Letters to Editor

Dear Editor:

The book by Tom Brokaw, The Greatest Generation has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. I decided, in light of our 250th year celebrations, it is time to read it. The inscription inside shows it was given on Mother's Day 1999 to my Mom by one of my older sisters. Both my sisters were born during the War and I am here only because my Dad returned safely home after the War. I have been told that he was at Omaha Beach on day 2. He made it home but died young at age 47 when I was 9, so I never got to talk to him about his experiences.

Mary Alice Murphy, I would like to thank you again for researching, interviewing and documenting our local Veterans in your book God's Umbrella. Maybe it is time to reread this wonderful book and honor our local heroes (and support our Allingham-Golding American Legion Post #18).

Dear Editor,

This is in response to Lynda Schub's recent comments about Representative Luis Terrazas and Senate Bills 17 and 18.

Ms. Schub suggested that opposing SB 18-the "Clear Horizons Act" – means not caring about clean air. That's an oversimplification and simply not true. The bill would have required industries to cut emissions to levels that would significantly raise costs across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and transportation. For many of us already struggling with expenses, that matters. I would like to know where Mr. Turrieta stands on this? Would he support a bill like this which would have affected his constituents in a negative way?

Since you reported on my saying bitchin' and bickering, I sent an email to the Cobre Schools office and told them the meaning of the words—bitch, which I did not use. Bitch is a female dog, wolf or fox and has nothing to do with a vulgar word people use as slang but it is not the right meaning. If you are a hunter or dog trainer, you have a stud and bitch dogs to have and raise pups.

Bitichin' in 1920 meant wild, sick, out of control. In 1960 it meant cool, wild, fantastic, crazy and was a good thing. But it has always meant whiny crybabies.

You reported what I said and did a good job reporting. I have never been short on words and do not care if they like me. I was elected to do a job, if all that can be done is them fighting with each other then we will not get much done.

This a response to the article which was published on The Beat a couple of months ago "Does Silver City have to be Siren City?" as well as the follow up articles that followed.

I am a resident of Silver City. I ride my electric bikes everywhere. I don't own a car and I ride my bikes every day. Over the past several years, I would venture to say that I have probably ridden more than anyone else in the city - around seven thousand miles on three different bikes. In that time I've been very safe. I've had only two minor accidents in which no other vehicle was involved. In one crash I ran into black ice where there was no street light at night. In the other I was carrying multiple items in my hands while I rode down the street, and I simply fell off the bike.

All children learn differently, and what works for one child may not work for another. My son has struggled with school from a young age, and I was constantly concerned about his ability to succeed.

He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which makes focusing in a traditional classroom difficult. Small distractions such as noise, temperature, or classmates can cause him to stop paying attention. Over the years, we tried private school, public school, and tutoring, but progress was limited.

Virtual school has changed everything. My son is now in eighth grade, maintaining an A and B average, completing assignments on time, and taking responsibility for his learning. I am able to communicate easily with his teachers, and together we guide him through lessons and expectations. This collaboration has allowed him to flourish academically while building confidence.

Our family chose virtual school after the pandemic began in 2020, and we have been with Connections Academy for over five years. From the beginning, we found that the curriculum challenged our children and met their individual needs far better than traditional classrooms. Both of our children are now excelling, testing above grade level, and fully prepared for college-level work.

Living in a rural community, our children are able to participate in Junior High and High School Rodeo while helping with farm responsibilities. Virtual school provides the flexibility to complete assignments from the road, keeping them on track academically without sacrificing extracurricular commitments. They both maintain straight As and have grown in focus, efficiency, and independence thanks to the self-paced structure of virtual education.

Dear Editor,
The Trout Fire of 2025 was a wakeup call for residents. The wildfire spread quickly and affected many: volunteer fire-fighters worked tirelessly for two weeks alongside state and federal units, locals housed evacuees and their pets, people organized food delivery. The risk of dangerous fire in our area may have worsened since then, as the drought continues. We have all seen large stands of trees that have died in the last year. Climate change is not something that will affect us in the future – we are living through it now.

Pat O'Connell
Gabriel Aguilera
Gregory Nibert
Commissioners,
NM Public Regulatory Commission

Dear Commissioners...how interesting that just when the energy industry is getting interesting again --- after 20 years or so of flatlined demand --- Bernhard Capital Partners now seeks to acquire The NM Gas Company. Likewise, dear Commissioners, a private firm seeks to acquire PNM.

In the '70s the energy industry suffered thru a 'supply shock', today, the industry is now facing a 'demand shock'; and as New Mexico's Energy-Regulatory Commissioners, I urge you to perform due diligence and require Bernhard Capital to provide your Commission, with a dedicated review—Bernhard's complete record of industry activity, including any and all infractions of laws and regulations.