Letters to the Editor

By DAVID HAMPTON
Los Alamos

In a recent Los Alamos County survey, maintenance of existing facilities was listed as a top priority for the majority of respondents. The current school bond for the Nov. 7 election is needed to complete work on the reconstruction of Chamisa and Pinon elementary schools as well as install new air conditioning systems at our high school and middle school.

Among other issues, roofs were leaking at Chamisa during our late monsoon (yes, there are pictures of children with umbrellas in classrooms) and parts to repair the older air conditioning systems at the high school Read More

By CHRISTINE BERNSTEIN
District 3 Candidate
Los Alamos School Board

I want to thank Los Alamos Federation of School Employees for their endorsement. I am honored to be chosen by the LAFSE as their candidate.

As an educator, I know how important it is to have people understand the work of all employees in our schools. I will continue to support ALL staff and advocate for what is best for our school employees.

Thank You, LAFSE, for your support! Read More

By CATHY WALTERS
Los Alamos

I am writing to endorse and show support for Sean Stanfield for School Board District 3.

I only met Sean recently, but have been impressed by his commitment to and volunteer time within LAPS, particularly extra-curricular activities. Through these, he has built strong relationships with students,  parents, and teachers. I am astounded at how many people already know and respect Sean, as I talk to voters in his District.

Sean understands that recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers is critical to academic success, and is exploring ways to offset the cost Read More

By DAVID REAGOR
Los Alamos County Councilor

The election this fall is for the LAPS board, UNM-LA advisory board, and a school bond for LAPS. This bond will not raise the property tax rate, but all the tax assessments are increasing and your property tax bill will go up for almost everyone. Some writers to the press have said taxes will not go up, but they only mean the rates will not go up.

This bond is a renewal of a previous bond and the main projects are replacements of Piñon and Chamisa Elementary schools. Some voters may note that this was already approved during the previous bond issue. Why fund it Read More

By ELLEN SPECTER
Vice President
Los Alamos School Board

Many excellent letters to the editor have been published recently about why we need to come together as a community to support the LAPS GO Bond.

I want to focus on Early Voting. In New Mexico, we are fortunate to have not just one election day but an “Election Month” which starts today, Oct. 10 and continues through Nov. 7.

I used to love to vote on election day. It was a meaningful ritual to exercise my civic duty and privilege. I didn’t mind waiting in line as I always saw friends and neighbors.

However, I completely changed my mind in 2003. Early Read More

By MICHAEL DOLEJSI
Los Alamos

I believe Lauren Coupland will make an excellent addition to the Los Alamos School Board. She is concerned for the well-being of all students, with a particular emphasis on those students who otherwise get missed or overlooked by the traditional educational environment. While I know that LAPS makes a valiant effort to provide a safe educational venue for every student, I want there to also be a voice on the board who makes those students a priority. Lauren will be that voice.

Thanks to her, I am considerably more aware of the issues and challenges others are facing, Read More

By DAVID IZRAELEVITZ
Los Alamos

Maybe there is no need to write another letter of support for our school bond election. Who does not feel a sense of pride in our community as our school buildings have been sequentially rebuilt and renewed over the last decade, a concrete measure of how much we value education and our children.

Sixty-year old school buildings are finally being replaced by facilities with air conditioning, sufficient electrical supply, modern security protocols, and other essential necessities. Another push and we will have modernized the two remaining elementary school Read More

By GANAPATHYSUBRAMANIAN GOPINATHAN
Los Alamos

U S of A is a well-organized democracy.

It’s Senate and House members are well informed and capable persons who definitely have interest of the whole nation and its citizens and others living and visiting here.

Under these circumstances, it is not difficult for members of both the House and Senate to have, ONCE AND FOR ALL, a special sitting, discuss and find a permanent solution to solve this annual ‘farce’ of ‘expiry of appropriations’ and resultant ‘threat of closure’ in the nick of the moment.

Finding a permanent solution will definitely stop Read More

By PETER & KRISTI LAMBORN 
Los Alamos

How many School Board meetings do you attend? Once a year? Twice?  If you are like me, you probably reached an all time high in attendance when the Board was discussing the various Covid policy decisions. However, since that time my attendance has fallen off dramatically. Based on the number of people I see in the room and online when I have attended, few people in Los Alamos attend Board meetings with regularity.

Do you know who attends almost all of the School Board meetings in Los Alamos? Lauren Coupland. She has been in attendance every time I have. It is Read More

By SUZANNE LYNNE
Former teacher and principal
Los Alamos Public Schools

Dear Los Alamos County Residents:

It is bond election time again. In a strange way, it is an exciting time. It makes us think about how much we value education in Los Alamos. It makes us appreciate that the government left us a town with schools, roads, shops and great amenities.

But that was in 1969. Now it falls to us to maintain our amazing town. The bond is the only mechanism we have to raise taxes to pay for the building and repairing of our schools. Many other communities across the country can raise their taxes to pay for their Read More