Top 10 Travel Programs Now Streaming on IdahoPTV Passport

1. Samantha Brown’s Places To Love

For over 15 years, Samantha Brown has traversed continents, experienced culture, and tasted adventure, applying her singular brand of warmth and inclusion along the way. 

2. Expedition with Steve Backshall

Head into the unknown with naturalist Steve Backshall as he journeys to the world’s last unexplored places and faces challenges around the globe, encountering extraordinary wildlife and meeting remarkable people along the way.

3. America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

Follow Baratunde Thurston, bestselling author and podcaster, as he explores the country’s diverse landscapes to see how they shape the way we work, play and interact with the outdoors. From coal miners turned beekeepers in Appalachia to Black surfers catching waves in L.A., uncover a deeper understanding of our passionate and complex relationship with the natural world.

4. Rick Steves’ Europe

Rick Steves, America’s leading authority on European travel, transports viewers to the continent’s bustling cities, quaint villages and picturesque countryside.

5. Beyond Your Backyard

This Emmy award-winning, educational travel series explores destinations in North America and beyond demonstrating there’s so much more that brings us together than divides us. In each episode, television personality Erik Hastings aka Erik the Travel Guy educates viewers on the history, culture, food and attractions; reminding viewers how connected we really are.

6. The Great Muslim American Road Trip

Follow a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66. As they meet new friends and explore more than a dozen stops, Mona and Sebastian weave a colorful story about what it means to be Muslim in America today.

7. No Passport Required

Join chef Marcus Samuelsson on an inspiring journey across the U.S. to explore and celebrate the wide-ranging diversity of immigrant traditions and cuisines woven into American food and culture.

8. Curious Traveler

Remember when you were young and had that childlike wonder about everything you saw? Well, Christine van Blokland, the Emmy-winning host and writer of CURIOUS TRAVELER, never quite outgrew that inquisitive phase. As an arts and travel reporter for the past 20 years, she now shares that insatiable curiosity for the exciting, inspiring and beautiful world around us in this unique travel series.

9. Great Scenic Railway Journeys

The 1830 introduction of the steam engine blazed a trail linking the East Coast to the West, transforming the United States and Canada into industrial powerhouses. Only a few steam engines remain operational today, painstakingly and lovingly preserved by a dedicated army of mostly volunteers scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada.

10. Travel Scope

This Emmy award-winning series continues to excite viewers with adventures around the globe, from North America to Africa to Asia. Host Joseph Rosendo embarks on everything from town and country experiences in Portland, Maine, to a cruise down the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada. Other segments feature Bangkok and the River Kwai in Thailand, the Taroko Gorge in Taiwan, and the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia.

IdahoPTV Passport is a member benefit that provides IdahoPTV donors extended on-demand access to a rich library of quality public television programs on your television with a number of streaming video devices as well as on your computer, tablet, and smartphone.

To learn more or sign up for Passport, visit idahoptv.org/passport.

Meet the Staff Mondays – Lauren Melink

We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about some of the folks who work at IdahoPTV. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce Outdoor Idaho Producer Lauren Melink.

IdahoPTV’s Carol Beres recently sat down with Lauren, the most recent addition to the Outdoor Idaho staff. Lauren says, “I plan and figure out how a show is going to work. We go out and shoot it. I do interviews and write it up and put it together, along with our editor and videographer.” Like many of us, Lauren isn’t native to Idaho, but came by way of a neighboring state. “I grew up in Washington, in a small town called Longview. I went to Gonzaga University in Spokane. I got a degree in Broadcasting and Journalism,” she says.

After that milestone, Lauren traveled for several years. “I backpacked through Central America; I lived in Australia; I backpacked through Southeast Asia. And then I got a job in news in Portland, Oregon, that sent me to the Philippines for six months. When I came back, I traveled around the country for a little while. And then I got a job in news in Bend, Oregon,” she says. After all that traveling, Lauren made the move to Idaho to work at Idaho Public Television.

Not only does Lauren like to be outdoors in her work life, when she’s off work she likes to be outside as well. Her hobbies are trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, and camping. She and her boyfriend just bought a pop-up camper to do some more traveling. Reading and writing are high on her list of activities, as well as art. She says, “I try to dabble in art sometimes, if I’m in the perfect mood.” But perhaps her favorite hobby of all is getting her hands a little dirty. “Gardening is a big one. I have a big vegetable plot, 16 feet by 16 feet. I’m growing all sorts of veggies right now. It’s a really nice hobby to have, because it feeds you,” she says.

Lauren is an avid trail runner. She got interested in it while living abroad. She says “When I lived in Australia, my friend and I read a book called, Born to Run, and we started going on longer runs, like 13, 14, 15 mile runs. Then when I lived in the Philippines, I became friends with some Filipino ultra runners, and they got me hooked on the sport.” Portland and Bend are known for great running trails and she says, “It’s nicer than running on the street. You’re not stopping at stoplights. It’s prettier. It’s just easier on your knees…you put on your shoes and go.”

Running the trails gives Lauren time to contemplate how to turn a phrase for the next Outdoor Idaho program. But it also does the opposite for her. “The Wildflowers show makes me more aware of wildflowers on my trail runs. The Women who Hunt show makes me more aware of people I see wearing packs, clearly training for hunting season. There’s a greater awareness when I’m outside because of Outdoor Idaho,” she explains.

When it’s time to reach for a snack, Lauren likes to keep it simple. “Peanut butter and banana. And cereal. I love cereal, as an after-dinner dessert,” she says. Oatmeal squares, granola and Cinnamon Life are some of the cereals that are in rotation right now. And when it comes to her favorite part of the state, it’s the northern part that she’s drawn to. She says, “I love Sandpoint. It’s just so green and I grew up with a lot of green, so it’s nice to go back to that kind of feeling.” Lauren lists the Sawtooths as another favorite part of the Gem State, as well as Elk City. “I had no idea it was so pretty out there. It’s just beautiful, beautiful country and I drove out at 5:30 in the morning and there were just three elk, multiple deer and turkeys…and fog over the river,” she adds. When it comes to her favorite PBS Kids characters, she remembers watching one show in particular. “I watched ‘Arthur’ a lot as a kid…I liked DW,” she remembers.

Top 10 Cooking Programs Now Streaming on IdahoPTV Passport

1. The Great American Recipe

Join host Alejandra Ramos and judges Leah Cohen, Tiffany Derry and Graham Elliot as ten talented home cooks showcase signature dishes, share heartfelt stories and compete to win the national search for “The Great American Recipe.”

2. Yan Can Cook: Spice Kingdom

Chef Martin Yan explores the many aspects of how food and spices helped shape the history and culture of western China. In this culinary journey, he also examines daily life in the region – from a whirlwind tour of street snacks to a leisurely cup of tea at historical tea houses. Back in the kitchen, Yan demonstrates his own take on the flavors and dishes of western China.

3. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

The editors of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Magazine search the world over for techniques and ingredients that can transform your home cooking, producing bigger, bolder dishes with less time and effort.

4. Lidia’s Kitchen

Lidia’s Kitchen is a love letter to the importance of mealtime. In this program Lidia Bastianich conjures simple, seasonal and economical dishes with grace, confidence and love. She teaches viewers to draw on their roots, allow for spontaneity, and cultivate a sense of home in the kitchen. Filled with tips and techniques collected through years in the kitchen and at the family table, Lidia channels her passion for teaching into a fun and trustworthy curriculum of kitchen wisdom.

5. Simply Ming

Acclaimed chef Ming Tsai is known for his melding of Eastern and Western flavors, a theme he furthers in “Simply Ming.” Each episode deals with a specific staple, what he refers to as a Master Recipe. He demonstrates how to make that one staple, then he shares recipes that use that particular staple. Whether it’s a bittersweet chocolate ganache, from which he creates souffle cakes and an Asian banana split, or flavorful chicken broth he then uses to prepare ginger-poached chicken breast and hot and sour shrimp soup, the chef shares recipes and tricks for the beginning cook as well as the accomplished kitchen pro.

6. Kevin Belton’s Cookin’ Louisiana

In Kevin Belton’s Cookin’ Louisiana, Chef Belton explores the rich and multi-faceted foodways of Louisiana in a 26-part cooking expedition. From chicken and dumplings, one of the Delta Delights from Northeast Louisiana, to Cracklin’ Cornbread from Evangeline Parish in the Cajun Heartland, this program will take viewers on a fun-filled food odyssey with the 6’9” gregarious chef.

7. Cook’s Country

Where family recipes from every corner of America are re-imagined for home cooks everywhere. With the same practical, no-nonsense food approach that has made Cook’s Country magazine successful, the series features the best regional home cooking in the country.

8. La Frontera with Pati Jinich

Savor the sights, sounds and flavors of the U.S.-Mexico border alongside acclaimed chef and James Beard Award-winning host Pati Jinich as she experiences the region’s rich culture, people and cuisine.

9. America’s Test Kitchen

Hosts Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison head into the test kitchen to bring viewers equipment reviews, taste tests, and recipes for the home cook. The skilled duo lead a team of test cooks that viewers have come to love and trust as they deconstruct recipes and reveal the Test Kitchen’s secrets to foolproof cooking at home.

10. Baking With Julia

Together with the country’s most outstanding pastry chefs and bakers, Julia Child shares indispensable techniques, time-honored tips, and meticulously tested recipes that make home baking successful and satisfying.

IdahoPTV Passport is a member benefit that provides IdahoPTV donors extended on-demand access to a rich library of quality public television programs on your television with a number of streaming video devices as well as on your computer, tablet, and smartphone.

To learn more or sign up for Passport, visit idahoptv.org/passport.

Meet the Staff Mondays – Florina Ruvio

We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about some of the folks that work at IdahoPTV. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce Family Education Specialist, Florina Ruvio.

IdahoPTV’s Carol Beres recently sat down with Florina. As for what she does, Florina says, “I work with families to help engage parents and caregivers in their children’s learning; because we know that parents are kids’ first teachers, right? We provide parents/caregivers activities, tools and resources that they can use to encourage a love of learning and really help curiosity thrive in children. Hopefully, that encourages a lifelong love of learning. I also do some work with other organizations discussing how we can support families, and provide training on adverse childhood experiences and what can be done to mitigate those. Part of that is providing families with fun activities and resources, like PBS Kids. We not only support children in learning, but help them meet their basic needs by partnering with various community-based organizations so learning can occur. It’s kind of hard to learn when you’re hungry, or tired, or worried. So we do a lot of work with Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, we’re part of the Idaho Resilience Project, and we work with families in schools, libraries, and various family events.” As you can see, Florina is passionate about what she does. “I absolutely love doing all of that work,” she adds.

Florina moved from North Carolina to Idaho when she was a child. “I’m from Parma, usually only Idaho natives know where that is,” she laughs. She went to College of Western Idaho and earned her associate’s degree there, and is currently working on a bachelor’s degree. She says, “I started as a biology major, so I think STEM stuff is a lot of fun. I tend to lean towards more of the biology activities, as opposed to the tech activities that Trisha (another Education Department coworker) does. She likes doing coding and stuff like that. But I like to do chemistry and talk about animals, nature and the natural sciences and about the human body. There was a middle school group in Declo and we made ‘snot’ and they had a pretty good time with that. We talked about the body’s defense mechanisms,” she added. She is working towards a biology major with a psychology minor.

In Florina’s free time, she loves to help out her community. She says, “I’m a volunteer at this organization called Breaking Chains Academy of Development in Nampa. They help at-risk youth complete their diplomas or GEDs. They also provide them with mentorship, recreational activities, and workforce training. I really love that organization, so I try to help them either by taking the kids out for activities, or just coming in and hanging out for a bit with the kids. I really like doing that. Now that I travel so much (Florina travels the entire state for her job) I get to see a lot of Idaho and it’s really beautiful. I just went to Sandpoint for the first time this last year and it was beautiful up there. It’s nice to explore those little-known areas of Idaho as well. I really love American Falls.”

When it comes to Florina’s favorite part of the Gem State, it’s a tough call. “I think up north is the most beautiful, but I really love the community of American Falls. I think they’re so tight knit and doing such a great job. It’s so welcoming; it’s a small town, but they make the most of the resources they have there. Being from Parma, I’m just naturally drawn to the smaller, more rural towns.”

And when it’s time to reach for a snack, Florina admits to a sweet tooth. She says, “especially now in the summer, I just love fresh fruit: berries, cherries, peaches. I’ve been on this strawberries and cream kick lately. In Mexico, they’ll sell fruit cups — they’ll cut up the fruit for you and put it in the cup with Tajin (a blend of chilies, sea salt and lime juice) on it. But the strawberries and cream is made with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, a little bit of vanilla and sour cream and they pour it over the strawberries. It’s so good! Or cucumbers with lime and salt.” And she has a quick answer to her favorite PBS Kids characters. “I would definitely say it’s Grover. I grew up in the ‘80s and I absolutely loved Reading Rainbow and Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. But I love Grover because he’s so happy and kind of all over the place and I think I can relate to that,” Florina laughs.

Meet the Staff Mondays – Rhonda Yadon

We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about some of the folks that work at IdahoPTV. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce Financial Specialist, Principal Rhonda Yadon.

IdahoPTV’s Carol Beres sat down with Rhonda who is one of our newer employees. She works in our Accounting Department. “I’m mostly doing financial reporting and researching government reporting standards,” she says. She’s also helping Idaho Public Television set budgets and assisting the finance team to keep those records straight. “I’ll likely play a key role in the implementation of the new statewide accounting system,” she says. Previously, Rhonda worked for another state agency, but this opportunity brought her here. “I wanted to come here because the position was more of what I enjoy doing,” she says. “I like the positive environment. It’s a really good financial team.”

Rhonda is a native Idahoan. She grew up in Twin Falls. She was Born and raised in the same house. Growing up in the Magic Valley gave Rhonda an appreciation for the Idaho outdoors. “We did lots of camping and motorcycle riding,” she says. “A lot of fishing. I grew up in a family of police officers. We did a lot of target shooting, so I learned to like that, as well.” Rhonda started college at the College of Southern Idaho, but after a year, she transferred to Boise State University and earned her degree in accounting. “I met my husband at BSU,” she says. “We were in student government together. I was Assistant Treasurer. I did all the financial things for the student activities. My (future) husband hired me because he was the Senate Pro Tem for the students.” Rhonda and her husband, Randy, have two teenage boys.

A favorite activity of Rhonda’s is training dogs. “I competed in obedience in 4-H in high school. Before I had kids, I trained dogs for Search and Rescue in tracking, and I got my certification with the National Association of Search and Rescue as a SAR TECH II.” Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time to keep a dog trained, and once Rhonda had kids, she gave that up. But since then, she’s continued her love of dogs, and has trained other dogs in pet therapy. “Labradoodles are really good tempered dogs,” she says. “They have the Lab friendliness and a little bit of Poodle smarts. They make a good therapy dog.”

When it’s time to grab a snack, Rhonda craves some sweet treats. “I really like maple bars,” she laughs. “It’s not very healthy. And I do like ice cream a lot, too.” And Rhonda picks the Sawtooths for her favorite spot in the Gem State. “Just the majesty of the Sawtooths, the hiking and fresh air, no matter what season it is. I don’t mind snow. It’s just pretty up there. That’s mainly where we went camping when I was a kid, too, by Galena Summit and the Stanley area.” These days they take their boys camping and four-wheeling in the Idaho outdoors. And, she still admits to having an adventurous side. “We’ve taken our road bike up there and have done the big Sun Valley to Stanley loop,” she says.” In case you’re wondering, they have a Victory Vision motorcycle, a touring bike.

One trip on their motorbike led to an encounter with a big celebrity. “One year on a motorcycle tour, we went to Glacier National Park and came back through Sun Valley,” she says. “We stopped in there and I got to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was shopping, and I got to meet him. I didn’t have my camera with me, but I got his autograph. He’s not as tall as you would think.” And Rhonda’s passion for going fast doesn’t stop with motorcycles. “I really like roller coasters,” she says. “My family is not so big on it, so I don’t get to go very much. And I like sky diving, too. I did sky diving once, out in Star, which I would love to do again.” She would even give bungee jumping a try, “…especially off the Perrine Bridge, since that’s where I’m from,” she says. “I love the canyon area.” And Rhonda and her family like to take in car shows around the Treasure Valley. “I love classic cars, especially muscle cars,” she adds.

Rhonda zeroed in on Curious George as her favorite PBS Kids character. “Both of my kids liked him,” she says. “We’ve got videos and books, too. Curious George was the common ground with my boys who are three years apart. So when they were both awake, Curious George was the one we could watch and not argue about.”

Top 10 Space Programs Now Streaming on IdahoPTV Passport

1. 8 Days to the Moon and Back

Join Apollo 11 on its historic journey. The film seamlessly blends mission control audio, featuring conversations among Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. It includes new footage from NASA archives and stunning CGI to recreate the first moon landing.

2. NOVA Universe Revealed: Big Bang

The Big Bang is when the cosmos started and time itself began. With stunning animation based on space telescope images, NOVA winds back the ages to discover new clues about this ultimate genesis and what happened in the universe’s first few seconds.

3. The Farthest — Voyager in Space

Launched in 1977, NASA’s epic Voyager missions revolutionized our understanding of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and their spectacular moons and rings. In 2012, Voyager 1 left our solar system and ushered humanity into the interstellar age.

4. Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the first successful landing on the Mars polar region and the ongoing search for signs of life on Earth’s neighboring planets. The film documents the 422-million-mile journey through space exclusively through the eyes of principal investigator Peter H. Smith and the Phoenix Lander Team.

5. Space Men – American Experience

In the 1950s and early ’60s, a small band of high-altitude pioneers exposed themselves to the extreme forces of the space age long before NASA’s acclaimed Mercury 7 would make headlines. Though largely forgotten today, balloonists were the first to venture into the frozen near-vacuum on the edge of our world, exploring the very limits of human physiology and human ingenuity in this lethal realm.

6. Moonwalk

In 1969, we reached the moon. Fifty years later, incredible figures in aerospace come together for one-of-a-kind conversations about their journeys and to remember the Apollo Era. The show features an Apollo 15 astronaut, the first African American to perform a spacewalk, current NASA astronauts, and students from the Mars generation.

7. A World Without NASA

The impact of NASA can be felt all around us, from the worldwide financial network and medical technologies to tracking endangered species and the food we eat. NASA’s indelible impact on modern existence makes it impossible to imagine life without products it helped to spawn.

8. Space Time

PBS Space Time explores the outer reaches of space, the craziness of astrophysics, the possibilities of sci-fi, and anything else you can think of beyond Planet Earth. Host Matt O’Dowd breaks down both the basic and the incredibly complex sides of space and time.

9. A Year In Space

Part 1 of A Year in Space follows astronaut Scott Kelly’s 12-month mission on the International Space Station, from launch to landing, as NASA charts the effects of long-duration spaceflight by comparing him to his identical twin on Earth, astronaut Mark Kelly. Part 2, Beyond a Year in Space, introduces viewers to the next generation of astronauts training to leave Earth’s orbit and travel into deep space.

10. NOVA Wonders What’s the Universe Made Of?

The universe is hiding something. In fact, it’s hiding a lot. Everything we experience on Earth, the stars and galaxies we see in the cosmos—all the “normal” matter and energy that we understand—make up only 5% of the known universe. Find out how scientists are discovering new secrets about the history of the universe, and why they’re predicting a shocking future.

IdahoPTV Passport is a member benefit that provides IdahoPTV donors extended on-demand access to a rich library of quality public television programs on your television with a number of streaming video devices as well as on your computer, tablet, and smartphone.

To learn more or sign up for Passport, visit idahoptv.org/passport.

Top 10 Foreign Series Now Streaming on IdahoPTV Passport

1. Land Girls

Follow the lives, loves, highs, and lows of members of the Women’s Land Army working at the Hoxley Estate during World War II. As men fought on the battlefields, women from all walks of life worked the farms that fed the nation, doing their part to keep the home front running.

2. Professor T

Eccentric criminal psychologist Professor T has a brilliant mind, but also several neurological disorders which make him complex and often difficult, with a very unpredictable nature. Along with his trusted colleagues, Annelies and Daan, they form a team of high-powered advisors that the Antwerp Homicide Department comes to rely on. In Flemish with English subtitles.

3. Luna + Sophie

Luna Kunath is strong-willed but her penchant for naivety gets her into trouble. Sophie Pohlmann seems more mature, but her desire for harmony and fairness can be her weakness. In German with English subtitles.

4. Seaside Hotel

At Andersen’s Seaside Hotel by the North Sea dunes, meet the chambermaid Fie, the merchant’s daughter Amanda, and the local fisherman Morten, whose fates are intertwined, as they seek to emancipate themselves from the plans other people have made on their behalf. In Danish with English subtitles.

5. Atlantic Crossing

A princess steals the heart of the president of the United States in an epic drama based on the World War II relationship of Franklin Roosevelt and Norwegian Crown Princess Martha. Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, Sex and the City) stars as Roosevelt, opposite Swedish star Sofia Helin (The Bridge) as Martha.

6. The Hunter

Based on the true story of the greatest mafia hunter of all time, Saverio Barone is a determined young prosecutor who steps in to fight for the innocents caught up in the carnage between Italy and the mafia in the early 1990s. In Italian with English subtitles.

7. Royal Flying Doctor Service

Based on remarkable real-life stories, this gripping drama series follows the modern-day heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service as they navigate private lives as turbulent and profound as the heart-stopping emergencies they attend to across some of the most beautiful and inhospitable places in the Australian outback.

8. Thou Shalt Not Kill

Stubborn and determined detective Valeria Ferro endeavors to solve the challenging puzzles behind crimes motivated by jealousy, vendettas, and repressed anger to seek the truth and justice. She struggles with her own demons from her past that come back to life when her mother is released from jail after seventeen years. In Italian with English subtitles.

9. Modus

Adapted by Emmy award-winning screenwriters Mai Brostrom and Peter Thorsboe, from the book by Anne Holt, Modus follows psychologist and profiler Inger Johanne Vik (Melinda Kinnaman). In Swedish with English subtitles.

10. Resistance

Based on true events, Resistance tells the story of a group of young heroes fighting for freedom from German Nazi occupation in WWII. Together, they join forces to produce a newspaper. In French with English subtitles.

IdahoPTV Passport is a member benefit that provides IdahoPTV donors extended on-demand access to a rich library of quality public television programs on your television with a number of streaming video devices as well as on your computer, tablet, and smartphone.

To learn more or sign up for Passport, visit idahoptv.org/passport.

Meet the Staff Mondays – Jacob Sodeman

We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about some of the folks that work at IdahoPTV. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce Philanthropy Specialist Jacob Sodeman.

IdahoPTV’s Carol Beres recently sat down with Jacob Sodeman. “I work with our donors, just connecting with them,” he says. “Something I try to do is connect on a personal level, find out what they care about, find connection points with our station and what we’re doing here and how we can drive that support and take the initiative on those kinds of things.” Jacob says if there’s a certain program that’s interesting to a donor he can steer their support towards it. “If a show needs support then we can raise dollars for that and continue the production and send people out into the field and get those shows on air,” he adds.

Jacob grew up in Kirkland, Washington. “Like anywhere else, it’s grown a lot since I grew up there,” he says. He didn’t go far to get his college degree. “University of Washington – just across the (Puget) Sound from where we were,” he says. His family moved out to Idaho right before Jacob and his wife did. “We ended up moving in with them in a mother-in-law kind of thing,” he says. “My brother and his wife went to school out here and stayed after college.” His first year here was during the COVID lockdown. “The first year was strange, with COVID,” he says. “We didn’t really get to explore the area a whole lot. We did some stuff: getting out into the woods, exploring some nature. This last year has been really nice to go see more of what’s going on and get to know more people, too.”

Jacob understands the value of PBS in his community. “I think just connecting with people that are around you can increase your quality of life a lot, and theirs,” he says. “And people have such interesting stories. I like hearing from other people. I think that’s what Idaho Public Television does so well. Just connecting them with stories of those around them. There are so many programs that we produce that are stories that I’ve never heard of, and new places that I want to go explore. There are always fun dramas and other things, like adventure and travel, and cooking shows. I just think there’s such a well-roundedness to what goes on at Idaho Public Television. I think the education piece of what we do is important, too.”

Jacob and his wife, Kelsey, love to get into the Idaho outdoors. “Recently, we’ve been getting into camping again,” he says. “Kelsey and I both worked at Mount Rainier (in Washington) during the summer. I worked there one summer and I think Kelsey worked there two or three summers. They have this beautiful lodge up there in the National Park. So we worked in the lodge. I was a porter. I was hauling bags up and down the stairs. It was fun. But, I got off at 2:00pm every day there. And I would go hiking after work. It was just an amazing, wonderful summer. Lately I’ve been getting back into hiking. We’ve gone to Redfish Lake a lot. We went to Ponderosa State Park, in McCall, a couple of weekends ago. And we’ve convinced my parents, who aren’t campers, that with a grandchild on the way (my brother and his wife) and other future kids, it would be a good idea to have a pop-up camper…so, soon we’ll be camping with them too.” He says they’ve been exploring the hot springs in the area as well. And Jacob likes to keep active on the basketball court. “I’m not typically a really competitive person, but I do enjoy the competitiveness of basketball. I want to win,” he laughs.

Jacob is pretty open-minded when it comes to his favorite snacks. “I like scouring Trader Joe’s,” he admits. “They always have something good. You could spend hours in there.” His go-to is peanut butter pretzels, though. “They have salted and unsalted versions,” he says. “I always choose the salted. They’re in the blue packaging.” He’s also open to a healthy snack, too. “Another thing I like is at Boise Juice Company,” he says. “They have these açai bowls….they’re really good. It’s basically like a smoothie, but just in a bowl…they’re a little thicker. And then they add on fresh fruit and granola. The one I get has honey drizzled over the top, too. It’s really tasty. Really refreshing on a hot day.”

So far, Jacob has a fondness for exploring the Treasure Valley and the Sawtooths. “The most I’ve explored is the Garden City area,” he says. “Going to the different wineries and there’s a couple of breweries close by, too. So, exploring those and getting to know what’s going on…we like wandering along the Boise River. Redfish Lake is our go to, also. It’s just so beautiful out there.” And he remembers a PBS Kids character that he watched when he was a kid. “So I always loved Wishbone,” he says. “They read stories. Then the dog, Wishbone, and the kids would get transported, in their imaginations, back in time.”

The enjoyment of Wishbone, Jacob says, segued into his and his wife’s love for dogs. “For three or four years, we raised Golden Retriever puppies,” he says. “We had, I think, 25 puppies over three years.” They still have the mama dog of all the litters, plus one of her pups. He says, “It was really rewarding to see all the families and to get to know the people who were going to take home the puppies. We had people from all over.” Jacob and Kelsey had dog lovers call them from as far away as North Carolina. Their dog, Bella Rose, alas, has retired from the puppy-making business.

Meet the Staff Mondays – Jim Hadley

We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about some of the folks that work at IdahoPTV. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce Graphic Design Specialist Jim Hadley.

IdahoPTV’s Carol Beres sat down with Jim recently. “I’m responsible for all of the station’s printed materials, which includes newspaper and magazine ads, producing the monthly Channels listings guide in print, online with hyperlinks and each month’s video promotion, as well as some of the graphics for our website and for social media posts. If there are graphics needed for a show, I help out with some of them.” Jim started with IdahoPTV 12 years ago.

Jim is a native Idahoan. “I was born and raised in Boise,” he says. “I went to North Junior High, then Boise High, transferring to Capital High School the 2^nd half of my senior year because of cancelled art classes. Then I graduated from Boise State University with my bachelor’s degree in graphic design.” He started in the field before he graduated, so he’s been at it for approximately 44 years. Before coming to IdahoPTV, he worked in the corporate world for many years. “I was an art director at a display/exhibit company and at several ad agencies,” he said. “My last job at an agency lasted for over 20 years.”

Idaho Public Television has what Jim’s looking for when it comes to quality product. “The people are all great,” he says. “We have a reputation of doing solid work and good community work. Bruce Reichert had a pretty well-known reputation as executive producer for Outdoor Idaho. Anyone who ever said anything about Idaho Public Television, or had worked there, always loved it, so that means the people are definitely great to work with.”

Jim has a unique position in which he works with many departments. “I work with management, sponsorship, all of the producers of Outdoor Idaho, or Idaho Experience…every single one of the locally produced shows,” he says. “There’s not a department that I don’t do work for.” One area where Jim really likes to work is editing photos in Photoshop and Lightroom. For example, enhancing the Channels covers. “The cover for Salmon Reckoning for Outdoor Idaho,” he says. “That was a particular challenge because the fish was shot in a fish ladder…to make it look realistic, we had to find a photo of rocks and splashing water. Combining the two together was kind of a trick. Most people, if I do my job right, don’t realize the final image is made up of more than one image. And it’s not just any old salmon pictured. We did tons of research, making sure we had a Chinook salmon that actually was a species that could be found and caught in Idaho.”

Another challenging assignment was the Channels cover for Spud Country. “The Spud Country cover was two completely separate photos merged together,” he says. “There’s all kinds of photos of the Teton Range, but it’s usually from Teton National Park, which is the east side in Montana…the Idaho side is a little bit harder to find photos for. But we had to make sure we were showing a potato field in Idaho, and those Teton’s needed to be from the Idaho side. Most of the time we try to use local photographers. Making it factual, making it true, and correct for Idaho is the number one rule as far as I’m concerned.” One of his favorite covers would be the 2018 December Channels. It had a photo of Merriam Lake he took when he accompanied the Outdoor Idaho crew into the Lost River Range and climbed into Merriam and Pass Lakes near Mount Borah and Mount Idaho, just two of the nine over 12,000 peaks in that area.

Jim takes advantage of the Idaho outdoors in his free time. “I love to go backpacking and fishing in the summer,” he says. “I used to do a lot of snow skiing. Mostly at Bogus Basin, but also Brundage (near McCall) and Sun Valley.” He and his wife enjoy local car racing at Meridian Speedway, music concerts and the Idaho Shakespeare Festival as well. When it comes to his favorite part of the state, it’s tough to narrow it down. “Either the Lost River Range, the Sawtooths or North Idaho…because of the lakes and the gorgeous scenery up there,” he says. Jim doesn’t have a favorite snack, but he says he has a real weakness for candy or chocolate. He takes over the cooking duties in the summertime with his BBQ. “My son-in-law has a Traeger®, so we also use that a lot of the time,” he says. And he has two granddaughters, with another grandbaby on the way. “There’s a boy on the way in November,” he says. Jim’s quick to mention his favorite PBS Kids character is one that holds a special place in his heart. “I think my favorite character would be Big Bird, just because he’s so iconic,” he says. I’ve shot pictures of all my kids and my grandkids with (a stuffed) Big Bird that we have near the Master Control area downstairs.”

Top 10 Biographical Profiles of Women Now Streaming on IdahoPTV Passport

1. Betty White, First Lady of Television

Betty’s 80+ years in television is officially the longest career in the history of TV. She was the first woman to produce a national TV show; the first woman to star in a sitcom; and the first woman to receive an Emmy nomination. In fact, she is the first woman to ever appear on television, given her performance on an experimental broadcast in the 1930s. Thanks to exclusive access, the film reveals Betty behind the scenes at work, entertaining at home, and interacting with her animal friends—one of whom is a 900 pound grizzly bear. Altogether, it’s a portrait of one of the most beloved stars in the world, truly the “First Lady of Television.”

2. Margaret: The Rebel Princess

A look at Princess Margaret and her husband Anthony Armstrong-Jones at the start of their married life in the early 1960s. At home with celebrities and artists, they are riding the wave of a cultural and sexual revolution that is transforming Britain. In 1965, they set off on an official royal tour of the United States. From California to small town Arizona, the royal couple promotes Britain by day and parties by night.

3. A Force For Nature: Lucy Braun

The documentary explores the life and legacy of E. Lucy Braun, one of the foremost botanists and ecologists in American history. The film features interviews with scholars (some of whom worked with Braun), rare archival photographs, and historical reenactments. Important history in ecology, the fate of virgin forests, and successful preservation of natural spaces are highlighted.

4. Fannie Lou Hamer: Stand Up

Civil rights legend Fannie Lou Hamer is remembered by those how worked side by side with her in the struggle for voting rights. An African-American sharecropper from the Mississippi Delta, Hamer’s difficulty registering to vote in 1962 led to her career as an outspoken activist, congressional candidate, and fierce fighter for the rights of all.

5. American Masters – Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin

Explore the remarkable life and legacy of late feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin whose groundbreaking work, including “The Left Hand of Darkness,” transformed American literature by bringing science fiction into the literary mainstream.

6. Becoming Helen Keller

The complex life and legacy of Helen Keller, advocate and human rights pioneer, are legendary. Keller, who was deaf and blind, used her celebrity and wit to champion rights for women, people with disabilities and people living in poverty.

7. In Their Own Words: Princess Diana

Meet those closest to Princess Diana and follow her story as she grew from a shy, aristocratic schoolgirl into a dynamic force for change. This is a journey from the inside of her life, and the story of a woman who defied expectations and evolved into one of the most impactful icons of our time.

8. Inside the Mind of Agatha Christie

Surpassed only by the Bible and Shakespeare, Agatha Christie is the most successful writer of all time. We all know her characters and incredible plot twists, but what do we know about Agatha herself? Combining rare access to Agatha’s family, her personal archive and speaking to those who know her work best, we discover what made the world’s most successful crime writer tick.

9. In Their Own Words: Angela Merkel

One of the most enigmatic and inscrutable world leaders of our time, Angela Merkel’s life story reveals the woman behind the veil. Explore how experiences that began in her childhood shaped her politics and ultimately, the face of modern Europe.

10. American Masters – Mae West: Dirty Blonde

Dive into the life and career of groundbreaking writer, performer and subversive star Mae West. Over a career spanning eight decades, she broke boundaries and possessed creative and economic powers unheard of for a female entertainer in the 1930s.

IdahoPTV Passport is a member benefit that provides IdahoPTV donors extended on-demand access to a rich library of quality public television programs on your television with a number of streaming video devices as well as on your computer, tablet, and smartphone.

To learn more or sign up for Passport, visit idahoptv.org/passport.