By LYNN STRAUSS
Los Alamos

Last week I hiked one of those trails nearly obscured with overgrown weeds like the one mentioned in the letter from Stephanie Nakhleh, “Our Parks Need Love” Aug. 21 in the Los Alamos Daily Post (link).

The weeds were sometimes 5 feet tall or more and so close to the trail I had to raise my arms to avoid scratches. Today I hiked the same trail and the overgrowth had been trimmed back to create a path wide enough for bikers as well as hikers.

I know the Parks Department employees are often overworked and underpaid so I want to thank the hardworking staff, including Raymond Villalobos and Wendy Parks, and all the staff who, despite a tight budget and supply chain issues, work every day to care for all the parks, trails, sports fields and open spaces that make Los Alamos a beautiful place to live.

Hopefully our County Councilors can also give the Parks some love by increasing the Parks Department budget to help meet the challenges.