Letters to the Editor

By RICHARD (DICK) MALENFANT
Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Formerly of Los Alamos

On November 10, 2015, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz signed an MOA for creating and managing the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, which included provisions authorizing the Park to be located at three sites: Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Hanford, Wash.; and Los Alamos, N.M.

Specific locations at the three sites include the X-10 Graphite Reactor, buildings 9731 and 9204-3 at the Y-12 complex, and the K-25 building Read More

By JODY BENSON
Los Alamos

First, thanks to Jack Shlachter for bringing attention to the Palestinian Summer Series and for advocating for free speech and discussion (link). The Series will be Free at SALA at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays: July 22, Aug. 5, and 19, and Sept. 9,10, and 11. And in fact, education and discussion are the purpose of this series.

Rabbi Shlachter is correct that peace requires discernment and an unwavering rejection of hate. To advance discernment and rejection of hate, the films in this series show the rarely seen Palestinian point of view from behind the fences and within the rubble. Read More

By REBECCA HOWARD
Los Alamos

On the Fourth of July, my husband drove the Los Alamos Auxiliary Fire Brigade’s (now known as Los Alamos Search and Rescue) 1942 GMC Firetruck in the Kiddie Parade. Kids of all ages love to see this classic antique vehicle during and after the parade.

He always waves at the parade viewers. A protester holding a sign saying, “Free America” was standing along the route, and when he waved at her, she shouted, “Free America, F***er!”

While I support free speech and the right to protest, I also support human decency and civility. I would like to educate that person to the fact Read More

By BILL HEINMILLER
Los Alamos

Sadly, I read in the Los Alamos Daily Post of an encounter between a bicyclist and a vehicle near Diamond & Orange at 9 p.m. on July 10 (link). The bicyclist was a 14-year-old boy and suffered “serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

As a regular road bicyclist around Los Alamos, I can empathize with the rider, as being hit by a car is my own cycling nightmare. I continuously focus on avoiding it while riding. I approach that particular intersection with trepidation. It seems at times to have very short cycles. Seeing it turn green from 50 feet away while underway Read More

By JAN MACEK
Los Alamos 

Snake Week started July 13 and is a week to celebrate snakes! It encompasses World Snake Day on July 16, and encourages snake awareness, coexistence, and snake safety. During Snake Week, dozens of conservation groups, scientists, zoos, museums, herpetological societies, and more will hold special events, in person and online, celebrating the world of snakes.

There are in-person and online events happening all over the world—see snakeweek.org/events to see what is happening near you and to find online events that all are welcome to attend.” 

One of the co-organizers Read More

By WILLIAM MEAD and TYLER TAYLOR

Co-signed by:

Wendy Alexander, Susan Jo Eash, Barbara Mann, Dean Carstens, June Fabryka-Martin, Craig Martin, Cathy D’anna, Galen Gisler, Carol Mead, Tina Deyoe, John Kennison, Joyce Nickols, Skip Dunn, Robert Little, And Kim Taylor. 

Instead of celebrating America’s independence from the king of England this Fourth of July, we are outraged by Trump’s corruption, abuses of power, and attacks on American democracy.

Here is a brief list of some of Trump’s egregious actions.

• More than 100 Executive Orders, some illegally attempting to dismantle whole departments

Read More

By KITTY GANDEE
White Rock

I want to let share the wonderful thing members of the Trail Life Troop NM-1412 in White Rock – Joshua Muck, Ryan Wolking, and James Wolking – have done to help us.

My husband Dan Gandee is a disabled Marine; we proudly display an American flag and a Marine Corps flag in our front yard. One day the flagpole broke in the wind, we were unable to install a new one.  Our friend Joshua Muck saw that, he arranged to bring Ryan Wolking and son James to our home to help plan for the reinstallation of our flagpole plus a veterans’ memorial. Josh told us that they were in a Trail Life Troop that Read More

By TERRY GOLDMAN
Los Alamos

In his latest thoughtful review, John Bartlit (link) correctly bemoans the absence of clear details on the costs of the main Flag Day events – the D.C. military parade and the widespread protests related to immigration or the parade itself. Unfortunately, these days, many Americans only want to see – depending on their proclivities vis-a-vis the events – large or small numbers, regardless of detail.

More unfortunately, the multiplication of news venues available has reduced the ability, of even the largest that remain, to examine such questions in detail and Read More

By GABE AGUILAR
Former President, Mescalero Apache Tribe

From tariffs to rising prices on goods and services, no one has been left untouched by economic uncertainty, especially those in tribal communities. Fortunately, with legislation like the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), lawmakers have the opportunity to ease some of these concerns by passing the bill and finally tackling excessive credit card swipe fees.

Charged as a percentage of a total transaction amount, swipe fees paid by merchants have grown 70% since the pandemic. This puts enormous strain on the budgets of small businesses, Read More

By ANNA DILLANE 
Boomerang Consignment and Gaia Gifts 
Community member 

Honorable County Council,

I am writing to express my deep frustration with a lack of any measurable progress in economic development in Los Alamos – despite the investment of at least $13 million this year. 

I write this letter as a local business owner and a community member. While I serve on the steering committee for the Los Alamos Local Business Coalition, I represent only myself with this opinion. 

At the County Council work session on June 17, staff presented reports outlining their efforts toward economic Read More