Opinion

thumb UP for ... CLEARING UP THE PROBLEM. District Judge Eugenio Mathis has stepped down as chief judge, who is in charge of assigning caseloads. This move was precipitated by a state Supreme Court decision.

Last year, Mathis married his assistant, Michelle Pino, and that concerned the state Supreme Court. Our review of the state court system’s nepotism policy doesn’t address a situation in which a supervisor married someone who is already employed. So a case could have been made that Mathis and Pino were technically in compliance with the rules.

Every fourth week we used to go through Expulsion Saturday. It was the time when at Mom’s insistence and our extremely willing compliance she’d usher Dad and all us kids out of the house to fend for ourselves.

We had the whole day free. My siblings Bingy, Severino and I generally spent that day at the Serf Theater, where the films were continuous, and by the time we left there, we had all the lines and songs memorized.

Let me explain:

Today, Highlands University officials will cut the ribbon for its new dorms. The truth is that the residence hall has been done for weeks; this ceremony is, of course, merely a formality.

This was the biggest construction project in Las Vegas since Alta Vista Regional Hospital was built five years ago. And it’s a sign of the times for Highlands.

Regarding the online Reader Comments under editorial Thumbs in the July 24 edition of the Optic, one of the statements was totally false. Mr. [Alexander] Milliken has made three separate purchases in the Ojitos Frios area in the past nine years. One was brokered by Margo Cutler Real Estate on was brokered by Michael Gregory Real Estate and the third was a private sale. Home and Land professionals LLC and Barbara Feldman have not had a role in any of the transaction involving Mr. Milliken.

We need to revolutionize New Mexico into taking more responsibility for the condition of our environment, create jobs and create energy independence for America. Green Energy Housing wants to urge our community to support Repower America in their efforts to build jobs, create energy independence and reduce environmental pollution.

Green Energy Housing LLC has been planning with the town of Taos projects that will create jobs, reduce carbon emissions, increase alternative energy to the electric grid and build homes and businesses that are green and energy efficient.

The Las Vegas City Schools district made a good decision in hiring Eddie King as principal of Robertson High School. He fills an important role.

King’s selection was the result of a process that involved administrators, teachers, parents and students.

He started as an English and Spanish teacher with Memorial Middle School in 1981 and moved on to a similar position at Robertson High School in 1998. He has been Robertson’s assistant principal since 2007.

I would like to thank our police officers for all that they do for us — but especially to the officer who patrols Wal-Mart and makes sure that the people who are truly handicapped have a parking spot close to the entrances. He has been a true blessing for us and I want to acknowledge him with appreciation for that. I see many young people who drive up and jump out of their cars or trucks clearly showing that they are not disabled in any way —that goes for some women too.

For nearly five months, the Las Vegas Optic has been a three-day-a-week newspaper. For our first 130 years, this paper was a daily.

Because of the reduction, many people have mistakenly believed that we work only three days a week. We don’t — for a very simple reason: The news still happens all the time.

When my superiors decided to reduce the Optic’s frequency, I was nervous. I figured that we would get many complaints from our readers and some cancellations of subscriptions.

I have received many phone calls and many individuals have come to my home asking about the 2010 election for mayor.

I would like to make it perfectly clear that contrary to rumors, neither myself nor any of those whom I associate with are endorsing or seeking the re-election of current Mayor Tony Marquez Jr.

We will register new voters, go door to door, distribute flyers, put up signs, pass out cards, network, do phone banks and family block vote coordination for that candidate whom we feel will address issues we bring to the table. We are tired of being ignored.