OP/ED

Bourque: North Mesa Roundabout Hazard

by

By ROBERT BOURQUE
Los Alamos

On May 24 I struck a boy on a bicycle at the roundabout in North Mesa. He was coming from Barranca. He received minor scrapes and is OK.

It was not possible to see this boy despite a witness claiming he had entered the intersection first. I first saw him only when he was darting in front of me, even though I had looked to the left more than once.

The reason is that my view of him was blocked by the roundabout itself. It has overgrown vegetation, large boulders, a mountain lion statue, and two evergreen trees whose branches reach the ground.

I have attached a photo, taken from my car Read More

Op/Ed: Immigrants Are ‘Not Supplanting Us’, They ARE Us

by

By STEPHANIE NAKHLEH
Los Alamos

I’m writing this because I’m hearing from friends that Mr. Stradling’s recent piece (tl;dr — white Christians, who are the best parents, are being supplanted by non-Christian immigrants) is the latest in a string of incidents that have left people feeling unsafe and unwelcome in this town. The anti-LGBTQ+ crowd has been loud lately, and it’s not surprising that anti-immigration has entered the chat. Those of us who stand with our immigrant, religious-minority, and LGBTQ+ friends can’t just ignore this stuff and hope it goes away. It’s not going away. We need Read More

State Auditor: Shedding Light On Opioid Settlement Funds … A Path To Transparency And Accountability

by

By JOSEPH MAESTAS
New Mexico State Auditor

More than a billion dollars from opioid lawsuit settlements are heading to New Mexico coffers, with some monies already hitting state and local government bank accounts. These funds represent a golden opportunity to mitigate the devastating impacts of the opioid epidemic—but making sure the money is spent the way it is intended is critical to ensuring that this opportunity and money aren’t wasted.

Opioids have taken a heavy toll on our State, claiming the lives of hundreds, shattering families and exacting long-term economic and social damage on Read More

Couts: My Endorsement Of Tobias Haag’s Article

by

By SHERRILL COUTS
Los Alamos

I am seconding Tobias Haag’s sentiments regarding the apparent degradation of culture in Los Alamos county, here https://ladailypost.comhaag-tolerance-in-white-rock-a-bit-rocky/

As a conservative libertarian (conservative in the conventional sense, meaning restrained, not radical right), I don’t have anything to say about LBGTQ+ except just let people do their thing in peace as long as they’re not stomping on anyone else’s toes. Happy murals on the white rock are hardly offensive; indeed, the colors were cheerful before the clowns came along with their Read More

Hanrahan: Beyond The Usual Suspects

by

By LYNN HANRAHAN
Los Alamos

If you want our town to be ecologically sound, we have to step up. Support the adoption of bear-proof dumpsters even if they are sometimes imperfect. If at all possible, secure smelly garbage until trash day. Not everyone has a garage, of course, but where there’s a will there’s a way. Hose out your garbage cart and your recycling cart, too.

A little blonde bear has been making the rounds in our neighborhood lately. I am very careful to keep the garbage cart pristine, but I noticed he really liked the gallon vinegar bottles in the blue cart. I do the standard recipe of a gallon Read More

Couts: Agreement With Mr. Devolder On Bicycle Safety

by

By SHERRILL COUTS
Los Alamos

I’d like to add a little bit to Mark Devolder’s article, which could be subtitled with a paraphrase from his text: “Why you couldn’t pay me enough to ride a bicycle in Los Alamos County.” (link)

Mr. Devolder hits many nails on the head, but I’d like to add a few more. In the spirit of his article, applying makeup with the aid of the rear-view mirror while in motion in morning rush-hour traffic is also double-plus uncool. Mr. Devolder mentions his motorcyclist friend. That’s my theme here, but the hazards are the same for bicyclists, too.

In decades past I was an avid motorcyclist, Read More

Devolder: Bicycle Safety

by

By MARK DEVOLDER
Los Alamos

Los Alamos County/Public Works has requested input to a POLCO survey on bicycles. 

As a long-time motor vehicle driver in Los Alamos County, you could never pay me enough to ride a bicycle in Los Alamos County.

The following are a variety of vehicular issues which affect bicycle safety:

  1. It is a poor driving decision to pull into an oncoming traffic lane in order to pass a bicycle.
  2. Many minivan drivers are typically distracted with cell phones or disciplining kids in the back seat.  The driver’s focus may not be on bicycle traffic.
  3. Los Alamos County drivers are notorious
Read More

Op-Ed: In Response To Drag Queen Story Hour Arguments

by

By JOSHUA CHAPMAN
Los Alamos

Let’s talk gay.

As a gay man who grew up in Los Alamos, it was hard for me to understand what LGBTQ+ culture was because there was no exposure.

Let’s talk about the divide that has occurred due to Drag Queen Story Hour. The divide was already there, but this event has emboldened some individuals to speak their little blessed hearts out against an innocent event.

So let’s talk about being LGBTQ+ in 2023. Granted I can only speak about being gay, white, and CIS-Gendered, but I’d love to hear other perspectives. In 2023, it is legal for same sex marriage. In 2023 it is legal for Read More

McCall: ‘Let The People, By Their Actions, Decide On Solutions To Problems’

by

By Gene McCall
Los Alamos

I lived in Los Alamos during the summers of 1964 and 1965, then came permanently in 1969.

I have seen many changes in the county and in the Laboratory during my time here.

I found much with which to agree in the recent letter by George Chandler, and a few things with which to disagree. George is a friend, and I will not emphasize the points of disagreement, but I will, simply, express the opinions of another long-term resident. The phrasing may be a bit stilted, but I agree with Winston Churchill who said, “A preposition is not a word to end a sentence with, but that is a rule Read More

Op-Ed: Drag For Kiddies?

by

By ANDY FELTON
Los Alamos

I was recently made aware of the Los Alamos County Library’s Drag Story Hour, featuring plans to host “Lil Miss Hot Mess” and the reading of If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It. The event is sponsored by the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, a so-called feminist organization that “expose[s] the danger of misogynist ideology and mobilization.”

In the spirit of exposing misogyny, we should first recall what the term means. Misogyny derives from the Greek terms Misos, meaning “hatred,” and gunē, meaning “woman.” Therefore, the functional definition would Read More