Good Questions for Jason DeRusha

Photo: Marshall Franklin Long

Maple Grove neighbors know Alyssa and Jason DeRusha as doting parents of sons sam, 1, left and Seth, 3. But they're also aficionados of cutting-edge interior design and original art.

Jason DeRusha is a familiar face in downtown Minneapolis, thanks to his "Good Question" gig at WCCO-TV and frequent-on-the-street segments. But when it's time to clock out, he couldn't be happier to head to his Maple Grove haven.

He and his wife Alyssa, a financial analyst, moved here in 2003 from Milwaukee, where they met while both were attending Marquette University. Alyssa has roots here, however: She graduated from Wayzata High School, and her parents live in Plymouth. (Jason's parents live in Chicago.)

The move was intense: they looked at about 60 homes over two weekends. Once here, they were true believers: as their family started growing--sons Seth and Sam arrived three years and one year ago, respectively--they moved to their current home, a larger place five houses away. "People thought it was hilarious. I was carrying patio furniture down the street on my back," Jason says.

Avid art collectors, they love downtown's buzzing cultural scene, and are fixtures at the First Thursdays open house in the Northrup Kin artist studios in Northeast Minneapolis. But Maple Grove has really worked it's magic on them. They love coming into Minneapolis--it's only a 20-mile trip--but they know every family on their street now and aren't even tempted to move into the city, even when art calls. Their big backyard might be future fodder for a sculpture garden of their own.

It's common in the TV world to be at one station about three years than off to another. But this could be their last stop. "We really like it here," Jason says. "It's pretty tough to find a place that's better. The quality of life is pretty good here."

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