Category Archives: Articles

Vaccine passports are nothing new

My friend, who was a frequent global traveler before the pandemic, has a document called the International Certificate of Vaccination. It attests that she has been vaccinated against yellow fever and several other diseases. The form is approved by the … Continue reading

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Rural school districts are different

People in rural school districts are different, they will tell you. Different from what, you might ask. Certainly some needs are unique to those districts, such as those related to the long travel distances. A lifelong resident of Magdalena told … Continue reading

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Gasoline and alcohol don’t mix

You don’t see cigarette vending machines anymore; have you noticed? They became illegal in New Mexico a few years ago, except for limited locations where teenagers cannot get to them. Lawmakers decided the way to prevent teenagers from buying cigarettes … Continue reading

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Etiquette in the era of Covid

My friend is invited to a relative’s wedding in another state. Along with the invitation she has received a request for proof of vaccination. Some people might consider this rude. Not me. I am relieved. My friend (who never smoked … Continue reading

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A little more respect for teachers

“The NM school system is a total disaster IMO,” a reader from Hobbs wrote to me recently. “Our children deserve much better than they are receiving and it’s entirely the fault of the politicians and the people they appoint to … Continue reading

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Workers’ comp vacancies need filling

As of the date of this posting, one vacancy has been filled. The rumor is that the governor has begun making appointments to the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council. We only need three. It’s about time.   New Mexico needs this … Continue reading

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Millions of school lunches

It’s been a tough year for New Mexico schoolchildren, but through it all, they have at least had access to meals. That will continue through the summer. The school meal program has been chugging on, month after month.  Students who … Continue reading

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Can a business require masks?

Some years ago, I went to a “dollar” movie theater a few days after having seen a report on TV about children with head lice. Thinking maybe dollar movie theaters were not as clean as full price theaters, I looked … Continue reading

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Let’s teach people to read

Almost half of New Mexico adults can’t read well enough to understand this paragraph. The statistics from 20 years ago are not showing improvement . New Mexico’s school children are also behind. According to the Kids Count Data Book for … Continue reading

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Badly written legislation

Old saying: nobody is safe when the legislature is in session. This year, I agree more than usual. My top concern was bad bills in good causes. I read several. A bill can originate in many ways. A legislator or … Continue reading

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