I just finished watching HBO’s “We Need to Talk about Cosby” and it reminded me that we have a problem in the Española Valley of our own.
Our former mayor Richard Lucero in 2019 was credibly accused by two men of being abused by him when they were younger. As we have learned from the “Me Too” movement there are likely many more victims to afraid to speak up against someone so politically powerful.
In light of Cosby and how similar Lucero’s crimes were, it begs the question to how we can still have the name of such a man on one of the only facilities in the city marketed toward children (the recreation center/library).
We need to talk about Richard, it’s well past time to rename the Lucero Center. The Española City Council should do it as soon as possible before we look like those who embarrassingly had to remove the Manny Aragon names from their buildings only after all the crimes were revealed.
Maria Ortiz
Española