Monday, December 24, 2007

A Christmas Story



Merry Christmas everyone!

I am sharing a holiday shopping story from last year. It reminds me that it's not the most expensive or biggest present under the tree that matters the most.


"My 6 year old son insisted on getting me a present to put under our Christmas tree. Surprisingly on Christmas Eve the Tippecanoe Mall was not packed with last minute shoppers. Brett and I went into JC Penney, where he tried to pick out something for me. Soon it became evident there was no way this could happen without me seeing what he had chosen. I couldn't let a child roam freely around the store, nor let him loose with my credit card. Poor Brett was so frustrated he began to cry.


I turned to one of the sales associates behind the jewelry counter. The woman gladly accepted the challenge and helped Brett pick out a gift. They spent quite a bit of time looking. Then, he proudly brought the box to the counter, where I paid for it. The sales associate asked Brett if he wanted the gift wrapped. At first he said yes, then changed his mind. Brett wanted to wrap the present himself. So, the sales associate escorted Brett behind the counter where they proceeded to wrap the gift together. They put so much care and attention (and tape) into it. Now, I was the one starting to cry.


I glanced at the sale associate's name tag. It was Whitney. Thank you Whitney and the others at JC Penney for helping a little boy pick out and wrap the perfect present for his mom! The gift turned out to be a pretty, heart-shaped necklace, that I will cherish forever."


Saturday, December 15, 2007

Shop With A Cop

About 25 children enjoyed shopping Saturday morning at the Lafayette Wal-mart with some local police officers. This is the sixth or seventh year I have helped with the event. I look forward to it each year. It really makes the holiday season!
Each child picks up a few 'necessities,' like socks, shoes and sweatshirts. Then, he or she gets to pick up a few fun items, like toys and DVDs. The shopping excursion ends with a visit with Santa. Believe it or not, one girl asked for more snow!


My little shopper was Lacy. She's a student at Klondike Middle School. Our cart filled fast with many items associated with 'High School Musical.' She picked out some clothes, the sound track and the latest release 'High School Musical 2.'

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Congratulations Kelly


Congratulations to our morning meteorologist Kelly Greene. She won WLFI-TV's employee of the year award. The announcement was made at our company Christmas party Saturday. Stations throughout LIN Television select employees for the honor, the Circle of Excellence. Next year all the winners will be treated to a cruise. Kelly was chosen for her positive attitude and the energy she shows every morning giving the weather.
This is a picture of Kelly on national television. She joined the crowd outside the broadcast of the CBS Early Show in New York city in September.



Monday, December 10, 2007

Ice, Ice


Ice is everywhere! The slick road conditions prompted many schools to start on a two hour delay. North White School Corporation and a couple others to our north closed for the day. Unfortunately, we have covered several accidents, including some fatal wrecks. Our news and weather departments are watching the changing road and weather conditions. We will show school closings on the bottom of your screen. We will also announce when big businesses cancel shifts or close. There is a complete listing of closings/cancellations for organizations, clubs, and other businesses on our web page.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Christmas Parade

Rain poured on the Lafayette Christmas parade. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people bundled up under umbrellas and ponchos to watch the festivities. Understandably, the number of people lining the streets was down from previous years. Maybe it was everyone wanting to get through quickly, but the parade down Main Street and over the bridge moved at a pretty brisk pace. This was Brett's first year to walk (instead of being pulled in the wagon). He helped carry our banner.



The News Channel 18 crew gathered by our live truck about 30 minutes before the 2:00 parade start. Our weather folks, Mike Prangley, Steve Scherer, and Kelly Greene correctly predicted the rain. Even though some of us were hoping for snow instead.


You can watch the Christmas Parade on Channel 18 Noon-1:30 on December 15th and again on Christmas Day from 5:00p.m.-6:30p.m.