Today's Opinions

Dear Editor,

I don’t think many people in Los Alamos object to the idea of providing a skate park for young people, though one might wonder whether the $500,000 plus it will probably end up costing, once the hidden costs are added, is really the best use of our county funds right now. But there is indeed a serious issue with the proposed location in front of Mesa Public Library.

Simply put, the county council has never provided the community as a whole with an adequate opportunity to provide input on the location.

April 23 marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Army Reserve. This is occasion is noteworthy given the history of the Army Reserve, and its mission since September 11, 2001.The Army Reserve’s 100th anniversary validates our nation’s enduring need for such a force, and the event gives Americans the opportunity to recognize the contributions of hundreds of thousands of men and women who served our nation for a century.Further, our anniversary recognizes that the force has changed dramatically over 100 years to meet the needs of our nation.

A recent study reported that about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually.

Locally, we had only 22 dropouts out of some 1,200 students last year.

Nevertheless, the numbers are disturbing.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the group doing the study, told the Associated Press that “when more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it’s more than a problem – it’s a catastrophe.”