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The Friends of WAVM  
Generations  
Just Beginning, Part II  
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The Community Bulletin Board

The Community Bulletin Board has been another aspect of WAVM's television broadcasting. Using a computer system, bulletins and news flashes inform the Town of Maynard about special events happening at the station or throughout the community.

The C.B.B. process is relatively simple though sometime laborious. A student, usually in the cable's Control Room Department, builds each page making sure all information is coherent and correct. These pages are saved into the computer and scrolled with accompanying music whenever other programming isn't being shown.

One of the side-benefits to the C.B.B. has been its 24-hour broadcasting capability so WAVM would always be generating a TV signal. After the sign-off tape when the National Anthem has been played, TV 61 never goes dark. Instead, TV 61 and the name of WAVM is still out there, aiding and leaving an impression on the community.

Here's an example of a former page:
Sandy the Dog
says
"No school today!"

All you young pups can stay home, because there's too much snow on the ground. We don't want your paws getting too wet! Read a good book.



Now you've got a good inkling of who the cute pup was in that photo. Her name was Sandy, and she was Mags' Cocker Spaniel. She spent a lot of her years up at the high school, even though it was probably against the school's regulations. In Mags' case, several exceptions have been made over the years.

Meet
Sandy the Dog 		Photo of Sandy the Dog
As a puppy, Sandy was very familiar to the students, because she often stayed in the school's library in a clothes' basket. In her adult years, she still stayed a WAVM fixture, mainly because, like clockwork at 2:15 p.m., a student would be sent to Mags' apartment to walk the little lady.

But then there was also the Community Bulletin Board, where Mags started publishing messages like the one above. Soon the whole Town of Maynard knew about Sandy and even started sending her cards, particularly after she was attacked by another dog. And these cards weren't addressed to "Sandy" but "Sandy the Dog" Upon reading the card, Mags knew that the writer had learned of Sandy via TV 61.

Regrettably, Sandy passed away in the early 1990's at a very venerable age. It was her time, but she will be forever missed by many.

Bandit the Dog as a puppy
According to Mags, Bandit would really be Man's Best Friend, "if he would just stop knocking the cushions off the couch!"		No pup could ever take Sandy's place, but another Man's Best Friend took up residence with Mags in the late months of 1995. The dog is a Springer Spaniel and appropriately named "Bandit."
Bandit too is very familiar to the students of Maynard High School, because he has his own "Home Away From Home" in the back of Mags' conversion van. He can also be seen chasing a drool-laden tennis ball across the high school fields.

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