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Opinion

  • Letter: 'Interim'...

    I am having a heck of a time understanding the term “interim.” A dictionary I used said it was “a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift.”

    If this definition is correct, then why would the Great City of Las Vegas, New Mexico, want to use a stopgap or makeshift attorney?

    It would appear to me with elections last March, that there was plenty of time to find a fella that wanted to do a fine job for us and become a permanent part of our city family.

  • Letter: Could it happen here?

    Perhaps you read about the 6-year-old Cub Scout Zachary Christie being suspended for 45 days from his Delaware school. It seems that, without asking his parents, he brought his camping eating utensils to school (seemingly with which to attack the cafeteria mystery meat). A teacher saw it and, as required, reported it. The school district ruled that this otherwise exemplary student, in fact, brought a knife to school. So under the district’s strict no-tolerance policy, Zachary was required to be suspended for 45 days.

  • Editorial Thumbs

    thumbs UP ... PUBLIC INFORMED. A little communication can go a long way — a truism that applies to movie projects in Las Vegas. “Due Date” starts filming Saturday in Las Vegas, and the producers have already put out public announcements about their schedule.

    This is thanks to new city requirements that notice be given to residents about filming. To their credit, officials appear to be following through on the rules drafted in the spring.

  • Letter: Ojitos Frios needs more...

    Years ago, I was associated with a person who was forever justifying her powers of observation by testifying very loudly that she was always right about wrong things. I recently read the headline article in the Optic which cited State Engineer John D’Antonio’s comments regarding the “water situation” in the Ojitos Frios subdivision and other communities directly south of Taylor Well No. 4.  

  • Letter: An intelligent expenditure?

    The city of Las Vegas hires an outside attorney to serve as the city attorney. The person hired (Carlos Quiñones) is not local. His office is in Santa Fe and from what I read and hear he is paid on a fee basis — time and expense. The Optic indicates Mr. Quiñones was paid the sum of $147,000 last year and this compares with $80,000 paid to the previous city attorney for the period of one year.

  • Editorial: Involve the council

    Las Vegas attorney Dave Romero had much criticism of the proposed city charter, which would essentially be the constitution for municipal government. The city is seeking public input on the document.

    The Charter Commission is proposing that the council have involvement in the hiring and firing of top officials. But Romero argues that this would be a mistake. He said the people elect mayors to get things done and that mayors need to have officials on board with their agendas. Therefore, appointment powers should rest solely with mayors, he said.

  • Mil Gracias

    We would like to thank Mike Melton and the Bank of Las Vegas and Keith Tucker and Community First Bank for their continued support and contributions to the staff and students of West Las Vegas Middle School.

  • Work of Art: 'Whatever' a...

    On a recent talk show, a caller said the radio guest had “hit the nail on the head.” Wow, what perception!

    I don’t mean to appear haughty, but I find it hard — always have — to commend such a caller for profundity. “Hit the nail on the head” is a metaphor meaning that what the guest said was absolutely correct. Up to that time, I’d never met-a-phor I didn’t like.

    How is it possible to comment further without carting out the vitriol and sarcasm? I’ll try.

  • Editorial: Tasers not the sheriff...

    For months, the San Miguel County Commission has been considering whether the Sheriff’s Department should use Tasers.

    Last week, the commission held a public hearing on the electroshock weapon. Sheriff Benjie Vigil invited several other sheriffs; speaking for them was the director of the New Mexico Sheriffs and Chiefs Association, Jim Burleson.

    Burleson’s message was simple: The sheriff should decide whether to use Tasers, not the County Commission.

  • LETTER: Personal opposition goes...

    I would like to offer some of my reasons for opposing consolidation of the East and West school administrations. First of all, I finished my elementary education in West Las Vegas in 1947. At that time, few of the kids from West Las Vegas would attend Highlands High School. Some of the West kids whose families could afford it attended Highlands High School or the I.C. Catholic School. ...

  • AS IT IS: Transparently...

    A few weeks ago, a political observer told me that he was hearing reports that Mayor Tony Marquez wouldn’t run for a second term.

    I didn’t really believe that at the time. Marquez is a relatively young, ambitious guy. Why would he voluntarily relinquish his throne?

    Of course, the mayor won’t show his cards about his plans for next year. He won’t even return my calls or e-mails.

    Marquez works in Santa Fe, so people around here don’t see him much. He’s removed from the town he leads.

  • LETTER: Looking for other West...

    I am a West Las Vegas High School graduate class of ‘81. I currently find myself serving my 27th year in the U.S. Navy in Kuwait. I am asking for your help in contacting my classmates for our upcoming class reunion in 2011. We are trying to get everyone on Facebook so that we can get the ball rolling. I live in Denver, Colo., but won’t be back until May 2010. If plans don’t change. My e-mail is cleofas1893-@hotmail.com.

    Thank you for your help.

     Larry C. Herrera

    (aka Pacheco)

    Tecolote

  • EDITORIAL: Fairness lacking

    When it comes to fairness and consistency, the city missed the mark in its recent handling of how to allocate lodgers tax proceeds.

    In July, the council approved a request to give $15,000 to Albuquerque company Fresquez Productions to promote a boxing fight featuring Holly Holm in Las Vegas. The firm’s owner, Lenny Fresquez, didn’t have to show up to answer any questions.

  • Editorial Thumbs

    thumb UP for ... GOING ONLINE. Luna Community College students can now register online, and officials say that this may already be helping to increase enrollment. It’s really a no-brainer to have this service; greater efficiency in the admissions process will make education more accessible to all.

    Besides, most students are younger, and they live and breathe the Internet. As such, a school without online services seems archaic to the younger generation.

  • Letter: Homecoming spirit was...

    If Robertson High School’s 2009 Homecoming is any indication of what the school year is going to be like, we are in for a great year!

  • Keeping It Simple: The Rail Runner...

    How long do you think it will take for the Rail Runner to serve Northern New Mexico? This is the question I asked Gov. Bill Richardson, after I visited the Rail Runner when it came to Raton and Las Vegas in July.

    In my opinion, one of the governor’s greatest accomplishments has been the Rail Runner. My understanding is that the original plan was to have the train go all the way to Raton. When the train visited in Las Vegas, I learned that New Mexico has purchased the rail line from BNSF.

  • Editorial: Quinones needs to go

    There are a number of reasons why the Las Vegas mayor and City Council should hire an in-house city attorney — not the least of which is that the city’s interests are not being served by the interim city attorney.

    However, Mayor Tony Marquez is well served by the current situation, and that’s why he rejected without a public explanation a request by councilors Andrew Feldman and Diane Moore to place the matter on the council’s agenda for today’s meeting.

  • Work of Art: A two-bit effort

    One can almost see and hear them now: Louella, Patsy, Angela, Louise, Dolores and Julie leading a cheer. These cheerleaders for Immaculate Conception School went through the motions as they shouted:

    “Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar. All for the Colts, stand up and holler.” They chanted that way back in the ‘50s.

  • Editorial: West's good idea

    When Saturday detention is discussed, the movie, “Breakfast Club,” comes to mind. The characters in that movie got into some mischief when the teacher left, but they found they had much in common, even though they hailed from different cliques at the school.

    We hope that teachers will have more control at the planned Saturday school at West Las Vegas Middle School. The school board recently approved this idea; we credit West for moving forward with this.

  • Letter: Why not Medicare for...

    My experience of Medicare corresponds to that of Glenn Yocum (Sept. 11 letter) and Jim Peters (Sept. 21 letter). Medicare is a government-run health care insurance program that works well for a substantial portion of the population. Why not extend it to everyone? That is the intention of Congressman John Conyers’ bill (HR 676), which is supported by Congressman Ben Ray Luján, for which we are grateful.