Home Country: Williwaw
Home Country
By SLIM RANDLES
“Shore is cold ‘round here,” said Windy, stirring in more sugar. “Went out this morning to the pick ‘em-up truck and half my farkels were dang near froze off ‘fore I got that heater a-goin.”
“I hear ya,” Dud said.
“Lose more farkels that way,” Doc added.
“Is farkels a medicine word, Dod?”
“Not really, but it says what you want to say when it’s this cold.”
The talk went along through two refills, a side of bacon and a short stack.
“Bet it don’t get no colder’n this in Alaska,” Dud said.
“You’d be wrong,” said Emma, she of the kind smile carrying the ready coffee pot. “Spent five years Read More
McQuiston: When A Mechanic Messes Up … What You Can Do And What Your Options Are
By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos Since 1963
You drop your car off at the shop, expecting to get it back in better shape. Instead, something feels off. Maybe the problem you went in for wasn’t actually fixed, or worse, now there’s a brand-new issue that wasn’t there before.
At this point, most people feel stuck. Do you go back and risk getting brushed off? Do you pay someone else to fix the mistake? Or do you just live with it and move on?
The good news is, you have options. But how you handle the situation can make all the difference.
Step 1: Take a Breath and Gather Your Facts
It’s
A Letter Of Gratitude, Hope, And The Precious Present
By CINDY PADILLA
Executive Director
United Way of Northern New Mexico
As we step into 2025, it’s a time for reflection—a moment to honor the past, embrace the present, and welcome the future with open hearts. It’s easy to get caught up in looking back, whether with joy or sorrow, or to focus ahead with worry or anticipation. But time moves fast—so fast that before we know it, we’re already reaching for Valentine’s Day candy.
For me, the past two years have been filled with profound personal loss. But amidst the grief, I was given a gift—one so powerful that it changed my perspective. It wasn’t a tangible Read More
Houck: The Land Fraud Problem
By DAVE HOUCK
Atomic Realty QB
These days there seems to be a lot of fraud going on. In Los Alamos, this year alone, Atomic Realty has identified multiple attempts of land fraud. One of the common land fraud schemes is the fraudster attempts to have a Broker fraudulently list, market and sell land owned by an out-of-town owner to an unsuspecting buyer.
In reality, the owner knows nothing about it. In these cases the listing broker, prior to listing the piece of property, may not have done sufficient due diligence to verify if it is really the owner wanting to sell.
A Buyer’s broker usually assumes that Read More
Home Country: Jenkins’s Lost Cabin
Home Country
By SLIM RANDLES
We all know that someone will find Jenkins’s cabin. Someday. Oh, it’s up there in those hills somewhere. We all know that.
It’s become a friendly object of conjecture and speculation. No one living has seen it, as far as we know. Jenkins himself died quietly when he was on one of his infrequent trips to town for supplies. Funny guy, that Jenkins.
He worked in the city for years, mostly as a night watchman in a factory that made diapers. Didn’t really enjoy people much, and told us many times how nice it was to just be in the huge factory when it was quiet. Read More
Ringside Seat: Public Bank And Legislative Applicant Deserve Scrutiny
By MILAN SIMONICH
The Santa Fe New Mexican
Forget the fine print. Normal-size type is tough enough for Peter Smith, a self-described expert witness on the bill to create a state public bank.
Smith submitted a piece to The New Mexican scolding me for a column in which I said $110 million would be taken from the general fund to open the bank. A mere $50 million would be appropriated, Smith wrote.
His claim is false. Proof is in the bill he helped pitch during a legislative committee hearing.
The financial analysis states: “House Bill 130 creates the public bank of New Mexico and appropriates $110 million Read More
Op-Ed: About Those Smith’s Marketplace Complaints…
By TOBIAS HAAG
Los Alamos
I found this letter interesting for a variety of reasons. I have a few perspectives on why LA County decided to allow the only Smith’s Marketplace in New Mexico to operate in Los Alamos. It should be noted that I am not a Smith’s employee, and my comments do not represent the beliefs of the organization.
I have worked in retail and retail management for 17 years, split evenly between Los Alamos and surrounding areas. I am going to say some things that will undoubtedly irritate some of you readers, so please understand I am in no way a representative of Smith’s or Kroger.
My first Read More
