Last week I had occasion to spend time in Lisa Jo McCasland’s family and consumer science classroom at Clovis High School, talking with one of her students. McCasland and six of her students recently returned from Baltimore, Md., where they attended the 23rd annual National Conference of Future Educators Association. The students accompanying McCasland were […]
Keep government out of holidays
Merry Christmas! I hope you can take some time to appreciate all you have, and that you can spend the holiday however it brings you the most joy. I also hope you’ll allow others the same liberty. The winter solstice probably gave our prehistoric ancestors hope because the days which had been growing shorter finally […]
DoD focuses on school renovations
On orders from Congress, the Department of Defense is deciding how to spend a first appropriation — $250 million — to upgrade a set of public schools that are in disrepair or disturbingly overcrowded. The catch is that these schools, though part of local school districts, are on stateside bases and 94 percent of their […]
Clovis residents spend Labor Day working
America can’t spend its way to prosperity
Freedom New Mexico Our latest experiment with Keynesian liberalism — led by the last two presidents — has predictably failed and the economy is in shambles. President Barack Obama will need a miracle to win re-election in 2012, no matter who runs against him and no matter how unpolished or gaffe-prone that candidate may be. […]
Spending won’t solve nation’s debt dilemma
Freedom New Mexico We cannot spend our way out of economic despair, yet we keep on trying and expecting a different result. The latest effort by the Obama administration to spend our way out of trouble involves the president’s agreement to tap our country’s strategic oil reserves, liquidating a strategic asset to spend it now […]
Government should spend within means
Freedom New Mexico What happened to our economic recovery? Recent days have seen a slew of negative economic news: • U.S. single-family home prices dropped 0.2 percent in March from February, as measured by the S&P Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas. “The price index was below the low seen in April 2009 during […]
Rooting through family tree facinating
Family trees can be a fascinating thing, when you really stop to climb them. Being a bit too ADHD to spend the requisite hours on computer, I have generally allowed others to do the researching. I’ve heard a slight flurry of interest due to the Royal Wedding — perhaps from people who wondered if they […]
Seniors spend extra time preparing for college

CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Clovis High School seniors Jennifer Chavez, left, and Chelsea Morse do research for their first year of college Wednesday at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. Liliana Castillo Seniors spend about half of their free time during their last year of high school preparing for the first year of college. At least […]
Thanksgiving about caring, giving back

CNJ staff photo: Sharna Johnson Jay the giraffe takes carrots from zoo keeper Kathy Yanotti Thursday during feeding time. Yanotti said in her 25 years at the zoo, she has lost track of how many holidays she has spent with her second family at the park. Sharna Johnson For some, Thanksgiving Day is about who […]
Holiday used as day of rest by many residents

CNJ staff photo: Sharna Johnson Three-year-old Nathaniel DeHoog takes a turn on the slide Monday afternoon at Greene Acres Park. Nathaniel’s grandparents said they took him to the park for the afternoon so he could burn off some energy. Sharna Johnson For some area residents, Labor Day is a day to spend with the family […]
Air Force officials implement government travel card controlled spend accounts
By Tech. Sgt. Amaani Lyle: Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Office WASHINGTON — In an effort to curtail government travel card abuse and delinquency, Air Force officials are piloting an unprecedented controlled spend account concept through Sept. 3 with an expected service-wide rollout of fall 2010. The most significant CSA concept bases spending […]
Tough to make adult choice
By Kevin Wilson: CNJ columnist I remember the day Sarah told me she loved me. She nzever actually said it, but she showed it. She called, said she wanted to spend the afternoon with me, and she’d just have to record “Days of Our Lives.” Recording means you’re making the adult choice, whether that choice […]
Big Brother has enough snooping powers already
Freedom Newspapers Big Brother wants to watch you more closely. Especially how you spend your money. His latest snooping plan comes from provisions in the banking bill being debated in the Senate. The bill is being pushed by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Among other things, the bill is supposed […]
Taxpayers target of confusing system
By Don McAlavy: Freedom Columnist The Revised Gettsbury Address (Author Unknown) (Yes, I said Gettsbury, not Gettsburg.) Three score and five years ago our fathers brought forth upon this nation a new tax, conceived in desperation and dedicated to the proposition that all men are fair game. Now we are engaged in a great mass […]
Cameo Elementary’s Parent Center offers space for children, parents to spend time together
By Penny Bailey: Clovis Municipal Schools History is in the making. Now, I know each day we live, we are actually making history, but what you might not know is that you are actually reading a part of history…right now. Yep, this article is making history in two ways. First, this is my first official […]
Newspaper boy still keeping up with news
By Don McAlavy: Local columnist Clovis newspaper boy Morris Callwell, spent a lot of his spare time with horses raising them when he wasn’t bringing the paper to your door at age 13, same age as ye old timer me, Don McAlavy, who was throwing newspapers on Clovis porches. Morris Callwell and his parents, Mr. […]