A landmark is gone
The Lujan home in San Pedro, which burned last week was an important landmark in the Valley.
As a child, I remember Mr. Lujan seeming to work everywhere, always lending a hand; Mrs. Lujan herding their flock of children. I like many in the Valley went to school with them. They were good people.
A bird’s eye view illustrates how the Lujan farm extended down from Middle San Pedro Road to the Rio Santa Cruz, a typical parcel of its time, allowing Mr. Lujan to farm, ranch, and live on a slice of his own father’s homestead.
World War II, and the necessity to transport plutonium through Española to the Los Alamos labs allowed for a modern highway to split the Lujan ranch and helped create the Oñate Bridge, the largest and finest bridge in New Mexico at the time of completion in 1941.
The new highway siphoned traffic off the original road into the Valley, which was Middle San Pedro Road, where old man Lujan grew up, a witness to the ever-evolving Española Valley. I will miss the large maple tree in the front yard, the first to change color in the fall.
But what remains is not bad: the sacred acequia, which Mr. Lujan and his sons used to irrigate corn and chile, calabazas and melons for the family and their friends, remains intact. My thoughts and prayers go out to the remaining heirs. No hay mal quien por bien no venga.
Camilla Trujillo
Santa Cruz
On the campaign trail
Nationally, New Mexico is 47th in education, salaries at 46th; imagine where we would be without national labs.
Inflations, housing shortages and behavioral health issues prevail on the streets; rates of child, drug, alcohol and domestic abuse, remain symptons of poverty. We need cohesive legislation that strives to build our economy, and the quality of our lives will improve.
While we hold on to the economy we have, we should build the future we hope for. Record oil and gas revenues don’t last, we should reinvest to cut costs and build business. Investing in solar, film and infrastructure are good starts. But so is looking at excess and costs that have slowly crept from special interest, into permanent line-item budget appropriations.
We need to address equity in government as well. A 3% cost of living for state employees is hardly adequate, nor is legislation for licensed staff at $15/hour. Adequate raises for State employees directly benefit our rural communities.
Los Alamos county, one of the richest in the nation. Many hard working, dedicated employeesc commute from remote areas to work in that community, across roads in need of repair and expansion, just try driving Los Alamos to Gallina sometime. Investment in our communities could imporve the quality of life in northern NM, so that we can attract & retain qualificed medical professionals, teachers, engineers, and trades peopler, at LANL too. Investment in people is far more cost effective than recruiting from outside NM. Why would anyone oppose studying the issue?
We need a representatitve that will work for the people of our district. I am that candidate. Born in northern New Mexico, I raised my family here, I continue to be engaged and will serve with the dedication & commitment the people of my state deserve.
Margaret Campos
Dixon