ABC 4: Blogs

Are Our Ski Areas in Good Shape?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:20:17 GMT

The slopes at local ski areas are not exactly brimming with snow, even up little Cottonwood Canyon. In fact, to someone who may live in the valley who doesn't ski, they may think that this is a lot of snow, but for Alta? in November? This is not a great start.

Fortunately snowmaking may save the day! Alta is aiming for a Wednesday open, according to Tyle Jackson one of the public relations specialists there. Brighton, Solitude, Wolf Creek, Snowbird, and now Park City Mountain Resort are also open, but all because of manmade snow exclusively.

Jared Ishkanian of Snowbird Resort indicated that if it wasn't for snowmaking, Snowbird would have not opened at all today.

Our meteorologist Todd Gross sampled the snow and felt it was a icy for now, but pointed out that the two storms this weekend may not be able to build a base of snow for these ski areas, but certainly will improve conditions dramatically. He does feel that local areas will be able to open on their current schedules without a problem, but with limited terrain.

What a scam!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:57 GMT

It's hard to imagine the character of this individual. But authorities busted moises barreiro torres for selling international driving permits. He was selling them for $175, allegedly. but you can buy one for $15 at AAA of utah. Not only that, foreign drivers can use these in the United States. They'e only good for americans driving on foreign soil. Hopefully the judge will send this guy to the slammer for a long time and make him pay big fines. I'm sure he can't reimburse victims because they're long gone or won't come forward. It's up to the justice system to send these scam artists a message.

Angie Larsen and I can catch a ball!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:56:00 GMT

So last weekend, Angie Larsen invited a few of us to her gym in South Jordan. Little did I know my planned workout would be supplemented by a football game that would end in a snowstorm, a trophy and a delicious lunch.

But I guess that’s what happens when you can catch a ball.

So the story goes like this – we are walking toward the women’s locker room when a woman approaches us, asking if we’d like to play flag football. Our wardrobes inadequate and workout already kind of planned, at first we declined. But when we heard that gift cards were involved, well, we’re not made of stone…

As we rallied our other random would-be teammates/opponents, we got ready for the game. That’s when the snow started. And it was not a delicate snow, it was instead like each snowflake was a gaggle of geese with all of them sticking together and in some way, blotting out the sky.

But on we played. Our team, though impromptu, was amazing (if I may say so myself!). We tried to pick our strengths.. Rochelle said she was fast, and boy, when she made that interception and ran it back for a touchdown, we agreed! I caught a pass that lead to another six points and Angie made an amazing jump for a two point conversion.

In my mind, I could already see the highlights on ESPN with Chris Berman yelling about how great we were.

We won 14-0, and went inside to claim our prizes, which included a lunch, and took our picture with a big gold trophy.

We triumphed in victory, yet couldn’t help but to notice the snow stopped as we were on our way off the field just in time for the men to play their game...

Brian Carlson: King of Lunch Dates!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:40:53 GMT

It's 11:53 a.m., for me that means 7 minutes 'til quittin time. Granted, that's early compared to everybody else, but I still put in 8 hours each day. So if you're quick with math you know: 8 hours backtimed from Noon + an hour lunch = I start my day every morning at 3:00 a.m. Yup, 3:00 a.m. I know, I KNOW, it's early.

Why so early?

Well, until people stop watching news before they go to work, I gotta keep waking myself up to report for Good Morning Utah, 5-7 a.m. every weekday.

Now, like anything in life, an early schedule has its pros and cons, its "free pie" days and its "pie in the face" days - if you will.

Pros - you got the whole afternoon to run errands, workout, whatever tickles your fancy. Plus, Friday you get a head start on your weekend.

Cons - to get "enough" sleep you gotta hit the hay by 6 or 7 o'clock at night. That means social life on a "work night" doesn't exist. That means, dating is out of the question unless, you guessed it - lunch dates. And, I'm the King of 'em.

I've been on more lunch dates, than the Miley Cyrus has fans, or Jay Leno has cars. In fact, I'm becoming a bit of an afternoon eatery connoisseur.   Robin's Nest, Moochies, Faustina's, City Greek Express... you name it I've probably been there, or it's on a post-it note list somewhere on my messy dresser waiting to be discovered.

The fact is, you gotta play to your strengths. And Noon to 2 is one of mine.  Workin' girls usually have a break somewhere in between, and girls who let their parents do the workin' for them aren't doing anything then anyway.   It's a win-win. I get my sleep, and I still have an avenue to find the woman I eventually will spend the rest of eternity with. (No pressure or anything!)

So, this "afternoon romance" obviously grooves with my schedule, but it also doubles as a dating bonus that's easy on the wallet. Most places around town, you'll only spend $20-25 for the entire meal. Even if it's an uppety-up type place, it's still a lot cheaper than prices after dark.  Your checkbook will thank you, and if you play your cards right, your stomach will too.

Finally, let's be honest.  Sometimes the Salt Lake singles scene can be a rough sea to sail.  You briefly meet people at parties, clubs, and sporting events. And let's not forget everyone and their dog wants to set you up with a friend of theirs that they say "you two would be just perfect together." You don't know some of these people from Adam. And lunch dates give you the option to "try before you buy."  If, after an hour, the pretty girl at the party turns out to be a bit of a "Debbie Downer," you don't have to spend the rest of the night, or the rest of your paycheck for that matter, on a date you both know isn't coming back for round two.

So yah, an early schedule has it drawbacks, but it's also perfect for mid-day dating.

Take it from me, I'm the King.

Robert Maxwell: Winter Inversion Immersion

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:51:00 GMT

When I first came to Utah last spring, it was a brilliant, sunny day. I’ll always remember the view from the inbound jet as it smoothly touched down between magnificent, snowcapped mountain ranges.
But no one told me about the winter inversions.
And I dare say these grimy, yellowish blobs are not something the state’s tourism office is keen on promoting. And if there was any doubt the impact of the smog days was more than just aesthetic, Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality this month resumed its red light, green light days for the Wasatch Front. The Air Quality Alerts recommend people with breathing problems stay inside on the worst, red light days. The inversions have become severe enough in our growing region, that motorists are urged to lessen their time behind the wheel. Wood burning can net offenders a fine.
In the last few weeks, nearly everyone I’ve met tells me the trick is to get out of the Salt Lake Valley and up into the mountains. There, you can spend a precious few hours breathing pure, crisp alpine air before again descending into the murk. Sounds kind of like nature’s emergency oxygen tank. I haven’t checked yet, but I hope seniors’ centers and other caregiving agencies take their residents on shuttle rides out of the city on inversion days. No fun being cooped up on an otherwise sunny day.
ABC-4 Chief Meteorologist Roland Steadham tells me the inversions will last as long as there’s air cold enough to settle into the Valley under seasonally warmer air. Guess I’ll hold my breath en route to the ski resorts and hold out hope for an early spring. Heck, right now I’ll take a weak cold front to help move the stagnant air out.

Kent Rupe: Is this the week?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:55:25 GMT

Picking winners "against the spread" should be approximately a 50-50 proposition. The line is designed to have the wagers split evenly between the two teams. So the fact that I've gone 7-23 over the last 5 weeks defies all logic.

It also means that I'm that much closer to my first winning week of the season, maybe even this week, so here goes:

#6 Boise State (-23) at Utah State: Believe it or not, the line on this game opened at 24 on Sunday, meaning a majority of the money has come in on the Aggies. I like Gary Andersen as much as the next sportscaster, but I'm not convinced they'll be able to slow down the Broncos. I'm sayin' 41-14 Boise.

Colorado State (-4) at New Mexico: This is the game to stay out of the Mountain West Conference cellar, neither team has won a league game yet! While both teams have problems, the Rams have been the biggest disappointment in the MWC, but they'll beat the Lobos, and cover, 28-20.

#4 TCU (-32) at Wyoming: 32?! Wow, that's a big number! In Laramie... in November?! The Horned Frogs looked like one of the 2 or 3 best teams in the country last week at home against Utah, but they'll come back down to earth (at least a little bit) this week. 45-17 TCU.

San Diego State at #21 Utah (-20): Another big number, but I think the Utes will be out to prove they're a better football team that what they showed on that big national stage last week. The Aztecs meanwhile, lost a horrible game last week, getting outscored 24-0 in the fourth quarter, at home, to lose to Wyoming. I like Utah in this one, 38-14.

Air Force at #22 BYU (-10): The question going into this game is, which Cougar team will show up? Will it be the one that dismantled Wyoming ... or the one that barely beat New Mexico? I can see the Falcons hanging around into the fourth quarter before BYU gets the job done, 31-24 Cougars.

And with a possible Rose Bowl bid on the line in Tucson, I don't see the Arizona Wildcats hangin' with #11 Oregon (-6). The Ducks ran into a buzzsaw (aka the Stanford Cardinal) 2 weeks ago, but they shouldn't lose again on the road to Pasadena. Take the Ducks and give the points, 30-20 Oregon.

More on the Exploding Meteor

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:44:00 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) - Thousands of Utahns were scared, shocked,or even woken up at 12:07 Tuesday night by the flash and the delayed sonic BOOM of a bolide, an exploding meteor. 911 calls came in from all over the valley, and even the 911 operators themselves had witnessed the valley lighting up amidst the explosion.

Patrick Wiggins, a local NASA astronomer reported that he saw the flash through closed curtains, and feels the boom he heard 5 minutes later was the sound from the explosion, delayed because of the speed of sound.

Exploding meteors are not that rare, but did it hit the ground? Surveillance footage from the University of Utah observatory, west of Milford, gives us a clue that a piece might have done just that.

"See the piece break off?" Explained David Kieda, the head of the Physics Department at the University. "I don't think it survived intact"

"Most of the places these things happen there are no people." exclaimed Patrick Wiggins. "We really lucked out."

ABC4's intrepid meteorologist Todd Gross was put to the task of actually finding the meteorite (a meteor when it hits the ground is called a meteorite) when he reported for work Wednesday morning, by the news staff. However, being a long-time amateur astronomer, he pointed out to the rest of ABC4 that the chances of finding it were about the same as a needle in a haystack! Nevertheless, Gross did consult 3 scientists including Wiggins and Kieda. All agreed there was a possibility, based on observations, and seismology, that the meteorite may have ended up in the West Desert, no larger than a basketball, and likely never to be found.

Don Hudson - This Old House

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:07:48 GMT

About six months ago my oldest son and I were driving from BYU to our home in Kentucky. On the way home we made a one hour detour to visit Omaha, Nebraska, and more specifically our old house and neighborhood.

I love going by places I used to live; Sunset Lane, Crown Drive, Helaman Halls - to name a few. The house on the corner of Walnut and Crawford Circle is no exception. However, I hadn't been back to Omaha since we moved away in 1997 so this was the first time being there in 12 years.

My oldest son and I had lunch at another place from the past and then made our way to 132nd and Center Street and then west toward Shirley Street and our old neighborhood. The weather was awful – it was a typical early spring Omaha day - raining and cold. But we were not deterred.

My son was telling stories about his young grade school years, we talked about the swing in the backyard willow tree and we talked about neighbors Brent and Brian - two of the boys who lived on the street. I don't know if we talked about the crazy old neighbor who tried to stop the sewer department from working on a pipe by driving his car over the hole when they went to lunch, but that memory won't soon fade. He stopped them from completing their work for awhile, but I think they got things done when he left to get his medication or something like that.

The memories of tackle football in the basement, getting our first dog and the birth of child number three all came back. So many memories played out in my mind. It was like I was standing in front of a television display at a big box store and every set was on a different channel - too much and way too fast. My oldest was 6 or 7 years old, my middle child was 4 and my youngest was an infant. We had an ‘L’ shaped gold colored textured couch - the only ‘L’ shaped gold colored couch we've ever owned or will ever own - which served as a TV watching area, wrestling mat, the end zone and sleeping area. And we all fit on it, with extra space to spare. I also spent a week on that couch with pneumonia and strep throat. That is the only time in my life I thought I was going to slowly die. (There are two or three other times, but they were quick - not slow. Check with me for details.)

Because of the cold and the rain we rolled down windows and stopped to take it all in. My son was telling me about climbing a neighbor’s tree and hitting home runs over the neighbor’s house when we played tennis ball baseball. I have no doubt that if you went and started digging in the thick bushes in the neighbor’s backyard you would find at least 5 old tennis balls. We tried to find so many balls we just accepted it as part of the game and just kept a supply of balls in the garage. We talked about all the floor hockey games we played in the garage. It's amazing how big a space can be when your kids are young. I would play goalie on my knees and they would take slap shot after slap shot - something I would not even think about allowing my high school baseball playing son do to me today.

We talked about our dog, Sadie, running away, about the kids favorite babysitter and about my son's school down the road. I told him about discovering my garage down controller would open a neighbor's garage door. I'm not saying I ever drove by and opened his door to mess with him (when he was home), but it could have happened. He talked about the sandbox and about using the two big fur trees as an outdoor restroom. Not sure I knew about that. And I don't remember getting any calls.

So, what's the point? I don't know. Maybe I'm trying to say, get in the car and drive an hour out of the way with your son or daughter to see your old house. Maybe I'm trying to say, cherish your children while they are young. Or maybe I'm just reliving great memories in a blog – who knows. I guess I’m not sure about the point, but the trip to Omaha and the trip down memory lane was good one.

Marti Skold: A flash of light streaks across Utah skies

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:54:00 GMT

A large ball of fire streaking across the night time skies just after midnight had many Utahn's wondering what they saw. Dozens of calls came streaming into the newsroom with people wondering if they saw a shooting star, others wondered if it was the end of the world, military testing, or even a UFO. People from Mona to Spanish Fork from Ogden to Bountiful all calling in a very similar sighting. To many, it looked like a large fall of fire, lightning up the sky, some say like daylight, others reported a blue like light that lasted for about 30 seconds. And many reported hearing a boom about 5 minutes later.
We called Utah's NASA and Solar System Ambassador Patrick Wiggins who tells ABC4 that it was a meteor also known as a bolide. From his observatory near Stansbury Park he says the break up of the meteor occured at about 240 to 250 degrees azimuth which puts it just north of southwest. He also heard the sound of an explosion that would put the breakup of the bolide about 100 km in that direction placing it high above Granite Peak in the west desert. Just yesterday I was talking to Patrick about it being the time of year when we have the Leonid Meteor showers going on. And we had a one in a million chance of seeing one that close streak thru our skies.
We'd love to hear your stories of what you saw and what you heard from where you live. Please put your comments on our website and we'll be researching this today here at ABC4.

A flash of light in the sky over Utah

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:45:00 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A large ball of fire streaking across the night time skies just after midnight had many Utahn's wondering what they saw early Wednesday morning.

Dozens of calls came streaming into the ABC 4 newsroom with people wondering if they saw a shooting star, others wondered if it was the end of the world, military testing, or even a UFO.

People from Mona to Spanish Fork from Ogden to Bountiful all calling in a very similar sighting. To many, it looked like a large fall of fire, lightning up the sky, some say like daylight, others reported a blue like light that lasted for about 30 seconds. And many reported hearing a boom about 5 minutes later.

ABC 4 called Utah's NASA and Solar System Ambassador Patrick Wiggins who says that it was a meteor also known as a bolide. From his observatory near Stansbury Park he says the break up of the meteor occured at about 240 to 250 degrees azimuth which puts it just north of southwest. He also heard the sound of an explosion that would put the breakup of the bolide about 100 km in that direction placing it high above Granite Peak in the west desert.

We'd love to hear your stories of what you saw and what you heard from where you live. Please put your comments on our website and we'll be researching this today here at ABC4.