Scott Brocato:
Let's start with the first story. The (Alamogordo) city commission has paused the demolition of the Sunspot Observatory. What's going on there?
Spencer Fordin:
The city commission doesn't really have control over it. That's more federal government. The National Science Foundation actually has the jurisdiction. But the Alamogordo City Commission unanimously approved a resolution requesting the planned demolition to be paused so they can study if there are uses of the Sunspot Solar Observatory that could be resumed in the future. The city commission wants there to be more of a consideration before the observatory is just destroyed. It's scheduled to be destroyed in September. So this is more or less a Hail Mary to try to get it stopped before the federal government does so.
Scott Brocato:
Our next story, the Space Museum in Alamogordo. They're celebrating their 50th anniversary and they have a new exhibit?
Spencer Fordin:
Yes, the Museum of Space History here in Alamogordo. They opened up a new exhibit that's entitled To Build a Space Museum. And what it does, it talks a little bit about the story of how it came to be, how Alamogordo came to be the site of the Museum of Space and History and the Space Hall of Fame. Also later this year, the Space Hall of Fame is going to induct a new class into its doors in October. NASA astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly will be part of the class. Mathematician Katherine Johnson, former NASA nurse Dee O'Hara and Nobel Prize winning astrophysicist Michel Mayor will be a part of that class. That induction will be held October 3rd, 2026, right here in Alamogordo.
Scott Brocato:
And finally, there was a movie screening recently of the film "First We Bomb New Mexico." Talk about that.
Spencer Fordin:
Yes, "First We Bomb New Mexico." It's a documentary about Tularosa resident Tina Cordova's quest to get New Mexicans included in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. It was a long time coming. It was decades in the process and she was ultimately successful. Congress set aside some funding to help the people here in New Mexico who were affected by the Trinity tests. And there were a couple political candidates here to be part of the film screening. New Mexico Congressman Gabe Vasquez was here and gubernatorial candidate Deb Halland were both part of the presentation.
Scott Brocato:
Where can folks read about those stories and more?
Spencer Fordin:
They can find that at alamogordonews.com.
Scott Brocato:
Spencer Portin, managing editor for Alamagordo News. Thank you for joining us today. We'll talk to you next week.
Spencer Fordin:
Thank you, sir.