Letters to the Editor (Dec. 4, 2025)

It’s not the same game

Editor:

This season, as families gather, the question lurks: “What are you thankful for?”

This year, I suggest an unusual answer: I’m thankful living in America is like playing my family’s favorite card game.

That card game is Rook, with its four color suits and “the Rook,” the highest card. Four of us played in teams of two, with the deck dealt amongst us and five cards in the kitty. The highest bidder won the right to pick the trump suit for the hand and to exchange five cards in their hand for the five cards in the kitty.

We could not control the cards we were dealt – but we could put a premium on how we played our hand. Even if the cards we were dealt were atrocious, we could play our hand strategically to help our partner add to our team score.

Living in America is a bit like playing my family’s Rook games growing up. We’re all dealt a hand in life — when we’re born, what family we’re born into, what we’re naturally good at, that sort of thing. Like my family, America can put a premium on how we play that hand.

Don’t we love those American success stories of those who come from humble beginnings to be great successes? In America, not only can we take the hand we’ve been dealt and play it in a way to make our world better, if we’re willing to take a risk — get a new education, start a business, move to a new place — we may even be able to change some of the cards in our hand.

I’m thankful to be part of the Great American Card Game. How about you?

Jonathan Gardner

Los Lunas

RGE’s future is at stake

Editor:

My interest is in finding out what the future holds for the Raymond A. Gabaldon Elementary School. The most recent information that I heard was that no decision has been made regarding its future.

I have had some dialogue with the district since November 2024. At that time, it was my understanding that the classrooms were not compliant with the state-required size. At that time, my understanding was that the school may be considered for re-purposing and school offices. These would be a great way to preserve history, culture and heritage.

My initial purpose in contacting Los Lunas Schools was to hopefully maintain and preserve the name’s sake, Raymond A. Gabaldon. I have since been told that the name would be preserved regardless of whether the school was to be demolished or replaced. My hope, along with keeping the name, was to also preserve the historical adobe structure.

Can we somehow avoid demolishing the structure? How often have I heard about regrets with the demolition of Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church. I have also heard the same with the old courthouse in Los Lunas. It is obviously too late, and nothing can change that fact.

Recently, I met with some archaeologists who know about these old buildings in New Mexico. One building that is particularly of interest is a public school in Santa Rosa, N.M., which is very much like the Raymond A. Gabaldon School here in Los Lunas.

They can both be found on Google Maps. The school in Santa Rosa has been re-purposed for county and city offices. Both schools were built in 1938 by the WPA. Both may be eligible for the state and national historic registries.

I was recently told that the old Raymond A. Gabaldon Elementary School is where the district may want to put the new school since the district is limited in space and that property is now too expensive to purchase. Is it possible to maintain the old school, including the offices, the classroom wings and the gymnasium? Could consideration be made to remove portable classrooms and the buildings built in the 1960s?

Then, along with keeping the old historical adobe structure build the new school in the remaining portion of the 10-acre site.

Dennis Gabaldon

Bosque Farms