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No way to treat dogs

I am writing this letter because Animal Control has an employee that shouldn't be working there. The man that responded to my home either dislikes animals or is too lazy to take care of them.

At around 9 a.m. July 23, I heard a dog crying near my home. I thought a neighbor had gone away for the day and the dog was lonely.

That afternoon at 4 p.m., my neighbor Nancy Lind called about the crying dog. We had a trap in our yard for a while, trying to catch a coyote. Nancy thought the dog might be caught in the trap. I told her the trap was gone, so that couldn't be the problem.

When I got off the phone, I told my husband and he informed me there are snares in the woods next to our house. He went to check if the coyote had been caught.

There were two dogs caught in the snares, so my husband called animal control. We thought they would come out and take the dogs to the shelter. They may have needed medical attention, food or water.

At the shelter an owner could have claimed them and found out how dangerous it is to let their dogs run free.

If there was no owner, the dog could have been adopted.

It could have been spayed or neutered.

Worst case scenario, it would have had a quick, painless death, instead of dying of heat, thirst and hunger.

The animal control officer came out and turned the dogs loose. No medical care, water, spay/neuter or a chance to find a home. They weren't vicious or dangerous. He turned them loose in the woods. There was probably no paperwork that way. He didn't have to drive to the shelter.

What about the dogs? Isn't it his duty to rescue loose animals? Doesn't he get paid to work?

If I had been there, I would have taken the dogs into my home. I have never been so shocked and angry. Why does this man work at the shelter? If I knew his name, I would lodge a complaint.

Joni Jones

We're proud of Denise

The Pahrump community is very proud of our Wal-Mart Wall of Heroes. However, every time I see it mentioned in our local paper I never see the name of Denise Choyce mentioned.

Denise has worked tirelessly on the Wal-Mart Wall of Heroes, and she is the very person who got the wall going, and as proud Pahrumpians who had and have family members in the armed forces, I think Denise is an unsung hero and should get the recognition she deserves every time the Wal-Mart Wall of Heroes is written or talked about.

Thank you, Pahrump, Wal-Mart and Denise Choyce for making our community proud.

James and Lucy Schaller

Hurray to Saddle West's no smoking

Hats off to the new owners of the Saddle West casino. Someone's finally looking at both sides of the coin.

Nothing brings more hate and discontent between two individuals than one who doesn't smoke and one smoking a cigarette that smells like floor-swept ragweed. Even though you were sitting at the slot machine first, most smokers left their manners behind by sitting down next to you, never asking, "Mind if I smoke?"

By now everyone should be aware, seeing the television ads with kids, that whether you're the smoker or sitting next to one, it has now been proven smoke is a killer to both.

Many don't take heed until they're on the air tank. I smoked for 40 years and quit cold turkey, realizing it's an unnecessary expense, unhealthy for me, my kids, everyone. Money doesn't come easy.

Besides continually smelling like a walking ashtray, for each pack smoked you may as well put a match to a $5 bill.

Many homes have burned by smokers, and flipping lit cigarettes out the window of vehicles have set much of Nevada's beautiful landscape on fire, endangering the lives of humans and precious wildlife.

Nonsmokers get a percent reduction by many insurance companies. Statistics show many corporations and small businesses are saving billions of dollars in health and insurance payouts besides being advantageous to the health of all workers.

People gamble whether they can smoke indoors or not.

For those who wish to live a little longer, cancer free, Saddle West is Pahrump's first casino setting an example of having a much-needed, welcomed, smoke-free, sweet-smelling atmosphere to gamble in.

Since Pahrump is composed of an abundance of seniors, many with health problems, I hope Saddle West's indoor smoke-free trend is a new beginning and continues in Pahrump with vigor.

Charles A. Hagen

Liars and Cowards

On Aug. 7 the Las Vegas Review-Journal contained the story, "9/11 conspiracy theories thrive five years later." While hinting about government involvement, the writer didn't specifically pin the dirty deed on any individuals or agencies and essentially left the reader to accept what we've been told by the government and the major media.

The scenes that were shown on TV about 9/11 have convinced me that both our government and the major media are populated by liars and cowards.

Film taken of the plane hitting the first tower clearly revealed it wasn't a passenger jet; it didn't have any windows. Film also revealed dark smoke billowing up around the first tower, as though from a massive explosion, just a fraction before the tower imploded. Film recorded another large building near the twin towers also imploding - no planes, no fire, it simply collapsed upon iyself. It had to have been brought down by explosives; there's no other explantion.

Subsequent to 9/11 numerous experts have concluded, that the fire from the planes jet fuel and the buildings contents couldn't possibly effect the massive steel beams enough to cause the towers to collapse, yet they have been completely ignored by this administration, members of Congress and the major media. They also continue to ignore the other evidence that was recorded on film, hoping gullible Americans will accept what they've been told.

We get the truth from some radio talk shows, the Internet and the locally produced show, Out There, but I believe my description of many of the rest as liars and cowards is most appropriate.

Leonard J. Coenen

'Butch' stands by his word

We have only been resident, for about six months, but have made Pahrump our home. We support our community by spending our money here. We use local contractors and stores, we have even purchased a car from a local dealership.

With election time quickly approaching, I have been reading what the candidates want to accomplish during their time in office. The question is, what have they done up to now? How do they propose to accomplish their tasks?

I have had the opportunity to spend time with one of the candidates. I have witnessed how he has integrated with the community. I read in the paper how Butch is involved with the planning commission, the meetings he attends, and the input he gives our community leaders.

I have seen Butch's concern for promoting small business and expanding our economic growth and how important it is to our community.

I have seen his work ethic and how he cares about his customers. I have been told that when Butch takes on a task, he sees it through to completion and monitors every detail. I have been on the receiving end of his work ethic and generosity. Butch believes in a man's word and a handshake and stands true to his word.

I want to see these traits in our civic leaders and will continue to promote Andrew "Butch" Borasky for Nye County Commissioner District 4.

Darwin Bellemore

Not working at Yucca

I feel very strongly when it comes to our constitutional rights and the First Amendment, (freedom of speech). I also believe that the written word can be far more powerful than the sword.

With that being said I would like to correct a couple of statements that were printed in the local lnewspaper about my candidancy for sheriff.

The first correction I would like to make is that, "I do not work for Yucca Mountain, nor have I ever worked for Yucca Mountain."

I also do not work for security at the Nevada Test Site. I work as a part-time contractor and instructor for Counter Terrorism Operations Support. This is a program that teaches first responders about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and the program is under Homeland Security. My full time employer is High Desert Special Operations Center, where I am the special programs manager.

The second correction I would like to make is to my reference to Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County, Ariz. I stated I would look at and probably incorporate some of his methods and ideas in our jail system here in Nye County. His methods are a deterrent to criminals and are constitutionally legal as well as cost effective. In reference to chain gangs it should have said "work crews," and as to the pink underwear, that might be a good idea.

Ted Holmes

Nye County Sheriff candidate

Pahrump needs a change

I have been a resident of Pahrump for 16 years. I have been reading the letters to the editor.

After 12 years of Wade Lieseke as sheriff and almost four years of Sheriff Tony DeMeo, Pahrump needs a change.

That change is Mel Jackson. Mel has a plan for all of Nye County.

After 30 years of law enforcement experience, 27 years of which was with Metro in Las Vegas, Mel has been a major crime detective, which involved investigating homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, child molestation, in custody deaths, etc.

He was a detective in the narcotics, juvenile and forgery details, and a supervisor whose span of control was Clark County.

Mel will reduce the ever growing crime rate and drug problems in our community.

He will enforce state and county laws with discretion and not intimidation. His goal for the Nye County Sheriff's Office is to create leadership within the department, which will create a better working relationship between the NCSO and Nye County residents.

Mel will reinforce the basic principals of law enforcement -- "To Protect and to Serve," to maintain law and order by showing violators the extent of the "long arm of the law" while at the same time showing the law-abiding citizens that there is a "helping hand" at the end of it.

Mel has a commitment to Nye County due to the fact that he is raising his family here. To me, this reinforces his concern for strong family values.

Mel has nothing to gain by becoming sheriff except for wanting a safer environment for Nye County and its citizens, and a safer atmosphere for our children.

By instilling ethics and integrity within the NCSO, Mel will create trust and confidence between the NCSO and the citizens of Nye County.

Nye County needs Mel Jackson as our next sheriff -- only you can make a change.

Suzie Gray

Time for a regime change

Having endured the goose-stepping policies of Wade Lieseke for many years, I gladly endorsed the candidacy of Tony DeMeo when he successfully ran for sheriff. He won in a landslide, which validated my position that he had saved Nye County from a man who ruled our county like a banana republic dictator.

That said, it is with deep regret that I recognize that DeMeo presides over a department rocked by scandal and what amounts to a vote of "no confidence" from the County Commission. This sheriff has feet rooted in clay.

Don't bother taking a problem to this pretentious, posturing statue; you'll only get a joker's smile and a handshake. He seems both completely out of his league and out of touch with his constituents.

During a recent television interview, the disheveled and confused DeMeo left his assistant hanging in the wind as his deputy answered questions about departmental racism and bigotry. What kind of leadership is that?

It looks as if its once again time for regime change in Nye County. Tony DeMeo was a fine bailiff, but as an administrator of a law enforcement agency he comes up short. He doesn't make the grade, unless it's the lowest grade possible.

I urge Nye County voters to check the resumes of the candidates. I'm sure most will find Ted Holmes the most qualified man to lead our Sheriff's Office.

Jeff Frederiksen

Home ordinances

This letter is about a request by the Focus Group to change our ordinance to allow them 4,000 sq. ft. lots with eight two-story single-family homes per acre.

Our ordinance for a single-family home allows a maximum of four homes per acre and specifies a minimum lot size of 8,000 square feet.

Two-story tract homes with eight homes per acre are not acceptable here.

This blight of dense, crowded, two-story tract homes that they wish to impose on us will have very serious and undesirable consequences. It would be a visual, environmental and aesthetic outrage of massive proportions that needs to be denied.

Pahrump has some custom and semi-custom, individually built two-story homes, which also happen to be on very large lots. That's a far cry from a mega-tract home project.

Folks, it's all about greed, arrogance and making megabucks, and the community be damned. They want to squeeze this community for all that they can get.

Their attitude is that our standards and ordinances are not for them; it's just for everybody else. They are making demands that are selfish and self-serving, trying to extract sweetheart deals and special treatment for themselves.

There are four major developers who will be building all single-story homes in this community and complying with our standards. They are being responsible and showing respect for our community and our way of life:

Celebrate Homes with minimum 8,000 and 10,000-sq.-ft. lots of single-story homes;

Beazer Homes with minimum 8,000 sq. ft. lots of single-story homes;

Golden Valley Estates with minimum 8,000-sq.-ft. lots of single-story homes;

Concordia Homes with minimum 8,000-sq.-ft. lots of single-story homes.

The existing requirements have to stay in place. Other developers met our standards and the same will have to apply to the Focus Group.

The highest percentage of people here have come from Las Vegas and California. It was for a stress-free, non-congested lifestyle that offered large, affordable, single-story homes on generous sized lots that allowed for privacy and comfort.

That attraction would disappear with the Focus Group project. Its impact will easily be felt when you're in bumper-to-bumper traffic on 160 or when you have to wait for an open parking space or when you drive to Las Vegas and find that it's much more crowded and taking considerably more time to get there.

It seems there's always someone ready to be a mouthpiece for a special interest and willing to sell out this community. That has to stop. This board was elected to represent the interest and wishes of the people. The vote of this board will identify them either in support of this community or in support of the developer's wishes. They have to be held accountable.

John Brent