Welcome to Our Town!

Maryland Public Television is currently beginning work on "Our Town", a new, on-going series. The series is going to be a collection of documentaries showcasing different towns across the great state of Maryland - from the Eastern shore, to the Western mountains.

But there's a twist...

Unlike a lot a historical documentaries seen on television, the "Our Town" series will explore different Maryland communities through the eyes (and camera lenses) of the members of these communities. MPT will be soliciting the involvement of a wide variety of each community's populace - from the mayor to the bartender...from the high school student to the chief of police...new residents...old residents...medium residents.

Just some of the possible types of participants to be featured:

• Historian
• Local journalist
• High School students
• Police Officer
• New resident
• Family with young children
• School principal or teacher
• Taxidriver
• Long-term resident
• Mayor
• Priest, Reverend, or Rabbi
• Small business owner
• Large business owner or manager
• Realtor
• Local college students
• Working artist
• Restaurant owner or Bartender
• Local musician
• Landscaper
• Outdoorsman or Fisherman

After a participant is selected, they will be given the task to collect 15 - 20 minutes of video footage that answers the question: "What is special about your community?" If you don't have access to a digital camera, video cameras are available for loan from MPT for up to one week.

If you're interested in getting involved, and you happen to live in Chestertown, Maryland, you can.

Welcome to Chestertown!

The beautiful town of Chestertown on Maryland's eastern shore is the first community to be explored in the "Our Town" series. Chestertown is one of the quaintest and best preserved towns in Maryland, and perhaps, America. Sitting on the banks of the Chester River and surrounded by estuaries, the town's historical significance goes back to colonial America and the men and women that founded America. Chestertown has helped to keep that heritage alive and well through the annual Chestertown Tea Party Festival, the replica of the Schooner Sultana, and the careful consideration given to maintaining the town's charm and tradition by local government and developers. Chestertown is also home to Washington College, a liberal arts college founded under the patronage of George Washington.

But charm and tradition don't create a community alone.

Chestertown also continues to be tight-knit township of residents, old and new. The town's residents work in every type of field...small business owner, waterman, farmer, college professor, chef, landscaper, computer programmer...to provide for themselves and their loved ones. But whatever field they've chosen, all residents have made the shared decision to live in Chestertown. They've all chosen to join the Chestertown community, and it's this idea of community that the "Our Town" series will explore.

How to Get Involved

So, if you are a Chestertown resident and want to help create a new kind of documentary about your hometown, please send an email to OurTown@mpt.org. In the email, include your name, contact information, and tell us how you would like to be involved.

Or if you'd like your Maryland town to be featured in the next "Our Town" episode, Maryland Public Television wants to hear from you, too.

And you can follow the entire production of "Our Town - Chestertown" - from concept through broadcast - by reading the producer's blog at The Buzz at MPT.

And stay tuned for...Our Town - Chestertown!