Posts From The Road: Year In Review 2023 Part 2
Chloride, NM: We explored areas in southwestern New Mexico in January and February of 2023. We visited several locations that were new to us and returned to some favorite locations from past trips. Chloride, N.M., is a mining town established in 1879 and many of the original structures still stand today. History of the mining towns of the western U.S. is always interesting and full of surprises. Chloride was a boom town of 2,000-3,000 residents for a few years until the mines declined and the miners moved on to other sites. Chloride is home to about two dozen residents today who work together to maintain Read More
Fr. Glenn: To Be Wholly Family
By Fr. Glenn Jones:
Well … 2023 coming to a close. How time flies. So many things still fresh in the ol’ memory—the pandemic (already almost four years ago!), wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, presidents come and gone, space shuttles and their disasters, moon landings. 9/11. We “boomers” seem to be all retiring … or, inevitably, passing. Decades go so quickly. It’s like the country songs “Don’t Blink” and “Remember When”.
But now we come into the new year, which always brings new hope for the future. Fortuitously, the Sunday within the eight days (“octave”) of Christmas—the Catholic Church always Read More
Tales Of Our Times: Healthier Forests Grow From The Seeds Of Digital Forestry
Tales of our Times
By JOHN BARTLIT
New Mexico Citizens for Clean Air & Water
Late last October, my column dealt with engineering aspects of voting systems. Politics takes little note of news about the latest smart tools that provide new policy choices. My November column showed why big media have a mind to bring out rousing or upsetting news sooner than useful news. As the year turns anew, this column ties these themes together: I report scarce news about the evolving field of “digital forestry.”
Politics comes down to each party being dead set on its own stands on large national issues. Think Read More
Cinema Cindy Reviews: ‘Wonka’
By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos
“Wonka” – released on Dec 15, will play one more day at SALA, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 4. The idea of a third film based on this character may not initially motivate one to take a piece of the holiday season for it. But, this movie musical may well be worth your time.
The film “Wonka” serves as a prequel to Roald Dahl’s 1964 book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. That book was first realized on the big screen in 1971 as “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder, now a family classic. Since then, another version titled “Charlie and Read More
Op-Ed: Smaller Class Sizes Can Lift Students And The Teaching Profession
By MANDI TORREZ
2020 New Mexico Teacher of the Year
Every day more than 37,000 New Mexico elementary students, enough to fill the Pit twice over, experience negative effects of large class sizes such as a lack of engagement, increased behavior issues, and lower achievement.
In the 2022-2023 school year, 27% of elementary classrooms exceeded limits and average targets set in current state law. At Think New Mexico, a think tank serving New Mexicans, we examined the class sizes of every elementary school in the state using data reported to the Public Education Department. The story we uncovered Read More
Home Country By Slim Randles: Female Trouble?
Home Country
By SLIM RANDLES
The morning conference began innocently enough, with Steve and Doc arguing over which of the little packaged jellies went better on sourdough toast, and no one caring which one was right.
Dud and Bert and I sat silently, sucking down the morning elixir until it spread life to our outermost reaches as the Mule Barn truck stop’s world dilemma think tank crept to life. Bert was unusually quiet this morning and we asked why. He hemmed and hawed a little, then said, “Doc, you know about these things. What exactly is female trouble?”
Oh shoot. Pretty heavy stuff for just two cups Read More
A New Year And A Little Northern New Mexico Magic … Turning $6 Into $450,000!
By CINDY PADILLA
Executive Director
UWNNM
Growing up in New Mexico, looking back, I know I took a lot for granted. Simple things like the fall air filled with the smell of roasting green chile, winter air filled with the smell of fireplaces burning keeping our homes warm, or the feeling of a snowflake gently landing on your eyelashes. Now as an adult, I often have conversations about the magic of New Mexico. There is a power here that either embraces you or pushes you away. So many people I know, like me, know this embrace, and often say it is like “magic”.
Is it magic? Or something real? I’m here to say … Read More
