Dave_Huddleston's Blog

You never know how you’re life is going to change. Mine took a drastic turn in 1997, when I signed up to be a bone marrow donor. I didn’t think much about it at the time, just a good thing to do I guess. But it was two year later, when the National Marrow Donor Program called me saying they needed me to be a donor. A 17 year old with leukemia and I were a perfect match. In those two years, I had become a father and could appreciate a parent doing everything they could to save their child. I didn’t hesitate to be a donor. Since then I have become very involved in organ and tissue donation and have met hundreds of wonderful people. People like Dianne Bottino. She lost her husband of 15 years to Hepatitis as he waited for a liver transplant. For two long years Joe Bottino fought off the disease and during that fight the Bottino’s became aware of the need of people to join the Gift of Life Registry. They promised once Joe was all better they would go out and volunteer and bring awareness. Joe was never able to help out. He died waiting for that liver transplant. But Dianne and their children haven’t forgotten that promise. Joey Bottino sold green braclets with his father’s name on one side, and “give the gift of life” on the other side. Megan designed T-shirts with rising sun and the words “organ donors save lives.” “you can too!” On the back of the T-shirt, “Be an organ donor, save a life, Joe Bottino, Jr. July 21, 1964. February 11, 2007. I’ve done many stories like this, but there is something about Joe’s story that really moves me. I think it’s because we have so much in common, we were born the same year, married the same amount of time, and both have two kids. And for me it shows, tragedy can strike anyone at anytime. For me it shows how fragile life is, and how quickly our life can change. Please consider being an organ and tissue donor. Click on the seen on tv tab on our home page for more information.

Yeah, it's rock and roll. Maybe with a soul twist. But Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff will inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday in New York City.  You can look for reports from Joyce Evans at 5 and 10. But you know their story.  Two men who changed the sound and direction of music for a generation, maybe 2 or 3 others. I'm sure they get this all the time, but when I think back of my childhood in Tacoma Washington and the music that shaped and inspired.  Many of those songs they wrote.  I have such memories of my aunts and uncles dancing in the living room to Love Train and Me aaannd Mrs. Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jonnnnes.  So when I got here and saw them for the first time, I was truly excited.  Living Legends, and no one is throwing coins at their feet.  It's Gamble and Huff!  And everyone was treating them like men from around the neighborhood.   I have met them on several occasions, but that awe and admiraton returns everytime.  When I sat down and got to  do the story with them in Janurary, I kept calling them sir and Mr. Gamble and Mr. Huff.  And Kenny says, "just call me Kenny,  Dave. By the way I watch you on the news and you do a good job",  he doesn't know this,  but  I almost peed on myself.   He watches me!  That's crazy!  I may be the news guy. But he and Huff are the guys that have left their mark on my life forever.  Two Philadelphia Legends who deserve their induction.  And maybe some coins at their feer.  

Can't you feel it.  Even the air seems different.  Smells different.  I guess that's what they call the winds of change.   It started on Monday, about 10 o'clock in the morning I believe.  Hey, right about the same time Michael Nutter is being sworn in as the new mayor of Philadelphia.  I think a lot of people have been waiting a l long time for Michael Nutter.  His new energy, his fresh ideas to old problems that have plagued this city for far too long.  I went to his Inaugural Party down at the Naval Yard.  As I'm exiting Interstate 95 at Broad, right by the Wachovia Center, I thought, man, there are a lot of people trying to get to the 76'res game tonight.  The game was on the road, all the cars were going to Nutter's party.  Hundreds of cars, a  major traffic jam at 8:00 at night.  I knew there would be a lot of people, but man!  But what was really impressive was once you got inside to the actual festivities.  Thousands, and no joke, thousands of people, black, white, Latino, Asian, young, and old.  A true cross-section of the city. I saw important people in government and center city business tycoons, waiting in line to sample Water Works Restaurant's Mahi Mahi Cerviche, next to community organizers and  neighborhood folk.   And they all had to same look on their face, a pleasant smile, one of contentment.  I would see that same look through-out the night.  The Wednesday after Nutter became Philadelphia's leader, he opened city hall to for people to come by and say hello.  Now, I don't know the last time you've been in Billy Penn's House, but it's not easy getting in.  There is now  only  one public entrance, and yes, like Disneyworld, bags are searched and you must sign in.  On any given day it can be a pain.  But when you invite the public down, and again, thousands, I mean thousands are willing to stand in line for an hour or more to spend less than 3 minutes with Nutter, that screams something.  That the people of this city were ready for change.  Ready for someone  to lead and make this city great. In my 6 years here, I have fallen in love with Philadelphia.  And I always felt we could be a major player in the world, if we just looked at things a little differently.  I think that's what Nutter represents.  A fresh and galvanizing start to a brand new day. It is an awesome responsibility that Nutter seems ready to tackle.  I know, there will come a period, when the honeymoon is over, and not everyone is going to agree with Mr. Nutter.  But for right now, it feels good. Real good.

Dave Huddleston's 7-Up Pound Cake Pound cake Happy Thanksgiving and Enjoy!
-Dave

DAVE HUDDLESTON'S 7-UP POUND CAKE
Ingredients:
5 eggs
3 sticks of butter
3 cups of sugar
2 table spoons of lemon extract
3 cups of flour
3/4 cup 7-UP

Directions:
Mix the eggs, butter and sugar and extract together.
Add flour, a little at a time.
Fold in 7-Up.
Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Pour mixture into pan and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

It was definitely much more emotional than I expected.  Photographer Dave Edwards and I were able to watch and videotape a Temple Hospital’s Cradle to Grave program.

 

 Amy Goldberg, a remarkable woman who heads the trauma unit, and Scott Charles, the trauma outreach coordinator, show middle school students what really happens inside a trauma center.  The two pull no punches, explaining in very plain English the incredible lengths they go through to save a life.  I’ll tell you there were moments I was squeamish because Goldberg in a soft and gentle manner describes how she sometimes has to break a person’s breast plate and use rib separators to get a person’s heart.  The breathing tube that she puts down the throat.  The incision she makes on the side of their body to drain fluid.  Yeah, you see it on drama programs but when you’re standing there and to hear her tell it makes you gag.

 In the room with us are about 25 middle school students, hearing in graphic detail what Amy has to do to save a life.  What makes what she has to say even harder to hear, is the story of 16 Lamont Adams a young man shot 24 times.  3 years ago Lamont came through Temple’s Trauma Center and they desperately tried to save his life.  Scott Charles asks a young man to lie on the OR table like he’s Lamont and he begins to put  these little red dots on him.  The room goes silent.  Tension fills the space because you can’t believe how many times this little guy was shot.  It just so happens in the group we’re following is Lamont’s cousin, Dennis.  His reaction breaks your heart because you know he’s hearing for the first time how his cousin died and in graphic detail what they had to do to try and save his life.  He begins to cry in the back of the room. Others in the room also cry. 

Amy says this is much more than a scared straight program but a way to stop the violence before it starts.  Believe it or not, this is just a field trip, not for at risk kids or children that are part of the justice system.  But average children like yours and mine.  They are trying to get to them before they become part of the judicial system. 700 students have gone through the program.  Amy says, so far, none of the 700 have ended up in the operating room.  She thinks that’s a good sign her message is getting through.

 

 If you are interested in finding out more or want to take a group, contact: Scott Charles at, scott.charles@tuhs.temple.edu

Or call him at 215-707-8398.

 

 

I will admit, sometimes you just don't feel like doing it. The weather is crappy, you have to try to fit it in somewhere in your busy day. Before the kids leave for school. Before work. During the lunch hour. Right after work, before the kids have soccer practice. It can be a pain. But you know what. I remember the pictures of the people in Iraq, with their purple fingers waving them proudly, do something they have never done before. Vote, in a free democratic election. And then of course the images of Americans going to jail, dying and standing in line for hours just to vote. That really wasn't that long ago. And you know if you take the children with you on the way to school, or soccer practice, you will be a good example for them. So do your civic duty and do the do. Vote.

It so reminded me of the Million Man March of 1995.  Thousands of men standing up and declaring they have had enough and will not tolerate the violence and the lack of opportunities in their community.  The Call for Ten Thousand Man had that same feel.  Pride. Excitement.  The feeling that this was a new day.  The Liacouras Center was filled with men from all walks of life.  Young, old, wealthy, working class.  People like Dwayne Garner.   He doesn’t have any children of his own, but he has lived in Philadelphia all his life and just doesn’t understand how things could go so terribly wrong.  He signed up to patrol the streets, but really feels what some of the young people out on the street killing each other really need is someone to listen to them.  To give them guidance, be a mentor to them.  What ever he’s called to do, he says he’s ready. 

I also met men who have been trying quietly for a while now, to have some direct impact on their corner of the world.  Michael Ross is president of the Southwest Philadelphia District Services, an organization made up of men, who used to be gang bangers, some of them actually did some time.  But they have been working on making SW Philly a better place.  He came to the 10,000 men rally to recruit men for his organization, but to also show support for the cause.  He told me he was skeptical at first, such a show on a massive scale he says, is usually that, show.  But he was convinced they really mean business. 

The other day I was at another event and met a man, Rashid Waddy who also happened to be at the rally.  He told me he brought his 12 year old son to show him, what we can do if we focus our energy and talent in the right direction.  He said, what impressed him more than the motivational speeches, was the follow up that occurred during the week following the Sunday October 21st  rally.  Orientation sessions all over the city.  Tuesday Southwest Philly, Wednesday North Philly, Thursday, Nicetown, Logan.  

 Maybe unlike the Million Man March, this will stick.  It’s on a smaller scale, and much more desperate.  We’re talking about lives. Young lives being lost.  So I left the Liacouras Center feeling optimistic, proud, and thinking, maybe today is a new day.

Do you, the public, really wants to see all this OJ Simpson coverage.  I must admit, I hate stories like this.  We go out of our minds with wall to wall coverage.  It's almost like the rest of the world doesn't exist and all we can talk about is Simpson.  I mean you can't be watching this for 3 to 4 hours on end.  I think this has become such a story, because he got away with murder.  Yes, I think he killed his wife and Ron Goldman, but this case is because of the former.  Now, if he did something wrong in this case, which has yet to be proven in a court of law, not on the airwaves, then he should be convicted and tried.  But the wall to wall coverage now, is because we want his head on a platter.  We're mad he got away with it and we want revenge.   What I'm more interested in seeing is how we cover this story for the months to come and if he gets off on these latest charges.....

 

 

Fall.  It’s the best time of the year.  The kids are back in school. You’re getting back to a normal routine and air is clean and crisp. I know January is the start of the new year, but for me and my internal clock, I think September is when the new year starts.  And when you think of it, the rest of the world is set up that way too.  Look, kids go back to school, they change grades and start fresh in September.   New teacher, new clothes, new classroom. 

Even the broadcast schedule is set up that way.  The new shows debut in September and you’re old favorites return from summer break…in the fall.  The new season of house debuts in September, not August.  Too hot, no one wants to be inside and there are waves to catch.

Football.  Yeah, they practice in the summer, but the season starts, in September.  And to drive home my point, the football season ends…in January!

So, take this time of year, September, to renew your self, set goals, start fresh and look to the rest of the year, that’s until next September, as a new beginning.

 

My heart dropped when I heard about the 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis.  It was more than just the horrible images that we saw come across our video sources here at FOX29.  It was more than the burning semi, with the cab still smashed between two giant slabs of concrete.  Or the school bus hanging askance, imagining the 60 children inside, terrified by what has just happened.   What made it so real was I know that road, very well.  Better than Highway 611 in Montgomery County.  For 9 years I traveled it. Going to work, going to a Twins game or to Roseville Mall.  Going to pick up my daughters from day care.  Before coming to Philadelphia I worked for the CBS station in Minneapolis.  My children were born there.  Two of my best friends still live there with hundreds other friends, old co-workers, neighbors, and news contacts.

To give you some perspective, 35W is equivalent to the Schuylkill Expressway.  One hundred thousand people travel it each day.

 

As soon as I saw the pictures I got on the phone calling friends, and couldn’t get through to anyone.  All lines were tied up making the matter worse.  It was an hour before I got a hold of someone.  They were fine, but what about the others?  Most of the night my wife and I called friends, 72 hours later, she was still making calls.  Everyone we know is all right.  But the impact in Minneapolis will be felt for years in Minneapolis.  But something like this reverberates around the world.  We are no longer isolated cities dealing with our own tragedies.  Nor should we be. We can all do something to help the people in Minneapolis.  Give blood, make a monetary donation, or just pray for them. I bet you if you could talk to the victim’s families, they would tell you to appreciate life.

You never know when someone you love is going to be gone. In an instant.  

 

The great thing about the commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the diversity.  No I'm not talking about the people this time, the topography.  Once you leave the city or the 5 county area, there are some really beautiful areas. We recently took our oldest daughter to camp about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh.  Heading west on the PA turnpike you pass through and around some of the prettiest mountains in the area.  The vast amount of open area, forest, and lakes it's breathtaking.  I have always loved the outdoors, fishing and camping and PA has excellent state parks.  Last year we went to Ricketts Glenn, just outside Dallas, PA.  A huge lake for fishing and on the hiking trail, more than 100 waterfalls.  This year we're going to check out Hickery Run.  They're famous for these large boulders that litter the grounds.  At some point I want to get up and see the PA gorge.  It's located north on Highway 6.  Now, if we could do something about the cost of gas!

  If you've been there or seen some other great spots in the state let me know!

I have never understood it. After years of being lynched, shot, and belittled, a race of people would start to call themselves an offensive name that racist used to make them feel less than.  Not human.  Primitive.  BLEEP has become a part of pop culture. I drive down the street and in the car next to me, bopping their heads to the driving bass is a bunch of young white boys, listening to Jay-Z talk  about his BLEEP and how they're going to do this, or do that.  The boys in the car never flinch when they hear the word.  I do enough flinching for them.  What do the other people in the cars next to us, pretend they don't even hear the offensive music and drive on.  I drive on with a piece of me feeling hurt, mad and embarrassed.  Reporter Shawnette Wilson brought to our attention how a group of young black kids from Philly are trying to bury the word.  Literally.  Get rid of it from our vernacular.  Can it be done? I wonder what Jay-Z will tell his children when they ask, Daddy how did you get so rich?"  Will he tell them, I sold my ancestors for 30 pieces of silver.

3 days in jail for Paris Hilton.  You know the grown up in me says, I don’t know the circumstances, I wasn't in the cell or the jail and not familiar with everything that happen so don't jump to conclusions.  But the Philly, cynical side of me says, one more blazing example of how money and fame has it's privileges.  Yeah I know she still has 45 days of house arrest, but come one, what’s to stop her from inviting her motley crue to her house for a night of more drinking and partying, the reason she went to the slammer in the first place? The sheriff may have had legit reasons to move her to house arrest, but in my opinion, it doesn't pass the smell test.   It looks bad for Paris, the justice system and for anyone seeking justice in LA.  Just ask the family of Nicole Brown Simpson.

 

 

 

Yeah, I know it's a big holiday weekend.  The unofficial start of summer and all, but  you know, this weekend has never really meant that for me.  First of all I was born on Memorial Day in 1964, and when I was 6 my baby sister died on my birthday.  So for me, this holiday has always been more about remembering those who have died.  Not that you can't enjoy the long weekend, but I ask that we all remember what the day stands for. To honor those who have given their lives for our freedom.  And in our busy lives to remember the loved ones that are no longer with us.

 

Dave

 

 

 

I'm fascinated with the dig that going on at 6th and Market. I mean, think of it, we can jump back in time 200 years to when George Washington roamed Philadelphia.  That is too cool to not be excited about.  The Presidential House dig is also a reminder of how complex our founding fathers really were.  They fought for liberty, but didn't believe Africans were "human" enough to have the same rights, so as he's leading brigades against the Red Coats, his slaves are tending the fields in Virginia and once he becomes president, some of the them come here to keep house.  I think foundation for the original "presidential house" should not be covered up.  I would hope the National Park Service could somehow alter the plans to include the original foundation in its new exhibit.  Show the real history, the good and the ugly for what it is. History.  The more we learn the more it teaches