Behind the scenes with Local 4 News Morning

Local 4 Blog by Heather Zara

Today was just one of those days that made me appreciate my family. No, not my immediate family. It’s too early to have made any contact with my parents or brother just yet.

I’m talking about my morning show family.

There is something about waking up at 2:30am for work that really brings people together. We have an understanding with one another that very few people can get. I was a night owl until I made the switch to mornings, so trust me when I say that it is quite the adjustment. But each and every morning that my alarm clock goes off in the middle of the night, I know that I am not alone.

Weekdays from 5-7am.

My family makes it easy for me. I know that when I come to work, I can expect good company, a few good laughs, and sometimes even a therapy session.

True story. I got dating advice from Eric and Rhonda this morning during one of our long breaks. Good advice actually.

We plan outings after work to celebrate special occasions, play on softball leagues together, watch each others dogs (Eric’s pup Toby stays with me from time to time!),  and even help each other create Facebook accounts.

That’s just how close we are.

With my partner in crime at The Race for the Cure 2009 in Detroit.

Our producers are here even earlier than us on-air folk. Most of them get here at 10pm and work through the night and into the morning. We love them. The amazing thing about them is that they still manage to put together solid newscasts and keep a smile on their face. Most days. Hey, when news breaks, things get crazy over here. Everyone always handles it with ease though.

We are very lucky to have people that are ultimate professionals at what they do. You may not see all of the behind the scenes stuff that happens, but trust me when I say that TV news is the ultimate team sport-with hundreds of players-all off of the bench for the duration.

We all take our jobs very seriously…

…but we do know how to have fun too.

It’s a magic land of musical enchantment here at Local 4 in the mornings. We’ve jammed to Michael Jackson in the newsroom during our tribute days, laughed with Guy and Rhonda about their Kenny Chesney impersonation skills and our 6am producer, Jay-K, sounds more like Jay-Z on occasion. OK, that’s a lie… but his anchorman voice is simply the best. I am also convinced that Jay and our 5am producer Caitlin have the best email subject lines known to man. I look forward to waking up to that daily morning email of the plan for the day, just to read the witty punchline at the top.

I shall not reveal them… they are to remain a secret for all eternity! (Insert evil laugh here)

Rhonda helping Guy get a splinter out of his hand during a commercial break. Just another morning at Local 4!

I find that I get asked the same questions about my job and Local 4 in general… So let me jot down the answers and welcome you into our family!

• Yes, we really do our own hair and makeup.
• Yes, Rhonda really is that energetic and sweet in person.
• Yes, Guy really is the answer guy!
• Yes, Eric really ate a Paczki for the first time ever, on live television this year!
• Yes, we all really do get along and we are good friends outside of work actually.
• We wake up in the middle of the night, around 2:30am. Yes, it is very early.
• Yes, it can be hard to hear and report on all of the negative news that happens day after day, but we try to focus on all of the wonderful things that happen in and around our city. The good always out-weighs the bad.

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We are pretty close here at the station and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hopefully, you’ll welcome us into your homes to be a part of your family each morning. You don’t have to wake up at 2:30am either, I promise. Just leave that part up to us. 🙂

Me, Eric, Guy and Rhonda.

The little boy who cried wolf, ahem, retirement. Too much Brett Favre these days?

Local 4 Blog by Heather Zara

There is no doubt about it. Brett Favre was/is (it’s hard to keep track these days) one of the greatest quarterbacks of the game of football.

He has broken and held records, he has been a Super Bowl Champion, and he is and will be forever ingrained in the history and culture of the NFL.

Brett Favre. His name is synonymous with the role of a quarterback, his face is a recognizable symbol that represents the NFL and his long running success is associated with the Packers. I mean, it’s Brett Favre.

So what about this roller coaster ride that we have been on with Mr. Favre for the last 2 years? Is it like that ride that you can’t get enough of at Cedar Point, where you wait in line for hours just to go for another whirl?

OR…

Is it more like the ride that makes you sick to your stomach, the one that you vow to stay away from for the rest of your life?

Yikes.

It seems like most football fans and critics alike are a little over Favre’s retirement and un-retirement shenanigans… and I can’t say that I blame them. As someone who keeps up with what’s happening in the world of sports everyday- I can admit that it gets a little old. He’s on the radio, in the paper, on TV… It’s enough already!

“BREAKING NEWS! Brett Favre is thinking about retiring. Rumors are surfacing that Brett Favre is retiring. Brett Favre has retired. Brett Favre is thinking about coming back to the NFL. Rumors are surfacing that Brett Favreis in talks with the Jets. Brett Favre is back in the NFL and is the newest member of the Jets. Brett Favre is calling it quits, again. Brett Favre is thinking about coming out of retirement, again. Rumors about Brett Favre coming out of retirement are beginning to swirl around the NFL, again. Brett Favre is back, AGAIN.”

Yup. It’s understandable why people may be uninterested in the latest un-retirement announcement by Favre. For those of us that are living through this back and forth Brett Favre era known as the retirement years, we will undoubtedly include this unforgettable indecisiveness in our memories of his legacy.

Does the attention on Favre’s retirement and his new teams take away from the many accomplishments that he has achieved in his now 17 seasons in the NFL? I don’t know the answer to that. I think it’s a matter of personal opinion. To each his own.

I personally don’t think that the retirement yo-yo makes him any less of an outstanding athlete, but I do think that there is something to be said for leaving at the right time. Has his time as the all around go-to QB come to an end? I think so, but apparently Favre and the teams that continue to sign him don’t agree.

Fine… I say more power to him. He will turn 40 in October before game 5 of this season, and if he can still hang, great!

I just think it’s the back and forth, “I’m in… no, I’m out… no, no, I’m in”, roller coaster that drives me a little crazy. Make a decision and stick to it.

That’s all I’m saying.

Brett, we’ll see you at Ford Field on September 20th for the Lions home opener. It could be the last time we ever see you play in this building. Maybe.

Woodward Dream Cruisers START YOUR ENGINES!

This is the event that car lovers wait for all year! The 15th Annual Dream Cruise rolls in this weekend. Classic cars in metro Detroit and across the country are being pulled out of garages, polished, shined and revved up as we speak! It’s right around the corner, I can already smell the exhaust!

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., along a 16-mile stretch on Woodward Avenue, and goes through eight host communities. Each of the communities will be hosting events leading up to the Dream Cruise.

 For information on official events, click here.

The car lover event attracts more than 1 million visitors and more than 40,000 cars annually, and some economists say it brings in almost $50 million to metro Detroit.

The dream cruise started in 1995 as a fundraiser for a soccer field in Ferndale and has evolved into the world’s largest one-day auto event. There is no cost to participate in the event, although those who are not driving a classic car are asked to stay out of the two right lanes.

 PARKING INFORMATION: 

Huntington Woods:

• Parking is available along Woodward for classic cars for $75. Please contact Lou Rubenstein at I-242-541-3030

Bloomfield Hills & Pleasant Ridge:

• No public parking available

Bloomfield Township:

• Please visit www.bloomfieldtwp.org for information on parking and events related to the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Pontiac:

• All public parking will be located at the Phoenix Center
• Classic car, car club, RV and Van parking can be arranged through Dennis Scanlon at I-248-758-3935
• Guartanteed parking if you come before 8/7 or you can fill out an on-site application.

Ferndale:

• Metered Parking: Breckenridge – West/East, Troy Street, Withington Street
• Additional parking w/Shuttle Service: Kulick Community Center & Ferndale Foods Parking Lot

Royal Oak:

• Royal Oak will offer free parking at Upton Park at Coolidge South of 14 Mile Rd.
• A free shuttle will be offered from Upton Park to Memorial Park
• Memorial Park will offer handicapped parking at 13 Mile and Coolidge.

My GM Tour

 

On the old television show I Love Lucy, a crazed Ricki Ricardo would say to his zany wife “you have a lot of ‘splaining to do!” That line came to mind today as I trod the General Motors Research and Development Center and Design Dome floors today.

 

After the Federal Government took 60%+, the Canadian Government another 12%, the new Government Motors needs to “splain” how it is different, show it deserves the billions in taxpayer dollars spent to prop up a moribund concern. I wondered can GM be anything better than it once was? Keeping in mind the company did just what you or I would do when having important guests in your house, you clean for days prior and make certain you are putting the very best face forward; still the answer is yes!

The big news of the day is the Chevy Volt getting a Federally calculated 230mpg rating for a plug in electric hybrid car. The number is probably misleading because you’re mixing electric car capabilities with a gasoline engine’s. But it will be equally so when other manufacturers bring thier versions online. GM just happens to be there first and that does help with the image of “the company that only sells low mileage trucks”.

For my money, that is all window dressing. As you will hear repeatedly in the auto industry, it’s all about product, product, product. So I couldn’t wait to get into the design dome and see what GM’s going to be coming out with in the next couple of years. I did see vehicles GM Will roll out at next year’s and future auto shows. It’s an impressive bit of work! Starting with Chevrolet: The Spark, which GM will build at the Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township and will hit the showrooms in 2012, is just what GM needs, a b-car that looks nothing like an old small American car. It looks like a lot of time and engergy went into making a catchy design! It will easily compete with the Honda Fit or or Toyota Yaris in terms of look.

 It doesn’t use fins, but looks like it could sprout wings and fly! GM will struggle to sell the idea it can compete on quality and longevity, but that’s something only the customer can decide. The Spark sat next to the new Chevy Cruze due out in 2011 and it is clear GM knows it must get small cars right and it’s expending considerable energy to that end.

GM is still riding a wave of good publicity and strong sales of its Chevy Malibu. Rather than rest on laurels, GM already has its replacement and it is a very solid and nicely styled upgrade. They shortened the car a bit which left the designers to pull the body up higher and it looks for all the world like solid European mid-size sedan! If the current Malibu first caught your eye, this one will really grab your attention. And finally, GM currently can claim one bonafide hit, the Camaro.

Well, I saw the Camaro convertible, and the hits just keep on coming! Over at GMC, sadly there were no vehicles on the floor you will see at an auto show soon. They showed a picture of a Denali version the Acadia, that clearly has possibilities. And while a bit disappointing to see three current models on the studio floor, there sat what I think was the real head-turner of the whole tour, a GMC sportwagon/small minivan concept. It is clearly trying to compete with the boxy Scion and Kia Soul, but it brought an entirely different sensibility to the idea and is a very good departure from anything GMC is up to! We were told this was a design exercise only and they didn’t want to give us any more information.

The designer even seemed a little put off we were even getting a look at it in the first place! [That’s a window into just how far inside GM brought us today] Inside the Buick suite I saw four future {unnamed} vehicles, a couple of suv’s [one that will be a plug in hybrid in a few years] and a couple of sedans, including the next generation LaCrosse! You will like these designs. They sport the distinctive new Buick grilles and carry the theme throughout, but they have decidedly upped the ante on what is a Buick, and the old stodgy, “grandpa” cars are history. These too look very sleek and have European Sedan cues that will compete with BMW and Mercedes [in design only!] In the end, a very good morning.

GM “splained” very well what it is trying to do. Finally, GM CEO Fritz Henderson gave me the the most interesting thought to ponder today. Customers and Cars appear to be something GM is getting, it’s that Culture thing it’s still going to have to work out. Henderson attended the very same program we attended today with 100 customers and customers of the competition brought in from all over the country yesterday. I asked him how meeting face to face with them and taking internet questions has changed his perspective. He said “This one yound lady said tell me about the company and what you are trying to do? How does the company relate to me? How does a brand relate to me? It was just different.

It caused me to sit back and think about there’s another dimension here we need to touch.” So he knows the managment, for all its claims to the contrary, hasn’t been truly listening to its customers for years! Now the question is, will Henderson and his team continue this process that is decidedly vital to its future and will they really listen?

We’ll see!

Oakland County WATCH OUT!

Local 4 Traffic Blog by: Lauren Podell

W-O-W! There is just so much road construction popping up throughout Oakland County lately. I’m sure if you’re a resident, you’ve noticed. I did a piece last week on Orchard Lake road work. Both directions are currently down to one lane between 14 Mile Rd. and Maple until October 2nd. Not to mention, there is ongoing work on a lot of the detours including Drake Rd.  Well if that wasn’t enough for you, 4 more resurfacing projects kicked off TODAY! Yes, 4 MORE!

If you missed it, here’s my story from last weeks 6pm newscast on clickondetroit.com! Orchard Lake Construction!

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/20269362/

 

The project completion dates are as follows:

1. Rochester Road from north of Predmore to south of Lakeville: fully open to traffic by approximately Nov. 9
2. Rochester Road from 14 Mile to Elmwood: fully open to traffic by approximately Oct. 2
3. Orchard Lake from 8 Mile to Grand River: fully open to traffic by approximately Oct. 23
4. 10 Mile from Greenfield to Kenosha: fully open to traffic by approximately Oct. 9

Three of the four projects are partly funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the other is being paid for with traditional federal transportation dollars, and RCOC provided the additional 20 local match. Each construction project involves major resurfacing with some base repairs and new asphalt, according to RCOC.

For more information: click here.

$291,000 to raise a child? Sheesh, kids are expensive these days

Local 4 Blog by Heather Zara

Hey mom and dad,  if you feel more like an ATM machine than a parent these days, I don’t blame you. 

The USDA released data on how much it would cost to raise a child born in the year 2008 to the time of their 18th birthday. The average: $291,000 dollars. That’s a lot of cash.

The $291,000 figure is based on what families would spend on a child with a household income between $56,870 and $98,470. That means the figure goes up for families making more. It goes up to $366,660 for families that make more than $98,470 a year. Yikes!

Oh, did I mention that those figures don’t even include child care or education? True story. Factor in the cost of  all of the dance classes, soccer equipment, baseball cleats, and gymnastics competitions that will follow over the years, and you can count on your wallet getting even lighter. 

According to the US government, the figures were based on what a family would typically spend on “food, shelter, and other necessities”.

So I guess that doesn’t include the new Wii video game system, ipod nano, and the latest and greatest cell phone of the year…

If I were a parent, I would take those 6 figures and tell my kids just how much they emptied out my wallet, the next time they gave me a hard time. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting the urge to call my mom and dad and say, “thank you”, for spending so much dough on me!

If throwing the $291,000 around doesn’t get them to behave, you could just tell them about all of the things you could hypothetically “trade” them in for.

*Hey I’m totally kidding here… but it could make them realize what you’re dishing out, right?

…but seriously…

Here’s what you could buy with $291,000:

a.) You could buy 4 of these…

…the 2011 Corvette C7, for $70,250 a pop, and you would have left over cash too.

b.) If you have TWO rugrats running around ($582,000), you could buy this lovely house in Troy…

…6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 3700 square feet of luxury at $500K… and you would have $82,000 left over to buy one of those corvettes too! (But would you really need all of that room without your little bundles of joy running around? Probably not.)

With $291,000 you could buy…

c.) 1462 iPhones

d.) 58 diamond rings: 2 carat. White gold.

e.) 97 hot tubs

f.) 291 Louis Vuitton purses

g.) Season tickets to Detroit Pistons games for 29 years. Lower bowl. 2 seats. Great view.

 You get the idea right? Not a bad list to keep on hand when the kids are misbehaving! 

Just don’t forget to tell them that all of the expensive goodies in the world could never be worth trading for because they are worth every penny you spend on them.  🙂

Buick and Michigan say goodbye to the PGA, for now

“I’ve played all around the world, and I’ve never seen a day like this. This event has always been special, but today was something else.” -Tiger Woods-

Photo courtesy of AP/Al Goldis

The Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc meant something very different this year to many people.

It was the celebration of 51 years of PGA tour championships on that green in mid-Michigan.  It was the chance for the people of this state to enjoy the tradition of summertime golf in Grand Blanc, but this year’s Buick Open didn’t just represent golf or sports or the great Tiger Woods himself. This year was different. This year’s event was a reminder of where the economy had taken a toll on yet another one of this state’s institutions.

The Buick Open showed the very heart of Michiganders. The thousands of fans that came out to witness the historic outing, lined each fairway at every hole, not knowing when they would get the chance to do it again. The fact that Tiger Woods was there to win, perhaps the final Buick Open Championship, made it that much sweeter.

Who better than Tiger to give fans a truly memorable last experience at the Buick Open?

The answer is absolutely no one.

Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc may not be the most difficult or impressive of stops on the PGA tour… but it is one that will surely be missed. From Billy Casper to Tiger Woods and all of the winners in between… Michiganders have watched champions make winning shots for 51 years… but if Buick can’t regain the means to support this PGA stop, that will be the end of it for good.

Players have said they love to golf at Warwick Hills. There’s just something about the energy. I think Tiger Woods summed it up best yesterday:

“I’ve never played in front of fans like this.”

…and unfortunately, he may never get the chance to do so again.

-Heather Zara-