The first step on the journey to freedom begins in the heart
Oh How The Years Go By:
Windsor Park Stories Reaches A Milestone
Tony Mussari
This Sunday, Windsor Park Stories will begin its 11th year of broadcasts. It’s hard to believe that we have been on the air for more than a decade.
As Amy Grant wrote so beautifully: “Oh, how the years go by.”
Kitch and I have been told that Windsor Park Stories may well be the longest running, locally 
owned, independently produced television program in the history of Northeastern PA.
If that is the case, it gives us a very good feeling, because we have all the scar tissue that results from producing a weekly television program for that length of time.
In 121 months of broadcasting Windsor Park Stories we have met many people…learned many things… traveled to many places and we have established a network that, to this day, provides us with wonderful ideas.
Some of these relationships are short term, a select few blossom into friendships. As with everything
in life, there are a few that become disappointments.
To mark this special occasion, we decided to present a reedited version of one of our favorite programs, A Special Day for America. We think it speaks to everything our series is about.
It’s the story of a naturalization service that was held at the Federal Courthouse in Scranton in October 2004.
It was a very special day for 49 men and women who became American citizens. It was a special day for their families and friends. It was a very special day for our country, and it was a very special day for Kitch and me.
The courtroom was packed. The energy from the overflow crowd was positive. The sounds of the people were genuine, rich and unfiltered. You could her babies crying, people whispering, cameras snapping and objects dropping to the floor.
More than once, our camera was bumped, unintentionally, by energized people who came to experience and capture this moment.
As we recorded the poignant scenes and the beautiful sounds of the oath spoken with many distinct and enchanting accents, we were moved by the simplicity, significance and
joyfulness of the moment.
More than once during the service, we thought to ourselves how fortunate we were to be born into freedom.
The 49 people who pledged their allegiance on that sun drenched, October morn overcame many obstacles on their way to the mahogany paneled courtroom where they received a certificate and an American flag.
They had a history of struggle. We have a history of entitlement.
When they spoke about their adopted home, their exuberance was palpable. Their actions and words made an indelible impression on our hearts. They wanted American style freedoms, and now they were experiencing the liberating powers of those freedoms.
When speaking for this group of new citizens, Antonio Campagna of Hazleton, put it this way: “The best part of my life is today, and I cannot express in my feelings today how I feel.”
When asked, “What does it mean to be an American?” virtually every person responded with a one word answer. Without hesitation, they smiled and said “Freedom!”
When Immigration Officer Timothy Schaeffer answered this question, he spoke these heartfelt words: “It means I have the right to try. I have the obligation to do my best. I can’t blame anyone but my
self if I don’t succeed.”
When the new Americans said they would register and vote in the next election, you knew they would.
Kitch and I were deeply touched, by the honesty and integrity of what we witnessed. We left Scranton that day with a new appreciation of freedom and a determination to capitalize on the freedoms that, until that morning, we took for granted.
If the new Americans could sacrifice everything to be free, so should we.
It was on that morning that we made a decision that eventually led to this day…the beginning of our 11th year of Windsor Park Stories in our new home at WBRE TV
It was on that day that we decided to end our teaching careers.
It was on that day that we began a two year journey that virtually turned our lives upside down. It was a time of challenging moments, scary moments and epiphany moments.
It was a time of taking risks and making new friendships.
It was a time of restructuring the series and our lives so that we could devote more quality time to our work as producers.
Today, Windsor Park Stories is in a very good place, and we are in a very good place in our lives. We share the company of dear friends both old and new. We have opportunities we never dreamed possible, and we are learning and growing in ways that make us grateful for every day and every moment of life.
When we began the series in 1997 we thought it might be nice to produce it for one or two years. Before we knew it we were celebrating our 5th anniversary in 2001.
September 11, caused us to launch our What is America Series? as subdivision of Windsor Park Stories. Our work at ground zero 
and Shanksville changed our lives forever. It is work that continues to this day.
This series has been an incredible experience and a lifestyle. It has taken us to 20 states and the District of Columbia.
The lessons we learned from the people we met helped us to become more thoughtful and more sensitive to the genius of the average American citizen.
At critical points in our lives these were the people who gave us hope, inspiration and the courage to make decisions that were in the best interest of Windsor Park Stories.
In a very real way, this Sunday’s episode, A Special Day for America, is the story of anyone who has ever pursued a dream and a passion to create something.
As we look back at a decade of Windsor Park Stories, we can say with certainty that we are the beneficiaries of this wonderful opportunity.
As we begin our 11th year of broadcasts, we renew our commitment to produce a television program that will feature people who have stories of hope, inspiration and service… 
People who live their lives under the radar of notoriety... People who are not celebrities... People who, by their example, give us hope, inspiration and the courage to be free and to do the right thing.
For those who have been a part of this dream, and, in a very special way for Kitch, this milestone broadcast of Windsor Park Stories is for you. Your friendship, your encouragement, your loyalty, your understanding, your cooperation and your help gave us the strength to keep on keeping on.
The last ten years were good years of hard work and struggle.
They were transformational years. They were years that we will never forget, and for that we take time to celebrate the moment and say thank you.
Sartre was right:
Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you
Amy Grant was right:
Oh how the years go by
Oh how the love brings tears to my eyes
All through the changes the soul never dies
We fight, we laugh, we cry
As the years go by
Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.
Please provide feedback to tmussari@aol.com
