Letters to the Editor

By RHETA MOAZZAMI
Los Alamos

“Before you speak, ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful.” –Bernard Meltzer

Ms. Smith and Mr. Schroeder, while I’m sure their intentions were good, did not follow these precepts (link).

They went to the county, found out the requirements for opening a fruit stand, then ASSUMED the peach vendor (name of stand: “Fruit Shak”), who has set up in Los Alamos for several years, was hampered by the county regulations.

Yes, there are a number of regulations that must be met by the county to keep us all safe. Yes, he met all of those regulations Read More

By BARBARA SMITH and NORMAN SCHROEDER
Los Alamos

I am sure many of our residents have been anxiously awaiting all spring for the arrival of Palisade peaches from the wonderful vendor that comes down from Colorado and puts his tent up at the intersection of Sandia and Diamond.

We too have been waiting especially since we hadn’t had a chance to plant our vegetable garden because of the very cold spring and was depending upon his arrival. June passed, then much of July and he did not show. Discussions with many other people in the community also indicated that they were upset about his late arrival. A call Read More

By MICHAEL CARLSON
Los Alamos

Every New Mexican of sound mind and body agrees that our schools need to be overhauled. The controversy is what parts need to be replaced or upgraded.

I propose that the current system of managing 129 separate school districts needs to be more centralized at the state level. Administrative functions, such as onboarding, payroll and employee benefits should be handled by the New Mexico Public Education Department in Santa Fe.

Also, local school boards with the exception of large school districts, should be eliminated. My reasoning is that each district has different Read More

By DM Maldonado
Los Alamos

This information was new to me and is submitted for your consideration. The protesters undoubtedly will need to know what genteel efforts were taken to spare life and end the “useless war.”

This link is courtesy of the Los Alamos Historical Society: https://time.com/4142857/wwii-leaflets-japan/?fbclid=IwAR2BIaMWsMsRzJrGOnteRtpDI9lrVbXiJZGTxdILi3ucpE4Acp3UFe9dtEE

America asks that you take immediate heed of what we say on this leaflet.

We are in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by men. A single one of our newly developed atomic Read More

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By DAVID WORLTON 
Los Alamos

The new movie on Oppenheimer brings memories from my Dad’s past.

Unfortunately he missed the chance to personally hear him when he last visited Los Alamos in 1963. His group was formed (W4) in 1948 when only five nuclear tests had been done.

The group was the theoretical design group. When he started in June 1960 they were just getting computer codes able to calculate with real physics weapons design. There are only three people from then left (Carmen Geoffrion, Bill Mudd and Reid Worlton).

Read More

By BARBARA A. SMITH
White Rock

I wish to relate my recent experience with “inclusiveness” There are two Senior Centers in Los Alamos/White Rock, where I played bridge every week for some ten years.

The Centers were shuttered for the COVID era and reopened recently with new leadership. Lo and behold, a rainbow flag appeared on the flagpole in front of the White Rock Center. I objected, politely, or so I thought, on the grounds that the rainbow flag is actually a political statement, not a celebration in which all citizens participate.

I received a really snotty response from the director of the Centers Read More

By RHETA MOAZZAMI
Los Alamos

I am privileged to coach one of my local heroes, Nancy Partridge, to recall some of her lost piano skills. As is often the case in such relationships, she is, in turn, acting as my teacher on some levels.

Nancy has logged hundreds of miles, in 60-mile walk increments, in multiple states, to raise money for metastatic breast cancer. She just returned from Washington, D.C., where she, with other participants, called on members of Congress to ask them to correct punitive regulations for sufferers of the disease. It seems those disabled by the fast-growing illness are often Read More

By DEE CRUZ-MURPHY
Los Alamos

Wow, was I surprised when I opened the paper up … oh my. Maybe we all should take a moment … take a breath, count to 10 and start again.

Let’s review a little. Los Alamos is a different kind of town; it always has been. Since its inception people from many different backgrounds have come together in the name of science, to protect people from tyrannical domination.

Science does not belong to a political party, science does not belong to any one particular race, science does not favor a particular sex, science does not belong to any one religion. Whatever possible category Read More

DON LEPSCH
Los Alamos

We lost Ed’s buddy, Homer, Christmas Eve.

Fortunately Ed was given a girlfriend, Gwen, and they seem happy with each other. They have recently been venturing onto the grass. They still will not let me pet them or eat cracked corn from my hand like I used to do with Homer. I miss Homer. Ed has slowed his time spent gazing into the teen center windows, which he started after losing Homer. Ed sees a lot of geese inside the teen center but they just will not speak with him.

As of last Saturday we had five ducks in the pond to help entertain the children and me, too. About two months ago our Friend Read More