Letters to the Editor

Letter To The Editor: Response To Dr. Ken Werley About Recently-approved Wildlife Feeding Ordinance

By THERESA CULL
Chair
Los Alamos County Council

Mr. Werley,

On behalf of County Council, I thank you for your comments (link) on the recently-approved Wildlife Feeding Ordinance.

I disagree with your conclusion that you and your friends will automatically be criminals as a result of this ordinance. And I disagree with your assertion that this ordinance was poorly thought through.

The ordinance was first discussed in 2024 and has had several iterations based on feedback from Game and Fish, wildlife experts, community member comments, and review of other community ordinances. It applies to Read More

Letter To The Editor: All People In Los Alamos County Will Be Criminals Starting November 2025

By Dr. KEN WERLEY
Los Alamos

The Los Alamos County Council just passed an ordinance making the feeding of wildlife illegal. This ordinance is so poorly thought through that it applies to all wildlife (including insects) and it does not specify any volume limit on the amount of food or time limit on how long the food is available.

Ordinance definition of feeding: “Give, PLACE, expose, deposit. distribute or scatter ANY EDIBLE MATERIAL which is intended for consumption by wild animals.”

Examples of wildlife feeding:

  • anyone bitten by a mosquito;
  • a residence with houseflies or roaches;
  • a rosebush
Read More

Letter To The Editor: David Hampton For UNM-LA Advisory Board

By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

This letter is to strongly recommend, for several reasons, that you vote for David Hampton for the UNM-LA Advisory Board. First, in all of our interactions, David has shown a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of our community and the role that UNM-LA should play in Los Alamos.

Second, David has a proven record of involvement in and leadership of a broad range of community efforts – from the Planning and Zoning Board to the present UNM-LA Advisory Board.

Third, David has shown on these boards and in a host of volunteer efforts that he has an untiring Read More

Letter To The Editor: Bryan Fearey Would Be An Outstanding Addition To UNM-LA Advisory Board

By CAROLYN MANGENG
Los Alamos

We are very fortunate to have Bryan Fearey offer himself as a candidate for the UNM-LA Advisory Board.

I worked with Bryan for several years at the Lab and know him to be thoughtful and very thorough.

Bryan has the depth and breadth of experience in education to be an outstanding addition to the Advisory Board, and I urge folks to vote for him in the upcoming election. Read More

Letter To The Editor: Why I Support David Hampton For UNM-LA Advisory Board

By Judy McKenzie
Los Alamos

I am writing in support of David Hampton, who is running for the UNM-LA Advisory Board.

I have known David for several years and have served with him on boards. He is passionate about education, a dedicated worker, and an excellent communicator who listens and engages thoughtfully.

David has already served this board well, and I am confident he will continue to do so with commitment and excellence. I encourage the community to support his candidacy.

Sincerely,

Judy McKenzie Read More

Letter To The Editor: About … ‘And The Odds Are’

By BILL HEINMILLER 
Los Alamos

Ever since the 8th grade when I learned how clutter-free geometry could become by sweeping segments out of the way, I have had a love-hate relationship with math. I usually love it…………..until I don’t. That is why John Pawlak’s math column (link) the other day struck a cardinal nerve with me. Or was it an ordinal nerve?

John took a bag (or was it a sack?) containing an undefined number of groceries to the checkout and they summed to the very well-defined amount of $60. Odds of 1:999? Maybe, or maybe not! As any mathematician will tell you in response Read More

Letter To The Editor: Whose Side Am I On?

By JODY BENSON
Los Alamos

Andi Kron sent a heartfelt letter to the world’s population asking: “Whose Side are You On.” She asks why people protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the Israeli settlers’ takeover of ancestral Palestinian land in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

As a girl, I read Ann Frank. I grew up with the shame of knowing we could’ve done something about the Nazi genocide of Jews, even of a girl who never did anything but dream of becoming a film star, a journalist, a writer, of living in freedom…. And they killed her just because of who she was. My shame was that I wasn’t able to hide Read More

Letter To The Editor: Response To Deer Population Comments

By RICK NEBEL
Los Alamos

This is a response to Mr. Davis’s recent op-ed (link) where he stated that the deer herd in Los Alamos are “starving and unhealthy”.

A direct refutation of this appears five stories later in the post (link), which shows twin fawns. “Starving” does not have twins.

We see a lot of twin fawns in Los Alamos. Similarly, “unhealthy” deer herds do not expand.

I think that everyone would agree that the deer herd has expanded in Los Alamos since the Cerro Grande Fire.  Read More

Letter To The Editor: LAAC-FLAC Face Financial Challenges

By SANDY JONES
Director
Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce

The Los Alamos Arts Council and Fuller Lodge Art Center (LAAC-FLAC), a local non-profit that recently announced its financial challenges due to reduced gallery sales and lower summer camp and after-school enrollment, needs our collective assistance. 

The LAAC-FLAC is a cornerstone of the vibrant quality of life we cherish, offering everything from enriching classes for all ages to a beautiful gallery that supports local artists. If we value these contributions, it is time for us to step up and ensure their future. The arts are important

Read More

Bourque: About Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

By ROBERT BOURQUE
Los Alamos

All nations must agree to get rid of their nukes – and at the same time. But good luck getting Little Kim, Vlad the Invader, the Ayatollahs, Pakistan, India, Israel, Britain, France, and yes, the Good Old USA to simultaneously do this. The so-called Genie is out of the bottle, and it’s doubtful we can ever squeeze him back in.

All we can do is hope that all nations will ultimately realize that nuclear weapons actually have no military value. What is the gain if a victorious army moves into an area that has only radioactive rubble and thousands of radioactive Read More