Since 1967, WSBE has been committed to the principle of lifelong learning. Thatcommitment is at the core of everything we do. We educate, inform, enrich, andinspire our viewers of all ages to WSBE more.

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICEREPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

IN 2016, WSBE PROVIDED THESE KEY SERVICES

As both guides and explorers on the journey of lifelong learning, we produce and present content that speaks to issues that affect our community. KEY PRODUCTIONS:• Community Conversations |

Prescription Drug Abuse • Our Town: West Warwick

and Our Town: WesterlyKEY COLLABORATIONS:• Kids’ Mental Health: Road

Map to Stronger Minds • Bridging the Divide: Fixing

the Skills Gap • Lifting Up Children and

Families

LOCALVALUE

LOCALSERVICE

LOCALIMPACT

EXPLORING POSSIBILITIES, CHEERING ACHIEVEMENT

In addition to the new and exciting projects in 2016, WSBE also featured continuing content - snapshots of local life that are the bedrock of our value to the community. We shine the Rhode Island Spotlight on small organizations achieving big results, spark lively debate and commentary about local politics on A Lively Experiment, and provide professional advice from the tax planning and preparation experts since 1978.

WSBE reflects and services the issues and topics our community says are important.

AN INTEGRAL PART OF RI’S CULTURAL TAPESTRY

Delivering information and viewpoints with a local focus, WSBE gives voice to groups and stories that may not otherwise be heard.

In 2016, WSBE celebrated its 7th year of Rhode Island Stories. From an overnight stay in former slave quarters in North Kingstown, to exploring biodiversity in wetlands and tidal pools in Narragansett, to the care and nurturing of children of incarcerated parents, WSBE discovered and shared stories that matter to our community because these stories come from our community.

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

COMMUNITY ISSUES THAT MATTER

Healthy children mean a healthy future. But when one in five Rhode Island children has a diagnosable mental illness, what are we doing to ensure our children’s mental health?

In Kids’ Mental Health: A Road Map to Stronger Minds, four distinct voices in the field examined the

tough and often complex questions and answers, in hopes of helping parents and providers navigate Rhode Island’s mental health care system for children: Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health; Dr. Gregory Fritz, president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and academic director of Bradley Hospital; Dr. Elizabeth Lowenhaupt, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Rhode Island Hospital and president of the Rhode Island Council for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and Lisa Conlan Lewis, executive director of the Parent Support Network of Rhode Island.

The conversation, presented by the Rhode Island Foundation, was inspired by “Child, Interrupted,” a story in the May issue of Rhode Island Monthly magazine that delves into the state’s pediatric mental health care system. The print story focuses on a boy named Conor, whose mental illness went undiagnosed for much of his childhood. Conor’s mom, Shana, said, “Throughout all of this, I’ve never felt so alone. And if talking about it is going to make one person in a similar situation feel less alone, it’s worth it.”

In no small part, that sentiment inspired Kids’ Mental Health: A Road Map to Stronger Minds, a conversation about our deteriorating mental health system, trauma, stigma and ways to help families in need. During the one-hour program, parents, caregivers, educators, and other interested viewers were invited to call in and consult peer mentors — parents of children with mental illness — about strategies for working with schools, advice on treatment options, and resources available through the Parent Support Network.

Moderated by Casey Nilsson, associate editor at Rhode Island Monthly, the discussion was taped before a studio audience of parents, mental health advocates, and members of the community. In the final segment, panelists answered questions from the audience, and questions submitted in advance by e-mail.

“Rhode Island is home to the first - and nationally-acclaimed - hospital dedicated to child and adolescent psychiatry, yet still faces a dire shortage of child psychiatrists,” said John J. Palumbo, president and publisher of Rhode Island Monthly. “Rhode Island is still a place where health insurance and insurance providers dictate the type and length of care. It’s still a place where the child and adolescent mental health system remains in crisis. We’re pleased to collaborate with the Rhode Island Foundation and Rhode Island PBS to bring these issues to the table for Mental Health Awareness month,” Palumbo added.

“Rhode Island PBS remains committed to producing local content that is relevant to our community,” said David W. Piccerelli, Rhode Island PBS president. “Televising important conversations like this one provides immediate benefit to families looking for information about accessing children’s mental health services. It also has long-range benefits by raising awareness, raising questions that set remedies and policies in motion to address the issues surrounding children’s mental illness.”

HELPING PARENTS NAVIGATE OUR PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

“If talking about it is going to make one person in a similar situation feel less alone, it’s worth it.”

Shana, mother of a child with mental illness

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

COMMUNITY ISSUES THAT MATTER

As of June 2016, more than 30,000 Rhode Islanders didn’t have jobs and were actively trying to find work, according to the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT). At the same time, some Rhode Island employers say they can’t find qualified workers to fill their job vacancies. This divide is known as the ‘skills gap.’

In September 2016, Rhode Island PBS presented Bridging the Divide: Fixing the Skills Gap in Rhode Island, a one-hour interactive discussion moderated by Jennifer McCaffery, associate editor of Rhode Island Monthly magazine. The show was inspired in part by McCaffery’s article, “Minding the Gap,” which focused on the skills gap between education and workforce, and the efforts to narrow that divide.

In a second collaboration in 2016 between the Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Monthly, and Rhode Island PBS, Bridging the Divide: Fixing the Skills Gap in Rhode Island brought together academic, private business, and government interests on one stage to frame the issues, explore solutions, and consider strategies and plans for remediation. 

Panelists were Dr. Meghan Hughes, president of the Community College of Rhode Island, Scott Jensen, director of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Joe Devine, partner of Bridge Technical Talent, and Mario Bueno, executive director of Progreso Latino.

In the final quarter hour of the program, panelists answered questions from audience members, or questions submitted in advance by e-mail.

“Televising important conversations like this one helps inform the public about  issues that affect the economic growth and prosperity of all Rhode Islanders,” said David W. Piccerelli, president of WSBE Rhode Island PBS. “Our role - our mission - is to be the educational platform in the community where awareness and questions are raised. That’s how remedies and policies are set in motion to address the issues in meaningful, effective ways.”

The conversation was taped before a studio audience a week before broadcast, permitting panelists and audience to participate in a “Twitter party” that saw the hashtag “skillsgap” trend for the hour the show aired.

SPANNING SKILLS ISSUES FROM ACADEMIC, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT VIEWS

Panel (l - r): Joe Devine, Mario Bueno, Meghan Hughes, Scott Jensen, Jen McCaffery.

2016 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

COMMUNITY ISSUES THAT MATTER

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

For those who suffer illness or injury, medications that relieve debilitating pain are miracles of modern science. But the dark side of the miracle looms larger and more dangerous than anyone could have predicted just a decade ago. Nationally and locally, we face rampant epidemics of both opioid addiction and overdose - not of street drugs acquired in back alleys, but of medications prescribed for legitimate reasons by trusted doctors.

So, how did we get here? More importantly, what can we do about this health crisis that is devastating families and communities, taxing an over-stressed health care system, and threatening public safety?

These questions and more were examined from the medical, social, and legislative perspectives on in June in a special Rhode Island PBS production, Prescription Drug Abuse on Community Conversations. Panelists answered questions from the studio audience during the live broadcast.

United States Senator for Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse discussed the recently passed Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act he coauthored with Senator Ron Portman of Ohio.

“In Rhode Island, I’ve seen addiction touch people in all walks of life, reach communities big and small, and claim far too many lives,” Senator Whitehouse said upon the bill’s passage. “This bill treats addiction like the illness it is. The bill will help states give law enforcement officers, health care providers, family members, and all those on the front lines of this battle a better shot at success,” said Whitehouse.

Also on the panel were Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, chief medical officer at the RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH); Papatya Tankut, R.Ph. vice president of pharmacy affairs at CVS Health; and Fred Trapassi, Jr., vice president of Rhode Island programming at Phoenix House.

Prescription Drug Abuse was made possible by CVS Health, and is a public affairs presentation of Community Conversations, a Rhode Island PBS series about issues that impact our individual and collective well-being and quality of life in Rhode Island.

Panel (l - r): Fred Trapassi, Elinore McCance-Katz, Papatya Tankut, Sheldon Whitehouse, and moderator Nicole Muri.

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

STORIES OF IMPACT

In June, Rhode Island PBS presented Lifting Up Children and Families: Child Welfare in the Ocean State.

In three segments, three different panels examined services provided by the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Rhode Island Public Radio health care reporter Kristin Gourlay moderated the one-hour special. Off camera, volunteers staffed the phone bank to answer viewer questions about child welfare or foster care.

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTIONThe first segment focused on child abuse prevention and community-based resources, with (right to left) Jamia McDonald, chief strategy officer for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and acting director of DCYF, Rob Archer from Child & Family, and Anne Murphy, a Child Protective Services investigator for DCYF.

FOSTER CARE SYSTEMIn segment two, the conversation turned to Rhode Island’s foster care system and featured (right to left) Lisa Guillette from Foster Forward, and foster parent Mary DiBiase from Providence. Over the years, Mary supported more than 20 foster children, and adopted six. One of those children, Mary’s adopted daughter April Patrick, joined the panel.

THE FUTURE OF CHILD WELFAREThe third segment took a look at the future of the state’s child welfare system. Jamia McDonald returned to the panel, and was joined by Chris Behan from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Rhode Island Kids Count’s Elizabeth Burke Bryant.

Between the in-studio segments, foster children shared comments about their experiences in foster care.

LIFTING UP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES - CHILD WELFARE IN THE OCEAN STATE

Our Town is a Rhode Island PBS community project started in 2014 based on the successful series pioneered at WPSU a decade ago.

With the slogan, “Your voice, your vision,” Rhode Island PBS launched the project to encourage residents of Rhode Island’s 31 towns to become storytellers and filmmakers, to share the charm and character of their

towns and villages. In addition, project goals of Our Town are also to build community among residents and businesses, and to connect Rhode Island PBS to the community in a meaningful way.

After the first documentary, Our Town: Glocester premiered in December 2014, it was followed by two more in 2015: North Kingstown (September 2015) and Portsmouth (December 2015), and the most recent two for 2016: West Warwick (September) and Westerly (December). From meetings with town officials, business owners, and residents of West Warwick and Westerly, a core group of storytellers emerged from each town, who selected the topics and arranged filming. Rhode Island PBS provided technical and moral support throughout, and edited the story segments together into a one-hour documentary for each town.

The residents and friends involved in the production were invited to the studio to watch the films in private advance screenings, and were invited to be in the studio to talk about their project experiences and volunteer to answer phones during the fund raising premieres.

WEST WARWICK STORIES

Among the stories that appeared in the film is about “The Divide” that occurred in 1913, when the struggle between a strong Republican leadership in Warwick and a group of Democratic businessmen in West Warwick resulted in a “revolt” of sorts, led by a prominent mill owner.

Other segments include:

“The Mills,” the cornerstone of life in West Warwick in the early 1900s, providing income, housing, and fulfilling the American dream for many different immigrant populations.

“Bradford Soap Works,” the world’s largest custom manufacturer of specialty bar soap, and one of the oldest manufacturers in operation in Rhode Island.

“The House on Maple” features excerpts of a book written by life-long West Warwick resident, Edna Butler Holdsworth, read by her descendants. The book describes Edna’s life as a daughter of immigrant mill workers in the heart of a West Warwick mill community.

“St. James Church” traces one family’s history with the church from its early years to its closing. Also, “The Railroad” recounts the connection generations of one West Warwick family had to the railroad; “Hometown Hero” profiles George Luz, a member of the Army’s Airborne division eventually the HBO mini-series, Band of Brothers. Plus, stories about “Union Cornet Band”; “The Jaycees”; how the current library system was established; the role theater played in the town’s early history; as well as stories about the fire and police departments, and historical society.

OUR TOWN: WEST WARWICK

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

95-year-old Edna Butler Holdsworth and her nephews Ed and John and niece Roberta, watching Our Town: West Warwick at the Cedar Crest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Cranston.

See previous page for full story about the Our Town project.

WESTERLY STORIES

Babcock-Smith House Museum is a Georgian mansion built around 1734 for Dr. Joshua Babcock, one of RI’s most accomplished residents. In 1845 the Babcock mansion was

sold to Orlando Smith, who found an outcropping of granite on the former farm site and moved and expanded his granite business to the top of the hill. Smith family members lived in the house until the 1970s.

Westerly Masons have had a chapter in Westerly since 1857. The Masons were the cornerstone, literally, for many of the town’s buildings. Currently housed in a late-19th century mansion on Elm Street, the Masons give us a behind-the-scenes look at their historic home, as well as a glimpse into their past: who they are, what they do, and their history in the town of Westerly.

Westerly Memorial Library Association was established in 1892 to provide a war memorial and free library to the community. The Westerly Library and Wilcox Park were built to serve the residents of Westerly, Pawcatuck, and surrounding areas. This segment takes a look at the library’s stunning architecture and how this free community service has grown and evolved over the years. Wilcox Park was designed in 1898 as a Victorian strolling park. It holds a collection of war memorials, is 15 acres of open space, and is currently used for community events.

Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round highlights the preservation of the carousel left behind by a traveling carnival more than 100 years ago. One of the first of its kind in the country, the flying horse carousel is now one of the last.

Westerly Revitalization and Chuck Royce profiles the effort to transform the downtown into a vibrant destination, now bustling with businesses and foot traffic, as well as centers for theater and the arts. Westerly Packing describes the five-generation Trombino family business making Italian sausage using old family recipes from more than 100 years ago, and turning the corner store to a national business.

Westerly - Stonington Football Rivalry, dating back more than 100 years, running deep through generations of high school football players, fans, and even just residents of these two towns. Separated only by the Pawcatuck River, the towns of Westerly, Rhode Island, and Stonington, Connecticut, are close knit: many families live in one town and work in the other. But when it comes to football, the rivalry is fierce.

Plus, segments featuring the Westerly Land Trust; Westerly Hospital; School Successes; and a January to December calendar of Annual Events that bring and keep together the year-round residents of this coastal resort town.

OUR TOWN: WESTERLY

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

Every year since 1978, members of the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants (RISCPA) have shared their tax preparation expertise with viewers, helping our audience

save money - and headaches - when filing income tax returns.

In 2016, in an effort to reach as many viewers as possible, our experts made their presentations in short interviews that aired throughout the day and evening

between regular programs. These informative segments featured tips, tax law updates, and planning strategies, in interstitials that were about three minutes in length. A full one-hour special of extended interviews premiered on April 7. The segments were:

Tracy Hess, CPA from Piccerelli, Gilstein & Company, LLP discusses education tax credits.

Jacquelyn H. Tracy, CPA from Mandel & Tracy, LLC discusses individual income tax issues.

Michael Colucci, CPA from Piccerelli, Gilstein & Company, LLP discusses business expenses and practices.

Ray Marchak, CPA from DiSanto, Priest & Company discusses how to increase standard deductions.

Gregory Porcaro, CPA from Otrando Porcaro & Associates discusses changes in this year’s tax code.

Jim Goldman, CPA from Goldman & Company discusses financial wellness for seniors

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

YEAR-ROUND FILM FESTIVAL AT HOME

In a collaboration between the RI Film and Television Office, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Rhode Island PBS, a new weekly series showcases the art of the short film and the artists who create them. Flickers doubleFEATURE presents some of the award-winning short films that have premiered or screened at the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and introduce audiences to the filmmakers and other creatives who work behind the camera lens. A blend of short films, animations, and documentaries, the one-hour block features a fluid compilation each week.

MONEY-SAVING TIPS FROM LOCAL TAX EXPERTS

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

RHODE ISLAND CLASSROOM 2016

Rhode Island Classroom is the periodic Rhode Island PBS production that introduces viewers to stand-out teachers who are inspiring our students, break-through courses offered in area schools, and new, exciting programs that are motivating students to succeed.

2016’s episode visited with Jim Purcell, commissioner of postsecondary education, to discuss higher e du c at i on in Rhode

Island, new funding initiatives proposed by the governor, and how those might be implemented.

In another segment, Rhode Island Classroom reports on the aftermath of the recent string of bomb threats at RI schools. The segment includes a demonstration by the state police bomb-sniffing K-9 unit. Also, a psychologist suggests ways parents can talk to their children who may be frightened after a bomb threat and evacuation at school.

Finally, Rhode Island Classroom heads to the water’s edge to see local schoolchildren in a program of hands-on environmental education in collaboration with Save The Bay. Dr. Jim Purcell, Commissioner of Postsecondary

Education in Rhode Island

In honor of local veterans, Rhode Island PBS attended the screening of Remember Pearl Harbor at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. The screening was sponsored by the World War II Foundation, and Rhode Island PBS staffed an informational table at the November 13 event. After the screening, there was a Q&A session with the filmmaker and decendants of veterans in the film.

Part of the station’s November-long on-air presentation of World War II documentaries by local filmmaker Tim Gray, founder of the World War II Foundation, and featuring the stories of local veterans, the tribute culminated in the broadcast premiere of Remember Pearl Harbor on December 7, the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Among the documentaries presented in November were three Emmy-award-winning documentaries Navy Heroes of Normandy, Omaha Beach: Honor and Sacrifice, and The American St. Nick, as well as the television premiere of Uncle Jack: The Manhattan Project and Beyond.

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

LOCAL VOICES, LOCAL IMPACT

In 1976, Joyce Haskett was convicted of murder and spent 17 years in prison. Her children were 6 and 8 years old. Ten years into her sentence, her oldest son, then 18, was sentenced to life in prison. She couldn’t save her own child, but she has dedicated her life to helping the ones she can. Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated is a feature documentary film that tells the story of three children whose fathers are imprisoned at the Rhode Island

Adult Correctional Institution, and the woman whose research is trying to break the cycle of incarceration.

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, 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 chronicled the 2013 event in a half-hour documentary.

Dr. Jon Marcoux (far left in photo) and three of his students in the Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historic Preservation program at Salve Regina University joined historian and preservationist Joseph McGill for an overnight stay at Smith’s Castle in North Kingstown, RI. It was no usual sightseeing tour; they did it for a close-up examination of where slaves lived on the site in the 17th and 18th centuries. Robert Geake, historian and docent at Smith’s Castle, led the small group through a fascinating but little-told recounting of life on the farm, including how items like cheese and cider were produced by enslaved laborers, all of whom slept in the locked attic of the house. This story and the students’ tour was documented in a film called Where They Slept.

RHODE ISLAND STORIES

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

KIDS + RHODE ISLAND PBS = LEARNING FUN

Rhode Island PBS and the Audubon Society of RI partnered for the Earth Day Extravaganza, part of a week-long series of events at the Audubon Educational Center. Featuring the PBS animated series Cyberchase, the special Rhode Island PBS Kids Club event included coloring pages and earth science activity sheets. Other activities included exploring the seashore with nets and buckets, making a natural craft, an outdoor scavenger hunt, and exploring artifacts at the biofacts table.

Rhode Island PBS visited Thomasland at Edaville USA for their first ever Autism Weekend. Families traveled significant distances specifically to come to this weekend event of sensory-friendly displays. We met families from Georgia, New York, Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, plus Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We distributed Thomas-themed items to children and literature to parents and staff from other organizations on-site with us who work with autistic children and their families. In all, we distributed more than 300 sets of stickers, a pencil, a bookmark, badges, and postcard, as well as other handouts. It’s always fun to be part of an event that brings joy to children and lets us get in front of parents, but it was especially great to be part of such a meaningful weekend for so many families.

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

IN THE COMMUNITY

For the third year, Rhode Island PBS, the Rhode Island Blood Center, and the Rhode Island Community Food Bank partnered to create a special summertime giving opportunity that enabled the three organizations to better serve our communities.

Promoting the Blood + Food Drive drive through the organizations’ networks, social media, and in the business park where both the Food Bank and Rhode Island PBS are located, the public was invited to donate blood and (or) a non-perishable food item. The event, held in August, sported the slogan, “GIVEfest: because these needs never take a vacation.”

Held in the parking lot of the RICFB around the corner from Rhode Island PBS studios, Food Bank staff accepted food items to help feed the 63,000 Rhode Islanders who visit various food pantries across the state each month. This event was planned to coincide with the Food Bank’s Summer Food Drive to collect 150,000 pounds of food by August 31.

SUMMER SERVICE NEIGHBORS: BECAUSE THESE NEEDS NEVER TAKE A VACATION

2015 LOCAL CONTENT AND SERVICE REPORT

FROM OUR VIEWERS

MESSAGES FROM OUR VIEWERS

12/13/2016Dear Mr. Piccerelli and Rhode Island PBS,I wish to commend you all on your programming and especially the “cartoon ad” on being LGBTQ... Very clear, poignant and timely. Such common sense in a light, natural and cute way... It’s a gem. Gratefully, a grateful watcher on Cape Cod Pem S (member of PFLAG, also)

9/13/16Dear friends,I enjoyed “Straight No Chaser

” recently and last nite the... man

“Yacov” explaining the different needs of men from women. Very

different and refreshing program... So, thanks for your offer

ings with

an extra gift! Love,

Doris

April 15, 2016

Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of our Veteran patients for the

donation of books and magazines... Rhode Island PBS is familiar to the Veteran

population of this area for its high standard of quality programming; it will now

also be known as a benefactor to them...Department of Veterans Affairs

Providence

3 - 8 - 16I much appreciate your schedule of British shows - particularly your Masterpiece repeats with daytime hours for us oldsters who go to bed early and don’t record...

Natalie B.