[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E1740]]



                      20TH ANNIVERSARY OF NMMI TV

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 1996

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the 20th anniversary of New Mexico Military Institute 
Television Productions in Roswell, NM. New Mexico is proud to have on 
the finest military schools in the country, New Mexico Military 
Institute. NMMI is known for academic excellence, offering one of the 
few 2-year Army Officer Commissioning Programs in the United States, 
and having a tough curriculum for the development of strength and 
character of the young men and women who attend NMMI from literally all 
around the world. In addition to this, NMMI has contributed greatly to 
its local community, through, among other things, outstanding 
television broadcasting produced at NMMI.
  This school year NMMI Television Productions will begin its 20th 
season of providing the Roswell community with local and original 
broadcasting. Over 300 cadets, and numerous local citizens-as-program 
hosts and other community volunteers have been a part of this effort. 
Their programming ranges from community services, retirement programs 
and activities, bilingual awareness shows, sports, medicine, news, 
recreation and other programs of interest for and about Roswell. I 
commend NMMI-TV Productions for providing this additional technical and 
educational program as part of an experience-by-doing learning 
laboratory for cadets interested in the field of television 
broadcasting.
  Recently, the superintendent of NMMI, Lt. Gen. Robert D. Beckel, came 
and briefed me on the many wonderful accomplishments and improvements 
taking place at NMMI. NMMI Television Productions is clearly an example 
of this excellence and what they are doing for the men and women 
attending their institution as well the local community. I am attaching 
an article from the Roswell Daily Record that explains in detail the 
exceptional work being done by this unique program. I urge may 
colleagues to join me in saluting NMMI and NMMI. Television Productions 
for their all-around dedication to the NMMI Corps of Cadets and the 
community of Roswell.

             [From the Roswell Daily Record, Sept. 8, 1996]

               NMMI Broadcasts 20th Year of TV Production

                         (By Marifrank DaHarb)

       Lights . . . camera . . . and ACTION begins Tuesday as the 
     New Mexico Military Institute TV Productions enters its 20th 
     season on the air.
       Under the supervision of executive producer Col. Bruce 
     McLaren and director of broadcasting Lt. Col. Cory Woodbury, 
     the NMMI programming airs on cable channel 11 every Tuesday 
     night during the academic year.
       ``We share the channel with Community Calendar, First 
     Baptist Church and Roswell City Council meetings,'' McLaren 
     said. He also said they can offer local programming and a 
     link to satellite teleconferences and telecourses to the 
     community, Roswell schools and Eastern New Mexico University-
     Roswell as well as the institute.
       ``We've been on the telecommunications cutting edge for 20 
     years,'' McLaren said, ``hosting numerous broadcast events 
     and now extending into such new areas as a proposed 
     additional downlink site from Eastern, the new Western 
     Governors University and availability as a node in the new 
     statewide telecommunications network now in the planning 
     stages.''
       McLaren said the NMMI program's focus has always been on 
     cadet training, sometimes for school credit and sometimes for 
     fun.
       ``We have 27 volunteer cadets right now,'' he said, ``and a 
     waiting list.''
       College sophomore Estevan Padilla of Espanola is in his 
     third year at the institute but this is his first year of 
     involvement with TV production. ``My friend, Mike, got me 
     into it,'' he said. ``It's my first experience with 
     television, but I was already in audio as a member of the VMV 
     Club which is open to everyone, not just for cadets.
       ``We set up for dances and other performers such as 
     comedians, singers, bands, whatever they need us for.''
       Padilla's friend, Mike Ulanski of Wahiawa, Hawaii, also a 
     sophomore and in his third year, said, ``I did this all last 
     year, including special projects like taping alumni 
     activities during Homecoming and the superintendent's 
     retirement party. We'll tape anything as long as it's 
     approved by Col. McLaren.''
       Ulanski explained the cadets rotate responsibilities. ``For 
     one show, you might be director,'' he said. ``For the next 
     one you might be in charge of audio.''
       Mark Jacobs of Albuquerque is in his third year at NMMI and 
     is a junior in high school. This is his second year in TV 
     production. ``I think I'm very interested in taking this 
     another step,'' he said.
       Lt. Col. Woodbury believes the experience can be 
     invaluable, even if it's not a career goal. ``One cadet who 
     graduated from here worked his way through college working 
     for PBS (Public Broadcasting System).''
       Martha Ortiz of El Paso, a college freshman, said she had 
     been at NMMI some 21 days. She got interested in TV 
     production after learning about it at an event in the gym 
     showcasing campus activities. ``I like it a lot,'' she said. 
     ``It's very interesting.''
       The programs offered have a variety of interests for public 
     viewing. Dori Lenz Wagner is no stranger to the production 
     end, having been a frequent guest on Diane Holdson's ``How To 
     . . .''. But this fall her own show, ``Quilting,'' debuts. 
     The nationally known quilting instructor will teach four 
     different patterns--Fancy Three Patch, Mandevilla, Attic 
     Window and Snowball--as well as how to finish a quilt. 
     Everything will be machine pieced with rotary cutting.
       ``This is the first time they've done a quilting show,'' 
     she said. ``I think it'll be fun and I'm looking forward to 
     it.''
       Wagner's six shows will alternate weeks with newcomer Bo 
     Shero. Shero's program is on woodcarving. ``I plan to take 
     them through a full project of carving a blue-bird,'' he 
     said, ``including all the techniques for attaching the wings, 
     heads and feet and painting and sharpening tools.''
       Shero is new to Roswell as well as NMMI-TV. He spent five 
     years as a guest woodcarver at Silver Dollar City in Branson, 
     MO, where people demonstrate how things were done in the 
     Ozarks in the 1890s.
       ``We think we have a good line-up this fall,'' McLaren 
     said. ``But we'd like to be able to offer shows for the home 
     handyman and the Roswell gardener or something like `New 
     Mexico Out-of-Doors' and `Learning to play . . . whatever 
     musical instrument.' We're limited only by the availability 
     of program hosts.''

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