Opinion

Letter to the Editor: On Affordable Housing

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By DAVID W. THOMSON
Los Alamos

Once again the topic of affordable housing in Los Alamos is in the air, evincing what to me is a basic ignorance of economics. The COST of housing is based on the cost of its economic inputs; that is, land, labor, materials, and capital. The PRICE of housing is established in an auction market between a willing buyer and a willing seller. As the run-up and collapse of the recent housing bubble illustrate, the two are only loosely linked.

A developer analyzes the local market and attempts to find the right combination of land, labor, materials, and capital to entice buyers

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Letter to the Editor: Coyote Forces Campus into Shelter-In-Place Mode

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Tom Hill
Community Rep.
Pinon Advisory Team

Thanks for the picture of the limping coyote in White Rock. He and a more able bodied buddy, have been hanging out in the mornings for some time in the area. They seem pretty unfazed by humans when I’ve encountered them outside my home on the way to work.

These two guys have also been a nuisance at Pinon Elementary School. Several times the campus has been placed in the Shelter-In-Place mode because of their presence on the playground.

Efforts to have them displaced have met a lot of bureaucratic blind alleys. It’s a real problem. 

As cute Read More

Kiwanis Club Thanks Those Who Helped with Breakfast With Santa

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ANN HAYES AND CHERYL PONGRATZ
Los Alamos Kiwanis Breakfast Chairpersons

The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos wishes to thank all those who helped to make last Saturday’s Breakfast with Santa successful.  

Special thanks go to Del Norte Credit Union for their continued support of our event. We are also appreciative of the many attendees who came to see Santa and to donate food to LA Cares and money for the Foster Children program at Christmas.

Thank you for reminding us that the Christmas spirit is alive and well in Los Alamos. Read More

Letter to the Editor: Hiking Problems at VCNP Emphasize Need for NPS Management

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BY TOM RIBE
Executive Director, Caldera Action
www.caldera-action.org

Recent events at the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) emphasize the urgency of having the National Park Service manage the VCNP as soon as possible. Senate Bill 285 is pending in Congress to bring NPS management to this national treasure as a Preserve. The longer the bill languishes in the low accomplishment Congress, the worse the situation at the Caldera becomes.

Caldera Action, a nonprofit organization focused on access and protection for the Valles Caldera National Preserve, was disappointed to learn Read More

Letter to the Editor: About Depression and Suicide

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By Robin Norman (Lucido)
Los Alamos

In the aftermath of yet another adolescent suicide, I felt compelled to respond to some of the commentary I have heard throughout the community of Los Alamos regarding suicide, depression, and mental health.

It was 8 months ago that I lost my little brother to depression and suicide. The horror, sadness, and shock I have experienced over the past several months was amplified when I heard that another young person had died and another family shattered by the horrific illness that is depression.

Major depressive disorder is a complex and sinister disease fraught

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Letter to the Editor: As This Week Begins…

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By GEORGE MARSDEN
Assistant Director Los Alamos Teen Center

As we begin this week please keep in mind those who have been working so closely with the youth and families impacted by Tyler’s death. We as a community need to take care of our caretakers. There is no way you can compensate someone enough for the heart rending task of comforting a teen who has just lost their best friend.

If you know one of the counselors, teachers, school administrators or volunteers who has been hands on with the teens take a moment to thank them. Or even better offer to babysit so they can take an evening with their Read More

Letter to the Editor: What Does an Arrest Mean?

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WILLIAM WALLACE
Los Alamos

In a letter to the editor in the Los Alamos Daily Post on Nov. 16, 2013 Amanda Barry made the point that the practice of publicly shaming people accused of a crime is, “…an outdated, unjust and unfair practice…”

The Los Alamos Daily Post’s weekly Police Blotter includes a small disclaimer, “Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.”

The individual featured in the Los Alamos Daily Post on Dec.6, 2013 under the headline, “Los Alamos Police Help Maryland Detectives Apprehend Man on Felony Read More

Letter to the Editor: Public Access on the Valles Preserve

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By DOROTHY HOARD
Los Alamos

Concerning public access policies and attitudes of staff and most board members of the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Greg Kendall’s Dec. 7 analysis is right on. The “Temporarily Closed” sign in your photo actually dates from 2001. 

The signs are installed almost within sight of each other on the entire 50-mile fence surrounding the preserve. The government spent $101 million dollars of public assets to purchase the land and $3 million to $7 million per year for management. A major focus of staff has been, and still is, to control and limit public access to Read More

Letter to the Editor: Thank You for Supporting FOTCOH Clinic

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People line up to visit the FOTCOH Clinic. Courtesy photo
 
A medical worker checks a baby at the FOTCOH clinic. Courtesy photo
 
CATHERINE FRY
Los Alamos

Thank you for supporting  myself, Tina Derr and our November team at the Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) Clinic with your prayers. Thank you also for your support of donations of band aids, selenium sulfide shampoo, baby wipes, small disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, hand sanitizer and monetary donations towards the purchase of soap locally in Haiti. 

Our clinic served more than 2,100 medical patients, Read More

Letter to the Editor: Snow Removal Issue

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By DEBBI MILLER
Los Alamos

I read the letter from the county reminding people to shovel their sidewalks. What about reminding the county that many of us do shovel, only to have the county come blasting down the streets and throwing snow (twice as much and about five times as heavy) back on the sidewalk?

We try very hard to keep the sidewalks clear. We live on a curvy hill, and the plows come down fast and furious and make the situation worse for those of us who do shovel … even when we wait until it has stopped snowing, as the county suggests. 

I would like to remind the county to be aware of where Read More