We need more Lieseke?

This letter is in response to the Sept. 8 letter from Ken Causey concerning Sheriff Lieseke. Mr. Causey takes some cheap shots and new people in the valley may get a distorted view of our former 12-year sheriff.

Wade never shot himself accidentally, although there was an accidental discharge that harmed no one about eight or nine years ago, but I do remember when he was shot, as I have lived in Nye County a good many years.

He got into a gunfight with an escaped convict from Utah, as I remember, a guy who was convicted of raping children, and Wade got shot up pretty bad, nearly died.

But he didn't, luckily, although the rapist did. Seems like he did a good job protecting us citizens, but Ken must have forgot.

Next, he says Wade wrecked two cars and a motorcycle. Why make stuff up, Ken? Seems like Wade got hit and nearly killed on 95 several years ago, and the guy who hit him got a ticket for not yielding to a police car, according to what I could look up, and never got in a wreck with a motorcycle.

But I tell you what, the publicity stunt DeMeo pulled with Channel 8 over special deputy volunteers was politics as usual, because that is all you ever get from him. He never gets his hands dirty, but I remember hearing Wade on the scanner at all times of the night, and I was never afraid to take kids or grandkids out at night, to the bowling alley or the parks or to football games, but I am now and many people I talk to feel the same way.

By the way, are you the same Ken Causey who might have got tickets from deputies when Wade was sheriff because you said it was your right not to get your car registered or get a driver's license?

Now that should make people feel safe, with you on the road. We need Wade back.

Jane Mullen

Better Hollis greet the tortoises

Well, I guess Gary Hollis can speak. Of all of the commissioners' meetings I have attended in the past, he has done nothing but yawn, look at his watch and try to stay awake.

However, I guess when it comes to the desert tortoise, the Nevada state reptile, he can get very upset, not because he gives a damn about the tortoise, but it would cost the developers more money when they want to develop the land that the tortoise's habitat is on.

But that took place at Tuesday's meeting. At Wednesday's meeting he lost his voice again, just checked his watch and yawned while the heated discussion concerning the Focus Group and the shameful mess they are going to develop on the south end of town went on (for now ... fear not, they will be coming soon to your neighborhood). He closed his mouth and opened his arms to the developers. Seems to me he could have been better off getting angry with the developers and opening his arms to the tortoise.

Pahrump doesn't deserve this kind of representation, or in this case, the lack of.

Jane Schmidt

This is an insult

The "offer" made by the nuclear industry to Nevada to store their toxic waste here is an insult.

Do they really think the citizens of the Silver State are stupid? Who will be affected most if the facility, built by the lowest bidder, gets compromised by an earthquake? It's the people.

Our very lives are at stake and they want to pay $25 million a year, chump change.

Our plan is a little different: First and foremost, we don't want other people's garbage in our state, especially since Nevada has no nuclear power plants. That being said, it is our fear that our "friends" in the federal government will proceed regardless of the wishes of the people.

If that is the case, we feel a one-time direct payment of $10,000 to each legal resident of the state is a fair price to pay for exposing us to this menace.

After the initial payment, then it is our plan that every year, each homeowner receives $2,000; if you own a condo, $1,000; and if you are renting, $500. After all, whose property values won't be worth a dime if there is an incident?

Some might say that $10,000 per person is too much money; we say that according to the Heritage Foundation, the federal government can't account for incompetence, so who cares if a few citizens get a couple of bucks for risking their lives?

And to those who think this is a bad idea, here's our solution: Keep you radioactive waste in your own backyards.

Bruce Feher,

Founder No. 2 Yucca Mountain

Who knew?

Wow, never thought I would see the day when something negative was printed about the school district.

Now if we could enlist our local newspapers' help, maybe we could keep our local school district honest. The uninformed are quite often taken advantage of.

I feel that is the situation here in Pahrump. The school board and district make policies, but the public won't ever know.

For instance, all the private information gathered by the district is on the Internet. They say it is safe, safe, safe, but it seems to me if the Pentagon and banks can be hacked into, so could the school district.

Does this not bother anyone else? Or are they uninformed of the situation?

All that information. And their pictures too. Who knew?

Thomas Knight

To the road department:

Subject: stagnant water in the ditches along South Warren Street.

This will be the third time that I have brought this matter to your attention. About two years ago, South Warren street was chip-sealed, and believe me, we loved that.

Unfortunately, at the same time the level of the roads that abut South Warren Street were raised above the level of the ditch. Now, every time it rains, there is standing water left that cannot drain efficiently or fully.

The first time I tried to bring this to your attention was with a telephone call. The second time I came down in person. I was ignored both times. So this time, I'm putting it in writing. This time there are mosquitoes involved.

Since the last rainfall, the standing water in the ditch has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and with the nearness of West Nile virus (Las Vegas) the county needs to get on top of the stagnant water problem immediately.

The easiest way to solve this would be to raise the level of the ditch so the water will drain properly or the county can put in culverts. It doesn't matter to me which way the county chooses, but this has to be done or the mosquitoes will be breeding after every rainfall. I can actually see them floating on the surface of the standing water.

This end of the valley has grown a lot in the past two years, and there are adults and children at risk out here. Please do not delay at least spraying the ditches if you can't solve the standing water problem right away.

Robert "Butch" Dole

What happened to Pahrump?

I'm tired of hearing what Pahrump needs from newcomers. We don't need anymore stores in Pahrump. We need fewer houses to be built so that it can be kept rural.

The prospective buyers, before moving here, should open their eyes to what is here and make the necessary adjustments. Why should Pahrump change to suit their needs?

When I first came to Pahrump over 12 years ago, I liked what I saw. Since then, there have been numerous changes. It was my understanding that lots were to be no less than 1-1/4 acres. What happened?

The road to Vegas was two-lane, not four. There was no Nugget, Wulfy's, Auto Zone, Walgreen's, Wells Fargo, Valley, Wal-Mart, no library, no hospital, Albertson's, Sav-on, etc., and only one traffic light.

Our roads were in better condition then because we did not have all the construction trucks destroying them as today.

If you want all the conveniences, I say, go back to whence you came.

Keep Pahrump rural.

Carole MacDonald

At the mercy of the dogs

I read with interest the article of Sept. 15 about Beatty resident Jerry Harvey's frustration over "out of control dogs."

I have experienced the same frustration, albeit with different dogs.

After months of "trying to get along," cleaning dog feces off my porch, raking it out of my driveway, and cleaning dog urine off my cars' hubcaps, I called the Nye County Sheriff's Office at 3 a.m. to report my neighbor's failure to control her four dogs. An officer (Lt. Jarvis) responded, took my complaint and went away.

Although I received no official word, the Beatty grapevine informed me the complaint had been dropped because I didn't appear for the civil suit. A call to the D.A.'s office and a subsequent criminal subpoena belied that "information."

As the trial date coincided with my first day of work on an out-of-town contract, I called the D.A.'s office and informed them of the conflict.

Since there appeared to be no other option, I made arrangements with my company to be available for court (at a financial loss to myself). Attempts to inform the D.A.'s office yielded no callbacks.

Enter the Beatty grapevine, again. This time the word was: A fine had been paid and the case was dropped.

This time, the grapevine got it right, sort of.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, I received a letter from D.A. Beckett's office informing me that:

A) Due to my "unavailability" to appear (not a true statement) the case was being dismissed "without prejudice."

And that:

B) (quoting the letter) "Unless a law enforcement person actually witnesses the disturbance ... This factual scenario is a difficult one to go forward with."

In other words, I'm at fault and can't be taken at my word.

I guess those of us here in Beatty who don't have dogs are just doomed to be at the mercy of those who do and choose not to control them.

Carol Martin