There were two good things about the purse-snatching that happened to me a week or so ago in a local grocery store: The concern of the store manager, John Dominguez, and the store employees and the area customers, plus my experience with a member of the Santa Fe Police Department.

Officer Mike Lowe appeared promptly and put me at ease as much as possible. I’m from out of town, and what most would describe as elderly and handicapped. I was stranded without everything and close to panic. He took me through the necessary procedures, all the while reassuring me that we would get through this. He even notified my hometown police department so they could put a watch on my house, and followed up with AAA, who were great, too. Officer Lowe anticipated everything that needed to be done.

He truly represents the best of what the Santa Fe Police Department is. I thank him and the SFPD from the bottom of my heart.

Kay Reiswig

Los Alamos

Sour grapes

It is highly questionable the Village Inn in Santa Fe closed due to our “minimum wage.” One cannot wonder if this is an undisguised bogus attempt to serve a final meal of imaginary Poor Boy sandwiches with real sour grapes to Santa Fe residents. With two out-of-town trips since the closing of our Village Inn, comparing the prices of the Village Inn in Santa Fe to Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Flagstaff and Phoenix, the higher prices on the former Santa Fe menu easily made up any possible higher minimum-wage loss. Thus, this claim is just another false call by the hollow hypocrites of corporate America against hard working residents.

Bill Riordan

Santa Fe

Thanks, best wishes

The National Education Association-Santa Fe (NEA-SF) congratulates Susan Duncan and Lorraine Price on their victories in Tuesday’s school board election. We did recommend both of these candidates, although the decision was difficult because of the obvious dedication of all four candidates to improving SFPS. We are gratified that our community has endorsed having two career educators join the board. That perspective will complement and round out the talents of the other three members.

NEA-SF also extends a heartfelt thanks to the large majority of voters who approved the bond issue, supporting our district’s continued growth. And we offer a final thank you to Frank Montaño and Barbara Gudwin for their often thankless service to SFPS. We wish them health and happiness as they enjoy well-deserved rest and success in whatever subsequent endeavors they choose to pursue.

Bernice Garcia Baca

Santa Fe

Pay up, gun owners

The idea that the cost of background checks of gun purchasers should be borne by taxpayers “… since it is a public safety issue … ” (“Bill shouldn’t penalize people for buying guns,” Feb. 3) seems to be a new National Rifle Association tack, since I have read it recently elsewhere. I suppose, then, we should start looking at fees for driver’s licenses, automobile registration, business permits, liquor licenses, construction permits, and, in fact, every fee imposed, most or all of which are justified on the basis of public benefit, but require the direct cost to be borne by the petitioner.

Rod Lievano

Santa Fe