Trusted. Valued. Essential. FEBRUARY 2018 Impossible Builds Helping Our People Helping People It’s a guiding principle at Silver State Schools Credit Community Union. Since 1951, we have been fully-vested in the Southern Nevada community we serve. Whether it’s setting up your child’s first savings account, finding a Through Life’s great rate on a loan, buying your first home or finding the best investment, our employees are available to Financial Journey put your best interests first. Become a member today and experience the SSSCU difference. 800.357.9654 silverstatecu.com Vegas PBS A Message from the Management Team General Manager General Manager Tom Axtell, Vegas PBS Educational Media Services Director Niki Bates Production Services Director Kareem Hatcher Communications and Brand Management Director Shauna Lemieux Business Manager Brandon Merrill Content Director 50 Years of Friendship Cyndy Robbins Workforce Training & Economic Development Director Debra Solt LVX-TV signed on the air — for three hours (!) — on March 25, 1968. Corporate Partnerships Director When summer vacation ended later that year, an additional six hours of Bruce Spotleson live, black and white instruction classes for school children was added to Southern Nevada Public Television Board of Directors the daily schedule. In 1971, PBS began providing a national all-day pro- Executive Director Kgram service, but charged annual fees to local stations. To meet this cost and to pro- Tom Axtell, Vegas PBS President vide marketing support for these new services, the Friends of Channel 10 was founded Nancy Brune, Guinn Center for Policy Priorities by a group of dedicated community volunteers led by the indefatigable Charlotte Hill. Vice President The new nonprofit group assumed a major fundraising role for our public television sta- Thomas Warden, The Howard Hughes Corporation tion by helping to secure funds for local productions and the annual programming dues Secretary Clark Dumont, M.S., APR, Dumont Communications, LLC to PBS. ‘Friends of 10’ hosted the first televised auction raising $35,000 for the sta- Treasurer tion and establishing a solid foundation of financial support that has driven our educa- Geraldine Tomich, Marquis Aurbach Coffing tional, cultural and public affairs community impact for five decades. Chair, Community Council Charlotte Hill, Community Volunteer In 1999,The Friends of Channel 10 restructured and was renamed Southern Nevada Chair, Desert Meadows Area Health Education Council Public Television (SNPT) as they launched a capital campaign to fund the digital tele- Jerry Reeves, HealthInsight vision transition and the construction of what is now the Vegas PBS Educational Chair, Planned Giving Council Technology Campus. Today, SNPT functions with numerous mission-based councils Geraldine Tomich, Marquis Aurbach Coffing staffed by dedicated Vegas PBS volunteers and supporters, including a Community CCSD Liaison to SNPT Board Carolyn Edwards, Clark County School District Trustee Council that creates special station events and projects, a Government Affairs Council Board Members that assists with strategic legislative communications, a Planned Giving Council that Vince Alberta, University Nevada Las Vegas provides free estate planning seminars and secures legacy gifts for the station, and Linda Ammons, Community Volunteer a Desert Meadows Area Health Education Council that provides health education pro- Tracy Bower, National Security Technologies, LLC Cheryl (Cheri) Colbus, US Bank grams for the community. They work closely with our FCC educational licensees on Rachelle Crupi, Bank of Nevada the Clark County School District board. Bill Curran, Ballard Spahr, LLP As Vegas PBS celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year,our success as a public serv- Mo Denis, Nevada State Senator ice media organization would not have been possible without the strong foundation cre- Thomas Gallagher, TreVista Group, LLC Stephen Greathouse, Las Vegas Hotel & Gaming Industry, retired ated by the non-profit board members. The founders would never have imagined the Dema Guinn, Community Volunteer growth of the organization to include today’s multi-cast and cable channels, internet Lori Lea, AECIndustryPro.com services, online courses, or mobile phone apps. Their steadfast focus on securing indi- Nora Luna, Nathan Adelson Hospice Marydean Martin, Marydean & Associates vidual donations, leveraging member and corporate support, and hosting fundraising events was instrumental to each of the milestones and technology innovations we’ve Contact Vegas PBS with comments and suggestions: achieved together. From launching local series like News Night, Nevada Week in Vegas PBS & Southern Nevada Public Television Review and Outdoor Nevada or powerful documentaries like The Test, Restoration 3050 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121 702.799.1010 • Fax 702.799.2806 Neon or African Americans:The Las Vegas Experience, the board has helped fund and VegasPBS.org • email: [email protected] promote education broadcasts and outreach services that are available for everyone Vegas PBS Source, Volume No. 2, 2018 across our Southern Nevada community. Vegas PBS Source Art Director Today this board consists of 21 board members representing a wide range of busi- Anton Tielemans ness sectors and community organizations. A new slate of officers elected during the January meeting has begun their term and will continue to plot a course for the excit- ing next half-century that follows. Please see page 19 for a complete photo listing of our current board members. The board may have a new name today, but they will always be treasured “friends” of the station. This magazine Tom Axtell is printed on recycled paper FEBRUARY 2018 5 February 2018 Contents Cover Story 8 Impossible Builds Learn about the creation of some of the world’s most ambitious and technologically advanced buildings. Departments 5 Message to Our Members Letter from General Manager Tom Axtell 14 Upcoming Member Events 18 A Message from the Director of Educational Media Services Features 10 History Bringing History to Life 11 New From American Experience 12 Spotlight In Honor of Black History Month 8 17 Special Calling all Anglophiles! 20 Nature Explore the Wonders of Nature 21 Drama Look No Further for Outstanding Drama! 32 Clark County School District Spelling Bee 2018 33 Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey Marathon 34 Let's Travel the World! 35 Find Your Woodworking Inspiration! 37 Vegas PBS Rewind/Worldview/Jackpot! 11 12 Program Menu 23 Weekdays/Children’s Lineup 20 33 24 Primetime Programming 32 Weekend Daytime Programming 36 Vegas PBS Create Programming Vegas PBS Channels 38 Vegas PBS Sponsors FEBRUARY 2018 7 COVER STORY Impossible Builds Wednesdays at 10 p.m. The Floating House beginning February 7 Europe in the Desert / February 14 Learn about the creation of some of the world’s most Austrian property developer Josef Kleindienst has a ambitious and technologically advanced buildings. From dream — to transform six barren sand islands poking out subaquatic homes to futuristic towers and pencil thin sky- of the Persian Gulf into the most luxurious holiday desti- scrapers, see how these previously impossible structures nation on earth. His plans are ambitious and costly. He’s are taking shape. spending tens of millions of dollars to re-create the The Scorpion Tower / February 7 essence of Europe across six artificial islands located 2.5 In the heart of downtown Miami, a skyscraper like no miles off the coast of Dubai. His six-million-square-foot other is rising. The brainchild of superstar architect Dame resort will feature 14 hotels and 42 private residences, and Zaha Hadid, the Scorpion Tower features an insect-like will accommodate up to 16,000 people at any one time. external skeleton where the supporting columns are on the The Floating House / February 21 outside of the building.The curvaceous design is so radical, Living beneath the waves has long been a science fiction construction experts have turned to a building material fantasy, but architect Marco Bolzoni’s team in Dubai is try- never before used in skyscraper construction. As the build- ing to make it a reality. Above the waterline, it promises ing work begins, the entire workforce is rocked by the sud- two floors of ultra-luxurious living space. Downstairs is den death of Hadid. Determined to complete the tower as another world. The floating Seahorse hopes to offer the a legacy to one of the most extraordinary architects in a first underwater bedroom, complete with coral garden. If generation, the team must now rewrite the rulebook as his calculations are not spot on, he could find himself and they take the pioneering building material to new heights. his multi-million dollar villa in deep water. ...the entire workforce is rocked “by the sudden death of Hadid.” 8 VEGAS PBS SOURCE The Scorpion Tower, Miami Florida Borschberg and Piccard with Solar Impulse 2 in The Impossible Flight NOVA Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ...pushing the boundaries The Impossible Flight January 31 “of human flight and sending Follow two intrepid pilots as they take on a message about the poten- the greatest aviation adventure of our time, overcoming countless challenges as they con- tial for renewable energy.” struct and fly the first solar-powered air- plane around the world. They are pushing the Tesla: American Exprience boundaries of human flight and sending a Wednesday, January 31 at 11 p.m. message about the potential for renewable Meet Nikola Tesla, the genius engineer and energy.