Author proposes shutting down a fire department

Upon retirement many Gallupians head to far away communities to spend their golden years participating in numerous activies. For many of us who remain the activities provided by our golf course, bowling alleys and local bars as well as the senior citizen centers for free lunch is not exactly our cup of tea. I have a pretty good idea of the type of recreation center activities which would attract my wife and I into paying membership fees and I reckon there are many others in Gallup like us.

In determining the appropriate venue for a publicly funded community recreation facility it may be best to first determine what is not in the best...

There’s an old saying that when you’re stuck in a hole the first thing you should do is stop digging. New Mexicans are used to hearing that their home state is in the hole. We are at the bottom of the nation in everything from child well-being to poverty to hunger. Despite this, there are some up in Santa Fe who want to continue to dig.

A report put out last week by Governing shows New Mexico at the very bottom for long-term unemployment. Nearly half of our unemployed workers have been out of a job for 27 weeks or longer. To be clear, only people who are out of a job and are actively seeking work are considered unemployed. Those who have given up ever finding another job are...

As a kid one of my favorite TV sitcoms was Hogan’s Heroes. Set in a German POW camp during World War II a group of really sharp Allied prisoners of war (most of them fliers who were shot down or parachuted to safety) were humorously and cleverly outsmarting their dimwitted and bumbling Nazi jailers. Colonel Robert Hogan proudly wore his air force leather jacket and hat through each episode. It never occurred to me that these Allied POWs were anything less than heroes, if even fictionally.

Other cinematic POW high water marks of the time were the movies The Great Escape and Von Ryan’s Express. In both of these films ensemble casts of major Hollywood stars stood up to, undermined...

The Comfort Suites in Gallup is proud to be partnered with the Combat Hero’s Bike Build Organization.

Here members of the Combat Hero’s Bike Build along with Comfort Suites General Manager Ken Riege (USAF Veteran) and Comfort Suites Maintenance Supervisor Howard Harry pose with the latest bike donation. (Photo courtesy of Felicia Kee).

This bike was donated by Mr. Cable Hoover and will go to help a wounded warrior ride again.  The Comfort Suites first involvement with the Combat Hero’s Bike Build was in May 2015 as SSgt Brian Mast and the Run for the Wall Midway Route stopped by for a hero’s welcome.

In this photo is SSgt Brian Mast and Retired US Army Brigadier General...