To the editor

In support book rating standards

I am the mother of three young children.

My oldest was exposed to a presentation by a rape crisis center at a Las Cruces public school when she was 6 years old. No notice. No permission slip. She came home distraught and cried and cried. She was so upset and uncomfortable. She didn't want to go back to school.

I called the school. 

I was informed that the presentation was district approved. Thereby, parental consent was not needed, and I did not need to be informed of any upcoming presentations that fell within such guidelines. 

Did you catch that? 

I was basically told that my concern as a parent did not matter and my child would be exposed to whatever the district felt was "appropriate." No notice. No opt out. No regard for personal or religious values or emotional maturity. 

How would that make you feel?

I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. I was livid. I decided to learn more about what school children were being exposed to or given access to.

Inappropriate books surfaced: books with content that can't be spoken on the radio or live TV. Books with content that is supposed to come with a warning in other forms of media. Content that is supposed to be filtered out by internet firewalls to protect our children from accidentally seeing. You can see some of the content for yourself at www.nmfa.us/schoolbooks 

At school, this content has no warning. It just sits on the shelf with enticing covers. 

There should be book ratings and access restrictions, like the school's internet firewall, to prevent children from accessing adult content or age-inappropriate materials because standards for a 6-year-old shouldn't be the same as for a 16-year-old.

Values matter. Parental rights matter. Childhood matters.

Children should have access to age-appropriate material. I strongly support book rating standards in all New Mexico schools.

Lorraine Lowther 

No more contaminated water

When will our government learn that residents do not want to drink contaminated water? The Environmental Working Group reported that nine utilities in New Mexico serving 26,877 people were found to have arsenic above the legal limits.

Arsenic, although naturally occurring, can increase the risk of cancer. Recently, I came across an article in Source NM, by Danielle Prokop, addressing the violation and suit against Camino Real Regional Utility Authority. She highlighted that CRRUA failed to notify the residents of Sunland Park of high levels of arsenic in their drinking water.

I was interested to find out how high those levels were. The EWG reported that the arsenic levels of CRRUA were 18.3 parts per billion. This exceeds the legal limit of 10 ppb and EWG’s health guidelines of 0.004 ppb. That is nearly 4,574 times higher than EWG’s standard!

What I find egregious is that a settlement was announced this past February in the amount of $189,000. This is quite concerning, as these high levels of arsenic could affect nearly 19,000 residents. These are members of our community, our family, and our friends who could be affected.

The amount fined won’t make up for the medical costs and pain associated with potential damage to individuals or their families. Prokop’s piece also noted that there are concerns that minimal action is being taken in an effort to improve the water quality.

It is clear that, as a resident of Dona Ana County with ties to Sunland Park, we need to take a stand together to work for improvements and advocate for better drinking water quality. We should urge our local counties to provide water purifiers or provide resources to free drinking water until the levels are within legal standards.

I fear that if we sit around and wait for government agencies to take action and hold companies accountable, we could be faced with another Flint, Michigan, debacle.

Jody Doyle

Las Cruces

The enemy within

After listening to a news story about Trumps' 13,000 anti-immigrant secret police wearing the full combat gear of real soldiers while intimidating, harassing, and harming unarmed and defenseless civilians, I feel a real need to respond.

I am a multi-decorated combat veteran who put my life on the line facing trained armed enemies day after day in service to our country. I really resent these cowards who would never do the same mimicking real soldiers. This is a real slap in the face to those of us who served honorably.

Now Trump is putting real American soldiers in harm’s way in a pointless war which primarily serves to stroke his ego and proclaim his undeserved and often illegal power.

Jeff DeBruin

Las Cruces

From Instagram to Mesilla Plaza

This past December, I opened the door to Just Peachy Double Wide Designs in Mesilla Plaza. I feel so much gratitude for the Las Cruces community that has surrounded me and my business. Long before I had a storefront, my connection with customers started online, where a single Instagram post or message could spark a conversation, sale, or new friendship.

Some of my earliest memories are playing dress-up with my grandmother’s turquoise jewelry, imagining that one day I would have an impressive collection of my own. Over time, it grew into a calling, rooted in memory and craftsmanship I grew up loving. Social media gave me a way to share that story with people far beyond my living room.

It all started in my college home, a double-wide trailer. I couldn’t leave out the phrase that was my dad’s signature response to, “How’d your day go?”

“Just Peachy,” he’d say.

When I began posting my work in 2020, I promoted my business solely through Instagram, slowly building a loyal community of customers who discovered my designs one post, share, and direct message at a time.

Over the years, my social platform communities became the foundation for my storefront dream. Customers who first found me through Instagram and Facebook encouraged me with comments, custom requests, and stories of why a piece spoke to them. Now, I have celebrated the grand opening of my shop in Mesilla Plaza, and I know I wouldn’t be opening my doors without the visibility, relationships, and encouragement that social media made possible.

I’m proud to share my craftsmanship and storytelling right here in my college town, creating pieces worthy of little cowgirls everywhere to dream of for generations to come, whether they first meet Just Peachy online or in person.

Kalyn Hazen

Founder & Owner of Just Peachy Double Wide Designs