Fumbled the ball, but finished the game.

I am quite disappointed in how my interview turned out, but no time to re-do it so hopefully it's a pass!

I turned up at Skyfire at about 6.30pm and met with the Red Frog crew who were well underway with setting up a water station and playing some card games with the teens. It turned out that I actually knew a lot of the Red Frogs from primary school, including James the co-ordinator who I was going to interview.

This was good news as it meant I was able to relax and didn't stress about the interview but not so good because I think I got too casual with the questions when it became time to interview him. I had planned on just interviewing James and then leaving before the fireworks, but he was really busy getting things organised and didn't have enough time to chat until after the fireworks had finished.

So I hung about and watched the fireworks and the Red Frogs do their thing, chatting to some of them while they were having a break and getting the background story on how the organisation started and why the individuals decided to volunteer their time. This was good because it made me understand their goals for the evening and gave me a larger picture of Red Frogs initiative.

Finally James had a few minutes spare so I interviewed him, but we couldn't get a quiet place to sit so the recording has lots of distracting background noise. In hindsight it would have been better to interview him the next day after Skyfire where the quality of the sound would have been much better. He was also distracted by everything going on around him and kept turning his head away from the microphone so his voice is much quieter than mine on the recording. I have learnt a valuable lesson to adjust the level to the talent, and not just my own voice.

As I mentioned previously, I think the interview turned into more of a conversation between friends rather than a newsworthy interview, and his answers were un-expectantly long and before I knew it the recorder was ticking past 4 minutes before I felt I really got into the interview.

I approached some Police on duty, introduced myself and asked if I could ask them a few questions, but they said no because they didn't have authorisation to talk to journalists and suggested I talk to their Media Unit instead. They did say "off the record" that there had been a few underage kids sent home but that the final figures would be released to the media later that night. The Canberra Times reported on Sunday that 24 teens were taken into custody but no serious charges were laid.

I also talked a group of drunk teens, but none of them wanted to be recorded- they just wanted to steal my equipment. Classy bunch of kids.

Editing the story has been quite simple, just topped and tailed and edited out some irrelevant information about almost being hit in the head with a beach ball towards the end of the interview.

This assignment was much tougher than expected, definitely a very steep learning curve, but I have come away with new respect for radio journalists that have to do those sorts of interviews every day.

Photographs of Skyfire

I got the ball rolling- Hope I don't drop it

So since the last time I wrote I have decided on my story and have set up my interview for tomorrow night.

The annual Skyfire event sees about 100 000 people in Canberra surround Lake Burley Griffin to watch fireworks set to music. This is organised by the one of the commercial radio stations 104.7 and the sound track for the fireworks is broadcast live on their station.

Family fun and frivolity is promised, and it is hyped up by the radio station months in advance, each year promising to be bigger and better than the last year.

Having lived in Canberra my whole life, I have heard many stories of the event, but much to just about everyone's surprise have never actually attended the event.

The stories I have heard over the years have not really been positive ones. In highschool it was seen as the event to go to and drink alcohol underage and meet other teens from different parts of Canberra as it really the only event where 1000's of teenagers can go. Legally they are not allowed to drink, but older friends, siblings and even parents have been known to supply the alcohol. I had many friends have their first drink there, first kiss and horribly even had a friend sexually assaulted there when she was 16.

There have also been stories of Police IDing my friends and tipping out/confiscating any alcohol that they had in their possession, but there have been far less of these stories over the years than stories of drunken behaviour. Teens doing the wrong thing at Skyfire will always out-number the Police trying to control them.

I then heard through the grapevine that an youth organisation called Red Frogs would be present at Skyfire this year, providing a 'safe tent' free from alcohol and giving away free food, soft drinks and having couches for young people to relax on.

So I have set up an interview with the Canberra Co-ordinator of the Red Frogs tomorrow night to talk to him about why they are volunteering to help the youth and the problems they have come across during the night. I also hope to be able to talk to a Police Officer and a teen about what they think of the underage drinking that occurs at Skyfire and whether the presence of Red Frogs have made a difference.

Have to learn to walk before running-first steps

I discovered I am able to set up a blog. I feel like a winner already.

I still haven't decided on a story idea for my first assignment, but am getting closer to having a solid plan. Will update when interview is finalised.

RAINS TEST COTTER DAM CONSTRUCTION

RAINS TEST COTTER DAM CONSTRUCTION

By Grace Keyworth

Recent rains showed environmental measures are working at the construction on the Cotter Dam Enlargement, according to a surveyor on the site.

The surveyor, who did not want to be named, said the rain had not caused any delay. The site preparation is complete and the first blasting of rock is scheduled to start this week.

Construction was running on schedule.

The rains had proven that the environmental safety measures were adequate and no pollution from the site had entered the water.

“The rains were good because it showed us that the runoff systems worked and also identified a couple of places that needed adjusting for future falls,” he said.

Blasting is to begin this week to remove rock from the abutment where the new dam wall will be constructed.

An Actew spokesperson said that a 700 metre exclusion zone will be set up for the blasts and that local traffic may be disrupted with some roads being closed for up to 20 minutes per blast.

“Signs around the construction site will show the date and time of the next blast, and traffic controllers will ensure that the blast area is free of vehicles when the blasts occur,” he said.

Dr Gary Bickford, who was Actew’s Program Director for Water Security during the planning of the dam, said the enlargement was only part of the plan to secure Canberra’s water supply for the future.

“The Cotter Dam Enlargement is a part of a wider plan to ensure Canberra’s water supply is secure for the future,” he said. “The Murrumbidgee to Googong transfer pipe as well as buying irrigation water licences from NSW farmers completes the current plan to increase the amount of water Canberra is able to use.”

When complete at the end of 2011, the dam’s capacity will increase from 4 gigalitres to 78 gigalitres, making it Canberra’s second largest of storage behind Googong and increasing Canberra’s overall water capacity by 35 percent.

One million tonnes of concrete will be needed. Aggregate will coming from the debris from the blasting of rock.

Actew’s website says the rock will be transported to the specifically built rock crushing shed on the site for processing and eventually end up in the concrete for the dam wall.