Kulkin unfit to serve

I would like to respond to your PVT Aug. 23 front page story re: Harley Kulkin.

"Pahrump's lucky Kulkin lost." As he has proven, Harley Kulkin is a volatile, disruptive individual. By trashing the Democratic office and threatening a 72-year-old, he has demonstrated that he's unfit to be involved in any public capacity.

Then he has the audacity to suggest that the people who voted for him to back Laurayne Murrays' opponent in the general election.

Her opponent was involved in a barroom brawl on Aug. 10, as reported in both local newspapers. Sounds like two of a kind to me. Mr. Kulkin also made slanderous referrals of Laurayne Murray to the infamous Genie Dyer. Is a lawsuit in the works?

Laurayne Murray beat out Harley Kulkin because she did the legwork necessary to meet the voters. Anyone that has met her could tell she's a sincere, dedicated, ethical individual with rural Nevada's issues as her number one priority. Vote Laurayne Murray on Nov. 7. You'll not regret your decision.

Wayne Thomas

Focus violates our plan

The request by Focus Group to change the existing requirements for single family homes from the minimum lot size of 8,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet and the density from four single-story homes to eight two-story homes per acre is in complete violation of our master plan.

Focus Group has known our master plan requirements and ordinances from day one, so what's their problem? They come here to enrich themselves at the expense of the wider interests of the Pahrump community.

What they are asking for would be a tragedy on a massive scale and would destroy the very Pahrump we know and love and what we came here for. It is a shameless disgrace that they can ask this board to approve the exploitation of the rural nature of this community. That would allow other developers to do the same things.

Our master plan was adopted, representing the wishes and interests of the people, and its integrity needs to be maintained.

You, the board, have no right to allow the violation of our master plan. If you cannot reject the Focus Group request, then in fairness to the people of Pahrump and to uphold ethical standards and avoid an investigation for possible conflicts of interest, you should resign.

The other option is to put the Focus Group request to a referendum. It is only fair to let the people of Pahrump decide their own future and not to have it decided for them.

Squeezing eight two-story, single-family homes into one acre will be a recipe for disaster. It will put the homes and people of the proposed community in harm's way. You are looking at a serious safety issue, which is the loss of life and property due to fire.

With the proposed density of two-story tract homes in such extreme, close proximity to each other, if one house catches fire, they all will. We are talking about whole sections of a development being engulfed in an inferno, especially with the kind of winds that we get in this valley.

A fire is bad enough without the additional hazards of having to escape from a second floor. Especially when it involves the elderly and small children.

Other jurisdictions have encountered monumental legal fees for approving conditions of much less severity. This county will be setting itself up for untold liability and adverse legal consequences.

The proposed Focus Group plan is devastating, in that it would dramatically change the parameters of the master plan to a point where it would have a detrimental affect on everyone living in Pahrump. The county has to act in a responsible manner and keep to the master plan as it has been adopted.

John BRent

Regulate the breed

Regarding the building furor to ban aggressive dog breeds such as pit bulls, I propose another, viable alternative. Do not ban the pit bull, rottweiler or doberman breeds ... just regulate them.

Objective: To stop indiscriminate breeding of these dogs; to strongly discourage irresponsible ownership of, or criminal activities involving these breeds; to require that puppies complete obedience training before being purchased or adopted; to require potential owners to complete training before taking possession; to track every purebred and mix of these breeds and their owners; and to develop rational regulations which can be implemented and enforced.

Initial phase:

1) No puppy or adult pit bull, rottweiler or doberman may be sold, bartered, exchanged or given away by pet stores or private parties. Breeding is restricted to licensed breeders and owners of professional show dogs.

2) All pit bull, rottweiler or doberman breeders and owners of professional show dogs of these breeds must be registered in a national database.

3) All breeders and owners of professional show dogs of these breeds must complete a dog psychology course and a record of satisfactory completion is added to the database.

4) All existing pit bull, rottweiler or doberman dogs must be tattooed or microchipped and spayed or neutered, and registered in the database. The exception would be licensed breeders or owners of professional show dogs of these breeds.

5) All existing pit bull, rottweiler or doberman mixes (dogs that have their characteristics in looks or behavior) must be spayed or neutered and added to the database.

6) Any dog of these breeds found or inspected by animal control personnel that are not tattooed or microchipped would automatically be impounded until all five steps listed in Phase two are completed.

Second phase:

1) As puppies are born at breeders or owners of professional show dogs of these breeds, they must be tattooed or microchipped and added to the database.

2) Before being purchased or adopted, all puppies must satisfactorily complete obedience training.

3) All puppies will be spayed or neutered before being purchased or adopted. The exception would be those obtained by breeders or owners of professional show dogs of these breeds.

4) Potential owners (buyers or adopters) must complete a dog psychology course before they can obtain the puppy and a record of satisfactory completion is added to the database.

5) Buyer and adopter names are matched in the database with the dog they have obtained.

Third phase:

Develop a rational system of consequences and punishments (fines, confiscating dogs, community service, loss of business license, criminal charges, etc.) which can be implemented and enforced.

Obviously, proper enforcement will require funding. Fees could be collected as dogs of these breeds are tattooed or microchipped, spayed or neutered, and licensed. Also, the schedule of fines could be a funding source.

In this era of vanishing species, it would be inexcusable to force the eventual extinction of the pit bull, rottweiler and doberman breeds. As more and more people are injured, disfigured, and killed in attacks by these breeds of dog, we must become proactive and demand that all owners are committed to training and maintaining stable and trustworthy dogs.

D. Langendorf

Horse sense

As most of us know, Pahrump is a town consisting of many horse lovers.

Although I don't own any, those that do should protect them the same as they would any other animal or human being. Pahrump is growing, and it's time for change to protect all animals living in our valley.

Horses in the wild are given the freedom to run and find shelter; so should those in captivity.

An ordinance should be passed and enforced to shade all animals who stay outdoors from our hot desert sun. As in Clark County's ordinance, each hoofed animal, whether sheep, pigs or other, must have a certain amount of space to run and exercise. If not, it can be reported to a K-9 unit who enforces this ordinance by a fine and also a removal of animals to what's warranted.

They allow you to have one hoofed animal per so many square feet of vacant property and only your vacant square footage applies. Pigs are allowed only if you have five acres or more.

This eliminates many problems between neighbors, as has happened here and elsewhere where they house too many animals per their size parcel of land and either bad odors occur or an abundance of flies exist.

It's up to the horse owner to spray the area occasionally to rid flies because of excess manure. Flies are a nuisance to others and are also disease carriers.

A horse's leg can get stiff, arthritis begins or other problems occur by not getting proper exercise. A horse is a precious animal that brought the pioneers here.

If manure continually collects around your well, over time your water supply will turn brown. This I've seen happen in Vegas from horse owners continually spreading manure all over their property, especially around the well area, instead of ridding the ground of it.

So, what should you do? Rake manure in a pile and let neighbors haul it away free for fertilizer.

Charles Hagen

Thank you, Our Bar

For years I have had to call the sheriff every summer. I could not sit out on my porch because the music was so loud, and when they had the mud wrestling -- forget it.

They said things on the loud speakers that would make a sailor blush, and that children could hear.

You had a big gathering Saturday, August 26 from 8 to midnight. I did not hear a thing so I thought, no band.

I got in my car and drove by; there was a band and lots of cars, but no noise.

So my husband and I want to thank you. We enjoyed sitting outside with peace and quiet.

Phyllis and James Hogadone

Vandals mar nice town

Recently there has been a lot of vandalism in the Calvada area. How do I know?

The deputy filing the police report on my daughter's home in Calvada told her.

Recently, she and her husband were given the joyous thrill of having triplets. They needed a larger home, so they moved to a larger home. Unfortunately, their home in Calvada hasn't sold yet, so they are supporting two homes. So things can be tight for them.

Last week somebody (probably kids) broke the windows, damaged the plaster, damaged the air conditioner, damaged the front door, just for a little fun.

This fun outing is going to cost thousands to fix. Somebody has committed a felony. I hope they are caught, I hope they get a criminal record. I hope their parents have to pay for the damage.

Pahrump seems like a nice place to raise a family. We have a second home in Pahrump.

It's sad to see a few troublemakers ruin what on the surface is a nice little town.

Lee Moore

Is school board nuts?

In response to your article Aug. 23, "Schools may offer child care," are you nuts?

If Pahrump had outstanding schools without excessive overcrowding and substandard education with a surplus of money, then this would be a great idea.

But as anyone who has children in Pahrump schools knows, this is not the case. The teachers with children do need a safe, reliable location for their kids, but not at the cost of our children's education. If you, school board, want to spend money, how about a gifted program for the kids who truly want to be in school and want to learn.

Yes, I do have gifted children and they, plus many others, are not getting the education they should be as stated in the No Child Left Behind Act.

How about true numbers on the schools in Pahrump? In the "Fast Facts" on the Nye County School Web site, the "concise overview" is anything but concise. The ratios are so out of proportion for Pahrump because of the smaller schools. The numbers for average class size for Pahrump are nowhere near the numbers listed.

Average class size for science is 19, math is 17, English is 13? Go sit in one of the classes at the middle school and see for yourself - the numbers are close to double.

Why are school board meetings during the day? Why not in the evening when parents are home?

Why did the school board purchase such an expensive, gas hog of a vehicle for the superintendent, a 2006 (I think) Dodge SUV with a Hemi? Can't he claim mileage on his own vehicle? What else could that money have gone to? Who pays for the out-of-town recruiting? How much, on average, do they cost?

This school district has to realize we are not a rural area when you have over 6,000 kids enrolled in school; almost 5,000 of them are in Pahrump.

It is also very sad to see the number of students who finish high school in Nye County is well below half of what started. Why is that?

Laurie Lawdensky