WCNY takes you on a Erie canal-side journey

Hosted and narrated by Roy Underhill of PBS’s “The Woodwright’s Shop”, “Dream Destinations: New York’s Contemporary Canals”, an original documentary produced by WCNY,debuts Monday, November 12 at 9pm on WCNY-TV. So, relax and plan your trip with “Dream Destinations” that will take you on a canal-side journey showcasing the historic, cultural, natural and recreational assets that abound.

Starting in April 2007, WCNY took high-definition cameras on the road to four canals: the Oswego, the Champlain, the Cayuga-Seneca, and the Erie Canal so that you can marvel at the architecture of an aqueduct still standing in Camillus, watch boats plying the waterways in Phoenix and boaters navigating the locks and passing under lift bridges. “Most New Yorkers do not know that Big Bridge, built in 1914, is one of the widest bridges in the world,” says Executive Producer, Liz Ayers.

Opened to the public with great ceremony in 1825, the 363-mile infamous “Clinton’s Ditch” was considered an engineering marvel and a significant contributor to the formation of the American nation. With little technical knowledge or precedents to guide them, workers surveyed, blasted and dug across the State, constructing 83 locks to carry vessels through variations in water height -- one set rising as high as Niagara Falls.

The Canals continue to support New York State tourism by offering scenic paths for biking, kayaking and boating as well as breathtaking outdoor settings for fishing, festivals and other venues including exploration of canal museums in Syracuse; shopping the “Main Street” of Fairport; stopping in Ithaca to partake in an vegan cuisine; dining casually at an historic tavern in Bushnell Basin; or finding more upscale dining and lodging options at historic Geneva on the Lake. Whatever your pleasure, there is no time like the present to explore the New York State Canal System.

“It was an honor to work with Roy Underhill,” says Ayers. And, according to Underhill, “Of course, I studied and sang about the Erie Canal all through school, but never visited, so this film was a real eye-opener for me. It is also the first time I have worked with high-definition. The videography in this film is beautiful. It shows off the wonderful scenery and created such a real connection for me with these places. New Yorkers should be so proud of what they have with the Canal System: the small towns, the vineyards, the cycling paths … all those things.” “Liz Ayers and her team were so easy to work with. Liz is a great producer and a great coach. I never got the sense that she would settle for anything but the very best. I have spent my life as a craftsman, so working with masters of their craft was very satisfying indeed,” added Underhill.

Ayers crafts a new career

Liz Ayers, Vice President of Television and Media Services at WCNY, is a well-known award-winning Central New York journalist and a 30-year veteran of the broadcasting industry. Ayers says, “The catalyst behind my move to WCNY in 2005 was the opportunity to develop quality local, statewide and national programming, and to be able to disseminate important information to the community.” Over the past year, Ayers has served as the Executive Producer of “The Performers: Taking Center Stage in New York State Agriculture”, an agricultural documentary, and “Dream Destinations”. “Liz has certainly demonstrated to all of us here at the station and in this community her passion and talent for writing and producing what we call ‘intelligent choices that inspire, educate and entertain,’” says Robert J. Daino, President & CEO of WCNY.

Prior to WCNY, Ayers spent 19 years at WTVH-5 as a news anchor and consumer reporter where she helped win two “Emmy Awards” for the station. During her illustrious career, Ayers has been recognized with several honors and achievements including the “2003 Press Club’s Career Achievement Award” and has earned a place on their “Wall of Distinction”. Ayers was also named “Communicator of the Year”, received “The Role Model Award” from Girls Incorporated, and named a “Women of Courage” by the City of Syracuse.

WCNY brings home an award to Central New York

In May 2007, the WCNY production team brought home a highly-coveted “Silver Telly Award” for the original documentary, “Facing HIV/Aids in Central New York”. This nationally award-winning documentary, hosted and produced by WCNY’s own, George Kilpatrick, first aired in April 2006. But, because of its esteemed position, WCNY will air it again on Thursday, November 29 at 11pm, to commemorate “World Aids Day” on Saturday, December 1.

To order “Dream Destinations” and copies of the other documentaries mentioned in this article, visit The MemberShop! at www.wcny.org.