifts were a shopping cart and a lawnmower. It was fun to have his grandparents here to celebrate his big day.

--------------------------

This coming Sunday is Mother's Day. Before I went on maternity leave, I looked into the changing definition of motherhood and how one description no longer cuts it. this week, I am introducing you to three different types of motherhood to illustrate that being a mom means many different things. On Tuesday, you met a single mom who is also a Shady Cove Police Sergeant. On Thursday at 5:00, you will see the life of a mother who adopted seven children when she couldn't have her own biological children. And Sunday at 6:00, meet two grandmothers who began a second motherhood when they took in their grandchildren. I know you will find these women's stories as interesting as I did. I'd love to hear from you about what motherhood means to you. To me, it means a constant struggle with endless rewards!

--Jennifer
jseeker@kdrv.com

By Scott Lewis

May 6, 2008

You might be aware that I began a new career last year. It turns out I'm not alone. A friend of mine who enjoyed great success in commercial radio let go
of a sure thing, and is now actively pursuing her dream of making a living with her voice in Los Angeles. Another friend had a career change forced
upon him in Portland, and he's now living very happily in his new role in a very different work environment.

My LA friend forwarded these quotations to me. Rather than just use one or two in my space here, I decided to share them all. I don't necessarily agree
with all elements of every one, but I do like that they make me think. If you have a quotation that speaks to you, send it my way. Thanks!

Scott

If you're not enjoying the journey, you probably won't enjoy the
destination.
-- Joe Tye

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing;
that's why we recommend it daily.
-- Zig Ziglar

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance
towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to
be observed from each new vantage point.
-- Harold B. Melchart

"You have to put in the clutch to shift gears. You have to let go to
re-engage at another, more highly leveraged ratio. And when you least feel
like
slowing down may be the most critical time to do it."
-- David Allen's Productivity Principles

When you get to the end of the light you know, and it's time to step into
the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall
happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be
taught how to fly.
-- Edward Teller

Life is about storms. If you think about the things that created your
character, created your ability to fight, and made a difference, in every
case, it would be the storms. It's the things that pushed you the most, that
helped you the most.
-- Jim Loehr

Difficult times have helped me understand better than before how infinitely
rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one
goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.
-- Isak Dinesen

Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to
live.
-- Jackie Windspear

Trust that little voice in your head that says, "Wouldn't it be interesting
if..." and then do it.
-- Duane Michals

By Tim Conroy
May 2, 2008

If you look at the webpage that contains the biographies of the Newswatch 12 staff you will notice we all come from different parts of the country. That is the nature of the TV news industry. You go where the jobs are and in everyone's case here it was in Medford, Oregon. I like meeting people from all over because everyone brings something special. When it comes to sports team things get interesting.

I grew up in a suburb of Boston, so I like all the Boston teams. Derek Kevra grew up in Michigan, so he likes all the Michigan teams. Will Southwood, grew up in the Bay Area so he likes some of the local teams (A's, Raiders and Warriors if my memory serves me right.) Milt Radford grew up in Alaska so he likes the Yankees. Milt says when you grow up in Alaska you can like whomever you want because there are no teams in Alaska. A diverse group of  fans means we get to tease each other when our teams play. This is fun because it always happens. Derek and I are trying to get together to watch the NBA playoffs, but we need to do it before the Eastern Conference Finals. That is when the Celtics and Pistons will play (we hope). When both people want their team to win things might not be pretty. I know the comments will get heated when we care, so we try to watch a game we don't care about. I don't think I will ever watch the Red Sox vs. Yankees with Milt. The Red Sox will continue their dominance, but those games are too stressful. I don't want Milt to cry.

We have plenty of games left to go this year. Which means plenty of ribbing and watching. We just have to make sure a team Will likes makes it to the postseason.

Tim

Derek Kevra
May 1, 2008

I’ve been a mess lately.  Let me start with last Wednesday, where I started to get a cold.  Not a big deal in itself, but still an annoyance.  So my throat hurts, I’m starting to cough a little and I have a runny nose. Drinking hot tea helps and I do my best to get some rest, but that doesn’t work out too well.  The cold lingers…

I wake up Sunday with my eyes pink and gunky.  Yea I know, this ranks about a 9 on the gross scale.  Immediately I think I have pink eye, which is just perfect for a guy who works on TV.  After a call to my Aunt, who is an optometrist, I find out that the cold that I have (not “had”, but “have”) has just worked its way North.  So no pink eye, but “common cold” eye.  At this point, I think this situation is a 10 on the gross scale.  Still though, no pink eye means that the appointment I made in my head to go to a doctor to get drops just got cancelled.  Great.

Sunday evening I have softball pratice.  Even though I am sick, I love baseball/softball so there is no way I’m missing practice.  I head to the diamond and find out we are scrimmaging another team for practice.  I’m pumped.

The scrimmage starts off good and I make some good plays.  Then comes the second inning. I hit a grounder to the shortstop, who is playing deep.  In practice, you are supposed to see what would happen in game situations right?  Well I thought, “I bet I can run this out” so I turned on the steam.  I was running pretty hard when I made it to first base.  Except there was no first base. Remember how this is a scrimmage right?  Well the bases weren’t on the field, but the 4”x4” metal hole where the base slides into was.  And my foot hit that, tripped me up and sent me flying.  Luckily my head braced my fall.  I landed with my left shoulder and left side of head hitting the dirt.  My ear bent backwards and split, creating an inch and a half cut behind the ear.  As with any head injury, it bled like crazy creating quite a stir on the diamond.

I ended up at urgent care and got a few stitches.  The stitches don’t hurt much but all the cuts and bruises do.  I’m lucky that the cut is behind the ear; it is hard to see that on camera.  It’s healing just fine.  Turns out I made that doctor’s appointment after all. 

It’s funny though how stories evolve.  I came into work on Tuesday and the story of my injury had already been spinning around.  A co-worker walked upstairs with a concerned look on their face and said “I hear your ear fell off”.  Not quite.  But it sure made me laugh.  I am hearing a lot of jokes though, like “You got hurt playing softball?!” and “I thought softball was a slow, easy version of an already non-contact sport”.  Yes and Yes.

You know what still upsets me the most?  I think I was out on the play at first anyways.

email Derek
dkevra@kdrv.com

By: Jennifer Seeker
April 30, 2008

I grew up the youngest of three girls. We played house and experimented with makeup. I dressed up like a princess and quietly tended to my Cabbage Patch dolls. I always sort of pictured myself with daughters, so finding out I was expecting a son two and a half years ago and then welcoming boy number two this month took a lot of getting used to.

When I was expecting my first son, I would longingly touch the lacy dresses and frilly outfits available for girls. I have since grown to love picking out clothes for my little boys. When they are babies, I dress them in head-to-toe blue with matching hats, blankets, socks, and miniature shoes. As they grow into little boys, they wear tiny polos, button-down shirts, jeans, corduroys, and khakis. Quinn even has an itty-bitty tuxedo and a yellow and blue striped tie that matches one his dad has.

While most girls will delight in toting around a favorite doll, many boys like big, loud toys. Our neighbor has been working on his yard with a tractor and even a cement truck. Quinn has been standing at the window watching for hours on end. Even a simple drive in the car or walk in the stroller delights him as he points out trucks, planes, and cars. Those were even some of his first words.

Last Thursday I found two phone messages waiting for me when I awoke. Both came in around 2 am, and were from phone numbers I didn't recognize. The first was the dispatcher for the emergency call button service my mother wears around her neck, saying she was being transported to the Emergency Room. The second call, left a few minutes later, was from my mother's neighbor assuring me she was fine, and that they would watch her dog.

As I quickly made the phone calls to alert my siblings, my sense of the importance of the days' previous appointments obviously changed. My mom was actually already back home, it turns out, by the time I received the messages. After talking with her on the phone, and listening to her reassurance that she was fine, and that she had someone coming over, and that I certainly didn't have to drive all the way up, well, that's that, isn't it? For a brief moment, I was tempted to merely wipe my brow and go about my day. Mercifully, I looked again at my schedule and found nothing more important than her. An hour later, as I told her I was preparing to leave for the drive up to Portland, she admitted that she was very relieved I was coming afterall.

Someone called this the 'Sandwich Generation'. My mother is requiring a bit more care and attention, while my son has moved out of my house and up to the big city. While in Portland checking on mom, he and I went out for coffee. It still feels a bit surreal being with him in 'his' new city, realizing we are sitting literally in the same neighborhood where his mother and I hung out when we were his age.

No matter what else is on the schedule, or how weird the feelings of watching those ahead and behind me age, I am grateful for the opportunity, the experience, and this moment with them. 

Why do people compare easy tasks to "riding a bike?" I personally think riding a bicycle is pretty difficult.

I didn't like to tell people that I didn't know how to ride a bike. It was pretty embarrassing growing up, especially because most of my friends knew how to ride one before the age of 12.

I still have scars from falling off a plastic pony with wheels... so I vowed never to travel on wheels again... well that is, until I learned how to drive.

I always wanted to learn how to ride on a bike though. During my college years in Austin, Texas, everyone rode bicycles around. By that time, I thought it was too late for me to learn.

Moving to Southern Oregon changed my luck! I started getting the itch to ride after living with friends who literally had a garage full of bicycles. Although she has moved away, my passion to finally learn how to ride did not.

My friend and colleague, Kelley Ashford, has graciously decided to teach me. She's a bit taller than me, and her bike is a little heavy and intimidating, but I am determined to learn!

After learning how to balance and then peddle, I was ready to go. I rode on the bike for a whole 20 seconds! I forgot how to stop, so I ended up falling on my side. That's when I called it a day. I walked away with a few scrapes and bruises, but it won't stop me from trying it again... Hopefully, the weather will clear up, so I can get start my second lesson. Our wonderful meteorologists say I may have to wait until the weekend.

My fall took a toll on my right knee. So if you see me limping around, don't worry! Just ask to give me a hand!

By Tim Conroy
April 25, 2008


Many of you know when you are on paternity leave, or not, with two kids you don't have a lot of free time. Jenny and I have learned when the kids are asleep and the house is quiet it is time for us to do what we want. I now know why my parents liked it when everyone was asleep. Last night we took advantage of the end of the writers strike and watched a lot of good shows from a variety of channels. We didn't even get to all of them, so tonight will be another TV night when the kids are asleep. Thank goodness for the DVR.

When I do watch TV I see political commercials. It is different seeing them, but it is also nice. Barack Obama is spending money here to try and win Oregon. The polls say he is leading, but they also say Hillary Clinton has a chance to win. We don't see any commercials from her yet, but we will. Senator Obama has a lot of money compared Senator Clinton (not counting the 109 million dollars she and her husband have made) and he can afford to spend. Clinton does have her husband and he will be in Oregon today and tomorrow. It is too bad he is not coming to Southern Oregon, but I don't know what he would say differently this time. It is certain Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be back. They have to because they need Oregon's votes. John McCain is smiling through all of this knowing he will be the Republican nominee. He doesn't have to spend money here. It would be wasteful because he knows he has the votes.

If they candidates need some ideas I think a free non-partisan babysitting service would be nice. When all three speak of change it can mean diapers.

Tim

I love television and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I guess that's why I work in TV. But I'm not one of those guys who will put on Judge Judy just to have something on. Rather, I watch quality programs and appreciate them for being an outlet of creativity and a means of expressing different messages.

Also, because of my job, I notice and try to learn from simple things that an average viewer wouldn't be aware of. For example, I'm always interested in how the big league videographers shoot sports or how reality TV shows use cutaways or different lighting to illuminate a particular thought.

I work at nights, so thankfully I have a DVR to record everything I miss while I'm helping create TV of my own. Most DVRs have a feature that allows you to program your favorite shows. Since I didn't have anything else to write about this week, I thought I'd share my DVR favorites list with you.

Monday:

-How I met your Mother - This CBS sitcom has an underground cult following. It stars Neil Patrick Harris (aka Doogie Howser), Alyson Hannigan (band camp girl from American Pie), and Jason Segel. Segel is the guy who stars in and wrote the new movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Anyway, the writing for this show is brilliant. The storylines are fresh, the comedy pure, and I can relate to it because it's about a bunch of young adults trying to find their way in the real world.

-Rules of Engagement - Also on CBS, this show stars David Spade and Patrick Warburton (Puddy from Seinfeld). Anything with Spade is automatically funny.

Tuesday:

-American Idol - Simon likes me (this week).

Wednesday:

-Back to You - Starring Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond), this FOX sitcom uses a TV newsroom as the foundation for its storyline. It's remarkably insightful and I can't tell you how many jokes I've laughed at because they're true. This isn't to say that the show doesn't have its inaccuracies. But it's worth a laugh.

Thursday:

-My Name is Earl - Did you know that Jason Lee used to be a proskateboarder? He's that cool. And so is the show.

-Scrubs -This is my favorite show. For one, Zach Braff went to Northwestern. So he's got that going for him, which is nice. The writing for this show is also extremely clever. But what I like about Scrubs is that it always has a message at the end of every show. For example, one of my favorite quotes from Braff's character is, "And, yes, change is scary, but it's also inevitable. It's up to you to make the best of it." In a business full of constant change, those words are both comforting and motivating.

-The Office -Dwight Schrute is quite possibly the funniest character on television. For example: "In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me. I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion. You're dead." I seriously need to get a Dwight bobblehead.

Sunday:

-Desperate Housewives - I had to include an ABC show, didn't I?

On the surface it may look like I have an unhealthy addiction to the tube. But I do exercise. And I also read a good amount, which I believe is important for everyone to do, especially young kids. After all, the pen will always be mightier than the sword. But sometimes, when you're in the right frame of mind, the remote control can be pretty mighty as well.

Derek Kevra

April 24, 2008

Yesterday for lunch I had Chinese food.  I usually do every Wednesday and let me tell you, it sure is good.  It’s to the point now where I start to crave it at about 11:00 AM on Wednesday’s.  Anyway, yesterday after eating my delicious meal I opened up my fortune cookie.  And you know what the fortune was?

“You will bring sunshine into someone’s life this week”

I, a weatherman, got a fortune saying that I will bring sunshine into someone’s life this week.  I can’t make this stuff up.  I sat there and thought about the forecast for the next few days… And sure enough after getting rain and snow earlier this week we would see some sunshine on Thursday then again on Saturday and Sunday.

Is that crazy or what?!  I joked this morning about how some people think us meteorologists flip a coin or throw darts to predict the weather (we don’t though).  I never thought about getting the forecast from a fortune cookie.  Until now…

Lets just hope next week I don’t get a fortune that says, “Big changes are in your future and they will make you cold”.  I'm not ready for that.

By: Jennifer Seeker
April 23, 2008

I have been a mother of two for just over two weeks now, though it feels like it could be much shorter or much longer than that. My days seem to pass in a haze. They are timed by the space between feedings rather than actual hours. Reece eats every two or three hours, so I usually feed him for a half hour to forty-five minutes and then have a short window to do chores, run errands, tend to Quinn, or on a rare occasion, even grab a quick nap.

Days and nights blend together because feeding time doesn't end when the sun goes down. We had a few nights in which Reece was awake all night and asleep all day, but now we are slowly turning that around. He is only awake now around 1 a.m., 4 a.m, and 7 a.m., so it is a slight improvement.

I feel constantly tired and just concentrate on getting through each day. I constantly have to ask what day or date it is, because they all blend together! I know life gets easier when the baby starts to sleep through the night. With Quinn that happened around four months of age. That meant I had about a month and a half of work in which I was awake most of the night. I remember almost nodding off during the weather forecast a few times!

Despite the difficulties, it is amazing what you can get used to as a mother. Changing dozens of diapers and several outfits during the day now seems normal. Hauling a baby, a toddler, and an over-stuffed diaper bag is getting easier. I have days when both boys are crying and Tim is gone, and I am close to pulling my hair out. But, for the most part things are falling into place, even though I still don't know what day it is.

--Jennifer
jseeker@kdrv.com

April 22, 2008

Last week I attended the 12th Annual Bahamas Weather Conference, http://bahamaswxconference.com . This website provides short podcasts of most of the presenters. While the emphasis is obviously on tropical weather, there was a great deal of time and attention given to climate issues and emergency preparedness.

Going to conferences is one of the best ways I have found of learning about the latest research and discoveries, discussing current issues and challenges, and just sharing good ideas for forecasting and broadcasting weather. This conference is attended by meteorologists from across the US and literally other parts of the world, and I consider myself very fortunate to have been invited.

My Bahamian guests were fabulously gracious, and I can not exaggerate how beautiful the water looks when the sun is shining. But you don't have to take my word for it, take a look at some photo's of the week!

I went to Washington, D.C. this past weekend. It was a trip I had planned months ago. I use to live in our nation's capital, where I met my boyfriend along with a wonderful group of people. I miss them already.

I worked seven days in a row before I left on this trip. I was able to plow through the week knowing what was ahead.

Coming back and working another seven day work week is by far more difficult. It's back to reality, rather than spending days filled with eating, shopping, and walking through the cherry blossoms.

I loved every minute of my trip, but coming back to beautiful Southern Oregon as hard as I thought. Southern Oregon has welcomed me home with great weather, with lots of sunshine. I also don't miss the crazy traffic in the big city. All I need now is a day off to sit back and watch the pear blossoms bloom!

By Tim Conroy
April 18, 2008

Our new son is closing in on two weeks old. It is fun watching him grow and having a little baby in the house. While Reece is closing in on two weeks of life, Quinn is closing in on two years of life. I am learning they call it the "Terrible Twos" for a reason.

On Thursday Quinn and I went to kill some time and give Jenny a chance to get some rest. We hit Target and Costco and killed two and a half hours in the process. Target was easy, I needed to pick up one thing. There is a carnival at the mall right now and Quinn is fascinated by it. We drove really close to it last week and Quinn got scared, so this time we parked and watched the rides do their thing. Quinn was mesmerized. It is cute to watch. After a 15 minutes of carnival watching (and listening to the Red Sox game on the satellite radio) we hit Highway 62 headed for Costco.

Part of this trip was printing pictures which would take an hour. We dropped off the pictures and then walked around. I like Costco because it has so much random stuff. My favorite is $1.50 hot dogs and soda. It is a quick and cheap lunch. You can't beat that. This time I stayed away from the hot dogs because Quinn hasn't had a hot dog. I didn't want to attempt that yet. Instead we walked very slowly around the store. Thankfully, it is a big store with a lot of things for toddlers and dads to look at. After an hour the pictures were ready and we left the large warehouse. Quinn and I were worn out and Jenny was rested. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon and we didn't spend a fortune doing it. Not like that ever happens there.

Tim

Derek Kevra

April 17, 2008

So yesterday Ashley Hall, Scott Lewis, Andrea Pettes and I were involved in the Scratch-It for Schools event.  For those of you who don’t know what that is (which I’m assuming is roughly 82% of you) I’ll explain.  You get 5 minutes to scratch off as many lottery tickets as you can (you are given an ice scrapper to do the scrapping).  At the end of the 5 minutes you add up all the money you won and it goes to a designated school (ours was Tri City Elementary, which is located south of Roseburg).  Overall there were 7 media groups (radio and TV) that were paired up with schools to help raise money.

When I got there I was being given advice from everyone on the best way to scratch quickly.  Most people said to take your time because your arm will get sore if you go too fast too long.  Others said short scratches, some said long scratches and a shady individual told me “don’t worry about fully scratching the ticket, half scratching is fine”.  Hmmm is it considered cheating when all you are trying to do is make more money for schools?  Anyways, the time started and I had a hybrid approach.  I started short strokes, but ended with long scratches of 6 tickets at a time.

When the time was up, we added up all of our winnings.  Let me say this: now I know why many people don’t play scratch offs – I had a winner one in every 10 tickets or so.  Not very good odds.  When all was said and done, we had scratched off nearly $1,100 dollars.  Andrea had the big winner, a $50 ticket.  The rest were mostly $1 to $3.  All in all, I think we did pretty good.

If I had to do it again, I must admit, I’d follow the shady advice I think.  Long strokes gets some of the ticket scratched and “some” is pretty much all you need.  In the end though, everyone is a winner!

Note: I have attached the video that NewsWatch 12 took of this event.  Not the story that was on the news, but behind the scenes bonus footage!  Just click on the giant picture of me at the beginning of the article (I don't know how to change that picture, sorry).  Enjoy!

By: Jennifer Seeker
April 16, 2008

Our new son is now a week and a half old. Our first son is almost two. This certainly is harder the second time around! Forget "napping when the baby naps" because the toddler has different plans! Thankfully Quinn still takes an afternoon nap, but I find I usually am using that time to do laundry or catch up on email.

I went through all this just two years ago, but you quickly forget. I have heard that mom amnesia is biology's way of convincing us to keep having children. I forgot about the endless diaper and clothing changes, the thrice-weekly loads of laundry, the very long nights, plus of course your own physical recovery. I also forgot about how tiny their little toes are, their sweet baby smell, their endearing little noises, and how they tuck up their legs like a frog. Tim and I find ourselves just staring at little Reece as he sleeps, watching him breathe and sigh and coo, and marvelling that we created that little person.

Many people have asked us how Quinn is adjusting to his new brother. The sibling relationship is having its ups and downs. The very first night Quinn wanted nothing to do with the tiny person we brought home. He has since taken to asking where the baby is often and giving Reece nice kisses on the head. He also hit him once and tends to act out if we are focusing on his baby brother. We are making an extra effort to do special things with him and tonight we even let him hold the baby (with a lot of adult supervision).

They are just 23 months apart, and I wanted them to be close in age, so hopefully they will be buddies instead of rivals. We'll see if my plan pans out!

Thank you for your good wishes, advice, and interest in our growing family! It means a lot to us.

--Jennifer
jseeker@kdrv.com 

By Renard Maiuri, NewsWatch 12 General Manager

April 15, 2008

It was with great sadness this morning that we learned of the passing of 93-year-old Dunbar Carpenter.

Many newcomers to southern Oregon don’t readily recognize the name.  But, for anyone who has lived in the Rogue Valley for any length of time,  Dunbar Carpenter’s name has a long and distinguished reputation as philanthropist, orchardist, farmer, businessman, wine grower, patron of the arts, humanitarian and gentleman.

We at NewsWatch 12 know Dunbar best as our first owner.  Dunbar founded KDRV Channel 12 in February, 1984 along with several other local businessmen. 

I first met Dunbar in June, 1985 when I moved here from Hartford, Connecticut to launch the news department at Medford’s newest television station.  I remember the day well.  He pulled up in what looked like the same Volkswagen bug I learned to drive 20 years earlier.  He was dressed in what looked like farmer’s overalls, with fresh dirt on his hands.  This was not what I expected my new boss, and owner of this television station to look like. 

During our conversation I learned of his intellect, gentle and inquisitive manner and, I think, met with his approval. Later I learned of his numerous achievements. I learned of his caring and passion for the Rogue Valley.

After a few years, Dunbar sold the television station, and I didn’t see much of him after that.  But when ever I did bump into him, I was always greeted with warmth and caring and interest in how the TV station was doing.  He was the type of man you enjoyed being near. 

His heritage and long-lasting generosity to this valley he loved so much was a treasure to our community.  And it was with that same compassion that NewsWatch 12 strove to become a treasure to southern Oregon as well.  I take heart in believing that we have succeeded, and will always continue to strive, to be that same community treasure that Dunbar Carpenter, our founder, was to the Rogue Valley. 

By Derek Kevra
April 10^th, 2008

I took a short trip back to Michigan last weekend to participate in a baptism. One of my friends recently had a son, Henry Lawrence, and asked me to be the godfather. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud. Henry is only 3 months old, but can already throw a 90 mph fastball. Ok not quite yet. But maybe someday. Either way, it was a great trip and a great baptism.

The weather in Michigan is finally starting to turn more “summer-like” and we are experiencing a similar switch. By tomorrow, we should be in the mid 70’s. I have to say, I am ready for it. It seems that winter hung around a little too long this year. Like I was throwing a dinner party and invited Winter but he outstayed his welcome. Everyone arrived, we had a few cocktails, appetizers then the main meal. Then people started filtering out and Winter just sat on the couch while I did the dishes. I would keep saying things like, “Oh man I’m beat” and “Well, do I ever have a busy day tomorrow” but he wouldn’t get the clue. Yea, that’s how I feel. Just leave!

Also, how about Pear Blossom this weekend! When was the last time it was nice during Pear Blossom? 1873? (Give or take a few years). I am not “registered” to run but I think I am going to “sneak” in to the 5K. Shhhh…

Final NCAA update: Stephanie C. from Sales took home first and I came in second. I was surprised because even though picked the Final Four correct, I picked the Final game totally wrong. I’ll take it though. Since I ragged on Will early I have to give him the respect he deserves and inform the world that he ended up finishing 4^th out of 12. Nice job Will. Too bad he’s an Oakland Athletics fan…

One of Mark Twain’s famous quotes is, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” As a lover of the game, I don’t quite agree with Sam Clemens’ assessment of the sport. But after my experience at Bandon Dunes this past weekend, I am certainly with Twain on the “good walk” portion of the quote.

I, along with my mom and dad, played all three courses at the resort (Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails). Fifty-four holes in three days is a good walk for many reasons. One, it’s somewhat exhausting. My dad and I played from the tips, so each day we covered a course more than 66-hundred yards long. With the wind and occasional rain that Bandon is known for, the rolling hills on the links-style courses were tough to traverse. What made it even more challenging was the fact that I, as Robert Frost would say, chose the road less traveled. In other words, I often had to hike through sand, brush, trees and everything else mother nature could throw at me in order to find my ball. And trust me, the road less traveled did not make all the difference.

But more than anything, the three days at Bandon constituted a good walk because of the sights and the company. I’ve included a few pictures to show you the course if you’ve never seen or visited it. Much of Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes lines the ocean. In essence, the big blue sea represents the largest water hazard in the world. Beautiful wildflowers provide ornamentation and give the courses a certain gentleness. But just before you can get comfortable, the giant sand traps at nearly every turn rise up and smack you back to a harsher reality. It’s golf at its best--challenging, frustrating, and, at the end of the round, rewarding.

But my favorite part of the trip was sharing that good walk with my parents. It’s not often that I get to see them, so the 16-plus hours spent together walking, talking and laughing were priceless. I won’t soon forget my dad going backwards on a hole or my mom threatening to break the world record for most consecutive holes in which a visit to a sand trap was involved. But I’m sure they won’t forget me knocking off the screen door to the room or forgetting to bring my rain gear to a location known for its wet weather.

I truly can’t wait for my next trip to Bandon and hopefully it will come sooner rather than later. So here’s a thought: Considering I wrote such a glowing review of the resort, perhaps I should get some discounted golf? The thought may be a bit of a stretch, but then again, so were my hopes of scoring well.

By Jennifer Seeker
April 9th, 2008

Reece Tobin Conroy arrived at 7:54 p.m. on April 7, 2008. I started having contractions around 1:00 p.m., so I knew I shouldn't go in to work. They started to get strong and close together around 5:00 p.m., so I called Tim at the station and told him to come home. After nine months of waiting, it was finally time!

We got to the hospital around 6:30, and the contractions were coming quickly. The nurses determined things were moving quickly so they readied for delivery. I asked for pain medication at the last minute but it was too late, and I would be going natural whether I liked it or not. Reece came in to the world less than 90 minutes after we got to the hospital! He weighed 8 lbs. 4 ounces, and measured 20.75 inches.

We stayed at the hospital for just 24 hours and now are settling in at home. It is a very different experience with two little ones to focus on! Our 23-month-old Quinn is still not quite sure of the baby, but I have no doubt they will be good buddies some day.

I am bouncing back quickly after a pretty rough first day. Now we are just enjoying our new family of four and trying to sneak in naps when possible!

I will keep you updated each week and will be back on air this summer after my maternity leave.

Let me know if you have any advice for a new mother of two!

--Jennifer
email Jennifer 

I started losing my voice last week. It started off with a sore throat... but seven days later, my voice turned into a whisper.

The strange part was I felt fine physically for the most part, but I could barely talk. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to do my job without a voice.

Interviewing people was difficult. People kept asking me to repeat my questions. How about answering phones you ask? Even harder. At least when you're whispering to people in person, they can read lips... but on the phone... just awful. I had to avoid it as long as possible.

Anchoring on Saturday was probably the hardest part. I started out Saturday with a hoarse voice but audible. I decided to go ahead and try to anchor the show with Colleen Bormann. Halfway through the show, my voice went back to just a whisper. No matter how hard I tried, no voice. Colleen had to take over, and I managed to stay engaged throughout the show.

My original voice is slowly coming back, so thanks for bearing with me!

By Tim Conroy
April 4, 2008

Spring break ends for me tonight and I will miss it. I'm attending graduate school at Southern Oregon University and my classes meet mostly on Saturday. Friday nights are a school night. My break was spent not doing homework, but spending time with my family and working. I was also waiting for my wife to give birth. It is not how any previous spring breaks have gone for me. I didn't even have a chance to watch the college basketball tournament which is my favorite time of year. You know what? I am fine with it. I had a great break.

The bell rings at 9:00am tomorrow. I am looking forward to the start of a new term, but the anticipation of my next break is already growing.

Tim

Email Tim 

Derek Kevra

April 3, 2008

I’ve been headed back to a few classrooms this week, talking with the students about the change in seasons. Yesterday I talked with Mrs. Telford’s first grade class at Richardson Elementary in Central Point. I tried to emphasize that we are coming out of the season of winter, where North America is farthest away from the sun, and heading slowly into summer, where North America is closest to the sun. I think that most of them understood that “winter is cold” and “summer is hot”. That’s about it. Hey, maybe Mrs. Telford understood the rest. But the talk of seasons got me thinking about them. And thinking about them usually translates into me writing about them. And I have this blog so…

Spring officially started March 20 but it sure took a while for it to stop feeling like winter. This week the mornings have been unseasonably cold, but the afternoons have been beautiful. Right on with the average. I can get used to 65 and sunny. The problem with this season that we are in (it is called Spring for those of you who are confused) is that weather can change quickly. Like this week for instance: early long-range weather models were putting us into the 70’s this Friday and Saturday. Now? A change in the pattern is giving us cooler Alaskan air, making the high barely 60. Oh, and we might mix a few rain showers in there. Thanks a lot spring…

Either way, whether it be 70 and sunny or 58 and cloudy summer is right around the corner. Soon enough you’ll hear the meteorologists at channel 12 say “get ready for the first 100 degree day of the year” and you’ll be thinking about staying cool instead of staying warm. That reminds me, I need to get my car AC fixed.

I also wanted to throw this out there: we have been making a few changes to the weather portion of the website recently. Revamped local temperatures as well as Pollenwatch are now mainstays. What do you think? The website is made for you, and if you have any suggestions of things you would like to see, don’t hesitate to send an email to me. I’m here for you.

NCAA update: It was officially come down the wire folks. Sales associate, Stephanie C. is in first and has Kansas winning it all. I’m in second with North Carolina. NCAA hustler Janet Kim has taken over third and also has North Carolina. Turns out Mr. Southwood picked 3 out of 4 of the Final Four teams. Lucky guess…. 

By Jennifer Seeker
April 2, 2008

This past weekend, our family went to a birthday party in a plane. The son of our childcare provider turned four. They held a Transformer-themed party at the KC-97 parked at the Medford Airport on Biddle Road. We drive by that plane several times a week and never think much of it. But, to a 23-month old boy, climbing into a plane is pretty amazing.

Quinn enjoyed looking out the windows and sitting in the pilot’s seat. He punched buttons and pulled levers and ran around the cabin of the plane. He marveled at the bounty of Transformer-related paraphernalia and delighted to take a ride in the birthday boy’s new toy four-wheeler.

Besides planes, Quinn has quite an affinity for trains. He calls them choo-choos and pushes them around the house. We are anxiously awaiting the opening of the Railroad Park, so we can take him for a ride on a real, full-size choo-choo. It will bring us joy to see the happiness in his face.

Before we had children, we enjoyed fancy dinners in Ashland, wine tasting on the weekends, movies in the theater, and weekend trips. Those occasions are now few and far-between, and our schedule is replaced with rented movies, trips to the park, and play dates. It’s a different kind of fun.

Sometimes I miss those easy, laid-back weekends, and I’m glad we had a few years as just a married couple before we had children. But, you can’t beat living through the joy of a toddler. Just spotting a dog walking on the sidewalk is cause for excitement. Bubbles, balloons, and balls are all sources of amazement. It makes you appreciate the little, seemingly insignificant things you ignored just a few years ago.

Soon our bounty will be doubled with the arrival of our second son. My due date is a week and a half away on April 13. I am planning to work right up till the end. It helps to keep my mind off pondering when he will arrive! You can drive yourself crazy searching for a sign. But, I have been waiting for almost 39 weeks, and another few days won’t kill me. We will be sure to share pictures when the baby arrives.

--Jennifer
Email Jennifer

Okay, so I should be the first to acknowledge the absurdity of this
statement: I was COLD this morning! My house was cold when I got home late.
Then, in the middle of the night, I had to get out of my lukewarm bed to
find another blanket. What's absurd is that I have been talking about the
'gigantic' cold pool of air for over a week now, and clearly knew it was
coming. It's not that I was surprised at the cold, or that several locations
in our area set records for low temperatures. It's just that somehow I got
more caught up in the forecasting than in the preparing to stay warm.

On top of that, I scheduled a 4-hour outdoor shoot on Fire Prevention PSA's
that will be airing on NewsWatch12 this Spring. The good thing is, today's
forecast of dry and cold weather was accurate. Great. But did I mention the
cold? And how's this for more absurdity: I was chilled while shooting Fire
promo's.

The sun is coming out strong this week, so it will be warming up. But
tonight, at least, stay warm! I will.

By the way, if you'd like more information on protecting your home from
wildfire, check out this local website:
http://www.rvfpc.com/

By Janet Kim
March 31, 2008

This was my first weekend as the new weekend anchor with Colleen Bormann! It was one exciting one, too!!

Friday, we received word that former President Bill Clinton was coming into town Sunday. That gave us about two days to start planning and letting our viewers know what was going on. I quickly learned the direction of a campaign can change at a moment's notice, and organizers are ready to move fast. As reporters covering the event, we have to be right at their heels, ready to follow their next move. 

Saturday evening after the 6:00 show, we got word the venue changed for the event from Hedrick Middle School to North Medford High School. We tried to get word out as fast as we could to our viewers and to our staff. 

On Sunday, Newswatch 12 covered the event. We had all hands on deck! Now, it was just a matter of waiting for President Clinton to arrive. He was later than expected, but he made it!

Whew, that was a condensed version of how things went, but what a weekend to start working! People ask me if I will miss having weekends off... I suppose I will when everyone is out rafting along the Rogue River or camping out at the Oregon Coast... but surprisingly big news happens on the weekend, and now I'll be front and center, ready to take it on.

Janet

Janet Kim 

By Tim Conroy
March 28, 2008

I couldn't think of anything good to write about today until about 3:00pm on Friday. That is when we got a call telling us former president Bill Clinton would be coming to Medford. This Sunday. How's that for notice? After the shock wore off we got our plans in place. We are able to roll with this and are ready to go for his arrival.Thankfully, we just did this when Barack Obama came to visit. Our reporters and anchors will be in place and we will cover the speech live starting at 4:30.

It is tough planning coverage when two pieces of it are waiting for a baby to arrive. My wife, Jennifer Seeker, and I are awaiting the arrival of our son. We would like to cover the event, but are looking forward to our son's arrival more. We have a back-up plan and a back-up plan for our back-up plan. It is tough keeping people from confusing the plans.

We broke down our coverage from Senator Obama's visit and think we've fixed what didn't work for that broadcast. We are adding some new wrinkles and waiting to do what we feel we do best. Cover the news in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

It is nice when big stories like this come here. Even nicer when two hours of live TV goes off without a hitch.

Tim

Email Tim 

By Derek Kevra
March 27, 2008

I recently did a little weather story on pollen.  You may have seen it, but if you didn’t it is on the “Weather News” section of our website.  This story got me thinking a little bit about allergies and how bad they actually are out here.  Have you started to notice the classic signs of allergies?  Runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing?  Oh yes, the season has started.

There is only so much info you can say in 2 minutes on the news.  Now that I have more time I can explain a little more.  Many people don’t realize this, but Southern Oregon has some of the worst allergens in the United States.  People who move here from big cities notice it quickest.  Why?  Big cities are filled with buildings, not bushes.  Oregon is known for its scenic views but that comes with a price.  Fewer buildings equal more trees, hills, grass, flowers and pollen.  Therefore when you arrive from say, Detroit, you quickly notice all the extra pollen in the air.

Being in a valley doesn’t help either.  You sometimes hear us Meteorologists talk about an inversion.  This inversion can keep air stagnant.   This of course means if have a lot of pollen in the air; it is tough to kick it out.  Also, and I find this interesting, rain does not usually help keep the pollen levels low.  When dealing with pollution levels (i.e. smog) a good rain will help move the pollution around, even squash it out.  But when it comes to pollen, the rain will disturb the plant, release the pollen and spread it around.  When rain is followed by a little sun, levels can get really uncomfortable (this is what happened Tuesday and brought the level up to “Extreme”).

Luckily (and I’m crossing my fingers nothing changes) I haven’t had to deal with allergies.  Many of my friends and family do and let me tell you, it doesn’t look fun (right now hundreds of people are nodding).  The good doctors at the clinic told me that allergies are unique in that they can start anytime in life, could end anytime in life, and that the phrase “once an allergy sufferer, always an allergy sufferer” in not necessarily true.  I really enjoy breathing, and I’d rather not have to worry about it.

Ok enough pollen, lets talk NCAA basketball.  Overall NewsWatch 12 had 12 people join the office pool (coincidence…?).  Currently in first is Jack M., our Sales Manager.  I’m pretty happy with my current third place sitting.  Right behind me is Janet Kim, and directly following her is Tim Conroy.  As always it’s going to come down to what teams wins it all.  If North Carolina wins, so do I.  Let’s go blue!  Oh and I am obligated to point this out – our own Will Southwood is currently in last (uh-oh).  I guess what they say is true, “the more you know, the less you know”.  But this does mean that Will loses the privilege to say, “You weathermen are always wrong” because… well, you know…

Derek

Email Derek

I played a great deal of golf growing up. Most days it was with friends who I’m still very close with today. We’d hit the links at Marin Country Club after school or during the summer and play nine holes before the sun went down. The first hole at MCC was fairly narrow (and I say “was” because the back nine at the course is now the front nine). It had a street and houses to the left and water to the right. It wasn’t a terribly long par five, so a smart player would hit a three wood and make sure to put it in the middle.

Now, I’m a lot of things as a golfer. But smart is not one of them. I’ve always adhered to John Daly’s “Grip it and Rip it” philosophy. When you’re hitting the ball well, that’s a wonderful strategy to live by. But when your game is all over the place, which mine consistently is, gripping it and ripping it can be hazardous to everyone involved. I don’t know how many balls I’ve lost on that first hole. But thanks to what my friends and I call “first hole mulligans”, my errant shots rarely gave me much grief. A first hole mulligan is essentially a reprieve. We’d give each other another chance to avoid the cars in the street or the turtles in the water. (Editor’s note: When I was playing competitively in high school or in summer leagues/tournaments, the first hole mulligan didn’t exist. I had to point that so the USGA doesn’t come after me.)

Anyway, back to that tee shot on the first hole. I always pulled out my driver, even if I hadn’t warmed up at all. The first hole mulligan afforded me the insurance to do that. But I’m discovering that in the real world, there is no such thing as a mulligan. I can’t get a do-over with decisions I make in my career or personal life.

But guess what? Even with that knowledge, I’m still trying to grip it and rip it. I truly believe that life’s too short to play it safe. In my job that means going to the extra game even if it causes a tight finish at deadline. In my personal life, that means always looking for a new adventure. I’ll be honest-sometimes I think I’m not risky enough. But I’ve made a promise to myself that I’ll try to let it fly more often than not.

After all, you can’t hit a great drive if you don’t swing.

By Jennifer Seeker
March 26, 2008

This past weekend perfectly illustrated the challenges of that ongoing juggle of work and family. As I have mentioned in this space before, I think I will always be a working mother. Work helps me thrive, and my family makes me whole, so I never want to give up either side of my life. But sometimes, the balance is especially tricky.

We learned in the middle of last week that Senator Barack Obama might be making a campaign stop in Medford. Just two days before the town hall, details were finally nailed down, and our newsroom went into a frenzy. We organized schedules and story angles and who would do what where. Late Friday night and early Saturday morning, it was all hands on deck. That means my husband Tim Conroy and I were both working for Senator Obama’s visit.

Our childcare provider kindly agreed to work a Saturday morning shift the day before Easter and even brought Quinn an Easter basket. That freed us up to concentrate on covering the campaign stop. After Tim wrapped up his job at the town hall location, he hustled over to pick up Quinn and bring him back to the station. While I waited on our news set for Senator Obama’s plane to take off, Quinn spent some time in our control room pointing out “Mama!” in the monitors.

As I sat at the news desk, I anxiously checked my watch. It was 12:30 p.m., and we had an Easter egg hunt to get to at 1:00 p.m. The plane finally took off around 12:45, and I ran off set to make sure Quinn made his important appointment.

With two parents in the news business, Quinn has spent many evenings toddling around the newsroom. He has accompanied us on a few interviews, though that is getting more challenging as he chases the cat or handles breakables at the homes of interviewees. Our lifestyles and schedules force us to be creative, and we are lucky our bosses are family-friendly and tolerant of doctor’s visits and childcare issues. So far, we have made it work. I’m sure we’ll think of something when Senator Clinton and Senator McCain come to town.

As for the other baby, no news to report. I am 18 days from my due date and anxiously awaiting his arrival, but I know he will come when he is ready.

--Jennifer
Email Jennifer

By Tim Conroy
March 21, 2008

If you told me on Tuesday morning I would be preparing for Barack Obama to visit Medford I wouldn't believe you. We got word on Tuesday that he was coming to Portland and might make it down here. Wednesday we knew he would be here and by Thursday we knew he would be speaking at Kids Unlimited. It happens very fast and we still don't know when Obama will arrive in Medford. We have plans for him arrive Friday night or Saturday morning. It would be nice to know, but I don't think Obama even knows when he will get here.

I've been writing out the coverage plan, where reporters will be, what camera they will use, what producers will be doing. It is a big effort that invloves most of the people who work here. Some of us got practice when the candidates rolled through four years ago, but we have a lot of new people. This is new to them and to say they are excited is an understatement. They aren't excited because they are democrats (we have plenty of both and others who won't say what they are), they are excited because the race for president is coming to Southern Oregon. That is fun. This is what charges everyone up and keeps us going during the slow times.

We are putting a lot of work into the hours of live coverage we will broadcast starting at 9:00 Saturday morning. We hope you can enjoy it.

It's funny, because my entry last week was about how I was sick of waiting for our new son to arrive. Now I want him to wait just a bit. Anytime after Saturday is fine with me. If he does come Saturday I'll be ready. It is something that trumps the best part of my job and I don't want to miss that. My son should be around a lot longer than two terms anyway.

Tim

Email Tim 

By Janet Kim
March 21, 2008

During my time at Newswatch 12, I have said goodbye to many people. We constantly have reporters, producers, engineers, etc. that will move on to new ventures. Sometimes they will go to a bigger city, other times people just decide to change careers, but each time you have to say goodbye, it is difficult.

I spent a year in Klamath Falls before moving to Medford. I left behind a wonderful group of friends. I still miss them greatly. It was also hard leaving community members that became important sources for my various stories. Saying goodbye was hard.

Soon enough, I will have to say goodbye again. I'm not going anywhere this time, but there are two people Newswatch 12 will miss before the month is over.

Kris Nielson will be leaving us after this weekend to explore new terrain. He is always the one with something clever to say, on and off camera. I'm going to miss his charm. He and his family are so wonderful, and I am lucky to have gotten to share a slice of their lives. I wish them well in their new chapter in life!

My next goodbye is to my dear friend and producer, Brooke Rose. You might know her as the young blonde woman who sits in the background of the newsroom live shots. She is such a talented writer and team player, and her absence will be felt. She is the cheerful one, always eager to help others in the newsroom, no matter how busy she is. Workers like her are hard to come by. Brooke is going back to sunny California to reunite with family. Good luck, Brooke!       

Although goodbyes are hard, with "goodbyes" almost always comes "hello" in the newsroom. I look forward to saying "hello" to new friends!

Janet

Email Janet 

By Derek Kevra
March 20, 2008

Just listen at work and you’ll hear people say, “I need a vacation”.  Well, I had a vacation and let me tell you, it was amazing.  Now, I don’t mean to rub it in, but I’ll try to explain the details so you can live vicariously through me for the next 7 minutes (10 if you’re a slow reader).

Last Tuesday I left cool, soggy Medford, Oregon for humid, sunny Kissimmee, Florida.  I was meeting my dad down there for some rest, relaxation and Spring Training baseball.  We are both big Detroit Tigers fans and they play in Lakeland, Florida (about 30 minutes from where we were staying in Kissimmee).  So this trip made sense – we get out of our respective winters (although his is much worse than mine) and get to see our favorite team play.

The little stadium holds fewer people but it makes for a more personal experience.  In classic fan mode, we bought the cheap seats but sat in the most expensive seats until we got kicked out.  We got lucky at game number two – the rightful seat owners never showed up and we got to sit 7 feet away from the field.  Forgetting that we were indeed in Florida (at least 75 degrees), we didn’t buy sun lotion and got burned. The Tigers however, did all the burning on the field.  After a ton of hits, a handful of homeruns and a few hotdogs we headed home to enjoy the pool and call just about everyone we knew to remind them that we were indeed in Florida while they had to endure more winter.  That probably wasn’t nice…   Oh well.

A surprise visit from my mom on Thursday made the end of the trip great, even though we did get some rain (hey, I’m a meteorologist, that stuff follows me around).  It’s nice to be back but thinking about the nice warm weather and sunshine makes me long for summer.  I don’t think I’m alone here!

Also:  Many offices hold the annual NCAA Basketball Bracket Pick’em.  KDRV is no exception.  I’ll do my best to give you updates on who is leading the pack here at NewsWatch 12.  Common sense tells you that Will and Kelly should be near the top, but who knows with these kinds of things.  I’ve got Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA and Memphis in the final four, with North Carolina beating UCLA in the championship (yea I know not very exciting – four #1 seeds in the final four.  What can I say…).  Should be exciting!

Derek

Email Derek 

By Will Southwood
March 20, 2008

Selection Sunday is quite possibly the greatest day of the year. Christmas is up there. So is baseball's opening day. But nothing quite compares to Selection Sunday for me.

You know the feeling you get when you're about to take off on a vacation? The feeling of anticipation and excitement all bundled together? That's what Selection Sunday is like for me. The day the NCAA Tournament field is revealed kick starts a month of college basketball bliss. For the sports fan, it's a vacation from reality. When the Valparaisos and George Masons of the world pull upsets on a Thursday afternoon in the middle of March, it reminds me that anything is possible-that David can truly beat Goliath.

I have several fond memories of the NCAA tournament. When I was in middle school, I suffered a concussion (embarrassing story that doesn't need to be told) the night before the 1997 NCAA Tourney. It turned out to be the best concussion of my life. I got to stay home from school and watch every first round game on Thursday and Friday. If that isn't heaven, then I don't know what is.

The following year I had to go to school during the first and second round games (thanks, mom and dad). But I'll always remember the 1998 Big Dance because Stanford advanced to the Final Four. I grew up a big Cardinal fan and I'll never forget the run my favorite team made. Trailing by six with under a minute to go in the Elite Eight against Rhode Island, Stanford came back thanks to the clutch play of Arthur Lee and a big dunk by Mark Madsen. The words of longtime Stanford play-by-play announcer Bob Murphy will forever be etched in my memory-"MADSEN STUFFS IT…AND HE WAS FOULED. MADSEN STUFFS IT…AND HE WAS FOULED." It doesn't get any better than that.

The ironic thing for me is that my alma mater, Northwestern, has never made an NCAA Tournament. But that fact doesn't ruin March Madness for me. I always find teams to root for, especially after I fill out a bracket and have thousands of dollars on the line. Kidding. Sort of.

So which team am I picking to win it all this year? I don't know yet. I usually don't fill out my bracket until the last second. But as long as March Madness lives up to its name and that there are some great upsets and memorable moments, it won't matter how well my bracket does. Still, here's hoping that Oregon, Duke and even Stanford does well.

Will

Email Will 

March 19, 2008

By Jennifer Seeker

Quinn is recovering from his first major owie. May I first point out, it was under the watchful eye of his father. My husband was pulling weeds in the front yard, when Quinn ventured down the front steps to join him. Quinn has not yet mastered the challenge of steps and took a tumble. He scraped up his little nose and forehead.

Tim brought a bawling Quinn into the house to wash his scrapes and apply some ointment. I’m sure Tim had a bit of trepidation as he carried our son upstairs for my inspection. It is horrifying to see any amount of blood on your child, even if it is just a small scrape. We kissed his boo-boos and cleaned him up and within minutes he was chasing after his favorite ball.

Tim and I are still pained every time we look at his injured little face. The knowledge that it is probably the first of many injuries during his boyhood is of little comfort. Thankfully, the wounds are healing quickly. We are also glad the fall took place shortly after we had some family pictures taken, rather than right before. That is not an image we want preserved for posterity.

You don’t realize the empathy you feel for your child until you see them hurt and feel the pain as real as if it were your own. I guess that is the beauty and the challenge of parenthood.

--Jennifer

Email Jennifer 

By Scott Lewis
March 18, 2008

As The Iditarod comes to a close, I'm reluctantly remembering my first professional encounter with dog sledding. This was back when I was a reporter full time, and it happened there was a dog sled race being held at Diamond Lake one weekend when I was working. It sounded like an interesting story, so I drove up on a beautiful sunny day, located the teams and the starting line, and began rolling tape and asking questions. It turned out a local woman was ahead in points for the competition, and that this was a pretty important race. While I held the camera, she held the dogs and graciously answered my questions. One thing I learned right there is that the handlers lift the dogs by their harness to keep the front legs off the ground. The dogs are so strong, and get so excited that they can easily pull the musher over if they have all fours on the ground at once. I was introduced to the lead dog, and did my best to get good sound of that dog and the musher, while staying safely out of the way of the growing number of dogs, harnesses and equipment.

Since my first foray into journalism was as a photographer, I'm ever looking for the next creative angle to best tell the story. My new friend the lady musher and her dogs were about to take off from the starting line, so I positioned myself at the very end of the corral that was set up to keep the dogs in line, and the people out of the way. Crouching low, I had a great shot as the dogs took off barking and running almost directly toward me. Yep, I was crouching down, and was apparently sticking out just enough that the leader of the pack saw me, and excitedly came running over to say hello to me. He stopped very abruptly, the other dogs quickly piled up all around, and there was immediately a very tangled mess of dogs and harnesses and a sled and an unhappy musher suddenly going absolutely nowhere.

Say, did you know that individual dog sled teams are started on a timed rotation, and just because some yahoo with a camera messes up your team doesn't mean you can get back in line when you are able to eventually get all the animals back in order and organized to hit the trail again? Well, that's what I learned right then. And that you have to wait, maybe for quite some time, until the next several teams have launched before they'll let you start back on the trail.

Now, what exactly is appropriate to say in such a situation? Oops? Sorry? Nice doggies? My musher did her best to corral her team and reorganize; I did my best to try to make myself look very small and inconspicuous while everyone was very obviously looking over at the very noisy, and very tangled mess somehow suddenly centered around  the guy with the camera. She did a better job than me.

Scott

Email Scott 

Janet Kim

March 18, 2008

Everyday I have several deadlines I have to meet… here's a glimpse of my schedule (on an average day).

9:30 a.m. - Deadline: get to work

10:00 a.m. -  Deadline: have story ideas ready for morning meeting

11:00 a.m. -  Deadline: head out of the office for interviews

2:00 p.m. -  Deadline: have all video and interviews shot and head back to the station

4:15 p.m. -  Deadline: have story written and enter into the computer, hard copies need to be printed for our director and anchors!

4:45 p.m. -  Deadline: finish editing stories and enter into the system, ready to air for news

4:55 p.m. -  Deadline: be in place and ready to go live for 5:00 news

5:15 p.m. -  Deadline: finish scripts for the 6:00 news, including times to indicate how long the story is and keys to identify interviewees

5:45 p.m. -  Deadline: finish editing stories and enter into the system, ready to air for news

5:55 p.m. -  Deadline: be in place and ready to go live for 6:00 news

Some of these deadlines are self-imposed to ensure I meet the mandatory ones. Deadlines are definitely stressful, but they sure make minutes and hours go by quickly. Many working people I know watch the clock with hopes they are minutes closer to going home. However, my colleagues and I are desperately watching the time hoping not one minute has passed that will inch us closer to another daunting deadline. I guess in some respects I am grateful to have a job where time just seems to fly.

Janet

Email Janet 

By Kris Nielson
March 17, 2008

After nearly two years of clean Southern Oregon living, I am taking the rare opportunity in this industry to say good-bye.  Living here has been an adventure my family will always remember.  We had the chance to foster a wonderful baby boy, who just started walking last week after surgeries, casts and braces.  Seeing him take his first steps was worth the challenge of being foster parents.

In the short time we've been here, I have done more than most people will do in a lifetime, and with the long hours everyone at Newswatch 12 puts in,  I feel like I've lived a lifetime.  Easter Sunday will be my last day in your living room, an appropriate day to resurrect my life as a father and a husband.  We're trading the hills and pines for catfish and snakes.  I have heard, "Remember the Alamo!" We're going to head down there and see what the fuss is all about.  I am hanging up my typewriter, suspenders and camera for a job in Corporate America, leaving the hustle bustle of the news to those with a unique passion for current events.

Being a part of your evening routine is something I will miss.  Thank you for letting us into your home everyday.  Thank you for making Newswatch 12 your long running number one source for news.  Everyone here takes great pride in bringing you information about the world and community you live in.

"Thank you for joining us for Newswatch 12 Weekend at 6… We'll have to see what comes up next." 

Kris

Email Kris 

By Tim Conroy
March 14, 2008

Our new son is due a month from now. I would like him here immediately because I am sick of waiting. This sounds terrible and my wife, Jennifer, told me it is. All I have to do is wait while she does all the work. I'm grateful she is so graceful while a tiny human grows inside her.  I don't know what being pregnant would be like. I could never do it; I appreciate the sacrifice she is making for our young family. My anticipation is due to our first son, Quinn, arriving six weeks early. It was a complete surprise when the doctor told us to go to the hospital because the baby was on his way.

Jennifer ha