On Vacation!

I know I don't make posts all the time here, but for the next two weeks, I won't even be thinking about the Internet. I will be taking some much enjoyed vacation. I plan to come back in August. My first week back might be a little difficult to getting back in the groove. I hopefully will be able to get a nice refresh and come back to some exciting news. The fire season will probably be starting to get warmer and my only wish is for news to just take it easy while I'm gone. I hate missing the big stories. Although, my track record is for something unusual to happen while I'm gone. Although I did think to myself that something unusual happens everyday, so obviously it is bound to happen while I'm gone. Until then I hope to find some cooler weather. See you in August!

Chicoans Take a Slice of Chico

Who doesn't like watermelon? Okay, maybe there is somebody. Well, then who doesn't like FREE watermelon? Nobody! Downtown Chico was the gathering place for the community to take part in Slice of Chico event. The event passed out ice-cold watermelon completely free. Businesses offered sidewalk sales to promote the downtown area. I think my economics teacher once said nothing is free, but I think the annual event will prove him wrong. It is always easy to head out and snap a couple cute pics of kids diving in mouth first to the sweet watermelon. 

Brad Lund (left) and Brayden Lund, 2 (right) enjoy free watermelon slices at the Slice of Chico Downtown Saturday day, July 17, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Brad Sehreiber (right) grabs a slice of watermelon for Sammy Sehreiber, 3 (left) and himself as people free watermelon slices at the Slice of Chico Downtown Saturday day, July 17, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Zachary Ford, 3, takes a mouthful bite of free watermelon slices at the Slice of Chico Downtown Saturday day, July 17, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

It's The Outlaws, But Feels Like The Heat

Chico had their first baseball team named the Chico Heat, and for good reason. Chico summers can be brutal. Temperatures well over a hundred with a pretty good humidity. The Chico Outlaws came on scene after the Heat disbanded to regain the excitement of professional baseball. The Outlaws have done pretty well in Chico, but with summer highs soaking my shirts, I can't think of anything else but the heat. I don't know how they play baseball out it the direct sun. Plenty of hydration is needed. 

Chico Outlaws' Mike Rose sweats in the 100+ degree weather against Victoria Seals in the top of the first inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium on Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico Outlaws' Mike Rose (left) slides safely back to first base on a pick off attempt against Victoria Seals' Matt Edgecombe (right) in the bottom of the second inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium on Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico Outlaws' Santo DeLeon fields the ball to first base for the force out against Victoria Seals' Brian Rios (not seen) in the top of the third inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium on Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Body in Creek

A woman notified Chico State police about a dead body she found in Big Chico Creek along the west side bike path of CSUC campus. Chico Police took over the investigation because the body was located on city property, not the University's. It is still under investigation. Police try to secure the scene and I respect that. They need the area to not be tampered with to conduct an investigation. As long as they are not too unreasonable in their request I am able to work around it.  I do not want a picture of a dead body, however, I do need to be on scene to photograph the activity that accompanies an incident like this. 

CSUC police officer Dale Glander stands guard at the police line on the bike path near Yolo Hall to not let anyone disturb Chico Police investigating the scene of an 1144 dead body found by a woman alongside Big Chico Creek and Rio Chico Way near the Chico State campus on Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. The woman contacted CSUC police, but they turned the investigation over to CPD because it was on city property. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Quick! Before The Flames Go Out

    Sometimes I feel weird thinking that I wish wildfires lasted longer. But I would be lying if I said I wished they would put the fires out fast. While most nearby residences to fire scenes wish for a fast reaction to the fire, I wish firefighters weren't so fast. City of Chico Fire has a response time of just over 4 minutes. This means I have about 4 minutes to arrive on scene before they put the fire out. Cal Fire - Butte County response time can be a little longer, but they are just as quick if you compare response area. 

    Firefighters get on scene quick, and I have to be quick as well to get there while the action is hot. I unfortunately still have to abide by the speed limit and light signals. I do wish I could have a siren and light bar on my car, but that might get me into more trouble than good. Looks like I just have to be quick on my toes. 

    That being said, I really do not wish for fires to last long enough to cause serious damage to life or property, just long enough to see some flames. And on another note, I do appreciate the speed of firefighters. I hope those firefighters reading this won't take their time getting to my house if it were to catch on fire. I guess I just need to step up my game.

  

Cal Fire Butte County Firefighters Chris Taylor (left) and David Fredrickson (right), both from Vina Helitack 205 watch Vina Helitack 205 helicopter dump a bucket of water as they battle alongside Paradise Fire to attack a small vegitation fire just after 12:30pm along the north side of Skyway just south of Lookout Point that burned a little more than an acre on Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. Traffic was closed to one lane while crews battled the blaze. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Paradise Firefighter Chris Clow (left) and Capt John Singler (right) attack a small vegitation fire with Cal Fire-Butte County just after 12:30pm along the north side of Skyway just south of Lookout Point that burned a little more than an acre on Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Cal Fire Butte County Vina Helitack 205 helicopter drops water buckets to help Paradise Fire attack a small vegitation fire Friday. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Cal Fire Butte County Fire Capt. Dennis Cobb, from Vina Helitack 205 rakes up a hotspot at a small vegitation fire Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A small fire burns after a vegitation fire ignited along the north side of Skyway just south of Lookout Point Friday, July 16, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Outlaws Getting Some Peak Action

As a sports photographer I am always looking for the peak action moments. I always have to be ready to snap at a moments notice. In baseball, the action is few and far between. There are a couple of pitches, and then smack! Something happens and the players are racing. The players are all over the field and you must know where the play is going to happen. Timing is everything. You have to be right on time, or the action will pass you by faster than you can blink.

Chico Outlaws' Robby Alcombrack (right) reaches out for the tag out at home plate against the Victoria Seals' Brian Rios (left) in the top of the fourth inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium Thursday, July 15, 2009 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record) 

Dust scatters off the bat of Chico Outlaws' Mitch Einertson as he fouls the ball at bat against the Victoria Seals in the bottom of the first inning during their baseball game at Nettleton Stadium Thursday, July 15, 2009 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

CSUC Building a New Home

Chico State's new dorm facility, Sutter Hall, is coming along. I walked over to the north end of campus after shooting another assignment. I wanted to get a peak at how the project has progressed. Being that I graduated from Chico State, I wanted to see what changes were going on in the campus. I was very impressed with the facility. While I could have probably asked for a tour inside the construction area, I didn't have much time. I walked around the perimeter and just took a couple shots that we need on file. It will be great to see the building when it is complete. It almost makes me want to go back to college.

A construction worker walks pat the southwest entrance on Chico State's new Sutter Hall dorm facility on CSUC campus on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A runner runs along the Chico High track as the north side of Chico State's new Sutter Hall dorm facility (left) is undergoing construction next to Whitney Hall (right) on CSUC campus on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Paradise Pow Wow

The Paradise Pow Wow was this last weekend. The weather was hot, but the event was pretty cool. There was dancing underneath a huge tent that created a nice backdrop. There was so much culture at the event. It is a great spectacle to see the Native American culture and how all the tribes come together as one. There is always great colors and music. It always leads to great images.

Alfred Clark, of the Konkow tribe (left) and Rea Cichocai, of the Maidu, Winton, Hupa, and Yurok tribe (right) lead Native Americans in the Grand Entry during the Paradise Pow Wow at the Gold Nugget Museum Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Paradise, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Percy Edwards, of the Colville tribe, and other Native Americans dance in the Grand Entry during the Paradise Pow Wow at the Gold Nugget Museum Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Paradise, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Scary Surgery Makes Lucky Life

     I was able to meet a very special young man. His name is Jessen Cole. I have taken his picture as a football player for Chico High. This time I was taking his picture for a much different reason. I spent a short time with him as he talked about surviving a rare reaction to anesthesia called malignant hyperthermia. 

     This is very rare condition which Enloe has never experienced in the last 30 years. Cole was set to go under a routine wrist surgery. He was given anesthesia for the surgery. When stitching his wrist, Cole reacted and was in immediate danger. The reaction could have killed him within minutes, but doctors were able to quickly diagnose the symptom and treat it very quickly. A couple weeks later, Cole had made a full recovery. He was back to good health and now you would never even suspect he would have been so near to his death. The malignant hyperthermia is a genetic trait that overwhelms the body and causes it to shut down. Cole remembers going under and waking up in pain.

     He is very lucky. I took pictures of him as he discussed the incident that happened three months ago. He had some images from when he was in the hospital on a laptop. I took pictures of the laptop and had Cole reflected in the screen to the two images looked superimposed on each other. This gave the sense of the imagery to be a visual memory of his experiences.

Jessen Cole is reflected in a computer monitor showing of a picture of Cole when he was in the hospital as he talks about how he survived a rare reaction to anesthesia called malignant hyperthermia after recovering in his home Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Jessen Cole talks about what it was like to have survived a rare reaction to anesthesia called malignant hyperthermia after recovering in his home Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

High Flying Copters

Recently I stumbled onto a group of men flying RC airplanes. Saturday, it was the RC helicopters turn to take to the sky. Participants of all ages headed out to the Oroville Afterbay to take part in a fun fly day for RC enthusiasts. It was great to see these tiny machines zipping and zooming around. The helicopters maneuver in a very way that will never be replicated in a real life size helicopter. I don't really know if you would like to even if you could. Corkscrews, barrel rolls, flying upside down, spins and stalls are just standard tricks the the extreme flying of RC helicopters.

Brian Tran, 18, of San Bruno, watches Ben Storick, 15, of Las Vegas, fly his electric helicopter upside down inches from the ground as John Storick, and Don Barrow (left to right) look on with RC enthusiasts that came out for a Fun Fly Day for RC helicopters at the Air Corps Air Show flying field Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Ben Storick, 15, of Las Vegas, disassembles his electric helicopter as RC enthusiasts came out for a Fun Fly Day for RC helicopters at the Air Corps Air Show flying field Saturday, July 10, 2010 in Oroville, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Enloe Century Project Underway

Enloe Hospital is continuing to work on their Century Project with the building of a new tower facility for surgeries and more rooms. Their expansion is pretty expansive and I had a chance to see the progress on the new tower. I was taken on a guided tour of the construction site. There is a lot to still be done, but I was impressed with the layout of the facility. It will definitely be a big improvement. I look forward to its completion.

Superintendent of Harrison Drywall Lewis Blackwell (right) shows crew members were to place drywall on a tour of the continued construction inside the Enloe Century Project as they work on the new hospital facility Friday, July 2, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A worker walks through a hallway on the fourth floor on a tour of the continued construction inside the Enloe Century Project as they work on the new hospital facility Friday, July 2, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Jerry Kaye works on the soffit for the nurses station on the fifth floor on a tour of the continued construction inside the Enloe Century Project as they work on the new hospital facility Friday, July 2, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Crews work on the new tower of the continued construction inside the Enloe Century Project as they work on the new hospital facility Friday, July 2, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Summer in Full Swing!

The hot weather has definitely hit Chico. People of all ages are playing outside and keeping cool by hitting the creeks, rivers, and lakes. We are pretty lucky in Chico to have such a vast array of places to jump in a cool water hole. It's always easy to go out and see what people are up to on such hot days.

Chrucita Jamito, 10 (left) pushes Grover Mosier, 6, (right) on a rope swing into Big Chico Creek a little ways east up the creek of Sycamore Pool near One Mile Recreation Area on Thursday, July 8, 2010 in Chico, Calif. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)