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Dec. 19--BARSTOW -- Jim Conkle wants to tell stories about "roadies," those who live, travel or work along Route 66. One of the first will be the story of Debra Hodkin and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, where Hodkin is the curator and manager.
Conkle, the founder and CEO of the Route 66 Preservation Foundation, visited the museum in the Harvey House on Monday along with cameraman and producer Jeff Kasar and Wally Cahill of G2G Productions. The crew filmed Hodkin, who is on the foundation's board, answering Conkle's questions about the museum. One of two pilot episodes will include the footage. Conkle said he hopes the pilots will attract a network and sponsor and that a TV show will air as early as this spring. He's confident that there is an audience for the show.
"We're celebrating the people of the road and the locations and sites of the road," said Conkle, who plans to dub the potential series with a title such as "The Route 66 Chronicles."
He said that the show will reflect the mission of the preservation foundation, which includes preservation, restoration, education, promotion and enjoyment of "all things Route 66-related."
"Those are the things we want to do," he said. "We want to preserve not just the buildings but the culture."
A c c o rd i n g t o H o d k i n , searching the famous road will provide a diverse set of stories. The museum's clientele include school groups as well as car and motorcycle clubs, she said. She enjoys making connections with various visitors, who sometimes send letters and cards and often return to the museum.
"The road is a road for everyone," Conkle said.
People such as Hodkin who work along the highway will provide a different perspective than those who travel it, Conkle said.
"The road comes to visit them," he said. "So they hear different stories."
A DVD of the pilots will be sold at places such as the museum, Conkle said. If the TV show gets the OK, a portion of the profits will benefit the Phelan-based Route 66 Preservation Foundation.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Desert Dispatch, Barstow, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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