'Nutcakes' and 'twinks' spice up '05 sound bites
KSL-TV has compiled some of the best quotes by newsmakers over the past year and will feature them on KSL-TV newscasts today.
Some stood out.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah said, "You're always going to have nutcakes out there no matter what you do," referring to protesters during a Salt Lake visit by President Bush.
And Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, referring to unproductive players? "They're a bunch of overpaid twinks."
Too much water prompted memorable predictions. "You're not going to believe what you see," were the words of a St. George homeowner as a house crumbled into a flood-swollen torrent in the background.
Snow surveyor Randy Julander had this to say about winter snowpack: "The bathtub is essentially full. The soil moisture values here are off the chart."
Both of them were right. Being on the defensive elicits strong statements.
Layton resident Mike Norton drew unwanted attention for a sign he displayed in his yard that listed the death toll of American service members fighting in Iraq. "I think it's terribly ironic," he said, "that Osama bin Laden is running free and I stand a real risk of going to jail because I'm honoring Americans killed in Iraq."
Former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman expressed relief when found not guilty of misuse of public money: "If you believe that you're innocent, fight for it," she said.
Utah Department of Transportation Executive Director John Njord expressed regret when a howitzer shell missed the avalanche area it was targeting — and landed in a back yard on the other side of the mountain in Pleasant Grove: "We're very sorry this occurred and take full responsibility for it."
A sense of humor under pressure makes for good sound bites.
"I'm breathing hard now because I'm excited because people care. I see people who really love us, and I appreciate that," said Diane Dindy, who was among the New Orleans residents evacuated to Utah after Hurricane Katrina.
New Salina father Scott Stanley on leave from military?: "I got bragging rights now. I can go over and tell them I delivered my daughter before I had to leave."
On a mother-daughter duo arrested in Utah: "Families that do the crime together do the time together," summarized Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.
End-of-the-world prophesies came and went. "And he feels that God is going to defend him. And that's his own words," private detective Sam Brower said of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, who predicted the world would end April 6.
And a search effort in St. George for a flag thief provided a warning and chuckle. "We had someone write in: I'll give $500 and a kick in the ---."
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
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