OP/ED

Kuchinsky: Eggo The Guide Dog

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By MIKE KUCHINSKY
Member
Los Alamos Canes and Canines 

What is warm, golden brown, sweet, and named Eggo? If you are thinking a waffle, you would be mistaken, in this instance Eggo is a Golden Retriever guide dog. I first met Eggo two months ago on my third day as a student at Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving Canines (GDA/TLC). We were in the 432nd class of GDA. From the day we met, through the three-week training course, and through today, Eggo has been with me 24/7, and has changed my life. But let me set the stage and share mybackstory.

My name is Mike, I worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for Read More

Op-Ed: National Park People … May I Salute You?

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By Steve Scarano
Vista, Calif.

Dear National Park People,

May I salute you? I know that this is a particularly challenging season of service for you, and while mine is certainly not the only voice crying in the wilderness to acknowledge that and may even ring a bit hollow in the short view, the option of silence is just not viable to me. So here we are.

I’m a card-carrying property owner and cherish our parks, monuments, historic sites and recreation areas. Thank you for making them available to us. In fact, for decades it has been my practice to express my gratitude when I’ve either coincidentally met Read More

Youth Mental Health: If Outcomes Don’t Matter, Nothing Does

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By JAMES WERNICKE
Los Alamos Parent

Since the dawn of humanity, all parents have shared the same experience—watching their children grow into raging balls of hormones as they enter adolescence—and all parents respond the same way—doing the best they can to guide them through it. In the past, there was the village. Generations lived under one roof with extended family biologically hardwired to step in and help.

Today, many of us live far from family in neighborhoods where everyone’s busy, help is a luxury, and community is aspirational. If we’re lucky, we find trusted friends. If not, we rely Read More

Op-Ed: Social Media Safety For Children

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By MELANIE A. LEWIS
Albuquerque Community School Coordinator

As a Community School Coordinator in Albuquerque, I spend my days nurturing connections between families, schools, and our community. My passion is creating enriched learning environments where students can discover their potential and where parents can be active participants in their children’s education. Part of this work involves navigating the increasingly complex digital landscape that our children inhabit.

The reality facing New Mexico’s children today is daunting. They navigate social media platforms Read More

Mason: Unified Focus On Traffic Safety Is Essential

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By Director Thom Mason
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory supports Los Alamos County’s recent efforts to control speeding and enforce traffic safety through an ordinance approved last week to install automated speed cameras in various locations around the county. The ordinance complements efforts taken by the Laboratory in recent months to further promote safer driving on and around Lab property. The Laboratory has installed mobile speed cameras around the site, utilized GPS systems in government vehicles that track speed, seatbelt usage, and location of Read More

Op-Ed: Protection From Extreme Heat

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By WHITNEY HOLLAND
President, AFT New Mexico

SHELLEY MANN-LEV
Executive Director, Healthy Climate New Mexico

New Mexico may be enjoying cooler temperatures now, but in a few short months, the state’s workers- including thousands of union members- will face another summer with temperatures that make their jobs unsafe. On high heat days, jobs as varied as farming, construction, education, warehousing, food service, and package delivery put workers at risk and force the hard decision between making a living and staying alive.

The dangers for workers are clear. Almost all occupational heat-related Read More

Op-Ed: About Diabetes Risk Check

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By BILL HEINMILLER
Los Alamos

Regarding the Diabetes risk check published on March 28 (link), it is understood T2D is very common, and it is managed, not cured. The linked quiz requires less than a minute. It asks 8 questions (9 if a woman) regarding age, sex, family, blood pressure, exercise, race and BMI to determine your overall risk to T2D. 

There is no zero risk response. One caution is if one gets a low risk response, they should not conclude low risk means no risk and nothing more need be done. Similarly, one who gets a high risk response should not choose to do nothing because they are not experiencing Read More

Op-Ed: HB 143—Transparency For Everyone But The Elected

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By JASON HARPER
Former State Representative

Sharing a meal is one of the simplest ways a community comes together. Everyone brings their best—different dishes, different ideas—contributing to something larger than themselves.

Think of a neighborhood potluck: Carlos’ BBQ ribs, Jenny’s chicken sliders, Emma’s apple crisp. Now imagine if, before bringing a dish, you had to file paperwork listing every ingredient. If you wanted to adjust the seasoning, you had to submit a report. Pretty soon, creativity dries up. Bureaucratic red tape smothers the spirit of participation, and the community Read More

Op-Ed: Defunding Science, Is At Our Peril

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By MARTIN LAWLER
Santa Fe

Modern medicine saved my life, what about yours? From polio to COVID vaccines to surgery at a famous medical center to our local New Mexico hospital, I owe my life to medical researchers and doctors.

Europe used to be the genesis of modern medicine: Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization and vaccines, Marie Curie discovered x-rays. Then American scientist took over. Under the leadership of President Roosevelt, the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation were created. Our government has funded important cancer, heart, and HIV research. Read More

Op-Ed: As Budget Cuts Loom – Programs For Rural Libraries, Historical Societies, Tribal Organizations, Museums, Teachers, Students, Veterans And Elders Face Devastating Cuts

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By MIRIAM LANGER
Board Chair
New Mexico Humanities Council

Over the past 50 years, the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) has supported rural libraries, historical societies, tribal organizations, local museums, teachers, students, veterans, and elders. Our programs have helped preserve endangered traditions and supported intergenerational programs that connect us through storytelling, reflection, and understanding across differences. These aren’t luxuries—they’re lifelines. In communities where there isn’t a museum or college nearby, these programs may be the only provider Read More