Dr. Anastasia Steffen Discusses Forest Fire Effects on Obsidian Artifacts in the Jemez Mountains
During Tuesday’s presentation at PEEC, Dr. Anastasia Steffen explains that patterns in the fracture face determine whether an obsidian rock fracture was caused by fire or man. Photo by TK Thompson/ladailypost.com
PEEC Co-founder and board member Becky Shankland addresses the audience at Tuesday’s talk. Photo by TK Thompson/ladailypost.comDr. Paul Bauer Featured Speaker at Jan. 26 Los Alamos Geological Society Banquet
LAGS News:
Dr. Paul Bauer of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources is the featured speaker for the Los Alamos Geological Society’s 2013 Banquet.
The community is invited to attend the event, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Christian Church, 92 East Road, and at 7 p.m., Bauer will present his talk.
Titled “Down the Rio Grande: A Paddler’s Perspective of Rocks and Rapids,” Bauer’s presentation is a geo-photo-journey down the northern Rio Grande, with an emphasis on the river hydrogeology and the evolution of the sublime landscape.
It will include some Read More
Los Alamos County Science Fair Draws 319 Students
Los Alamos students at the 2012 Regional Science Fair. Courtesy photo.LAPS News:
The annual Los Alamos County Science Fair will take place Saturday, Jan. 26 in the Los Alamos High School Commons Area and between 1-3 p.m., the public is invited to view the projects.
Los Alamos Public Schools and home school students and teachers in grades K-12 will display projects in 4-5th grade individual elementary, K-6 grade elementary class, 6-8 grade junior division and 9-12 grade senior division.
The elementary projects are divided into three categories: Physical, Earth and Life Sciences. The students Read More
Bartlett Shares Color and Design Secrets
‘The Three Amigos’ by Los Alamos Artist Melissa Bartlett. Photo by Mandy Marksteiner2013 FIRST Robotic Project Gets Underway
Steve Anton discusses the robotics project schedule in which the team must design, build, debug and learn to operate their robot by Feb. 19. Photo by TK Thompson/ladailypost.com
Heads start spinning with ideas as soon as the 2013 rules presentation ended at UNM-LA earlier this month. Photo by TK Thompson/ladailypost.comStaff Report
Students and mentors held a kickoff meeting of the 2013 FIRST Robotic Project in Los Alamos Jan. 5, where they learned the rules for the competition, which include 45 days to design, build, program, debug and learn to operate their robot.
Los Alamos Team
Cameras Sought for Local Photography Students
Light painting long exposure. Photo by Los Alamos High School student Erin Kober.
LAHS News:
The Los Alamos High School Photography Department still teaches the art of black and white photography and film and is in need of 35mm SLR film cameras.
These camera donations will help students learn about the art of photography and gain an appreciation for the process. The donations are tax deductable.
Contact Brittany Felton at b.felton@laschools.net to donate a camera for the students.
Back-lit trees. Photo by Los Alamos High School student Gabriel Montoya
Surrealism deer, created by combining Read More
Panel Analyzes Reaction to Gov.’s State of State Address
Speaker of the House Ken Martinez
NM PBS News:
This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, the Line opinion panel will analyze reaction to Gov. Susana Martinez’s State of the State Address.
Then, the group digs into education proposals as it asks where lawmakers can get the most policy bang for their buck.
NMIF gauges the Democratic response to the governor’s agenda with two “IN FOCUS” segments. Newly elected Speaker of the House Ken Martinez sits down together with Senate Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez to talk about the upcoming session.
Rep. Martinez takes the post held by his father decades before Read More
Letter to the Editor: Voting Yes for School Bond Makes Sense
By Kathryn E. ThomasMy name is Kate Thomas, and I resigned in 2010 from Los Alamos Public Schools as Assistant Superintendent. Since then I have worked closely in different situations related to the schools.
I have been involved in education for 42 years, either as a teacher or an administrator. I am writing this letter to strongly urge Los Alamos voters to vote “Yes” to continue the funding of school renovation in our school district.
Learning is a complex activity, which supremely tests students’ motivation and physical condition. Teaching Read More
UNM-LA Faces 8 Percent Budget Shortfall
UNM-LA Advisory Board members meet Monday evening with college administrators and staff. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
By Bonnie J. Gordon
UNM-Los Alamos faces a budget shortfall of $290,000 for fiscal year 2012-2013, reported UNM-LA Campus Resources Director Lisa Wismer at the Jan. 14 meeting of the UNM-LA Advisory Board.
The campus will attempt to institute an 8 percent budget cut, although, “I don’t think we can pull back 8 percent,” Wismer said.
Wismer pointed to three cost areas that had major negative impacts on the budget:
- The one-time bonus (approximately
Garcia Richard Signs Education Appropriation Bill
At the start of the 2013 60-day session Tuesday, newly elected Dist. 43 State Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard at her desk on the House Floor signs the education appropriation bill to fund New Mexico schools in 2013-14. Garcia Richard was named to serve on the House Appropriations Committee and is cosponsoring this funding bill. Photo by Garcia Richard’s daughter, Elia Vasquez Read More
Old Boiler Caused Cold Classrooms at Aspen
Ms. Morey’s students at Aspen Elementary School recently performed a reader’s theater of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Courtesy/LAPS
Staff Report
Speculation that the thermostat at Aspen Elementary School was shut off over night and on weekends turns out to be false and not the reason for frigid temperatures in classrooms earlier this week.
The culprit is the 60-year-old boiler straining under the extended blast of below freezing weather plaguing the area.
“This is yet another reason we are hoping to pass the bond so that we can get a better heating system for that school with the Read More
Dr. Anastasia Steffen Presents Talk at PEEC
Dr. Anastasia Steffen examining an archaeological site post-burn. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Come to PEEC from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22 to learn about how archaeologists study ancient sites in the wake of forest fires.
Dr. Anastasia Steffen will give a hands-on introduction to archaeological obsidian analyses and an overview of current projects underway at the VCNP.
The large forest fires of the last few decades have burned a much of the eastern Jemez Mountains including about one third of the Valles Caldera.
Culminating with the recent Las Conchas Fire, this spate of wildfires Read More
Column: No Tax Rate Increase Means No Tax Rate Increase
By Dr. Gene SchmidtYour YES Vote Means NO Tax Increase. Los Alamos voters received mail-in ballots this past week, which seeks voter approval of a $20 million Bond. If passed, Bond 2013 provides construction funding for Aspen Elementary School and for much-needed upgrades and repairs to school facilities. Bond information provided to the community states passage of the bond will not increase your tax rate. Yes, you heard right. Approval of the $20 million bond will not increase tax rates. This becomes possible because Bond 2013 acts as a replacement for bonds set Read More
UNM-LA and Los Alamos Daily Post to Co-Host College Board Forum
Staff Report
UNM-Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Daily Post will co-host a “UNM-LA Advisory Board Candidates Forum” on the college campus later this month.
The public is invited to attend the forum, which will feature Position 1 incumbent Ron Dolin and challenger Michelle Hall in the only position contested among the three seats coming up in this year’s race.
The forum will take place 7-8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan 30 in Building 2, Room 230 at UNM-LA.
Below, candidates share brief details of why they decided to either seek reelection or run for the first time to serve on the UNM-LA Advisory Read More
UNM-LA Dedicates Jeannette O. Wallace Hall
UNM-LA Executive Director Cedric Page, left, applauds as Terry Wallace and his sister Janice Wallace Parra cut the ribbon on the wall plaque at the front of Jeanette O. Wallace Hall. Wallace’s wife, Michele Hall, left, and niece Caitlin Parra, and off camera Sheryl (Wallace) Crabtree and her daughter Nicole Crabtree look on. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
Terry Wallace speaks to the crowd gathered to honor his mother, Rep. Jeannette Wallace, featured on the film behind him, during the dedication of Jeannette O. Wallace Hall Sunday. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
Letter to the Editor: Let’s Walk the Walk and Vote Yes for School Bond
In the next few weeks we in Los Alamos have a choice; vote to keep our schools as they are or vote to make them better.
As the mother of two daughters attending Los Alamos Public Schools, it will come as no surprise that I am voting for the school bond.
But there are many reasons for all of us in White Rock and Los Alamos to vote in favor of this bond.
Los Alamos is known around New Mexico as having the highest quality schools for educating our children. It is something to be proud of, and we can thank the quality teachers and staff who make our schools Read More
Michelle Hall Garners Top Geophysical Education Award
Michelle Hall of Los Alamos with Michael McFadden, President of the American Geophysical Union at an awards ceremony last month in San Francisco at which Hall was honored. Courtesy photo
Michelle Hall of Los Alamos received the 2012 American Geophysical Union Excellence in Geophysical Education Award during a special honors ceremony Dec. 5 in San Francisco.
Hall is a geophysicist and science educator who is married to Terry Wallace, Principal Associate Director of Global Security at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Hall was recognized and honored by the AGU for her Read More
Los Alamos High School Hosts High Tea Sunday
John Wolfe, LAPS Chief Financial Officer, practices pouring tea for June Gladney, right, and Regina Mertz in anticipation of the Los Alamos High School open house ‘High Tea’ from 2-4 p.m. Sundary, Jan. 13. The open house features a variety of teas, coffee and cocoa and plenty of cookies to tempt the appetities of tour participants. High school students will lead the tours of the school. Musical groups, including an Aspen Elementary School youth choir will be on hand to perform. Members of the School Bond 2013 Committee will be available to answer questions for those interested in Read More
School Bond Ballot is in the Mail
Los Alamos School Board President Kevin Honnell checks his bond ballot one more time before putting it in the mail. The school district is asking the community for vote on a $20 million bond that would fund the rebuilding necessary at Aspen Elementary School and provide much needed funding for upgrades to utilities and maintenance to other schools in the district. To ensure that your vote counts, ballots must be returned by Jan. 29. If the bond is approved, the State of New Mexico will provide an additional $5.4 million in matching funds for the construction of Aspen Elementary School. Courtesy Read More
LAPS Receives Top Audit Rating
School Board President Kevin Honnell
The Los Alamos Public Schools Board of Education received a bit of good news during its regular meeting Tuesday – the recent audit gave the district an unqualified opinion, which is the best rating that could be received.
Vice President Dawn Venhaus
“The audit went very well this year,” said J.J. Griego of Griego Professional Services, which performed the audit.
He added there were no new findings. “That’s an incredible feat.”
Board Secretary Melanie McKinley
Still, Board President Kevin Honnell Read More