Local Heroes Presented by the Media Center

The public is invited to the fifth annual celebration of Local Heroes profiled by the Midpeninsula Community Media Center. A reception and free, public screening of highlights from interviews with the Heroes will take place at the Media Center on Sunday, April 17, 4 – 6 pm.

The complete TV programs about the winners, will air throughout the week (April 17 - 23) on the Media Center’s cable Channel 30.

The Media Center is honoring six heroes from the Midpeninsula who devote their lives bravely and selflessly--but silently--outside the limelight - for the betterment of our communities. The heroes and the TV playback times of the individual profiles are:

Monday, April 18, 8 pm:
ELLEN FLETCHER, Palo Alto’s number one champion of the biking community.

Tuesday, April 19, 8 pm:
DAN WU, a high tech engineer who became a psychiatric nurse and community mental health advocate after helping his wife come to grips with Schizophrenia.

Wednesday, April 20, 8 pm:
KATE YOUNG, Director of Resident Services at Palo Alto Housing Corporation, a non-profit that creates and maintains housing for low- and moderate-income residents.

Thursday, April 21, 8 pm:
BARDI KOODRIN, survivor of countless illnesses who has turned her considerable writing talents to helping others who face similar adversities.

Friday, April 22, 8 pm:
EUGENE M. HYMAN, a Santa Clara County judge who has created an unprecedented program of early intervention with counseling, support and therapy for young people who have acted violently against family members.

Saturday , April 23, 8 pm:
ROBERT FREEMAN, creator of an organization that collects just one dollar from millions of high school students then uses the funds for infrastructure projects in developing countries.

All programs are simultaneously available via our Channel 30 webstream that is accessible on our web site.

Reception information:
Where: The Media Center, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, 94303
When: 4 PM - 6 PM; April 17
RSVP: Karen at 650-494-8686 ext 18 or kadams@midpenmedia.org
Seating is limited and refreshments will be served so we would appreciate an RSVP before Friday, April 8.

Charlie Class and the Gila River Japanese Internment Camp

Charlie Class, who produces a bimonthly studio show called "Michael Killen on Creativity" and bicycles in another show, "Square Dance Live"  has got a secret passion.  He has become passionately involved in the production and the promotion of a new documentary about the Japanese Internment experience.

 GILA RIVER and MAMA is a documentary produced and directed by Claire Mix, whose mother Ruth was 15 years old when she volunteered as a nurse's aid at a Japanese Internment Camp.  Ruth's mother, Claire's grandmother Frida was a teacher at the school in the compound, and she devoted herself to finding ways to make life more bearable for the Internees.  Charlie knows Claire and knew her mother. Using actors,  this documentary  recreates actual events  catalogued by Ruth, who shared her experiences with her daughter when Ruth became terminally ill in 2007.  Claire was riveted by her mother's tale and the re-telling of it became her obsession.  At the age of 15, Ruth Mix began a career of smuggling in contraband goods like cameras and film into the camp so that the living conditions could be made record of.  She also smuggled in items like soap and cloth and other basic items denied the Japanese while imprisoned.  She formed lifelong friendships with some of the Internees and her life became inextricably entwined with those friends.  When Ruth died, Claire picked up the thread of her mother's story and her friendships.  This documentary is the result of three generations of activism on behalf of the injustices of the Japanese Internment Camps.  When Charlie learned of the story, well, he couldn't stay away either.  Charlie has been instrumental in supporting this project and bringing it to fruition.

A special screening takes place today at the COLLEGE OF A SAN MATEO ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL in Building 03 at 1 pm.

Day Workers and Media Center Collaboration

Who are those guys standing around on El Camino waiting for drivers to hire them? Why did they come to the U.S. and what kind of lives are they leading here in the midpeninsula? Those questions and more will be answered in a media project unfolding at the Day Worker Center of Mountain View.

A collaboration between the Media Center and the Day Worker Center was made possible by a grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The day workers have been videotaping interviews with each other to create a piece that will describe themselves to the community-at-large. The Media Center has provided training and editing support. When it is finished - in about a month - there will be a number of presentations at local high schools and colleges, and day workers will be on hand for follow up Q&A. If you are part of a church or community group that might be interested in a presentation, please let us know. In this time when immigration reform is high on the government agenda, it is important that we hear the voices of these job-seeking emigrants from Mexico and Central America.

In addition to the video, the workers are now blogging on a newly created web site. The Spanish blogs will soon be translated into English while other entries are written in English by local folks who volunteer at the center. The center just recently opened on Escuela St. in Mountain View. After years of renting out rooms in various churches, the Day Worker Center now owns its own building. During the day, when workers are not hired for jobs, they attend English classes and sometimes do community service projects.

JOHN TURTURRO Accepts Maverick Award - Caught by Kamla Bhatt

Kamla Bhatt used to volunteer here at the Media Center. She currently produces a radio show at KZSU Stanford. I ran into her at Opening Night at Cinequest last night. And she got a nice youtube piece of John accepting his award. Run over to her website to watch her youtube piece.

And right here you can watch my youtube video of John arriving at the theater.

I hope to post the 20 minute interview he gave after we watched his film Passione - about the music of Napoli! He is a really down to earth actor and really accessible to the fans. He put up with a lot of pawing and picture taking at the after party. He didn't have himself surrounded by body guard/entourage like some of the Maverick winners of the past. And the fans really responded. People love this guy.