Letters to the Editor

By LISABETH LUENINGHOENER
Los Alamos

The New Mexico Legislature is looking into two bills that increase the mandatory school time in NM. This has a very real and immediate impact on our schools.

From the latest LAPS Newsletter:

“If HB 130 passes without further amendments, LAPS would need to add about 20 instructional hours for the year at the elementary school and no additional hours at the secondary level. If HB 194 passes without further amendments, LAPS would need to [add] 82 hours at the elementary level and 52 hours at the secondary level.”

HB 194 could account for adding three weeks to the Read More

By THOMAS TURNER
White Rock/Los Alamos
Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club President
MICHAEL FANNING
White Rock/Los Alamos
Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club Vice President
MARY ALME
Los Alamos
Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club Treasurer
KHALIL SPENCER
Santa Fe
Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club Board Member at Large

Here are three extremely problematic bills before you that I object to as a responsible, law-abiding gun owner. These are HB’s 50, 100, and 101.

HB 101 would ban “Assault Weapons”, which is a poorly defined term that would be used here to ban commonly-owned semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns Read More

By GRANT HARDING
Los Alamos

Given that the previous Council attempted to end the work of CDAB, I was pleasantly surprised with the draft CDAB Task Force (NCIR Task Force) Charter in the agenda packet for the Feb. 7 meeting.

As a fairly regular critic of Council’s actions, I have to say, this is good work and good governance.

I hope this Council will pass this as is.

I encourage other residents to weigh in by emailing countycouncil@lacnm.us, attending the meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 7 in Council Chambers, or logging into the zoom meeting using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82683176848 Read More

By SILAS IVERSON
Troop 22 Boy Scout
Los Alamos

To fulfill a requirement for the communications merit badge I need to submit a letter to the editor to the newspaper. I am interested in aviation and thought this would be a compelling story:

In January, the last ever Boeing 747 was built. The Boeing 747 is a 4-engine airliner first built in 1969.

The Boeing 747 is one of the most iconic airplanes ever built, and is referred to as “the Queen of the Skies”.

The final Boeing 747 was delivered to Atlas Air and is serving as a cargo aircraft.

Recently, the last 747 flew in a route that spelled “747” in the sky along Read More

ARYN WARD
LAHS student
Topper hockey player

Los Alamos Ice Rink was built in 1936. The outdoor rink is one of our tiny town’s treasures. It offers skating lessons and people can go there to skate with family and friends for fun. It’s also home to the Los Alamos hockey team, ranging from the atoms hockey, full with young preschool- and kindergarten-aged kids, all the way up to the high school’s Varsity and JV teams.

I have been playing hockey here for the majority of my life, and so have many of my teammates. Compared to the teams that we play from other towns in New Mexico, our season is cut short due to the Read More

By RICK NEBEL
Los Alamos 

In the Jan. 20 issue of the Albuquerque Journal (link) (and Post), LANL laid out its plans for a sustainable future.  

The thing that I found the most interesting were their plans for solar powered charging stations for EVs. One thing that solar PV is good at is charging batteries. Issues like intermittent cloud cover are not as serious when all you are trying to provide is an average energy source rather than to provide instantaneous load following. I think the best way to recharge EVs is at work during the daytime when solar can be used.

So, what will it take to provide LANL Read More

GANAPATHYSUBRAMANIAN GOPINATHAN
Los Alamos

Ms. Jutta Kayser’s expressed concern on the neglect of trash collection/availability at White Rock with the observation that White Rock is made to look as a ‘stepchild’ of Los Alamos seems to hit the nail on the head.

Not only in this issue but in many other civic related matters, if any one takes trouble to look deeply, it is easily visible that White Rock is treated as a appendage for the Los Alamos Civic body and has been receiving lesser priority/preference on many issues.

The expressed concern on an anticipated forced trash disposal by white rock Read More

JUTTA KAYSER
Los Alamos

For a couple of weeks now, I have noticed that the trash collection center has been closed and that no one is available for questions about trash issues.

At first, I thought that Donald was ill for a longer period of time, but now I learned that he resigned due to constant complaints from the county. Donald was always helpful, and my husband and I were very happy with his service.

For about 2-3 weeks, there were hardly any trash containers there – the lot was very empty. Thank goodness that at least the glass and cardboard containers were there. In case these are also removed and Read More

By JUTTA KAYSER
Los Alamos

Despite the leash law at Overlook Park (White Rock), people still let their dogs run off leash.

My dog and I have often been confronted by off-leash dogs, and some encounters were frightening. And now, I have witnessed more and more dogs running off leash at Rover Park, despite the fact that this park is mainly for families with young children.

And I am not talking about little dogs, but large ones. My dog is ALWAYS on the leash when on a walk or at the park, and that will never change.

I strongly feel that other dog owners should also follow suit. There are two off-leash parks in Read More

By AMANDA MOURADIAN, DVM
Chamisa Mobile Veterinary Services, LLC
Los Alamos

Like many of you, I am distressed about the current state of our climate and our planet. I compost my food and yard waste, I have rain barrels, I dutifully sort my recycling and I water my plants with the gray water from my house. We live in a desert where water is precious and climate change is slowly drying us out even more. 

I’m a house call veterinarian who has helped numerous families transition their beloved pets over the rainbow bridge and respectfully care for their remains with flame cremation when burial was not an Read More