MALE_1: The following program is a West Tennessee PBS special presentation made possible through the generous financial support of viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today, so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

Thank you.

Peter Noll: Happy holidays to you and your family.

Hello, I'm Peter Noll, the West Tennessee PBS General Manager and CEO.

As many families and friends come together to celebrate the season, we thought it would be a great idea here at Channel 11 to get our TV family and friends together to look back at 2023.

It was my first year with WLJT, and our team worked really hard to produce and shoot hours and hours of local programming from right here in West Tennessee.

For the next hour, grab your cup of cocoa, light the fire and get ready as West Tennessee PBS remembers 2023.

We're now joined by the Jackson Post's Brandon Shields.

This year saw a very exciting mayoral election in the City of Jackson.

Brandon and I had worked on the previous county Mayor, did a forum and so we thought, let's do it again, and we had it at Jackson State Community College, and worked with Henry Kilpatrick and his wonderful team.

What do you remember about this forum with all the candidates?

Brandon Shields: I remember there was just a lot of intensity, I guess tenseness, is tenseness a word?

Anyways, tenseness going in because there was one question, I mean, not to dredge up anything that didn't even have anything to do with the thing, but we had a candidate that was in jail and we were like, what's going to happen?

Is he going to be there?

Is he not going to be there?

There was a lot of questions going in.

How much does it change the camera angles and all that stuff?

Then of the candidates that were there, some interesting conversation going on behind the scenes, in front of the scenes, among the candidates, among the incumbent.

But once we got onstage and got going, it was, I like to think informational and beneficial for the voters, which is what both you and I were looking for when we talked about doing.

Peter Noll: It was.

We not only aired it on television multiple times up until the election, but we also were streaming it, we put it on Facebook Live.

It's just getting that information out, and a lot of people were watching it.

A lot of people called asking when can I watch it?

Brandon Shields: Not only did a lot of people watch it, I don't mind saying this selfishly, but we had a few people who did not know that there was a new paper in Jackson.

We had a number of subscribers, I think the first forums on April 4th or whatever day it was on, we had a number of subscriptions, that started the day after, so thank you for your efforts in that.

But we were just trying to connect the people with the people who represent them, and are making decisions and leading them in this municipality, and it was a good way for them to find out about the people who are trying to be their leader for the next four years in this town.

Peter Noll: What I really find the way that you structured the forum, it's not a shouting match, it's not name calling, it really you do your research and it's real information.

Brandon Shields: Well, not to compare it because it's really apples and oranges, but while having presidential candidates yell and shout at each other for a couple of minutes is entertaining, it's not entertaining by minute 47.

I had no interest in doing that, and honestly, some of the candidates said, if this is what it's going to be, I don't want to be a part of it, and I said I don't want it to be that either.

Everybody's just going to have the opportunity to address issues, give their solutions to any problems that they see, and then just let the voters decide from there.

Peter Noll: Well again, thank you and the Jackson Post for that partnership, we hope it continues, and we wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Brandon Shields: You all too, and I just want to just publicly in front of the cameras just say, obviously at the Post we're all about local, and I'm loving what West Tennessee PBS is doing to promote not just in Madison County, but in all the counties of rural West Tennessee , what's going on.

I don't think I can turn my TV on without you all broadcasting whatever parade happen the week before, and that's fun to watch.

I appreciate that.

Peter Noll: Thank you.

We do love being local, and let's take a look at the local Jackson Mayoral Forums.

Ray Condray: My name is Ray Condray, I do want to be your mayor for the City of Jackson.

I am asked all the time, Ray, why are you doing this?

I've even asked myself that question at times, and I have two solid answers.

The first is because I believe this is a calling, I believe that God has called me to put my name in the hat to run this race.

The second is this.

I've seen Jackson over the past few years go in a direction that I don't believe is best for the future of our great city, and I believe the platform that we have of faith, family, and future will help us to steer back in the right direction to give us a clean, safe, healthy city to raise the next generations in.

Scott Conger: That's the reason that I'm here.

The reason I was here four years ago because my wife and I are raising the next generation.

My now five and soon to be seven year old kids are growing up here, and we want them to stay here when they graduate, if they go to college, if they do technical, whatever they decide to do, we want them to stay here because they have an opportunity to be here, because they have an opportunity to be successful here.

What we've done in the last four years has been transformation for our city.

We've worked hard to bring in new industry, to expand existing industry, to grow small business.

When we face triumphs, we face some off schools, we've all done that together.

Right now we've seen the most historic investments in Jackson in the last year, and we're just on the start of realizing our potential going forward into 2023-2024, and we have tremendous opportunity ahead of us.

We have to have someone who has that vested personal skin in the game of knowing that the decisions that we're going to make today, are going to have an impact on us for 20 to 30 years from now, and they're going to be here to see that, they're going to have people here that are going to see that and either reap the benefits or suffer the consequences.

Every decision that we make today is going to impact us going forward.

Peter Noll: Welcome.

We are now joined by Julia Ewoldt, who was with the Jackson Post this past year, and we had a big Mayoral Election in Jackson, that had a lot of candidates and then it had to be whittled down, and West Tennessee PBS partnered with the Jackson Post to do first just one forum, but then it turned into another forum.

Julia Ewoldt Stooksberry: The election was just a really interesting time because, well, the first election since 2020, since the pandemic, since a lot of unrest in the United States, and in Jackson in particular.

Going into this election, we had a lot at stake and a lot on the plate.

Six people ended up running for Mayor of the City of Jackson.

Peter Noll: The election rules are you have to get 50% + 1.

Julia Ewoldt Stooksberry: Fifty percent plus one.

We had the six, and then it went down to the two for a runoff election after we did not get 50% plus 1.

Well, I want to say that Scott Conger was in the lead after that original election, but it was in the upper 40s that he had, and just didn't make it.

Peter Noll: I just remember after we did the original forum, there was no clear winner, it went to a run-off.

I was talking with you and Brandon, and it was just like, the story is not over yet.

I think we need to do something else.

Brandon Shields: Yes, we had to dive in a little bit deeper because that original forum that we did over at Jackson State Community College, we were able to brush the surface of what all of these people believed.

But we weren't able to dive in deeper, and we were really able to do that in the sit down interviews that we had with both Mayor Scott Conger and Ray Condray.

We got some really interesting questions, we saw a lot of their personality, and I think if people were on the fence, they were able to make up their mind through those interviews.

That was our goal to give people information.

Peter Noll: It was to give people information.

That's a good segue to take a look at some clips, but thank you so much for joining us as we look back at 2023, and for sharing your talents with West Tennessee PBS, we appreciate it.

Julia Ewoldt Stooksberry: Absolutely, thank you for having me.

Peter Noll: You bet.

Let's take a look at some clips from the forum.

Scott Conger: Well, this has been a fun and very new and interesting election season.

A lot of things, a lot of first have happened that have never happened they to got mileage in local politics.

People talk about politicians all day long.

I can say listen, I'm not a used car salesman.

I worked in nonprofit, I worked in higher ed, and I worked in government.

I'm not used to telling people what they want to hear to make a sale.

We talk about facts and talk about what we're going to do for the City of Jackson.

The plans that we put in place, not just buzzwords and soundbites that sound great, but we're putting in the work to make sure that we're making Jackson a sustainable place.

That when my kids get out of high school, whether they go to college, whether they go to trip, whatever they decide to do, 7 and 5 now, so they have a little ways to go.

But they see Jackson as a path for success for them.

They bring their families here, that they raise their families here.

They want to start a business, they want to go to work that they locate here because they have opportunity.

Ray Condray: This has been incredible.

When we first did this, we had people say, "You don't stand a chance on this", but as we talked to the people, as we heard what they said, as we heard their concerns, and as we told them, hey, we're listening to you, and we're going to take your concerns and we're going to take them to the Mayor's Office.

We're going to make sure that the Mayor's Office has an open door policy, so you can actually talk to the Mayor.

We're going to make sure that when you call the Mayor's office that you talk to a person.

You don't just get in this infinite loop of a phone tree that never gets you through to anybody.

We're going to make sure that things are done in a proper and upright manner and where that people can be proud of what's going on in their city.

We don't have the controversy about things that are happening that's questionable for their children being raised here and questionable events, questionable activities that really are concerning to a lot of the people here that call Jackson home.

They've lived here for a long time or whether they've just moved here.

They want it to be the type of place that they can raise their children, that they can feel safe, they can feel comfortable, and they can be proud to call Jackson, Tennessee home.

Peter Noll: We're now joining in front of the fireplace with a good friend at the station.

Julie Cooke.

Julie, welcome.

Julie Cooke: Yes, it's great to be here with you.

Peter Noll: It's very toasty at the cocoa in front of the fireplace, as we look back and remember all the fun shows we've done.

Julie Cooke: 2023.

Peter Noll: You've done several of them.

Julie Cooke: I have.

Peter Noll: The first one you did, you got to call the night before.

Julie Cooke: That rings a bell.

I think I was a pinch hitter, is that what you call it?

Peter Noll: Someone got laryngitis and they were so nice, you call Julia.

Julie Cooke: It's Julia Ewalt.

That's right.

Peter Noll: She called you and she's like, "Hey, I can't talk, but I'll find somebody for you."

Julie Cooke: I was insisting would tell somebody to call me who can talk, what they're talking about.

No, that's not true.

I was glad to.

It was such a great experience.

So beautiful in Paris, was just so alive that time of year.

Peter Noll: It's fun.

Julie Cooke: it wasn't the prettiest day.

It was a little misty and a little cloudy and a little damp for some, but everything was shining through.

Everybody's just the fish fry and everybody was going to the big tent, which I didn't get there early enough to do that, but I know I've learned a lesson.

Next year, I'll be there.

Peter Noll: You got to get early to get there.

Julie Cooke: With bell on, absolutely.

But the parade was fabulous and just enjoyed everything.

Peter Noll: It was a little bit misty that day and I was afraid the turnout would be hurt.

No.

Julie Cooke: Not in Paris, Tennessee.

No way.

Peter Noll: No, but that was so much fun.

Julie Cooke: That was a great deal of fun.

Peter Noll: Let's look at some of those highlights.

MALE_2: Hello everyone and welcome from the heart of Henry County, Paris, Tennessee.

A population of 8,000 people becomes about 20,000 a day for the world's biggest fish fry parade.

Peter Noll: We're now joined by friend of West Tennessee PBS, Betty Langley.

Welcome Betty.

Betty Langley: Thank you.

It's good to be here.

Peter Noll: Betty, you hosted the 85th Annual West Tennessee Strawberry Festival Grand Floats Parade with Steve Beverley.

What do you remember about that day?

Betty Langley: Ideally, it was just so much fun being with Steve because he is such a professional and he's done this for several years.

He knew all the ins and outs, but it was great.

Peter Noll: You were a chairperson three years ago?

Betty Langley: I was the president of the festival.

I was the chairman in '19, I was the president in '20, and because of COVID, I had to cancel the festival.

Peter Noll: What was that like?

Betty Langley: It was awful.

Cried.

It was terrible because it had never been canceled ever, except during World War II, so I made history, didn't mean to, but it did.

Now every festival is just a little more special when you could go a year and not have it.

It was heartbreaking because we were almost ready to go when we finally said it's not going to happen.

We came, and everybody else was shutting down and it was just traumatic.

We cried all of us in the chamber office.

We just cried.

It was awful.

Peter Noll: That's how much the festival, when the Grand Floats Parade means to public and all of the West Tennessee?

Betty Langley: It does, because on a good day when the weather's great and the streets are lined eight and 10 deep, it is just the best thing in West Tennessee.

It was just wonderful.

Peter Noll: We worked together the year before too at the parade.

What was it like having West Tennessee PBS back?

Betty Langley: It was good.

Their capabilities and the technology, and the equipment, it was just so top notch.

It was just wonderful.

There was a big difference, but it was great.

Peter Noll: West Tennessee PBS has a great production team?

Betty Langley: Oh, my goodness.

I was floored when we walked into that trailer.

I guess you call it a trailer.

I couldn't believe all the equipment that was in there.

It was wonderful and they were the consummate professionals.

Peter Noll: Top notch team, they certainly are.

What one thing that really stands out in your mind about the parade that year, there were so many great floats and I feel like people are so excited to have it back.

Betty Langley: Having not had it for a year, it was back in '21, '22 was better, this year in '23, it was no holes bar.

It was gold and it was just wonderful.

Just sitting on the street, I felt like I was just talking to people saying, there's so and so and there's and her grandmother and there's the daughters and then there's the sons and having been in Humboldt for a long time, I have a little connection with a lot of people and it's just so much fun.

It's just like you're sharing the community with everybody.

Peter Noll: When I go back and watch the parade now, you do know almost every single person in the parade and their mom and relatives and aunts.

Betty Langley: I tried to make that connection because that makes it more personal.

Peter Noll: Although it is the largest and longest running festival in all of Tennessee, it's still a small town festival.

Betty Langley: It is.

Peter Noll: It's so well run.

Betty Langley: It is.

Peter Noll: I really tell people that Beth Culpepper at the Chamber who helps put it on, she's an event engineer.

Betty Langley: She is.

Peter Noll: It's like clockwork.

Betty Langley: She is and really got into my general chairman year in '19 and then when we had to cancel.

That's when really we did a re-branding, we came up with all new logos and new icons and colors and the whole thing was just a rebirth of the festival, but it's West Tennessee Strawberry Festival.

That's why it means so much to so many people because people from Trenton, and Jackson, and Bolivar, and Martin, and Brownsville, and Huntington, all around West Tennessee, they all come to this one thing, the school's let out for this one event.

Peter Noll: They all feel like it's their festival too, that's really special.

Thank you so much for joining us as we look back at the year and review of 2023 and for sharing your talents with West Tennessee PBS.

We really appreciate it, Betty.

Betty Langley: Thank you.

Peter Noll: Let's take a look at some of the highlights from this year's 85th Annual West Tennessee Strawberry Festival Grand Floats Parade.

MALE_3: From Main Street in downtown Humboldt, Tennessee.

It is the 85th Annual West Tennessee Strawberry Festival.

Peter Noll: We're now joined in front of our fireplace by the one and only Steve Beverley.

Steve, welcome.

As we look back on 2023, and finally, remember all of our great local programs which thanks to you and your talents, we produced many hours of and thank you for sharing some time with us.

Steve Beverly: Thanks for having me a part of it because it's really a joy to be part of public television in every way possible.

Peter Noll: Thank you, your big supporter and friend of the station.

One of our new shows this year that we've never done before and I think it's never really been done to this scale before in West Tennessee was a retiring old Gloria big flag retirement ceremony we had in June at Casey Jones Village.

What do you remember about that show?

Steve Beverly: I think it was distinctively the hottest day of the entire summer.

Peter Noll: It was very hot.

Steve Beverly: Because.

Peter Noll: Almost as hot as this fire.

Steve Beverly: That's right.

Now, this one is warming us up right now, but on that day, Julie Cooke and I were up in the air as we were describing what was going on and it was roasting out there and there was no relief, there was nothing you could do with it, but what a day it was because I think there are few people in Jackson, Madison County West Tennessee, that had ever seen a retirement ceremony for the American flag, and the fact that it does happen all over, but I think this was probably the largest one that we have ever had there on the grounds right in front of the province house.

Peter Noll: I heard somebody say, thank you for airing that show.

They never knew what happened to old flags.

I'm sure there are some people that just put it in the garbage, but it's such a revered symbol of America that there is a proper ceremony, and that's what I love to educate everyone about.

Steve Beverly: I think particularly because this had never really been done on this scale before.

It was really for me, I know for Julie, and I know for the people who watched at home, it was a day in which we were educated as well and to have a man like Dan Brooks, who is an expert on this thing.

Dan, I say he is pretty much an encyclopedia of everything and to see him be able to break this down, to help us understand what was going on in layman's terms, you couldn't have had a better day than that.

Peter Noll: What was also very, very special was to have a World War II veteran that served on D-Day.

Steve Beverly: That's so very special to me, Jack Claiborne and to think that he's still with us right here.

Here is he is coming to the end of a century, but somebody who can still tell us in detail what it was like to serve in World War II, to be in the trenches, to be in situations where he was in harm's way and many people that were buddies of his, we're in the same danger, to hear him continue to describe that, that is something that needs to be preserved forever because as we've known in say, the last 20 years, we keep losing more and more of these men and women every day who served and Jack was just fabulous in being able to tell in detail what it was like being there and how much it meant to him.

Peter Noll: When I met Jack that day, one, I couldn't believe how well, he was surviving the heat better than I was and he was 99 and when we're doing a show like that, we're not sure what we're going to need.

That's why we said, hey, let's have you interview him just so we have that.

When I got news recently that he had passed at the age of 99, I thought, didn't we do that interview and our director of production, Darryl Connor, found that interview that you did with Jack and we just thought that needs to be its own show and we did a tributely.

We contacted his family to get photos and put together a special show with that interview and the ceremony that he was honored for, to honor Jack and all veterans.

Steve Beverly: To me, it was an exclamation point for me personally because 26 years ago I did a documentary with 33 West Tennessee World War II veterans for WLJT.

We had them all in a studio at Union University and we talked to them for about 3 hours about all of their war experiences.

They had been everywhere.

Everywhere from Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, Normandy and that is something that I will never lose as a memory because it was probably the last time we could see all of those men in that volume together in one room because within two years after that, one by one, some of them began to leave us, and then to have Jack to tell his stories at the age of nearly 100, it was to me, almost like I was going back in time to that day that I did the documentary 26 years ago.

Those are things that are so precious and vital to a region, to a community, because we aren't going to have that opportunity much longer.

Peter Noll: That's right.

Well, and it's what I believe, Channel 11 exists to be local to share those stories, and with that, I want to thank you for not only joining us for our look back at 2023, but for really sharing of yourself for decades with West Tennessee PBS.

We appreciate it.

Steve Beverly: That's what broadcasting is all about.

It is giving back to the community, and it's always been my pleasure to be a part of PBS.

Peter Noll: Thank you.

Let's take a look at some of those highlights from the Flag retirement ceremony and our interview with Jack Claiborne.

Steve Beverly: From Casey Jones Village in Jackson, Tennessee.

It's a Channel 11 exclusive, as we are here on Independence Week and looking at all of the things that we're so proud of as far as our country is concerned, it's a flag retirement ceremony.

Dan Brooks: I am so honored today to have the privilege to introduce to you an amazing veteran that I just met the other day.

After a two hour conversation with him to say I was touched deeply by his story would be an understatement.

You see, Jack Claiborne is a World War II Navy veteran and survivor of the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach.

He was a gunner on one of the landing crafts that day.

He would like to share with you some of what he experienced on that D-Day.

Jack Claiborne: I was over way Worth England and some of you did not know that the D-Day was supposed to have been on June 5th and it was such a tremendous storm on the channel that Eisenhower canceled the D-Day and it was still up those storm the day of D-Day, but anyway, we went across and on D-Day morning, excuse me, at 7:30, I was on a landing craft and LCI, and LCI stood for landing craft infantry.

We carried 202 troops in and at 07:30 that morning to the beach.

On that beach that day, there were 4,000 boys who got killed that day.

I was right among them, a 19-year-old boy, and a 19-year-old kid shouldn't have to see this stuff.

But I had to help handle lead, leaving people around our arms, people hollering, and the good Lord was with me, and I didn't get a scratch.

I'll be 99 years old in September and he's still with me.

Dan Brooks: When a flag becomes worn, faded, and tattered, which all of these flags here today are, we retire the flag in a ceremonial fire.

After the retirement, the ashes are buried and a prayer given.

Julie Cooke: There were over 350 flags, I understand, that we are retiring today and people have been coming through the line.

Every person in the audience was given a flag to put into the fire.

Now tomorrow, they've got to let the barrels cool off, of course.

But the ashes will be buried just outside the Providence House, the big White House here on the grounds of Casey Jones Village.

There will be a stone engraved to mark this day as it is a historic day in Jackson.

Look at all these young people.

As you said earlier, Steve, this will be something.

It may be not sinking in right this minute, but when they're older, I know that it will mean a great deal to them.

Steve Beverly: If you've never seen a flag retirement ceremony, now you have, and you see what happens to flags after they have served us in our country, and new ones come along to replace them.

Peter Noll: We're sitting in front of the fireplace with West Tennessee PBS' good friend, Julie Cooke.

Julie, you have been so helpful this year on so many fronts.

Julie Cooke: Glad to.

Peter Noll: This has been my first year here, but also our first year of doing the Jackson International Food and Art Festival.

Julie Cooke: You picked a great time to start because it moved to the Fairgrounds this year.

It was a different venue and a lot more spread out.

We've had it downtown for so many years and just outgrew the whole space.

It was really a joy just to see how that was going to go.

Logistically, was it a little bit new for everybody?

Peter Noll: Well, I know in our planning meetings, they were always afraid no one was going to come because it was out of the fairground.

Julie Cooke: No.

That would never happen.

Peter Noll: Because having been in Jackson for so many years, it's always the biggest thing in downtown Jackson.

Julie Cooke: Well, they got even bigger this year because they have a lot more room is what happened.

Peter Noll: Huge, and it's such a diverse crowd of all ages from everywhere.

What's your favorite part of that festival?

Julie Cooke: I think, I like tasting the different kinds of foods.

But of course, I love the colors and the costumes and just seeing all the different cultures come together and some of the dancers that they brought in this year, my stars.

It's the artful experience that you really don't see very often at all and all they're in under one stage.

Peter Noll: That's what they excite me is you never see all this all under one stage, in one venue for one day.

It's wow.

Julie Cooke: The families, the little ones and they're dancing and trying to do the moves.

It was a wonderful, whole weekend long.

Beautiful.

Peter Noll: I remember the weather wasn't too hot.

It was a little warm, but I get warm easily, but no rain.

Julie Cooke: No.

The weather couldn't have been any better.

It was perfect.

Peter Noll: Are they going to be having it at the State Fairgrounds this weekend?

Julie Cooke: As far as I know, they probably will, and even Mayor Scott Conger said himself.

He said, "I don't think downtown can't hold this festival anymore.

We've outgrown it."

The Fairgrounds was a perfect location, I thought.

As far as I know, they're going to carry on with those plans.

You guys will be there, the 2024.

Peter Noll: We'll be there.

We've already been talking about it, meeting with the organizers.

Julie Cooke: Great.

Peter Noll: Let's take a look at some of the highlights from the 2023.

I believe it was the ninth annual.

Julie Cooke: Yes because we lost a year.

Peter Noll: Jackson International Food and Art Festival.

Scott Conger: Good morning everybody.

Hope everyone is having a great day today.

How do you like the new venue for the International Food and Art Festival?

We're so happy you're here with us.

You're celebrating our international community, our diversity in our city, and this is what Jackson is about.

Everyone has a home in Jackson, everyone has a place in Jackson, and we want to celebrate that today.

We want to celebrate it every day as well.

Dr. Sandra Dee: We are here to continue our tradition of bringing joy, happiness, and unity to our people in the community.

Eduardo Morales: The mission needs to respect each other, embrace each other, become friends, and have peace, have a beautiful city, peacefully, and respect each other.

Thank you so much.

Peter Noll: Joining us in front of the fireplace now as we look back at 2023 is a good friend of the station for many years, and also, I should say board of directors members Steve Bowers.

Steve Bowers: Well, I'm glad to be here.

Welcome.

Especially in this season.

Peter Noll: We did the Veterans Program.

You and Julie hosted from Downtown Jackson.

What do you remember about the parade that day?

Steve Bowers: First of all, it's a nice day, which is a blessing, and then the great spirit I think I saw as far as the people that were participating in the parade, it means a lot to people.

The veterans organizations we have here in West Tennessee have really come together, I think in the last few years, to assist veterans, so it was a real camaraderie and I think you can feel all of that and the honoring of the people that need to be honored, so it was a special day.

Peter Noll: We talked to Steve Beverly about the retiring old glory, but you were the master of ceremonies of that day.

Steve Bowers: That was a special.

Dan Brooks put that together as you know and people know.

Dan's a great guy and it was a wonderful idea, and then looking back on it, the last appearance of the veteran that we honored that day added real significance to all of this, was a pleasure to meet him, find out about that story.

But it was just the flag retirement, the special ceremony anyway, but that was extremely significant, just the number of people that were involved and the planning that went into that.

Great setting I think too at the old country store from the home.

Peter Noll: West Tennessee, I don't know the exact numbers, but they seem to really honor our veterans more than any go out of other places.

Steve Bowers: Yes.

The evolution of all of that, the VFW came in, of course, American Legion goes back even further, VFW came in, particularly after World War II.

But then the Korean veterans were not as welcome because they considered that a police action rather than the declared war do the Vietnamese, Vietnam veterans and all this, it's been an odd evolution, but I think right now there's a real recognition of the service, and the linkage of it, the importance of it, and honoring people, and it comes from the heart, I think, in West Tennessee, a real recognition of the value of all of that, how we're depending on that.

Peter Noll: Weston Tennessee PBS was so thankful to be able to share the Friday night service and the Veterans Day program from Downtown Jackson with everyone.

Let's take a look at some of those highlights from this year.

FEMALE_1: The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our life, belief, and eternal life.

Symbolizing the fact that members of our armed forces are missing from our ranks.

They're referred to as PIW's MIAs, our comrades in arms.

They are unable to be with their loved ones and families tonight so we join them with this humble tribute.

This table separate one is small, symbolizing the fatality of one prisoner alone against an army of his suppressors.

FEMALE_2: A memorial to those who have perished in battle.

This soldier's cross, or battlefield cross, has its origin dating to the Civil War in that when soldiers were hastily buried between battles, the rifle was stabbed into the ground to mark their final resting place.

Anything which identified the falling was placed on the rifle, so others would know who internally rested there.

MALE_4: Now, therefore way to Madison.

Madison County, Tennessee, and Scott Conger, Mayor of the city of Jackson, Tennessee, and hereby proclaim Saturday, November 11, 2023 as Veterans Appreciation Day in Jackson, Madison County.

As your honor all veterans past, present, and future, we urge all citizens to observe this day of the appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in Jackson and Madison County to honor and thank all who served in the United States armed forces.

Peter Noll: Steve Bowers is joining us as we look back and remember 2023 about some of the great programs West Tennessee has brought you.

One of the most recent ones is this year's Jackson's Downtown Christmas parade.

You remember about that night?

Steve Bowers: It was a perfect night for a parade it was cool enough that in the spirit of the season, yet the wind settled so all our notes stayed in place, and it was just a great night, a festive night, and a great tradition, that Christmas parade.

I think the JC started or brought it back years ago, a volunteer committee ran it, and then the city took it over.

After the incident down in Selmer, concerns about liability and control, and insurance and all that so in response to that, parks and recreation has taken that over, and it's been wonderful working with them, we've been doing this well, not close to, I think it was my 18th parade or something, I'm not sure it was something like that.

It goes beyond that because I was one time with TR TV, I'm sorry, and so it goes back even further.

Peter Noll: I remember from this year's parade, it was the first one that I've ever driven in.

The organized.

It ended hundreds of parades.

First one I draw, is I was nervous, but it was perfect weather.

Steve Bowers: Yes.

Peter Noll: A couple of years ago, it was really cold.

That just got rained out.

Cold, but this, it was perfect Christmas parade.

Steve Bowers: Because it was crisp enough to put you in the spirit of the season, but it was not excessively cold and the wind had settled.

It could have been windy that day.

When the wind's blowing you notes, you know how that goes but it was a great night for a parade.

Peter Noll: The crowd seemed to be pretty big.

Steve Bowers: Yes.

The people gather primarily from Shannon Street up towards City Hall Courthouse, and that's the main area.

We got it catch it right in front of the judges reviewing stand, which is a good spot for us but people have been through the run of parades, but that's a monumental task keeping all that organized.

More units this year, I think they said since 2008 or 2009.

The parade's really coming on as a commercial exposure for a lot of companies and community organizations such as PBS in West Tennessee.

It's a real good showcase I think, and fun to do.

Peter Noll: It's fun.

I'm a member of the Rotary and they had to carry the flags I think to start it off.

Steve Bowers: They vandered the people.

That's an important part of the Rotary because it's an international organization as you know, being a member and it's just a real reflection, I think of the breadth of that organization that is worldwide.

Then those flag displays are used at the international festival with the parades here in town and then the Rotary uses those for all their district conferences and all that.

Glenn have done a great job putting that together.

It's always good to see that.

You always get to lead the parade which is a good thing.

Let's get all through.

Peter Noll: Yeah.

I was born and raised in Minnesota, but this is home, never leaving West Tennessee, Love Jackson.

But the Christmas parade is something very special to the South.

I've talked to a classmate of mine that I grew up with, Minnesota, who lives in Alabama, same thing, all these towns have Christmas parades here.

There's dozens and dozens throughout just West Tennessee.

Steve Bowers: It's just assumed in our section of the country.

I've lived all over the country, but it's much smaller.

As an adult, I've spent all my adult life in West Tennessee and it's just been an important part of West Tennessee as long as I can remember.

As you say, every town has a Christmas, some that are not even incorporated.

If I got a community, we get a few floats together or a few cards, well we can have a parade now.

Peter Noll: Well, I know West Tennessee PBS this year we tried.

Steve Bowers: You're over 40.

Peter Noll: Yes.

We counted them all up, so we're trying to either be in all of them or livestream them on Facebook and put them on our app, and we're doing dozens so it's very special to Tennessee.

Steve Bowers: When the merchants were all downtown, it was a huge loss to the shopping season as you know.

Having Santa Claus downtown, the Christmas house that has been a part of Jackson is on a Court Square this year.

Every city around Murray City, all these places now that are not really retail centers were decades ago, so everybody had a Christmas parade.

Because you don't want Santa to miss your town, and it's a legacy and legend that continues.

Welcome to the season.

Peter Noll: It really does set you up for the season.

Let's take a look at some highlights from the Jackson Christmas Parade.

Steve Bowers: From Main Street in downtown Jackson, Tennessee we welcome you to a season of giving the Christmas parade for 2023.

Cassandra Fuller: That's it.

We're here at the end and it is officially the Christmas season.

Steve Bowers: Season is underway in Jackson, Tennessee.

Peter Noll: Well that brings us to the end of our program and to an end of our year.

2023 has been an incredible year for me personally, my first year here at TenEleven, and for the station as the team has worked really hard to produce some great local content.

Because for us, it's all about home, it's all about local content, local shows, and celebrating West Tennessee.

We wish you the very best in 2024 and we thank you for supporting West Tennessee PBS, the most local station in West Tennessee.

Your donations make local shows possible and makes us providing public television to all of West Tennessee possible, so thank you for your support.

Have a wonderful New Year and happy holidays.

MALE_1: This program you've been watching was made possible through the generous financial support of West Tennessee PBS viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

Thank you.