Turkey and Geese bring Thanksgiving cheer to Carpinteria and Goleta
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - In honor of the Thanksgiving Holiday, your News Channel went deep into its archive to find these holiday news stories.
On November 24, 1982, Jeff Gianola reported about a turkey named Benjamin Franklin visiting local preschools in Goleta. Ben's handler, Kevin Billinghurst, explained that Ben is named after the Founding Father. Billinghurst said that Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird. The History Channel has reported Franklin did say this in a private letter but never mentioned it in public. Gianola reported that Ben was not eaten that Thanksgiving because the owners of the bird made a deal that if Ben was good around the kids they would have a vegan Thanksgiving that year.
On November 22, 1984, KEYT reported that one local man invited several geese over for Thanksgiving dinner. Jim Williamson from Carpinteria told KEYT that a goose sought refuge at his home after a storm in 1982. When asked if he would ever eat the goose Williamson said, "I never have eaten one of my friends." Williamson said he considers the geese his friends and part of his family.
This footage is preserved by UCSB Library Special Research Collections as part of the KEYT News Video Archive. Digital copies of materials are available by request. For more information on the collection, contact the Film & Television Curator.
