Taking special kids to new heights

WATSONVILLE -- From taking to the skies to performing in their own rock bands, youth with special needs did not have any boundaries on Saturday during the fifth annual Day in the Sky event at Watsonville Municipal Airport.

Throughout the day, Shared Adventures, a Santa Cruz nonprofit that offers disabled people opportunities for social interaction and recreation, and the Experimental Aircraft Association of Watsonville gave an estimated 200 airplane and helicopter rides to nearly 750 kids with disabilities.

After attending a brief pre-flight school session to learn basic aviation principles before flying, each special-needs child was encouraged to take the aircraft controls for a short time during the flight.

Ellen Hovey of Santa Clara said for her 9-year-old son, Jeremy, who has Down syndrome, taking controls of an airplane was something that he will never forget.

"This is his second Day in the Sky now. But the first time he went up, he just beamed after," Hovey said. "It's an opportunity for him to do something that he might never otherwise get to do. Last, time we took photos of him flying to his school and his friends just said 'whoa dude!' It was great."

Erica Diaz of Capitola said she has taken flight two times now.

"The view was beautiful today," said Diaz, an 18-year-old student in Shared Adventures' Young Artists Studio. "My favorite part today was when they played the song 'Imagine' by John Lennon."

During the event, The Magic Makers Band, a group of young men and women with special needs from Santa Clara, covered Beatles tunes in the afternoon. Also taking the stage were Angels on Stage, a nonprofit that supports children with differing abilities in performing an annual musical theater.

Day in the Sky event director Dean McCully said he hopes seeing the acts on stage will inspire others to pursue whatever they aspire to.

"It really is incredible what we have seen here at this event," McCully said. "We've had non-verbal kids start talking while in flight and then become silent as soon as they land. The whole goal of this event is to hook up local groups with families and bring their energy to each other. There are a lot of opportunities out there."

Shared Adventures founder Foster Andersen, a quadriplegic survivor of a spinal cord injury, said the event doubled in size since last year.

"I'm dumbfounded. It wouldn't happen without the hard work of our 280 volunteers and the 70 registered pilots that give rides to these kids," Andersen said. "We aim to do something different so that the kids can know that they can do it, surpassing some of their peers who are not challenged."

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Small town, big adventure in Winthrop, WA

Lately, we Seattleites have just about had it with the snow for one season. So last weekend, I headed east of Seattle on the other side of the Cascades to…well, more snow. But since I was on a weekend getaway and didn’t have to navigate freeways and steep downtown hills, I didn’t mind it. In fact, the only traffic I did run into was deer crossing at what seemed like every turn.
Five hours northeast of Seattle and nestled in the Methow (pronounced “met how”) Valley is the sleepy little town of Winthrop, WA. I went for the annual Winthrop Balloon Round-Up, which is held every year during the first full weekend in March. Hot Air Balloonists from all over the Pacific Northwest come to Winthrop to launch their brightly colored novelties over the beautiful valley. On Saturday night of the Round-Up, head to the main square in town for the Balloon Glow, where all the balloons are “parked” and their pilots light up the balloons all at once. It really is a unique sight, not to mention the warm glow from all those propane tanks going on at once. Morning Glory Balloon Tours offer daily balloon rides year round.

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Balloon promoters seek site

MARSHALL -- Promoters of a national hot air balloon championship plan to hold the event at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds, although the fair president said Friday a deal is not final.


"They have talked to us, but nothing has been set," Charles Letts, president of the 15-member fair board, said. "We have had some conversations and there are a lot of things that we don't have answers to and we don't even know all the questions."

The Balloon Federation of America announced Thursday its plans to host the 2009 U.S. Nationals Hot Air Balloon Championships Aug. 26-30, and Derrick Jones of Battle Creek, one of the organizers, said the fairgrounds is the top choice.

"We have some alterative sites, but we don't have any intention to entertain them," he said Friday.

Jones, executive director for the past 10 years for the Holiday Balloon Fest in Battle Creek, is scheduled to meet Monday with the fair board to discuss a proposal although Letts said he doesn't expect a final decision then.

"Before we make a decision, we will have to have a lot of questions answered and right now there are a zillion questions," he said.

Letts said one consideration is not harming Battle Creek's Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival scheduled for July 1-5 at W.K. Kellogg Airport. The Field of Flight and the Holiday Balloon Fest are separate events.

"I would like to see a show here, but we don't want to see it jeopardize their event," he said. "We are too close a community to be hurting each other."

Jones said that is one reason organizers of the national championship selected Marshall.

Assuming a deal can be reached in Marshall, Jones said it could be the first of two or three years the BFA will hold the nationals at the fairgrounds. And the organization has sent a letter of intent to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the balloon governing body, and expects to bid on hosting the 2012 World Championships.

The world championships have been held in Battle Creek three times -- in 1981, 1985 and 1995.

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Win a champage flight in a hot-air balloon

THERE will be an opportunity to get a view of Henley from the air thanks to one of the sponsors of this year’s Le Cordon Bleu Henley Food Festival.

Champagne Taittinger is offering Henley Standard readers the chance to win two prizes of a balloon flight in the Taittinger hot-air balloon on the morning of the first day of the festival, Saturday, May 16.

Each prize includes a flight for two people at 6.30am, plus two tickets for the festival, a glass of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs and light refreshments on landing. Each winner will also receive a signed certificate.

If the flight is not possible due to bad weather, a magnum of Taittinger will be sent to each winner instead. To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is send a postcard or sealed envelope with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Balloon competition Henley Standard, Caxton House, Station Road, Henley, RG9 1AD by the closing date of Friday, May 1. The winners will be the first two people whose entries are drawn out of the hat.

Only one entry per person is allowed and entrants must be over 18 and resident in the UK.

The balloon carries four people and the pilot and two other passengers may be included on the winner’s flight. Winners must adhere to any conditions, rules and regulations set out by the pilot. The pilot reserves the right to postpone a flight if he or she deems it unsuitable to fly. You must not fly if you are suffering from a serious medical condition or have recently undergone surgery unless you have a certificate of your fitness to fly from your doctor. You must not fly if you are pregnant or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Insurance for the flight is included in the prize. Winners will be returned to the balloon site after the flight.

Winners will be notified by May 8. No cash alternatives will be offered. Employees and their immediate families of Hatch Mansfield, Champagne Taittinger, the Henley Standard and anyone directly connected with this promotion are excluded from participating. All normal Henley Standard rules apply. To see them, visit www.henleystandard.co.uk

The Standard is a silver sponsor of the food festival.

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Hot Air Balloons At E.S. Good Barn Field

It's was quite a spectacle near UK's Commonwealth Stadium, Friday night.

Fifteen hot air balloons covered the grounds at the E.S. Good Barn Field. It was all for the annual "Balloon Glow Field Party." It's part of the "Little Kentucky Derby" which is a student-organized event put on this week by the University of Kentucky.

The balloons didn't fly tonight, but they did put on a show.

The little kentucky derby tradition began in the 1950s, continuing until the '80s when it was cut due to budgetary reasons. It came back in 2006, with a balance of new and time-honored traditions; including the Balloon Glow.

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Hot-air balloon ride – at 81

SYLVIA WARD has finally had her experience of a lifetime – a year later than planned.

Her daughter bought her a flight in a hot-air balloon for her 80th birthday in January 2008.

But each time she tried to take off, the flight was cancelled because of bad weather.

But she finally had her chance to fly last month at the age of 81.

“I was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen,” said Sylvia, who lives in Beddau.

She travelled to Biggleswade, near her daughter Jan’s home in Aylesbury, for the flight.

“Whenever I’ve seen hot-air balloons over Jan’s house, I’ve said I’d love to do that, it must be a wonderful feeling.

“The family picked up on that and I found the ticket for my balloon ride in my Christmas cracker, just before my birthday.”

On the day of the balloon flight, Sylvia still couldn’t believe it was happening.

“I went 1,000ft in the air, but I had no feeling of movement because it was so smooth – it’s similar to the feeling in a plane but you’re in the open air,” said Sylvia, who has three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

“One of the things I found amazing was looking down at the trees and all the birds were way below me.”

But adventurous Sylvia won’t be attempting a parachute jump for her next birthday.

“I’ve told Jan I’m not doing anything as daring as this. She suggested wing walking and I said no – definitely not.”

Sylvia and the other 15 balloon passengers were treated to a Champagne reception when they landed.

“We were presented with a certificate signed by Richard Branson, which was wonderful,” she added. “Everyone was full of beans because it was such a brilliant experience.”

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Hot-air balloon, elections among action for co-op

The annual meeting for Ark Valley Electrical Cooperative on Tuesday night at the Sunflower North Building on the Kansas State Fairgrounds attracted about 600 members in attendance. A hot-air balloon belonging to Touchstone Energy Cooperatives - a nationwide alliance of electric cooperatives of which Ark Valley is a member - greeted consumers at the meeting.

Consumers elected one new board member, Steve Shweizer, and re-elected Paul Penner, whom board members chose in a meeting afterward to serve as president of the board.

About 550 consumers at the meeting ate a dinner of beef and smoked pork catered by Ray's Country Catering of Colwich. Forty-four door prizes were given away.

The board, composed of seven members, also elected the following officers: John Steffen as vice president of the board, Steve Goering as treasurer, and Charles Gabehart as secretary.

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