Premieres Mon., Nov. 28, 7 p.m.

Or watch online at www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories .

Dr. Ruby was the rare woman and Japanese-American to attend medical school just a few months after Executive Order 9066 was enacted, the order that evacuated Japanese Americans from the West Coast and imprisoned them in internment camps during World War II. Under these circumstances, Dr. Ruby trained to become a physician who then opened her first clinic in Seattle’s Nihonmachi, or Japantown.

Dr. Ruby cared for the Japanese American community for decades, and she delivered more than 1,000 babies during her career. After retirement, Dr. Ruby continued to serve the community by helping establish Nikkei Concerns, an organization that provides elder care and related services. Even now in her nineties, Dr. Ruby still volunteers by making quilts and her specialty rice sack apron to sell at auction and craft fairs to benefit non-profits. “She’s probably gonna get mad at me for saying all these things about her,” says Nikkei Concerns CEO Jeffery Hattori, “but there are very few people that can…hit the strata that she does in terms of contributions to the community.”

 Meet Dr. Ruby on Community Stories on Monday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21 and watch it online right now at:

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3171105.

“SEATTLE CHANNEL’s entire staff shares in these awards. They are dedicated professionals who work very hard to preserve the quality of our programming. The breadth of these awards—from writing to interactivity—shows how the Channel staff excels at skills as new as the 21^st century and as ancient as language itself,” said Gary Gibson, the director of the Office of Electronic Communications.

 SEATTLE CHANNEL’s winners are:

Informational/Instructional – Program/Special

City Stream: Harry Potter Exhibit

Megan Erb, Senior Producer; Shannon Gee, Producer/Editor; Jason Fierst, Photographer; Lowell Deo, Host

Watch it now: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3071033

 Public/Current/Community Affairs – Program/Special

Community Stories: Hat n’ Boots

Ralph Bevins, Producer/Photographer/Editor; Bo Hopkins, Narrator

Watch it now: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3170920

Writer – Program

Community Stories: Hat n’ Boots

Ralph Bevins

Watch it now: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3170920

 Interactivity

Seattle Speaks: Income Tax in Washington State?

C. R. Douglas, Host/Producer; Megan Erb, Producer; Roxeanne Vainuku, Online Correspondent; Susan Han, Producer

Watch it now: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3381002

SEATTLE CHANNEL is the award winning local TV station that puts video to work to build and strengthen community. SEATTLE CHANNEL presents programs on cable television (channel 21 on Comcast and Broadstripe) and via the Internet to help citizens connect with their city. Programming includes series and special features highlighting the diverse civic and cultural landscape of the Pacific Northwest’s premier city. SEATTLE CHANNEL’s web site offers streaming video worldwide, and includes an archive featuring video on demand of all programs. The station is a Government Access Channel granted to the City of Seattle per federal law for the purpose of cablecasting government television programs. It is administered by the Seattle Channel unit of the City of Seattle’s Department of Information Technology.

 The Channel’s nominations include station excellence where SEATTLE CHANNEL, a government access station, will compete against Seattle’s largest commercial stations, KING, KIRO and KOMO, as well as two of Portland’s commercial stations, KGW and KATU, and Idaho Public Television.

“We want to thank our peers in the broadcast media for this recognition. Credit should not only go to the talented and creative individuals who received the nominations but also to the entire staff of SEATTLE CHANNEL who work hard every day to serve the residents of Seattle,” said SEATTLE CHANNEL station manager Beth Hester.

It’s been another year of significant achievement for SEATTLE CHANNEL. Visits to the station’s website nearly doubled in the last year, and the Channel was recognized in September 2010 as the best government TV station in the United States by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

SEATTLE CHANNEL’s nominations are:

Station Excellence

Seattle Channel Station Excellence • Seattle Channel • Beth Hester, General Manager

Human Interest – Feature/Segment

Loki Fisherman • Seattle Channel • Penny LeGate, Producer • Len Davis, Videographer

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4071035

Arts/Entertainment – Feature/Segment

Keeping the Faith • Seattle Channel • Ralph Bevins, Keeping the Faith

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4011020

Historic/Cultural – Feature/Segment

Federal Treasures • Seattle Channel • Ralph Bevins, Federal Treasures

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3071006

Historic/Cultural – Program/Special

Community Stories Series • Seattle Channel • Shannon Gee, Community Series Series • Beth Hester, Executive Producer • John Giamberso, Production Manager

http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/

 Informational/Instructional – Feature/Segment

Seal Sitters • Seattle Channel • Penny LeGate, Producer • Shannon Gee, Videographer/Editor

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4071041

Informational/Instructional – Program/Special

City Stream: Harry Potter Exhibit • Seattle Channel • Megan Erb, Producer • Shannon Gee, Editor http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3071033

City Stream Series • Seattle Channel • Megan Erb, Senior Producer • Shannon Gee, Producer/Editor http://www.seattlechannel.org/CityStream/

Interactivity

Seattle Speaks: Income Tax in Washington State? • Seattle Channel • CR Douglas, Host/Producer • Megan Erb, Producer • Roxeanne Vainuku, Online Correspondent

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3381002

Public/Current/Community Affairs – Program/Special

Community Stories: Hat n’ Boots • Seattle Channel • Ralph Bevins, Producer/Photographer/Editor • Bo Hopkins, Narrator

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3170920

Interview/Discussion – Program/Special

City Inside/Out: Street Civility • Seattle Channel • Susan Han, Senior Producer • C R Douglas, Host/Producer • Matt Peterson, Photographer/ Editor

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3061014

City Inside/Out: Booze Battle • Seattle Channel • Susan Han, Senior Producer • C R Douglas, Host/Producer • Matt Peterson, Photographer/ Editor

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3061031

Documentary – Cultural

Community Stories: Ho’omau: The Outrigger Canoe • Seattle Channel • Ian Devier, Producer/Photographer/Editor • Shannon Gee, Senior Producer/Photographer

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3171004

Community Stories: Labyrinth to Joy • Seattle Channel • Travis Muller, Producer, Photographer, Editor

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3171002

Writer – Program

Community Stories: Hat n’ Boots • Ralph Bevins • Seattle Channel

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3170920

Photographer – Program

S.U.P. in Seattle • Ian Devier • Seattle Channel

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=4041102

Editor – Program

Community Stories: The Washington House • Ian Devier • Seattle Channel

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3171006

As a mother of three, Sarju was drawn to midwifery after she had her first out-of-hospital birth with her third child. A midwife for over 300 births, Sarju explains midwifery appeals to her because “the philosophy of care is such an empowering model.” In her additional role as Open Arms’ Clinical Director, Sarju’s expertise adds to the non-profit’s mission.

Open Arms also has Outreach Doulas who work with immigrant communities. Libin Egal began her work with mothers in the Somali community after her own birth with a doula who “speak(s) my language, who knows my culture and who empowered me.”  Says Open Arms’ Capenstany, “What we know is that women are treated differently depending on what their racial and cultural background is. And we try to figure out where are places that we can advocate for women so that they can have the best possible birth experiences.”

Meet the support network of Open Arms and find out how they serve women and their families on Community Stories now at this link: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3171101.

Or tune in on Monday, March 14, 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21. You can watch past Community Stories by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/.

Patt Copeland is the program manager for Vision Loss Connections, a non-profit group that serves as an organizer for and link between the blind /visually impaired community and various recreational activities. She met lifelong athlete Telea Noriega, who as a youth played football and competed as a goalball player on a national level, and they both expressed an interest in starting a team in Seattle. Copeland and Noriega found a number of people who had played goalball in the past and then began to recruit new players, who have found a passion for their new sport and teammates. “The feeling of fully participating in something is a confidence builder,” says Nancy Lopez Swaney. Twelve-year-old Su Park, the youngest member of the Seattle King Cobras, had never played a sport before. “I personally felt a little left out in the sighted society. But that sense of being left out is totally gone when it comes to this team,” she says.

Meet the Seattle King Cobras Goalball Team and learn about the sport of goalball on Community Stories on Monday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21 and online at http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/.

The Spanish word “convivencia” translates into living/being together. The Seattle Fandango Project aims to create convivencia through music, dance and singing.  Taking its model from the Fandango tradition of Veracruz, Mexico, the Seattle Fandango Project comes together weekly to teach and learn the music and dance of Veracruz in an open invitation to anyone interested in this participatory gathering. “I was completely floored,” says musician and dancer Martha Gonzales.  “Being a professional musician…to see this practice not only humbled me, but it also was a very empowering feeling.  It just inspired me to see something like this.”

 The fandangos provide an open space for anyone to take part, but they also help to forge a strong sense of community and character. For Yesenia Hunter, it provides her daughter with a link to her identity. “For her to fall in love with the music and begin to learn a skill like dancing, it provided an anchor for her into something that she could say ‘This is who I am’.”

Watch the Seattle Fandango Project right now by following this link: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3171008

Or tune in on Monday, December 20, 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21. You can watch past Community Stories by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/.

 In 1953, Seattle artist Lewis Nasmyth was hired to “rustle up” a design for a western-style gas station in Georgetown. Featuring a 44-ft. wide cowboy hat and 22-ft. high boots, the Hat n’ Boots opened the next year to a stampede of customers. In fact, for a time it was the biggest selling station in the state. Legend has it even Elvis dropped by when he was in town during the World’s Fair in ’62. But in the early 60′s, a brand new interstate, I-5, started diverting traffic away from the station. By the late 80′s it pretty much looked like trail’s end for the Hat n’ Boots. That’s when some Georgetown residents saddled up to rescue the soul of their community. “The Hat n’ Boots is as important to Georgetown as the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco,” says Allan Phillips, former director of the Georgetown Community Council. “If the Hat n’ Boots were ever to be gone from Georgetown, it would be like losing our soul.”

The Hat n’ Boots features documentation from the past eight years of each stage to save and restore the landmark. Voiced by actor Bo Hopkins (American Graffiti, The Wild Bunch), The Hat n’ Boots is a (north)western tale, a unique tribute to an even more unique icon.

Tune in on Monday, October 25, 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21. You can watch past Community Stories by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/.

 Bhangra dance originated in the Punjab as a celebration of the harvest. Many members of the Apna Bhangra Crew had no dance experience previous to forming the team, but their love of and desire to share Bhangra propelled them into the spotlight. Their fabulous costumes with fan-topped iridescent turbans; their dynamic, fast-paced movement; their lush rhythmic music and their enthusiastic delight in performance make the Crew’s shows irresistible. “At the same time we are entertaining everybody [and] promoting our culture,” says team captain Ranvir Sahota. “It’s just a good feeling.”

 Get a shot of visual caffeine by watching Community Stories now at this link: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3170907

 Or tune in on Monday, September 20, 8:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21. You can watch past Community Stories by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CommunityStories/.