Local man building KSWT’s new anchor desk
The whirring sound of a power saw wakes up with the press of a button. The chirring from a piece of wood being split in two by the blurred blade follows it. Misty whizzing from the paint gun in conjunction with the beating rhythm of hammers. This is the symphony that comes out every day from the inside of the warehouse that houses CR Custom Cabinets in Yuma.
The shop is owned and ran by Cesar Rodriguez whose business boasts his initials. But now, the local craftsman is adding “anchor desk maker” to his resume.
Recently, Rodriguez was tasked with building the new anchor desk that will sit on the new set of 13 On Your Side, upon being approached his initial reaction and thought was: “I don’t have time.”
After some persuasion, brainstorming and further discussion, the cabinet maker embarked into new territory expanding what his business offers while also being part of local Yuma television history.
The true challenge for Rodriguez came after realizing that he must now incorporate materials that he had never used for kitchen cabinets. Materials like television screens, sheet metal, and even LED lights did not scare him away from the project but instead motivated him to pursue the project.
Rodriguez recalls his favorite part of working with wood, he says that “aside from seeing the final outcome of something” but ” the smell of the wood” reminds him of his humble beginnings as a farmworker .
Rodriguez says, “I used to work in the lettuce and decided that I didn’t like to go back and forth, so I started working with an uncle in the cabinets and I liked it.”
The anchor desk, built by Rodriguez’s two hands along with the help of his son and colleagues at CR Custom Cabinets, will now be seen by thousands of viewers every single day from the border from Yuma County to the Imperial Valley.
A thought that fills Rodriguez with much pride and joy.
Rodriguez says, ” You gotta feel good about it…excited that it got built here. ”
A complete overhaul of our set is expected to launch next week. Tune in every day as we will have continued coverage of the progress of our new set in our newscasts.
KYMA 2019
