Friday Smiles 478: Party Day

 

In looking over the comments from yesterday concerning PBS, I want to reiterate answers to a few comments I received.  

Mae wrote:

I'm very intrigued, and tried to find more info. Could you give the source of your dollar amounts for public broadcasting support? The source I read said Kansas has state funding at the level of $500,000.

Link: https://current.org/state-funding-guide/

Here was my reply:

Mae brought up a good point when she read we get $250 K a year from the state of Kansas (down from 500 K in 2021).  Here's what I learned:

The Kansas Public Broadcasting Council, which divides the amount among four public TV stations and five public radio stations following a formula similar to CPB’s. “It is also weighted to ensure that most goes to stations serving rural communities in Kansas,” said Debra Fraser, GM at KMUW in Wichita and chair of the Council.

The $250 K is spread over 4 TV and 5 radio stations.  The money must be divided among 9 entities.  I know my PBS station gets 50 K a year after everything has been divided because they tell us that every time they have a pledge drive which is four times a year.  They couldn't say it on camera if it wasn't correct! 

Kathy and Deb commented on local news.  My PBS station doesn't have local news.  They DO have BBC News Hour late at night, which is early the next morning in the UK.  But the only "local" stuff we get is when the President of the local PBS station interviews someone in the community.  That is NOT news, but an interview.  And, it is pre-recorded, I suspect. If we want "local news," we have to go to one of our local stations, which, in my area are ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.  

PBS got a new President in 2017.  The first thing he did was start a campaign to raise funds for a new building.  He thought the old building was appalling.  It had been a service station 40 years ago when KPTS purchased it.  He got a lot of heavy lifters from what I could tell when I went.  Some I know personally, too.  

Jeanie brought up a good point.  Their children's programs are above reproach.  In fact, they are so well loved, they are shown every morning on the main channel, but have their own 24 hour channel, too.  Although I didn't, I know some of you grew up watching Sesame Street.

Erika thought I was trying to compare PBS Passport to Prime.  I was NOT.  I DID, however compare it to Acorn, which, as I understand, you must be a member in good standing before you are offered a yearly rate.  At $6.99 (USD), that comes to $83.88/year as opposed to $75.00 (USD) a year for Passport.  And PBS has British dramas and mysteries too, including Doc Martin, Father Brown, Midsomer Murders, and my favorite, Death in Paradise.  However, since the rights to these British shows must be purchased separately, they are more expensive and are not included in Passport.  Fortunately, Vienna Blood, Endeavour (as I mentioned yesterday), Broadchurch, and other British shows are available through PBS Passport.  

You can tell I'm a mystery lover, so I mention  primarily mysteries.  However, there are ghost stories, scary stuff, and lots of romance, which I would never watch.  OK, I DO watch All Creatures Great and Small, but that is as mushy as I'll allow myself!

Now let me take you to the Party at PBS.  BTW, I took over 400 photos, so culling them down took awhile.

I forgot I had taken this personal invitation from my local PBS station. 

Sadly, it never closed properly again after I opened it.

As you can see, Wednesday was by invitation only.  As a member, which was yesterday, I could have gone again, but didn't need to RSVP my intentions.  It was a come and go type day, where the ribbon cutting and ceremony was a planned event for certain invited members only.

I was asked to take this photo.

Then it was time to go outside.  I chose to stay in where it was cool.  I wasn't comfortable going out in 100 F (~38 C ) heat.  The gentleman holding the door open was the President, 

  Victor Hogstrom, who is on the left in this photo I found on the KPTS website.

I shot this through the window

and this of Hogstrom starting the ceremonies.

This is the Executive Director of "PBS Kansas."  Hard to write, since I've known it as KPTS since I've lived in Wichita.

 

The man whose photo I took earlier, gave the invocation.

 

Out of over a dozen photos, I never got a good photo of the Wall of Giving.  Bleubeard and I will be on that wall soon.  I'll be notified when the plaque and others have been added to the wall.  Our names will stay on the wall for 25 years.  By that time, I'm sure Bleubeard will be in cat heaven.  Those who know me, know I never ever, ever want my last name anywhere in public.  Therefore, I will always be known as Bleubeard and Elizabeth.  Note my friend Emily Bonavia is on the wall.  More on her later.

Lots and lots of speeches later, it was finally time for the main event.  Please note that is my deformed hand showing in the glass as I took one final photo of the speeches.

Finally what everyone was waiting for.

I kept snapping away until I saw the ribbon break.  I even caught it mid air on my camera.

Next it was time to take a tour of the new facility

starting with the A & H Electric Inc. Staff Lounge.  I would have loved to have their refrigerator/freezer.  I'm always on the lookout for an affordable fridge with the freezer on the bottom.

 

This is my friend Richard Hess's office.  He is in charge of printed media.  Note his hat he has worn since I've known him.  Sorry this is so blurry.  I took several photos of his hat and something kept me from getting a good focus.

We had time to talk at the event, which was nice.  He used to be in charge of the North Riverside Newsletter, but he stepped down about the time I became less involved, too.  Management changes and cliques were why I became less active and involved.  Richard has worked for PBS for 41 years.

He is retiring in July.

 

I enjoyed peeking into the offices and how each person had decorated theirs.

These cubicles 

were left by the previous owners, Meritrust.  They are not in use at this time at PBS Kansas. 

More offices and how they were decorated. 

 

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the next room where I saw my friend Emily Bonavia's college photo on the wall.

 

I'm not surprised they gave her an office, since she gives so much.  For example, she is a Garvey, a very big name in Wichita. 

 

Of course, she is also responsible for the PBS Kansas Museum, which we will visit soon.

The photo above is the Garvey family when Emily's mother and father were still alive.  The Cochener-Garvey Children's Education and Discovery Center will be shown in a few photos from now.  Emily is second from the right behind her father.

This was the big conference room, where zoom meetings can be held.

The man who acted as our tour guide told us Meritrust donated (left behind) all the furniture because they didn't want to move it and so they could get new.

 

Some of the awards they have won.

 

 This is a smaller conference room.

This is the Bonavia Family Museum which holds more than 75 artifacts from 52 years of PBS Kansas history.

Included were three vintage studio cameras.

The final room before we went into the studio for a buffet, was the Cochener-Garvey Children's Education and Discovery Center which teaches STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) to children 2 to 10.  I'd love to hang out in this room myself!

Now I'm kicking myself for not taking photos in the green screen studio, where the buffet was held.  The food was incredible and each food donor tried to out do the next.  They had the biggest prawns I have ever seen (no less than 5 inches long) served in a spicy sauce, roast beef (I passed), salmon on some wonderful bed of greens and grapes, several slider sandwiches including a veggie slider, spring rolls, wontons, and the most incredible dessert that was shaped like a mouse on a homemade cookie.  Someone had some incredible piping skills. Trust me, I was impressed.  These restaurants really outdid themselves and I failed to get a single photo.  Besides champagne, which I declined, they had other drinks, but I had iced tea.  I was ready for some needed caffeine.

Thanks for sticking with me.  I was pretty impressed that I culled over 400 photos down to less than 50.  Those are my smiles this week.  Thanks for spending a bit of time with Bleubeard and me this Friday.  Now PLEASE visit Annie and don't forget to start your weekend with a smile.