Columns

Posts From The Road: Texas Highway 207

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Highway and Canyon View: Texas Highway 207 weaves its way through the rugged landscape of Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle. This route allows travelers a view of the mid-section of the canyon which is privately owned ranch land. The canyon stretches for more than 100 miles and varies in width from six to 20 miles wide. The depth of Palo Duro Canyon varies but is about 800-1,000 feet deep in most areas. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Palo Duro Canyon: A rest area and view point on the southern side of Palo Duro Canyon gives viewers a nice wide view of the canyon and the north rim in the distance. Read More

NM Wildlife Federation: 2025 Legislative Session Priorities

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JESSE W. DEUBEL
Executive Director
New Mexico Wildlife Federation

It’s hard to believe that 2024 is about to end. It seems like we just wrapped up the 2024 legislative session and now we are only six weeks away from starting the 2025 session. 

The New Mexico Wildlife Federation (NMWF) will be working on some very important wildlife-related bills this year.

Our priorities this session include the following:

          • Reforming the structure of the NM State Game Commission;
          • Securing a substantial appropriation to fund the implementation of NM’s Wildlife Corridors Action Plan; 
          • Expanding the state’s
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All Shall Be Well: Advent A Time To Seek Light In The Darkness

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Clergy from left, Deacon Amy Schmuck, The Rev. Lynn Finnegan, The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Pastor Nicolé Raddu Ferry and Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, retired. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

By DEACON AMY SCHMUCK
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church

I grew up in a secular home, that is to say, we did not practice faith in any way, and my limited knowledge of God and Christian faith and Jesus and prayer came solely from my paternal grandmother, an Irish Catholic “Granny” who taught me the Lord’s prayer, and the bedtime prayer for children, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” and she told me Jesus lived Read More

Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club: Nov. 20 Game

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BRIDGE News:

During the Unit Championship game on Nov. 20, this was Board #4.

Before reviewing the bidding and play, try to visualize how the bidding might proceed, and then how the hand should be played.

Board 4: West was the dealer; Both sides were vulnerable.

 

 

*Reverse (bidding a higher ranking suit after having bid a lower ranking suit), showing at least 17 points and at least 4-4 in hearts and spades

**Exclusion Blackwood, asking for aces other than in diamonds. Why might East make this bid? East’s hand might be worth a 7♣ bid if West holds the spade Ace. Regular Blackwood by East is Read More

Dannemann: Culture War Issues Take Time & Understanding

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By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Some 30 years ago, around a Thanksgiving dinner table, a gentleman in my family stated this opinion: Gay people should not be allowed to be schoolteachers because they wanted to recruit children into their way of life.

The gentleman was then about 50-ish and had never had more than a superficial acquaintance with anyone he knew to be gay. I knew that accusation was a myth that had been debunked long before.

Then his sister dropped the family bombshell. She revealed to her brother that his nephew was gay. The nephew was a bright Read More

Denish: Super Rich Appointees, Politicos Will Set Policy For Ordinary Americans

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By DIANE DENISH
Corner to Corner
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Billionaires’ and multi-millionaires’ increasing presence in the Senate and in the Trump Administration? Yes, it’s true.

First up is Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. Scott’s net worth is near $350 million, making him the richest U. S. senator. He made his money in for-profit healthcare when he was CEO of Columbia/HCA hospitals. Part of his legacy at HCA is having to pay the largest Medicare/Medicaid fraud fine in history – $1.7 billion and his forced resignation as CEO.

In Ohio we have Republican Bernie Moreno, who defeated incumbent Read More

Op-Ed: Let’s Use Childcare Assistance To Lift Workers Out Of Poverty Too

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By JACOB VIGIL, MSW
Deputy Policy Director
New Mexico Voices for Children

New Mexico has made some significant and historic investments in early childhood – and there is exciting new evidence that those investments are making a huge difference for improved child well-being. In fact, our state’s Childcare Assistance program is very likely one of the factors for why child poverty is so vastly improved in a measurement recently released by the Census Bureau.

When the Census only measures parental income, New Mexico’s child poverty level is distressingly high – 27%, or the worst in the nation. Read More

Tom’s 2024 Thanksgiving Thankful List

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By TOM GARRISON
© 2024 Tom Garrison

Each November. I compose a “Thanksgiving Thankful List” for the preceding year.

My wife, Deb, and I enjoy our life in red rock southern Utah and have many things for which we are thankful.

I hope sharing them brings a smile and acknowledgement that even the seldom thought of can be a source of thankfulness.

Below is my 2024 list:

  1. I’m thankful for call blocking. The phone rings, you pick it up and say, “hello.” No one answers and you hear muffled noise in the background, people talking on phones. Then, maybe five, or even ten seconds later, someone says in a thickly accented
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Farewell To Pastor Nicole’ Ferry As She Begins New Ministry

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A shepherd and her flock, Pastor Nicole’  Ferry and husband Ray meet with friends recently for a final goodbye before beginning her new ministry in Monument, Colo. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen

Pastor Nicole’  Ferry holds her children’s moment for a final time on Nov. 3 at Bethlehem Lutheran Evangelical Church. She begins her new ministry as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church on Dec. 1 in Monument, Colo. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen

By BERNADETTE LAURETZEN
Los Alamos

When our town loses a great person because they relocate, it is an incredibly sad day. However, when you realize the profound Read More

An Open Book: Thanksgiving Day

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By DAVID IZRAELEVITZ
Los Alamos

“The only time we close is for Thanksgiving.”

Many years ago, while traveling through a city I have long forgotten, I stopped for dinner at a Chinese restaurant where I overheard the owner chatting with a departing couple. “You’re not closed for New Year’s?” the man persisted. The owner’s heavy accent seemed to thicken with his emphasis. “We only close for Thanksgiving. It’s the only day.” 

This time of year always brings back memories of that brief exchange. I never found out why Thanksgiving Day was the only special day for this family. Maybe the reason is as ordinary Read More