Volume 9 Issue 4 April 2012

In This Issue

• Four regionally produced programs premiere this month on Western Reserve PBS, including Zoar Levee: To Preserve and Protect. Others tell the stories of vintage aircraft restorers, a Greek community’s devastation during the Holocaust and a plot to free Confederate soldiers from a Johnson’s Island prison

• Take a look behind the Queen of England’s three official residences

• Western Reserve PBS commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Titanic catastrophe

Western Reserve PBS • P.O. Box 5191 • Kent OH 44240-5191 • Call us at 1-800-554-4549 • Visit us online at www.WesternReservePBS.org

It’s Doo Wop Celebration V Time!Western Reserve Public Media presents this exciting concert event, to be held on Saturday, June 2, at 4 pm at Akron Civic Theatre. The lineup includes Charlie Thomas’ The Drifters, Gene Chandler and more. Call us today at 1-800-554-4549 for more information!

Local funding for history programming is provided by The Ruth H. Beecher Charitable Trust.

Zoar Levee: To Preserve and ProtectMonday, April 9, at 10:30 pm

Repeats Monday, April 16, at 1 am

also airs on Fusion on Thursday, April 12, at 9 pm

History is alive in the small Tuscarawas County village of Zoar, from the horses that still carry passengers through the town to the meticulously restored historic buildings.

Zoar was founded in 1817 by about 300 German religious dissenters. They purchased 5,000 acres of land in eastern Ohio and started building a communal society, with everyone contributing to the good of all villagers.

Now mainly a tourism destination, Zoar is fighting a natural adversary — water. A levee built in the 1930s was intended to preserve the village. Now evidence shows that the levee has the potential of failing, which could be disasterous for this community that is steeped in rich history.

There are essentially three courses of action to address the problem:

• Fix the levee, at an estimated cost of $100 million

• Move the village out of harm’s way

• Destroy the village following purchase of it by the federal government

In Zoar Levee: To Preserve and Protect, Western Reserve Public Media documents the historical significance and beauty of the village. The production also investigates the levee dilemma and how community members and the federal government are addressing it.

Bimeler Museum, view from the levee.

Regionally PRoduced PRogRams

The Queen’s PalacesSundays, April 1-15, at 7 pm

Repeats Wednesdays, April 4-18, at 3 am, and Fridays, April 6-20, at 10 pm

Also airs on Fusion on Mondays, April 2-16, at 8 pm and Saturdays, April 7-21, at 4 pm

Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse — these buildings have been part of British royal history for hundreds of years. The Queen’s Palaces showcases the art and architecture, the interior decoration and the treasures stored inside these fabulous buildings and reveals the surprising and fascinating stories behind them.

As host Fiona Bruce walks around the rooms and corridors, she captures the stories and histories of works of art and fine objects, so that each film marries the chronology of history and the pure delight of a walk around a beautiful interior.

Alongside the paintings by Holbein and Canaletto that hang on the palace walls, Bruce discovers the story behind a cat needlework panel at Holyroodhouse and finds the musket ball that killed Lord Nelson on display in Windsor Castle.

Royal Collection curators and experts give each program a mix of high-level insight and interesting and curious stories.

The Restorers — They Were All VolunteersWednesday, April 18, at 9 pm

Each year the famous Doolittle Tokyo Raiders from World War II reunite to remember their mission, their comrades and their heroic leader, Gen. James Doolittle.

In 2010, an extraordinary event took place. For the 68th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, 17 B-25 bomber crews volunteered to meet in Dayton, Ohio, in honor of the Raiders.

They Were All Volunteers is the first in Clevelander Adam White’s series, The Restorers. In this episode, follow a B-25 bomber from Minnesota as its all-volunteer crew stakes time, money and lives to fly it to the Dayton event.

Ash and Smoke: The Holocaust in SalonikaThursday, April 12, at 9 pm

Repeats Monday, April 23, at 1 am

also airs on Fusion on Thursday, April 19, at 8 pm

According to records of the Greek government, 56,500 Jewish citizens lived in the city of Salonika, Greece, on the eve of the Holocaust. By the end of December 1944, only three citizens remained.

Ash and Smoke: The Holocaust in Salonika examines the unique circumstances that contributed to this tragedy. Filmed on location in Thessaloniki (as Salonika is now known) and at the Auschwitz concentration camp, this documentary examines the factors that contributed to the demise of a Jewish community that had survived a thousand years. A Youngstown State University production by Dr. Saul S. Friedman and Robert D. Ault.

Rebels on Lake ErieMonday, April 23, at 10 pm

Repeats Sunday, April 29, at 7 pm

also airs on Fusion on Thursday, April 26, at 8 pm and Saturday, April 28, at 6 pm

In September 1864, a college-educated pirate from Virginia sailed out onto Lake Erie. He was intent on liberating Confederate officers imprisoned on Johnson’s Island, near Sandusky, Ohio.

Rebels on Lake Erie was written, directed and produced by University of Akron professor Dr. Kathleen Endres. It tells the story of young John Yates Beall and his abortive attempt to liberate the Confederate prisoner-of-war depot on Johnson’s Island.

History Circle Community CalendarA Fugitive’s Path: Escape on the Underground Railroad — Hale Farm and Village Select weekends through April from 6-9 pm 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath. Experience the trauma of those traveling the Underground Railroad. There is a fee for this event; reservations are required. For more information, call 330-666-3711 or visit www.wrhs.org.

“Shanghai Ghetto” Film Showing — Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage Wednesday, April 4, from 7-9 pm 2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood. Reveals uncommon views of Chinese and Jewish life between 1938 and 1941. There is a fee for this event. For more information, call 216-593-0575 or visit www.maltzmuseum.org.

Titanic: A Reappraisal With Expert Tad Fitch — Hudson Library and Historical Society Monday, April 9, at 7 pm 96 Library St., Hudson. Free event. For more information, call 330-653-6658, ext. 1010, or visit www.hudsonlibrary.org.

I Thee Wed: 100 Years of Bridal Fashion — William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum Saturday, April 14, from 10 am to 1:30 pm 800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW, Canton. There is a fee for this event; reservations are required. For more information, call 330-455-7043 or visit www.mckinleymuseum.org.

Screening of “Rebels on Lake Erie” — Quaker Square Inn Thursday, April 19, at 6:30 pm 135 S. Broadway, Akron. Dr. Kathleen Endres will present her new production, set to premiere this month on Western Reserve PBS. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Free event. For details, call 330-677-4549 or visit WesternReservePublicMedia.org.

Titanic With Len GoodmanTuesday, April 10, at 8 pm

Join Len Goodman, a judge on “Dancing With the Stars,” as he examines the 100-year legacy of the Titanic, exploring the human stories that unfolded in the years after the ship sank.

Goodman meets descendants of passengers and crew and hears how, for the families of many on board, the sinking was just the start of the story. He visits Belfast — the city where Titanic was built — and journeys to other towns left scarred by the tragedy.

100th Anniversary of Titanic Catastrophe

Saving the TitanicTuesday, April 10, at 9:30 pm

The RMS Titanic sank less than three hours after striking an iceberg on April 14, 1912. Everyone knows about the many deaths in the icy waters, the fates of the rich and famous on the ship’s maiden voyage and the dramas that played out in the Titanic’s last hours.

What is less known is how a team of shipbuilders and engineers attempted to save the stricken vessel. One hundred years after the sinking of the vessel considered unsinkable, Saving the Titanic is the untold story of the self-sacrifice and dignity of the ship’s engineers, stokers and firemen in the face of impending death.

Titanic Belfast: Birthplace of a LegendTuesday, April 10, at 10:30 pm Also airs on Fusion on Monday, April 9, at 7 pm

The tragic end of Titanic is well known. Not as well known is the story of its origin, how and why it was built and by whom. This film gives many of these details.

Titanic Belfast: Birthplace of a Legend traces Belfast’s emergence as a shipbuilding powerhouse in the early 19th century, primarily in the form of the Harland and Wolff shipyard. In 1907, the White Star Line awarded Harland and Wolff a contract to construct three superb steam liners that would hit new heights in terms of passenger safety, comfort, style and sheer size.

Seldom-seen images of Titanic during its construction and preparation for launch are included in this new look at the doomed ship. Interviews were filmed at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The film also looks at the emerging Titanic museum in Belfast.

APRIL 2012 • HISToRY PRoGRAMMInG

The Queen’s PalacesSundays, April 1-15, at 7 pm

Wednesdays, April 4-18, at 3 am

Fridays, April 6-20, at 10 pm

Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Sundays at 8 pm

Wednesdays at 2 am

American Masters, Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel

Monday, April 2, at 9 pm

American Masters, Harper Lee: Hey, Boo

Monday, April 2, at 10 pm

Grand Coulee Dam; American Experience

Tuesday, April 3, at 9:30 pm

Clarence John Laughlin: An Artist With a Camera

Friday, April 6, at 9 pm

The Eighth Wonder: The Waterloo Wonders

Monday, April 9, at 1 am

Zoar Levee: To Preserve and Protect

Monday, April 9, at 10:30 pm

Monday, April 16, at 1 am

Titanic With Len GoodmanTuesday, April 10, at 8 pm

Western Reserve Public Media 1750 Campus Center Dr. P.O. Box 5191 Kent, OH 44240-5191 1-800-554-4549

P B SA service of Western Reserve Public Media A service of Western Reserve Public Media

Digital channels: 45.1 (WNEO) and 49.1 (WEAO)Armstrong Cable: Channels 12 and 113

Clear Picture: Channels 9 and 602Comcast (Youngstown): Channel 813Massillon Cable: Channels 2 and 602

Time Warner Cable: Channels 10 or 12; for more information about HD channel designations, visit twcguide.com or call Time Warner

Digital channels: 45.2 (WNEO) and 49.2 (WEAO)Armstrong Cable: Channel 416

Clear Picture: Channel 84Massillon Cable: Channel 84

Time Warner Cable: Channel 993

Great Romances of the 20th Century

Sundays and Fridays at 7 pm

mondays at 9 pm

Thursday, April 19, at 10:30 pm

Signs of the TimeMonday, April 2, at 7 pm

The Queen’s PalacesMondays, April 2-16, at 8 pm

Saturdays, April 7-21, at 4 pm

The Eighth Wonder: The Waterloo Wonders

Thursday, April 5, at 8 pm

Akron Women: Another Look at History

Thursday, April 5, at 9 pm

Saturday, April 7, at 6 pm

Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Saturdays at 3 pm

Titanic Belfast: Birthplace of a Legend

Monday, April 9, at 7 pm

Zoar Levee: To Preserve and Protect

Thursday, April 12, at 9 pm

The Front Porch PresidentThursday, April 12, at 9:30 pm

Saving the TitanicTuesday, April 10, at 9:30 pm

Titanic Belfast: Birthplace of a Legend

Tuesday, April 10, at 10:30 pm

Ash and Smoke: The Holocaust in Salonika

Thursday, April 12, at 9 pm

Monday, April 23, at 1 am

The Front Porch PresidentMonday, April 16, at 1:30 am

American Masters, John Muir in the new World

Monday, April 16, at 10 pm

The Restorers: They Were All Volunteers

Wednesday, April 18, at 9 pm

Rebels on Lake ErieMonday, April 23, at 10 pm

Sunday, April 29, at 7 pm

The Crash of 1929: American Experience

Tuesday, April 24, at 8 pm

Heart of a nation: America’s First Ladies

Monday, April 30, at 1 am

The Birth of ohio StadiumSaturday, April 14, at 6 pm

The Reconstruction of Asa Carter

Monday, April 16, at 10 pm

Ash and Smoke: The Holocaust in Salonika

Thursday, April 19, at 8 pm

Generations: Cuyahoga Valley national Park

Thursday, April 19, at 9 pm

Saturday, April 21, at 6 pm

Shiloh: Fiery TrialMonday, April 23, at 10 pm

Steamboats on the Red: A Story of Buccaneers and Robber Barons

Thursday, April 26, at 7 pm

Sunday, April 29, at 1:30 pm

Rebels on Lake ErieThursday, April 26, at 8 pm

Saturday, April 28, at 6 pm

Inventive, Industrious, Inspired: A History of Akron

Thursday, April 26, at 9 pm

Clarence John Laughlin: An Artist With a Camera

Saturday, April 28, at 4 pm