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Opinion

  • As It Is: School websites'...

    Recently, a Mora resident suspected nepotism in that community’s school district. This person said the district hired someone related to a school board member.

    I went onto the Mora school district’s website and found the district’s nepotism policy within minutes. It turns out that the hiring didn’t violate the policy because the new employee was a board member’s stepson, and stepchildren aren’t a covered category in the policy.

  • Letter: Medical marijuana case...

    I am appalled at how law enforcement officers handled the case of the legal marijuana caregiver with his legal New Mexico license, in an article that appeared in this past week in the Optic newspaper.

     On July 28, I called 911 after finding the elderly man that I took care of, dead in his chair. He was also a patient on the New Mexico Medical Marijuana program, with John Emerick as his caregiver.

  • Letter: Thoughts for the new school...

    A new school year has started and I know I’m preaching to the choir but it never hurts to reinforce important facts. Teaching is a hard but rewarding job. Next to the parents, a teacher is the most important person in a child’s life. Educators spend a lot of time and energy and money to prepare for their professions. Presidents, governors, and all other important people in the world accomplished something because they had good teachers who recognized their talents and potential early in life. A teacher’s patience and dedication never go unrewarded.

  • Letter: More educating on recycling...

    I was delighted to read in Friday's Optic that the city of Las Vegas is considering a new recycling hub. Until I read the article I wasn’t aware that Las Vegas was engaged in recycling at all. I am pleased to hear that they plan to improve their recycling program.

  • Letter: Editorial cartoon...

    Do you really believe what is portrayed in this cartoon (which ran Sept. 1)? From all that I saw on TV, and read in the various news releases, the crowd that attended the (Glenn) Beck gathering were far from ignorant and they were not uninformed.

    I have a recording of (Martin Luther) King’s speech that I have heard dozens of times and I have always thought he was speaking to all of us. Beck was not “stealing the legacy.” There is much more hate and ill will expressed in this cartoon than appeared at the meeting.

  • Publisher's Note: Bad business

    It's no secret that the nation has been riding out a deep recession for a couple of years now. At the Las Vegas Optic, where I’ve been editor and publisher for nearly six years, we have faced these hard times by making tough decisions.

     Last year, for example, we made the move from carrier delivery of our newspaper to mailed delivery. It saved us money. Getting our product to our customers is a costly endeavor, and we were thrilled to find a more affordable option with the U.S. Postal Service.

  • Letter: Mil Gracias

    On Aug. 21, John’s Cowboy Kitchen in Mora held its second annual car show and hotrod run.

  • Letter: Mil Gracias

    On behalf of Valley Elementary and Middle School, I would like to thank Albertson’s Grocery Store on St. Francis Drive in Santa Fe for allowing my school to be part of their special event, which was held Aug. 7.

    Thanks to Mr. Eddie Morales and Mr. George Cavolos of Premier Distributing Company for all their contributions. I want to thank all of the people who supported our fundraising efforts.

    Becky Gallegos

    Principal

    Valley Elementary and Middle School

  • Editorial Thumbs

    Thumbs UP for ... WALL-TO-WALL EVENTS. Never say there’s nothing to do in Las Vegas, or else we’ll have to pull out the calendar of events and prove you wrong. This weekend, for example, there’s a fishing derby on the Gallinas River, just off Bridge Street, for the benefit of our local Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and a Harvest Festival less than a mile to the east, at Sixth and University.

  • Letter: No war machines flying...

    Regarding the Air Force proposal to do low flying training missions over northern New Mexico: I am married to a war veteran.  PTSD is a daily reality in our home.  Any reminders of the traumas of war are very unwelcome.

    The sounds of the war machines set off the hypersensitive adrenal glands, rattle the frayed nerves, unleash the painful memories.

    How many veterans of how many wars seek solace in the quiet spaces of northern New Mexico?

  • Letter: Keep mosque out of ground...

    People are people and we have friends from many cultures and religions but the Cordoba Mosque seems like more of a political statement than just “freedom of religion.” In 711 AD, Islam conquered Spain and in the city of Cordoba, as a statement, razed the Christian church there and erected their mosque. There are many examples of this happening in their conquests. Now, after 9/11, they want to erect the “Cordoba” mosque at ground zero in spite of the governor of New York offering land elsewhere.

  • Commentary: Keeping It Simple

    I want to thank those Optic readers who contacted me about my last article (“Saving things for just in case”) and shared their own saving oddities with me.

    Comedian Ellen DeGeneres likes to poke fun at common day occurrences such as the difficulty in opening a well packaged new CD, or wrestling with a toilet paper dispenser while sitting in a commode at a public bathroom. This article is sorta like what Ellen does, but the focus is on the tendency we human beings have toward trying to outdo each other in almost everything.

  • Letter: Mil Gracias

    I would like to thank the merchants and persons from Las Vegas that made our Feast Day at Our Lady of Sorrows Church a great success.

    I would like to thank every one who purchased raffle and dinner tickets from me. Thanks to the merchants that were so generous in donating certificates that were used for door prizes, that were given out at the Parish Hall.

  • It's a person's...

    Readers of this column may recall treatises on single words and short phrases. Over the years, I’ve tackled individual words like “so” and its myriad meanings; “myriad,” “like,” “ya know” and “sorry.” More recently, there was a bilingual plunge into the words “tú” and “usted.”

  • Cut from the top

    We’re not infatuated with tax increases, but we feel compelled to consider the future based on today’s realities. And one of the realities the next governor will face is a serious shortage of money.

    There are a lot of reasons to be concerned about this — especially in a city like Las Vegas where state-supported jobs are prevalent — not the least of which is school funding. A little sidestep last summer illustrates the looming severity of the situation.

  • Did the secrecy help anyone?

    Can you imagine if the Police Department stopped releasing information on those they arrested and, instead, said that would be the responsibility of the suspects?

    Very few people would want to announce to the world that they had been arrested. That’s information they’d prefer to keep secret.

    But this scenario is business as usual for the New Mexico Activities Association.

    Recently, a lawsuit filed by parents of the Robertson High School football team assault victims indicated that the team had been placed on probation for two years in 2006.

  • Letter: Children and the race for...

    I am a member of the New Mexico Pediatric Society and I provide for the health of the children of Las Vegas. I am one of many pediatric colleagues from around the state who is concerned that the gubernatorial candidates address the issues that affect children and their families.

    In July we submitted the following letter to both candidates. We have not yet heard a substantial reply. Again we ask them to address our concerns and we urge all New Mexicans to ask the candidates these same questions.

    Dear  Ms. Denish and Ms. Martinez:

  • Unrealistic promises

    In their gubernatorial campaigns, Republican Susana Martinez and Democrat Diane Denish are trying to point out their differences.

    But on major budgetary issues, they are very much aligned. Both candidates promise not to raise taxes and pledge to protect schools and Medicaid from cutbacks.

    Of course, both are politicians and know it’s bad politics to advocate budget hikes and spending reductions.

  • Letter: Massive publicity is...

    The Heritage Week Committee — consisting of the Las Vegas Arts Council, El Zocalo Gallery, Meadow City Camera Club, Las Vegas First Independent Business Alliance, Immaculate Conception School, Hispanic Folk Art  Show,  Citizens’ Committee for Historic Preservation, and Blessing of the Waters (a collaboration between Our Lady of Sorrows Church and Immaculate Conception Church),  MainStreet Las Vegas, Fort Union National Monument, Tome on the Range, Ilfeld Auditorium, Ray Drew Gallery, Plaza Hotel,  Fort Union Drive-In Theater, Arts & Cultural District of L

  • Letter: Few jobs, but lots of...

    I sympathize with A.M. Maestas about lack of work in the county. I would love to see full employment here in El Valle. I’m one of many who are underemployed, and I don’t want to see anyone unemployed.

    At the same time, I’m thankful that the county commissioners are taking a hard look at what an industrial wind facility would bring; besides a few jobs for local residents (the vast majority of the work would go to out-of-state people).

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