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Pictures worth about 1,000 phone calls
I set out in late July collecting information to write about the 50th anniversary of Elbert Muncy's death. It never occurred to me how hard it would be to find a photograph of the beloved Portales...
Interview wasn't a hard sell
How much does Jeff Pearlman want to sell his new book? He’ll talk to me. I preordered his “Football for a Buck,” a tale of the defunct United States Football League, months ago. I’d never followed the USFL nor purchased any of Pearlman’s pr...
Following God's lead will erase self-doubt
Have you ever had self-doubt? Sometimes I question my decisions. It may be something small like cooking spaghetti for supper and thinking I should have gone the roast route. Or it might be which...
Mother-in-law was a blessing and will be missed
One of the sweetest and best ladies I’ve ever known, Vernell Cotten Nance, my mother-in-law, just passed away. Maybe this is a good time to reprise this column from August 2012: My mother-in-law...
Kleyn-Kennedy: More drama emerges at Clovis High
Teen years are known to be filled with drama, and I recently came across some pretty serious drama at Clovis High School. This drama, however, was the productive sort, contained in the CHS drama...
Actions matter more than identity
Instead of worrying about who someone is, it seems smarter to focus on what they do. Anything other than their actions is none of your business and can’t harm you, and not many of their actions are... Full story
Program to help keep students' plates full
College students often end up with a lot on their plates. Many are living away from home for the first time and adjusting to life in a small space with a perfect (or maybe not so perfect) stranger,...
Shooting victim shouldn't be on trial
In the break-in and shooting death of Botha Jean, we the jury, find Botha Jean guilty. Sounds crazy, right? A person is shot to death by an intruder in his own apartment, and it’s his fault. But that’s what appears to be happening in Dallas, wher...
Tax, pension reform deserve more attention
The announcement that New Mexico’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year is now $1.2 billion in surplus is welcome news. After a decade of fiscal and economic challenges, there are signs of life in...
More civic engagement enriches lives
Times have changed. Things have changed. People have changed. These are just a few examples of the statements of generalities we’ve likely heard. Change is inevitable and can be positive. Recently, I’ve experienced a change that seems to be... Full story
God's greatness easy to understand
My sister Susie and I have a friend who lives in the Midwest, and we lovingly call her the Queen of Canning. She expertly and efficiently cans food through all of summer and fall. By state fair time,...
Real grace puts the focus on God
Amazing is exactly what real grace always is. On the other hand, the many counterfeits are pretty much what we should expect — “do-it-yourself” schemes focused on our power to occasionally...
Kleyn-Kennedy: Music alive and well at Clovis
Maintaining exceptionally high standards of an already outstanding program — namely, the Clovis schools music program — is a perpetual challenge. Music in our schools has a long-time, well-establi...
Curry history full of state queens
The first edition of the New Mexico State Fair was held Oct. 9-16 in 1938. Over the years since that time the event has become known as The Biggest Show in New Mexico. To quote Dan Mourning, executive director of Expo New Mexico, “It is iconic, it...
Opinion: High court's power unconstitutional
Every time there’s an open spot on the Supreme Court, a political free-for-all erupts to fill it. Those who believe they have a claim on your life, liberty, and property take the nomination of a Sup... Full story
Local millennials more than stereotype
Stephen and Cassie Hardin of Portales are two of those darned millennials. You know the ones I’m talking about — that generation born from 1981-1996 who are often targeted for criticism. Let me...
Barely escaped workout session unpunned
I wouldn’t say I have a short attention span when I go to the gym. I would say I need something to take my attention away from the things that happen to me while I’m at the gym. If I don’t have a podcast playing, my mind races to things like,...
Letter to the editor - Sept. 9
America is the capital of irony If you are one who gets to watch daytime TV, you may have spent a recent week watching what is called a “confirmation hearing.” If that doesn’t ring a bell, here’s a suitable definition: When the world’s... Full story
Parties should let land dispute ruling stand
It’s been a long, drawn-out battle, but a ruling handed down by a district judge in Taos clears the way for public use of several roads across private property to access vast tracts of state trust land in northeast New Mexico. The White Peak area...
Forgive those you thought you never could
Have you ever done something you thought you would never do? I am thinking about over the last 20 years of my life. I have done things I thought I would never do. Here is a partial list: • tried to...
Salvation by law no salvation at all
God’s grace is wonderful. But if we think grace is easy, we need to think some more. One of Jesus’ most famous stories was told in response to a religious lawyer’s question: “Teacher, who is...
Much more work needed on clergy sex abuse cover-up
For those in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church who thought the fallout from clergy sex abuse scandals was over and dealt with, it is clear they were sadly mistaken. Public outrage has been renewed by stunning new developments, including...
Enough problems without government
If you build a house in certain neighborhoods in Hawaii, you run the risk of having your house swallowed by lava. Along most coasts, hurricanes and tsunamis are looming dangers. In mountains,...
Letter to the editor - Sept. 5
Freshman academy doing something right My grandfather was known to say, “Right is right and wrong is wrong.” I agree with him. I recently read in the newspaper about Clovis Municipal Schools students’ progress with The Partnership for...
Golden Library sits in 'whole different world'
Almost three years ago, I was in a Portales audience for one of the many local presentations done by Melveta Walker, who has been the director of Eastern New Mexico University’s Golden Library for t...
