Baseball fans are familiar with the heroic story of Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier to become the first African American to play in the major leagues. Robinson deserves great credit for not only his outstanding play on the baseball diamond, but also his courageous stamina in fac… Read more

With a new year comes new opportunities to change our lives. Little did I know my life would forever change the moment I walked into my first 4-H Club meeting 25 years ago. Read more

O’er the past year we’ve learned about growing and gardening Read more

During my tenure as the president of the Belen Art League, I have persistently sought to serve our members and our organization. This has frequently meant putting others first and taking a step back regarding my own wants and desires. Read more

Russia, 1863: Henr Bergh, an American diplomat, came upon the scene of a cart horse that had fallen on the road and was being beaten by his owner. Bergh stopped the assault, and his life was changed forever. Read more

Recently, I overheard a conversation among adults as they debated the appearance of angels. One woman was certain all angels have halos, another believed angels only wear white. Two women felt all angels were young, while another woman argued the placement of an angel’s wings. Read more

Rubin’s vase is the famous optical illusion of a black and white image that can be seen as a white vase or as the profiles of two human faces. Some people see the vase and others see the profiles. Read more

Question: I’ve seen conflicting advice online on whether or not to fertilize trees now to promote healthy root growth. Read more

It was sometime during the first years of the 1980s and I was a young, Christian mother living in the mountains of the Emerald Triangle. My husband and I were deeply involved with our church and made many personal sacrifices to promote our faith and “strengthen thy brethren.” Read more

Question: Why are some cottonwood trees turning brown rather than yellow this fall? Sometimes a portion of the tree (often the lower portion) turns brown while the crown does turn yellow. I think I have seen this in other years, but this fall it seems more pronounced. Is it weather related? … Read more

Recently, my wife, Rachel, and I watched a romantic comedy after our daughter fell asleep. Read more

Courts of law have the authority to determine if an entity is a “thing” (meaning not granted the legal rights of a person,) or a “person.” The two distinctions under the law for “person” are: “human” (meaning granted all the rights of a person under the law of the land) and “non-human,” whic… Read more

It is the time of year when I receive increased numbers of phone calls, emails and face-to-face inquiries about pumpkin pie recipes, whether to use butter or lard when making biscochitos, and what to do if the turkey isn’t thawing fast enough. Read more

For the past two decades, I’ve come into the Valencia County News-Bulletin office ready to work, ready to report, ready to do my due diligence as a journalist. Read more

As our area prepares to enter into colder weather, many residents are beginning to winterize their air conditioners and get their heaters up and running. This is perfect time to address the silent killer known as carbon monoxide. Read more

“So what did you do this weekend?” Read more

Question: Do you know why my Ranier cherry tree is blooming now (September 30)? It doesn’t look so good, but earlier this year it produced a decent amount of cherries. — Stacia G., Albuquerque, NM Read more

The great thing about being in the middle of things is that you don’t need to go anywhere to see everything. Read more

Next June, it will be 100 years since the U.S. Congress passed the 19th amendment to the Constitution, enfranchising women voters. It was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, securing that right. Read more

Giovanni di Pietro di Bernadone was born in Assisi, Italy, in the year 1181. The son of a wealthy cloth merchant, Francesco (as his father called him) enjoyed all the luxuries his inherited life offered. Read more

My daughter loves horses, and I’m not speaking hyperbolically. She really loves horses. Read more

Question: What’s the difference between different colors on peppers? I’m getting red fruit and purple fruit on the same plant. - Mary S., Santa Fe Read more

It was weird. Within a two day span, I was told I was lacking compassion, had no tact and was a bully. Read more

When the owner of a small business wants to move on, whether to retire or to pursue other ventures, he or she has three potential paths: close the business, sell it to investors or to a competitor or let the employees purchase it. Read more

Oh it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Read more

Go to Haiti, they said, It’ll be fun. Read more

The old man sat with his back against the wall looking confused, forlorn. At the counter, the young woman explained, “He gets confused, and it’s annoying. And ... well ..., he smells.” Read more

In 2012, the New Mexico Census of Agriculture reported the average age of farmers and ranchers climbed to over 60 (second highest in the country) with 33 percent over the age of 70. Read more

It’s not too often that we, including myself, really look at our communities and see the good in them. It’s much easier to complain about the bad people and happenings in Valencia County than to realize there is more good than not. Read more

When a citizen calls 911, there is never less than two agencies involved, and the larger the incident the more agencies that are involved. Read more

For some time now, I’ve been following reports and reading about adverse effects of pesticides on children’s neurological development.  Read more

Our legislative and executive branch have been failing our children year, after year, after decade … Read more

The Belen Art League’s mission is to bring art to our community knowing it has a positive influence on where we live. Read more

The kids at work were finishing a movie. The credits were rolling to Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” and on the screen were pictures of soldiers and dogs. Read more

August is my favorite month of the year. Various sports seasons begin, meaning I can finally get back into a regular routine as a sports reporter.  Read more

What does 4-H have to offer? Why should your child join 4-H? What does 4-H mean? Read more

My husband, Peter, is at war with a hummingbird. I try to explain to him the essential unfairness of this. The hummingbird has a brain smaller than the end of Peter’s finger. Read more

I recently spent time with an old friend in California. She confided that she couldn’t stand her husband. She said she was going to give their relationship one more year and if nothing had changed by then, she was going to end the marriage. Read more

Oh, New Mexico — land of sunshine and that infamous “dry heat.” Read more

Question: I’ve been battling with little gnats in potted plants for months. I have covered the soil with small aquarium gravel, and have tried using bowls of vinegar and even sticky flytraps. But they are still very prevalent in my home and making me a little bit nuts! - Erin F., Albuquerque Read more

I have to say, I hate exercise but I still do it five days a week. Read more

I’ve had trouble deciding what to write about this month, but not for lack of subject matter — never. This evening, staring into space, it hit me — I am overwhelmed. Read more

As a young kid on summer break, my friends and I loved to be outdoors — all day, every day. Summer time, however, can be a very dangerous time. Read more

If you’re reading this, you might have read the question and answer profile to the left on this page about Bertha Flores, the director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Read more

I come from a family of letter writers. Read more

This week I was the teacher for one day at the kid’s art program at the Belen Art League Gallery — younger kids in the morning and older ones in the afternoon. Read more

I’m a desert rat — born in the desert of Arizona and living in the desert of New Mexico. Read more

On her ninth birthday, the little girl wanted to do something special for the animals. She requested a party at the shelter, and asked her friends to bring donations for the animals rather than gifts for her. Read more

Small text on bumper stickers bug me. Read more