Gunpowder and booze don't mix

Yeah, go out within one mile of houses, get a few beers in you and start blasting off your guns. There's a grand example of a total lack of common sense, and you defend them.

Have you ever heard that gunpowder and alcohol don't mix?

I really enjoy target shooting and have owned and fired guns for 50 years, but let's not defend people who quite obviously have no business owning firearms.

It's OK to drink beer and it's OK to shoot a firearm (in the right place), but not both at the same time.

Great example your son set for your grandson.

WAYNE FRITSEN

Thanks for the hospitality

My husband and I were in Pahrump for two days at Thanksgiving -- what a wonderful town and friendly people.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at one of the casinos and the food was excellent, better than I could have cooked at home.

We looked at some homes and liked what we saw. We are retired and have some medical problems to take care of and a home to sell, then we may just become new residents of Pahrump.

The town seems to have everything that we're looking for. Thanks for your hospitality even though you didn't know you were giving it. Hope to be back soon.

JAN AND JERRY MEDLEY

Susanville, Calif.

Disaster waiting to happen

A recent survey by the Reno Gazette-Journal found that 76 percent of the voters opposed the Yucca Mountain repository. Although Nevada voters are overwhelmingly opposed to the plan to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, we must continually fight to have the project dismissed.

Why are the commissioners supporting this project?

Nothing has changed. The EIS wants to double the size of the nuclear waste repository from 70,000 to 130,000 tons.

The safety of the project, with earthquakes, terrorists, underground water supplies and transporting the hottest nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain by train, makes this project extremely dangerous.

The shipments are twice as dangerous for radioactivity as they intend to not let it sit for five to 10 years at the reactive sites.

Nevada has no nuclear power plants. The states that have nuclear power plants should have to store their own waste.

The train line is estimated to cost three billion and will probably go up. The safety of this rail line, what with the terrorism, is very dangerous and cannot be protected over such a huge area.

Another accident like the incident of the chlorine tanker that rolled through Las Vegas would be disastrous.

The EIS forecasts shipping 9,500 casks by rail and 2,700 by truck, average 17 trains per week. The odds of an accident are huge.

The flaws and safety issues do not go away.

High-level nuclear waste cannot be stored from the elements for thousands of years. No one can prove it. This is a disaster waiting to happen if it is not stopped now.

LINDA M. ADAMS

Praise be to the linedancers

I want to personally and publicly thank the High Desert Linedance Team (Eve Adams, Jan Brown, Diane Howland, Sandy Kohl, Monique Mauro, Marian Maxfield, Ginny McCorkle, Diane Poland, Marilyn Raquepau and Roxy Jones) for the inspiration you have given not only to me, but also to so many people throughout Nye County.

It has been through your hard work and dedication that we have been able to fulfill our goal of making a difference in this community.

On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank Pamela Keaton-Hoeft for the tremendous talent you have added to make this team complete.

A special word of thanks goes out to all of our support team. It is through this continued support and encouragement that we are able to do all that we do.

The most amazing thing to me, is that each time a request was made to set aside a day to perform a venue, volunteer time to work on costumes, volunteer time to work behind the scenes of a special event, attend extra practices or do any of those things that go along with performing, each of you stepped up and did more than your share to joyfully contribute.

Thanks for sharing a part of your lives with me and allowing me to be a part of the team. Although we work hard in practices, we do have a lot of fun. Of all the things I do, I really look forward to the Thursday team practice.

We have performed at many functions over the past year including several Christmas shows. Often, when it came to the recognition and thanks for all the hard work and donated hours of our time, the High Desert Linedancers were not even mentioned. So, I am offering my thanks to you.

Since our aim is to make a difference in our community by touching the lives of others in a positive manner, I will continue to thank God for affording us the opportunity to perform at so many great events. I will try to remember to daily give gratitude to Him and pray that His light will continue to shine upon us.

May 2008 be another great year filled with love, laughter and much inspiration. Although you don't often get the recognition you all deserve, you are truly the best of the best, and my life has been positively touched by all of you.

TERI ROGERS

Do the right thing

We all know what happened to Darrin Tuck for finding something in the desert. I have a similar story.

I found (we will call them items) in the desert on July 31. They appeared to be stolen. I called the sheriff's department and picked up said items.

The deputy gave me a number and said after 90 days, if the items were not claimed, they would be mine. I put the value of said items at about $1,000.

On Halloween, which was 90 days later, I called and lo and behold, they were not claimed. I was told next week I could make arrangements to pick them up.

It is now mid-December, and after several attempts to arrange this, I've been told by a person in the evidence department (Gina) that she is far too busy to retrieve said items.

I know Darrin Tuck wishes he left that tape in the desert. I wish I did the wrong thing too.

The moral to the story: one lazy Nye County employee gives the whole department a black eye.

ROGER TAYLOR