Just a quick post today. I'm off to a meeting with the local 2009 County Fair sub-committee at the CW Life Museum...

Here in Fredericksburg we are very fortunate to have some excellent regional cable shows that highlight many of our local artists, musicians, authors, and historians. One of my personal favorites is produced and distributed by the Central Rappahannock Regional Library and features fascinating interviews with local residents in a variety of historic locations. Titled “CRRL Presents,” this weekly cable show is produced by staff at the library and features one-on-one interviews and programs about the library and area. Topics include artisan crafts, theater, museums, bluegrass music, fine dining, healthy tips for living and more. You can watch past shows via their online archives here.

In the past, I have praised the Fairfax County's cable-access, which features ten brilliant, one-hour Civil War documentaries that were produced by Dr. James I. Robertson Jr. and the Blue Ridge PBS. I have long wished that the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania area were able to follow suite. There have been some excellent documentaries shot locally by independent film companies such as Wide Awake Films and Franklin Springs Family Media and the National Park Service has produced some high-quality programs as well (John Hennessey’s film on the wartime experiences of local civilians is fantastic), but outside of those and the occasional mention on shows like “CRRL Presents,” the treasure trove of historical subject matter is far too often ignored.

This is a topic for conversation that I seem to have again and again with local museum, tourism, and roundtable officials. Perhaps someone will take the initiative and make a serious effort to get some homegrown historical shows on the local dial. Until then, I recommend checking out “CRRL Presents” on COX Cable and the Blue Ridge “Civil War” series on FIOS.