Letters to the Editor (May 27)

New fence ordinance doesn’t make sense

Editor:

Regarding the fence ordinance passed by the Belen city councilors: There are many very good regulations; however, there is nothing wrong with chain link fencing. It keeps animals out or in, and also keeps people from kicking our landscaping rock on the sidewalk or street, plus security.

The councilors should look at yards with no fence. They would see that many yards have no grass and some yards are used to park cars or trucks, which looks worse than chain link fencing. We understand why no grass; water supply is short and water rates are high.

People who are looking to buy in Belen will see weeds, trash, broken-up curbs and sidewalks and cars parked in front yards. Coming into Belen, what you see is pretty sad. There is no landscaping — just weeds and trash.

There is an easement on North Fourth Street, and Aragon Road needs attention. Trees are growing out to the streets, which is a safety hazard, and sidewalks are broken because tree roots are growing under it. One tree is used by cats for the litter box and a birthing place. It smells terrible.

Other than the fencing ordinance, we need to address yards, weeds and cars not parked on yards. If there are ordinances as such, they should be enforced.

Streets need to be swept, trash picked up and when weeds are cut, they should be bagged, not blown out in the street.

What really makes a community look nice are not only open yards, but all the things we mention above.

Randy and Priscilla Krause

Belen

 

Thank you, Valencia County

Editor:

Recently, the Rio Communities Optimist Club conducted a “Sock Drive” to benefit the children of the Belen School system. Many of these children went to school without socks on their feet. Almost 3000 socks were donated from all areas of Valencia County and as far away as New York.

The Rio Communities Optimist Club would like to thank all of the wonderful people of Valencia County that supported the program. Without your support the projects that we undertake would not be possible and these projects make a huge differences in the like of every child.

Thank you, Valencia County, for helping to bring out the best in our youth and the community.

Deborah Benavidez

Committee chairwoman

Marilyn Winters

President

Rio Communities Optimist Club

 

It’s a win-win for N.M.

Editor:

I’ve often said New Mexico is the hole in the doughnut, with the doughnut being our neighboring states — Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. While those states thrive and prosper, New Mexico remains stagnant.

In an Albuquerque Journal editorial, Brian Sanderoff, of Research & Polling, discussed what it will take to move the needle. “The answer is short: People follow the jobs.”

The jobs of the future represent an opportunity to better one’s lives. For the 80,000 New Mexicans who are unemployed, it might mean an opportunity to stay in our state, raise their families and be close to extended families and friends. New Mexico needs our state’s tagline to be: Land of Enchantment and Opportunity.

The opportunity presented by the PNM/Avangrid merger now before the Public Regulations Commission is a merger that will bring at least 150 jobs with a financial benefit of more than $204 million. It also means $73 million will go to PNM customers in reductions to monthly electric bills, a fund for people behind in paying their bills due to the pandemic, a fund for low-income energy assistance and a fund to improve access to electricity for the rural citizens in our state, for a total benefit to the state of over $270 million.

Avangrid is exactly the type of company we want in New Mexico. Success will not be accomplished overnight, however, having this quality of company investing in New Mexico is a once in a generation opportunity for our state to thrive in the future.

Dale Dekker

Albuquerque