Magazine SEPTEMBER 2009 Arkansas Parks: Past, Present, Future Sunday, Sept. 27 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Arkansas Educational Television Network Contents Primetime Creative, Local, Original, Award Winning Listings . 12-23 AETN MAGAZINE Staff Editor in Chief On the Cover . 2 Weekends . 24-25 Allen Weatherly Left: Junior Production . 3 Don Hale . 26 Editors STOP Education . 27 Mona Dixon Committee From the Director . 4 Kathy Atkinson Office Workers Concerts . 5 Ambassador Circle . 28 Editorial & Creative Directors Parks . 6-7 Scholar . 29 Sara Willis Elizabeth duBignon Ongoing PBS Series. 8-9 Underwriter Profile... 30 Below: Little Rock Technical High School Editorial Panel Highlights . 10-11 Underwriters . 31 Rowena Parr, Pam Wilson, Dan Koops Above: The Women’s Tiffany Verkler Emergency Committe Coming this Fall . 32 to Open Our Schools Copy Editors Left: WEC Committee Darbi Blencowe, Catherine Mays, Members Karen Cooper, Pat Pearce Sandra Hubbard 1-800-662-22386 AETN Offices Your support makes a difference! 350 S. Donaghey Ave. - Conway, AR - 72034 Sandra Hubbard is a nationally recognized documentary filmmaker bard shares the recollections of students and teachers who lived On The Cover... 800/662-2386 and on September 6 AETN is proud to air two of her critically ac- through this tumultuous time to bring this previously untold THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA [email protected] - www.aetn.org claimed documentary films, The Lost Year at 1:00 p.m. and The story to vivid life. Giants Wore White Gloves at 2:00 p.m. Premieres Sunday, Sept. 27-Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., (Repeats, 9 p.m.) AETN Mission Statement The Giants Wore White Gloves Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most The mission of the Arkansas In 2003, Hubbard along with Dr. Sondra Gordy, Professor of History Airing Sunday, September 6 at 2:00 p.m. spectacular locales – from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Educational Television Network at University of Central Arkansas collaborated to tell the story of ‘the Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska – THE (AETN) is to offer lifelong lost year’ and founded The Lost Year Project. The Lost Year documen- The Giants Wore White Gloves is the story a group of southern NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA is nonetheless a story of people: learning opportunities to all tary is just one component of The Lost Year Project, which comprises women known as the Women’s Emergency Committee; their people from every conceivable background – rich and poor; famous and Arkansans; to supply instructional a web site, www.thelostyear.com; the film, The Lost Year; and Dr. courage and their uncanny political ability to maneuver in a programs to Arkansas' schools; unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists Sondra Gordy’s book, Finding the Lost Year: What Happened When “man’s” world during an uncertain time in history is fascinating to provide programming and Little Rock Closed its Public Schools which was released in April. and compelling. and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving services to improve and enhance some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded the lives of Arkansas' citizens; The Lost Year This documentary’s focus is on the desegregation crisis and how and to illuminate the culture and their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. This is a story full of Airing Sunday, September 6 at 1:00 p.m. a group of women created “The Women’s Emergency Commit- struggle and conflict, high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure heritage of Arkansas and the world. To accomplish this mission, tee to Open our Schools” (WEC). Vivian Brewer, Adolphine and enduring inspiration - set against the most breathtaking backdrops AETN, through the creative use of In the year following the Central High Crisis, Arkansas Governor Fletcher Terry and Velma Powell founded the WEC, two days imaginable. telecommunications, will present Orval Faubus signed into law legislation that would close after the Governor had signed legislation to close the four high Arkansas Parks: Past, Present, Future a high-quality public television all of the public high schools in Little Rock. In total, 3,665 schools in the city. service designed to inform, students—black and white—were locked out of public Sunday, Sept. 27, 2:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. educate, motivate, entertain, education. The year following the Crisis at Central High, Governor Orval Join AETN as we explore Arkansas’s National parks enlighten and inspire. Faubus signed into law legislation that allowed him to close all with four productions: ”Arkansas State Parks: 75 Families were torn apart as teenage students moved away to the high schools in the city, to once again block integration in Years Making Memories,” “The Buffalo Flows,” “Exploring Arkansas’s attend schools in other towns or, in some cases, other states. Little Rock. It left more than 3,500 black and white students National Parks,” and a live studio program, “Arkansas Parks: Past, Some studied to enter college early. Some took correspondence and their families scrambling to find alternative schooling. This Present, Future,” with host, Tommy Sanders. courses. Some simply abandoned school and went to work, or became known as the “Lost Year”. Not until August 12, 1959 joined the military. did Little Rock high schools reopen. AETN’s Arkansas State & National Parks Initiative The Little Rock Desegregation Crisis did not begin and end with Only months after the Little Rock Nine successfully integrated Visit www.aetn.org/parks to order your free Parks Passport today and win prizes Central High alone. Central High School, the Little Rock High Schools were closed to for visiting any four, eight or all 12 parks featured in the Parks Passport. In the film The Lost Year, documentary film-maker Sandra Hub- all 3,665 students, both black and white. 2 Arkansas Educational Television Network Arkansas Educational Television Network 3 Your source for live music and special events . presents . Dear Friends, Contact AETN Tickets are available by calling 1(800) 662-2386 or It may seem odd for a television station to encourage AETN EXECUTIVE AETN COMMISSION by visiting the Box Office at www.aetnfoundation.org. you to leave the TV, get outside and explore your DIRECTOR CHAIR Allen Weatherly Sammie Benjamin of Glenwood Natural State this year. Yet, here we are doing just Celtic Thunder in Concert: that. We see ourselves not only as your statewide Programming Vice Chair Performing powerful ballads, popular hits, and heartwarming originates at the Ronnie Williams of Menifee television network, but also as your guide to the R. Lee Reaves Center songs of love and loss from across the Celtic music for Educational outdoors with our locally produced shows such as Secretary/Treasurer spectrum. The AETN Foundation will present Celtic Thunder “Exploring Arkansas” and “Arkansas Outdoors” – a Telecommunications at Sandy Landers of Little Rock Donaghey Avenue & on their “Take Me Home Tour,” Wednesday, November place where you can learn more about this diverse and beautiful state in so many Sesame Street, Dr. William Downs, Jr. of Arkadelphia different ways. Conway, AR 72034. Don Hale of El Dorado 18, at 7:30 pm at the Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Questions and Jane Krutz of Little Rock Rock. Ticket prices are $40 Balcony, $60 Mezzanine, $80 comments are Billie Sue Hoggard of Jonesboro With families tightening their budgets, exploring the Natural State offers you and encouraged. Mary Beth Green of Van Buren Orchestra, & $120 VIP (rows 1 thru 10). your family a fun and affordable adventure throughout the next year. AETN has Viewers may reach AETN at: AETN Foundation Board developed our Arkansas State & National Parks Initiative in conjunction with the 1-800-662-AETN Chair upcoming Ken Burns’ documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” 501-682-AETN William Joseph in Concert: 501-450-1-PBS Dan Farley of Little Rock which will premiere on AETN Sept. 27. AETN has partnered with Arkansas State 1-800-662-2386 William Joseph is a Yamaha Artist pianist and recording artist Fax: 501-852-2280 Vice Chair Parks, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Arkansas’s National Sandra Garland of from Phoenix, Arizona. He will perform Monday, October 12 at Park Service sites to help you discover wonders right in your own backyard. E-mail: [email protected] Public Affairs e-mail: Mountain Home 7:30 pm, at the Reynolds Performance Hall in Conway. Joseph [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer opened for Josh Groban’s “Closer Tour”, and was the opening The cornerstone of the initiative is our free Arkansas Parks Passport – a guide Outdoor Programs e-mail: outdoors@ Philip Hathcock of Maumelle act for Clay Aiken’s “Joyful Noise” tour. Tickets are priced $50. to the parks highlighting six state parks and six National Park sites in Arkansas. aetn.org Dr. Linda Beene Ballard of Bismarck Visit any four, eight or all 12 sites and have your passport stamped to be eligible Kay Bland of Paragould Lavenia Craig of El Dorado to collect prizes. Membership hotline: 501-682-4120 Dr. Andrew Fulkerson of Paragould Viewer response line: Don Hale of El Dorado Operatic Heat presents Parsons Dance & The East Village Filmed over the course of more than six years, “The National Parks: America’s 501-682-4198 Steven Jones of Marion Education: Philip Kaplan of Little Rock Opera Company in Remember Me: Best Idea,” airing over six nights in September, is the story of an idea that the 1-800-488-6689 Bill Valentine of Little Rock On Tuesday, November 3, 2009 The AETN Foundations welcomes Operatic most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, e-mail address: Allen Weatherly of Conway but for everyone.