Gompers Avenue Fire

4:08 PM The fire whistles blew. I was outside in the Gazette parking lot and was walking back in when my Co-worker Jamie was coming to find me. She said there was a possible structure fire in the 1200 block of Gompers Ave. I jumped in the Gazette car and OF COURSE hit massive traffic trying to get onto Philadelphia Street. Finally I made it to Gompers...where there was smoke billowing out of a small metal building with the word "Office" hanging over the door. Access was made by the fire fighters into the building and once oxygen hit the fire...it came shooting out of the top. What a smokey blaze too! At one point the safety horns had to be blown to get the men safely out of the building because there was no way to see what the stability of the structure was. Three fire companies later and countless men and women going in and out of the building, numerous windows busted and usage of heat seeking cameras the fire was out. I'm so glad that I was working today. I've been waiting for a blaze like this for a while. I'm not morbid but like I've said a million times...bad things are going to happen regardless. I just hope I'm the one working when they go down.
These are my favorite shots of the day...below. I lurve it.

Dotts Family Photos

On Easter I met up with the Dotts Family. I grew up with their youngest daughter Susan and her mom Karen contacted me to take some family photos while their oldest daughter, Angie was in town from Las Vegas with her family. We spent a few hours shooting around this covered bridge that is right in the front/side yard. Here are a few from our shoot. I have to say this family is extremely photogenic and minus a few minor meltdowns and lots of candy breaks everyone got through this shoot :)

Gone Fishin'

Griffin Poole-Smith and his mother Amanda venture down to look at the fish along Marsh Run this afternoon before the rain came through.

Curve: Opening Day

Tonight marked the start of the 2010 Altoona Curve baseball season. Ziggy Hood, the Pittsburgh Steelers 1st round draft pick, threw out the first pitch and signed autographs for fans during the game. The Curve took on the Harrisburg Senators during the sporadic rain showers. The Curve won the game 5-1. Hopefully the streak continues. Sunday, Stephen Strasburg will be making his Major League debut at the Blair County Ballpark and tonight, the San Diego Chicken will be at the park.

Curve: 2010 Media Day

So I'm thinking it's going to be a fun season. Fingers crossed. This, by the way, is my 2010 team photo. HAHA...not really.

Indiana V Archbishop Wood

Indiana Girls Fell to Archbishop Wood. 49-39. This team had such a great run and they should be so incredibly proud of themselves. They played hard and almost came out on top. My heart is broken with this loss. Sometimes you just get so into covering a team that when they lose it's sooo sad to cover. This was one of those games. I felt like I wanted to cry while shooting the end of this game.

Northern Cambria V Bishop Guilfoyle

I feel like I've been here before. Northern Cambria played Bishop Guilfoyle for the PIAA State Championship. Northern Cambria again came out in second place. Bishop Guilfoyle won their 6th State Championship...one of which I got to cover in 2009. It's been so neat to cover these girls from Northern Cambria for so long. They have been a tight knit group of girls who won a lot together. This year they are all seniors and will be moving on. It's sad when you work so hard for something and it slips right through your fingers...but hundreds of other teams would have killed to win 2nd place in the state this year....or even play at the Bryce Jordan Center. I feel like these girls should be super proud of what they've done.