Nominate Your Town for "Our Town"

Why should your town be "Our Town"? Rhode Island PBS wants to know! Your nomination could mean your town is the next setting for Our Town.

WHAT IS OUR TOWN?
Our Town is a community project where neighbors become filmmakers to tell the stories of Our Town. Rhode Island PBS invites residents to nominate their town by January 31, 2016. The town with the highest number of nominations will be the next location for filming starting in March.

“Everyone has something they love about their town - and they are happy to talk about it, given the chance,” said David Piccerelli, president of Rhode Island PBS. “Our Town taps into that town pride, giving people the opportunity to tell those stories now on television and preserve the stories for future generations to enjoy.”

The Our Town series shares with viewers the local legends, historical happenings, and backyard secrets of Rhode Island towns and villages – those untold or uncelebrated stories that capture the essence of the town.

WHERE WE'VE BEEN

The first documentary, Our Town: Glocester, debuted in December 2014. When we asked for nominations last January, two towns emerged by popular demand, so 2015 saw the premiere of Our Town: North Kingstown in September 2015, and Our Town: Portsmouth on December 2, 2015.

WHERE WE'RE GOING
Where we go next is completely up to you. Your Voice, Your Vision. Nominate your town using a simple online survey form, and tell us what is so great about your town. Townies are especially urged to participate, but you do not have to live in the particular town - just have a great town story to tell about it. 

Nominations will be also accepted by email or regular post if accompanied by the name of the town being nominated and a short essay that answers in 100 words or less, “Why should your town be Our Town?”

A LITTLE FINE PRINT
Only Rhode Island towns are eligible for this project. But of Rhode Island's 39 municipalities, 31 are towns, so that's a lot of great stories to tell. (Sorry, Central Falls, Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, Warwick, and Woonsocket. Cities are not eligible for Our Town at this time.) With three towns visited, we still have 28 eligible locations, plenty of opportunity for individuals and businesses to get involved. 

DEADLINE
Deadline for nominations is Sunday, January 31, 2016. The winning town will be announced on February 15 on our Website, our blog, and social media accounts (do you already follow us?)

PROJECT INFORMATION
For  information about the Rhode Island PBS Our Town project, visit www.ripbs.org/ourtown.

Televised 2011 Spring Auction begins TONIGHT!

The studio is set, dressed, and lit. The items are lined up backstage, tagged and ready, waiting for their cue to make their television debut. The 2011 Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction starts at 7 p.m. tonight. The Auction continues through Saturday.

For all the activity you see during the show, the first night of live auction is especially busy behind the scenes - and it starts hours before the red lights on the TV cameras start glowing. Friends who have joined us for this annual event each year for decades will reunite, sharing hugs and handshakes. New volunteers will feel as welcome as family. They will chat over dinner, receive assignments and brief training, then man the laptops and phones, or boards and tables, with the confidence that their effort, their time, their dedication are important and appreciated. And they will have fun!

Tune in tonight at 7 p.m. for the excitement and (very) organized chaos of opening night of the 2011 Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction. Follow the bidding action online.

Featured item: 2011 Toyota Prius Hybrid
generously donated by your New England Toyota Dealer!

 

2011 Spring Auction Online Now, on TV May 4

With almost 1,000 items of all shapes, sizes, and values available – including a 2011 Toyota Prius Hybrid* generously donated by your New England Toyota Dealer – the televised Rhode Island PBS 2011 Spring Auction kicks off in just over a week. Bidding opened online on April 18.

"Despite the flagging economy, companies and individuals have responded to the Auction with overwhelming support and generous donations," said WSBE Auction Director Jeffrey Hartley. Looking around the storage room, he remarked, "There literally is something for everyone, and in every price range."

Hartley has been the WSBE auction director for almost 10 years. In that time, he has seen technology undergo a huge revolution, and he has kept pace by moving all auction activity onto the Internet.

"Every Spring Auction item is posted online," Hartley said. "This is our third year of putting all items online. People really love the convenience. Everything from a $10 pizza to the $25,000 Prius is available for preview and bidding online."

In addition to browsing pictures and descriptions, online bidders will know the exact time each item will be sold, to help them devise their bidding strategy. During the televised auction, bidding activity can be tracked in real time. The auction site also permits proxy bidding, which means bidders can reserve a maximum amount they are willing to bid on an item. It's important to note that only the minimum dollar amount needed to win the item will be used. Although not foolproof, the proxy bidding strategy is especially useful if a bidder will not be available to watch the auction close on an item of particular interest, or if the bidder suspects there will be increased competitive bidding at the last minute.

"A bid can sit unchallenged for days or even weeks, but there are watchers who are keeping an eye on it," Hartley noted. "Then, in the final minute, bids come in from all over, and the person who had the winning bid two minutes ago loses out. That happens several times every year. Proxy bidding can help protect against that by automatically challenging counter bids. It's what makes auctions so exciting."

Fans of the popular annual event who do not have Internet access can still watch the auction live on television and call in to place their bids from Wednesday, May 4 through Saturday, May 7, beginning at 7 p.m. each evening.

"All bids will be placed online, whether bidders do it themselves on computers at home, or by calling our studio and having our volunteers place bids online for them," Hartley explained.

Conducting the auction online opens it up to a world-wide audience. "We have had auction winners from all over the country, even as far away as California and Washington," Hartley said.

Casting a wider net using the 'Net increases visibility and positive exposure for the station, and for the many businesses that donated goods and services. Still, it is the close connection to the local community that differentiates WSBE from other public television stations in the region.

"The heart and soul of WSBE is our relationship with our members, donors, and volunteers," Hartley stated. "There is no greater proof of that than our Spring Auction."

To see auction items, bid online, or for more information, visit www.ripbs.org.

*Click here for information about the 2011 Toyota Prius Hybrid

Gas Prices Got You Blue? Think "Blue Ribbon Metallic" Instead

Considering the shocking prices at the gas pumps, this is a timely and appealing offer. We are proud, delighted, and ever so grateful to present this show-topper in the Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction - check it out!

Your New England Toyota Dealer has generously donated the car people think of when they think of hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius.

The much-acclaimed Toyota Prius Hybrid has won numerous green car awards and it’s really no wonder, with its EPA-estimated 50-mpg combined rating. It accomplishes this while delivering amazing performance and producing 70% fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle.

But the 2011 Toyota Prius doesn’t just help save the planet, it will also save you money: Prius boasts very low ownership costs and for nine years in a row IntelliChoice.com has ranked it a “Best Overall Value of the Year.” IntelliChoice research shows that owning a 2011 Toyota Prius could save you over $5,600 in five-year ownership costs.

This comfortable, five-passenger Toyota Prius Three, donated by Your New England Toyota Dealer, is Blue Ribbon Metallic in color and comes generously equipped. Features include:

• Toyota's STAR Safety System, including seven airbags;
• Remote keyless entry and pushbutton start;
• Automatic climate control with air filtration;
• Antilock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution & Brake Assist;
• Projector-Beam, auto-off halogen headlights;
• JBL AM/FM audio system with six-disk CD changer, auxiliary input with MP3/WMA capability, eight speakers and integrated satellite radio;
• Bluetooth wireless connectivity;
• Cruise Control;
• Instant MPG meter;
• Fabric Seats;
• Power windows, door locks and mirrors;
• Heated outside mirrors;
• 60/40 split fold-flat rear bench seat;
• Carpeted floor and cargo area mats;
• Rear deck spoiler

For even more information about this 2011 Toyota Prius, and to preview our other auction items (more lots still being added!) please visit the Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction site. Preview is open, and bidding begins on MONDAY (April 18). 

"Come Home to Rhode Island PBS"

Fall season preview of programs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. What do you think of the spot?

Local Artists: What's So Great about the WSBE Rhode Island PBS Arts Auction

Farewell, Bob

Despite a certain serene beauty of its own, bleak and dreary Winter's promise is its passage into vibrant Spring, bursting with new life, new beginnings. Summer blesses us with growth - setting deep roots to produce in abundance. Autumn's gift is fruition of our endeavors. Sated, fulfilled, realized, Autumn surrenders to Winter's sleep, with its promise to turn to Spring again. That's the cycle of seasons, the cycle of life.

On Friday morning, we at WSBE Rhode Island PBS learned the sad news that our president and CEO, Robert "Bob" Fish, had passed into his Winter. With his trademark confidence and strength, Bob waged a fierce but brief battle with cancer. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his charming and dedicated wife, Jane, and their family. It's a loss we all share.

When Bob arrived at WSBE in December of 2005, it was my job to write the public announcement of his appointment, and I asked him for his bio and a photo. At that first meeting, shaking his hand, I sensed there was a lot more to this tall, imposing man than his outwardly reserved demeanor. There was an underlying energy, a... secret joke, if you will, that he was bottling up. The photo he sent to me (published here) showed twinkling, mischievous eyes despite the serious pose.

Sure enough, Bob lived up to that first impression. He filled any room with his commanding presence, booming voice and jovial laugh. He thrived on the "art of the deal," evidenced by his successful 40+ year career in radio and television broadcasting management. He was a deft negotiator - Bob had a vision all his own and just made it work. On his own terms. And everyone left as friends.

I vividly remember one incident when someone kept introducing Bob as the "general manager" at a station event. That really irked me - it seemed like a deliberate slight by someone who should have known better. When I talked to Bob about it afterward, he just smirked and said,

"It doesn't matter what they call me. They all know who's the boss in the room."

LOL! So true. You will be missed, Bob.

- written by Lucie Raposo

'Costantino's Round Table' Blasts into Cyberspace

Another WSBE Rhode Island PBS production hits the Internet!

We're pleased to announce that the first four episodes of the new eighth season of Costantino's Round Table are now available on YouTube. And on this blog, too. ;)

Costantino's Round Table airs every Wednesday at 7PM on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. But if you can't watch it at that time, or if you missed an episode - or if you just want to watch a segment over again - the series is now waiting for you on our YouTube channel.

Your comments about the show are always welcome!

Celtic Thunder - It's Entertainment! Saturday, June 12 at 8:30 PM.

PBS Preview Video 

 

Since 2007, Celtic Thunder has been delighting audiences with an eclectic mix of traditional Irish music and contemporary pop ballads. In the group's latest special, It’s Entertainment!, the singers pay tribute to those who paved the way for them, by evoking the era of big bands as they perform some of the greatest songs of the last 30 years. Working in the tradition of a true variety show, the performers cover a mix of styles, songs, and singers, saluting some of their musical heroes, including: Fred Astaire, Neil Diamond, Jim Croce, Chicago, U2, Michael Buble, and The Beach Boys. Combining solos with small group and ensemble numbers - all songs performed with the men's signature style and high energy - Celtic Thunder provides something for everyone in this feel-good show.

Want to experience the energy firsthand? Celtic Thunder is coming to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium (VMA) on Tuesday, December 7th, and Rhode Island PBS has premium tickets available. To enjoy the rollicking televised concert, and to get tickets for the live show in Providence, tune in Saturday, June 12 at 8:30 PM (cable subscribers can also watch the show on Sunday, June 13 at 10:30 PM).

"Straight No Chaser: Live in New York" on WSBE Rhode Island PBS on 6/13

Over a dozen years ago, 10 college friends realized they all loved to sing and decided to start an a cappella singing group. None of them thought it would be anything more than something fun to do throughout college. Nor did they think that new members would want to join after some members graduated. But the group and its popularity grew to become Straight No Chaser.

While their first full length albums featured Christmas music, the band was never just about the holidays, and their most recent release, “With a Twist,” is finally getting them back to their roots of reinventing popular songs to make them stand out.

In a musical landscape that is so inundated with digitally processed sounds and dark themes, Straight No Chaser offers an orchestra of pure human voices with a sense of humor. This group has been credited with “reinventing a cappella in a modern pop landscape” and having fun while doing it. Just watch the video to see how much fun they have!

The young men of Straight No Chaser bring all that fun and talent to the Rhode Island Center for Performing Arts at the Historic Park Theatre on Park Avenue in Cranston on Sunday, November 21st, and WSBE Rhode Island PBS is pleased to offer tickets to this unique concert experience.

Tune in on Sunday, June 13th at 6 PM to watch and enjoy their televised concert special, Straight No Chaser Live in New York, and to get details about tickets to their local live performance in Cranston.

Girls from the North Country – Wednesday, 6/9/10 at 10PM

Canadian folk sensations Dala have come a long way from their high school music class. The duo - best friends Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine - were the only Canadian act invited to play at last year’s 50th Anniversary Newport Folk Festival.

Now Rhode Island will have the chance to experience their seamlessly blended harmonies once again with the premiere of their PBS special Girls from the North Country. Joined at the Richmond Centre for the Performing Arts in Ontario, Canada, by Oh Susanna and the Good Lovelies, the music they create evokes the beauty of the lush and rugged Great White North. By intertwining their own songs with classics by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot, Dala creates a concert to remember.

The pair is currently touring North America and WSBE Rhode Island PBS has tickets to Dala's performance on Wednesday, November 17th, at the Met Cafe in the Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket.

Tune in Wednesday, June 9 at 10 PM for details!

Mangia with Mary Ann Esposito and Ciao Italia

Ciao ItaliaTM - television's longest-running cooking show – celebrates its 20th season this year. Chef Mary Ann Esposito and her crew are back in Rhode Island to tape a whole new season of shows at the Rhode Island PBS studios in Providence (always the most aromatic two weeks of the year at the station!).

At 6 P.M. on Thursday, June 17, the first 40 fans who register will have dinner and wine with mary Ann at WSBE Rhode Island PBS studios. Guests will also be part of a live studio audience to see a cooking demonstration by Mary Ann, which will air live beginning at 7:30 P.M. We'll be taping those segments for re-broadcast. Between the cooking segments, in-studio guests and viewers at home will get a preview of never-before-seen episodes from Ciao Italia's new season. WSBE Rhode Island PBS studios are located at 50 Park Lane, Providence, RI.

Tickets for this event are $75 per person, and include the dinner and wine meet and greet with Mary Ann, plus a commemorative collection of recipes from 20 years of Ciao ItaliaTM. Dinner is courtesy of Venda Ravioli on Atwells Avenue, Providence. Wine is courtesy of Gasbarro Wines, Atwells Avenue, Providence. Tickets are strictly limited to the first 40 registrations, paid in advance. This event is open to guests 21 years and older only.

For tickets, call 401-222-3636 x0, or visit www.ripbs.org.

If you can't make it to the studio, you can tune in on Thursday, June 17 at 7:30 P.M. for information about acquiring your own set of Ciao ItaliaTM commemorative recipe cards.

The special recipe collection is printed on coated card stock and wipe clean with a damp cloth. The 5" x 7" cards hang on a ring for convenient storage. The 20 commemorative recipes from 20 years of Ciao ItaliaTM are:

Nonna Galasso’s Easter Bread
Web recipe www.ciaoitalia.com


Tomato and Herb Tart
What You Knead


A Drum of Eggplant and Bucantini
Mangia Pasta! Easy-To-make Recipes For Company and Every Day


Tiramisu*
Ciao Italia

Torta Barozzi
Website recipe www.ciaoitalia.com

Sweet Pork Sausage with Grapes
Ciao Italia in Tuscany: Traditional Recipes from One of Italy’s Most Famous Regions

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

Minestrone Genovese
Nella Cucina: More Italian Cooking from the Host of Ciao Italia

Baked Fennel
Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

Nonna Galasso’s Braciole
Ciao Italia

Four Season’s Pizza
What You Knead

Mom’s Sponge Cake
Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

Crab Cakes
Website recipe www.ciaoitalia.com

Nonna Galasso’s Chicken in Wine
Ciao Italia – Bringing Italy Home

Farro Salad
Ciao Italia in Tuscany: Traditional Recipes from One of Italy’s Most Famous Regions

Chocolate Tangerine Biscotti
Celebrations, Italian Style: Recipes and Menus for Special Occasions and Seasons of the Year

Caprese Salad

Ciao Italia Pronto! 30-Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

Ricotta Frittata
Ciao Italia

Strawberry Tart
Ciao Italia – Bringing Italy Home

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Website recipe www.ciaoitalia.com

*plus a bonus recipe for Ladyfingers

Will You Be 'Walking With Dinosaurs'?

Dinosaurs once again roam the earth in a spectacular theatrical arena show, Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular, based on the award-winning BBC Television Series, and coming to the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence on Wednesday, June 23.

Internationally renowned designers have worked with scientists to create 15 life-size dinosaurs - including the terror of the ancient terrain, Tyrannosaurus Rex. Audiences are amazed and thrilled as the greatest creatures ever to walk the earth return before their eyes. The largest creature is 72 feet from nose to tail; the T-Rex is 18 feet tall at the shoulder!

It’s a dazzling 10 million pound arena spectacle of unprecedented size and quality, set to captivate young and old alike. The show combines of a rich sensory experience woven into a story of dinosaurs' 200 million year domination of life on earth. Watch them walk. Hear the roar. Be there as they fight for survival and supremacy. From the ripple of their skin to the glint in their eye, you will know the dinosaurs really have returned!

Through an agreement with promoters, WSBE Rhode Island PBS has great tickets to this amazing family experience at the Dunkin Donuts Center! To whet your curiosity, we will air The Making of 'Walking with Dinosaurs' a behind-the-scenes look at how the animators, sculptors, and palaeontologists, using the latest state-of-the-art animatronics and computer graphics, collaborated to re-create these pre-historic behemoths - and their behavior as well.

Starting May 19 and through June 12, WSBE presents several opportunities for you to get tickets and support Rhode Island PBS, too. Tune in to watch The Making of 'Walking with Dinosaurs' on these dates:


Wednesday, May 19 at 7:30 PM, and re-broadcast at 8:30 PM
Sunday, May 30 at 3:30 PM
Saturday, June 5 at noon
Monday, June 7 at 7:30 PM, with re-broadcast at 8:30 PM
Thursday, June 10 at midnight
Friday, June 11 at 9:30 PM
Saturday, June 12 at noon


Here's a video clip about the live show:

Red Green's 'Wit and Wisdom Tour' Comes to Providence

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND (May 2010) - The president of Possum Lodge is traveling in 2010!

Red Green will bring his one-man show – The Wit and Wisdom Tour – to Providence, Rhode Island, this summer.

The Wit and Wisdom Tour covers Red's adventures in everyday life, the great outdoors, and – most certainly – the latest and greatest use for the handyman's secret weapon: duct tape.

The live performance is at 8 PM on Saturday, July 24, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence.  

This show is Red Green's only New England performance, so if you're a local fan, get your tickets early!

Red Green has more surprises planned for east coast fans, too. More details will be "unrolled" as summer approaches.

Tickets to The Wit and Wisdom Tour in Providence are available through WSBE Rhode Island PBS by calling (401) 222-3636 or online at ripbs.org, or by calling 401-421-ARTS.



About The Red Green Show
Red Green (Steve Smith), is a Canadian handyman who generally tries to find shortcuts to most of his projects, trusting the vast majority of his work to duct tape (which he calls "the handyman's secret weapon" and the "universal adapter"). He is the president of the Possum Lodge, a fictional men's club in the small northwestern Ontario town of Possum Lake, near the also-fictional town of Port Asbestos. He and his fellow lodge members have their own cable TV show, in which they give lessons and demonstrations in repair work and outdoor activities (such as fishing and camping), and advice for men on relating to women.

The cable TV show (the show withing the show, actually) is taped in part on a hand-held camera by Red's nephew, Harold. The show's structure evolved over time and included several regular segments that appeared in almost every show. These segments were interspersed with each episode's three main plot segments, and they included such staples as the "Possum Lodge Word Game," "Handyman Corner," and "Adventures with Bill" (a slapstick home movie-style sketch with a voice-over by Red).

The series, which began in 1990 and ended in April 2006 with its 300th episode in its 16th season, currently runs on PBS stations across the United States, including WSBE Rhode Island PBS.


About Steve Smith
Steve Smith, who plays the title character Red Green, was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in the suburbs to the west. Steve had a variety of occupations while attending high school and college; he worked as a steam fitter, a car jockey, a postman, a lab technician, and an elementary school teacher.

Although the entertainment business had always been a weekend hobby, Steve went full time in 1981 when he began touring Canada and the U.S. in a rock band called Jason. In 1974, he and his wife left the band to form the comedy duo of "Smith & Smith," opening for such entertainers as Rick Nelson, Roy Orbison, Al Martino, Helen Reddy, Martin Mull, and more. In 1978, "Smith & Smith" began a successful run on Canadian television with their own series which ran for nine years. It was during this period that Steve's most popular alter ego "Red Green" was created. Steve wrote and produced all 195 episodes. "Smith & Smith" won several awards including the Iris Award at NATPE '85 in San Francisco.

Expanding from "Smith & Smith," Steve wrote and produced 26 episodes of "Me & Max,” followed by 60 episodes of "The Comedy Mill," winning a Gemini Award for the latter. In his spare time he was head writer of a 13-episode series called "Laughing Matters" for the Global Television Network and wrote a pilot called "Out of Our Minds" starring David Steinberg for Tribune Entertainment. As a slight departure, Steve wrote for 3 episodes of "Top Cops" for CBS International.

In "The Red Green Show," Steve stars in, produces, and co-writes the show with ex-Frantic Rick Green. Steve is currently on a busy schedule of promotional appearances and production duties, as well as answering letters from "The Red Green Fan Club."

FCC Authorizes WSBE's Participation in RI Flood Recovery Fund Telethon

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted authorization to WSBE Rhode Island PBS to take part in the Rhode Island Flood Recovery Fund telethon. The special event will be held on Friday, April 16 from 4 P.M. to 11:30 P.M., and is organized by the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association (RIBA).

"The FCC prohibits public broadcasters from raising money for any other cause but themselves, unless the station gets special permission. That permission came today," explained David Piccerelli, Rhode Island PBS vice president and chief financial officer. "We're delighted to now be able to participate fully in this important event."

Piccerelli said Rhode Island PBS had a contingency plan to participate in other, more behind-the-scenes ways had FCC authorization not come in time or been denied: The station is providing the studio space and the phone lines needed to handle calls from donors. Rhode Island PBS employees are also volunteering to staff the phone bank, working with dozens of employees from local television and radio stations who are also volunteering their time for the cause.

"Hundreds of our members, neighbors, and friends were affected by the flooding," Piccerelli said. "Some of our own employees were evacuated from their homes, and others pumped out flooded basements for days. The whole state was touched by this calamity to some extent. And too many people are still trying to recover three weeks later.

"We feel strongly that we should be part of this community effort. We're glad the FCC agreed."

The Rhode Island Flood Recovery Fund was established to provide financial assistance to those affected by the storm. The Fund will collect and distribute financial aid directly to those organizations that are helping with “unmet needs” of people affected by the flood. A committee of community leaders will guide the distribution of money to the appropriate agencies. People who wish to donate before Friday's telethon may do so by visiting www.liveunitedri.org.










WSBE Rhode Island PBS is owned and operated by the Rhode Island Public Telecommunications Authority, a quasi-public agency of the State of Rhode Island. WSBE Rhode Island PBS is a viewer-supported member of the Public Broadcasting Service. For more than 40 years, Rhode Island PBS has used the power of commercial-free media to educate, inform, engage, and inspire viewers of all ages in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut. WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits over the air on digital 36.1; WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2. For TV schedules and more information about the programs and education services at Rhode Island PBS, visit www.RIpbs.org.

# # #

Photo credits: 

(Top) Downtown Westerly, by Roger Benoit

(Bottom) River Avenue in Warwick, by Maria Lydon Barnes

2010 Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction Features the 2010 Toyota Prius

Your New England Toyota Dealer has generously donated the car most people think of when they think of hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius.

The much-acclaimed 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid has been named Green car of the Year  by WhatGreenCar.com and it’s really no wonder, with its EPA-estimated 50-mpg combined rating. It accomplishes this while delivering amazing performance and producing 70% fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle.

But the 2010 Toyota Prius doesn’t just help save the planet, it will also save you money: Prius boasts very low ownership costs and for eight years in a row IntelliChoice.com has ranked it “best Overall Value of the Year.” IntelliChoice research shows that owning a 2010 Toyota Prius could save you over $6,800 in five-year ownership costs.

As you can see, this comfortable, five-passenger Toyota Prius comes well equipped. Features include the Star Safety System with seven airbags; a JBL audio system with eight speakers, 6-disc CD changer, AM/FM/MP3, Bluetooth and Satellite capability; automatic climate control, cruise control; power windows and locks; rear spoiler and more!

The 2010 Prius donated by Your New England Toyota Dealer is Blue Ribbon Metallic in color and includes the following equipment:

• Remote keyless entry and push button start;
• Automatic climate control with air filtration;
• Antilock brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist;
• Projector-Beam, auto-off halogen headlights;
• JBL AM/FM/MP3 6-disk CD changer with 8 speakers, integrated satellite radio
• Bluetooth wireless and auxiliary audio jack  
• Cruise Control
• Instant MPG meter
• Fabric Seats
• Power windows, door locks and mirrors;
• Heated outside mirrors;
• 60/40 split fold-flat rear bench seat
• Rear deck spoiler

… and more!

Click here to see the "Window Sticker" information including a detailed list of equipment. This vehicle is valued at $24,750. Bidding starts at just $19,990.

"Show Me What You've Got!" Spring Auction Preview Show

With hundreds of items of all shapes, sizes, and values available, how do organizers of the 2010 Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction show off more of the merchandise before the event? Put everything online, and produce a preview show.

"We have already received more than 300 auction donations this year, and we expect delivery of 400 more items," said Auction Director Jeffrey Hartley. "In this economy, that speaks to the enormous generosity and support of our donor companies and individuals." He added about the donations, "There literally is something for everyone, and in every price range."

Jeff Hartley, of North Smithfield, has been the Rhode Island PBS auction director for eight years, and an employee of WSBE for 22 years. In that time, he has seen technology undergo a huge revolution, and he has tried to keep pace by moving more and more auction activity onto the Internet.

"Every Spring Auction item will be posted online," Hartley said. "We started using the Web two years ago, featuring items of higher donor value. Last year, the entire inventory went online, and people loved the convenience. So, again this year, everything from a $10 pizza to a $20,000 car will be available for preview and bidding online starting April 1."

In addition to browsing item images and descriptions, online bidders will know the exact time each item will be sold, to help them devise their bidding strategy. During the televised auction, watchers can track the bidding activity in real time. The auction site also permits proxy bidding, which means a higher, maximum bid can be placed on reserve, but only the minimum dollar amount needed to win the auction will be used. Although not foolproof, this strategy is especially useful if a bidder really wants a particular item, but either cannot monitor the final bidding, or suspects increased competitive bidding activity as the item is being sold off.

"A bid can sit unchallenged for days or even weeks, but there are watchers are keeping an eye on it," Hartley noted. "Then, in the final minute, bids come in from all over, and the person whose bid was winning two minutes ago, loses out. That's happened several times. It's actually what makes live auctions so exciting."

Fans of the popular annual event who do not have Internet access can still watch the auction live on television and call in to place their bids from Monday April 26 through Friday, April 30, beginning at 7 P.M. each evening.

"All bids will be placed online, whether bidders do it themselves on computers at home, or by calling our studio and having our volunteers place bids online," Hartley explained.

Conducting the auction online opens it up to a world-wide audience. "Last year, we had auction winners from all over the country, even as far away as California," Hartley said.

Casting a wider net using the 'Net increases visibility and positive exposure for the station – and the many businesses that donated goods and services. But it's still the close connection to the local community that differentiates Rhode Island PBS from other public television stations in the region.

"The heart and soul of Rhode Island PBS is our relationship with the community - our members, donors, and volunteers," Hartley stated. "There is no greater evidence of this dynamic than our Spring Auction."

More than two dozen Spring Auction items will be featured in a half-hour preview show, airing at various times throughout April on both WSBE Rhode Island PBS and WSBE Learn.

To see auction items, bid (beginning April 1), or get more information about the auction, visit http://ripbs.cmarket.com.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Preview show schedule

More than two dozen of the 700 Spring Auction items will be featured in a half-hour preview show, airing at various times throughout April on both WSBE channels:

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits over the air on digital 36.1. Find WSBE Rhode Island PBS on subscription television services on: Cox 08 or Cox HD 708, Verizon 08 or Verizon HD 508; Comcast (check local listings for standard definition) or Comcast HD 819; Dish Network 7776; DirecTV 36.

• Mon, 04/05/2010 at 7:00 PM
• Wed, 04/07/2010 at 12:00 PM
• Thu, 04/08/2010 at 5:30 AM
• Fri, 04/09/2010 at 7:00 PM
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WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2, and on cable: Cox 808, Verizon 478, Comcast 295.

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2010 Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction Launches Online

It's here! It's time to browse and bid on any number of great items, while helping support the fine programming on Rhode Island PBS. Seven hundred items have been donated by generous merchants, artisans, restaurateurs, contractors, gardeners, and others!


We're posting items as quickly as we can to make them available for your bids. But what's on the site now is only a fraction of the number of items we'll be offering - so keep checking back! And remember - high bids help us pay for programming for the entire family here on Rhode Island PBS.

Pre-register*, preview, and bid!

See something you like? No need to wait until the auction is on TV, April 26 - 30. Bid now!

If you'd like, you can set up a proxy bid. This way, you can set a maximum you're willing to pay for an item. If others bid on the same piece, our auction hosting software will increase your bid on your behalf, by the minimum increment above the competing bid - but only to your maximum. If you're outbid we'll send you an email letting you know. Then, unless the item is about to close, you'll have the chance to decide if you'd like to increase your bid.


*Pre-Registering takes just moments, but please don't wait until moments count! Pre-register now. Here's why: Our system must "recognize" a bidder before it accepts a bid. If you're unregistered and try to bid as an item is closing, you may not be able to bid in time to get it.

Solve Your Holiday Gift-Giving Dilemmas

We all have at least one. You know, the one who "has everything" and the one for whom finding a Christmas gift causes a twist of anxiety.

Or maybe you'd like to stuff those stockings with something more interesting than candy canes and extra batteries.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS opens its studios for its first ever Holiday Sale all this week. Click here for my earlier blog. Here are more items I just found for sale when I toured the bustling studio. Please remember that quantities are limited and some items are one-of-a-kind, so I suggest you get here early in the week.

Listed in no particular order:

Music CDs and audio cassettes

John Denver
Andre Rieu
Bob Dylan
Jerry Lee Lewis
Charlotte Church
Hayley Westenra
Three Tenors (Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo)

DVDs and VHS of full programs:

(includes a few from the list above, plus)
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Peter Paul and Mary
Fleetwood Mac
The Clash Live

Broadway's Lost Treasures
Italian Americans
Visions of Greece
Ghost & Vampire Legends of Rhode Island

"Coffee Table" Books (those beautiful, large, hard covered books you like to browse and leave out for others to browse, too)
Mystery of the Ancient Seafarers: Early Maritime Civilizations, by Rhode Island's Bob Ballard
American Passenger Trains
Daniel O'Donnell's Ireland
Great Restaurants and Recipes of Nantucket

Hard- and Soft-Cover Books by
Nicholas Perricone (The Wrinkle Cure, and more)
Suze Orman (Women and Money, and more)
Rick Steves (travel guides for Rome, for Europe, for Italy, and several other destinations)
Ciao Italia cookbooks

There is also unclaimed art from past art auctions. Available pieces are of various shapes, sizes, subjects, and include some photography.

Sale hours:

Monday, November 16th from 1:00-5:00
Tuesday, November 17th from 9:00-5:00
Wednesday, November 18th from 9:00-8:00*
Thursday, November 19th from 9:00-5:00
Friday, November 20th from 9:00-8:00*

*Open late for your convenience

Do your little ones love PBS Kids shows?