Columns

Amateur Naturalist: The Decline In Bird Species

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Red Winged Blackbird. Photo by Connor Charchuk

Dark Eyed Junco. Photo by Scott Martin

Canyon Towee. Courtesy/Mike’s Birds

By ROBERT DRYJA
Los Alamos

Bird populations are reported as decreasing when considered on a continental or world wide scale. However this is something like the statistical joke about what average means.

You feel fine on the average if your foot is in a bucket of ice water and your hand is on a stove. There actually is considerable variation when group counts for specific bird species and their geographic location are considered. The challenge is in how to define the characteristics Read More

Rep. Chandler: Let’s Come Together And Get Back To Work

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By State Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos)

Recently, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham hosted a series of town hall meetings throughout our state to discuss community safety and answer questions from the public. Much of what was said in these town halls echoed what we heard in a series of special meetings of the legislature’s Courts, Corrections and Justice (CCJ) committee earlier this year.

As chair of the CCJ committee, I convened six additional public committee meetings to discuss the Governor’s proposed legislation in preparation for the special session. We brought in law enforcement Read More

Gruninger: Older Adults Take A Ride With Us Free Around Town

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By JACCI GRUNINGER
Executive Director
LARSO

Note: This is the third column in a series written by Executive Director Jacci Gruninger to introduce Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization and its services to the community.

As we age, we often don’t feel comfortable driving any more or we get to a point where we can no longer safely drive ourselves. It can be challenging to rely on family and friends for this task.

The Los Alamos Retired and Older Adult Organization (LARSO), provides a free ride service catered to meet these transportation needs (a $4 per ride donation is always appreciated). The Read More

Liddie’s Traditional New Mexican Dishes: Squash Blossoms

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Savory squash blossoms. Photo by Liddie Martinez

By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley

Squash blossoms are very beautiful and equally delicate so, having them served as an appetizer makes the occasion special. You will not likely find squash blossoms at a grocery store. They are too delicate and do not have a shelf life of more than a day or two if properly cared for and stored. The best place to source is at a Farmer’s Market unless you grow them yourself. It is worth the effort. I plant at least a couple of squash plants every year that are primarily harvested as blossoms.

Select male squash blossoms Read More

Weekly Fishing Report: July 30, 2024  

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By GEORGE MORSE
Sports and Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post 

Extensive flooding continues in the Las Vegas area, especially along the Gallinas River. It is best to avoid this area as crews clean up after the floods. It is always a good idea to check conditions at the location you are headed to. Streamflows can be checked on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow website.

So far streamflows have remained decent this summer and are now at a good level for fishing.

As often happens during monsoon season, some areas have received more rain than others. The Eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Read More

Gruninger: Embracing Life With LARSO’s Day Out Program

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Courtesy/LARSO

By JACCI GRUNINGER
Executive Director
LARSO

  • Note: This article is the 4th in a series written by Executive Director Jacci Gruninger to introduce the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization and its services to the community.

The Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization’s (LARSO) Day Out Program is a wonderful opportunity for older adults and their caregivers to embrace positive living in Los Alamos and White Rock. This program is designed for older adults who may not be ready for assisted living but can benefit from socialization, engaging activities, and a supportive Read More

DeVolder: Proposal For Reducing Plastics In Environment

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By MARK DEVOLDER
Los Alamos

For years I have been picking up discarded nylon zip ties. Zip ties don’t cost much and are considered a “throw-away” item. Typically, zip ties are cut in two and are then discarded. I find many opportunities to reuse both short and long pieces of zip ties.

Some time ago, I began experimenting with zip ties. Zip ties have a little plastic or metal prong (tooth) that holds the zip tie together. I found that I can use a small jeweler’s screwdriver or a 1/16-inch wide piece of tin can stock inserted into the square portion of the zip tie to hold the prong away from the mating ridges Read More

Denish: Here Come The Little Guys And Gals

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

In the midst of a political upheaval and a new dynamic in the presidential election, the role money plays in political campaigns has a new focus.

Let’s start with mega donors: Peter Thiel, Pay Pal founder and hedge fund giant. Thiel, who was born in Germany, is a naturalized American citizen. In 2017 he was granted citizenship in New Zealand saying, “New Zealand is the future”. He sometimes refers to New Zealand as his “back up country”.

Thiel is a self-described conservative, libertarian, and registered Republican. He has an estimated Read More

Robinson: Governors With Their Dukes Up

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By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Former Gov. Susana Martinez once described her first legislative session, in 2011, as “hand-to-hand combat”.

A former DA, Martinez had no experience with the Legislature, and went in swinging. She used campaign rhetoric, radio ads and robo calls to browbeat them and even sent a staff member to videotape them as they debated.

She said Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez “chose to play politics with our children’s future”.

Of the film tax credit, she said, “We cannot subsidize Hollywood on the backs of our schoolchildren”.

At Read More

Cinema Cindy Reviews: Deadpool And Wolverine

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By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos

“Deadpool and Wolverine” opened nationwide on Friday and is playing locally at SALA through August 8th. This is the third, major release Deadpool movie with Ryan Reynolds in the title role, after the original in 2016 and Deadpool 2 in 2018. (Apparently, there was one called “Once Upon a Deadpool”, also in 2018.) All of them have been rated “R”.

One reviewer wrote that this 2024 installment is “the goriest Marvel film ever put to screen.” It lives up to the description of Deadpool being “gleefully profane”, as one reviewer stated in 2016. On the other hand, what the Read More