"This has been the month for rumors about roads in Beatty," Nye County Commissioner Joni Eastley said during the July 26 meeting of the Beatty Town Advisory Board.

Public Works Director Samson Yao attended the meeting and answered questions from the audience regarding roads, but it was Eastley who insisted, "If you don't get it from Samson, it probably isn't true."

One of the rumors was that the county was going to tear out asphalt curbs that had been built up in some parts of town to control erosion. Yao said he had looked them over and didn't see a problem. He did say a couple of them might need to be lowered a little bit to be safe, but that was not something he was considering for now.

Another report was that money for repairs for Beatty streets had been diverted to the paving of the airport road. Eastley explained that the project-- which was completed when it was because of an exceptional offer from the contractor working on the road into Death Valley -- did not come out of the county road budget.

Resident Harold Davis and others complained about the deteriorating condition of streets in Beatty, and secretary Janet Rogers wanted to know what happened to the money set aside in the last budget to chip seal 0.9 miles of road in Beatty.

Eastley and Yao explained that a lot of projects in various parts of the county had been cut because Environmental Protection Agency regulations had forced the county to put more of the budget into paving in Pahrump to ease dust-related air quality issues.

The annual prioritized list of road needs for Beatty has been drawn up by an Amargosa Valley resident for the last couple of years according to Yao. After a little discussion, he agreed that the Beatty town board could make up the list each year, just as the Amargosa Valley board does.

Yao said it should be done in February or March when budgets are being planned. But Eastley interrupted: "I know how government works. Send it every month."

Eastley also reported on Beatty PETT money projects that had been approved. Some, including $10,000 for the museum and $352,619 for phase one of the Barrick water project, were carry-overs previously approved.

Newly approved were $125,000 to reimburse the town for the airport road paving project, $15,000 for sound and recording equipment at the justice court, and an additional $30,000 for the museum.

The board approved the Beatty Chamber of Commerce request for $10,000 from the tourism fund to support Beatty Days.

Debbie Baker said the total budget for the Oct. 27-29 event was $33,597, much of which is for advertising.

Members of the board felt that, since the Chamber is not another taxing entity, and the event is definitely tourism-related, that granting the money did not involve the difficulties they have been encountering transferring funds for the Habitat Committee to the Beatty General Improvement District.

The board also approved a step raise for the town secretary. Eastley was very supportive of the move. She said that she deals with secretary Rogers on a daily basis and that "she is doing a lot of what I've seen town managers doing." The $3,855.93 increase in wages and benefits was already budgeted.

Board member Bert Bertram said that he had been informed by his employers that the budget for the Nevada Test and Training Range, which conducts Red Flag exercises, was facing a probable 20 percent budget cut. This could result in a loss of jobs in the area. He encouraged people to write their representatives in Congress about the matter.