Linda Petersen
Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area
801-554-7513
Email: linda@bpmedia.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 2, 2015
Utah Education Network TV (UEN) will begin airing “Discovery Road,” a series that grew out of a desire to tell the stories of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area and its people, on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. UEN broadcasts on Channel 9 in most parts of Utah.
Conceived in 2012, “Discovery Road” is an ongoing series of half hour shows featuring a ‘55 Pontiac affectionately named “Love Me Tender,” which hosts James Nelson and Maryda Nicole Gallo drive along U.S. Highway 89, All-American Road State Route 12 and Scenic Byway State Route 24.
Using music, storytellers and the characters in the communities along the way, the hosts present the history, scenery and culture of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area in an entertaining and educational manner. “
The whole idea behind the show is to get people to do what they used to do on Sunday afternoons — take a drive,” said MPNHA Executive Director Monte Bona.
UEN-TV Program Manager Kyle Anderson said “Discovery Road” is a great fit for the station. “At UEN our main purpose is to reach to the statewide community,” he said. “Discovery Road is a good local resource with a lot of good stories about Utah and Utah history. It’s very well done and entertaining.”
James Nelson and M. Nicole Gallo driving “Love Me Tender”, a ‘55 Pontiac, outside Spring City on Heritage Day.
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The show’s times lot at 6 p.m. on Saturdays is great for people who are coming in from the outdoors and want to be both educated and entertained, Anderson said.
October schedule: Oct 10, 6 p.m. “Don’t Let Them Be Forgotten”
This episode tracks the Blackham family, who were barely subsisting working in the cotton mills of England’s industrial revolution in the latter 1800s, to joining the LDS church and migrating to Sanpete County. They paved the way for current-day descendents, who are farmers, att orneys, business leaders, musicians, teachers, and politi cians, including present-day mayors of two Sanpete cities.
Oct 17, 6 p.m. “Music Is the Reason”
Welsh pioneers to Zion were sent to Sanpete County to develop a “Coal Bed” (the original name of Wales Town in Sanpete County), bringing with them their native gift of music. The coal ran out, but these musical miners produced both the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Osmond Family, to name just two.
Oct 24, 6 p.m. “The Heritage Experience”
A busload of travel writers heads north from Zion’s National Park along Heritage Highway 89, visiting historic stops along the way, including Mom’s Café in Salina and Clarion, the short-lived Jewish settlement west of Centerfield.
Oct 31, 6 p.m. “Mormon Trail: Black Experience”
Returned Mormon missionary Marcus Ewell discovers his family history includes an ancestor who served in the Mormon Batt alion and another who traveled the Mormon trail. The Discovery Road crew visits Marti ns Cove, Winter Quarters and many other places on their journey to the past. As the visit to yesterday plays out along the trail, a mystery unfolds about who might have been with the Ewell family every step of the way.
**Upcoming shows:
Nov. 7 Mormon Trail – The Forgotten Ones
Nov. 14 Mormon Trail – The Disabled Ones
Nov. 21 Nati ve Americans and Sacred Water
Nov. 28 Filmmakers Shootout in Kane County
Dec. 5 Garfi eld County*
Dec. 12 Scandinavian Show*
Dec. 19 The Dreams I Left Behind* Merrill Osmond joins “Discovery Road” as a guest in “Music is the Reason.”
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After airing on Saturdays, each show will air again at noon the following Wednesday.
“Wherever we go while producing Discovery Road episodes people ask where they might be able to see the shows. When we tell them UEN, they nod approval and tell us that’s a place for good programming. We agree. The programming is diverse, educati onal and entertaining. We are delighted to be a part of it,” said Discovery Road Co-host Maryda Nicole Gallo.
In addition to airing on UEN, “Discovery Road” is running on several stations in central and southern Utah, including CentraCom Interactive’s Channel 10, Manti Telecommunications’ Channel 3 and KTTA in Monroe.
Interested viewers may find out how to access UEN-TV at http://www.uen.org/tv/translators/
*December programming is tentative as Discovery Road has several more episodes in production which may take the place of currently scheduled shows.
** Descriptions of these episodes may be found on the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, www.mormonpioneerheritage.org/discovery-road-videos.
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About the MPNHA:
The Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area is a federally designated area of central and southern Utah running along the beautiful and historic U.S. Highway 89 — including the All-American Road Utah State Route 12, and Capitol Reef Scenic Byway Utah State Route 24, which both intersect with U.S. 89 and together form the MPNHA’s Boulder Loop. The area includes the counties of Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane.
About UEN: The Utah Education Network was established more than 20 years ago by the Utah State Legislature to coordinate telecommunications technology for public and higher education. UEN infrastructure serves public education, higher education, applied technology, libraries, government, and other public entities by providing networking, application and support services, serving a vital role in anticipating and meeting the educational needs of our state.
Ephraim’s annual Scandinavian Heritage Festival and Conference, believed to be the largest Scandinavian heritage event in the Western United States, is set for May 25 to 27. The popular event attracts more than 10,000 people to Sanpete County, many of whom travel along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway.
