Opinion

Letter To The Editor: Safety Requires Signals

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By PAT JONES
Los Alamos

As I listened to Tuesday night’s presentation at the county council meeting regarding roundabouts and the citizen comments, another “only in Los Alamos” moment, I wondered who represented those citizens who will continue to be adversely affected by the traffic on East Road. 

Those are the families who live on Arroyo Lane or adjoining the airport and the families who swim at East Park Pool. From the very first meeting in 2007 many stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of those families. Time and again the County staff and NMDOT promised Read More

Final Announcement Of 6 p.m. Council Meeting Today At Municipal Building

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By JOEL M. WILLIAMS
Los Alamos
 
Tonight, the Los Alamos County (LAC) Council will hear a petition wherein the 300+ petitioners request that the planned roundabout at Central and N.M. 502, which the 2012 LAC Council “requested” NM Dept. of Transportation (NMDOT) to install in place of the signalized intersection that the NMDOT planned to install.

Come to voice your support!
 

The roundabout will be a mass of concrete and asphalt with flow to both NM502 east and west and Central severely blocked for whatever duration it takes to do the task (months, many months). Only Canyon
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Letter To The Editor: Trump A Republican?

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By ROY M. MOORE
Los Alamos
 
Some people are asking if Donald Trump is a Republican, and I would like to give proof that he is.
 
I’ve been watching politics since Eisenhower (the last truly conservative republican) and the best I can tell is there are several rules that all good modern Republican leaders must follow.
 
First, you must never admit that you are wrong about anything. Second, you must always find someone else to blame for your problems. And third, the truth must have nothing to do with your opinions.
 
No amount of evidence (example global warming) is ever enough
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Cinema Cindy Reviews ‘Zootopia’

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By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos
 
“Zootopia” has been out for a month, but I finally got to see it Sunday and, boy, am I glad I did! This little gem is full of the most intricate, animated world ever created. The details in the background scenes alone are worthy of an art award!

But even more compelling is the set up for the story. Zootopia is a city in which all the animal species live in relative peace, having “evolved” from their more savage predecessors. Prey and predator live in the same city, patronizing the same businesses, aspiring to jobs and housing, mates and families. Not that there aren’t Read More

Letter To The Editor: I Actually Like The Roundabout

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By E. ALAN WADLINGER
Los Alamos

I thank Joel Williams for his pictures of the two proposed intersections at Trinity and Central.

I am not generally a fan of arbitrary roundabouts, but the proposed one looks effective to me. With the islands in the roundabout and as a pedestrian, I can cross all roads and only have to consider approaching traffic one direction at a time.

During heavy traffic periods, bicyclists might desire to dismount and cross the roads as pedestrians, but this is likely to be true with either design. Drag racers might prefer the original design where Trinity has minimum curvature, Read More

Letter To The Editor: Roundabout To Be Questioned By Citizens At Council Meeting Tuesday – Please Attend

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Courtesy/Robert Wells
 
By ROBERT WELLS
Los Alamos

Several recent letters to the editor have questioned the validity of the County’s plan to construct a roundabout at the main entry into and out of Los Alamos townsite; specifically, where Trinity Drive and Central Avenue join. 

I share the concerns raised in these various letters, and have created a town map that illustrates how ALL TRAFFIC INTO AND OUT OF Los Alamos townsite will need to be DIVERTED during the lengthy construction period. The map is designed to be self-explanatory, but I would like to add a few more observations.

While Read More

Cinema Cindy Reviews ‘Batman v. Superman’

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By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos

“Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” may have the best special effects and horrific violence the movie industry can create on screen, but I found myself yawning through it.

But most of the D.C. Comics details thrown into the film are not explained for the non-indoctrinated. More could have been done in the writing or the editing process to allow us plebes to better follow the storyline.

This dark, chaotic and violent film (my husband’s words) features two of our historically favorite D.C. Comics superheroes, Batman and Superman. Part way through the film, Wonder Read More

Letter To The Editor: What Is Justification For Trinity/Central Roundabout?

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By TONY AMSDEN
Los Alamos

A significant number of issues have been identified with the impending roundabout at Trinity and Central, which is slated to be built next year. These issues include the following considerations:

  • The current design is unsafe for trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.
  • At morning and evening rush hours drivers going in the principal east-west direction will simply blow through it, stranding drivers who are not brave enough or experienced enough to barge in.
  • There is likely to be a significant increase in accidents, which will bring traffic to
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Letter To The Editor: Central-NM502: Maximal Concrete And Asphalt Or Walker Safety And Some Green Space

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By JOEL M. WILLIAMS
Los Alamos

Calling all Los Alamos citizens,

The planned roundabout at Central-N.M. 502 is NOT the cat’s meow that once was touted to us citizens! Below is a pictorial comparison of two options (original NMDOT signalized and the currently planned roundabout).

 

Have a look at the differences in the footprint of these two options. The planned roundabout is a huge mass of concrete and asphalt. Those who have sought less concrete and asphalt will actually get lots more of it at the expense of green space and pedestrian/biker safety!

The 2007 NMDOT plan  would expand Read More

Letter To The Editor: A Winning Republican Presidential Ticket For 2016

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By E. ALAN WADLINGER
Los Alamos
 
This scenario will only occur provided that there is a brokered Republican Convention.
 
I will assume that there is a stalemate between Cruz, Trump and Kasich. You start by rejecting all three of these candidates who have managed to destroy each other in the primaries. Then pick a set of dark horse nominees who are to the right of Hillary, but will be acceptable to moderate Republicans and many Democrats.
 
By rejecting all three leading Republican candidates, you will upset their supporters, but since none of them win
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