Thursday, August 12, 2021

We Were There First!

 




I thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday morning's Facebook Live by Chelsea Strub and Mike Erat.  It was a play by play of the painting of the red stripe on Main Street in Pittston, to mark the parade route for next week's Tomato Festival.

Of course, it didn't happen on time, which led to Chelsea and Mike peeling back the curtain to show you what it takes to do a television news story.  I know that stuff bores a lot of people.  Chelsea and Mike made it fun and interesting, even to someone who's been through the drill hundreds of times.

It brought back memories of March 2014.  Photographer Steve Smallwood and I were dispatched to Pittston, where they were painting a green stripe on Main Street, prior to the St. Patrick's Parade.  Steve is wearing the red and black coat in the photo above.

Again, it didn't happen on time.

Steve and I froze while we waited, and waited, and waited some more.

Chelsea and Mike perspired.

I took the photo above when the project finally started moving.  Steve is shooting video on the right.

Look, line painting is nothing new.  A lot of cities and towns do it.  It's not earth shattering news, but it's a fun little gimmick to drum up some pre parade publicity.  It's cool tv, pretty pictures.

It's been done dozens of times.  I admire Chelsea and Mike for making it interesting and entertaining.   They even put up with my snarky comments, and I loved Mike's responses.


Chelsea is an extra miler, dressing up as a tomato Tuesday.  I'm sure the heat of the tomato costume added to the degree of difficulty.

I should have borrowed Joe Snedeker's shamrock costume back in 2014.

By the way, Steve Smallwood is hapily retired, and he is greatly missed at WNEP.  As I said when Steve left, I learned from him, and I say that about very few people.