Tastes of fall continue to tease our taste buds as temperatures were cooler this weekend and NFL football got underway. Good Day, Marzullo Here! While we may warm up into the 80's the next few days, fall is pretty much here and ready to go. Watching the Bengals take the field yesterday afternoon and NFL highlights from across the league you know the seasons are changing. The smells of chili or a big pot of soup cooking in the kitchen while the game is on in the background all signs of fall. Plus, with Oktoberfest Zinzinnati this weekend the smell of food and the sounds of the chicken dance will continue to drive home that fall is here. The sun shines brightly on local pumpkin patches during the day, drying out the towering corn stalks that line our fields, before the clear crisp night sky allows for perfect sleeping weather. It is hard to believe that flowering baskets at the local nursery are now being replaced with mums and pumpkins ready to carve and glow on Halloween night. So sit back the next few weeks and take in the smells and sights of fall because before you know it the cold air will be blowing and the snow will be falling!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Signs Of Fall
Tastes of fall continue to tease our taste buds as temperatures were cooler this weekend and NFL football got underway. Good Day, Marzullo Here! While we may warm up into the 80's the next few days, fall is pretty much here and ready to go. Watching the Bengals take the field yesterday afternoon and NFL highlights from across the league you know the seasons are changing. The smells of chili or a big pot of soup cooking in the kitchen while the game is on in the background all signs of fall. Plus, with Oktoberfest Zinzinnati this weekend the smell of food and the sounds of the chicken dance will continue to drive home that fall is here. The sun shines brightly on local pumpkin patches during the day, drying out the towering corn stalks that line our fields, before the clear crisp night sky allows for perfect sleeping weather. It is hard to believe that flowering baskets at the local nursery are now being replaced with mums and pumpkins ready to carve and glow on Halloween night. So sit back the next few weeks and take in the smells and sights of fall because before you know it the cold air will be blowing and the snow will be falling!
Friday, September 9, 2011
A Great Year, Then It All Changed
Good Morning, Marzullo Here! The start of 2001 was a huge year for me I had just made the move to Youngstown, Ohio where my television weather career kicked into high gear. I was hired as the weekday morning and noon meteorologist at the NBC station and I actually was not done with college at that point. So not only was I working a full time job in television news but I still had a year and half of college left so I was attending classes in the afternoon and evening. I was able to not only cover the weather but also co-host with two of my dear friends, we had a lot of fun. In television news it is all about the ratings and by the start of the summer my co-workers and I had moved the ratings for our morning news to the number one spot in the city. I was on top of the world enjoying life with family and friends who lived close by in Cleveland. I remember in June that year I bought my first brand new car, I also was kinda of a odd ball, I got personalized plates.... ( 4CASTER ) Please make fun of me later! I took a road trip to Philadelphia, my co-anchor got married in July, and in late August my co-anchors and I were preparing to leave for Orlando where we were going to broadcast LIVE from the a new Disney Cruise Ship. Everything I had dreamed and hope for was coming true and then September 11th happened, and life was put in perspective.I remember it like it was yesterday I was standing in our control room placing our morning crews breakfast order to the cafe down the street. This was our morning ritual before our last news cut-in of the morning we would place our breakfast call at about 8:50am. I remember hearing Matt Lauer on the Today Show, say " we have some breaking news we will get to after the break. " The crew in the control room kinda of laughed because who says we have breaking news but first these commercials, of course none of us knew what was about to happen. When they came back from break and the first shot we saw was the first tower on fire we still did not realize the magnitude of what had happened, in fact I remember I actually started walking down the stairs to get everyone breakfast. I was a few steps away from the newsroom door when I stopped to check the coverage on the television at the assignment desk, it was that moment when the second plane hit and life was changed forever. The entire day and weeks to come you watched and prayed for those lives lost and the people they left behind. Your heart broke and eyes teared up as the buildings came down and you were on edge as phone lines were down trying to get in touch with love ones, just to hear a soothing voice on the other line. I remember a few days later I was doing the weather from a local fire house when the cheif shouted out the window " They found another survivor " I was on the air live at the time and as I said those words to our viewers we knew there was hope to find more. September 11th was a day that changed all of our lives and the way we walk through life. The symbolic meaning of that day and memory I have is that breakfast was never picked up, a sign of how time froze and we as Americans stopped to comprehend what was happening to the greatest country in the world. However, you choose to remember this weekend, just never forget.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wedding Update
6 weeks to go! It seems like I’ve been planning the wedding for so long now, I can’t believe there’s only a month and a half left before the big day! Good morning, happy Thursday.. Katy here. I thought I would give you a quick update on the wedding planning and how it’s going. Actually… I’m basically done! About a month ago, I reached the point where I couldn’t do anymore planning and just had to wait until about now for things to pick up! And boy, are they picking up! I’ve had two bridal showers (one of those hosted by Sheila and Tracey) had my final dress fitting, cake appointment, and met with our organist at the church. Next up is the hair/makeup trial and final floral appointment. Everyone told me it would go by fast, a
nd they were right. October will be here before I know it, although it already feels like it with these temperatures in the low 60s! I’m ready for the wedding, but I don’t know if I’m ready for the cooler weather yet! I think this weekend I’ll enjoy a nice break from things and have a lazy weekend with the fiancé. I’ll stash away the girlie wedding stuff and watch some football!!! Go SPORTS! Wednesday, September 7, 2011
I Will Never Forget
Hi, it's Sheila.
Today's 'blog I dedicate to America, as we approach the tenth anniversary of September 11th.
I will never forget that day. I know that's true of any American who has a memory of that day 10 years ago, but these are some of the things I remember most.
For me and Rob, and for my family, it started just like any other day. I woke up at 3 a.m. and went to work. My husband Ric helped our daughter Katie get ready for school -- second grade. At 8:46 a.m., Rob and I were in the middle of a cooking segment on our show with the Midnight Gourmet, Nick Tolbert. Within moments of the first plane crashing into the North Tower, our producer Dan Romito told us, "We're taking some live video. The World Trade Center is on fire."
I will never forget the feeling of complete terror as we watched the second plane hit the second tower live. I instantly knew it was an attack. It was such a helpless feeling to watch it occur, and subsequently to hear of the Pentagon being hit, and the plane going down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
When the networks started talking about where the flights had originated, I was terrified. My brother lived in Boston at the time, and he traveled a lot for work. I called my mother in a panic and demanded, "Where's John?!" She didn't have her TV on, and she didn't know what was happening. I scared her to death. (John wasn't flying that day.)
When the South Tower began to collapse just more than an hour later, Rob and I were in the newsroom watching the networks (Fox 19 had gone to full network coverage by then). I will never forget the look on Rob's face and the feeling of disbelief and dread that came over us when that tower fell. We both had tears in our eyes, and we both knew we would cry if we didn't look away. This may sound silly, but if you're going to cover news, you can't cry. We knew eventually we'd be back on the air, and for me it was not much later, when we started reporting on local effects of the tragedy, Cincinnati air traffic being halted, etc.
I will never forget the moment I finally got home that day, many hours later. I was finally able to cry, and I almost couldn't stop.
Ric had to take the TV remote away from me because I couldn't stop watching the news coverage, and he made me get away from the TV.
I don't have words to describe how I felt, how we all felt. PBS put together a post 9/11 website, and one of the pages is full of stories by regular people, talking about their memories of the day. I was reading through these stories by regular people about feelings of sorrow, fear, confusion, sadness, vengeance, even pride. I can't think of the nearly 3,000 people who died without being sad, both for them and for the people who loved them, and who are still grieving ten years later. I can't think of the courageous people of United Flight 93 or the New York City firefighters and police officers who ran into the towers without being proud. And I can't think of the American service members who enlisted, are fighting, have fought, and who have died for the U.S.A since September 11th without being grateful.
And I will never forget all the ways the people of this country showed their patriotism after the attacks -- showed the terrorists we will not be scared, and we will stand together as Americans. This is a picture of the American flag flying at my house. It was hard to find a flag in the days after 9/11, but Ric and I did find one. We have not allowed a day to go by in the last 10 years when we weren't showing our colors (this is our 3rd flag).
As tragic as September 11, 2001 was for all of us, especially for the victims' families, I believe it made us stronger. It made us think of the little things. It made us more grateful for this country we love, and for our freedom, and for each other. And that's something I will never, ever forget.
Today's 'blog I dedicate to America, as we approach the tenth anniversary of September 11th.
I will never forget that day. I know that's true of any American who has a memory of that day 10 years ago, but these are some of the things I remember most.
For me and Rob, and for my family, it started just like any other day. I woke up at 3 a.m. and went to work. My husband Ric helped our daughter Katie get ready for school -- second grade. At 8:46 a.m., Rob and I were in the middle of a cooking segment on our show with the Midnight Gourmet, Nick Tolbert. Within moments of the first plane crashing into the North Tower, our producer Dan Romito told us, "We're taking some live video. The World Trade Center is on fire."
I will never forget the feeling of complete terror as we watched the second plane hit the second tower live. I instantly knew it was an attack. It was such a helpless feeling to watch it occur, and subsequently to hear of the Pentagon being hit, and the plane going down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
When the networks started talking about where the flights had originated, I was terrified. My brother lived in Boston at the time, and he traveled a lot for work. I called my mother in a panic and demanded, "Where's John?!" She didn't have her TV on, and she didn't know what was happening. I scared her to death. (John wasn't flying that day.)
When the South Tower began to collapse just more than an hour later, Rob and I were in the newsroom watching the networks (Fox 19 had gone to full network coverage by then). I will never forget the look on Rob's face and the feeling of disbelief and dread that came over us when that tower fell. We both had tears in our eyes, and we both knew we would cry if we didn't look away. This may sound silly, but if you're going to cover news, you can't cry. We knew eventually we'd be back on the air, and for me it was not much later, when we started reporting on local effects of the tragedy, Cincinnati air traffic being halted, etc.
I will never forget the moment I finally got home that day, many hours later. I was finally able to cry, and I almost couldn't stop.
Ric had to take the TV remote away from me because I couldn't stop watching the news coverage, and he made me get away from the TV.
I don't have words to describe how I felt, how we all felt. PBS put together a post 9/11 website, and one of the pages is full of stories by regular people, talking about their memories of the day. I was reading through these stories by regular people about feelings of sorrow, fear, confusion, sadness, vengeance, even pride. I can't think of the nearly 3,000 people who died without being sad, both for them and for the people who loved them, and who are still grieving ten years later. I can't think of the courageous people of United Flight 93 or the New York City firefighters and police officers who ran into the towers without being proud. And I can't think of the American service members who enlisted, are fighting, have fought, and who have died for the U.S.A since September 11th without being grateful.
And I will never forget all the ways the people of this country showed their patriotism after the attacks -- showed the terrorists we will not be scared, and we will stand together as Americans. This is a picture of the American flag flying at my house. It was hard to find a flag in the days after 9/11, but Ric and I did find one. We have not allowed a day to go by in the last 10 years when we weren't showing our colors (this is our 3rd flag).
As tragic as September 11, 2001 was for all of us, especially for the victims' families, I believe it made us stronger. It made us think of the little things. It made us more grateful for this country we love, and for our freedom, and for each other. And that's something I will never, ever forget.
Monday, September 5, 2011
No Turning Back
Happy Monday. Labor Day 2011!
Dan Wells writing, I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits.
< Check it out.
The papers have arrived. The check has been cashed. And these are not the postcards that my wife(a teacher)is sending to future students. This is for our student. It came in the mail today.
My daughter is going to school. In 9 days. On her birthday.
She could not have wished for a better birthday gift. She is so excited, she doesn't even know what to do with herself. After getting the postcard today, she has been running all over the house saying, 'I love you, Mrs. 'X' (her teacher), I can't wait to meet you!'
Am I happy for her excitement? For sure.
Especially considering child #2 is going to be the extreme opposite. We're gotta live it up while we can.
My wife and I are thrilled for her, for the new friends she is going to make, the knowledge she is going to gain, the fun she is going to have, and all the awesome experiences she is about to embrace.
But am I sad as ever? Absolutely. As much as she is going to miss her family (that is what I'm telling myself) while she's gone, I'm pretty sure she's going to love 'her' time in school.
So, lots to look forward too this fall season!
Have a great day
Dan
Friday, September 2, 2011
Last Blast Of Summer
Good Friday Morning, Dan Wells writing, I hope this note finds you well and in good spirits! A number of exciting and interesting festivals and events line the Cincinnati calendar throughout the year.
These include public holidays, Cincinnati wine festivals, Cincinnati carnival parades, St. Patrick's Day festivities, the popular Tastes of Cincinnati food festival and much more.
This weekend P&G Riverfest at Sawyer Point opens at noon and runs until approximately 11 p.m. on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
This year it's September 4th, 2011
P&G Riverfest is Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's big boom, the end of summer blowout that concludes with one of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest - the Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Fireworks. This signature Cincinnati event began 34 years ago, when WEBN treated the tri-state to a fireworks show in honor of the radio station's 10th anniversary. The party at Sawyer Point, held annually on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, has grown into an all-day affair with music, food and family fun and entertainment all day (Cincinnati's Sawyer Point is a no-alcohol zone for Riverfest).
One of the big Highlights: the Ohio/Kentucky shout-off just before the fireworks, and WEBN's soundtrack, choreographed with Rozzi's Famous Fireworks.
The show attracts over 500,000 to the area every year. Over 2,500 boats jam the river to get a front row seat for the show, and the river is patrolled by the US Coast Guard, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and local units from Cincinnati, and Covington. The river is normally closed between the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Big Mac (Interstate 471) bridge.
Maybe you have certain memories of certain fireworks. Here are some from WEBN.
1977 - It's our first blast, and the only one to happen on a Thursday night (as close as we can get to our actual 10th birthday of August 30). Soundtrack by Glenn Gaskins. Even though WEBN is a small station and the publicity comes from only us, about 80,000 people show up. The only glitch: a mile-long train crawls along the tracks of Sawyer Point and parks during the show, trapping everybody on the Serpentine Wall. After the show, thousands of people have to crawl between and underneath railcars.
1978 - The first official Riverfest. More publicity, way more people, and no trains. The only glitch: Glenn's pre-computer soundtrack can't really be synchronized to the blasts, they drift further apart and the music runs out about 3 minutes too soon. From 1979 to 1982, Tom Sandman works up some ingenious techniques for achieving better success in soundtrack synch. We use those procedures until hooking up with a super-hi-tech computer system in the 1990's. More about that later.
1983 - The first year with a sponsor (Pepsi), allowing us to add lots more power and punch to the show. The Rozzis start messing around with ideas and technology to make fireworks do things they shouldn't. They're still doing that. Soundtrack this year and next by Jay Gilbert.
1984 - the only year that bad weather almost stops the show. It rains continuously all weekend, and fireworks can't be safely loaded into their shells in such humidity. At 2 p.m. the day of the fireworks, we're within 20 minutes of announcing our first-ever cancellation, when suddenly the clouds part, the sun shines, the Rozzis bust ass, and the show goes on (with some parts scrapped). We've had other years when weather threatens, but so far the fireworks have never been rained out. If that ever happens, there's no way to have a rain date … see ya next year.
1985 - Hudy Gold signs on for 2 years of sponsorship. Joel Moss inherits the task of assembling the 30-minute soundtrack. He's done it every year since.
1987 - Toyota's first partnership with the fireworks. They've been with us longer than most staff members' marriages.
1988- Renegade Comic Sam Kinison joins Frog for the Big Bang and leads crowd wars as only Sam could, with an emphatic "Does WEBN know how to throw a party!!" Hell yeah, Sam. We still miss you, but we know you have the best seat in the house.
1989 - During the show's grand finale (which typically contains about 2500 shells, more than most entire 4th of July fireworks), a sudden gust of wind blows all the falling debris directly to the deck of Barleycorn's, WEBN's master control center and host to several hundred partiers. Amazing how fast people can run when it's raining fire.
1992 - For WEBN's 25th anniversary, we build a giant "set piece" on the L&N Bridge (now the Purple People Bridge). For about 60 seconds in the middle of the show, it shows a magnificent sparkling WEBN logo, a Toyota logo and a big "1967-1992." You remember that, right? You don't? It was there, but the humidity was so thick and the wind so still that the smoke from the fireworks' first 15 minutes wouldn't go away. When our giant expensive set piece boomed to life, nobody saw it, not even the people who knew to look for it. Oh well, that's blow biz.
ALSO in 1992 - WEBN's founder, Frank Wood the Elder, passes away. Frank the Younger places some of his father's ashes inside the first shell of this year's fireworks. If somebody tries to tell you that Hunter Thompson had this idea first, set them straight.
1997 - The debut of that cool new super-hi-tech computerized system for synchronizing the fireworks and music. Eddie Fingers does his usual rev-up of the crowd, yells his official here-it-is! … and then …. nothing. 2 minutes go by. More nothing. 2 more minutes, lots more nothing. Finally, liftoff. Officially the delay is 8 minutes, but to us it will always be a thousand years. One station exec says after the finale, "I would have enjoyed this show a lot more without all this s*** in my pants."
2004 - The Rozzi's top even themselves by creating fireworks that somehow --- we're still trying to figure this out --- blast the red letters W, E, B- and N into the sky in the actual shapes of our station's logo. We thought we might be hallucinating, but they did it with even more precision in 2005.
2006 - 30 years in 30 minutes… come to the River on September 3rd to witness the next piece of history.
Kind of a cool history lesson right! Now if you can't make it down to the riverfront, Fox19 is carrying the event live.
Hope you a great weekend!
Dan
These include public holidays, Cincinnati wine festivals, Cincinnati carnival parades, St. Patrick's Day festivities, the popular Tastes of Cincinnati food festival and much more.
This weekend P&G Riverfest at Sawyer Point opens at noon and runs until approximately 11 p.m. on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
This year it's September 4th, 2011
P&G Riverfest is Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's big boom, the end of summer blowout that concludes with one of the largest fireworks displays in the Midwest - the Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Fireworks. This signature Cincinnati event began 34 years ago, when WEBN treated the tri-state to a fireworks show in honor of the radio station's 10th anniversary. The party at Sawyer Point, held annually on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, has grown into an all-day affair with music, food and family fun and entertainment all day (Cincinnati's Sawyer Point is a no-alcohol zone for Riverfest).
One of the big Highlights: the Ohio/Kentucky shout-off just before the fireworks, and WEBN's soundtrack, choreographed with Rozzi's Famous Fireworks.
The show attracts over 500,000 to the area every year. Over 2,500 boats jam the river to get a front row seat for the show, and the river is patrolled by the US Coast Guard, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and local units from Cincinnati, and Covington. The river is normally closed between the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Big Mac (Interstate 471) bridge.
Maybe you have certain memories of certain fireworks. Here are some from WEBN.
1977 - It's our first blast, and the only one to happen on a Thursday night (as close as we can get to our actual 10th birthday of August 30). Soundtrack by Glenn Gaskins. Even though WEBN is a small station and the publicity comes from only us, about 80,000 people show up. The only glitch: a mile-long train crawls along the tracks of Sawyer Point and parks during the show, trapping everybody on the Serpentine Wall. After the show, thousands of people have to crawl between and underneath railcars.
1978 - The first official Riverfest. More publicity, way more people, and no trains. The only glitch: Glenn's pre-computer soundtrack can't really be synchronized to the blasts, they drift further apart and the music runs out about 3 minutes too soon. From 1979 to 1982, Tom Sandman works up some ingenious techniques for achieving better success in soundtrack synch. We use those procedures until hooking up with a super-hi-tech computer system in the 1990's. More about that later.
1983 - The first year with a sponsor (Pepsi), allowing us to add lots more power and punch to the show. The Rozzis start messing around with ideas and technology to make fireworks do things they shouldn't. They're still doing that. Soundtrack this year and next by Jay Gilbert.
1984 - the only year that bad weather almost stops the show. It rains continuously all weekend, and fireworks can't be safely loaded into their shells in such humidity. At 2 p.m. the day of the fireworks, we're within 20 minutes of announcing our first-ever cancellation, when suddenly the clouds part, the sun shines, the Rozzis bust ass, and the show goes on (with some parts scrapped). We've had other years when weather threatens, but so far the fireworks have never been rained out. If that ever happens, there's no way to have a rain date … see ya next year.
1985 - Hudy Gold signs on for 2 years of sponsorship. Joel Moss inherits the task of assembling the 30-minute soundtrack. He's done it every year since.
1987 - Toyota's first partnership with the fireworks. They've been with us longer than most staff members' marriages.
1988- Renegade Comic Sam Kinison joins Frog for the Big Bang and leads crowd wars as only Sam could, with an emphatic "Does WEBN know how to throw a party!!" Hell yeah, Sam. We still miss you, but we know you have the best seat in the house.
1989 - During the show's grand finale (which typically contains about 2500 shells, more than most entire 4th of July fireworks), a sudden gust of wind blows all the falling debris directly to the deck of Barleycorn's, WEBN's master control center and host to several hundred partiers. Amazing how fast people can run when it's raining fire.
1992 - For WEBN's 25th anniversary, we build a giant "set piece" on the L&N Bridge (now the Purple People Bridge). For about 60 seconds in the middle of the show, it shows a magnificent sparkling WEBN logo, a Toyota logo and a big "1967-1992." You remember that, right? You don't? It was there, but the humidity was so thick and the wind so still that the smoke from the fireworks' first 15 minutes wouldn't go away. When our giant expensive set piece boomed to life, nobody saw it, not even the people who knew to look for it. Oh well, that's blow biz.
ALSO in 1992 - WEBN's founder, Frank Wood the Elder, passes away. Frank the Younger places some of his father's ashes inside the first shell of this year's fireworks. If somebody tries to tell you that Hunter Thompson had this idea first, set them straight.
1997 - The debut of that cool new super-hi-tech computerized system for synchronizing the fireworks and music. Eddie Fingers does his usual rev-up of the crowd, yells his official here-it-is! … and then …. nothing. 2 minutes go by. More nothing. 2 more minutes, lots more nothing. Finally, liftoff. Officially the delay is 8 minutes, but to us it will always be a thousand years. One station exec says after the finale, "I would have enjoyed this show a lot more without all this s*** in my pants."
2004 - The Rozzi's top even themselves by creating fireworks that somehow --- we're still trying to figure this out --- blast the red letters W, E, B- and N into the sky in the actual shapes of our station's logo. We thought we might be hallucinating, but they did it with even more precision in 2005.
2006 - 30 years in 30 minutes… come to the River on September 3rd to witness the next piece of history.
Kind of a cool history lesson right! Now if you can't make it down to the riverfront, Fox19 is carrying the event live.
Hope you a great weekend!
Dan
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Happy Birthday
Good Morning, happy Thursday! Katy Here...I can’t believe Labor Day weekend is upon us, it seems like yesterday we were talking about the start of summer with Memorial Day! Labor Day weekend is always fun, celebrating the “unofficial” end to summer, but it’s also special for me because my soon-to-be family gets together every year to celebrate a special birthday! This week, I wanted to give a shout out to Marian Gooding! Marian, or Mare, as we call her is my fiancé Tom’s grandmother who lives in Lima, OH. We’ll be traveling north this weekend to celebrate with her and the family. Mare is my biggest fan at Fox19. She watches the webcast that I put together every morning (and you can to under the weather tab on fox19.com) so she knows what the weather will be. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and I’m so glad that I’ll be able to call her my grandma soon! So Happy Birthday, Mare! Can’t wait to see you this weekend!
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