BioBlitz: Discovering Nature's Neighborhood

Among the forests, swamps, tidal wetlands, and ocean waves of Narragansett, Rhode Island, more than 200 adult volunteers, school children, working scientists, and avocational naturalists scramble in early June to tally as many species as possible in one 24-hour period within a designated parcel of land. The event is called BioBlitz.

BioBlitz is an annual event in which scientists and citizen scientists spend one full day and night observing, identifying, and recording as many fish, birds, mammals, insects, fungi, trees, and plants as they can.

BioBlitz: Discovering Nature's Neighborhood chronicles the 2013 event in a half-hour documentary that makes its television debut on Thursday, July 21 at 8:30 p.m. 

A special event by any measure, this particular BioBlitz was made even more notable for the volunteers braving the elements after a tropical storm dumped 4 1/2 inches of rain overnight. The Narragansett project, which included Canonchet Farm, Narrow River, and the Pettaquamscutt Cove, located 1,265 species of life.

Hosted by the Rhode Island Natural History Survey annually since 2000 in various sites around Rhode Island, BioBlitz: Discovering Nature's Neighborhood was filmed by the Coastal Institute at University of Rhode Island.

Presented as part of Rhode Island Stories, BioBlitz: Discovering Nature's Neighborhood will encore on Saturday July 23 at 11:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m.


WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) content over the air on 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08/1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08/508HD, Full Channel 08; on Massachusetts cable: Comcast 819HD (Comcast SD subscribers check local listings for channel), Verizon FiOS 18/518HD; on satellite: Dish 36/7776, DirecTV 36. 

Ocean Frontiers II: A New England Story for Sustaining the Sea Features Deepwater Wind

Off the shores of New England, in a region steeped in old maritime tradition, comes a modern wave of big ships, energy industries, and a changing climate, now testing the limits of an already crowded sea. But in a pioneering trial of far-sighted planning—pushed by blueprints for offshore wind energy—established residents and new are coming together to keep their ocean and livelihoods alive.

Ocean Frontiers II: A New England Story for Sustaining the Sea chronicles the painstaking path of engaging Rhode Island stakeholders – commercial fishermen, environmentalists, members of the Narragansett tribe, academics, and government officials – to build an unprecedented collaboration to properly site the Deepwater Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island.

Employing science and collaboration, the process of consensus building and cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders yielded the first off-shore wind turbine farm in the United States. Sited three miles southeast of Block Island, the renewable energy zone was mapped for the Block Island Demonstration Wind Farm, a 5-turbine project to power 17, 000 homes, and scheduled to come on line in 2016.

Scientific data was collected from studies of marine life habits and habitats, undersea terrain mapping, and various inventories of resources such as submerged cables, pipelines, unexploded ordinances, disposal sites, aquaculture areas, turtle and whale migratory paths, as well as recreational fishing areas and other coastal resources. Rhode Island’s combination of science and collaboration served as a model for the Northeast Ocean Data Portal, which is used to shape the permissions and constraints on developers filing proposals in New England – and the country.

Rhode Island’s experiences serve as an important milestone for all who care about and make their livelihood on the ocean.

Ocean Frontiers II: A New England Story for Sustaining the Sea airs on Sunday, April 17 at 6 p.m., as part of Rhode Island Stories, the ongoing Rhode Island PBS series that features independent documentaries with a strong Rhode Island connection.

Visit the Ocean Frontiers II site. (also includes full 45-minute documentary)
Visit Deepwater Wind

See the 28-minute documentary here:

Encore of Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village

Watch Hill is not a place you can visit just once. It becomes a state of mind. It is a place that enchants and inspires you all year long. Now, a new documentary captures the essence of Watch Hill's charm.

Rhode Island PBS presents the encore of Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village on Thursday, December 10 at 8 p.m. in a special presentation that includes segments recorded at the Ocean House.

Perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, the Ocean House is an iconic New England seaside resort, the first and only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond Hotel in the state. Famously known for its warm yellow façade and stunning views of the Atlantic, Ocean House opened in 1868 just after the Civil War. It was completely rebuilt in 2004 after having fallen into disrepair, and incorporates more than 5,000 artifacts salvaged from the original building.

Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village documentary is based on the book, Watch Hill Through Time, the Watch Hill Conservancy's history of Watch Hill, written by Chaplin B. Barnes. The beautifully filmed documentary takes a look at the strong and enduring sense of community in southern Rhode Island's Watch Hill.

Located on a peninsula, at the most southwesterly point of Rhode Island, the community of Watch Hill is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It is the point where three states meet: Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. Watch Hill is scenic 12 months of the year.

Watch Hill: Portrait of a New England Seaside Village traces the area's history as a look-out point for Native Americans, and allows viewers to explore and appreciate the beauty of this coastal village.

The film also features vivid reminiscences of residents who, for generations, have summered, lived, worked, and come of age in the picturesque seaside village.

The documentary was made possible through a grant from the Alfred M. Roberts, Jr, Charitable Foundation and The Watch Hill Conservancy.


Updated November 23, 2015 and December 1, 2015

Harvesting Rhode Island - New Local Series on Rhode Island PBS

  
Harvesting Rhode Island is a 5-part series that raises public awareness of local farming and the farm-to-table cycle through folk life studies, and by interpreting how this significant way of life on the farm will manage to survive.

Episodes will air two at a time in the ongoing series, Rhode Island Stories, Sundays at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. beginning March 22. UPDATE: All five episodes in this first series are now available online as well. Links are posted below. 

The series explores how traditional systems can be creatively maintained and become more of a dynamic marketplace. Introducing the public to the farmers of Rhode Island will provide insights into the complex but easily taken-for-granted process behind the edibles we consume.

Growers have had to balance the traditional approaches that were handed down to them with the variable realities of today’s business climate. In the latter part of the twentieth century local wholesale markets began to shrink due to large retailers and national distribution systems.

As a result, growers increased their direct marketing through on-site retail stands, pick-your-own programs, farmers markets, and selling through local retailers. This direct approach has, in turn, stimulated diversification to satisfy the eclectic tastes of increasingly sophisticated consumers. A large number of consumers in Rhode Island are unaware of the locations and variety of crops that are grown in the state and where to purchase them.

Harvesting Rhode Island seeks to change that by bringing viewers on location to see the farms, meet the farmers and listen to the farmers' stories.

Farm to Table                                    
Rhode Island PBS       3/22/2015      6:00 PM
Rhode Island PBS       3/24/2015      4:00 AM
Rhode Island PBS       3/28/2015      11:00 PM
LEARN                      3/24/2015      8:00 PM
LEARN                      3/25/2015      3:00 AM
LEARN                      3/26/2015      12:00 AM


   
                     
Grape Expectations               
Rhode Island PBS       3/22/2015      6:30 PM
Rhode Island PBS       3/24/2015      4:30 AM
Rhode Island PBS       3/28/2015      11:30 PM
LEARN                      3/24/2015      8:30 PM
LEARN                      3/25/2015      3:30 AM
LEARN                      3/26/2015      12:30 AM                   




Farming Old, Farming New             
Rhode Island PBS       3/29/2015      6:00 PM
Rhode Island PBS       3/31/2015      4:00 AM
Rhode Island PBS       4/4/2015        11:00 PM
LEARN                      3/31/2015      8:00 PM
LEARN                      4/1/2015        3:00 AM
LEARN                      4/2/2015        12:00 AM



                        
A Tale of Three Nurseries                 
Rhode Island PBS       3/29/2015      6:30 PM
Rhode Island PBS       3/31/2015      4:30 AM
Rhode Island PBS       4/4/2015        11:30 PM
LEARN                      3/31/2015      8:30 PM
LEARN                      4/1/2015        3:30 AM
LEARN                      4/2/2015        12:30 AM




                        
Farm City                   
Rhode Island PBS       4/5/2015        6:00 PM
Rhode Island PBS       4/7/2015        4:00 AM
Rhode Island PBS       4/11/2015      11:00 PM
LEARN                      4/7/2015        8:00 PM
LEARN                      4/8/2015        3:00 AM
LEARN                      4/9/2015        12:00 AM



UPDATED: March 13, 2015
UPDATED: April 5, 2015
UPDATED: April 6, 2015

newportFILM and Rhode Island PBS Collaborate to Present Local Documentaries

Rhode Island PBS and newportFILM are pleased to announce a collaboration that will present local
documentary films both at the year-round film festival and on WSBE Rhode Island PBS.

The first film, Endless Abilities, will be shown by newportFILM on Thursday, June 26 at the Casino Theater, 9 Freebody Street in Newport (changed from Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown due to rain forecast) at 8:30 p.m., and kicks off the new newportFILM Homegrown project. Endless Abilities will air on Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, August 7 at 9:30 p.m. as part of the ongoing local documentary series, Rhode Island Stories.

“We are truly thrilled to launch this project with Rhode Island PBS,” said Andrea van Beuren, founder and artistic director of newportFILM. “There is such an incredible abundance of homegrown talent in Rhode Island, and this project is a great way to bring attention to these films on both the big screen and the little screen.”

“This collaboration is a creative extension of our plan to bring more local programming to our Rhode Island PBS audience,” said David W. Piccerelli, president of WSBE Rhode Island PBS. “Showcasing the quality work of local filmmakers is what our viewers demand, and what we do best as part of Rhode Island Stories. This collaboration benefits the filmmakers, too, as they share their stories to a much broader television audience.”

Endless Abilities, chronicles the cross country road trip adventure of Rhode Islanders Zachary Bastian, paralyzed nine years ago, and three of his best friends, Tripp Clemens, Will Humphrey, Harvey Burrell, as they search for adaptive sports for individuals with physical disabilities. The June 26 screening represents the film’s official US festival premiere. After the 90-minute screening, there will be a Q+A with filmmakers Tripp Clemens, Harvey Burrell, Will Humphrey, and Zach Bastian.

For more information about the film, visit endlessabilities.org. For more information about Thursday’s event visit newportfilm.com. For more information about Rhode Island Stories, visit Rhode Island PBS at ripbs.org.

Celebrate 5 Years of Rhode Island Stories on February 1

It's been five years since Rhode Island Stories first gathered the neighbors 'round the TV for great local storytelling under one canopy. Rhode Island PBS marks the fifth anniversary of Rhode Island Stories on Saturday, February 1 by airing specially chosen local programs from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In the five years since we launched Rhode Island Stories, together we've explored lighthouses and fun houses, baby brains and Baby Roger the elephant, glimpsed life behind the hedgerows and peeked through fingers at haunted woods, felt the warmth of healing hands and cheered the grit of cancer survivors. Rhode Island Stories is a weekly story hour about people, places, and events with a Rhode Island connection - little stories that leave a big impression.

In addition to showing documentaries that define Rhode Island Stories, we're pleased to add to the February 1 line-up local stand-alone productions that showcase local talent. Throughout the day, these local independent producers will share their "behind the camera" perspectives and what it means to them to be able to share their stories on Rhode Island PBS.

Join us for this sample of local content available on Rhode Island PBS, with the promise of much more to come.

11:30 a.m. - Teenage Critic - This group of Rhode Island teens examines all kinds of cool stuff in and around our state. The show is by teens for teens (with a little help from grown-up director Lara Sebastian). Airing at its regular time on February 1, each week is an amazing 30-minute journey.

Noon - Rhode Island Classroom #102 - Margie O'Brien hosts this dynamic quarterly series that takes a look at what's going on in local schools. This episode's segments focus on technology in the classroom; the RISE program, offering scholarships and mentoring to children with incarcerated parents; and how our schools are dealing with food allergies.

12:30 - URI Today - Baby Talk: Unlocking the Secrets of the Baby Brain takes an intimate look at the work of Mary Sullivan, interim dean of URI’s College of Nursing, who is spearheading the longest running U.S. study of premature infants, spanning more than 20 years.

1:00 - "Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican?" Claire Andrade-Watkins worked for over ten years to tell the history of her beloved Cape Verdean Fox Point section of Providence, Rhode Island. Full of childhood memories, textures and sounds of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican chronicles her community's music, ties to the old country, and the maritime/seafaring traditions, in the Port of Providence. Three generations of Cape Verdeans were born and raised in this tight knit neighborhood that stretched along the waterfront. But the story is also of tragedy and scandal as this vibrant community of immigrants was forcibly displaced by urban renewal in the 1970s. 

2:00 - Island Nurse is the story of Mary Donnelly, the public health nurse and heart of Block Island, RI, who, after more than 54 years of nursing, finally hung up her stethoscope and put away the thermometer and bandages for the last time in May 2013 when she retired from state public health service at age 86.

3:00 - Mimi Sammis: Sculpting Peace is a documentary about the life and work of world-renowned Narragansett, Rhode Island, artist and peace activist, Anne Mimi Sammis.  The documentary traces the artist's journey over the last three decades, illustrated by archival footage of significant events in Mimi's career.

3:30 p.m.- Maple Syrup In Rhode Island features Bill Livingston in his "sugar shack" making the first syrup of the year. He has been making maple syrup for close to fifty years, and he shares his expertise about the maple syrup process, from tapping the trees to bottling the syrup.

4:00 - Haunted RI: The Legends of Dolly Cole returns to the dense forests that line Tucker Hollow Road and Ramtail Road in Foster. Of all the reports of hauntings by dead mill workers and plague victims, no name has earned itself more prominence - and confusion - than that of Dolly Cole. She was a witch, a vampire, a murdered prostitute who dressed in men's clothing... She lost her daughter - or maybe it was a son - in a fire set by neighbors afraid of this Witch of Foster. She was murdered in the woods at age 27; she drowned in the stream near her house; she is the “Woman in White” seen by hunters, fishermen, and local residents for years, most of whom are reluctant to speak of the experiences above a whisper. The team, in the company of Andrew Lake and Thomas D'Agostino, attempt to sort out the legends of Dolly Cole.

5:00 - New England Portraits: Rumford Baking Powder Company -The Rumford Baking Powder Company is one of America’s earliest entrepreneurial successes. Archival photos and the reminiscences of former employees tell the history of the manufacturing source of the familiar staple in every cook's kitchen: a tall red tin of Rumford Baking Powder. No longer the manufacturing powerhouse that shaped Rumford Village, Rumford Center is now reshaping itself, through adaptive reuse as a community of apartments, offices and shops. Filmed in 2008.

5:30 - Guitar #1711 is a documentary film about Rhode Island guitar maker Otto D’Ambrosio, directed by Rhode Island-based filmmaker Guy Benoit. The film is an intimate and lyrical portrait of the artistic process, following D’Ambrosio through the creation -- start to finish -- of an acoustic archtop guitar, hand made for renowned jazz guitarist and Berklee College of Music Instructor Julian Lage. The film culminates with a live concert performance by Lage, playing guitar #1711.

6:00 - Covered Bridges of New England captures the vanishing architectural gems that once proliferated the New England Landscape.

7:00 - WaterFire: Art and Soul of a City takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the world's most extraordinary nighttime events. This beautiful, compelling documentary produced by Joe Rocco and filmed by Jim Karpeichik in association with WaterFire Providence tells the story of WaterFire through insightful and amusing commentary from WaterFire creator and artist Barnaby Evans, several participants and volunteers, local historians, and passionate fans from around the world.

Rhode Island Stories for March 2013

Gazela
On Rhode Island PBS: March 23 at 7 p.m., March 24 at 11 p.m.
On Learn: March 27 at 10 p.m., March 28 at 5 a.m., March 29 at 2 a.m.

On May 10, 2012, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee signed legislation designating the soon-to-be-commissioned 196 foot, square-rigged tall ship SSV Oliver Hazard Perry as the state's official "Sailing Education Vessel."

During the summer of 2012, six educators representing Rhode Island's secondary and higher education institutions were selected to develop educational initiatives and programs for the Oliver Hazard Perry.  As part of their training and preparation, these educators joined the crew of the tall ship Gazela, for her 5-day July 2012 voyage from Philadelphia to Newport.  Among them was Dr. Kathy Vespia, chair of the Department of Education at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI.

Gazela is a chronicle of the lessons that Dr. Vespia learned during the voyage. From seamanship and teambuilding to the physical rigors of daily life at sea and self-evaluation, Dr. Vespia's experiences on board the ship left her with a different understanding of what it means to join a crew, how one must rise to the challenge when the educator becomes the learner, and how the "needs of the ship" directly relate to the classroom experience.

Telling Stories
On Rhode Island PBS: March 23 at 7:30 p.m., March 24 at 11:30 p.m.
On Learn: March 27 at 10:30 p.m., March 28 at 5:30 a.m., March 29 at 2:30 a.m.

Telling Stories is a documentary about unearthing history in Rhode Island. The video chronicles an archaeological dig at a John Brown family farm. By questioning and examining the archaeological process, the film discusses the painstaking re-creation of history - one fragment at a time - including the heritage of slavery in New England,and the politics of the historical narrative.

Behind the Ribbon
On Rhode Island PBS: March 30 at 7 p.m., March 31 at 11 p.m.
On Learn: April 3 at 10 p.m., April 4 at 5 a.m., April 5 29 at 2 a.m.

Behind the Ribbon is the title of an original nonfiction television series produced by the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation and Jai Consulting Group. These short documentaries will feature the stories of patients, survivors and those who have lost their lives to breast cancer, an illness that will affect one in six Rhode Island women during her lifetime.

In this first chapter, "Young Survivors" will feature Mandy Zito, the Foundation's new Young Survivor Program coordinator, and some of the women she has gotten to know since joining the Foundation in September 2012.

A Time to Heal
On Rhode Island PBS: March 30 at 7:30 p.m., March 31 at 11:30 p.m.
On Learn: April 3 at 10:30 p.m., April 4 at 5:30 a.m., April 5 at 2:30 a.m.

Refugee Health Week was developed by Dr. Adam Pallant and Dr. Carol Lews of Hasbro Children's Hospital to offer medical residents time for conversations with refugees about their healthcare needs, their past and current struggles, and the importance of their stories as they acclimate to life in the United States.

For pediatric residents, time with patients and time for reflection is a rarity. Refugee Health Week allowed these doctors time and opportunity to reaffirm relation-based care as a foundation for healing...not just for refugees but for all their patients.

It Gets Better: Coming Out for Change

On April 14 at 7 P.M., WSBE Rhode Island PBS presents It Gets Better at URI: Coming Out for Change, a University of Rhode Island student-made film and phenomenon. The project started as idea by five members of the URI Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Queer (LBTQ) Women’s Group to make a small film to contribute to the national effort known as "It Gets Better," a support movement formed after highly publicized suicides of gay students.

But what started as an idea among women with no filmmaking experience blossomed unexpectedly to a full University-wide commitment to support students struggling with their sexual identity.

This URI Quadangles blog post provides the fascinating background story about the film and the phenomenon. Brown Daily Herald also writes about the film as a project.

It Gets Better at URI: Coming Out for Change airs as part of the ongoing WSBE Rhode Island PBS series, Rhode Island Stories. After its debut on April 14, the documentary will be rebroadcast on Sunday, April 15 at 11 P.M. WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on cable services: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, Full Channel 08, Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

Rhode Island Stories airs on WSBE Learn on Thursdays at 10 P.M., Fridays at 5 A.M., and Saturdays at 2 A.M. and 4 P.M. WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on cable: Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 109, Comcast 294 or 312.

[Editor's Note: After this blog was published, we were informed the title of the film was changed to It Gets Better at URI: Coming Out for Change. Content has been updated, but to avoid breaking existing links in search engines, the blog title remains unchanged.] 

Laff in the Dark: Behind the Scenes of an Amusement Park Dark Ride

For those of you who have fond or fuzzy memories of the former Rocky Point Park's House of Horrors dark ride (1963-1995), WSBE Rhode Island PBS is airing a documentary produced by George Lacross (also promotion specialist at The Providence Journal) about an old-school operating dark ride.

More than a decade ago, George took his love for writing ProJo TV commercials to the next level by committing to a second career, producing a series of DVD documentaries with business partner Bill Luca. Laff in the Dark is the first DVD documentary (released July 2008) that George produced with Bill.

Laff in the Dark is about the Haunted House dark ride at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA. The ride is similar to the former local House of Horrors with its low-tech scares. Laff in the Dark will air as part of the WSBE ongoing series, Rhode Island Stories (air dates and times below).

Knoebels Haunted House has been thrilling dark ride fans for more than 30 years. In Laff In The Dark, you'll walk the track through the eerie corridors of this classic ride on a guided tour led by Knoebels Haunted House supervisor Dave Wynn. Also featured are interviews with park president Dick Knoebel, who shares details about the design and construction history of the Haunted House, and
John Fetterman, designer of Knoebels Twister coaster and one of the first operators of the Haunted House ride.


You'll also learn about the cars and sound effects, and take two full rides - first, in the dark and then with the lights on.

So, if you have ever wondered what's behind the scenes of an amusement park dark ride, tune in to Laff in the Dark:

WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1)

Saturday, 2/11 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 2/12 at 11:00 p.m.

WSBE Learn (36.2)

Thursday, 2/23 at 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, 2/25 at 4:00 p.m.

RI's Gilbert Stuart and His Most Famous Portrait He Never Finished: "First Face: The Buck Starts Here"

Mark Twain is thought to have quipped, "If Washington should rise from the dead and not resemble the Stuart portrait, he would be judged an imposter."

Such is the legacy of the so-called Athenaeum portrait, and the subject of a new documentary by Jim Wolpaw, First Face: The Buck Starts Here. On several occasions in 1796, George Washington came to the Philadelphia home of the artist Gilbert Stuart (who was born in Rhode Island) to sit for a portrait. Those sittings produced what is, arguably, the most famous portrait ever created: the unfinished Athenaeum image of Washington that peers out from the dollar bill.

First Face: The Buck Starts Here considers the circumstances leading to the creation of Stuart's portrait, and its subsequent life as the defining image of Washington and, ultimately, as an enduring symbol of America. The half-hour documentary is driven by the ironic contrasts between the mercurial Stuart and the highly controlled Washington, as well as contrasts between Washington the man and Washington the myth.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS premieres First Face: The Buck Starts Here on Friday, February 18 at 10:30 p.m. The film airs in the regular Rhode Island Stories time slot of Saturday, February 19 at 7 p.m.  (re-broadcast Sunday, February 20 at 9 p.m.)

Also premiering on Sunday, February 20, at 9:30 p.m.,  is Jack Yena's Legacy: Finding A Sense of Place. The film is the third in a trilogy about the history of Johnson and Wales University by filmmaker Marian Gagnon. The story focuses on a new force of strength and the different style of leadership of Jack Yena, from 1989 through 2004. Yena took the institution's name recognition and its reputation as a career university to an international level. Yena also led the charge to establish campuses in North Miami, Denver, and Charlotte, giving Johnson and Wales University a "sense of place" for the first time since its founding.

February's Rhode Island Stories

Saturday nights are the neighborly place to be, thanks to Rhode Island Stories – a collection of independent films with a uniquely "Rhode Island" flavor. For an hour on Saturdays, from 7-8 P.M., visit with neighbors – the local people, places, and events that punctuate our history and reflect contemporary issues. Some subjects will be familiar; others will be more obscure. Either way, you can count on gaining deeper insight and new perspective you had not considered.

The films chosen for Rhode Island Stories must have a local connection: the documentaries feature Rhode Island in some way, or have been made by one of Rhode Island's many independent filmmakers. The current Rhode Island Stories collection includes a mix of new and previously broadcast programs, and may be a single hour-long documentary or two 30-minute films.

February's Rhode Island Stories will be:

2/5/2011 at 7 P.M. (re-broadcast 2/6 at 11 P.M.) – When the Reds Ruled the Roost 
Emmy award-winning former Rhode Island television sportscaster Joe Rocco produced this story of a 50-year love affair between a hockey team and its thousands of passionate fans. He spent 18 months conducting interviews, and collecting vintage photos and rare film clips that hadn’t been seen in decades. Narrated by Boston Bruins legendary announcer Fred Cusick, When the Reds Ruled the Roost creates a compelling visual history of the immensely popular Rhode Island Reds, and includes colorful stories from former players, hockey Hall of Famers, owners, general managers, and coaches.

2/12/2011 at 7 P.M. (re-broadcast 2/13 at 11 P.M.) – Old House Soul 
This documentary examines the life and work of Steve Tyson, Sr. (1942-2008). Tyson was a Rhode Island preservationist whose company has restored and preserved hundreds of historic buildings and houses across Rhode Island, including such Rhode Island landmarks as Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Smith's Castle, the Towers in Narragansett, and several buildings in Rogers Williams Park. The documentary pays tribute to Tyson, his legacy and the tradition of architectural preservation in Rhode Island.

2/19/2011 at 7 P.M. PREMIERE: Friday, 2/18 at 10:30 p.m. (re-broadcast 2/20 at 9 P.M.) – Face First: The Buck Starts Here 
Mark Twain is thought to have quipped, "If Washington should rise from the dead and not resemble the Stuart portrait, he would be judged an imposter." Such is the legacy of the so-called Athenaeum portrait. On several occasions in 1796, George Washington came to the Philadelphia home of the artist Gilbert Stuart to sit for a portrait. Those sittings produced what is, arguably, the most famous portrait ever created: the unfinished Athenaeum image of Washington that peers out from the dollar bill. First Face: The Buck Starts Here considers the circumstances leading to the creation of Stuart's portrait, and its subsequent life as the defining image of Washington and, ultimately, as an enduring symbol of America. The half-hour documentary is driven by the ironic contrasts between the mercurial Stuart and the highly controlled Washington, as well as contrasts between Washington the man and Washington the myth.

2/19/2011 at 7:30 P.M. – HERstory: The Founding Mothers of Johnson and Wales University profiles the lives of Gertrude Johnson and Mary Wales, founders of what is now known as Johnson and Wales University. These two enterprising women stepped out of the traditional female roles of their time period during a time when women in this country hadn't even gained the right to vote. In their Providence home, with just one typewriter and just one student, Johnson and Wales embarked on their mission to provide women, (and later, to provide men), with the skills needed to succeed in business careers.

PREMIERE 2/20/2011 at 9:30 P.M. - Jack Yena's Legacy: Finding A Sense of Place The film is the third in a trilogy about the history of Johnson and Wales University by filmmaker Marian Gagnon. The story focuses on a new force of strength and the different style of leadership of Jack Yena, from 1989 through 2004. Yena took the institution's name recognition and its reputation as a career university to an international level. Yena also led the charge to establish campuses in North Miami, Denver, and Charlotte, giving Johnson and Wales University a "sense of place" for the first time since its founding.

Special Memorial Encore Presentation 2/20/2011 at 11 P.M. – 41 This award-winning documentary by Christian de Rezendes and Christian O'Neill, tells a remarkable story of The Station nightclub fire's youngest victim, Nicholas O'Neill (Christian O'Neill's brother). It paints a portrait of Nicky's 18 years - packed full in so short a time with prolific writing, composing, acting... and an obsession with the number 41. But what makes the film so remarkable is the story after the story: what happened - and continues to happen - after the deadly fire took his life on February 20, 2003. Signs are everywhere that Nicky's spirit continues to move among his family and friends. Even strangers. 41 is a story of uplifting hope, insight, and comfort. And it may change the way you think about life and death.

2/26/2011 at 7 P.M. (re-broadcast 2/27 at 11:00 P.M.) Johnson and Wales University's Men of Vision This film spans the years from 1947 (when Gertrude Johnson and Mary Wales retired) to the late 1980s, and focuses on the contributions made by Morris Gaebe and Edward Triangolo. The enduring friendship and professional partnership between these two men were so strong and well balanced that, as a team, they were unstoppable. They grew the small business school from 100 students to an internationally recognized university with more than 12,000 students from every state in the nation and more than 70 foreign countries.

2/26/2011 at 7:30 P.M. (re-broadcast 2/27 at 11:30 P.M.) – Jack Yena's Legacy: Finding A Sense of Place (see above)

Rhode Island Stories: Boy in the World

BOY IN THE WORLD: Preschool Inclusion at Brown/Fox Point is the story of Ronen Kadmon, a 4-year-old boy with Down syndrome, and his inclusion in a regular education preschool classroom. The film looks at his day-to-day life in a regular education classroom at Providence’s Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center, as well as his family life and community activities. By focusing on Ronen’s success at Brown/Fox Point, the film shows how inclusive classrooms can benefit all children, both those with special needs and their typical peers.The documentary airs Saturday, February 20 at 7 PM, as part of Rhode Island Stories, and will be rebroadcast on Sunday, February 21 at 11 PM on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (on digital 36.1, RI cable 8, DirecTV 36 and Dish 7776).

The film is the collaborative effort of local filmmaker Jessica Jennings, Dr. Penny Kadmon, and the Pawtucket-based Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN), a nonprofit advocacy organization that supports parents and children in Rhode Island.

RI Stories presents On The Lake: Life and Love in a Distant Place

**This is an updated version of an earlier post about this documentary.** ON THE LAKE airs as part of RI Stories, the ongoing WSBE Rhode Island PBS series that features documentaries from the Ocean State. Catch RI Stories Saturday nights at 7 PM and Sundays at 11 PM on WSBE Rhode Island PBS, digital 36.1; Cox/Verizon/Full Channel 08; DirecTV 36; Dish Network 7776. (ComCast subscribers, please check local listings for the channel number in your area.)**




After more than a year of work, filmmakers David Bettencourt and G. Wayne Miller have released their feature-length documentary ON THE LAKE: Life and Love in a Distant Place, an emotionally powerful look at the tuberculosis epidemic in 1900s America and globally today.

ON THE LAKE tells its story with never-before-seen footage and stills, and the on-camera accounts of TB survivors – including Barbara Parkos of Newport; Emily Martineau and Sheila O'Brien, both of Harrisville; John Lynes of Pascoag; Russ Denham, who summers in the Ocean State winters in Florida; and 80-year-old Frank Beazley, who has been a patient at Zambarano for almost 42 years.

Much of ON THE LAKE is based at Zambarano Hospital on remote Wallum Lake in Pascoag, R.I., which opened in 1905 as a TB sanatorium. But what started as a local story about the institution unfolded into a much larger story about tuberculosis worldwide and that led the filmmakers to sanitoria around the country. Segments were filmed in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Maryland, Colorado, and Saranac Lake, N.Y. – a community actually built around the disease.

ON THE LAKE has been endorsed by prominent health care activist Dr. Paul Farmer, professor at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Partners in Health in Boston. Farmer, one of the world’s foremost health care activists in the fight against global TB and AIDS, endorsed and applauded ON THE LAKE for its “human story of the tuberculosis epidemic.”

Even before it premiered on the big screen on February 13, 2009 the film had already become part of a worldwide initiative to stem the epidemic rise of TB and has been recognized by the Stop TB Partnership, a Geneva, Switzerland-based healthcare organization that includes members of the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the US Agency for International Development.

But the power of the film is its story. Through letters, postcards, and on-camera interviews with survivors, the moving stories - interwoven throughout - put a human face on the epidemic.

For additional insight, read The Providence Journal review by Michael Janusonis and the movie review for WJAR NBC10 by Jim Taricani