Set against the backdrop of Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach, the ‘Out of the Darkness Community Walk’ took over a beautiful Saturday morning at the park.  Wavy TV/FOX 43 was a proud sponsor of the event once again. Thousands of participants showed up .. some to remember, some to prevent and other to support. The ‘Out of the Darkness’ walk is meant to bridge the gap between Depression and Suicide. The link between the two has been proven and now it’s out job to bring the facts ‘out of the darkness’.  I was lucky enough to emcee/host the event this year and I was just one of many speakers who brought their story to the stage.

Organizer Chris Ghilcrest spoke from the heart.

Take a look at the pictures below. You’ll see a very colorful audience. It was no accident. Each registered walker received a t-shirts of various colors and a ribbon to tie on your arm, also in different colors. The colors were meant to identify someone who died by suicide. I don’t remember exactly which colors represented which .. but for example .. those wearing red ribbons had a son or daughter die by suicide .. and so on. Standing on stage and looking out at these people was a very intense moment. To know what they have lost is powerful.

Huddled together for support.

Colors everywhere.

This was the last time Col. John Green wore his military uniform. Jon read almost 150 names of people who had died by suicide, while family members listened attentively for the ‘closure’ that reading  may bring. One incredible fact many may not know: In January of 2008, the military reported more deaths of enlisted service members by suicide than in combat. Mind you, in Jan. of 2008 the war in Iraq and Afghanistan was very much alive.

The Military presence was strong.

It's a One Woman Show!!

This is another picture of Chris. She is a liscensed therapist in Chesapeake and she takes on the organizational task of this entire event. The process for the next years ‘Out of the Darkness Walk’ literally begins the day after the event. She puts in countless (thousands) of hours to make this happen. She makes a difference. I was proud to work with her on this event.

Through the 'Wall of 1,000 Cranes' the walk begins.

You can see the ‘Wall of 1,000 Cranes’ behind these walkers. I marked the starting point for the trek around Mt. Trashmore. The ‘Cranes’ has a special spiritual connection with depression and suicide.

Johnny Flex spinning some tunes!

And who else?? D.J. Johnny Flex givin’ us some tunes to walk with.

When all the names were counted Chris told me we had more than 2,000 walkers take part this year. In fact last year, our local ‘Out of the Darkness’ walk had more particiapants that cities like Chicagao and Philly. We ranked #3 out of more than 150 walks nationwide. Many thanks there to Chris Ghilchrest .. once again.

I hope the walk this year inspired some and gave others the chance to remember and gain closure. Looking out at the faces in the crowd as I spoke, I think this event brought more than ever expected to everyone in attendance. Hope to see you all next year.  Until then .. keep your eyes and more importantly your ears open. Listen when someone describes how they’re feeling. If you think they may be falling into depression. Get them/yourself help.

Let me hear about you experiences at the walk.

See ya.

Eric

I  had the opportunity to moderate a town hall style event forum that dealt with the real estate crisis last weekend.  I watched as audience members asked some tough and sometimes emotional questions.

Homeowners on the brink of losing the American Dream, got some advice from industry experts  at the Virginia Beach Center for Higher Education. The office of Democratic Congressman Glen Nye gathered a panel of real estate insiders for a town hall style forum.

A quick welcome from your event moderator!

“I get a lot of phone calls saying, I’m in a tough situation with my house, I thought I was doing the right thing,” said Congressman Nye.
The first question directed to the panel of experts was from Mary McClellan. McClellan’s bank notified her a few weeks ago that her property was under foreclosure.

“I have done everything they have asked me, I have documentation of everything I have done, I am desperate .. they are doing to sell my house on May 6th,” pleaded McClellan.

Housing and financial counselor John Allen offered some advice to McClellan and told her to find someone who can cut through the red tape of the collections department and get in touch with the loss mitigation department as soon as possible.

Congressman Nye prepares to answer tough questions.

Another Virginia Beach homeowner told the panel he had taken out a second mortgage to invest some cash for retirement and not longer after, his home value dropped almost $200,000. Now he’s left with a house up for a short sale and his savings money is running out.

“Why don’t you just quit paying and get it foreclosed on? Well, it’s American pride, I don’t want to do it. I feel for this grandma, I’m a grandfather, June 1st I’m supposed to retire, I can’t retire,” said the homeowner.
Hampton Roads realtor Charlee Gowin says a short sale can only move forward when the bank has an offer on the table.
“You are not going to make any money on the house anyway, you owe more than it’s worth so –it almost doesn’t even matter to you what you sell it for. I would ask your realtor to get an offer, any offer,” Gowin said.

An panel of 6 experts from every sector of the real estate industry.

One thing that seemed to come up over and over in the forum was who to contact first when you realize you’re in over your head.
The answer is call your lender and do it before you miss a payment.

Post forum conversation and advice.

Congressman Nye asked for a promise from many of those who attended the event.  He is asking for feedback. He would like to know how things are going for those facing foreclosure. He says it’s the only way to really gauge how federal dollars are helping.

If you’ve got a foreclousure or real estate related story to share, I’d like to hear from you. Reply to this post and I WILL get back to you!

Best of Luck,

E.

Nicole Livas, Kerri Furey, Derrick Rose, Kelly Gaita and myself  had some fun at No Frill Grill in Norfolk  — ALL FOR BABIES through the March of Dimes.

Our 'not so' Grand Entrance

In just two hours we  raised $1,400 and a portion of the night’s proceeds from ‘No Frill Grill’ went to support the WAVY/Fox March of Dimes Team as well.

What a great night for a great cause. Well, for me at least!

Nicole was paired up with ME! I feel sorry for her!

Nicole is a waitress at ‘No Frill Grill’ and she was very patient with me! I tried my best to help, but I have a feeling I got in her way more than anything else. While I helped her run food and drinks from the kitchen, I stopped all along the way to meet and greet diners and give them my best ‘pitch’ to raise money for babies. To be honest it wasn’t so hard and this is why …

My wife Lisa 8 months along -- with TWINS!!!

This is picture of my wife Lisa, looking great and very pregnant! She’s probably going to kill me when she finds out I put this picture in my blog .. but .. oh well. We are expecting identical twins boys in the next month or so. It was a shock at first, especially because there are so many complications that can happen with a twin pregnancy. Well good thoughts worked and we have had no problems. But not everyone is so lucky. In fact, a huge percentage of twins births are premature, some of them VERY premature. I think it is relatively self-explanatory when I say the ‘Dining Out for Babies’ was a good fit.  So .. to really hit things home and lay on the guilt thick .. what did I do? Well of course, I printed out this picture and took it with me to each table at ‘No Frill Grill’.  “No pressure,” I told each person .. “But ……”

And it worked! Thank you to everyone who made this night such a huge success. I know a lot of people go out to eat and really don’t want to be bothered, but the folks I met were not only happy we were there .. they were also very generous! $1,400! Wow! Thank you, thank you!

Don't get in my way!

On my way to a new table! Clear the way, we’ve got people to meet and money to make!

Nicole Livas bossing me around!

Look at that load of cash Nicole has got in her hand. That was motivation. No way was she going to out-do me. So I went back to work!

Just accepted a $50 donation. Beat that Livas! I know that's right!

Many, many thanks again to everyone at ‘No Frill Grill’ for letting us come down and take part in the event. And a big thank you to Nicole who put up with me with a smile!

And don’t forget to join us at the March for Babies Oceanfront Walk on April 26th – click the link below to register.

Join Team WAVY TV & FOX 43

Thank again to everyone who came out to have some fun and raise some money for babies.

See ya around,

E.

I promised Norfolk School Board member Jim Driggers I would get the word out .. and so I am, in this blog.

As parents we all want nothing but the absolute best for our kids, but we’re not going to get it without putting our 2 cents in!! I was tipped off to a potentially deadly situation in a school zone crosswalk last week and began researching what was going on. After checking out the situation for myself, I realized the biggest issue here was lack of warning for drivers! The only thing telling drivers there was an official school zone crossing approaching was a sign like this one (see top right corner of pic below) and you couldn’t even see it until you were IN the crosswalk!!! This is just a block away from a public school with hundreds of kids crossing Hampton Blvd. twice a day!!

Just one day after seeing this for myself, I went to the people I thought had the biggest stake in the well being of our students, the School Board. Come to find out they had absolutely no idea the problem even existed! What’s more is City Council HAS been aware of the problem for quite some time and they are in the process of getting things done to correct it.  I think there is an assumption by many parents that the School Board is more aware than they are. As I mentioned in the first line of this entry, Norfolk School Board member Jim Driggers made me promise I would try to get the word out to parents that the School Board can’t do anything until they realize the issue exists. Board members are unpaid and are members for the sole purpose of making a difference. Although City Council and the School Board’s do work together, Driggers says it’s a mistake to assume the Board is made aware of all issues impacting students. The moral of the story Driggers says .. If you are a parent with a concern, you probably are not alone. Contact your School Board as a first line of defense and go from there. The Board often times can be just the springboard you need to get through the red tape of local government. In return for helping to get this message out, Driggers promised me he would present this issue to the Board ASAP. Parents band together, we can make a difference .. don’t just complain, complain to the right people and see what happens.

Anyone out there have any experience with this? Write back to me, I’d like to hear about it.

E.

24 hours ago, (February 19th) the Virginia House of Delegates passed a ‘Partial Smoking Ban’ for restaurants and bars. It should come as no surprise the decision comes along with major controversy.

Long story short, it will require any establishment wanting to allow smoking indoors to have a separate room, with a separate ventilation system for smokers. The passage of bill certainly was not quick, in fact, it has been thrown around by lawmakers for years, never making it very far. I spent a good portion of the day yesterday talking to business owners and restaurant owners in the downtown Norfolk area about how they felt. I found “a few” bars that claim they would be hit hard financially, but the overwhelming majority of business owners and patrons I talked with were elated by the idea.

Smokers told me it was an invasion of their freedom as an American, non-smokers feel like it’s an invasion of their freedom to have to breathe 2nd hand smoke. And then there is this: Virginia IS a tobacco state. For the last 400 years tobacco has been a cash crop and many feel the passage of this bill is ironic. This is what one non-smoker had to say:”I’m not a smoker, nor have I ever been, but I’m also against anti-smoking laws. I can see the government banning smoking in public buildings, but private owners should be able to set their own rules and employees and patrons can choose to spend their time elsewhere if the rules bother them.” And the debate will continue.

It reminds me of California’s “Helmet Law”, requiring motorcycle riders to wear a helmet when they ride or face still penalties. Critics argued it’s a personal choice and not something that should be forced on anyone and when you think about it, why shouldn’t we allow someone to risk their own life, if it’s not a risk to anyone else? Although a ‘partial smoking ban’ is very different in nature, each individual still has the option to NOT patronize an establishment that allows smoking. So, at what point do state lawmakers have too much pull? Here in the newsroom, it surprised us when we found out the bill passed for that very reason. I’m not a smoker and I’m glad to know I won’t be forced to breathe someone else smoke, but I can also understand the larger issue of personal freedoms.

Not long ago, the state of New York adopted a similar ‘partial smoking ban’ and the overwhelming majority of responses I found on the web were positive about the change. However, the following is a quote from a New York City “pro-smoking” website. Although it may seem a little far fetched, there is a point here. It began by saying the state of New York has added $1.25 to each pack of cigarettes and at years end, that tax will net the state more than a billion dollars. It reads …

“One billion dollars!!!!!
And people sue the tobacco companies?
Maybe they should sue the state. The state makes more money per pack than do the tobacco companies.
Cigarette taxes have nothing to do with health and everything to do with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.”

Clearly the state of Virginia is very different and has a very different plan focus for the ‘partial smoking ban’ and cigarette tax, but the basic question of ‘government control’ still holds true. Let me know what you think.

Eric

The days leading up to President-elect Obama’s Inauguration have been filled with hopes and criticisms, but one that stuck in my mind was the importance this event will have on the young students in our classrooms. The same students who have followed this electoral process from the very beginning, from grade school through high school are in the middle.

It seems an issue is rumbling in some public schools in the U.S. that has some believing “freedom of     expression and political belief,” could be compromised.  Here it is: Some schools across the nation have made changes to schedules, exams and planned events in order to facilitate every student watching the inauguration. And that — is NOT sitting well with everyone. Parents are quick to criticize based upon their political viewpoints, yet they seem to be missing a much larger point being made. By their own admission, the parents who are against making the Inauguration a ’student event’ claim their children will be forced to watch something that may disagree with personal opinion or political ideal.

What this Inauguration represents: Our nation, our future, our political process, respect and most of all HISTORY!

Reality is: Barack Obama is our next elected president and to have our youth watch his inauguration isn’t insensitive to those who don’t share his opinions.  It also, in no way represents a disrespect of a persons freedom of political expression.

Although the inauguration is shrouded in political undertones — It is neither a political event nor a political celebration, instead a constitutionally mandated event representing the peaceful hand-over of power.

I can remember watching the inauguration of past President’s and part of classroom curriculum, part of history, part of who we are as Americans. The media frenzy is, of course, much more intense this time around because Obama is our nation’s first black president and the job he is stepping into is arguably the most daunting in recent history. But in the end it is still,  “A Presidential Inauguration”, and as such .. it is perhaps one of the greatest springboards for open student dialogue that we will ever see.  A time when students can listen to and respect ALL viewpoints, not just those they have been hearing at home or on TV over the past 12 months.

Lets celebrate our Nation, democracy and what we represent as American’s tomorrow. After that, there will be plenty of time to debate the challenges we face — as a country!

At a station in HamptonA full tank!!

So with every fill up, most of us are driving away from the station with a smile on our face. It’s a simple equation, the less we have to pay for a fill-up the more we drive away with still in our pocket. That’s good! Or wait, is it? There are many out there who believe the dramatic fall is gas prices is equivalent to putting nice wrapping on a very ugly present. The bad news is the real reason for the price cut is the global economy is in a serious slump! Now economic growth is slowing everywhere and we are seeing it in every sector with record lay-off’s and soaring unemployment rates. With everyone and every industry cutting back — demand for oil worldwide, which has driven the price of oil to record levels in recent years, is now plummeting! Recent studies are showing that the U.S. consumes 25% of the world’s crude oil so for now, America’s economic slump is the key factor driving down oil prices. So in the end, even though it seems very odd to say — many economists are saying we should be hoping for gas prices to RISE. It’s tough to even write those words in this blog, let alone ’say it and mean it’! The reason — a gas price rebound could be a key indicator the U.S. economy is rebounding as well. I’ll leave you with a question, leave a comment if you like. Are we fooling ourselves into thinking a lower gas bill at the end of the month is actually saving us money overall? Or is paying less for a tank like pushing down on a waterbed — The water will disappear where you put pressure, but it will show up somewhere else???? Just a thought. See ya around.

E.

A big ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone who came out and joined us for HollyDazzle 2008 at Oyster Point in Newport News. What an incredible night for everyone!! If you missed it, the event was Friday, December 5th and this blog will give you a quick snapshot of what the evening was like!I was asked to emcee the event this year and it turned into one of the biggest events I have hosted in quite some time. Last year the head count was 15-thousand; this year, it’s estimated at well over 20-thousand. The Oyster Point area is one of the retail and restaurant hot spots in Newport News. Police blocked off streets and the center of Oyster Point was turned into a Holiday Wonderland. There was more food than you could possibly sample and the entertainment wasn’t just for the kids.

Hollydazzle was a free family event with activities and entertainment leading up to a spectacular “Fountains of Light Show” with fireworks and special effects and the lighting of the 45′ Tree on the Fountain Plaza. And that fireworks show truely was one of the best ‘holiday’ displays I have ever seen. Take a look at a few of the pictures below. The five acre fountain at the center of Oyster Point was turned into a stage after crews mounted a 15 minute fireworks show on giant ‘islands’ floating in the water. At 8:30pm sharp, I welcomed everyone back to the square and we got the big show underway. As I looked across the crowd it was so great to see so many people who had come out to enjoy the beginning of what is turning out to be an incredible holiday season. Working in the news business isn’t always easy, when day after day we have to bring viewers the news of tough economic times — but this Hollydazzle event was a night when everyone was able to put aside those worries, even if only for a few hours. Here are a few pictures of the night, including the fireworks show and the grand finale ‘tree lighting’.

Fireworks!Holiday Spidrit Even In the ArtMore Fireworks!

The Face of Fox 43 Kelly Gaita was at Hollydazzle doing an incredible job promoting the station and actually helped me emcee the event. One of the greatest things about Hollydazzle was that it was absolutely FREE! I spoke with on person who told me he thought Hollydazzle was the most underestimated event in Hampton Roads. And from the looks of things as I looked around, I’d have to agree.

The Hollydazzle Holiday Tree Lighting

Face of Fox Kelly Gaita

I you missed the event, watch for it next year. Word is they are already planning for a bigger and better Hollydazzle event next December. Come see me next time. And to all of you who joined me this year — a very special thank you and I hope all your Holiday adventures are a success. See ya around.

Eric