Columns

Rediscovering Jewish Roots: Interview With Rabbi Jack Shlachter On ‘Standing On One Foot’ Adult Judaism Class

by

Rabbi Jack Shlachter.
Photo by Thomas Graves Photography

By MARLENE WILDEN
Los Alamos

In the tradition of great Jewish sages like Rabbi Hillel, who famously distilled the essence of Jewish teachings into a single, powerful sentence, Rabbi Jack Shlachter is inviting adults to explore the rich tapestry of Judaism in a new three-part class, Standing on One Foot: A Three-Part Refresher/Intro to Adult Judaism.

This engaging series promises to be an insightful and inclusive journey for those looking to reconnect with their Jewish heritage, whether they are novices or have drifted away from their Read More

Catch Of The Week: Social Security Email Scams

by

By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
For the Los Alamos Daily Post

If you or someone you care about is one of the 71.6 million people receiving social security, you need to be aware of a new email scam making the rounds.

According to Malwarebytes these fake emails claim to come from the Social Security Administration and install a remote access tool, ScreenConnect, onto the victim’s computer.

What can a tool like ScreenConnect do?

Tools like ScreenConnect provide full remote control of a computer; an unauthorized user with access can operate your computer as if they were physically present. This Read More

Home Country: Squash Bug Stomp

by

Home Country
By SLIM RANDLES

Dud was heading home in his pickup truck when he saw the strange goings-on at the Bahdziewicz place. Abraham Lincoln Bahdziewicz was out in the family’s large garden with a full complement of kids who were happily hopping around.

Some of the kids came from the neighborhood, but most of them were homegrown Bahdziewicz kids.

The Bahdziewicz family had a great garden, and went at the whole thing scientifically and in great fun, because this is one family that runs short on cash but long on kids.

Dud pulled over and watched for a minute as Abe laughingly directed the family Read More

Robinson: Jet As Symbol Of ‘Greed And Excess’ Hasn’t Changed In 20 Years

by

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

In August 2011 Gov. Susana Martinez stood before her predecessor’s jet, festooned with a big “SOLD” sign.

“Last year when I was running for governor, I not only promised taxpayers that I would not use this state jet as a personal air taxi, I promised New Mexicans across the state that I would get rid of this symbol of greed and excess in state government,” she said. “And today, I make good on that promise.”

Then she hugged the buyers, handed them the keys and waved as the plane taxied down the runway. Sale price: $2.5 million.

Gov. Bill Richardson’s Read More

Fr. Glenn: ‘I Will Well And Faithfully Discharge The Duties…’

by

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, we’re through mid-May, and we’re seeing all the end-of-school events coming to pass. V.E. Day—victory in Europe in World War II, was just passed on May 8, too, but with surprisingly little fanfare considering this year marks the 80th anniversary of the surrender. Coincidentally, our Memorial Day—the day primarily for mourning and honoring our military who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives—has been celebrated since just after the Civil War, first known as “Decoration Day” because the graves were decorated with flowers. Per va.gov: “It was not until after Read More

All Shall Be Well: The Quilt

by

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

By The Rev. Lynn M. Finnegan
Associate Rector
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith

April 2000. The Sunday school children’s class at Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church, about ten kids aged ten and under, was busy with a project. My talented co-teacher, Betsy Lucido, had brought in cream colored muslin quilt squares and fistfuls of fabric markers. The children had free reign to design their own square, and then they would be pieced Read More

How NASA Dreams Turned To Creative Writing Reality

by

St. John’s College staff member Kathleen Murphy. CourtesySJC

By KATHLEEN MURPHY
St. John’s College

In 1983, I met with my school counselor for the “career talk”. All vocational tests pointed toward the sciences, and I could taste a future at NASA. As I became more insistent about this pathway, my counselor oddly kept redirecting me to other jobs. He pointed out how well I was doing in English class, and wouldn’t I like to take an elective course in Creative Writing? He suggested jewelry-making. Jewelry-making? I left perplexed.

Walking home, I stopped in my tracks: I am a woman; THAT’S where the Read More

Houck: Should Your Real Estate Broker Be A Fiduciary Or Transaction Broker? What’s Best For You?

by

By DAVID HOUCK
Qualifying Broker
Atomic Realty

Every now and then, clients ask truly insightful questions. One we were recently asked was: “Do you work as fiduciaries or as transaction brokers?” The short answer is—we can do either, depending on what best suits your needs.

In most cases, we believe that acting as a transaction broker better serves both buyers and sellers. Why? Because fiduciary representation comes with certain limitations. When a broker acts as a fiduciary, they owe full loyalty to one party—typically the seller or buyer—not both. If that broker later finds a potential buyer Read More

Chandler: Notice Of Value

by

By GEORGE CHANDLER
Los Alamos County Assessor

This year and next year you will see a number of changes in your Notice of Value (NOV).

Mailing and Protest dates: State Law normally requires us to mail the Notice of Value no later than the first day of April. Because of some of the changes discussed below, and the effective date of certain legislation that affected them, the Property Tax Division gave us a 30 day waiver that allowed us to mail the NOV’s for tax year 2025 on April 30, 2025. That has the additional effect of pushing the last day to file a protest to May 30 2025.

Veterans: The Veteran’s $4,000 Read More

McQuiston: What Happens If You Lend Your Car To A Friend And They Crash?

by

By ALLEN MCQUISTON
Jemez Insurance Agency
Serving Los Alamos Since 1963

What You Should Know Before Handing Over the Keys

It’s a familiar situation: a friend’s car is in the shop, a family member needs a quick errand, or someone visiting needs a set of wheels. You hand over your keys without a second thought — until the question hits:

What if they crash? Whose insurance pays? What are the consequences?

Let’s walk through the realities, so you’re prepared before the keys leave your hand.

Insurance Follows the Car, Not the Driver

The most important thing to understand: in most cases, your insurance

Read More