Opinion

New Mexico Coalition Denounces Updated ICE Contract For Otero County Processing Center

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NM Dream Team Organizer Itzayana Banda

NM Dream Team News:

CHAPARRAL — People over Private Prisons New Mexico (POPPNM), a coalition consisting of NM Dream Team, Detention Watch Network, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, and New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, are sounding the alarm over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) contract amendment and extension with Otero County to detain people at the Otero County Processing Center (OCPC) through March 31, 2025.

The changes include:

  • Establishing a 500 bed guarantee minimum including a guaranteed monthly fee of

Read More

Op-Ed: Golf Course Controversy

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By DAVID RULE
Tesuque

There has been a bit of a local controversy going on around proposed changes to the Los Alamos Municipal golf course.

The Council has decided to extend the driving range – at considerable cost and impact to the golf course at large.

Last week I wrote in and commented that it is pretty common for old courses to outgrow their ranges, but this is typically handled simply by extending or raising netting to contain practice balls.

The Council is apparently not interested in this simple solution – and argue that the extending the driving range is “a safety issue”.

Oh … I guess if Read More

Op-Ed: Raid On Trump’s Florida Home Political Persecution

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By FRANK TRAMBLEY
1st Vice Chairman
Republican Party of New Mexico

In response to Valerie Fox’s Aug. 9 letter to the editor (link) criticizing Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce’s justified reaction to the recent FBI raid on former President Trump’s residence, Mar-a-Lago, I must say it is Valerie who is, in fact, tone deaf – and, in fact – quite blind.

While Ms. Fox’s letter attempts to incorporate her “criminal justice background” as a basis for her argument to demonize Trump, it becomes quite apparent that she turns a blind eye to facts which should at least make a reasonable Read More

Op-Ed: To Los Alamos County Tourism Task Force

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By SANDY CHARLES
Los Alamos

To the Los Alamos County Tourism Task Force:

My name is Sandy Charles. I will be conducting a Los Alamos History Museum docent-guided walking tour of our historic district at noon, Wednesday Aug. 10.

During the last 8 or 9 years of doing these tours, plus 5 additional years docenting at the museum, I have compiled some suggestions:

The only reason tourists drive out of their way to this isolated mesa top is to learn more about the Manhattan Project. (Bandelier and the Valles Caldera are separate entities that have their own draw. I am speaking of our town, itself.) The historic Read More

Chandler: Analysis Of Proposed Changes To Nuisance Code (Chapter 18)

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By GEORGE CHANDLER 
Los Alamos

Urban planning consultant DPS has issued a draft of a new nuisance code. 

This is a long overdue revision of the nuisance code that was put in place years ago in a well-meant effort to deal with the never-ending problems of junk cars and unkempt or abandoned houses, and happily the new code eliminates many of the gross problems of the old one. Unfortunately, in spite of many years working in our little town, DPS still doesn’t quite get it about Los Alamos. 

The new code seeks to impose standards and rules on the old neighborhoods and housing stock of Los Alamos that have Read More

Op/Ed: Keep Our Forests Standing For All!

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By SUSAN BARNS
Los Alamos

Fires, floods, drought, heat, wind, insects, thinning – all have taken a toll and caused the loss of   thousands of trees in the County in recent years. And the things that go with them: shade, homes for wildlife, understory vegetation and soils, biodiversity, erosion and wind control, carbon storage and so much more.

Yet the County is proposing to level 4.5 acres of healthy forest and kill 135 trees in order to expand the driving range of the Golf Course (see https://ladptest2.ortizaudio.net/warren-proposed-golf-course-expansion-is-destructive-expensive/ Read More

Op-Ed: Misconceptions Regarding Golf Course Improvements

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By KURT ANAST
Los Alamos

I have read a number of letters and op-eds related to the golf course improvements. Many of these have created some misconceptions regarding the effort.

Council appropriated CIP funds in 2017 to complete as many golf course deferred maintenance items as possible and address the driving range safety concern. So far these funds were used in 2020 to replace the old irrigation system and now $1.9M remain.

Last fall the P&RB advised Council to use the remaining funds ($1.9M) on deferred maintenance items like tee boxes, sand traps, greens, cart paths and areas in disrepair. Read More

Devolder: The Concept Of Space

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By MARK DEVOLDER
Los Alamos

If you hold up your hand with fingers spread and ask an American child in school, “How many?” – the reply will be “five”.

If you ask the same question of a Japanese child in school, the reply will be “ten”. The Japanese count the whole hand as one, the five fingers as five and the four “spaces” between the fingers. Japanese gardens follow the same approach – the space between items in the garden is just as important as the plants, rocks or other items in the garden.

During rush-hour traffic times, the traffic on Trinity is heavy. When traffic is heavy, I simply relax Read More

OP/ED: State-Owned Bank In New Mexico

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By JAY JENKINS
President, New Mexico Bankers Association
President and CEO, Carlsbad National Bank

In recent legislative sessions, a recurring topic has been the establishment of a state-owned bank in New Mexico.

Advocates for a state-owned bank have been unrealistic and have overlooked the challenges in establishing such an entity. The most salient point in opposition to would be the significant financial commitment from the state to have the state bank become well-capitalized. As a result, New Mexico taxpayer dollars would be at risk because a state-owned bank would not have deposit Read More