Episode 205 - New Mexico Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder

It is so nice to get outdoors occasionally when you live in an office with no windows. When we had the chance to visit A-Bee Honey & Farms , we made a beeline for the KNME Hummer and took a drive just south of Belen.

We were directed to the farm by beekeeper Ed Costanza, who dressed us in bee-gear

(note the pant-legs tucked into socks in the slideshow below!) and took us out to meet one of his gentler hives.

DAVID ALIRE GARCIA, SUITED UP AND READY TO MEET THE HIVE

The bees were friendly - unless one happened to get trapped in an untucked pant-leg. (Poor David - Ouch!) Epinephrine and antihistamine were at the ready, but, fortunately, neither was needed. The bees were incredibly interesting, and the folks at A-Bee Farms were wonderfully accommodating. Check out some behind the scenes footage below, showing crew members Josh Keenan and Karl Swanson filming our bee piece for this week's show.



And the honey was delicious!

But it wasn't all a walk in the park, or, in this case, the field. Colony Collapse Disorder is serious business, and back in the studio, David was joined by Master Beekeeper Les Crowder, Richard "The Bugman" Fagerlund, and Charles Martin, an Agriculture Specialist from New Mexico State University, to talk about this issue. You can read more about bees in New Mexico in this excellent article.

And not to be outdone, Gene Grant and The Line Panelists delve even further into the controversy surrounding The Last Conquistador, both the statue and the film that was aired on PBS stations recently. 16th century Conquistador Don Juan de Onate stirs up a lot of emotion in our viewers (as you can see by the all the comments posted about last week's episode devoted to the subject and last night's airing of the documentary.) Some of you objected to the panel we put together for our program last week. We appreciate hearing from all of you, even when you don't like what we do.

The Line also takes on national politics (how can they not with the presidential race in full swing?) And they say goodbye to Scott Darnell, who will be leaving for Harvard University and the John F. Kennedy School of Government to get his master's in public policy. We'll miss you, Scott, and wish you well!

The Public Affairs Team

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Albert Einstein said: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS looks at how the bee is faring in the Land of Enchantment, explores the mysterious “Colony Collapse Disorder,” and looks at why it might be that New Mexico isn’t as hard-hit as other states. Plus, Gene Grant and The Line panelists take on a further discussion of the controversial statue of Oñate in El Paso, Senator Barack Obama’s overseas trip, New Mexico Racing Commission’s last permit, and the Supreme Court’s possible re-thinking on the “Exclusionary Rule.”

NM inFOCUS: Ep 205 - Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 205 - Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder (Bee Farm)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 205 - Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 205 - Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder (The Line)

Episode 204 - The Last Conquistador

This is a picture of the statue featured in the P.O.V. documentary "The Last Conquistador". And, at the bottom right of the picture, you can see the artist who created the work, Mr. John Houser. The statue has created a lot of controversy in El Paso, where it is based, as well as throughout the Southwest. The reasons are many, but all revolve around The Last Conquistador himself, otherwise known as Don Juan de Oñate. For many people, Oñate is a visionary who helped bring many innovations to the "new" world. But to others he is a vicious tyrant and killer, who nearly wiped out the entire society of Acoma people here in New Mexico.

There is a lot written out there about Oñate, but I think the P.O.V. website has compiled a nice website with a lot of good resources, including a link to New Mexico history and a blog with viewer comments about the film. Here's another website that also takes a multi-layered look at Don Juan de Oñate and his impact on our state.

Our goal in this show was to take the issues brought out in the movie, and begin a dialogue on those issues. That mission gave us the opportunity to do something a little different. So, on July 16th we held a screening for the film, and sent out invitations. We also put together a panel of folks with great insights and opinions. Here's a list of the participants:

John J. Valadez - filmmaker, "The Last Conquistador"
Maurus Chino - Acoma Artist and Activist
Estevan Rael-Galvez - State Historian
Margaret Montoya - Law Professor/Leader, Cross-Cultural Discourse
Christine Zuni Cruz - Law Professor, Apellate Judge/Lecturer, Indigenous Issues

Our thanks to all of them for taking part in this valuable discussion, which lasted nearly two hours. Because of time, we were only able to televise portions of that discussion, but the web offers us the chance to share the entire event with you online.

Part 1

Stream videos at Ustream

Part 2

Live video by Ustream

Part 3

Streaming .TV shows by Ustream

Part 4

Free video streaming by Ustream

We were especially thrilled to have one of the filmmakers here in town with us for the event. John J. Valadez has been making documentaries now for over 15 years. He took time out of his busy schedule to be with us, and he even sat down with Gene Grant for a quick interview.

Live Streaming by Ustream.TV

For those of you who missed the show, be sure to watch the re-broadcast, on Thursday, July 31, from 9-10pm. It follows the premiere of "The Last Conquistador" on KNME, which runs from 8-9pm. You can also watch the episode anytime on our website, along with any of our past episodes.

As always, thanks for watching!

Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer
Public Affairs Team

NM inFOCUS: Ep 203 - JPPOs/McCain Town Hall

July 13-19 is National Probation and Parole Officers’ Week. Each year Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD)'s Juvenile Probation and Parole Officers (JPPO's) provide direct services to more than 15,000 youth in communities throughout New Mexico. David Alire Garcia sits down with several of these public servants.

This past Tuesday, Senator McCain's "Straight Talk Express" rolled into the Hotel Albuquerque, and Gene Grant went to this town hall even and interviewed several attendees. Then, he and The Line panelists give a New Mexico perspective on the presidential campaign, speculate on what the state will do with its $400 million windfall, and give their opinions on the controversial New Yorker cover of Senator and Mrs. Obama.
...

NM inFOCUS: Ep 203 - JPPOs/McCain Town Hall (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 203 - JPPOs/McCain Town Hall (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 203 - JPPOs/McCain Town Hall(McCain Town Hall)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 203 - JPPOs/McCain Town Hall (The Line)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 203 - JPPOs/McCain Town Hall (Outro)

John McCain Town Hall - Watch it here!

We will have much more on Senator McCain's visit here to Albuquerque on this Friday night's show, but for those of you who couldn't make Tuesday's event, here's the video:

Part 1

Webcast by Ustream.TV

Part 2

Free Videos by Ustream.TV

Here are a couple of pictures from the event as well.



Tune in Friday night at 7pm for much more with Gene Grant, David Alire Garcia, and the rest of the gang here at NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS!

Kevin McDonald
Public Affairs Producer

Conexiones - The Journey Continues

Here's the latest on the Conexiones study abroad trip from former KNME intern Kaycie Robinson:

Another weekend, another excursion! We went to Patzcuaro, which is a
smaller city about an hour outside of Morelia. Patzcuaro, just like Morelia, is
known for amazing architecture. Patzcuaro is also known for the adjacent lake
appropriately named Lago Patzcuaro, which has the island town of Janitzio at its
center. The island itself is pretty much an enormous hill, and houses are
splattered haphazardly anywhere there is or was space. To get to Janitzio,
you have to take a ferry from Patzcuaro, and to get the best view, you have
to climb the island.

After a climb reminiscent of the first 20 minutes of our journey up
the volcano, we reached the top of the island with its incredible view and giant
statue honoring the history of the area. The very next day, we left our cabañas
at 6AM to get to the village of Jaracuaro to attend the fiesta of San
Pedro. With the sun just beginning to hint at the new day the procession of San
Pedro began. A wooden Saint Peter was being carried on the shoulders of four
men. His throne consisted of finely crafted wood adorned with fresh corn stalks.
Offerings of bananas and bread baked in the shape of rabbits draped the
throne, and the Saint himself was adorned with two woven capes with offerings of
both pesos and US dollars pinned to the back. Two marching bands and villagers
carrying candles entwined in ribbon followed the Saint on the journey
through town to the church in the center. The streets of the town were decorated
with colorful sawdust that formed a sort of red carpet for the Saint as he was
carried past.

Different forms of ephemeral art lined the streets, ranging from
carefully cut paper to glistening decorative balls. Once the Saint was carried
into the church a special mass followed.

After the mass, people attending the fiesta were invited to eat at the house of the carguero, who is the man in charge of the fiesta. We ate traditional fish soup (fruits of Lake Patzcuaro) and corundas, which are similar to tamales. It was extremely interesting to note the presence of corn on San Pedro´s throne: this was visible evidence of the blending of Catholic and Indigenous religious traditions. Also interesting to note is the fact that US dollars adorned the shawl of the Saint. In rural Michoacan, many young men leave their villages to find work in the US. The experience was one of cultural understanding and an excercise in forcing ourselves out of evaluating cultural traditions based on our own ethnocentric perceptions.

Ep. 202: Golden Apple Teacher Awards

It's great to be able to recognize teachers who are really making a difference in students' lives, and the Golden Apple Award winners do just that. We're happy to do our part this week to help get the word out about what some innovative teachers are doing in the classroom.

Seven teachers from all around New Mexico were honored this Spring by the Golden Apple Foundation of New Mexico. We show the profiles of all seven, thanks to video provided by KRQE News 13. We are also fortunate to feature two of the teachers in our studio, as co-host David Alire Garcia interviews Christine Castillo and Sandy McMurray. You'll be inspired by them, and understand why they inspire their students. They're joined by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Celia Merrill.

Gene Grant and The Line Panelists are really fired up this week, too, on topics from the return of a streetcar proposal for Albuquerque to the Governor's request for citizens' input in the make-over of Expo New Mexico. And they can't resist catching up on the Presidential race.

We also feature an excerpt from one of our web-based videos; you can watch the entire video on the Bandera Ice Caves and Volcano, which we hope will entice you to explore more of our Land of Enchantment.

Enjoy!

Kathy Wimmer
Episode 202 Producer

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NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas

NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS recognizes the teachers who are making a difference in our state. Seven of “the best of the best” were honored this Spring by the Golden Apple Foundation of New Mexico. David Alire Garcia sits down with the Foundation’s Executive Director, and two local teachers who were this year’s Golden Apple Award Winners. Gene Grant and The Line panelists take on the Albuquerque streetcar debate, forced changes due to rising gas prices, and how YOU can help revamp the N.M. State Fairgrounds.

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NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (Golden Apple)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (The Line)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (Bandera Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (Bandera)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 202 - Teachers, Streetcars and Gas (Outro)

Summer Conexiones

One of the great things about my job is the fact I get to work with UNM students on a regular basis. Each semester, we work with interns from primarily the Journalism and Political Science Departments. The students are passionate, ambitious, and bring a great energy to the station. A lot of the work they end up doing for me can easily be categorized as "grunt" work, but the students never fail to impress me with their can-do attitudes. The students also help provide a link for me to many of the unknown goings-on at the university. That is definitely the case with Kaycie Robinson, who interned with us here at KNME in the fall of 2007. Kaycie is involved with an annual study abroad program in Mexico. Before she left this summer, I asked Kaycie if she would be interested in blogging for us during her trip. Below is her first installment, which includes a description of the study abroad program, known as Conexiones. Look for more updates from Kaycie in the coming weeks!

Kevin McDonald
Public Affairs Producer

Conexiones is a study abroad program sponsored by the UNM Honors Department
and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. For the past 20
years, Conexiones has sent students to Morelia, Mexico and Trujillo,
Spain. This year, we are in Morelia, Mexico, in the state of Michoacan
(about 250 miles from Mexico City). Morelia is a cosmopolitan city of
nearly 1 million people and is well known for its colonial architecture and
annual migration of Monarch butterflies. Conexiones students travel to Morelia
on their own after pre-departure classes at UNM and spend the next 4 weeks
living with a host family and taking Spanish classes taught by UNM
faculty. Every weekend, the group goes on excursions to explore different
cities and towns. At the end of the 4-week program, students are given the
option to travel independently for up to one week before returning to UNM to
give final presentations and turn in their Cuadernos, which are scrap book-style
notebooks full of guided exploration documenting their stay in Mexico.
My
name is Kaycie Robinson, and I was a student with Conexiones Mexico 2006 and
with Conexiones Spain 2007. I am now a senior at UNM and I´m back for more
as the student helper for Conexiones Mexico 2008- basically, I can´t get enough
of Conexiones!

The Conexiones group has been in Morelia for a week
now, living with host families, going to Spanish classes and enjoying the
city. This past weekend we went to the village of Angahuan to see the
volcano Paricutin. Paricutin was born in 1943 when a farmer in the village
of San Juan noticed steam rising from his fields. The town was evacuated, and
Paricutin continued to erupt for 9 years. The residents of San Juan
founded a new town, the creatively named ¨San Juan Nuevo¨, yet San Juan the
viejo remains very much present if not in the same way as before. When
Paricutin erupted it covered the whole town of San Juan in lava. However,
the lava stopped at the sanctuary of the 17th century church in the middle of
town. We were lucky enough (crazy enough?) to have the chance to complete
the 13 mile hike through the lava fields and up the volcano. We also
visited the church, which displays a replica of the Cristo that was found intact
in the sanctuary after the eruption. The church is a very spiritual place-
many people in Angahuan talk about how not even a volcano could break it
down. Next weekend, we are off to Patzcuaro and Jaracuaro to attend the
fiesta of San Pablo y Pedro!

Ep. 201: PTSD & Patriotism

Happy 4th of July, Everyone!

In honor of Independence Day, Gene Grant and The Line panelists take on
what patriotism means to them.

But before they do, David Alire Garcia has an honest and important talk with Sgt. Andrew Brandi about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Sgt. Brandi has written a book called "The Warrior's Guide to Insanity: Traumatic Stress and Life," and he's doing his best to make the transition easier for soldiers coming home from war. What he has to tell those of us who have never been in combat is not easy to hear, but it is very important, especially as the hundreds of thousands of troops who have been in Iraq and Afganistan return home.

A couple of months ago, Gene Grant sat down with ABC News Anchor John Stossel, whose "Give Me A Break" segments on 20/20 feature a skeptical look at a variety of subjects. His comments, and his prediction about the democratic primary outcome, is very interesting indeed!

Have a safe July 4th!
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NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism

NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS explores Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, with someone who's been there. Sgt. Andrew Brandi has written a book, "The Warrior's Guide to Insanity: Traumatic Stress and Life," and he's doing his best to make the transition easier for soldiers coming home from war. Then, in honor of Independence Day, The Line panelists take on what patriotism means to them. And NM IN FOCUS has a special interview with ABC News Anchor John Stossel, whose "Give Me A Break" segments on 20/20 feature a skeptical look at a variety of subjects.

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NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism (Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism (In Focus)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism (The Line)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism (Stossel Intro)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism (Stossel Interview)



NM inFOCUS: Ep 201 - PTSD and Patriotism (Outro)