Legacy Amendment

Pioneer Public Television Legacy Productions seek to explore and preserve the arts, history and cultural heritage of western Minn. We intend to enhance existing programs, acquire new content, develop new productions and ascertain community needs and interests regarding these programs.

Local arts, history and cultural heritage productions of Pioneer Public Television are funded in part by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money from the vote of the people of Minn. on November 4, 2008. This amendment to the Minn. Constitution, Article XI, Section 15 is commonly referred to as the Legacy Amendment. As a result of this vote, Pioneer Public Television and other public media across Minn. are entrusted to support the overall goals of the Legacy Amendment and to help preserve Minn. arts, history and cultural heritage, while making the content readily available to viewers like you.

Pioneer Public Television is excited to be able to provide you with quality legacy programming through local series and documentaries, while also featuring this legacy content online. You can help Pioneer out by taking the legacy survey here.

SERIES

Postcards
Postcards travels through western Minn. to explore its rich and diverse arts, history and cultural heritage. Postcards premiered in 2010 and captures the lives of many local artists and relives the cultural history of our viewing area. This program not only educates and informs viewers about our region and the gifted individuals who call this region home, but it also gives these individuals the opportunity to increase their exposure. Postcards has given Pioneer the unique opportunity to tell the stories of many historical and cultural aspects of Minn. and beyond, archiving stories that may one day be lost if they're left untold.

Prairie Sportsman
Though a seasoned favorite on Pioneer Public TV, Prairie Sportsman will utilize some of the funds made available by the Legacy Amendment to enhance the content focusing on the arts, history or cultural heritage associated with natural resources and outdoor sports in Minn. Prairie Sportsman explores unique and interesting stories throughout the area. The upper Midwest today is still an area that marks its seasons by the string of opening days from fishing opener to the deer opening. We mark the years and pass on the heritage to the others – the sons and daughters who will carry on the outdoor lifestyle for all of us. Prairie Sportsman espouses the outdoors lifestyle that we feel must be passed on to the next generation.

Prairie Yard and Garden
A portion of the funds allocated to Pioneer Public TV as a result of the Legacy Amendment of 2008 will be used to enhance Prairie Yard & Garden with new content focusing on the arts, history or cultural heritage associated with outdoor historic sites, hobbies, food production, horticulture and gardening in Minn. Each season Prairie Yard & Garden travels the state to meet with researchers, gardening and nursery professionals, educators and ordinary backyard gardeners to discuss specific issues in horticulture, landscaping and a host of topics in gardening. Prairie Yard & Garden is a production of the University of Minn., Morris and has grown into one of Minn.'s top resources for gardening information.

SPECIALS/DOCUMENTARIES

Our State Parks: Minnesota River Sensations
The second installment in Great Minn. Parks, Our State Parks: Minn. River Sensations will explore parks of the Upper Minnesota River including Big Stone, Upper Sioux Agency, Lac Qui Parle and Fort Ridgley.

Honor Flight Southwest Minnesota
Honor Flight Southwest Minn. tells the story of more than 100 World War II Minn. veterans who were invited to make the journey to the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. As honored guests on this April 2010 trip, they encountered many special people—including hundreds of active duty service personnel, younger veterans and school children—who despite the passing of many years want simply to say "thank you" to the veterans for their military service. Honor Flight documents this once-in-a-lifetime trip of these veterans, telling many of their stories along the way.

Great Minnesota Parks
Great Minn. Parks takes you on a journey through some of the finest parks in western Minn., from Sibley State Park to Blue Mounds State Park and many in between. This tour of western Minn.'s finest parks begins with our first installment as Great Minn. Parks explores the history of Sibley State Park near New London, the unique sites of Blue Mounds Sate Park of Luverne, the ecosystems of Lake Carlos State Parks and the Minn. River Parks of Renville County near Alexandria as well as the preservation of Ramsey Park in Redwood Falls, the largest city park in Minn.

Volstead Fever: Prohibition in Minnesota
Volstead Fever: Prohibition in Minn. adds local flavor as a complement to the Ken Burns PBS production Prohibition. Prohibition, the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1920-1933), prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import or export of alcoholic beverages. Upon ratification of the amendment by the states, Congress voted its approval in October 1919 and enacted it into law as the National Prohibition Act of 1920. Andrew Volstead represented western Minnesota in Congress and played a significant role in the war on­ alcohol in the 1920s as author of the federal prohibition law commonly known as "The Volstead Act."  This production features Volstead, Schell's Brewery of New Ulm and the Silver Dollar Bar in Ghent, Minn.

Pioneer Presents
Pioneer Public Television features local and regional musicians in concert on Pioneer Presents, a locally-produced music series to air on Saturday evenings throughout the summer of 2011.  Minnesota is home to a vast range of musical talent. Pioneer Presents features a wide variety of music styles.  Indeed, variety is the word that best describes this concert series, with 30-minute performances ranging from a full concert band (Minnesota Army National Guard Band) to 17-year old singer/songwriter Carrie Sorensen from Detroit Lakes.

Promise of the Prairie: Education in Three Acts
Legacy funds were used for production support and acquisition of this documentary by Pioneer's long-standing production partner, the University of Minn., Morris. Promise of the Prairie explores three very different educational institutions that have all made their home on the same plot of land. Mother Mary Joseph of the Sisters of Mercy first broke the prairie ground, establishing an American Indian boarding school in 1887. The University of Minn. opened an agriculture high school in 1910, erecting simple, sturdy prairie school buildings for teenagers learning modern farming practices. Fifty years later, in 1960, the University's unique, new public liberal arts college brought young adults to the rural campus, eager to question and create, to analyze and investigate. Responding to national policies, societal ideals and contemporary movements and needs, each individual institution reflects its time. Collectively, they form a microcosm of America, informing an understanding of the past, an appreciation for the present and an expectation for the future.

Scandinavian Christmas Traditions
A 60-minute dining and musical adventure into the culture of Minnesotans who have their ancestral roots in Norway. For decades, Dennis and Carole Johnson of Morris have been hosting Norwegian dinner parties for their friends. Now Pioneer Public Television is invited into the Johnson home for a Norwegian feast complete with music and dancing around the holiday tree!

Web
Pioneer Public Television provides value-added content to our existing website and its webpages. Information on the arts, history and cultural heritage of Minn. can be found through the website, particularly on webpages relating to legacy productions from website links to featured artists, historians and cultural heritage information to local productions streamed online through Pioneer OnDemand and more.

FUTURE LEGACY INITIATIVES

Future legacy productions will continually evolve based on community input and production planning. Many legacy initiatives are in production phases or, like fiscal year 2013 initiatives, are in planning stages.

Music Specials
Pioneer Public Television music specials will feature area musicians and bands with local roots. From the soulful sounds of jazz to the strumming of acoustic guitars and the heart of bluegrass beats, Pioneer will produce music specials for your viewing, and listening, pleasure.

Interstitials
Pioneer Public Television will reformat broadcast program content to present short segments, usually 30 seconds long. In an effort to increase visibility of Pioneer Legacy Productions and content, these interstitials will be placed throughout the broadcast schedule.

VIEWER FEEDBACK

We are looking for story ideas or suggestions. Do you know an artist, musician or history buff who would like to showcase their talents on Pioneer? Maybe you have a friend or family member who likes to document family history. Perhaps this would be of interest to others here in western Minn.

CONTACT INFORMATION

You can contact Les Heen via email at yourtv@pioneer.org or call 1-800-726-3178. You can also send inquiries by U.S. Mail: Pioneer Public Television, 120 W. Schlieman Ave., Appleton, Minn. 56208.

Legislative Coordinating Commission: http://www.legacy.leg.mn/about-funds/administering-agencies/legislative-coordinating-commission