WNED’S “WESTERN NEW YORK A TO Z” SPOTLIGHTS
GRAPE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION; OTHER LOCAL CULTURAL TREASURES
Premiere Broadcast is December 1 on WNED-TV

WESTFIELD, NY – C is for Concord Grape Belt.

The Concord Grape Belt is among the unique historical and cultural attractions highlighted in WESTERN NEW YORK A TO Z, WNED’s latest television production premiering on Tuesday, December 1 at 8 pm. Through a series of “video postcards,” the program profiles diverse sites or regionally significant events ― one corresponding to each letter of the alphabet (see complete list below).

Andrew Dufresne, Executive Director of the Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association commented “Its wonderful to be recognized as one of 26 great places to visit in Western New York.  With beautiful natural resources, scenic vineyard vistas, fine wineries, art, culture, culinary – there is a lot to delight all of one’s senses here.”

From the amusing to the profound, viewers learn about nearby places they can visit to experience kazoo-making, pop art by Andy Warhol, the plight of escaping slaves and Theodore Roosevelt’s first moments as president. One-of-a-kind items featured include the world’s oldest working fireboat (the Edward M. Cotter) and Mark Twain’s original manuscript for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“The best part of producing this special was getting to see all the great places in this region — from well-known locations like the Buffalo Zoo and Albright-Knox Art Gallery to unknown gems like the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum and the Original Kazoo Company,” said Andy Grant, who produced the program with WNED’s Chief Program and Production Officer John Grant. “It was wonderful to have this opportunity to discover all the things Western New York has to offer.

“This program is just one more example of WNED’s commitment to using the power and resources of public broadcasting to share our community treasures,” said WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell. “I am particularly proud that so many of the museums and activities in “A TO Z” offer a special appeal for students and families. Working together as a community, we can help instill a sense of pride and connection to place for future generations.”

Major funding for WESTERN NEW YORK A TO Z is provided by the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation, Beechwood Continuing Care and the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation, with additional funding provided by Key Bank.

“The Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau is thrilled to once again partner with WNED on a production of exceptional quality and value to our community,” said Edward J. Healy, Vice President of Marketing for the CVB. “WESTERN NEW YORK A TO Z is just the most recent in a long line of community-minded productions that explore Buffalo’s cultural richness. We are proud to support WNED’s efforts to tell these stories to the large and receptive public television audience.”

WNED’s recent productions include several highlighting the significance of the region [for example, Elbert Hubbard: An American Original (2009), Remembering Crystal Beach Park (2008); Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo (2006), Niagara Falls (2006), The Adirondacks (2008) and Fort Niagara: The Struggle for a Continent (2004)]. Projects on the Chautauqua Institution and The War of 1812 are currently in development.

Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright and Well TV, Classical 94.5/WNED-FM and WNED-AM 970 The Information Station, the member-supported WNED Buffalo/Toronto provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at www.wned.org.

The Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage and support the dynamic economic development of the grape and wine industries, tourism, and associated industries throughout the Lake Erie Region that is built upon our Concord Grape Heritage and results in an enhanced quality of life for all the region’s citizens.

— List of sites follows —