Check the Calendar

Happy Thanksgiving. Is that for real? Some how this holiday season seems a little early, or a little off side, or a little "I'm not ready yet."
It could be the weather. But, we've slid in and around "normal", so that's not much different than other years.
It could be the family away. But then, it has been that way for 10 years as my three daughters each started leaving for college, all out of town. Now one son in college, the other in high school. So its gradually changed around the house, so this should not be a reason for this seeming to be a slow start to the holidays.
In the newsroom, we've been talking turkey and dressing and home for the holidays and days off, but the old holiday spirit just hasn't rekindled from a year ago.
But the family will all be together around Thanksgiving, turkey will actually be smelled (and eaten) not just talked about, and more leaves will fall to be raked.
All of a sudden, it feels like holiday time.

They Got Him

It was like NCIS or Hawaii Five-O, when a prisoner escaped from the jail in Abilene.
I heard it first on the police scanner at my desk. That certainly set the wheels in motion in the newsroom, planning our coverage. We were working another major story at the same time. So, getting people and equipment to the right places and continuing to put together our evening newscasts called for coordination. We got that taken care of.
But, what I want to talk about is the coordination by the law enforcement agencies. Within minutes, TSO, APD, DPS had the area surrounded where they thought the escapee might be. But there is high grass, trees, a creek, all providing places to hide. And that's where he stayed for about 7 hours. Men, horses, dogs. All looking.
But then the cavalry showed up, in the form of a DPS helicopter. (It was about 10:45pm). The crew in the chopper talked with the lawmen on the ground by radio. And the helicopter with infrared technology, zeroed in on the suspect almost immediately.
"Walk straight ahead, 20 yards." "Move to your left a little." "Straight, 5 yards." "Under that tree." "Right where that officer is pointing his gun." (The suspect had covered himself with dirt and leaves, and its really dark.) "The officers have him, at gunpoint. He's in handcuffs."
Just like that, Darrell Schenk is back in the lock-up.
From Sheriff Les Bruce to DPS chopper crew "Thanks and have a safe flight home." Chopper crew: "Glad to help."
It would make a good tv show script.

No One Should Get A Day Off

So here it is, late on a Friday. Why am I still here? For one thing, I have to write this blog. But its being done at nearly the "witching hour" because this is the first time I've had a chance to do it.
Lane is gone, producer Tim is gone. All reporters and photogs are on football duty. So a/p Cody and I put the newscasts together. Usually Lane produces (organizes) the 5, I do the 6, and Tim the 10. But with them gone, its up to us. Reporters and photogs gather and write the stories, but producers put those stories in order, write transitions, edit videos. Those newscasts don't just magically happen. Its a real job to put them together. Stressful.
And we're working against the clock. When its 5:00 (or 6:00 or 10:00), the newscast starts. No waiting five minutes, or half a minute, or five seconds. But that's the fun of it too, putting all the pieces of the newscast together and working with the production department to get it on the air.
But it is very challenging when one of the members of the team is gone. Or two with Lane and Tim missing. So no one should get a day off.
(I may need to take a day or two off to recover from this.)

Another School Year

Our last child has entered high school. That means the last Bartlett is moving thru the Abilene Independent School District. At one time, all five of our children were in AISD at about the same time. And our cars knew how to get to the elementary school all on their own, going the same way for more than 20 years.
Now, all three daughters have graduated from college, two are married, one of them has a baby, the other two have jobs, one son is in college, the other in high school. As I have mentioned here before, I would love to have them all still at home. But they aren't....spread across west and north Texas. The house has gradually gotten quieter, one departure at a time. But when any of them is around, and/or our grandson, it seems like the good old days.
We all are cranking things back into a schedule which most of us fall out of during the summer. Here's to early alarms, lunches, school buses, teachers and homework. Some things never change.

Back To The Classroom

L=play. V=insert edit. E=in point. This what I have been dreaming for the last week. And it's not a dream.
It has been a year or two since I have sat in a classroom as a student. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had some formal technical training about anything.
We often have workshops to sharpen skills on writing, editing video, shooting stories with a camera. I always walk away from those, hoping I can put into practice the good things which have been demonstrated (and disregard some of the other stuff).
But KTAB has purchased some new equipment which will help us better tell the news stories we deliver to your tv set and computer every day. It's the equipment you don't see. The computers used to assemble the video, audio and graphics which our reporters, photographers and producers use to tell the stories which we show throughout the day.
The new system requires a great deal of training. And Curtis has flown in to help us through it. So with 8 computers side by side on the big table in the conference room, we hear about "connection manager", "transfer manager engine", and "workspace." It is really a terrific system, and Curtis leads us in, around, and over the topics for today's class. The skills will help us bring you the news of the day and the people who are the news. It's an ongoing process. Kind of like learning the new edit syst!@#$%^&.
(I'm dreaming that Ctrl Z (Undo) will fix everything.)

Rain, Rain Go Away.....

It isn't often that folks in West Texas say enough is enough when talking about rain. But, enough may be enough. For one thing, mosquitoes. (Is that one thing, or a million?) And then the meteorologist's favorite term "Feels Like". That's when the real air temperature is 90 and the relative humidity is 99% making it "Feel Like" 170. Construction, roofers, road work, car washes..... a big impact on lots of jobs. And then there is walking the dogs where there is only mud.
But Sam says the La Nina and El Nino are about to stop and start, or start and stop. That means we're probably heading into a dry spell. That's West Texas summer afterall. So that 7" we are above normal rainfall, may quickly evaporate.
And the joy of scalping water from the Clear Fork of the Brazos River into Lake Fort Phantom Hill may come to a halt. (Phantom less than 2' below the spillway.... 90% full. When was it we were talking about the lake being nearly 6' low?) There is just never enough water (except flooding of course.)
So at least for now, enough is not enough.....

Welcome Lane

Welcome Lane Stone. Lane has actually been at the station for about 3 weeks, meeting contacts in the community, learning our editing and writing computer programs, co-anchoring with Ron at noon..... now Lane begins what will be her normal routine. She is the co-anchor and producer of KTAB News at 5. That means she writes and organizes the 5pm newscast and co-anchors it with Victor Sotelo, and Sam Nichols does the weather.
After the news, interviews and banter at 5, she turns right around to co-anchor the 6pm with me, and then helps get things ready for the 10 o'clock.
It will be a long day, but after just these short weeks, Lane is easily picking up all our systems, our news values, and learning to deal with the various characters in the newsroom.
She is definately a news professional, knowing what counts as a news story. But she is also a "people person" interested in what is happening to residents of the Big Country. She has a dog and cats, too. Lane likes sports. So she has lots of interests, which means she likes to know about things that you like to know about.
We're happy to have Lane with us, and look forward to continuing Coverage You Can Count On and doing it in the Spirit of the Big Country.

Farewell Angela

Angela surprised me tonight. She has been doing a series of stories on Big Country people who helped her when she first moved to Abilene 5 years ago, and those who have impacted her life since. Tonight, she talked about me. That was very kind.
But, Angela has made a great impact on the Big Country too. She is a hard worker. A reporter, writer, video editor, producer, anchor. She has covered the Cross Plains fires, health issues, the need for a sidewalk at a new Abilene school, bad weather. She interviews guests on KTAB News at 5 who are interesting, provide good information, and do fun things.
And outside of news hours, she helps athletics causes, judges community events, co-anchors telethons. She has played an active role in what we do at KTAB and what happens in the community.
We all wish her well as she stays in the news business to anchor newscasts at 4029TV in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Angela has several days left with us, so be sure and say thanks when you see her around. Angela, Justin and Turner will have a wonderful time with this new opportunity. Our final farewell will actually be Memorial Day.

A Tough Day

Very sad. That's the only way to describe the loss of Abilene Police Officer Rodney Holder. I had known Rodney from about the time he joined the force. I would not put myself in the category of a "best" friend like the "Police Brotherhood", but certainly we were friends. I often saw him working and contacted him for information about an incident that he had investigated.
My wife, my children, and I all know his wife from elementary school events. His son is a dynamo. His daughter presented him with two grandchildren.
He was a nice guy who liked people and wanted to help them. And he did a lot of that.
We will miss his helpfulness, his humor, his smile.
Very sad.

Something Different

Why do you like what you do? Your job or spare time or school or retirement. Or maybe you don't like what you do. That's kind of how I felt about school. Just wasn't my thing. Retirement I haven't tried yet. So, that leaves jobs and spare time about which I can comment.
I haven't had a lot of spare time over the years, with five children and my wife to keep me entertained. I enjoy flying, music, reading. Yard work is there, most of the time.
But my job. Behind my family, my most enjoyable pastime. And the reason..... there is something new and different everyday. I sit behind a computer all day, and have the deadlines, but the stories we air are always fascinating. Accidents are not joyous, but you can learn things. Did you know its a bad thing to keep your cruise control on while driving on wet or slippery roads? Trooper III Sparky Dean says with cruise control, your tires will keep rotating at the same speed on dry pavement or wet, so going over a puddle of water can spin the vehicle out of control. Happened last weekend near Eastland. Two people died. Several injuried. That's not the type of story we like to report, that accident, but if we can save a life with that cruise control info.... well, that's what we do.
Did a story tonight about Abilene Police Officer Jeremy Holmes. On routine patrol. Flagged down by a mother whose baby was in trouble. Officer Holmes used the Heimlick Manuver to dislodge food in the child's throat. Officer Holmes, salute.
Will be doing stories leading up to Big Country Appreciation Day at Dyess Air Force Base. Dyess and Air Force people have meant so much and done so much for the Big Country. This is the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the first B-1B Lancer. KTAB was covering the arrival live from the flight line. I said, "Look up Abilene", as the B-1 approached from downtown and flew (fast) to Dyess, made a few passes and landed. Those are the kinds of stories that keep a newsman coming back for more. That's why I like what I do.

Spring Has Sprung

Its starting to feel like spring. And on the 20th, it is. You remember winter. We'll all remember the winter of '09-'10 for a long time. 5 major snow events. A very white Christmas. Total moisture accumulation putting us more than 3 inches ahead of normal. And cold a lot. I know that's how winter is supposed to be, but with 1 minor snow the normal in the Big Country, this one was unusual.
But now, the birds are back. The weeds are growing in the lawn. Time to start transitioning so we can complain how hot it is, instead of how cold. We're just never satisified. And there's nothing we can do about it.
Spring means "spring break" for lots of folks. School is out. Families travel. This year, while two of our daughters are with their husbands and baby, the third is getting a break from her job and will be home for a few days. And the boys are both traveling along the east coast and to Washington, DC.
Seems like a quiet week ahead. Sleeping late, afternoon naps. But, of course, there are those weeds.....

The Plane Game

A flight by an unhappy pilot into an Austin building will no doubt lead to calls for more rules for airplanes and pilots.
Speaking (writing) as a pilot, we have enough rules. The incident in Austin is tragic. And the events in the pilot's life which apparently led to it, are tragic too. He felt the federal government, especially the IRS, was targeting him. Maybe he is right. Maybe there are rules for the rich, and then for the rest of us. But trying to destroy one building and take some innocent lives with you is not the way to convey the message.
The IRS will still have its pages and pages of regulations. And people who might agree that government is too big, taxes too high and there is no way to get "their" attention, will be tarred with what this one individual did.
And pilots and airplanes may be victims too. There is always an out cry immediately after an event which gets so much attention. But, if the pilot had driven a car with a bomb into the building and caused similar damage, would there be a demand for stricter controls on drivers and cars?

This Is Where I Came In

Even tho we've been talking about my 30 years at KTAB, I've been doing television in Abilene and the Big Country a lot longer than that. I began at KRBC in the fall of 1971. As a mere child, I produced and anchored the news and weather at noon, and sports at 6pm. (And of course there was Jackpot Movie in between. I picked phone numbers at random from Big Country phone books, and if they answered and knew the amount in the jackpot, they won the cash. Had a surprisingly large number of people watching those "B" movies, because the jackpot never got too big.) As sports director, I went to the schools in every town in our coverage area, talking with athletes and coaches, parents and fans. Many of them still come up to me and say, "I remember when you interviewed me." I love it when a woman or man, toting children or even grandchildren, thinks of those "good old days." Do you realize how along ago that is? A player I covered in high school baseball is now my son's middle school math teacher.
I bring this up, because today the UIL, in its wisdom, has once again changed the make up of school districts across the state. That has to be done of course, as the student population in schools change. Sometimes you wonder how they decide to send a school 5 hours one way to play football or basketball. But then, I'm happy someone else is having to make the plan. That's a tough one. The competition changes for fine arts and other fields, as well as athletics.
Folks were mad when the Little Southwest Conference was broken up two years ago, sending Cooper to 4A and Abilene High to Weatherford and Fort Worth. Now, we're back heading west on I-20 to compete with the Midland and Odessa schools. Even Big Spring will be coming to Abilene, altho to play Wylie instead of AHS or CHS. (The Steers and San Angelo Central had been with Abilene, Midland and Odessa schools way back when.)
When Victor Sotelo interviewed some students at AHS, they knew nothing of Mojo or the Little SWC, much less the Big SWC. Several, but not all Big 12 colleges were in the SWC. This UIL move probably means more to older folks like me, than those in high school right now. Familiar rivals.
So, if Cooper is 5A again, and joins AHS with Midland and Odessa in the Little SWC, then the collegiate SWC may be on its way back. March Grandioso may become our theme song again. We may shoot stories on 16mm film. And I may be hosting Jackpot Movie once more.

What Goes Around.....

I have mentioned this particular event in previous notes to you. Somalia, 1992. Operation Restore Hope.
Starvation is leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands. The United States comes to the rescue. The Air Force is dispatched by President George H.W. Bush in August to fly food and water into the interior sections of Somalia. Later the Army and Marines are needed.
War lords are ruling the country. And they are all very well armed. There is little electricity. Phone service is almost non-existent. And people are continuing to die. A poor country.
Dyess sends C-130's and personnel to Africa for the mission. Air crews, maintainers, medical. Just about everyone at one time or another. My trip there was just before Christmas '92. The Dyess planes were already there, so I flew in the back of a C-141 to Newfoundland, Germany, Egypt and then Mombasa, Kenya. That's where the Dyess people were working. Flying missions up the Indian Ocean coast to Mogadishu, Somalia, and air strips around the bone dry countryside.
This is brought vividly to mind, as KTAB's Katherine Lane reports on her mission with Dyess C-130's to help in the Haiti disaster. "Riding in the back, feet propped on a Humvee, the web seats, no windows." For military men and women, that kind of transport is common. For civilians used to windows, reclining seats, and maybe even peanuts, it is a big adjustment.
My 141 had the same accoutrements.... web seats along each side of the plane, a couple of small windows providing no light, heavy equipment as cargo chained down in the middle, little room to walk around, and lots of noise. A 747 it was not. But military cargo aircraft are not designed for creature comforts. They're to get equipment and personnel to where they need to be.
For a reporter traveling half way around the world to Africa, or a couple thousand miles to Haiti, the thrill of getting the story helps you overlook the discomfort. I know the military has to do that all of the time. It's part of the job.
I remember the fine folks who got me there and back, and those who were away from their families Christmas 1992, helping people who needed help. I was gone for only two weeks. The Dyess folks much longer.
It makes me appreciate the sacrifices of those who represent our nation by wearing a uniform, and their families. I salute you.

What Happened To '09

The years just slip by. I know I'm not really getting any older, but the time does go by quickly. What happened to 2009? Have I said this before? Memory, you know.
There were many events, large and small, which each of us will remember from '09. Some national events which get us, whether we like them or not. And some personal things which aren't always what we had planned. But for those of us with family members who live away, it makes the holidays a joyous time when they return. So, my holiday was joyous. I hope yours was too.
So what's to come in 2010? No one knows of course. We are hopeful it will be good, but all will not end well, and all problems will not be solved in the length of a television show.
I just know the KTAB news crew will keep delivering the news, KTAB will be involved in community events, and we hope to be a positive part of your lives.
Be sure and let us hear from you about events we need to cover, stories which need to be told, people who need a camera pointed at them (for good or bad reasons).
And just maybe that clock will slow down a little.