Education

Letter To The Editor: Sign Me Up To Contribute To Success Of Next Generation!

By ANDREW DELOREY
Los Alamos

Response to Robert Visel’s letter published Jan. 10, 2017 (link). 

Should we really backtrack from universal adult suffrage? We live in 2017, not 1817. Every resident has a stake in this community and contributes to the property tax base in the county either directly or through rent payments. Landlords are free to charge for rent what the market will bear, but if I had a landlord that gave me that kind of attitude, I’d be looking for a new place to live regardless of the result of the election. Rents in Los Alamos are high because people Read More

Letter To The Editor: Funds Well Spent At UNM-LA

By FERNANDO TRUJILLO
Los Alamos
 
I worked for Los Alamos Public schools for 25 years and retired five years ago. 
 
I continued my business and have had the privilege of being contracted through UNM-LA. I feel fortunate to have seen LAPS offering dual credit classes for high school students. When I first came to UNM-LA the enrollment was low and this past semester the enrollment has grown significantly. 
 
Last summer UNM-LA remodeled the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) classroom for more in-depth real life training. The chemistry room
Read More

Council Proclaims Jan. 15-21, 2017 As ‘Diversity Week’

Los Alamos County Council Vice Chair Susan O’Leary, center right, presents a proclamation to the local diversity group ‘One Los Alamos’ declaring the Week of Jan. 15-21, 2017 as ‘Diversity Week’ in Los Alamos County. One Los Alamos members include Ryn Herrman, Heidi Rogers, Madhavi Garimella, Sandra Tobin, Elena Giorgi and Anagha Dandekar. The group explained: ‘One Los Alamos is people of Los Alamos County interested in promoting thoughtful, civil dialogue around our diversity of backgrounds, beliefs, and identities in order to champion shared values Read More

This Weekend At Nature Center Planetarium

 
PEEC News:
 
Dr. Galen Gisler will reveal the stories behind star colors at 7 p.m., Friday, January 13, in the Los Alamos Nature Center planetarium. 
 
At 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday Mysteries of the Unseen World, a film that uncovers what is normally too fast, too slow, too small, or outside the visible spectrum, will play in planetarium.
 
The Los Alamos Nature Center will be open regular hours this month: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday as
Read More

Letter To The Editor: Duck Test

By KHAL SPENCER
Los Alamos

There seems to be some disagreement as to whether an affirmative vote by the community to increase the levy for UNM-LA or LAPS would be a tax increase.

I suggest the simple Duck Test: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. So if the amount of my check to the county, based on my property assessment, were go to up, it sure does sound like a duck. Er, I mean a tax. But that is beside the point.

The question of whether a levy increase to support local public educational institutions is a good idea is separate from whether or not we call Read More

Letter To The Editor: How Does Los Alamos Compare In Supporting Higher Education? We’re The Cheapest!

By MORRIE PONGRATZ
Former County Councilor and former School Board member

How does Los Alamos compare to other New Mexico communities in their support for local higher education? We’re the cheapest.

You can go to the website: http://nmdfa.state.nm.us/Certificate_of_Property_Tax.aspx and double check my research. I examined the percentage of a resident’s property tax bill that went to support the college in their city.

Here’s the list of the cities and the percentage of their property taxes that goes to support their local college:

  • Gallup (16.9 percent for UNM-G);
  • Farmington (16.9 percent
Read More

Science And Engineering Fair Seeks Volunteers

LAPS News:

The Los Alamos Public Schools County Science and Engineering Fair seeks volunteers to help at the annual judges dinner 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20.

Three volunteers also are needed 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 to help with midmorning student snack duty.

To volunteer, email Dawn Lee Brown at d.brown@laschoosl.net. Read More

Letter To The Editor: Straight Fact – LAPS Bond Election DOES NOT INCREASE TAX RATE

By DAVE FOX
Los Alamos

DOES NOT INCREASE TAX RATE is the straight fact about the Los Alamos Public Schools bond election.

We bring this up because as business people we figure a good many other people would be interested in our take regarding what I think of as “this no-question-about-its-importance bond”.

Because we also care about the health of CB FOX itself, we’ve double-checked, and again the fact is passage of the bond DOES NOT INCREASE THE TAX RATE.

IT JUST DOESN’T.

With great respect for this remarkable community,

Dave Fox Read More

League of Women Voters Candidate Forum Jan. 18

LWVLA News:

The League of Women Voters of Los Alamos invites the community to attend its Candidate Forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Piñon Elementary School, 90 Grand Canyon Dr., in White Rock.

Candidates include:

LAPS School Board Candidates:

  • District 1: Ellen Ben-Naim, Jim Hall
  • District 2: Darryl Sugar, Stephen Boerigter
  • (Both districts are in White Rock)

UNM-LA Advisory Board Candidates:

  • Position 1: Michael Redondo, David Sutton
  • Position 2: Michelle Hall
  • Position 5: James Robinson, Sheila Schiferl
  • (All County residents can vote for all positions)

 

Refreshments Read More

County Installs ‘Welcome To Los Alamos’ Plaque For Beta Sigma Phi Organization

From left, Lisa Bakosi, Preceptor Beta Chapter President Claire Swinhoe, Peter Bakosi, Judy Lovejoy and Corinne Bakosi in front of the new ‘Welcome to Los Alamos’ plaque from the Beta Sigma Phi organization. County workers installed the plaque Monday afternoon on the sign near the Los Alamos Airport. There are five Beta Sigma Phi Chapters in Los Alamos. The Preceptor Beta Chapter has 53 members of all ages and its motto is ‘Life, Learning and Friendship’. The members primarily do philanthropic work in the community including Senior Appreciation Night( SAN), honoring Veteran’s, Wreaths Read More

Los Alamos Daily Post Endorses Mil Levy, LAPS Bond

By CAROL A. CLARK, Publisher
Los Alamos Daily Post

After much review and careful consideration, the Los Alamos Daily Post is endorsing the UNM-LA Mil Levy and LAPS School Bond and we strongly encourage the community to vote for both.

Education is vitally important to this community, now and in the future, in terms of opportunities for our young people as well as economic development benefits for the entire community.

UNM-LA has provided important educational opportunities to local students, first responders, healthcare workers and lifelong learners. However, with the never ending cuts Read More

QNM: Why Now? Why Here? Why You?

QNM News:

  • 2017 Quality New Mexico Learning Summit Registration Opens

ALBUQUERQUE — Registration for Quality New Mexico’s 2017 Learning Summit is open! The 2-day event will take place April 18-19 at Isleta Resort in Albuquerque. Early-bird registration fees are available until Feb. 13. Visit www.qualitynewmexico.org.

The learning program includes a special presentation by Dr. Gary Sanchez, founder of The WHY Institute. Dr. Sanchez will help attendees discover their personal and business WHY. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipients will discuss WHY they pursued Read More

NMPED: Data Shows More Than 96 Percent Of 3rd Graders Who Cannot Read Are Passed To Next Grade

NMPED News:

  • Parents Aren’t Informed Even Though State Law Requires It

SANTA FE – According to data submitted by New Mexico school districts last year, at least 96 percent of third graders who cannot read and are performing at the lowest level are being passed onto the next grade.

Furthermore, less than 5 percent of parents were informed that their child wasn’t proficient in reading, even though state law requires schools to do so.

“This confirms what we’ve long suspected: New Mexico’s parents aren’t getting the information they need to support their kids. Instead of telling parents that their Read More

LAPS: A New Paradigm In Facilities Management

By MATT WILLIAMS
LAPS School Board

I am writing to explain how the priorities for facilities maintenance investments has changed from the early 2000s.

I’ll give an overview of expenditures from early 2000s, and give an example of how our new vision is successful.

Facilities Maintenance in early 2000s

I have attached a slide from a School Board meeting in 2008 (before I was on the Board). I need to state a few caveats and insights with this slide:

1) since the slide is dated 2008, some numbers are projections;
2) we evidently had some type of GO bonds passed by taxpayers prior to 2009;
3) this is not my
Read More

Letter To The Editor: Voting Yes On School Bond Just Makes Good Sense!

By ANDREA CUNNINGHAM
LAPS School Board

Have you ever had a chance encounter where a random conversation stays with you? I recently had that experience while traveling when I happened to sit near a chemistry professor from UNM’s Albuquerque Campus. After exchanging pleasantries, I happened to mention that I was from Los Alamos. His first reaction was, “They have great schools in Los Alamos! I pay $21,000 a year to send my child to (Albuquerque) Academy to get the same caliber of education that you guys get for free!”

That statement really sticks with me as I check “yes” on my ballot and proudly support Read More

Alex Aikin Of White Rock Earns Eagle Scout Award

Alex Aikin, member of Boy Scout Troop 22 and Venture Crew 20, examining the flagpole that volunteers helped him install at the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club Pavilion for his Eagle Project. Photo by Robert Aikin

COMMUNITY News:

  • Teen installs flagpole at Sportsmen’s Club Pavilion for Eagle Project

After five years in Cub Scout Pack 20, seven years in Boy Scout Troop 22, and four concurrent years in Venture Crew 20, Alexander Aikin has earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

The final step in the process was his Eagle project, installing a flagpole at the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club Archery Pavilion.

Aikin Read More

Letter To The Editor: UNM-LA Is A Great Community Asset

By TROY HUGHES
Los Alamos

Please join me in voting yes and supporting our local college, UNM-LA. Los Alamos residents are intelligent, caring, and sharing people. As citizens we enjoy great community assets including our schools, roads, parks, trails, libraries, and other public amenities. At times directly, but most often indirectly through our elected officials, we as a community decide which of these amenities we desire and are willing to pay for through our local taxes.

As citizens we are tasked with directly deciding the fate of UNM-LA. We really have three choices: do nothing (not voting), Read More

Letter To The Editor: UNM-LA Mil Levy – No Lies, Just Facts and Definitely Scary

By BRADY BURKE
Los Alamos

It is being suggested that my editorial piece (link), regarding the understatement of the UNM-LA Mil Levy, i.e. Property Tax Increase, is a misrepresentation and a scare tactic.

There are no lies.  he words are carefully chosen and exact. The statements correct. I have no control how someone interprets them. If they translate doubling ‘A’ property tax to doubling ‘YOUR’ property tax then the issue is not in my words.

The information about the Mil Levy comes straight from UNM-LA. There is an existing $1 Mil Levy for the UNM-LA campus. There is a request to implement

Read More

Letter To The Editor: Vote ‘For’ Bond To Continue Process To Upgrade School Facilities

By MORRIE PONGRATZ
Former County Councilor and former School Board member

One of the frustrations during my years on the School Board was that all school district operational funds are allocated by the state on a per-pupil basis, regardless of local cost-of-living. Teachers are paid from the operational fund and it costs more to live in Los Alamos. We found that needed maintenance and utility costs for our aging facilities were robbing the operational fund of money that could go to staff salaries.

We formed a team to examine the difference between continuing to patch buildings with operational Read More

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