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CNN Live Event/Special

Interview With Tad Weber

Aired December 22, 2003 - 14:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: On the phone with us right now, Tad Weber, managing editor of "The Tribune" in San Luis Obispo right there smack-dab in this area where the earthquake hit. First of all, tell us what you know and then we'll get a lit more detailed here.
TAD WEBER, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE TRIBUNE": Well, we've got reporters out in the field. An initial report that we have is that a historic clock tower in the city of Paso Robles which is in our in the northern area has come down and that would be a loss, obviously.

But we don't have any report of any injuries associated with that. The northern part of our county definitely felt the shaking. We did very well here San Luis Obispo as well. But it seems that some of the structural damage that we're hearing about is more concentrated in the north.

PHILLIPS: More in the north. Now, are you hearing that it was centered in Cambria, also, Tad?

WEBER: Exactly. We have gotten one report that we're checking into that people are being cleared out of Hearst Castle. Obviously, we have to look into whether the castle will be closed for the remainder of the day. So that's developing right now. But, yes, definitely northeast of San Simeon.

PHILLIPS: I've only been to Cambria, one time. Spent some time with friends. Kind of explain to folks with that area. Very popular, number of wineries, a lot people go here to vacation, retired folks living in this area. It's right there along the coast. Kind of set the scene for folks about this area.

WEBER: Well, it's a charming little town nestled in Monterey pine trees. It's really at the southern end of Big Surf. It's very mountainous there. The ocean on one side, the mountains rising to the other side of Highway One, which runs up the coast there. Hearst Castle is just beyond Cambria a little bit. Indeed, it's a very big tourist for the beauty of the coastline there.

PHILLIPS: You were saying you had a number of reporters out working the field. Have you had -- have any of them been able to head up to Cambria yet?

WEBER: We have one en route right now. It takes a while to get there. It's 40 minutes north of San Luis. She'll be getting up in within half the hour. Our bureau chief is up there but we haven't been able to get through to the bureau chief. No one's picking up at the office. Undoubtedly, he's out reporting as well.

PHILLIPS: Tad, tell us more about the historic tower.

WEBER: There's a jewelry store in downtown called Pan Jewelers (ph) and at one corner of that building, if I'm remembering it right, there was a clock built into the building there.

And, you know, it's an old-time clock that was very much a landmark in the downtown -- the downtown was very picturesque. It's a little park. And this clock, you know, would always be an easy way to check the time.

And our reports are that it fell down. So we're looking into that.

PHILLIPS: OK. Tad, once again, it's Cambria or Cambria?

WEBER: It's a point of eternal discussion. Locals call it by both ways, so you can't really go wrong.

PHILLIPS: OK. I'm safe. All right. Tad Weber with "The Tribune" there out of San Luis Obispo. Managing editor working this story.

Tad, let me ask you before I let you go, do you remember -- would you say probably that it was the North Ridge earthquake that was the last earthquake that had this magnitude-plus?

WEBER: You know, in terms of the numbers, I wouldn't be able to give that to you exactly but I've been a California resident myself since the late '60s. When North Ridge happened I lived in Santa Barbara, at the time. I remember that.

This one actually felt a better shake to me. It's one of the best ones I've felt since I've lived in California. That's probably because our proximity to it here is so close.

PHILLIPS: Tad Weber, we sure appreciate your time. Hope you don't mind if we keep checking in with you. He's the managing editor of "The Tribune" there in San Luis Obispo, right there smack-dab in the same area where this earthquake has hit Southern California.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 22, 2003 - 14:49   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: On the phone with us right now, Tad Weber, managing editor of "The Tribune" in San Luis Obispo right there smack-dab in this area where the earthquake hit. First of all, tell us what you know and then we'll get a lit more detailed here.
TAD WEBER, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE TRIBUNE": Well, we've got reporters out in the field. An initial report that we have is that a historic clock tower in the city of Paso Robles which is in our in the northern area has come down and that would be a loss, obviously.

But we don't have any report of any injuries associated with that. The northern part of our county definitely felt the shaking. We did very well here San Luis Obispo as well. But it seems that some of the structural damage that we're hearing about is more concentrated in the north.

PHILLIPS: More in the north. Now, are you hearing that it was centered in Cambria, also, Tad?

WEBER: Exactly. We have gotten one report that we're checking into that people are being cleared out of Hearst Castle. Obviously, we have to look into whether the castle will be closed for the remainder of the day. So that's developing right now. But, yes, definitely northeast of San Simeon.

PHILLIPS: I've only been to Cambria, one time. Spent some time with friends. Kind of explain to folks with that area. Very popular, number of wineries, a lot people go here to vacation, retired folks living in this area. It's right there along the coast. Kind of set the scene for folks about this area.

WEBER: Well, it's a charming little town nestled in Monterey pine trees. It's really at the southern end of Big Surf. It's very mountainous there. The ocean on one side, the mountains rising to the other side of Highway One, which runs up the coast there. Hearst Castle is just beyond Cambria a little bit. Indeed, it's a very big tourist for the beauty of the coastline there.

PHILLIPS: You were saying you had a number of reporters out working the field. Have you had -- have any of them been able to head up to Cambria yet?

WEBER: We have one en route right now. It takes a while to get there. It's 40 minutes north of San Luis. She'll be getting up in within half the hour. Our bureau chief is up there but we haven't been able to get through to the bureau chief. No one's picking up at the office. Undoubtedly, he's out reporting as well.

PHILLIPS: Tad, tell us more about the historic tower.

WEBER: There's a jewelry store in downtown called Pan Jewelers (ph) and at one corner of that building, if I'm remembering it right, there was a clock built into the building there.

And, you know, it's an old-time clock that was very much a landmark in the downtown -- the downtown was very picturesque. It's a little park. And this clock, you know, would always be an easy way to check the time.

And our reports are that it fell down. So we're looking into that.

PHILLIPS: OK. Tad, once again, it's Cambria or Cambria?

WEBER: It's a point of eternal discussion. Locals call it by both ways, so you can't really go wrong.

PHILLIPS: OK. I'm safe. All right. Tad Weber with "The Tribune" there out of San Luis Obispo. Managing editor working this story.

Tad, let me ask you before I let you go, do you remember -- would you say probably that it was the North Ridge earthquake that was the last earthquake that had this magnitude-plus?

WEBER: You know, in terms of the numbers, I wouldn't be able to give that to you exactly but I've been a California resident myself since the late '60s. When North Ridge happened I lived in Santa Barbara, at the time. I remember that.

This one actually felt a better shake to me. It's one of the best ones I've felt since I've lived in California. That's probably because our proximity to it here is so close.

PHILLIPS: Tad Weber, we sure appreciate your time. Hope you don't mind if we keep checking in with you. He's the managing editor of "The Tribune" there in San Luis Obispo, right there smack-dab in the same area where this earthquake has hit Southern California.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com