Letters to the Editor

By JAMIE KRETZ
Los Alamos

The LANL vaccine mandate is happening, it has been made clear to all employees, get vaccinated or choose to leave. Your religious claims will not stand in the way of safety, your documented medical exemptions can and will be denied at the discretion of Dr. Pasqualoni.

On Oct. 18 Triad will be able to declare we are 100% vaccinated (minus a hand full of medical exceptions, which will never be allowed to be on site). We will have conquered that dissenting last 10% that have held out! We did it!

And then what?

Do we get to declare COVID over? Do we get to get rid of the masks? Do we get Read More

By STEPHANIE NAKHLEH
Los Alamos

Like many of us without young kids in school, I’ve not always paid close attention to school board elections. But this year things are different. This year the election is critical, as the slate of candidates running offers up a stark choice between those supporting science, reason, compassion, and common sense, and those embracing the radical anti-mask, anti-vaccine, anti-science conspiracy cult metastasizing in certain fringes of the country.

Three seats are contested, and the candidates I urge people to vote for are Erin Green (District 5, Mountain), Read More

By MIKE DEMPSEY
Los Alamos

I want to thank PERRY KLARE Esq. for alerting our community to this dangerous plan to have two foreign entities take over the majority of all CONSUMER ENERGY DISTRIBUTION in our state.

Living in Los Alamos County and having our own Utility Company run by honest and hard working people, it is easy to become complacent about things that happen outside the county.

Please do your own research. Most of what is below came from Yahoo Finance. Almost all of it. There is also an excellent article by Rick Ruggles in the Santa Fe New Mexican, July 20.

Ask yourself why PNM and AVANGRID Read More

By ANTONIO R. JAURIGUE
School Board Candidate for District 2

After reading the previous letter from Mr. Mooday, it became clear to me that there is a fundamental misunderstanding with what some people think is being discussed.

The general theme of his response seemed to follow the idea that safe spaces are bad or produce weak results. What he refers to as safe spaces, I refer to as a promotion of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Studies have shown that promoting SEL in K-12 increases academic success.

By JUDY MCKENZIE
Los Alamos

There are so many good reasons to vote Yes for the Public Schools Building Act, Nov. 2.

Most importantly this vote is for our children and their needs for a quality education and their welfare and safety. Another possible benefit is that to keep putting this money into education increases property values in Los Alamos.

The Wall Street Journal reported that there is a definite correlation between school performance an property values in the surrounding communities. The laboratory and businesses in our community will attract people and therefore benefit our whole Read More

By KENNETH LEE
Los Alamos

About two weeks ago, I wrote that the voters of Los Alamos have the right to know what the positions of the school board candidates are as related to affirming or banning Critical Race Theory, CRT, from the Los Alamos school system, and what is their understanding of CRT.

A couple of candidates who can be identified as Republican have responded. All current school board members and all candidates who can be identified as Democrats have not disclosed their positions. 

In their defense, it has been said by others it is not being currently taught, a distraction among more important Read More

By MORRIE PONGRATZ
Former County Councilor
Former School Board Member

I am writing to urge our citizens to vote “For” the Public School Buildings Act in the upcoming referendum. Identical mill levy questions were approved by our voters in 2011 and in 2016. Approval will NOT increase property tax rates.

One of the frustrations during my years on the school board was that school district operational funds are allocated by the state on a per-pupil basis, regardless of local cost-of-living. Teachers are paid from the operational fund. 

So, we cannot vote to increase the funding for teacher’s pay, Read More

By BILL WADT
Los Alamos

I reside in District 4 and plan to vote to keep Melanie Colgan on the School Board. I have been impressed by her focus on student well-being and learning. Melanie understands that creating environments which support social-emotional learning help students succeed, especially in these times of stress flowing from the pandemic and social media.

Melanie has a vision to create more opportunities for students with a curriculum that supports their exploration of college and career. Los Alamos used have excellent programs in building trades, welding, automotive technology, Read More

By PATRICK COLES
Los Alamos

I endorse Nickole Aguilar Garcia for school board, as I have personally worked with her to organize a summer school at LANL. Two years ago, Nickole was tasked with collaborating with scientists like me to run the lab’s summer school program.

Nickole did an amazing job helping scientists to run multiple summer schools that encompassed a diverse group of students from all over the world. Nickole was always extremely helpful, and she worked hard to ensure that the summer schools were a success. In addition to Nickole, I also endorse Rick Mooday and Paul Jaramillo for school Read More