Thanks from the Steigers

The Steiger family from the Steiger Peruvian Ranch wishes to express praise and thank you for the services of the local Pahrump Nathan Adelson Hospice as its staff cared for 92-year-old aunt and mother, Thelma Vosburg, at the ranch until her passing Friday, Aug. 8.

Thank you to Vickie, Kelly, Kathy, Marlyn and Dr. Toppo for the compassionate and loving care of mother and aunt. Thank you to Shirley, who came so quickly when I called the hospice early Friday morning.

Thank you to Eric at Lee's Funeral Home and his staff for expediting Aunt Thelma to Rapid City, S.D., where her daughter Sharon had a prearranged funeral with the Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home for Tuesday, Aug. 12. Ninety-four percent of Thelma's relatives live in South Dakota. The other 6 percent live here in Pahrump.

Thelma will be buried with her husband Vance at the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Sturgis, S.D.

Thank you to the staff of Pahrump Valley Times for placing this thank you and notice in the newspaper.

JACKIE WONDRA

Thelma's niece

Morning show missed

Dear Pahrump,

It has been several months now since the show "Linda and You!" came to an abrupt halt.

I did not quit.

I would never do that to the folks in the community that I love. The show ended because of cuts in the budget.

It came to my attention that maybe the viewers of this 10-year successful morning show thought I just gave up on Pahrump and left.

As a professional entertainer since my Hollywood childhood actress years, to my current SAG actress/singer and former dancer/skater in the Las Vegas production extravaganzas, I would never think of bailing on an audience that made me feel welcome and loved.

So please accept my apology for not writing this to you folks sooner. I miss each and every one of you.

I made a lot of friends during those two-and-a-half years with "The Lindas" and I was going to leave once there was only one Linda left, but stayed to make a difference for the community and it became "Linda and You."

Change is ever constant and our attitude is the key to surviving in this life of ours.

On the show I would advocate 10 percent is what happens to us and 90 percent is how we handle the 10 percent.

I hope that someday the budget will turn around and I can represent this wonderful community once again. Take care.

Smiles with love,

LINDA CROSSLEY-MEADS

Beckett's responsibility

Yes, yes, yes -- District Attorney Beckett must be the one to pay for any expenses not covered by the county's insurance. Didn't we hear Mr. Beckett say he would take "full responsibility" for the accident to the county's vehicle and his own?

All other insured drivers have to meet that requirement of paying for all non-covered expenses, whether the accident is our fault or someone else's.

If Mr. Beckett is as "responsible" as he says he is, and he is responsible for the accidents, he must pay the bills that he created.

Several years ago, four of us, in two separate vehicles, were northbound on Highway 160 preparing for a left turn onto Simkins when the second car was struck by an unlicensed driver in an uninsured vehicle because he decided to pass the other law-abiding vehicles that were allowing the car to make its turn.

We were already onto Simkins and pulled off the road to await our friends when the drinking juvenile driver crashed into our friend's car, then bounced off of them into our car, injuring my husband and sending him to the hospital.

Open liquor bottles were found in the juvenile's car.

The point of this story is this: We were never notified of this juvenile's court hearing and he was never fined or tried for the accident that he created that involved the four of us. He was sent back to Hawthorne juvenile detention, in a limousine, for a previous conviction.

Our case never came up for a hearing or a court date; it was never heard or tried.

Many calls to the DA's office fell on deaf ears, as did our letters. We did hire an attorney and our insurance companies had to pay all the expenses including medical.

Was this justice? Not in your wildest imagination. And who was the district attorney? Bob Beckett. Was he "responsible" then? Is he responsible now? No.

GERA MILNER

Response to Bill Dolan

If the letter to the editor by Bill Dolan (PVT -- 8/8/08) was quoted verbatim, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, the writer appears to be semiliterate at best.

Your response was entirely too charitable. It's just another involuntary black eye for the citizens of Pahrump.

Is there no limit to the cronyism and buffoonery issuing from our Statehouse?

DAVE SMITH

Crystal Heights

Many thanks to DeMeo

A huge thank you to Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo, his deputies and detectives for their efforts in apprehending the person(s) involved in the July 2008 burglaries of several businesses located on the south end of the valley.

There were a lot of our tax dollars spent to solve these burglaries and we need to support our sheriff's office and the fire, rescue and ambulance services in this valley.

Since our tax dollars create their budgets each year, I urge everyone to contact your county commissioner for your district and insist on the importance of the budgets for the sheriff's office, fire rescue and ambulance services so that we can have the best services possible.

Our tax dollars are the dollars that can keep us safe and healthy. Your county commissioners are the people responsible for making the decision on budgets.

Again, thank you, Nye County Sheriff's Office, for a job well done.

DIANE SEARS

Owner, Rusty's Lounge

Vote for Harley

I wish to express my most heartfelt gratitude for all who supported my campaign for county commissioner.

Unfortunately, my intended fight against local corruption has been suppressed. However, the fight to continue our takeover of the Republican party may still be achievable at the National Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Sept. 1-4.

I will be involved with the fight against corruption until we win.

For the majority of voters who didn't bother to research the candidates and vote the primary, there is still something you can do.

I personally feel, and felt all along, that Harley Kulkin would do a better fob of commissioner than I would have been able to do.

I ran against the incumbent because I want a change.

Some people who are willing to communicate with the people, and are not looking to become wealthy from this public service position.

I believe we can tell a lot about the incumbent's motives by the campaign contributions for a job that pays $24,000.

So I ask of all Pahrumpians, please vote for Harley in the general election and I promise to keep an eye on him.

DARRYL LACKEY

Your taxes and the road to nowhere

Jim Petell has spent a lot of time and effort to get the county roads department to work on a street (easement) that no one uses, not even him.

This street (easement) is called Neutral Street and is probably less than 700 feet long (now that it has been finished to its full length). It actually provides access to four parcels of land, two of which belong to Jim's neighbors.

Now, we the neighbors on all sides have never had anything against real progress and good use of funds delegated to the county roads use.

But it has often been stated by the county that the budget is limited and only important priorities must be addressed: School bus routes, safety issues, stoplights -- issues of real importance.

So the question is this: Why would the county spend such time and effort getting all 700 feet of Neutral Street finished when it will be a road used by no one and going nowhere?

It ends at the gravel pit with nowhere to turn around.

Jim Petell does not use this "road." None of the other neighbors uses this "road," nor does anyone intend to use it.

The county is paying to finish this road -- actually we have been paying taxes so the county can do this.

The gravel and completion of a road to nowhere makes no sense when so many of our county roads that are actually travelled by people need attention.

We, the neighbors of Jim Petell, invite everyone in Pahrump to come out and see how your tax dollars are being spent.

You take the trip to the end of Neutral Street -- but don't fall in the gravel pit. You may have trouble turning around.

Find Neutral Street on your phone book map north of Linda and Leslie.

Neutral Street takes you to the gravel pit -- a 10-12 foot drop. Hopefully, they put a dead end sign and an "end of road" warning out there.

Then ask yourselves, "How much did this all cost and who will it help?" Really?

Jim Petell uses another road and there is more to this story.

Working for real progress we are, respectfully, the neighbors of Jim Petell.

RON AND RUTH CAMP

Response to Cyndi Thomas letter

It was with great interest that I read the letter to the editor titled "Longing for patience, fairness," sent by Cyndi Thomas regarding her opinion of Judge Davis, district judge of the Fifth Judicial District of Nevada.

Ms. Thomas' letter appears to be a very personal attack against Judge Davis and imputes some favoritism towards me.

Although she states she has worked for a lawyer for many years, Ms. Thomas appears to have very little knowledge of the legal system or courtroom procedure. She further states, "Recently, she was subject to a court case in Tonopah with John Davis presiding. During the court case Judge Davis refused to listen carefully to both sides of an opening statement. He actually cut off one of the defending lawyers during the opening statement, while the prosecutor got to fully explain the case.

If taken at face value, Ms. Thomas then must have been involved in a criminal case because that is the only case in which a prosecutor is authorized.

There must have been more than one defendant because she refers to "defending lawyers." But then she talks about Davis stopping a defendant's testimony, allowing the plaintiff to fully explain the case and not the defendant's lawyer, which would be referring to a civil case.

How can her opinion have value when she attempts to explain bias when she cannot distinguish between a criminal matter and a civil matter?

Contrary to Ms. Thomas' statement, I grew up in Esmeralda County and worked as a law clerk for Judge Beko, acted as deputy district attorney of Nye County as well as having a private practice in Central Nevada in excess of 25 years.

Over the years, I have worked alongside three district judges in Nye County, and I personally consider Judge Davis as hard working, diligent, fair and more courteous to all parties and attorneys than any judges who have previously served.

Ms. Thomas has made reference to me as "Davis' current friend," in addition to numerous other comments. If Ms. Thomas is insinuating some kind of special favoritism, then it hasn't happened to me. If Ms. Thomas would like to personally contact me, I can cite plenty of cases in which Judge Davis has ruled against me.

I request that the Tonopah Times readers get both sides of the story before putting much stock in Ms. Thomas' "longing for patience, fairness" letter. Take a few minutes either to sit in the courtroom and see Judge Davis in action or talk to the many attorneys who present cases before him, including the district attorney's offices and the offices of the public defender of Mineral, Esmeralda and Nye Counties.

I believe that manipulating this newspaper for a personal, biased and obviously inaccurate attack is belittling to the Nye County readers.

Perhaps Ms. Thomas would like to personally step forward to discuss her grievances and participate in the many campaign forums and address Judge Davis directly.

RICK LAWTON, ESQ.

Why vote for McGinness

I have seen a few signs on Route 160 that say "vote for Mike McGinness."

The only time in the last six years that I have heard or seen anything about Sen. Mike McGinnis was a few years ago when he was patting himself on the back that Pahrump had a hospital. Of course, that was before it was built.

Can some of our more astute citizens educate me on why I should vote for the mysterious Mike McGinness?

I pulled up his sketchy bio on the internet and it looks to me that he is more concerned with what goes on in the northern part of our state. The only time that I'm aware the man exists is at election time.

RICHARD A. BROWN