Bigotry at the Sheriff's Office

This is in response to the letter to the editor from Richard Gregersen ("Sheriff DeMeo doing his best," July 14, PVT).

You moved to Pahrump in 1997. My wife and I moved to Pahrump in 1992. There were no stoplights, one grocery store and a good sheriff named Wade Lieseke. I'm sorry to hear about your wife (as you said), Sheriff Lieseke almost hit your wife when he was making a U-turn. Did you report this to the sheriff's office? If not, why not?

I had a problem with one of Sheriff Lieseke's deputies. I reported this to the sheriff's office and it was taken care of right then and there.

Now I will tell you about your Sheriff DeMeo.

I informed DeMeo about one of his sheriff's auxiliary individuals. DeMeo told me I would have to file a complaint. On Dec. 10, 2003, I filed the complaint against this individual and stated he called me a racist name. I also asked for a reply on his decision.

I called DeMeo's office many times. I also went to his office in person to get a reply and his decision.

The only answer I would get was that it was still under investigation. All this time, this individual was still on duty in uniform and sometimes he would be driving an auxiliary car. It seemed to me that he supported bigotry in his department.

On July 21, 2005, I got a reply on my complaint from DeMeo. He stated that he was restricted in discussing the action and corrective measures were being taken on my complaint. There have been other individuals who have made the same racist remark; they were removed from duty. I hate to think what would have happened if he was a deputy.

I do agree with you on one thing that you said: No person is perfect, so don't go bashing a person on what you hear, find out about him before you start talking.

You sound like you are angry you did not get a Sheriff's Card so you could flash it around. Shame on you. Oh, by the way, we don't have a police department in Pahrump, we have a sheriff's department. I'm supporting Mr. Wade Lieseke for sheriff.

My reasons are that he never let a prisoner escape when he was transporting one, he would check on seniors and shut-ins and he wrote traffic tickets alone with his deputy on highways 160 and 372 and side streets.

He could have been on a call when you said he almost hit your wife. He would be at crime scenes helping on investigations (CSI). He would do what he said he would do. Like you said, no man is perfect. He also is a highly decorated military veteran.

Now what were you saying about DeMeo's record? Do you know his stand on sex offenders? When he made his statement at the town board meeting, it made me wonder. Now I ask you to look at the dates again when I filed my complaint: Dec. 10, 2003 and DeMeo made his decision on July 21, 2005.

Arthur D. Jones

I've had enough

I am writing this letter to inform the citizens of Nye County that because of the Nye County Sheriff's Office's inability to enforce the speeding laws on Highway 160, everybody's insurance rates have gone up.

Now I don't mind paying taxes for police protection, but it really galls me to be paying higher insurance rates because our "sheriff" can't seem to figure out how to do his job.

In the four years he has been in office, all I have ever heard him do is whine. He whined he didn't have enough money to enforce Wal-Mart's zero tolerance policy on shoplifting and whined when he said he didn't have the resources to police the legal brothels.

All the man does is whine. I, for one, have had enough of him and now to find out my insurance rates have gone up because of all the accidents on Highway 160, I've had enough. Let's bounce him out of office. We can't afford him.

Edward Holliday

Rapid van

was school's

With all the talk (and justifiably so) about unsafe drivers on Pahrump and Nye County roads, it was no surprise that I was passed on Highway 160 by a white mini-van going approximately 55 mph; 20 mph over the posted speed limit.

This occurred around 4 p.m. June 29. In true "tortoise and the hare" fashion, I caught up with the vehicle at the 160/372 signal light. That's when I noticed that the minivan (license EX-45406) was owned by the Nye County School District.

Whether the driver was in a hurry or just ignorant of the law is not my concern. What does concern me is that county employees should set an example and drive safely. And an employee of the school district, no less.

One would wonder if this district employee's blatant disregard of the speed limit applies in school zones, too?

Marty Reeves

Remembering Ron

Most of the "regular" residents of Pahrump were familiar for years with the sight of a homeless-appearing man, deeply tanned, with very blond (sun-bleached) hair and beard -- usually dressed in shorts and a T-shirt -- pulling a cart all over town.

His name was Ron Edmonds and many people had conversed with him, helped him in some way (he was not averse to taking money) and maybe even laughed at or with him. He was a friendly man, willing to talk about almost anything.

I met Ron at my church, where I am sure he started going because we had potlucks every week (Ron dearly loved to eat). The people who had first befriended him and got him going to church later moved to Carson City and I sort of "inherited" Ron. I thank God for the opportunity.

Ron was a stubborn, contradictory sort of fellow. If he didn't want to do what you said he should do, he simply didn't hear you. He never said, "No, I won't." He just didn't hear you.

Ron was not stupid, but Ron chose what to hear and believe. He had been badly abused as a child and as an adult and he would not let anyone tell him what to do (for example, when Social Security disability wanted him to have a payee handle his money, he said that if that was done, they could just keep their darn money). Even if it wasn't to his advantage, he wouldn't give in to anyone.

Four years ago, Ron was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He was informed about dietary requirements, fluid intakes, medications, etc., but Ron was not capable of following such a regimen faithfully. In that way, Ron was like a small child -- if it looked good, he took it. Chocolate cake? Yes. Brownies? Take the whole platter if possible.

So, his diabetes was chronically out of control, no matter what medications or insulin he took. Then, three years ago, Ron had a heart attack. They wanted to do bypass surgery, but he wouldn't let anyone "cut me open like a side of beef." So, he refused.

A year ago, he had his second heart attack and he was no longer eligible for surgery because his heart would not have survived it.

So, he was given about 10 prescriptions and a pacemaker was installed. Repeatedly, he was advised about keeping his diabetes under control, especially in the heat, but Ron loved the heat.

I took him his medicine "pill-minder" each week and picked up the one from the previous week and sometimes the pill had been taken, sometimes not. Ron did what Ron wanted to do.

We took Ron to the doctor June 20 and again he was told that he was in serious trouble because of his diabetes. Already, it was eating away at his muscle tissue (any fat he once had was already gone) and he was told that with the extreme heat, he could not survive the summer. The doctor advised him to try to keep his sugar under control with diet and insulin and to please keep cool.

That afternoon, I took Ron some food, ice and medication and found him outside his trailer as usual, baking in the sun and loving it. Apparently, he died that night watching television in his trailer. He was found the next morning.

Because Ron was a "ward of the state," because he lived off the taxpayers in every way and he had absolutely no family, his body was taken away, his property supposedly secured by the public administrator (however, it all disappeared and the PA is another story entirely) and apparently he has to be offered to a company for tissue usage before his remains can be cremated.

There will likely be no ceremony or markers for Ron when finally he is laid to rest, but he will be missed. I will grieve for him, though he was not related except within the family of God.

He was a good man in his own way, an honest man and there are many with much more in the way of earthly possessions about whom I could not say the same.

So, I hope that others in this community will also mark his passing and possibly say a small prayer for Ron. I believe in a resurrection and I think Ron will be there with his mind and body in the perfect state he never knew on earth.

Ron Edmonds, July 16, 1963 -- June 20, 2006.

Lynn C. Yates

Ruined for years

to come

In 1998 the Town of Pahrump had more than 100 volunteer firefighters; at most house fires, 20-25 would show up. They were a hard, tough group and did a good job.

During that same time the retired union firefighters were also doing different jobs assigned by the chief. I was on the hiring board when the 21 people were hired. At no time were they ever intended to take over the fire department. They were to augment the volunteers.

When Chief Lewis was hired, the town manager and town board allowed him to fire the volunteers as well as force out the retired union firefighters.

I ran for the town board. The Fire Department was my main agenda item. I bitterly complained to both town managers, Peggy Warner and Dave Richards about the surplus fire equipment that was being sold off because we had no surplus fire equipment.

Because of the size of Pahrump, 400 square miles, they need a minimum of 12 pumpers. No one listened.

The retired union firefighters tried to get good used equipment from our departments in Oregon for a song and were shot down. I personally went to Portland and was given a fire truck. All I needed was a letter from Peggy Warner: She would not sign for it.

People like Jane Wisdom, Tim Levitt, Jim Mutton: They continually prevented us from getting any help.

The casino fire at Mountain View sealed the fate for the Pahrump Fire Department's full first alarm assignment. Two ambulances, one fire engine with five total people was the worst mistake that could have been made. Thirteen million dollars loss; the main point that any chief should know is the loss (ISO) insurance service office does not like loss.

That casino fire has crippled the Pahrump Fire Department for years to come. It will take millions of dollars now to straighten out what would have cost $800,000 before.

Here in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., the union, volunteers and retired firefighters all work together for the betterment of the whole city.

We continually educate the mayor, city council and city manager on fire protection activities.

Charles M. Taylor

Private fire protection consultant

Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

DeMeo has my vote

Let me begin by saying that I have been a resident of Pahrump for almost nine years. I have seen many changes in this valley, some good and some bad. I was a resident in the valley during the second term of Wade Lieseke.

I was literally taken aback and very troubled when I heard that Mr. Lieseke was again running for the office of sheriff of Nye County. I truly believed that he had gotten the message in the 2002 election year, when the voters of Nye County made their choice to choose a new sheriff.

I had worked during the 2002 election year and, let me tell you, everyone inside the election room and the people standing outside waiting for the election results were quite excited to finally have a sheriff, which our county desperately needed, who would make a difference and who would truly care about Nye County.

I can't help but wonder if Mr. Lieseke is assuming that, with the mass influx of new residents in the valley, his less than stellar reputation would not follow him in the next election and he would again be elected as sheriff.

I have heard people say that when Mr. Lieseke was sheriff, there was none of the graffiti in the valley. How quickly people forget that the population of this valley then until now has increased dramatically since Mr. Lieseke was in office. Our sheriff's office has a shortage of officers due to the lack of funds (thank you commissioners) and with the valley growing like it is, the sheriff's office can only do so much with the manpower that it has. Put the blame where it really belongs. It definitely does not belong with Sheriff DeMeo.

I received Mr. Lieseke's flyer in the mail the other day and I was going over the points that he said he would supposedly do if elected. I'd really like to know just how he plans on putting officers back on the street.

The officers are already on the street, but with such a shortage of officers now in relation to the increased population in the valley, it again falls back to the commissioners, not Sheriff DeMeo.

In May 2005 at a commission meeting, Mr. Lieseke talked against the increase in deputies, quoting misinformation from unknown sources regarding the sheriff's budget and the need for increased sheriff personnel.

Mr. Lieseke is intending to "stop the practice of forcing citizens to file police reports online." My, where did Mr. Lieseke pick up that tidbit of information?

I personally had to call the sheriff's department and report a vandalism problem. The officer came to my home, took time to take pictures and the officer then asked if I had a computer and he mentioned that I had the choice of either filing the report online or he could take the report at that time. I requested that the officer take the report and he did so.

There possibly are officers out in the field that are less than cordial to our citizens. Don't put the blame on Sheriff DeMeo. Unless he hears of officer complaints from the citizens and these situations are brought to the sheriff's attention, he can't rectify the problems.

Mr. Lieseke intends to "reduce the response time to calls." I'd like to know how he's going to do that with the existing staff of officers. Again, the Sheriff's Office is at the mercy of the commissioners.

Overall, the Sheriff's Office is responding to each and every call in a manner time permits. Calls for service are responded to by case priority. The most serious (life threatening, auto accident with injury and or traffic blocking, cases in progress, etc.) are responded to first, cold cases then follow. The deputies are dispatched when they are available to respond.

It is common knowledge via the newspapers and TV news broadcasts that Mr. Lieseke gave the owner and other personnel of Front Site, as well as many other citizens of this community (Nye County), special deputy status. The owner of Front Site was given a letter on Nye County letterhead allowing him to carry firearms on commercial airlines. This is totally in violation of FAA laws.

Is this the kind of sheriff we need in Nye County? Does Mr. Lieseke feel that the laws are made for other people, not him or some of his chosen friends?

During the 12 years that Mr. Lieseke was sheriff, he had numerous auto accidents involving county vehicles. This type of driving cost we, the taxpayers, countless dollars.

Why did Mr. Lieseke feel the need to write the newspaper article trying (again) to exonerate him regarding the Binion silver theft a few years ago? I'm sure most of the citizens had forgotten about it until they read it again in the newspaper. What are you afraid of Mr. Lieseke?

I, for one, would like to have a sheriff with integrity, who is honest and hardworking. A man who is devoted to and genuinely concerned for the citizens and community in which he lives. Tony DeMeo has my vote. How about yours?

Sharon Otellio

Let's move forward

This is in response to Lieseke's letter to the editor ("Political distortions," July 26, PVT).

Lieseke, if you noticed, I put these (???) behind the CSI lab. Maybe that's because I've only seen the +$300,000 lab on your web page and, only after I read your response to my letter, and I've lived here for nine years.

So, Mr. Facts, how many times was that high-priced lab truck used when you were sheriff here in Nye County?

Now let's get to the "rants" you didn't address, Lieseke. How many wrecks has Sheriff DeMeo been in with his sheriff's car? Maybe the voting public should look up your record for those "rants."

Now I hope you and the voting public also read the front page of this same paper, "Sheriff warns that personnel cuts likely." More of my "rants," right, Lieseke?

Then you go on to state, "The old saying if a lie goes unchallenged, it becomes the truth and so it has for Gregersen and so many others." Yet you didn't even write about my other "rants." What about my "rants" with your Sheriff's Card program. The lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Card holders that tried to use them to get on planes with their guns by flashing their Sheriff's Card or trying to get out of speeding tickets with that lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Card.

Why didn't you give Sheriff DeMeo the files of the people holding those lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Cars after the election? Isn't that the same program Sheriff DeMeo ended when he was first elected as Nye County Sheriff? Or is that just another one of my "rants?"

Now, Mr. Facts, why is it you just can't seem to remember how many of those lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Cars were handed out by you? You seem to remember other things from years ago. Sounds like bad record-keeping to me Lieseke. Or did you just hand them out like they were candy?

Why don't you tell all us voters what type of training they had to get those lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Cards? And, if they were trained, who paid for the training, so we the voters and taxpayers know what earned them the right to carry a lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Card.

You gave them out while you were the sheriff of Nye County. As a voter, I feel you owe us some answers for your actions. You made the decision to hand out those lucky Lieseke Sheriff's Cards to these people. Do you think that was in the best interest for the voters and taxpayers of Nye County?

Kind of staying away from those "rants," huh, Lieseke, or are you saying those are lies too?

Here's a "rant" fact for you, Lieseke: You didn't leave the Nye County Sheriff's Office. We, the voting public of Nye County, voted you out.

Lieseke, maybe the voters of Nye County just couldn't stand the type of attention you brought to our Sheriff's department and the Town of Pahrump during the Binion murder trial.

Boy, wasn't that a real positive note for the Town of Pahrump and Nye County? I don't think so. Oops, is that another one of my "rants," Lieseke?

Then you bring up a case that is being looked into by the FBI (your words) without stating all the facts about the case and you tell me the things I wrote are "rants." Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black? I've listened to you speak and most people write the way they speak, so who really wrote your letter to the editor, Lieseke?

I've been a registered Democrat since I was 18 and I'm voting for Mr. DeMeo, who is a Republican.

Now, if you read my last letter, I stated we all need to forget about the party crap. But then I am interested in moving Nye County and the Town of Pahrump forward, so it can be positive for all who live here and not just the lucky ones.

Richard Gregersen