Letter from the President, Renee Radcliff Sinclair
Welcome to fall! (view in pdf)
One of the things I enjoy about the autumn months is an energetic election season. And although 2021 is a year of local elections, and TVW’s focus is primarily on state issues and races, we are pleased to be partnering once again this year with the Washington State Debate Coalition to bring you two debates focused on Seattle’s mayoral race. By the time you read this, the first of these debates will be available on TVW.org. and the second will be coming to you live on Thursday, October 28, at 7 pm. Because so many issues impacting Seattle — from the ability to move goods and services to public safety and access to health care — touch the rest of our state, we are pleased to be able to bring you these discussions and proud to partner, once again, with the Washington State Debate Coalition to do so.
Autumn is also a time of looking forward for TVW. As we gear up for the 2022 sessions of the Legislature and Supreme Court, there are still a lot of unknowns around the nature of those sessions. But, without question, TVW is ready to provide access to your state government whether those sessions are live and in person or virtual. We are ready.
And, as we move toward the new year, I encourage you to keep your eye on TVW.org. We have some exciting new changes coming soon that you’re going to want to become very familiar with prior to January!
Finally, TVW wouldn’t exist without the regular and ongoing support of our programming sponsors and viewers like you who support our work. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring Washington’s government remains open and accessible to our state’s citizens. We value your partnership.
Mike Bay, Vice President, Programming
The time between legislative sessions, referred to at the State Capitol simply as “the interim,” is when TVW hits the road around Washington and works on programs that we don’t have time to work on when the Legislature is in town. Most of these programs serve as “fillers” between our legislative and state government programming. For example, a meeting scheduled for two hours only goes 1:43 – how to fill the remaining 17 minutes?
The answer is, some of the more fun and educational programs TVW is privileged to produce. This interim, here’s what we’ve been working on – some of which are already on the air:
- Washington Road Trip. We’re refreshing this series to focus on Washington’s counties. Our state has 39 of them, which are incredibly diverse in terms of geography, population, and more. Watch for these when the 2022 legislative session kicks off in January.
Field Report. Host Angela Nolasco has been traveling around Washington gathering video and interviews. Coming soon, episodes on…
- the first graduating class from the WSU Medical School
- replacing salmon culverts
- the work of the state’s Invasive Species Council
stories from the soon-to-be-removed Capitol Press Houses - the wildfire prevention/forest health bill approved by the 2021 Legislature
and more…
- Washington State Parks. Last year we produced approximately 20 videos profiling state parks. This interim we’ve shot and produced more than 40 more. They’re beautiful. They’re educational. They make you want to visit. You learn about parks you’ve never heard of, and learn things you didn’t know about the parks you have heard of!
My Favorite Places with Ralph Munro. Another series that makes you want to visit. Nearly a dozen new episodes of this entertaining and education series, hosted by former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, are either already on air or in production. Episodes include: Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, the Center for Wooden Boats, Goldendale Observatory, central Seattle’s Washington Hall, the George Washington Bush butternut tree, Ballard Locks, Woman’s Club of Olympia, and the Museum of History and Industry.- Washington to Washington. TVW’s groundbreaking show that explores current public policy issues from the perspective of both Washingtons – our state, plus D.C. Longer than a traditional filler, but shorter-form episodes, generally a half hour. In July, we premiered an episode on the challenge of expanding high-speed internet to underserved areas of Washington, a challenge given more urgency by the COVID pandemic. Coming soon: an episode exploring the national and state efforts to settle Afghan refugees, following the U.S. pullout from that country – an effort that echoes in the state’s history of resettling Vietnamese refugees at the end of the Vietnam War.
- A conversation with former Washington Secretaries of State. Bruce Chapman, Ralph Munro and Sam Reed – who together held the office from 1975 through 2012 – sat down with long-time AP reporter Dave Ammons to swap stories and talk about the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary of State. We split the long-form interview into shorter segments, much like we did with our Dan Evans interview several years ago. Airing now and online.
TVW Open Golf Tournament Review
Frank van Gelder, Director of Development
TVW was proud to host more than 100 golfers at the 3rd Annual TVW Open Golf Tournament on September 21st at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie. The players enjoyed a beautiful day on the course in Lacey and competed for great prizes provided by local sponsors during the Scramble Format event.
The TVW Open was presented by the Broadband Communications Association of Washington and supported by many more organizations who sponsored golf holes and fun competitions like Closest to the Pin and Long Drive contests. Most of the participants were very familiar with TVW. However, many of the participants were being introduced to TVW for the first time and we welcome them to the family. Team photos and candid shots were taken on the course and can be viewed at TVW.org.
While enjoying a nice pasta dinner at the club after the round, players participated in a raffle for great packages of autographed sports memorabilia, regional trips, and local hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, wine tastings and spirits.
We would like to thank the players and sponsors who participated at the tournament. Their support will help TVW continue our important work to promote transparency and provide broad access to all three branches of our state government.
The course is secured for next year and we look forward to seeing you at the 4th Annual TVW Open Golf Tournament next September!
Give Local Celebrates Local Nonprofits
November 9 -20, 2021
Hosted by Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, Give Local is an online giving campaign to support nonprofits across Thurston, Mason, and Lewis Counties. For two weeks, everyone who loves the South Puget Sound can support their favorite local causes by donating to one or more participating nonprofits, including TVW! Learn more: Give Local.