Letters to the Editor

Veterans run successful

Editor:

On behalf of L.I.V.E., Inc. (Los Lunas Invests in Veterans Events), Attorney David Chavez, Main Street Muscle & Fitness Center, Jubilee Adult Community, Jubilee Slurpers and all sponsors of the eighth annual Believe in Heroes Veterans Memorial Run and walking event on June 1, we would like to thank all the participants and contributors making this a very successful event.

This non-profit event coordinated by L.I.V.E., Inc. with entry fees, contributions and donations going directly to various veteran organizations within Valencia County.

The success of this event was possible with many volunteers from Jubilee, Main Street Muscle & Fitness Center, Los Lunas High School AVID, JROTC, including the assistance of key personnel within the village of Los Lunas, police, fire, parks and recreation departments who donated all their time at no cost to the village.

Special thanks to the Los Lunas Fire Department who provided the new ladder fire truck with the suspended American flag. Thanks also to A & A Pumping, Valencia County News-Bulletin, Huning Ranch HOA Board, Daniel D. Fernandez VFW Post 9676, Battlin’ Betties, Printers Press, (ABQ), Los Lunas Chamber of Commerce and Starlight Cinema Theater. Councilor Phillip Jaramillo, who gave a special welcome on behalf of the village.

This L.I.V.E., Inc. event had close to 150 participants and raised more than $9,000. Believe in Heroes seeks to assist those military veterans of Valencia County who have served our country and help raise awareness for their continued public support plus organize the Nov. 11 Veterans Day ceremony at the Daniel Fernandez Memorial Park.

The next annual running event will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2020. Save the date.

Jim Schnitzler

Race coordinator

Symptoms of problems

Editor:

A recent letter to the Valencia County News-Bulletin authored by Evelyn Brahman (a Georgia resident) regarding the Historic Tomé Overlay Plan was fraught with inaccuracies and distortions.

I will address the matter by presenting facts regarding this entire issue in this way: Regina Chavez, Evelyn Brahman and Diane DeBaca spoke at the commission meeting and basically said that Tomé didn’t need to be protected. They indicated that the Tomé Plaza, church and Tomé Hill specifically were unbothered and free from intrusion.

These individuals must not be aware of the following: Tomé Hill is constantly being attacked by people who dump their trash, are not respectful of the three crosses, and generally underestimate the importance of this sacred landmark.

The Puerto del Sol Park has become a site for drug dealing and usage, prostitution, trash dumping and a lot of illegal loitering and “hooking” up. The plaza and church surroundings have also recently become a place for drug dealing, loitering and illicit behavior that has led to some parishioners being accosted in plain sight.

The Thome Dominguez building and museum has been a target for thieves more times than is normal. The inordinate amount of accidents on N.M. 47 in the vicinity of the dollar store is especially alarming and dangerous.

The out-of-place people riding their bikes and who walk N.M. 47 and the ditchbanks assessing private property have become a serious nuisance leading to much of the thievery in the area.

These facts and many other incidents that have been seen and reported are symptoms of a larger problem that have recently increased. An overlay plan seeks to protect a community and its residents in ways that Ms. Chavez, Ms. Brahman and Ms. DeBaca apparently do not understand.

While we’re at it, where are these same people when we have community clean-ups at the hill, on the Camino Real, at the plaza and other efforts to maintain the historic, rural and agricultural nature and integrity of our community? Where are they when needles, diapers, condoms, tires and other trash has to be picked up?

And where were these people when the HOC at countless times and for several years, solicited help, input and participation from all?

Ms. Brahman declined to be a member of the committee because “she did not live here and did not have the time.”

The public notice, in this case of HOC, has been nothing but transparent and inclusive.

Rita Padilla-Gutierrez

Jarales