Hey there,
Spent another weekend behind the sports desk.  Oh what fun!  I honestly really really enjoy doing sports.  In case you haven’t noticed I have fun behind the desk.  Sports is something I’ll always want to have a part of my work…in some way.

So this next story is pretty crazy.  Its an example of a non traditional sport…something that took me back to elementary school gym class. haha.  It brings back memories of being on teams in class (sometimes bad memories of being picked last for someones team) haha.

So anyway, I knew it was going to be hard to fill content Saturday, given that there was a snow storm on the horizon and that meant baseball and softball games would probably be canceled. That’s what prompted me to to respond to a press release from UW-Platteville.

Apparently they have a dodgeball team…that’s headed to nationals for the second year in a row. As an official club on campus, they aren’t recognized as a college sport.  But there is still heavy competition.

The UW-Platteville Dodgeball team will be the only Wisconsin school represented at the 2009 National College Dodgeball Tournament in Allendale, MI April 4-5. Last year the team traveled to Ohio State and battled against some of the leagues toughest teams including Ohio State and Grand Valley State University. This year’s tournament will feature 16 colligate teams.

They also say its kind of like that movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.  But according to National Colligate Dodgeball Association rules state that fifteen players start on a standard NCAA basketball court to begin a game. Games consist of two 25 minute halves with a five minute halftime.

Teams receive one point every time they eliminate all players from the other team. The team with the most points at the end of 50 minutes wins. With players throwing rubber balls at over 50 mph, games can get intense. Many players use a gorilla grip technique that gives the ball special spins.

It’s pretty amazing!  haha And I can attest to the fact that it stings very badly when you get hit…very badly! haha.

And that’s all I’ve got…be sure to check it out under the sports section of KWWL.COM

You can also see the official website here.

Quote of the Day: I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. - Douglas Adams

Something you should check out: This past weekend KWWL won 3 awards at the Midwest Journalism Conference.  An award of merit for: KWWL - TV, “Guardian Angel” (a story about the Loras College women’s volleyball team losing a teammate and a year later using her for inspiration) for Sports Covereage and KWWL - TV, “Age is No Limit” (on of Sunny’s Someone You Should Know pieces) for Soft News Feature.  Then in First Place - KWWL - TV, “Rick Sinnwell: Walking Through Fire” (also a story Sunny did) - for Soft News Feature. Congrats to everyone!

Have a good Monday!

Lauren~

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Hey there,

Yesterday’s story…certainly one worth talking about today.  People often say Dubuque has two things for sure: churches and bars.  The river town has a life of it’s own when it comes to the amount of bars you can experience. I once heard someone say for every church there’s a bar right around the corner.  Of course there is one for every kind of atmosphere.  The dance clubs, the live music, the chill and relax and the perfect place to watch the game.

But there is one place that will always be near and dear to my heart…mostly for the fact that it’s so relaxing.  Inside the basement of the famous Ryan House on Locust St. sits Isabella’s.  Known for the record player and the records played over the loud speakers.  The place offers all kinds of beer and wine.  You name is they probably have it…unless it’s a Coors Light (or any other typical domestic beer).

Anyway, sad to say…they are closing Friday.  No, it’s not due to the economy or money at all.  It has everything to do with timing.  Owner Chad Witthoeft is moving on.  He says he’s been substitute teaching and thinks he’ll probably go into teaching.

You know what I liked about the bar?  It’s rather unique.  They were constantly offering differnt events.  Tuesday nigth Jazz, fundraisers, guest bartenders.  A lot of what they did was for the greater good; philonthrophy.  I like that!

Of course they offer a variety of beers that are nice to sample. 

Last night was the last writers guild at Isabella’s.  While they will be moving the events to other places in Dubuque the regulars say the atmosphere and the owners at Isabella’s will be missed.

I have been informed that Jazz night will be moved to 180 Main in Dubuque.  It will be Tuesday nights.  As for the other programs, Witthoeft says people are slowly taking over the events and he thinks they will all continue on at other bars in Dubuque.  He says the events they offered at Isabella’s will spread around the city and hopefully start a trend.

I would encourage you at check out their MySpace page. The final event and night will be Friday. Live music!

It’s sad to see such a unique place close it’s doors. The future of the historic building is unknown. Witthoeft says the Dubuque County Historical Society owns the Ryan House and plans to sell it within the year. But will the buyer bring Isabella’s back? That seems to be unknown. Either way, it’s a historic building. It should be interesting to see what happens.

As for the history of the Ryan House:
A magnificent Victorian mansion once owned by meat-packing magnate William “Hog” Ryan, the Ryan House is one of Dubuque’s premiere historic homes. Built in 1873, the home boasts a solid walnut staircase, four grand marble fireplaces and the likeness of President Grant (who visited the home several times) on the front gate posts.

Owned by the Dubuque County Historical Society, the home is available for rent as a special event space for business meetings, receptions and other events. It is also the mainstay of one of Dubuque’s most popular attractions - the Victorian House Tour & Progressive Dinner. The Ryan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

And as the record player spins one last time…the future is unknown.  One things for sure…it will be missed. 

On that note it’s time for today’s randoms:

Quote of the Day: “Try to learn at least one new fact from every conversation you have.” - Life’s Little Instruction Calendar Volume XIV

Something you should check out: Shawn Johnson is on Dancing With the Stars (doing a great job by the way) and apparently has a stalker who has taken it too far. WHO in Des Moines reports more here. Honestly though, I’ve been DVRing the shows and watching Shawn’s dance routines. I have taken ballroom dancing lessons, that stuff is hard and she is doing great! It makes me want to dance…and that means something, given my lack or coordination.

Well that’s all for today. Hope you’re having a great week.

Lauren~

ps - I’m anchoring sports again on Saturday. I trust that for a few minutes you can turn away from NCAA March Madness? Well if you want a break…tune in to see why some people are calling DODGEBALL a sport. No joke! I’ve got bruises to prove it!

pps- stay tuned tonight at 10…Cooking classes in Dubuque? We’ll see why more and more people are turning to cooking at home instead of eating out.

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Hello there,

It’s been a rather busy week in the Dubuque bureau.  First with the food fight story at Dubuque Senior, followed by the termination of the Guttenberg Police Chief.  Certainly not easy stories to report on as journalists, given the controversy BUT definately news.  And guess what?  People are talking about both of them.  The views on our website, the number of people who have commented, read and voted has risen significantly in the last few days.  That tells me that you care about what’s going on your community.  Am I right?

Speaking of caring about what’s going on in YOUR community, if you think there is something I should be reporting on, investigating or blogging about…e-mail me at lsquires@kwwl.com.  I want to know what you think and what’s going on in your community!

Tonight at 10 you’ll hear a story about a historic building and bar in Dubuque that is closing Friday.  Every heard of Isabella’s?  It’s one of my personal favorite places here in Dubuque.  Tonight is their last writers guild in the basement of the Ryan House.  We’ll hear from the owner and some regular patrons.

Other thoughts in my head…Can you believe the volunteer efforts in Fargo, ND today?  I just watched a report on NBC Nightly News.  There are hundred or thousands of people there helping sandbag before the water rises.  I am having flashbacks to this summers efforts in eastern Iowa.  It’s unbelievable the hearts people have when complete strangers are in need.  I even saw a guy from Minneapolis who called for a group of people on Facebook to help and 15 people drove to Fargo to help sandbag; using a vacation day to help with the cause. It’s very inspiring!

Today I’ve decided to start something new on my blog:

Quote/Advice of the day: “Don’t make a big deal out of doing a friend a favor.” - Life’s Little Instructions Calendar Volume XIV

Random news article of the day: I did a story awhile back about how libraries are experiencing a rise in users during a tough economy. Afterall it IS free! Check out this article by TH reporter Michael Schmidt.
Let me know if you have any suggestions.  More to come.
Lauren~

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It’s that time of year!! Days are spent watching TV, checking your bracket picks to see how you’re doing in your office pool, your Facebook pool (which I’m in second place) or whatever else you have you picks in.

Here was the scene at the TH today:

Don’t judge!! This was the end of the UNI game. And what you didn’t see was all the people behind me and the empty cubicles. haha You know you did it too!!!

Anyway, I’d love to know your picks. In my final 4 I’ve got Memphis vs Kansas and Duke vs. North Carolina. And my final pick…you guessed it! MEMPHIS! Go tigers! I’m hoping this year they can pull it off. Although today after their game I am not so sure how I feel about it.

So tell me…who did you pick for the FINAL FOUR? Why? There was a debate in the TH newsroom today…do you go with your heart or your gut? haha

Did you know each year during March Madness billions of $$ are lost in productivity. haha. I believe it after today. Don’t worry I got my job done, and even managed to write this blog…BUT it was very hard to focus today! VERY HARD! Tomorrow should be even worse…given that I work the day shift. haha.

HAPPY MARCH MADNESS!!!

Lauren~

ps - Sorry UNI…it was a good run and we’re proud of you!

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The following press release came across the e-mail this afternoon.  How exciting!

DUBUQUE, Iowa — There are now eight historic districts in the city of Dubuque listed in the National Register of Historic Places with the addition of the Dubuque Historic Millwork District at White, Jackson, Washington, and Elm Streets between East 6th and East 11th Streets.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s cultural resources worthy of preservation. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service. Listing in the National Register in Iowa assists in preserving historic properties through: recognition that a property is of significance to the nation, the state, or the community; consideration in the planning for federal or federally assisted projects; or eligibility for federal and state tax benefits.

This 19-building industrial complex comprises the core buildings of two giant Dubuque millwork companies, Carr, Ryder and Adams and Farley and Loetscher.  The district also comprises the only intact cluster of surviving major industrial buildings in Dubuque.  The massive buildings are without doubt the largest Iowa examples of their era.  The district includes all or portions of nine city blocks.  The north four blocks represent the buildings of the Carr, Ryder and Adams Company while the south three blocks area represents Farley and Loetscher Company.  Brick streets and still-functioning railroad spurs add key distinctive features to the district. 

Architecturally, the district comprises the core of Dubuque’s only concentrated cluster of substantial industrial buildings.  Historically, the district represents the industrial transition of Dubuque from lumber production to millwork production, and the replacement of Upper Mississippi River timber sources with West Coast sources.  Two industrial giants, the Farley and Loetscher Company, which claimed to be the largest millworking firm in the world, and the Carr, Ryder and Adams Company, emerged over time and dominated the district with their respective warehouse and factory complexes.  These collectively illustrate both the styles and the building technologies of this class of building.  Historically, the district is directly associated with Dubuque’s industrial history.  As of 1870, Dubuque was the most industrialized city in the state and that economic sector remained vital to the city’s continuing prosperity.  The most notable district buildings and firms included in this district were the largest of their trades in the world.

The district contains the majority of the key buildings that were associated with the Carr, Ryder & Adams and Farley-Loetscher millwork companies, two firms that were leaders in the city’s industrial sector.  Lumber-processing was a major Dubuque industrial sector and the long-term success of these firms transcended the regional demise of lumber shipping and processing that otherwise ended along the Mississippi River during the years prior to World War I. 

Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens said, “Listing of the Historic Millwork District in the National Register will foster opportunities for retention of existing businesses as well as recruitment and expansion of new businesses into the substantial floor space that the existing large warehouses offer. National Register listing is an important tool both for historic preservation and economic development as the City and district property owners move forward with the District Master Plan recently approved by the City Council.”

It’s always fun to see the progress of something like this…when you do several stories on it.  I can’t wait to see what comes of the place.

Lauren

ps - later…see how the economy is effecting fishing.

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Top o’the morning to ya!

Of course, as I promised today’s blog is 100% devoted to explaining what today really means…aside from the commercialize, green beer drinking, shamrock and leprechaun holiday we all celebrate.

Here are some fun facts I found online:

1. The potato crop was traditionally planted in Ireland after March 17

2. Blue not green is the color originally associated with St Patrick. “St Patrick’s Blue” is used on Ireland’s Presidential Standard or flag, while the Irish Guards sport a plume of St Patrick’s blue in their bearskins. The emphasis on green is thought to be linked to “wearing the Green”, a symbol from the 18th century on, of sympathy with Irish independence.

3. St Patrick is patron of fishermen in the Loire, where a legend associates him with a blackthorn bush. The saint is said to have slept beneath it, and when he awoke the next day, Christmas, the bush flowered, and was said to have continued to do so every Christmas until its destruction during the First World War.

4. The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1737 in Boston, followed in 1762 by New York. George Washington allowed his soldiers a holiday on March 17, 1780 as “an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.”  It wasn’t until 2005 that Dublin hosted at parade and it was designed to boost tourism.

5. Until the 1970’s, all pubs were shut in Ireland on St Patrick’s Day. Lenten fasting – and the obligation to abstain from meat – were lifted on the day, which most families would begin with Mass.

6. St Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland.

7. Since 1962, tons of green dye are tipped on St Patrick’s Day into the Chicago river, although the quantity has reduced, for environmental reasons, from 100 to 40.

8. Should you wish to carry on celebrating St Patrick after March 17, in the United States, you might visit the four Shamrocks in the USA including Mount Gay-Shamrock, W.Va or the nine cities named Dublin, including Dublin, Ohio (the largest Dublin in the U.S.) and Dublin, Georgia.

9. Many myths surround St. Patrick. One of the best known—and most inaccurate—is that Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland into the Irish Sea, where the serpents drowned. (Some still say that is why the sea is so rough.)

10. Today New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is the longest running civilian parade in the world. This year nearly three million spectators are expected to watch the spectacle and some 150,000 participants plan to march.

Who Was the Man Behind St. Patrick’s Day?

The real St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish.

He was born in Britain around the A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves.

What’s more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy, Freeman noted.

At 16, Patrick’s world turned.

He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years.

When he came to Ireland he was responsible for converting all the pagons to Christianity.  He used the Shamrock to explain the trinity and he converted them to Christians.  It actually gives a new meaning to the Shamrock. 
Of course I could go on forever…its on of my favorite days.  I love the myths and the stories behind it all.  But I need to get going.  I have corn beef and cabbage waiting for me.  Which by the way isn’t even and Irish tradition from Ireland.  It was used in by the poor Irish when they came over to the US they ate cabbage but the meat was expensive so they borrowed the corn beef idea from the Polish.  There’s a fun fact for you.
Have a great St. Patrick’s Day.

Off to Cedar Rapids.  You can follow my day on Twitter.

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It’s true…I didn’t believe it either.  Honestly the river’s already kind of a dirty green but its possible to make it greener (proof from the picture above).  We got to this river at about 10:30 am with thousands of other people.  It took forever to get a spot to see it.  Then at about 11:00 a boat come through with a guy on the back.  He was dropping dye into the river.  And before I knew it…NEON green was the color of the water.  haha I was honestly so fascinated by it.  Who would have though.  I’ve always heard that they dye the river…but I didn’t believe it.  Now keep in mind it all runs downstream.  By the end of the day it wasn’t this green.

Anyway, so after the river dying…the crowd wonders down towards Millenium Park for the Parade.  You know how last entry I talked about how Maureen said that she remembers back in the day when people used to march.  Well…there was a lot of people marching in this parade. And tons of bands.

Of course there were tons of people watching…looks very similar to Dublin right?

I also ran into this crazy guy.  Honestly I bet he got quite a sunburn. haha.  Of course a Shamrock sunburn none the less.

Anyway, I promised I’d share some pictures with all my loyal blog readers so I thought I’d post them.  It was a nice weekend.  Looks like tomorrow’s even better weather than today.  Should be a nice day for a parade or two.  Right?

Like I said, send me pics of ways that you’re spending you St. Patrick’s Day.  I’ll post them too.

Have a great day!

Lauren~

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Hey there,

All my life I’ve loved St. Patrick’s Day. When I was a kid I remember hearing stories and having an imagination about catching a leprechaun or finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I remember being pinched on St. Patrick’s Day if I wasn’t wearing green, eating green treats at school and even playing the drums in parades for band in high school. It wasn’t until college that I got a new perspective in St. Patrick’s Day. After all it’s a day named after a saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. That’s an amazing story anyway…I’ll probably tell that on the actual day of St. Patrick’s Day.

Anyway, so why am I talking about St. Patrick’s Day on March 12th? Well it’s all about today’s adventures…I found out that the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dubuque has been canceled!! Don’t freak out just yet…you have to hear the reasoning first…then you might understand.

This is why I wanted to pursue the story…I mean…just a few days before the weekend celebrations and it’s canceled?! Immediately I though it had to do with the economy BUT I was wrong!

I called up my friend Maureen Siegert at Shamrock Imports for more. After a quick chat on the phone I set up and interview her down in her store; a store that’s been buzzing with tons of customers this week.

This afternoon I stopped by Maureen’s shop and found out a lot about the canceling of this years parade.

First off: the committee currently in charge of planning the parade is full of a lot of older people. She said it’s getting to be lot of work and she hopes some younger people (young parents and young adults) pitch in and help in the future.

Second: it costs a lot to insure the parade route and pay permits and fees to the city. The orginal intent of the parade was to raise money for a charity. Last year it cost them more money then they expected. They didn’t have any money left to give to the charity.

Thirdly: Maureen thinks that it’s become too commercialized. Going back to the way things used to be…mass and then a parade walking to the Irish party…could prove to be good for everyone. She said sometimes all the floats and commercial vehicles in a parade take away from the true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day.

Basically what I learned from her made it understandable for the cancellation of the event.

I chatted with Maureen for some time after the interview about Ireland about St. Patrick’s Day. You know she’s from Ireland. The women is an amazing storyteller and truly shows Irish hospitality. I told her that I has studied abroad in Ireland in college; spend 4 months in Dublin and traveled through out the country while I was there.

There is something refreshing about her desire to bring the Irish celebration back to what is used to be like. I shared my memories of the commercialized St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin.

This was the scene at 11:00 am in Dublin in 2007. Most of the Irish natives weren’t there…in fact it was mostly tourists. Afterall St. Patrick’s Day is a holy day of obligation in Ireland.

To be honest…the parade wasn’t all that exciting. I mean we were crammed together with 100’s of people, whom we made friends with given our close quarters.

But the real treat was going to Crock Park for the All Ireland Hurling Finals:

This IS a part of the Irish tradition. If you’re county is playing the finals…chances are this is where you spend you day. YOu can check there to learn more about hurling. It’s an amazing sport…seriously very interesting to watch.

Anyway, after the game there were still hundreds on the streets:

Here is a random band just playing along the street. People were selling all sorts of things as well. It was very commercialized outside the stadium. But it was really great to witness the hurling match.

Of course….none of this relates to Dubuque…or the fact that the Dubuque parade is canceled. I just wanted to share my experience…selfishly I wanted to take a trip down memory lane…thanks for coming along for the trip.
Of course those of you in Dubuque this weekend, don’t be discouraged. There is still plenty going on: Saturday at 4:30 pm there is a mass at St. Rapheal Cathedral in Dubuque. Followed by a parade walk to the Irish Party at the Holiday Inn. There will be Irish dancers, live music, food and of course some good Irish beverages. So take the time to enjoy it. Also Dyersville is having their annual celebration too. Send me pictures at lsquires@kwwl.com I’ll put them on my blog!! click here for local events this weekend

And today I will leave you with an Irish blessing: “Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.”

I will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this weekend…in the windy city. As sad as I am to be leaving Dubuque, I am going to be seeing a lot of old friends and the dying of the river (green) for the first time!!! You can expect pictures I’m sure.

Have a great weekend…until I write before then.

Lauren~

ps

stay tuned tomorrow on KWWL news at 6 for a great story about a mother daughter combo in Karate class…plus you’ll get to see if I can break a board on my first try.  Trust me…the outcome or should I say embarassment should be worth the wait!

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Hey there,

It’s been quite a weekend! In fact this is the first time I’ve been able to sit down and update you on all the weekends happenings. For those of your who may have watched Saturday and Sunday you may have noticed the blond woman anchoring the sports segments…yeah that was me. haha.

Our own Sid Jacob was in St. Louis covering UNI’s run for the MVC Championship. So that left me to stay back and hold down the fort. But what I learned gave me a new found respect for Sid and his job…and the entire weekend crew.

So my day started on Saturday morning at 10 am as I left Dubuque headed to CR.

It was there that I covered the NCAA Div. III Wrestling National Championship Semi-finals. Of course I got there just a few minutes after Wartburg’s Justin Hanson and Aaron Wernimont advanced to the finals. BUT I made up for it by covering UD’s Evan Brown advance. He went on to win a title. But you know I can’t be two places at once so I wasn’t able to get highlights of his win…or Wartburg’s. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you’ve got and try to make up for it later (keep reading and you’ll understand what I mean).

So at about 12:30-1:00 I headed to Waterloo from Cedar Rapids…I got back to the station and edited those highlights for the 6 news. Then I headed over to the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls to get highlights of the UNI woman in their final regular season match-up against Missouri State. I stayed for about 20-30 mins to get enough highlights to put it on TV.

So after…almost 3 hours of driving for about 1:00-2:00 mins of coverage…I headed back to Waterloo to write my show. When I got back I realized how much work was to be done…it was 4:00 pm. Only 2 hours till show. So not a big deal right? So I thought…Meanwhile UNI was playing in the Semi-finals against Bradley. So I’m editing highlights, watching the game and in communication with Sid to make sure he’s gonna send his story (via satellite) for the 6.

I edited UNI woman, the Iowa men win against Penn State, the ISU win against Texas Tech and Big 12 wrestling highlights.

Before I knew it, it was 6:16 and I had to head out to the set.

You wouldn’t have known it by the looks of things but I didn’t have time to do my hair…or even refresh my make up. For someone who started at 10 am…I was surprised at how fast 6 pm crept up on me.

But I made it through the 6 and had a blast doing it! Honestly it was so much fun! I enjoyed the company of the weekend crew. Bob and Eileen are a real treat to work with.

So after the 6 I took a sigh of relief with a smile and I decided to take a dinner break. When I got back I was faced with a new set of items to write and edit. Of course repeating some of the highlights from earlier games. But the big item this time around was the championship rounds of Div. III wrestling and Big 12. In the midst of all this I forgot to check on Iowa (although I knew they were in the lead).

I also got a new story from Sid for 10. He talked with the UNI players about playing on national television (CBS) on Sunday. The excitement and anxiety that comes with that. A recap of the days b-ball game and a new highlight from the Iowa women (who lost in the Big Ten tourney) left me a little bit of time to recap wrestling and announce the Wartburg won the championship. Once again…bummer that it’s not possible for me to be 2 places at once…because I would have liked to get highlights of their big win. But in the middle of all the craziness I got a call about having coach Jim Miller on set Sunday in Sports Plus. I jumped on the idea and made a phone call on Sunday…it was all set up.

So at 11:15 after 2 shows, 2 stories shot, mutliple updates and a morning sports taping, I had successfully survived my first time anchoring sports. I felt pretty good about it all too. Sid has some great stuff from St. Louis. We covered all the local sports in the best way possible and I felt like it worked well. It was time to rest…and watch the clock spring forward…eh.

Sunday of course presented a new problem. Nothing too terrible new (except for St. Louis stuff from Sid) but a whole new world or content to fill. So much stuff to talk about, recapping and looking forward and trying not to repeat exactly that I’d said the day before.

The 5 pm turned out great because UNI had just won the championship…and that took up most of my time. Our show was shortened 4 1/2 mins because of the golf tournament running late. So my job was easier then I thought. But I still came in at 1:00 to roll on the Big 10 wrestling tournament. I was multitasking. Watching the UNI game and Iowa Wrestling while stalking (what we call setting up what will be in our show) the Sports Plus segment after the 10 pm.

Remember how I said that I was bummed I couldn’t be two places at once on Saturday and that I had to make due with what I had and make up for it later? Well not only did I have a good time in Sports Plus…but Wartburg’s head coach Jim Miller and his two national champions joined us on set for a live interview. They even brought their hardware…which I so wanted to steal from them! haha

But it worked out perfectly time wise. I was able to get UNI b-ball in there. Recap all the weekends games and look forward to the tournaments this week.

Then it was back to wrestling…talking with these guys about how it feels to being home the 2nd consecutive, 7th overall National Championship and then…remind everyone to watch for Boys State basketball this week.

WHHHEW! You tired yet? Cause I wasn’t. I was running on adrenaline! After the guys left the studio we taped morning sports and sit a few other things. Then it was back to the newsroom to post to the web. And then…my official anchor adventure was over. At 11:15 I ventured back to Dubuque.

All in a weekends work. I didn’t actually calculate the amount of time I worked this weekend but I do have a new found respect for all the work that Sid does on the weekends and for the entire weekend crew. You know we all have an extreme passion for what we do and we often times put our all into what we do so we can bring you the latest, most up-to-date news, weather and sports….and I tell you what, this weekend I realized how true that really is. Because there is no other way someone could put this much work and effort into what they do…unless they truly loved it!

And on that note: I hope this gave you an interesting perspective on the life of a weekend sports anchor. Of course mine was a little different that usual and I had a lot of help from the production crew and the people who worked this weekend. All things considered I’d call it a success!

On to another week in the world of news!

Have a great week!
Lauren~

ps - watch the wartburg interview here

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Hey there,

Today was a fun day in the TV world.  Try coming into work…and being told you’re the only reporter! haha It’s happened a lot since I started here but today was one of those days where we brainstormed for a few hours…and BOOM I remembered an e-mail I got from Aaron DeJong two weeks ago about the Master PLan on the former Warehouse District, now the Millwork District.

So I quickly gathered the information I could and called up Aaron DeJong.  We met down at the Millwork District to talk about it.

The re-development of the area is part of the city’s Envision 2010 project. But the revitalization is welcoming new business to town by turning old into new.

There is so much history in this area…each and every bricks has years of history and heritage.

The picture above shows just how much history there is in these building.  I walk down here and I feel like I’m traveling back in time. 

One thing I love is the brick roads.  Driving across them is fun, but thinking about all the others who have drive, riden or walked across them is even more interesting.  I love the look of this area.

You can check out the Master Plans here.

Take a look!

Lauren~

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