Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Tyler Van Anne: some thoughts

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Tyler Van Anne: some thoughts
By MIKE ADAMS
Los Alamos

Wednesday was just one of those days. You know, the kind that happen and you wonder, “Why?!” or “WTF?” It started out as sort of a bummer. I woke up late, had part of a cup of coffee, which is terrible, because I always need a whole cup or more. Then I went to work without breakfast, so I had a combination of chex-mix, and salted nuts, which got me through till lunch. But the work was piled high, so I worked through lunch, left a little late and raced home for an appointment. It was then that I found out the bad news. For the third,

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Letter to the Editor: Let’s Quit Using Plastic Bags

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By FRAN STOVAL
Los Alamos

I joined a group named the Female Brainpower Initiative (FBI) that meets on the second Tuesday of each month, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Betty Ehart Senior Center in Los Alamos. Our goal is to bring women together to brain-storm ideas of improvements we would like to see. The issues can be person or world changing.

I had just watched a documentary on TV called “Bag it” by Jeb Berrier. Jeb has made a pledge to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. I took this idea to the group and after brainstorming; we came up with Read More

Letter to the Editor: Utilities: More to the Story

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By KEN MILDER
Los Alamos
Former County Councilor

Members of the Charter Review Committee (CRC) are giving seemingly compelling arguments for modifying Article V of the County Charter. There is, however, another side to the story. The changes proposed by the CRC are not “benign recommendations” but are rather extensive, often confusing, modifications that strike at the heart of the original intent of the Charter: Operate the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) as a business absent of political self interests.

The actions of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) are being painted Read More

Letter to the Editor: Pepper Spray Repels Coyotes

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By DEBBIE MORLEY
Los Alamos

Keep yourselves and pets safe. Pepper spray works against coyotes! Get ready to spray, hold your own breath, close your eyes and turn your head away. Give a good blast to the attackers eyes or face if possible.

This works on most wild animals, except snakes or birds. (Your own pet will recover from the spray, but it does hurt for a while. But it beats being bitten or dragged off.)

Maybe we need to sew armor plating into dog sweaters?? Read More

Letter to the Editor: Coyotes Attacked Our Pets

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By TINA DERR
Los Alamos

My friend and I walked my three dogs on the road to the Bayo Canyon sewer plant that starts at the bottom of the Hill road Sunday. We turned around before the steep drop in the canyon to avoid the coyote that I have seen there in the past.

However, at least three coyotes had different plans, following us back toward the truck they attacked two of my dogs. Fortunately for my Jack Russell, she had on a knitted jacket and the coyote did not get a solid grip on her or she would be gone. Lacy has superficial wounds.

My friend and I chased and threw rocks and eventually they faded off into the trees, Read More

Economic Sensitivity of Los Alamos County to LANL Funding

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By LIVIU SIMIL and DAVE JONES

A famous Latin expression, some attributed to Julius Caesar “if you want peace, prepare for war,” which originally comes from “Epitoma Rei Militaris,” by Vegetius (Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus). The Latin is “Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum,” and remains true more than ever for Los Alamos.

In modern terms it means “prepare for the worst and hope for the best … a common saying in emergency preparedness. One may ask oneself: “what are the bad events that Los Alamos residents might need to prepare for?” The answer Read More

Letter to the Editor: Why You Should Care About Updating County Charter Article V

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By SUSAN O’LEARY, Chair
DPU Charter Review Committee

Are you aware that a group of volunteer citizens govern a County enterprise that generates more than $60 million in annual revenues, responsible for assets that cost more than $280 million to acquire and would probably cost $400-500 million to replace? That’s the role of the Los Alamos Board of Public Utilities as defined in County Charter Article V that has been in place since 1968.

We’re fortunate to have some very capable and dedicated people on the Board today. Their responsibilities are significant and require time Read More

Letter to the Editor: Phone Scam Warning

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By CARL NECKER
Los Alamos

We received a phone call on our home line indicating we had won a significant amount of money. It would take $150 submitted through a wire transfer through Western Union to release the funds to us. An obvious scam! We played along for a little while … “We don’t live near a Western Union” … “Well, go to Walmart or CVS Pharmacy. They do money transfers.” “We don’t live near either of those. And you should know where we live since you called us.”

 
They knew the address but thought it was in Minnesota (MN rather
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Letter to the Editor: Save The Trail Train

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Inez Ross hops aboard Southwest Chief. Courtesy photo
 
By INEZ ROSS
Los Alamos

There is a threat, that unless the states of Colorado, Kansas and New Mexico share funding to repair the rails, the route of the Southwest Chief Amtrak train, will be re-routed south, eliminating passenger access for towns between Newton, Kan. and Albuquerque.

Whoa New Mexico! Lamy is the gateway to Santa Fe, and Raton is the Boy and Girl Scouts’ access to the National Scout Camp at Philmont, plus the terminal for the Amtrak bus connecting passengers to Denver and the California Zephyr.

The route of the Chief

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Yang: A Brit Insulted An Asian Woman In Germany

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A Brit Insulted An Asian Woman In Germany
By ELENA YANG

My friend and I laughed at it in hindsight, but at that moment of the insult, my Asian friend was outraged. M was an immigrant to the States decades ago. She became a US citizen, married a European immigrant who’s also a US citizen now. But this is really beside the point.

On their recent vacation trip to Europe, one afternoon, a British man suddenly and rudely shattered their otherwise relaxing meal in a bucolic German town. As the sun slanted and many patrons of the café put on their sunglasses, so did M. Immediately, this British man just cursed Read More