A six-person TV crew from WCCO/Channel 4 in the Twin Cities made a live broadcast from the Grand Marais Marina on June 18. It was part of a five-day tour of lake areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin in which the news crew visited area attractions and interviewed local residents and businesspeople. Standing on the Hjordis are (L-R) Andrew Smith and Sid Backlund of Sven & Ole’s and Anchor Frank Vascellaro and Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer of WCCO. The cameraman is Photojournalist Tom Aviles.
Fog drifted in and out and the sun came and went while a six-person news crew from WCCO TV/Channel 4 from the Twin Cities broadcast live from the dock beside the Hjordis in the Grand Marais Marina on June 18, 2012.
Anchor Frank Vascellaro and Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer talked about the beautiful drive up the North Shore, the temperature difference from the Twin Cities, the quickly-changing weather down by the lake, the beauty of the harbor, the great restaurants and area attractions, and the vast wilderness just over the hill.
This was Day One of a five-day series called Goin’ to the Lake in which the newscasters broadcast live from various locations around the region – Grand Marais; Detroit Lakes; Brainerd; Hayward, Wisconsin; and Lake City, Minnesota.
While in Cook County, the news crew took in the Alpine Slide in Lutsen, Pincushion Mountain bike trails in Grand Marais, and High Falls in Grand Portage. They learned about North House Folk School, participated in a WTIP Radio broadcast, and talked to Dee Brazell and Stacey Hawkins of World’s Best Donuts and Sid Backlund and Andrew Smith of Sven & Ole’s Pizza—while enjoying samples of their products.
Anchor Frank Vascellaro (left) and Head Meteorologist Chris Shaffer of WCCO/ Channel 4 TV in the Twin Cities interview Dee Brazell of World’s Best Donuts at the Grand Marais Marina on May 18. They were conducting a live broadcast as part of a five-day tour of lake areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fog and sunshine played tug-of-war during the broadcast, giving them an accurate picture of June on Lake Superior.
In an interview with the Cook County News-Herald, Vascellaro said, “I’ve got three young kids. I need to bring them here.” He said he doesn’t want them to miss the wonders of the North Shore. He wants them to learn about the entire region, he said, because he believes understanding its history and heritage is important.
The purpose of the traveling series was to help viewers take a fresh look—or a first look—at some of the great places in the region.
What was Vascellaro’s opinion of the North Shore? “It’s gorgeous,” he said. “It’s a gem.”
Meteorologist Chris Shaffer said that the tallest things in the Twin Cities are the buildings. “It’s so nice to see the tallest things here are trees and the hill,” he said. It was also nice to see what the weather is really like up here, he said, instead of just seeing it on satellite images.
“Nobody will remember the forecast I gave,” Shaffer said, “but people will remember this broadcast and what it’s like up here.” He said he hears from viewers as far away as South Dakota and Canada.
Executive Producer Matt Liddy said he doesn’t get to be out in the field much. “It’s very nice for me to be able to do this,” he said. “This is a great week for me. It’s fun.”
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