Compassion for pets

Well, the time came. I had to put my beautiful great Dane down.

I had a wonderful vet come and do this for me and my family.

I took care of my dog for four years. She had a slipped disc in her back and could not walk without help. She never complained, only loved us.

It came time to put her down. She was weak but the love was still in her eyes. She ate her bag of bones and drank her water.

The vet that came out did a wonderful job. He cried and I cried. I felt guilty for doing this to her. She was one of God's creatures and should have gone on her own in her sleep, but it didn't happen.

I thank the vet that came out to my house for me. This vet is the only one in the valley that had any compassion for my dog.

When he was done, the pet cremation people came out. They were wonderful and kind.

The other vets in the valley should be as compassionate as the one I had come and care for my dog, "Vasha."

She was a wonderful dog and she loved us and we loved her. I'll never forget her, never.

SUE BECKER

Reckless drivers

This past school year, while I've dropped off and picked up my children from Hafen Elementary, I've witnessed on a daily basis the failure of other drivers to drive the posted speed limit along Hafen Ranch Road and Kellogg.

When the police are there to monitor, of course everyone obeys the posted signs. On days that the police are not there, it's like competing in the Indy 500.

As my boys were walking home Tuesday, May 27, some driver just getting out of the 15 mph zone into the 35 mph zone, decided to go over the posted speed limit and zoom past my kids along Hafen Ranch Road.

As a result of the excess speed, the tire on the car kicked a rock toward my son.

He was bending down to fix his shoe and was hit in the back of the head by the flying rock. This resulted in my son receiving seven staples to close the wound.

So, thank you very much to all those drivers who can't seem to drive with patience and caution around our children and their schools.

Please slow down before someone's child is hit and killed by your reckless driving.

Upset parent,

GINA FERNANDE

The other side

My name is Tony Alosi. I am a general contractor, apartment owner and land developer.

In February, 2005, I filed two water rights applications for two parcels in Amargosa Valley -- one for 15 acre-feet on Valley View Boulevard, and the other for 25 acre-feet at 747 Farm Road -- for a mini mall to aid in the badly needed infrastructure of Amargosa Valley.

I have already built an apartment to alleviate the housing shortage for teachers, since we are next to the school.

In 2006, I contacted Joni Eastley, the county commissioner for Amargosa Valley, to ask if she knew, or could help in my effort, to obtain my water rights from the Nevada Water Resources since the national park service had filed two protests on these water rights.

Mrs. Eastley indicated she was in favor of development in Amargosa, and the Nye County tax base, and graciously gave me Tom Buqo's phone number, for which I am eternally grateful for her effort.

I had occasion to meet both Tom Buqo and Mary Ellen in 2006 at their office and to say the least, was quite impressed with them and their willingness to help.

A year or so later, on Feb. 20, 2007, I was rewarded with my permit for my 15 acre-feet of water rights at Valley View Estates, a 40-acre residential development.

Tom not only got that protest dropped but also succeeded in getting the Farm Road protest dropped, indicating to the park service that the information was, in fact, flawed and should not have been filed in either case. Nevada Water Resources had not even looked at the situation in 2005, which would have saved me years of delay and expense.

I am still awaiting my permit for 747 Farm Road and in September it will be a year since the protest was dropped.

I have no idea why. Next February, it will be a total of four years and no permit at 747 Farm Road.

I bring this to the public's attention since there was an article, by a commissioner, questioning the contracts awarded to Tom and Mary Ellen.

I, personally, have to say that they are a couple of super intelligent individuals, who gave their time willingly to help me. They spent many weekends, without question and without recompense, and it didn't cost my wife and I one red cent. We can never thank them enough.

People don't realize that Tom was allowed to represent me being a hydrologist, whereas an attorney would have cost, I was told, at least $50 an hour.

The most important thing is that they discovered the facts, which was the most important factor in the dropping of those two protests.

Further, the recent, brilliant article by Tom Buqo in the Pahrump Valley Times regarding the pupfish, reveals how the wildlife people and the errors perpetrated are more dangerous to the pupfish than the environment.

When my wife and I visited Tom's and Mary Ellen's office, we noted they had other people working there and I'm sure there were others in the field as well. Tom showed me around and I was astonished at the record-keeping, which was housed in another building, which represented years and years of research and data.

People who question these contracts should first find out what the office, equipment and calibration, travel, employee expenses, etc. and where, if any, federal government funds are a portion of said contracts, without first giving people the impression that their pockets are just bulging with money.

Remember folks, the expenses occur once the office door is opened or the minute you get into your car to go to work.

My wife and I are proud to say that Tom and Mary Ellen are our friends.

ANTHONY C. ALOSI