January 27, 2009
– Chris Blake, Photojournalist
Today was probably the most craziness anyone can handle in there lives. Thinking you are special with Media Passes did not work today, for you where treated by just another person in line. Katie and I started our day around 830 900 hours by going to the Metro to take a train to China Town exit. We arrive and to our surprise there was no long lines for the train. Train pulls up and we get on. “Attention passengers at the Judicial Center Exit a person was hit by a train and emergency crews are on scene.” Well fun, after thinking it would be a easy trip in it became a long one. After about 10 minutes they shut down the trains and pulled them away from the loading docks. About a hour later they resumed service. First train pulls up, doors open and all you see is people stuffed in a tin can. There was no way with a camera that i would be able to fit in. I decided that we would wait for the next train for it may be easier to load into. Second train pulls along, same thing. Just tons of people and no where to place them all. However we cant keep waiting for a empty train or we may be there for a year. So she found a spot in a door way and so i gave her the camera and ill try to find a spot as well. I ran to the next door and just threw myself in, doors closed and my nose is on the glass for that is how stuffed we all are.
We finally get downtown and off the train and we see just “Hundres of thousands” of people. The quote comes from a guy ill talk about later. We ask the first volunteer to tell us where 10th Street Ticket Access is. We get there and the line goes back 2 blocks and then makes a U turn going back down the same 2 blocks. O and its as wide as the street is. Just no way we would have to stand in this line right. I mean we have media passes. Walk down to the police holding the line and we show them our Media passes to get in the 10th street ticket area. Police say your like no other and join the line. I figured that cant be so i called back to the station to give us some help possibly from online. Mike Wagner gives a number to Jess a Staffer for the event. Call her and she says to meet at 7th and D and she will get us in. We get to 7th and D and 7th is closed at E. The Police officer when we arrived was threating to arrest a guy who wanted to go to Starbucks. I guess he didnt undertand this route is closed. We show the officer our badges and tell him we are sent here from 10th St location and this is where the “There are Hundreds of Thousands of people here” came from. The road was not going to be opened for anyone, not even us. The media and there badges where no more important than John Doe. Finally I decided to take off and walk down a few blocks to 3rd where there was a gate. The security there was so organized and fast that i got right through. Finally after a few hours of here and there talk we got right through to then wait for the parade.
I finally realized how chaotic it was when i watched back the ABC coverage that night. Seeing the amount of people was just crazy. From my little spot i barely could tell the amount of people. Sure the line along the road was maybe 10 deep and packed. However you cant tell the amount in the mall or down the road. So to me it was busy but seeing the coverage it was BUSY. That then makes me understand why the communication was so broken as it was. Everyone that was important had so many things to do and not enought time to sit and spell things out to people. I respect the office that was holding the mob back from going down the road. He was simply doing his job. So how was DC, busy but a great experience.
January 21, 2009
Looking East at the Eastside of Iowa City
– Matt Nelson
Bruce Aune and I arrived back in Cedar Rapids about Noon Wednesday.
It was a great trip!
Thanks to all who watched and read KCRG’s Inauguration coverage online and on-air!
January 20, 2009
– Matt Nelson
We stopped over to the Midwest Ball for a very short time Tuesday Night.
The problem from our media standpoint is that we are restricted to a certain media area, making it almost impossible to talk to any Iowans.
We were too early for Sheryl Crow or the Obamas. However, we got lucky and on the way out got an interview with Governor Culver and his wife. Then it was on the Metro and back to CNN for one last live shot from Washington D.C.
Early wake-up call Wednesday. 7:40 flight out of Regan National Airport.
January 20, 2009
– Matt Nelson
After waiting 30 minutes this morning to get a cab to the nearest Metro stop, it took about another 30 minutes to get to downtown D.C. Not too bad. Of course this was all starting at about 5:30 in the morning.
Then things got messy. A giant orange sign saying “To National Mall” seemd to indicate exactly what it said, however it turned out that the line there was only for the parade. Which of course no one knew until they got to the front of the line.
From there we wandered around until we were able to get through another security checkpoint. At that point a group of about a dozen media were all trying to cross Pennsylvania Avenue just to get to the mall. Eventually a Secret Service officer escorted us past about 50 Colorado Troopers and another 50 Georgia Troopers to the southside of Pennsylvania Ave. Keep in mind, those 100 troopers were only in one block. It was a pretty impressive sight.
Once we got to the mall (with about an hour and a half to spare) there were just people everywhere. We worked at the corner of 12th and Madison for those of you who know D.C. That’s about 7-8 blocks east of the Washington Monument. A long way from the real action, but as promised, there were plenty of JumboTrons.
Bruce is getting ready for his 6:00 live shot. Then we’re off to the Midwest Ball. That’ll be a bit of an adventure as well, but we hope to have coverage of that tonight at 10:00.
January 20, 2009
– Matt Nelson
January 19, 2009
I have heard around the gym from some of the Alumni is that tomorrows Presidential change is not the only change. Many have said why cant it be like 19xx because back in those days you didnt see the smart little device that you stuff in your purse or pocket. Things have changed and we move along with them. Tomorrow brings up a big change in Federal Government and certainlly a day that everyone will remember. So change wasnt only something Obama ran on but we live with it every day much like dealing with 100s of cellphones.
- Chris Blake
January 19, 2009
– Matt Nelson
The Capitol will likely be busier Tuesday than it was when we were last near it on Sunday (understatement of the century).
Off to Maryland to get some Z’s before attempting to get to the Barack Obama’s Inauguration Tuesday. It’ll be an adventure worth tuning in for on KCRG and KCRG.com!
January 19, 2009
– Matt Nelson
Apparently the Metro system is Republican? That’s all I can gather from this elephant with the system map on it.
January 19, 2009
– Bruce Aune
It’s always interesting to work out of a place where multiple stations are operating. We’ve met crews from Raleigh, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; and others I can’t recall right now. We have a crew from Japan in the adjoining office, and another from Montreal is around the corner.
On the streets there are T-V crews everywhere. We might think we have a unique idea for a story, only to find several other cameras there when we arrive. I’m sure T-V crews will almost be bumping into each other at the inauguration tomorrow.
This is the fourth inauguration I’ve covered (I was at both of Clinton’s and George W’s first), and the crowds at the other three combined will probably be much less than what we’ll see tomorrow.
And yes, eastern Iowa, you will probably get to see me in a stocking cap tomorrow. I decided that if I’m going to stand out in the cold for five or six hours, I won’t worry about a little hat hair. And it’s amazing what a litle brush and some anchor spray can do later. I do have a little concern about lint, though. I bought the cap from a street vendor, and I think even he would agree it’s a not the highest quality. But it’ll do… even with a lint-covered head!
January 19, 2009
– Matt Nelson
This evening we are off to a Johnson County event. There we will meet up with former Iowa City Mayor and current Iowa City Councilman Ross Wilburn. He’s been an Obama supporter for a very long time and will have great seats for the inauguration tomorrow.
Bruce Aune will have Wilburn’s story tonight at 10:00 on KCRG-TV9.
