This a response to the article which was published on The Beat a couple of months ago "Does Silver City have to be Siren City?" as well as the follow up articles that followed.

I am a resident of Silver City. I ride my electric bikes everywhere. I don't own a car and I ride my bikes every day. Over the past several years, I would venture to say that I have probably ridden more than anyone else in the city - around seven thousand miles on three different bikes. In that time I've been very safe. I've had only two minor accidents in which no other vehicle was involved. In one crash I ran into black ice where there was no street light at night. In the other I was carrying multiple items in my hands while I rode down the street, and I simply fell off the bike.

Hypocrisy on Display: Nm Senate Calls Gun Regulations "Public Safety" - but Abortion Reporting "Too Burdensome"

(Online Version): https://www.abortionfreenm.com/news/hypocrisy-on-display-nm-senate-calls-gun-regulations-public-safety-but-abortion-reporting-too-burdensome

By Bud Shaver,

Albuquerque, New Mexico — In a 24–15 vote, the New Mexico Senate passed SB 30, repealing the state's abortion reporting requirement. Notably, senior Democrat Senator Pete Campos voted with Republicans against the bill.

SB 30 eliminates a statute that currently requires all abortions induced in the state to be reported within five days to the state registrar, either by the institution in which it was performed or by the attending physician if performed outside of an institution.​

The reporting requirement does not publish patient names. It exists for statistical, public health, and oversight purposes.

Now it will be gone.

All children learn differently, and what works for one child may not work for another. My son has struggled with school from a young age, and I was constantly concerned about his ability to succeed.

He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which makes focusing in a traditional classroom difficult. Small distractions such as noise, temperature, or classmates can cause him to stop paying attention. Over the years, we tried private school, public school, and tutoring, but progress was limited.

Virtual school has changed everything. My son is now in eighth grade, maintaining an A and B average, completing assignments on time, and taking responsibility for his learning. I am able to communicate easily with his teachers, and together we guide him through lessons and expectations. This collaboration has allowed him to flourish academically while building confidence.

Our family chose virtual school after the pandemic began in 2020, and we have been with Connections Academy for over five years. From the beginning, we found that the curriculum challenged our children and met their individual needs far better than traditional classrooms. Both of our children are now excelling, testing above grade level, and fully prepared for college-level work.

Living in a rural community, our children are able to participate in Junior High and High School Rodeo while helping with farm responsibilities. Virtual school provides the flexibility to complete assignments from the road, keeping them on track academically without sacrificing extracurricular commitments. They both maintain straight As and have grown in focus, efficiency, and independence thanks to the self-paced structure of virtual education.

SB 18 is known as the Clear Horizons Bill... but if I could pick an honest name for it, it would be called the "Destroy New Mexico's Economy Act." That's because the bill is completely unrealistic in its goals. If adopted, the bill would force New Mexicans to reduce CO2 emissions 45 percent by 2030, 75 percent by 2040, and completely eliminate all CO2 emissions by 2050. 

I could write an incredibly detailed 1,000 word essay with charts about why this is a bad idea, but here are just a few arguments:

1) If CO2 emissions are a problem, then the focus must be on China and India, which are emitting more CO2 every single year, and dwarfing emissions from the US and Europe, which are both declining.

In this piece, Teresa highlights how the Outdoor Equity Fund helps communities across New Mexico—particularly rural and historically underrepresented communities—access the health, cultural, and economic benefits of the outdoors. Drawing from her work stewarding the 850 miles of the Continental Divide Trail that pass through New Mexico, she urges lawmakers to fully invest a one-time $4 million appropriation in the Outdoor Equity Fund during the current 30-day legislative session.

The Continental Divide Runs Through Our Communities—Outdoor Equity Must, Too
By Teresa Martinez

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail runs more than 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada. Here in New Mexico, 800 of those miles pass directly through our state—through small towns, Tribal lands, rural communities, and places people have called home since time immemorial.

Yet for many of the people who live along the trail, the outdoors has not always felt like it was meant for them.

Dear Editor,
The Trout Fire of 2025 was a wakeup call for residents. The wildfire spread quickly and affected many: volunteer fire-fighters worked tirelessly for two weeks alongside state and federal units, locals housed evacuees and their pets, people organized food delivery. The risk of dangerous fire in our area may have worsened since then, as the drought continues. We have all seen large stands of trees that have died in the last year. Climate change is not something that will affect us in the future – we are living through it now.