Letters to the Editor

Not a way to honor

Editor:

I love this country, and I used to love our wonderful celebration of its founding — parades, ice cream and burgers, municipal fireworks displays. Now I dread the Fourth.

It’s not protesters or COVID or governor’s edicts. It’s illegal fireworks.

This was the loudest, most frightening, window-rattling holiday ever; and it’s been getting worse over the years. The horse ran in panic until he was sweaty; the cats couldn’t find enough places to hide in the house; people’s dogs ran away and got lost.

I heard peacocks screaming in fright until 11 or 12 p.m. I read there were 20 fires started in Albuquerque.

What is the matter with these crazy people with no concern for us, your neighbors or our animals? Where do you buy bombs and rockets, and why do you think it is appropriate to do so? Why do the sellers and users of such things get away with it?

This is no way to honor our country (or celebrate New Year’s either). Everyone wants to have fun on the Fourth, but folks, this isn’t fun anymore.

Sharon Eastman

Bosque Farms

‘I can’t breathe’

Editor:

We all stood as witness to the brutal murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. People are speaking out about the unequal treatment towards people of color worldwide.

Mr. Floyd’s death, as well as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, is the horrifying reality of the deadly impact of unequal treatment in our criminal justice system. As members of the Sikh community, we hold righteous action above all else and must stand in protest against the stark certainty of racism.

The human breath is more than just a way to deliver oxygen to the body. It is a spiritual component of our being. As practitioners of Kundalini Yoga, we are very attuned to breath as we purposefully and thoughtfully inhale and exhale as part of our practice. Breathing is critical to a healthy body and soul.

When George Floyd said, “I can’t breathe,” he was losing his life. When we hear those words, we hear a mighty call to action.

In this age, at the dawn of social awakening around the planet, the scourge of racial injustice must be eradicated. The Sikh community in the United States remains committed to working towards positive change in our society, in our own organization, and within ourselves to make the fundamental shift away from racism. Sikhs in the United States and worldwide are committed to equal justice and a fair criminal justice system.

We call on all communities to work together to wipe out all vestiges of racism in our world.

Shanti Khaisa

Santa Cruz, N.M.

LL superintendent search

Editor:

Now that a majority of the Los Lunas school board has chosen to remove superintendent Dana Sanders, the board has a responsibility to its constituents to initiate a thorough and open search for a new superintendent.

So far there has been no indication of any attempt to do so. Meanwhile, staff and teachers, in the midst of the current health crisis, are being severely taxed trying to figure out how they will provide an education to our children this fall.

While the current acting superintendent, Walter Gibson, is very capable of performing the CEO’s job, it is unlikely that he wishes to continue in that role for long, given that he was drafted out of retirement for the job.

In the Los Lunas school district, there is a concern that in certain parts of it there is too little civic involvement, which can (and has) resulted in too limited a pool of people willing to run for the school board. And that limited pool can result in individuals elected who do not have the right temperament or understanding of their role as school board members. Such is the current situation with some on the Los Lunas school board.

The citizens of the Los Lunas school district are stuck with the board they have. Three board members will be around for another three and a half years, and two for another one and a half years, until they face another election.

My fear is that a majority of the board may not conduct an above board and open search for qualified superintendent candidates and will instead use its majority power to simply select someone to its liking, a person who may or may not be qualified and able to gain the respect of the community and staff and teachers of Los Lunas Schools.

James Rickey

Los Lunas

Amazing change in Peralta

Editor:

Our local Peralta government quietly works behinds the scenes most of the time. Recently, they stepped up with a street improvement that is quite a gift for our neighborhood.

Traffic along Chughole Lane was getting faster and busier in the last year or two. With the COVID-19 needs, more folks walk, ride bikes, horses and fish along the ditches. Plus, there are children in the neighborhood so something needed to be done.

Voila — two stop signs, and an amazing change has quickly helped. Thank you, Peralta.

Sally Rutledge

Peralta

Thank you, Elks Lodge

Editor:

We have an amazing community! Belen Elks Lodge No. 2499 changed the lives of 11 Valencia County youth this summer through a very generous donation.

H2 Academic Solutions Scholarship Fund, H2ASS, received a $3,000 check for scholarships for youth in need of academic tutoring this summer. The timing could not have been better.

H2ASS typically holds fundraisers as often as possible and solicits donations regularly to provide funding for tutoring, including intensive reading class, math language arts, history, science and test preparation.

This year, due to required shutdowns from COVID-19, we have been unable to raise the much-needed funds for our youth. It is though the philanthropic spirit of the leadership of the Belen Elks Lodge and Exalted Leader Matt Ballinger that we were able to offer these youth the assistance they need through the end of July.

To all the members of the Belen Elks Lodge, we thank you on behalf of these students, and our community, for caring so very much!

Holly Chavez, Marcelle Trujillo, Heather Hendren, Hollie Riggins, Jenna Heyborne, Sarah Lopez, Shell Wimberly

H2 Academic Solutions Scholarship Fund Board of Directors