Columns

Duplicate Bridge In Los Alamos: July 28, 2025

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BRIDGE News:                                                    

Perhaps you’ve seen the old card game “Bridge“ mentioned in a book or seen it being played on the Orient Express in an old Agatha Christie black-and-white movie. Maybe you’ve even tried to play it in the remote past with Mom and Dad (or even more likely Grandma and Grandpa) around the kitchen table. Well, it hasn’t quite gone the way of the typewriter or film cameras, yet – and, in fact, it has a substantial Free-on-the-Internet presence.  LEARN TO PLAY BRIDGE! 

That being said, it is a game that needs new and younger Face-to-Face players and, here in Los Alamos the local club Read More

Dannemann: Congressional Contradiction Underlies Passage Of RECA Bill

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By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
© 2025 by Merilee Dannemann

Many New Mexicans watched with emotions from concern to dismay as the 900-plus page federal budget reconciliation bill—what the president called the One Big Beautiful Bill—was passed a few weeks ago. We knew provisions of that bill would damage New Mexico in ways we had heard about and ways that we had not learned about yet. We knew the bill, on balance, would be harmful for New Mexico, even if a few things in it might be beneficial—because it was too big and stuffed with too many unrelated provisions.

We had heard about Medicaid Read More

Sam LeDoux: Not Right Time To Run For Española Mayor

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By Sam LeDoux
Española City Councilor

ESPAÑOLA – Over the last year or so, I have been approached by many city residents and stakeholders to run for Mayor of Española in 2026. After much thought and prayer, I have decided that it is not the right time for me. Kiele and I are just starting to build our lives together and hope to start a family soon.

I also want to be more present in the lives of my aging grandparents and available to my mother during these trying times with her illness. I know that the stress and time constraints of such a campaign and mayorship would test my ability to meet these responsibilities. Read More

Fr. Glenn: Becoming Royalty

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By Fr. Glenn Jones:

I was scrolling through the news the other day and came across a story about a princess from a European royal family soon to be married. The article displayed a file photo of the princess in which she was wearing some jewels which royal families have accumulated over the centuries. Yes, very lovely.

But is true royalty in jewels, a crown, power, a title? Might we define a more  humanistic—a more truly human—royalty of moral goodness rather than through power and possession? All too often we become consumed with what the world teaches that we should want, but neglect that which Read More

Inspirational People: When Neighbors Are Kind…

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By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

A woman recently caught me off guard in my neighborhood in White Rock. The fact that she even noticed a situation that was bothering me is amazing.

It all began with the plants languishing on my front porch. They were moved inside each year as winter approached. Always. Except last year.

The 2024 election season was in full swing by fall, and it was a doozy. Free time became especially scarce for folks in the news business. The task of bringing those plants inside was put on the back burner … time and again, until winter hit and time ran out. Read More

McQuiston: Your Claim Could Be Denied Because Of A Missed Payment … Even If It Wasn’t Your Fault

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By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos since 1963

Most people think once they’re insured, they’re protected. But there’s one small oversight that can unravel everything—and it happens more often than you’d think.

It’s a missed payment.

Not because you couldn’t afford it. Not because you meant to cancel.

But maybe your card expired. Your bank froze your account. Or a payment failed in the background without warning.

And that quiet glitch? It can leave you uninsured when you need coverage most.

How a Small Billing Error Can Lead to Big Trouble

Insurance policies are contracts—and Read More

Pawlak: In For A Penny

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By JOHN PAWLAK
Advisory Board Member
UNM-Los Alamos

Okay, first of all, this letter has nothing to do with a penny. Absolutely nothing. Now, that being said, let’s talk about the penny. Due to the increasing price of copper and production, it costs four cents to mint/distribute a penny. Leave it to our government to lose money by making money, eh? 2025 will be the last year in which we mint the penny. Will this change the meaning of “A penny for your thoughts”?

OK, I didn’t want to talk about the death of the US penny, but rather about something more personal, your death. But let’s be honest, saying “Let’s Read More

Gessing: New Mexico And The Film Industry Recession

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By PAUL GESSING
Executive Director
Rio Grande Foundation

Since the days of Bill Richardson’s Administration, the Rio Grande Foundation has opposed New Mexico’s generous film subsidies. Back in Richardson’s day, the primary subsidy was a 25 percent “refundable” tax credit, meaning that anyone filming in New Mexico received up to 25 percent of what they spent to film in the Land of Enchantment (courtesy of New Mexico’s taxpayers).

Gov. Susana Martinez attempted to rein in the subsidy program. Along with the Legislature, she placed a $50 million annual spending cap on film subsidies. When Lujan Read More

Los Alamos Faith And Science Forum 2025 Summer Lecture Series Presents ‘Ethics, Love And The Alignment Problem In Artificial Intelligence’ Aug. 5

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Los Alamos Faith And Science Forum News:

Los Alamos Faith And Science Forum 2025 Summer Lecture Series Presents “Ethics, Love and the Alignment Problem in Artificial Intelligence” by Dr. James Carroll, Tuesday, Aug. 5 at the Los Alamos Unitarian Church. A light meal will be served at 6 p.m. with the lecture beginning at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will be recorded and streamed to the ZOOM site given at: https://losalamosfaithandscienceforum.org.

One of the largest unsolved problems in artificial intelligence is the so-called “alignment problem”, that is, the problem of creating an AI that Read More

Neal-Clinton: 2025 Annual Enrollment Update On Humana, UnitedHealthcare & Aetna

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By BEVERLY NEAL-CLINTON
The Retirement Answer Team

Editor’s note: Beverly Neal-Clinton is sharing this information in her role with The Retirement Answer Team and not as a Los Alamos County Councilor.

Los Alamos County is announcing its 2025 health benefit annual enrollment period, set for Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This year’s enrollment is accompanied by major industry changes, including Humana’s withdrawal from the Los Alamos area, and multiple lawsuits against Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna involving federal investigations, “steering” practices, Medicare Advantage ratings, and Read More