pbs western reserve president’s report
TRANSCRIPT
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1 Programming & Local Productions
3 EducationalServices
4 StaffNews
PBS Western Reserve 1750W.CampusCenterDrive
Kent,OH44240-38201-800-554-4549
PBSWesternReserve.org
PBS Western Reserve President’s Report
The PBS Western Reserve President’s Report is published for the Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio Inc. Board of Directors, major funders of the station and other community members interested in the organization’s activities.
Winter 2021Volume15,Issue1
Chardon Polka Band presents fun nationwide road tripMembersofapopularOhiopolkabandproducedanewdocumentarythatspotlightsentertainingpolkamusicians,witheachperformanceservingasamusicalpostcardfromaroundthecountry.Theproduction,POLKAACROSSAMERICA,premieredonPBSWesternReserveinJanuary.
TheChardonPolkaBand,knownnationwideforitseclecticandmoderntakeonanoldgenre,typicallyperformsaround200showseachyear.However,theCOVID-19pandemicleftthebandmemberswithnogigs,noliveaudiencesandlimitedwaystocreateanddelivertheirart.Asawaytobothcelebratetheirgenreandbringfellowmusicianstogether,thegrouplaunchedPOLKAACROSSAMERICAbyleveragingtheirexperiencewithmusicvideoproduction.Theresultisanhour-longdocumentarythatprovidestheviewerwithadelightfulquiltofuniquesongsbyuniqueartists.
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Programming & Local Productions (cont’d.)
Historic 1936 union conflict in Kent is subject of new documentaryUNDERFIRE,UNDERSIEGE:STRIKEBREAKERSINKENT,OHIO,anewdocumentaryaboutanintense1936unionconflict,premieredexclusivelyonPBSWesternReserveinJanuary.TheproductionistheworkofveteranjournalistandfilmmakerFredEndresofHudson.
InJune1936,twotruckloadsofClevelandstrikebreakerscrashedthroughapeacefulpicketlineinKent.Theyfiredsawed-offshotgunsandteargasinanattempttointimidatetheworkersandbreakasix-week-oldstrikeattheBlack&DeckerCo.Theynotonlyfailedtoendthestrike,butthestrikebreakershadthetablesreversedonthem.Theyendedupundersiegeintheplant,withmorethan100strikersandsympathizersfiringhigh-poweredriflesatthemforsixhours.
Theprogramexamineshowtheterrifiedstrikebreakerseventuallywereledtosafetyanddocumentstheaftermathoftheevent.
February programming spotlights African American history and cultureIncelebrationofBlackHistoryMonth,PBSWesternReservepresentedamonthofspecialprogramming,includingthreenewlocalproductionsthatpremieredonFeb.5.Communityeventssurroundallthreeproductionsarebeingplannedforlaterthisyear.
Nick Cave, Summit Lake: Heard
Thisnewproductionbringstolifethetransformationaljourneyofasmall,urbancommunityinAkron,touchedbyauniqueperformancebyinternationallyrenownedartistNickCave.
InApril2019,SummitLakecommunitymembersjoinedCaveinstagingavibrantdisplayofmusic,artanddance,providingthemwithanopportunitytonotonlyshowcasethetalentsandskillsintrinsictotheirownneighborhoodbuttoalsobe“heard”bythesurroundingarea.
PBSWesternReservecommissionedWatersMediaofCantontoproducethedocumentary.ItfeaturesanexplosionofcolorthroughCave’ssignature,life-sized,dancinghorses—eachcomposedoftwodancers—withchoreographybyWilliamGill.Italsoprovidesabehind-the-sceneslookatonecommunity’scommitmenttowardmakingtheirvoicesheard.
Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley
In1946,MarionMotleywasoneoffourAfricanAmericanmentobreakprofootball’scolorbarrierwhenhejoinedtheClevelandBrowns.Thosemen’seffortstoplayaphysicallybrutalgameinthefaceofsocietalracismandstate-sanctionedJimCrowlawstrailblazedapathforBlackathletesinthehighestechelonsofprofessionalsports,includingbaseball’sJackieRobinson.
Motleywasrecognizedasoneofthegridiron’sgreatestplayerswhenhewasenshrinedintotheProFootballHallofFamein1968inhishometownofCanton,Ohio.However,fivedecadesafterbeingimmortalizedthere,thememoryofMotleyandhisgreataccomplishmentsonandoffthefieldarebeginningtofadeinthecitywherehefirstmadehisname.
PBSWesternReservecommissionedCantonnativeJamesWaterstoproduceLINESBROKEN.TheprogramtellsMotley’sstoryofadversity,personaltragedyandtriumphsusingrarelyheardarchivalinterviewsandnewinterviewswithhistorians,friendsanddescendants.
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Educational Services
Computer science project wins national awardAvideoprojectdesignedbyPBSWesternReserveforeducators’usewonanawardinJanuaryatThe52ndAnnualPublicMediaAwards(PMAs),whichhonoredpublicmedia’sachievementsin2020.
Theproject,ComputerScienceforYourClassroom:Ohio’sStandards,woninthe DivisionIIcategoryEducationalResourcesfortheClassroom.ItisdesignedtohelpteachersingradesK-8betterintegrateintotheirclassroomsthestate’slearningstandardsforcomputerscience.Toaccessvideosfortheproject,visitPBSWesternReserve.org/computer-science.
PBSWesternReservededicatesthisawardtothememoryofourformerEducationalServicesemployeeMariaMastromatteo,whodiedinJanuary.
Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton
“HeadedtoCanton”isoftenusedsynonymouslywhenreferringtoanNFLplayerwhowillonedaybeenshrinedintotheProFootballHallofFame,locatedinCanton,Ohio.Themuseumcelebratesthegreatestplayers,coachesandcontributorstotheprofessionalgame.
Now,morethan50yearlater,headingtoCantonhasexpandedtoincludecollegiatefootball.In2019,theBlackCollegeFootballHallofFamewasofficiallywelcomedtothecampusoftheProFootballHallofFame.
PBSWesternReservecommissionedthisnewdocumentarytoWatersMediaanditsproducingpartner,FogCityMedia.IttellsthestoryoftheformationofBlackcollegefootball,thecontributionsthatplayersfromhistoricallyBlackcollegesanduniversitieshavemadetotheNFL,thefoundingofitshalloffameandwhythehallisintheunexpectedlocationofCanton.
Programming & Local Productions (cont’d.)
February programming spotlights African American history and culture (cont’d.)
Area families learn about PBS KIDS appPBSWesternReserverecentlyconductedfourvirtualsessionstohelplocalfamilieslearnaboutthePBSKIDSScratchJrapp.Fourteenfamilies,participatingviaZoomatsevenfamilychild-carecenters,learnedhowtousetheapptocreatetheirowninteractivestoriesandgamesfeaturingfavoritePBSKIDScharacters.
ThisprojectisphasetwoofanearlylearninggrantfromtheCorporationforPublicBroadcasting.
Ohio Ready to Learn trainings continuePBSWesternReserve’sEducationalServicesDepartmentcontinuestodeliverfamilychild-careprovidertraining.SponsoredbyOhioReadytoLearnandUnitedWayoftheMahoningValley,16virtualtrainingsessionsrecentlyenabledproviderstosecureOhioStepUptoQualitycertification.
Educators can access professional developmentProfessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesforeducatorswillcontinueinFebruaryandMarchviaself-pacedonlineandvirtualmethods.Topicscoveredincludetechniquessupportingremotelearninginanelementaryclassroom,Googlecertification,inventionliteracyutilizingMakeyMakey,anduseof$martPath,afree,easy-to-useinteractiveonlineplatformforteachersingradesK-8.
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Staff News
Withheavyhearts,wesaidgoodbyeinJanuarytooneofourretirees,MariaMastromatteo.RiajoinedourEducationalServicesstafffollowingherretirementfromRavennaCitySchoolsandworkedherefrom1998until2019.We’llalwaysrememberhersweetpersonality,kindnessanddedicationtoteaching.Oursincerecondolencestoherfamily,friendsandformerstudents.
In loving memoryMaria ‘Ria’ Mastromatteo
1944 – 2021
Trina Cutter’s activitiesPresidentandCEOTrinaCutterhasbeenbusywithindustryevents,includinganationalpublicmediageneralmanagers’
discussionondiversity,equityandinclusion.Inaddition,shecompletedasix-weekcourseonconsciousmarketingtraining.
InFebruary,sheattendedvirtuallytheAPTSPublicMediaSummit,wherepublicbroadcastinggeneralmanagersandcommunityleadersjointoexploreissuesofimportancetotheindustry.
Jeff Good to review content ChiefEducationTechnologyOfficerJeffGoodwasrecentlyinvitedtobeaninstructionalmaterialsreviewerfortheRemotEDx
Exchange,poweredbyINFOhio.Thisstate-levelinitiativeoffersparentsandeducatorsresourcesforremote,hybridandblendededucationmodels.
TheOhioDepartmentofEducationissupportingRemotEDxthrougha$15millioninvestmentofstateactivitiesfundsmadepossiblebythefederalCARESAct.
Staff members attend seminarsSeveralPBSWesternReservestaffmembershaveparticipatedincareerdevelopment—allofitvirtuallyduetothepandemic:
• InJanuary,RandyLipscomb,accountexecutive,attendedtwodaysofvirtualsalestrainingpresentedbytheOhioAssociationofBroadcasters
• SusanScheible,membershipspecialist,recentlyparticipatedinthreetrainingsrelatedtomembershipservices
• FiveemployeesparticipatedintheannualNETAConferenceforpublicmediaprofessionals,heldJan.25-28