New South Wales bushfires
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early January 2002; mid January 2002
- Elvis would still be performing at 67, say Ananova users
(Ananova, January 9, 2002)
Ananova users think Elvis Presley would be crooning at a Las Vegas casino if he was still alive. In our poll to mark what would have been his 67th birthday, 46% of you thought he'd still be singing. Thirty-six per cent of people thought he would be making guest appearances on shows like Friends. Only 10% thought he'd be working with US rappers Wu-Tang Clan. The least popular choice was running a fast-food empire. Other users had their own ideas about what he might be doing.
Robin: He would be American president.
Kevin Kennedy: He would not be doing any of the above. The only one that comes close is the 'crooning at a Las Vegas casino' option. Even that's a bit far fetched. Possibly touring the way Sinatra did in his latter years. To be honest, I'd say he'd be happily retired, and slightly reclusive. He was certainly becoming that way towards the end of his life.
Dave "One Punch" White: I've never understood the big deal about him. He wasn't good looking, he couldn't sing and the only reason he was a success is the fact there wasn't anyone else decent around in his day.
Bailey's IC: If he were still alive today I think Elvis would be a recluse.
- Heavy Rain Brings Relief to Australian Firefighters
By Phil Smith
(Reuters, January 7, 2002)
Thousands of weary firefighters were singing in the rain on Monday as an unexpectedly heavy overnight downpour tamed some of the blazes which have ravaged New South Wales since Christmas Day. Up to 1.5 inches of rain fell on major fire fronts in the Blue Mountains national park area 35 miles west of Australia's biggest city Sydney and the Hawkesbury area 30 miles northwest of the city. But on the third major fire-front around 50 miles south of the city in the Shoalhaven area there was no such relief for firecrews with little or no rain falling. Around 10,000 mostly volunteer firefighters are battling up to 100 fires, many lit by arsonists, on fronts totaling 1,250 miles. Officials said 101 homes had been lost to the fires which over 14 days have burned more than 550,000 hectares, an area twice the size of Greater London. They are the most intense since the 1994 bushfire crisis, when four people died and just over 200 homes were lost. Fire chiefs said while the rain may have dampened down blazes on some major fire fronts, the situation was still uncertain.
- Air cranes arrive to relieve 'Elvis'
By Mike Anderson
(ABC, January 7, 2002)
Quarantine and customs officers are checking the two super air cranes which were flown into Sydney this morning to help fight the New South Wales bushfires. The helitankers, dubbed Georgia Peach and The Incredible Hulk, are in pieces aboard a Russian Antonov, the world's largest freighter plane. When assembled they will be able to dump 9,000 litres of water at a time on fires. Cameron Wade from the Rural Fire Service says it will take some time to get the helitankers flying.
- Fans gather to celebrate Elvis' birthday
By Jason Alcarn
(Hollywood.com, January 7, 2002)
Hundreds of Elvis Presley fans have converged in Memphis, Tenn. to commemorate the King's 67th birthday, which is Jan. 8. A dance called the "G.I., Red, White and Blues" has been scheduled in honor of Presley, reports the Associated Press. The dance - to be held at an undisclosed hotel ballroom - is titled after Elvis's film G.I. Blues, which fans will watch at the dance.
- Elvis Fans flock to memorabilia auction in Waco
By Mike Anderson
(Waco Tribune-Herald, January 6, 2002)
Fans of Elvis Presley from around the state traveled to Waco Saturday for a chance to buy some of the memorabilia collected by the late Edd Fadal who befriended the rock 'n' roll star in the late 1950s. Items available at the auction at the Waco Convention Center ranged from records and 8-track tapes of Presley's music to personal effects from his hotel rooms and his Graceland mansion, from wallet-size photos to a large velvet painting and a stained glass reproduction of the "King".
- 67 candles light way to Memphis for Elvis faithful
By AIMEE EDMONDSON
(Memphis Commercial Appeal, January 6, 2002)
Helen Brown didn't think twice when it was time to buy her plane ticket from Britain to Memphis for her twice-yearly pilgrimage. Terrorist threat or not, the president of Britain's North Hampton fan club just had to be here for Elvis's birthday week celebrations. "If we stop coming, the terrorists have won," said Brown, 39, making her 21st visit to Memphis. Brown and about 350 official fan club presidents from across the globe filled a hotel ballroom Saturday for their annual luncheon to celebrate Elvis's birthday. This year's theme is based on the Elvis film "Follow That Dream," and the movie's leading lady, Anne Helm, was on hand to toast the King for what would have been his 67th birthday.
But what drew the loudest applause from the crowd was a sneak peek at selected clips from the animated Disney movie, "Lilo and Stitch," which features six Elvis songs. The movie comes out this summer. Patsy Anderson, who organizes fan club activities on behalf of Graceland, also played Elvis' rendition of "America the Beautiful," featured on a CD released in October as a fund-raiser for disaster relief efforts stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks. As of mid-December, she told the crowd, $164,000 had been raised to benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
Elvis fan club members worldwide raised an additional $12,000-plus for the Red Cross and presented the check at the luncheon. "Elvis gave so much for charity," Brown said. "We want to continue the work he did."
- Fans to Celebrate Elvis' Birthday
By Mike Anderson
(Yahoo news, January 5, 2002)
Elvis Presley fans will celebrate his Jan. 8 birthday by remembering the King of Rock 'n' Roll as both a singer and soldier. Presley served a two-year hitch in the Army and was discharged in 1960 with the rank of sergeant. Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the focus on Presley's military service seem appropriate, said Todd Morgan, a spokesman for Graceland. "Elvis was a patriot,'' Morgan said. Several hundred admirers - most of them fan club officers - planned to be in Memphis this weekend for the 67th anniversary of Presley's birth. Presley died at age 42 in 1977.
- After Elvis, real stars take a bow
By Christopher Kremmer
(Sydney Morning Herald, January 5, 2002)
Fame and flame ... backburning prepared the town of Woodford for its test. It wasn't until early yesterday that Woodford knew it had escaped destruction. Despite the blackened backyards, not a house was lost and there were no injuries worse than cuts, scratches and a dose of smoke inhalation along the populated ridges that reach into the Blue Mountains National Park. The celebrity flying water tanker, Elvis, grabbed the limelight on Thursday night when it snuffed out the flames that threatened homes on several streets, giving fire crews more time to backburn and douse. But the real stars are the fire-fighters and volunteers in Woodford and dozens of other urban fringe communities, whose decades of quiet preparation for just such an event have paid off to the tune of millions of dollars in saved properties.
- Elvis to the rescue
(Helicopters News, January 5, 2002)
A US helicopter nicknamed Elvis rescued 14 trapped firemen from Australia's raging bush. (Links to two news reports.)
- Gallery
By Natasha Morris
(Melbourne Age, January 5, 2002)
10 pages with photographs of the NSW bushfire.
- Sydney firefighters brace for new onslaught
(CNN, January 5, 2002)
Cooler weekend weather is helping Australian firefighters as they battle bush fires in the southeastern state of New South Wales. However, forecasters are warning that weather conditions will deteriorate yet again within the next 48 hours, bringing soaring temperatures and strong gusting dry winds. Fire officials say that such conditions could transform blazes in the north and northwest of Sydney into one huge fire front. More than 100 bush fires, half of which police say were started deliberately, have been burning across New South Wales since Christmas Eve. Although so far there have been no deaths or serious injuries reported, 170 houses have been destroyed and more than 300,000 hectares of land scorched by the fires.
- Elvis statue to be unveiled Tuesday
By M. Scott Morris
(Daily Journal, January 5, 2002)
Jan. 8 will be Elvis Presley's birthday, but the community will get the gift. During a ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Elvis Presley Birthplace, the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation will unveil a statue of Tupelo's favorite son. "The statue will be unique to the community and the world," said Henry Dodge, chairman of the foundation's board of directors. "It'll be unveiled on the 67th anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley." The timing means there's a good probability Elvis fans from around the globe could be on hand for the unveiling of the life-size sculpture. Dodge said CNN and other news organizations have been invited to attend. The statue will be of Elvis as a 13-year-old because that was his age when his family left Tupelo.
- More Elvis sightings expected on Monday
(ninemsn.com, January 5, 2002)
The two new "Elvis" firefighting helitankers should be in Sydney on Monday morning after the giant Antonov cargo plane braved snowstorms and landed in Oregon, in the northwest United States. The two helitankers - nicknamed "The Incredible Hulk" and "Georgia Peach" - will be loaded inside the Antonov on Friday night and the plane is scheduled to leave Oregon for Sydney early on Saturday. There were fears the Antonov might be trapped by snowstorms in Atlanta, in the US's southeast, but the huge Ukraine-built transport plane landed ahead of schedule this morning at Oregon's Rogue Valley International Airport.
- Snowstorm strands Elvis back-ups
(Canberra Times, January 5, 2002, p.1)
Two "Elvis" Erickson Air-Cranes stranded in the US by a snowstorm are likely to [be] in Australia by Monday night to join the battle against raging bushfires in NSW. They will join or maybe replace the Elvis water-bombing helicopter that has already saved hundreds of properties. ... The Elvis Aircrane on loan from Victoria has become the centre of attention, especially after bushfire brigades called for air support when they became stuck in a fire near Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains on Thursday. Soon after Elvis arrived, dropping its load of water on the flames, and clearing a path for the firefighters. The NSW Rural Fire Service said Elvis, which was battling fires around Wollongong, had now been shifted to the Blue Mountains to be used where it was most needed, which could be in Victoria. ... On a lighter note, Rural Fire Service Commander Phil Koperberg was asked yesterday if discussions were under way to nickname Elvis's two US cousins Priscilla and Lisa Marie. "I'm giving it a lot of thought as you can image", he replied.
- Sydney arsonists to face fire victims
(BBC , January 4, 2002, p.1)
Elvis [the water-bombing helicopter] can drop thousands of gallons of water on fires. As bushfires continue to rage out of control, the Australian state of New South Wales says it intends to introduce new penalties for arson offenders. Twenty-four people have so far been arrested for arson - 15 of them between the ages of nine and 16. Under the new rules, children found guilty of arson will be compelled to confront hospital patients with severe burns to seefor themselves the full horror of what bush fires can do. They will have to talk to hospital doctors in what state premier Bob Carr hopes will be a traumatic experience that will force children to change their behaviour. And they will be forced to help victims pay for the damage.
BBC's map
- Thousands trapped by fires: Residents huddle on beaches; Crews plucked from fire front
(Canberra Times, January 4, 2002, p.1)
Coastal residents were trapped on beaches by bushfires for a second day as authorities called for two more "Elvis" helitankers to help battle the raging infernos devasting the Australian state of New South Wales. ... The [NSW State] Government has taken the decision to engage two more of the Erickson ... Elvis helicopters, according to State Emergency Services Minister Bob Debus.
- AMC Salutes the King of Rock N' Roll With a 'Happy Birthday Elvis' Festival On
Tuesday, January 8
(Yahoo / Business Wire , January 4, 2002, p.1)
American Movie Classics (AMC) pays tribute to the "King'' on his birthday, Tuesday, January 8, when it presents the "Happy Birthday Elvis'' festival. The line-up includes the comedy EASY COME, EASY GO, the romantic drama LOVE ME TENDER and the documentaries ELVIS IN HOLLYWOOD and ELVIS 56.
- Elvis Returns as an Instant Ticket Game From the Pennsylvania Lottery
(Yahoo / Business Wire , January 4, 2002, p.1)
The Pennsylvania Lottery brings "The King'' of Rock 'n' Roll back to life as an instant ticket game. Elvis(TM) - the $2 instant ticket game - goes on sale Tuesday, January 8, 2002, joining three other new instant ticket games from the Lottery: LUCKY EWE DOUBLER, Major MOOLA and Valentine's Day Gift. Each commemorative ticket will feature one of five different images of Elvis - to play or to keep. The top Elvis(TM) instant ticket prize is [US]$15,000. Players also can enter four Elvis(TM) second-chance drawings to win one of 16 trips-for-two to Graceland or other great Elvis collectibles!
- Elvis the helicopter saves Australian firefighters
By Michael Perry
(Reuters, January 4, 2002)
A U.S. helicopter nicknamed Elvis rescued 14 trapped firemen from Australia's raging bushfires, water bombing flames racing towards them and saving them from becoming the first fatalities of the 12-day crisis. ... A desperate radio call for help saw Elvis, a giant "Sky Crane" helicopter which can drop 9,000 litres (1,980 gallons) or nine tonnes of water at a time, push back the flames. "Elvis saved us, absolutely," fireman Darrell Pascoe told local media on Friday of the helicopter used by the U.S. National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee -- the site of the late singer Elvis Presley's Gracelands mansion. ... As some 10,000 firefighters face 100 fires, many lit by arsonists, on fronts totalling 2,000 km (1,250 miles), Elvis has been hailed by firemen and the public for its dramatic impact.
- Firefighters who owe it all to Elvis
By LORNA KNOWLES and STAVRO SOFIOS
(Adelaide Advertiser, January 4, 2002)
FOURTEEN volunteer firefighters trapped in a raging inferno in the Blue Mountains were saved yesterday by the water-bombing "Elvis" helitanker. The three crews from Lawson and Hazelbrook bushfire brigades were surrounded by walls of flame and burnt-out bush on the Ingar Fire Trail, near Wentworth Falls, for 45 minutes before they radioed for aerial support. Within five minutes of receiving the distress call, Elvis swooped overhead, dousing the flames and clearing a path for their escape. "The flames were crowning the treetops it was fireball, we were surrounded," said crew member, Chris Tierney, 20. "Elvis saved us, absolutely. You could feel the heat on the window as we were driving out," said fellow crewman Darrell Pascoe, 31. "We love Elvis," added Michael Laverton, 29. It was a sentiment shared by members of the Lawson brigade, who scrawled "We Love Elvis" on their helmets late yesterday.
- PM to look at buying Elvis
(Canberra Times, January 3, 2002, p. 3)
The Australian Federal Government would look at buying up to three A$15 million water bombers as part of a national firefighting fleet, Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday. The Victorian Government, which has an S-64 Erickson Air Crane on lease from Canada, has given it to the NSW Government to use during the current crisis. The helicopter is called Elvis,and has the capacity to dump 9000 litres of water on a fire at speeds and distribution ranges programmed into its computer. The helicopter is called Elvis because of its time serving with the US National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Elvis seen fighting NSW bushfires
(ABC (Australian BroadcastingCorporation), January 3, 2002)
Elvis the heli-tanker has become an unlikely hero and a much-talked about asset since the outbreak of the fires. It has come a long way to get here - manufactured in America, leased to Victoria and on lease to New South Wales.
- Elvis - king of the firefighters
(BBC, January 3, 2002)
Elvis is alive and well, helping to tackle bushfires sweeping the Australian state of New South Wales. The Erickson Air-Crane Helitanker - dubbed Elvis because of its time with the US National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee - helped save almost 300 homes in Sydney's north-west suburbs, dumping thousands of gallons of water on the advancing flames. The $7.5m helicopter arrived in New South Wales last Saturday, on loan from the Victoria State Fire Service where it has been leased by aviation firm Helicorp for the fire season It has proved such a powerful weapon, that New South Wales Premier Bob Carr has said they are considering placing an order for them.
- MDI Entertainment Engages Integrated Corporate Relations
(Yahoo / Business Wire, January 3, 2002)
MDI Entertainment, Inc. (OTC BB: LTRY) announced today that it has retained Integrated Corporate Relations (ICR) of Westport, CT and Los Angeles, CA as its financial public relations firm. ICR, whose business is primarily concentrated in the consumer, leisure, and gaming sectors, will focus on investor relations strategy, specifically targeting U.S. institutions and financial professionals. MDI's services include game and ticket design, merchandise prize fulfillment, management of second-and third-chance draws, fully-staffed customer service, coordination of winner travel & accommodations, advertising and marketing support, consumer research and Internet marketing and advertising. Currently, the company's portfolio of licensed lottery properties includes but is not limited to Betty Boop(tm), Elvis Presley(R) and Graceland(R), Wheel of Fortune(R), Jeopardy!(R), Harley-Davidson, Ray Charles(R), Hollywood Squares(R),Pink Panther(tm), Tabasco(tm), and auto race drivers including Jeff Burton(TR), Mark Martin(R), Matt Kenseth(R), and Bill Elliott(R).
- POP MUSIC: Honoring Musical Roots. Rosie Flores is back for tribute to Elvis Presley, an enduring influence
By STEVE APPLEFORD
(Los Angeles Times, January 3, 2002)
Rosie Flores never got to see Elvis Presley. Back in 1977, when she was leading an obscure San Diego band called Rosie & the Screamers, the young roots-rocker had finally made plans to see Presley live when his tour was to pass through Southern California that year. But he died before ever leaving home. Elvis' continued influence on Fores' music will be on display at Sunday's House of Blues celebration in West Hollywood. Flores has appeared at the annual tribute nearly a dozen times and will be joined this year by rockabilly locals such as James Intveld, Big Sandy and Billy Swan. Flores has frequently made the pilgrimage to Graceland, Presley's Memphis home-turned-shrine, since moving to Nashville two years ago. And with so many Elvis recordings, and so many Elvis movies, Flores feels like she's seen him after all.
- Jailhouse Rocker Chooses Elvis Role Over Police
(iWon News / Reuters, January 2, 2002)
A Wellington, New Zealand, policeman's career is all shook up after his superiors frowned on his blossoming off-duty role as an Elvis Presley impersonator, local media reported on Wednesday. Constable Brian Childs, the reigning Australasian champion Elvis Presley impersonator, resigned the force after being ordered by police bosses to choose between his blue uniform or Blue Suede Shoes, Wellington's Evening Post newspaper reported. Police superiors said Jailhouse Rock after work breached rules restricting secondary employment by officers. "My No 1 priority was the (police) job. Elvis has always been a passion of mine, a hobby," Childs told the newspaper. The Elvis shows had been on days off or during annual leave, and they had not been intended as money-making ventures. The officer has taken up other part-time work while he reviews his options, including possible legal action against the police.
- COLUMN: NORM! Taylor says Elvis made her an offer, but she was spoken for
By Norm Clarke
(Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 2, 2002)
Elizabeth Taylor's only conversation with Elvis Presley involved an apology and a proposition. "I never met him, but he called me once to apologize about a story in a tabloid that claimed we were dating," said Taylor, while leaving a backstage meeting with Siegfried & Roy at 1 a.m. Tuesday. "He wanted me to know he had nothing to do with it. Then, he said, 'Maybe we could go out sometime,' " Taylor recalled. But the glamour queen of the 1950s and 1960s and The King never hooked up. "I was in love with someone else at the time," she said.
- Re: Vandalised programming [Letters to the Editor]
From: Neil Howard, Birmingham
(Daily Telegraph, January 1, 2002)
Howard, who is a classical music buff, complains about "programming vandalism" perpertrated on Radio 3, where various types of music are now mixed together. "This trashy programming seems to be based on the assumption that people who like Mahler often also like Elvis, and those who like Bach sometimes also like to listen to the Modern Jazz Quartet - which might be true: the first two are both vulgar, tuneful and undemanding, and the second pair at least share harmonic erudition and structural rigour. ... There is no such thing as an audience which likes all music."
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