Opinion | Las Cruces Bulletin

The tricky emotions of golfers

Emotional regulation is the latest term used to describe a person’s ability to manage and respond to an emotional experience. People use a variety of strategies, many of which are unconscious, in their attempt to cope with difficult situations... more

Charlie Blanchard
For the Las Cruces Bulletin
docblanchard71@gmail.com | 9/30/26

Why is golf so hard anyway?

The National Golf Foundation just released some unsettling numbers about growing the game of golf. From 2020 through 2025 over 19 million Americans tried on-course golf for the first time. Yet only one in four of the folks who tried golf became... more

Charlie Blanchard
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/24/26

Amenability

In New Mexico, a youthful offender faces a crossroads, as determined by the judge in their case: are they amenable to treatment or services that will teach them a lesson about how they have been on the wrong path and correct it, or aren’t... more

Shawna Pfeiffer
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/24/26

Model city proposal not so bad; but the qualifier is

I had originally intended to write a rebuttal column this week to one penned recently by New Mexico Senate Republicans criticizing city officials in Las Cruces and Albuquerque for not applying for the Trump Administration’s “model city”... more

Walt Rubel
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/24/26

What are New Mexicans voting for?

Most voters are passive. The information they gather as to know who to vote for comes from aggressive political ads and news stories just prior to and during election season where candidates clamber for the limelight. Why? Name recognition. Most... more

Shawna Pfeiffer
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/18/26

City actions regarding lead deficient

After almost two years of unresponsiveness to citizen concerns, Las Cruces Utilities is belatedly mounting a failing public relations effort to neutralize growing criticism about its actions regarding finding lead in drinking water piping across... more

Lynn Moorer | 9/17/26

Building on what works, preparing for what’s ahead

What if we could take two small schools that are doing important work for students, preserve what families value most about each one, and build something even stronger for the future? That is the idea Las Cruces Public Schools is beginning to... more

Ignacio Ruiz
Superintendent, Las Cruces Public Schools | 9/16/26

Sneaky health care costs about to go up again

When the cost of gas goes up, there are big signs along the roadway announcing the hike. The signs in the grocery store aren’t as big but increases in the cost of food are clearly marked for all to see. When the cost of health care goes up, as it... more

Walt Rubel
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/10/26

With achievement motivation you can do anything

In the spring of 1960, I was told by my high school “guidance counselor” that I need not apply to the University of Notre Dame because I wasn’t smart enough to get in to that prestigious school. I applied anyway. Partly thanks to the fact that I... more

Charlie Blanchard
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/10/26

Most of us use soil and water every day

Water shapes life in Doña Ana County. So does the soil beneath our feet. They support farms, neighborhoods, wildlife, businesses, gardens, and the communities of the Mesilla Valley. Yet many residents have never heard of the local public agency... more

Jennifer Kleitz | 9/10/26

Copper Flat asks southern New Mexico to gamble with its water

More than 20 years ago, my wife and I were looking for a place to grow trees. We looked around the country and chose Las Animas Creek in Sierra County because of the water, beauty and landscape. We built a tree-growing operation there that, at... more

Lee Newman | 9/10/26

Guns — who needs them?

Gun violence is not a single problem with a single cause. It is a pattern, a predictable convergence of behaviors, access points, and environmental conditions. And because the pattern is predictable, the consequences are predictable. That means... more

John Munoz
Mayor Pro Tem, Las Cruces | 9/10/26

Absenteeism in governance

There have been a number of elected officials and candidates bow out of their positions or races lately, predominantly Democrats. Examples include Joanne Ferrary, who I’ve previously written about in detail; House District 4, held currently by... more

Shawna Pfeiffer
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/3/26

Project Jupiter, a golden opportunity for New Mexico

I encourage my fellow New Mexicans to support the Project Jupiter data center being constructed in Doña Ana County. This project will generate substantial tax revenue to help fund the education of our children and help our communities. It will... more

Gary Montoya
School Board President, Central Consolidated Schools | 9/3/26

Notah Begay III, the 2026 Payne Stewart Award recipient

“And the 2026 Payne Stewart Award goes to (New Mexico’s own) Notah Begay III.” That announcement was made a month ago during the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, but the formal presentation and the celebration of the award... more

Charlie Blanchard
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/3/26

We get one of the few competitive races in nation

New Mexico’s Second Congressional District is one of the 12 most competitive Democratic districts in the nation, according to the Cook Political Report. It lists 21 districts as a toss-up heading into November’s midterm election. Those are the... more

Walt Rubel
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 9/3/26

Las Cruces needs an illegal camping ordinance

Municipalities around the country have enacted laws that generally ban illegal camping in public spaces, especially after the Supreme Court upheld the rights of Grants Pass, Oregon to restrict camping in public parks. The contention of the suit... more

Shawn Pfeiffer
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 8/27/26

Domenici Conference was a showcase of political civility

Pete Domenici won six statewide elections running as a Republican in New Mexico. You can’t do that without making a whole lot of friends on the other side of the aisle. Which is why I liked the Domenici Public Policy Conference at NMSU so much.... more

Walt Rubel
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 8/27/26

Conference returns to elevate the discourse national topics

For more than a decade, New Mexico State University was host to the one of the Southwest’s most prestigious and impactful public policy conversations each fall. The Pete V. Domenici Public Policy Conference grew out of the university’s strong... more

Garrey Carruthers
NMSU Domenici Public Policy Conference Committee Chair | 8/27/26

Valuable tips to relax while playing golf

Several years ago, I had a golf client, Nancy, who was suffering from performance anxiety. Nancy was a middle-aged successful business executive and a skilled (12 hcp) golfer. “Performance anxiety” is the term applied for outsized feelings of... more

Charlie Blanchard
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 8/27/26