The Argus-Observer (Hillsboro)
HILLSBORO, ORE. A series of preview screenings at local
theaters will offer the public a sneak peek at a new locally
produced television show, "ZigZag: Real Stories, New
Angles."
The show explores how transportation affects the daily lives
of people who live in urban, suburban and rural areas in Oregon
by following four families or individuals throughout their
daily comings and goings whether by car, bike, bus,
train or foot.
Financed by Metro, the regional government, through a grant
from the Federal Highway Administration, the show is part
of a larger project that includes an April 21 broadcast on
Oregon Public Broadcasting, transportation-themed short films
created by local filmmakers and an interactive web site.
The free public screenings provide an opportunity to discuss
the program and to meet the featured families as well as producers
Beth Harrington and Brad Smith. The short films, produced
by local filmmakers Reed Harkness, Melissa Steineger and Cornelius
Swart, which tell the stories of some of the 17 families involved
in the project, will also be shown at the preview events as
well as on the web site.
The events also will feature a community resource area where
viewers can explore travel options, and learn about services
such as Transit Tracker and Carpool Match. Metro's "Way
to Go Wizard" from its Regional Travel Options program,
will answer questions and help people access resources. Viewers
also will be eligible for door prizes, including bicycles,
transit passes, outdoor gear and Flexcar memberships. The
Portland event at the Hollywood Theatre will feature live
music by Trash Can Joe, master musicians who play homemade
instruments, fashioned from trashcans and washtubs.
"Zigzag: Real Stories, New Angles" features a Mennonite
couple whose faith has not only defines their understanding
of the world but their transportation choices as well, two
friends who deliver food to shut-in seniors, a wedding planner
who -- despite her best intentions -- finds she's really wedded
to her car, and a berry farmer struggling to meet the challenges
of delivering his products to market as rural roads become
commuters' thoroughfares.
Each was asked to keep a journal to document their lives,
especially as their activities related to getting places ?
home, school, recreation, work, shopping or other places.
The accompanying web site
www.zigzagshow.org
allows viewers to post their transportation stories
and share their thoughts on a community Weblog, see journals
and interviews of the participating families, preview short
features and film clips of the program and explore transportation
options.