Dear Editor, The most recent hard rainstorm that we received on June 21st was a lot of water all at one time. The city of Grants spent millions of dollars on a new water pumping system to help pump out the overflow of water that floods first and second street for the last 70+ years. I have heard some individuals complain that the pumping system didn’t do its job and was a waste of money. Well, it’s not a waste of money, it can do the job it’s supposed to but not at this amount of water, 4.5 inches in a matter of 30 minutes.
What makes matters worse in these situations, are individuals that think they have to go on first street especially and drive through the flood waters because they can but not realizing what the devastation that they are causing to the businesses that are basically being flooded out but having these idiots make it worse by causing waves of water as they drive through it making more water and mud go into the businesses affected.
I feel for the businesses and residents affected by this flooding, but I wish others would have the decency to respect others in their demise and think before they act.
Thank you, B.J. Brown
Thought Experiment
To the Editor: Hey Folks! How about a little thought experiment? Imagine this: Obama loses the 2012 to Mitt Romney but refuses to acknowledge the results and claims that the whole thing was rigged against Black people or whatever... He pulls all his lawyers and thugs together and makes a stand, extorts major media networks (Fox, take your pick from among the bleached white boys and girls) to propagate his conspiracy theory (along with any number of radio sociopaths like Alex Jones) and then, on the day designated to certify the results, thousands of his devotees descend upon the Capitol (you might even imagine a predominant skin color if you like), violently creating havoc, death and destruction...
Well, my thought experiment would never have gotten that far because what I saw in my imagination was the Blood of Obama-ites. It would have slicked the Capitol grounds so deep that no person could walk. Because, they would have been mowed down by the National Guard, the US Army or whoever was on hand with a gun and a uniform. Anyone who's not comatose in this country would know that. But on January 6, 2021 it was a sea of flag-dragging WHITE people. One White lady got shot. The Capitol defenders were killed, wounded, traumatized. Shucks for democracy. It's over. Since then there has been an ocean of due process afforded all the criminals who stormed the Capitol and a lamb-handed effort to hold the orange-skinned, bull-gooselooney accountable. Why? Because there are actually rules to this Game of Thrones. Of course, now, the biggest offender remains at large and happens to be running for President again and has just been handed carte blanche by the Supremes. Whether you vote for him or not really doesn't matter. He could care less about any of us. He is forever and always been his own cause. What might his real reason be? what it has always been? (How could it not be after being “raised” by a psychopath like Fred Trump who conned us all too?) I wonder why he matters to you...imagine, he was once a child. Most children are more qualified than he to decide anything that requires justice. Hope you don't ever need it.
Brian Johnson
Local Government Debacle
Dear editor, Hello fellow citizens of Grants. I haven’t been around for a couple of years as I was out of the country but that doesn’t mean I didn’t keep up with what is happening here Grants.I was looking forward to a new city government, new mayor, two new individuals on the council. It started out good for 1-2 meetings and bam, it is almost repeating history. Mayor Garcia has wonderful great ideas to improve Grants, he has the energy, vision for the future of our community. But… he evidently took a page out of the previous mayor’s book and made enemies within the council and with some local business owners. Mr. Mayor, you are better than the previous mayor, you do not have to bully people to get your way or if they disagree with you, don’t huff and puff and act like a spoiled child that will take his ball and go home and nobody plays. You were also found guilty of assault on councilman Garcia, no credible witnesses, your word against his.
Councilwoman Michael also took a page out of the previous mayor’s book, even though they disliked each other, they are a lot alike. Michael does ask fairly good questions but also repeats a question that has already been answered and explained but she is too busy flipping the pages as you can see, not just her but all three are doing the same thing as if they just received the agenda and hadn’t read it yet.
And just because she didn’t like the previous city manager, it was clear that the council was poisoned on false information that was blamed on then city manager when it was clearly the council’s fault for not being prepared on the information that they approved (she is upset because she was called a bad name from an individual that used to be the city manager but she used to do the same thing from the audience fighting with the previous mayor.) Then there is councilman Rodarte and Gutierrez, one votes the popularity and the other is not there at the once-a-month meeting. Mayor has a temper and doesn’t know how to play nice with others, councilor Garcia from what I have seen, lines up with councilor Michael and backs her up, councilor Michael is vindictive if she doesn’t get her way and rambles on too long about nothing, councilor Gutierrez is hardly there so it’s hard to analyze other than he is a close buddy with the mayor.
The city leaders need to do better for the sake of our good city!
Till next time, Henry Meyer
Flooding in Grants
Dear editor, It has been quite a few years since we have had the kind of rain we have been receiving. Friday the 21st of June brought a flood surge that caused a lot of water and mud to flow through the City of Grants, causing damage and a big mess. This flooding would have been much worse if the City of Grants had not been proactive about keeping the river and arroyos cleared out and rebuilding bridges that were in great need of replacing.
What really impressed me was how the community came together to help one another. The City of Grants, the Village of Milan and Cibola County pulled together to clear out mud and water from the streets. All three governmental entities worked together to fill sandbags for the public to use. I saw residents helping residents to clear out water and mud from their homes. Two gentlemen were out in their truck, with their chainsaws, cutting up fallen branches from the storm. Shoveling, sweeping and raking neighbors doing all they could to lighten the load of others who were devastated by the damage. We are all thankful to our Law Enforcment and Fire Protection and EMS services for working so hard to keep us safe. Thank you to all the employees that worked overtime and worked so hard to restore our community. Thank you to the hard working residents!
I feel tremendous gratitude, that with the flooding and local fires, we came through all of this as well as we did. I am proud of our communities and feel tremendous gratitude to our Heavenly Father that there was no loss of life.
I am grateful to live in America and appreciate the freedoms that have been sacrificed and fought for by brave men and women throughout our history. May God always bless America and all of us as we celebrate our 248 years as a free nation on July 4th!
Robert S. Windhorst, Code Enforcement Officer, City of Grants