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In reference to Keillor column

I had occasion to read the article you wrote for the Pahrump Valley Times, "The thundering roar of hollow patriotism," and I must say you are quite the wordsmith.

I also noted that you must be quite the art lover.

Although these are both good qualities, I find your myopic ignorance of the people that ride motorcycles far exceeds your better qualities.

Your referral to the men and women that choose to display their patriotism by riding motorcycles to the Capitol in a celebration of life as "patriotic graffiti," is a direct reflection of this ignorance. I would ask if you are the only person with the correct way to celebrate this national holiday?

These men and women that you consider drunks falling off their bikes, are people who wish to celebrate this holiday by doing what they love to do and doing it with their friends and neighbors.

For the most part, these "fat men with pony tails" are veterans and have earned the right to celebrate as they see fit even if it doesn't fit into your narrow-minded little world of peace and contentment looking at a masterpiece in a museum.

I personally wonder why you didn't make your views known to some of those fat pony-tailed bikers that were disturbing your Sabbath and express your concerns as to the method of their celebration rather than wait and hide behind your journalistic skills. I am sure that any one of them would have been happy to sit down and listen to your bigotry and prejudice.

Are you of the belief that if a person doesn't fall into your little world of culture, you have the right to spread gossip and call them names?

I am one of those people who ride Harleys and although I don't fit into your little stereotype of what all bikers should look like, I feel that if you researched your articles a bit more, you would find the people you choose to degrade and slander are good, upstanding, patriotic, hard-working parts of this society who deserve recognition for things like the charities they support and the toy runs they work so hard on for underprivileged children throughout the country.

When opinions such as the one you expressed in the June 4 issue of the Times are published, you, of all people should realize the importance of the freedom to celebrate Memorial Day however we choose.

I realize this is a stretch, but try to be a little more open minded and look at people as just that -- people.

MIKE "BONES" DAVIS, PRESIDENT

ABATE of Southern Nevada

Beware of coyotes

This is to share a frightening experience I had this morning.

I live in Death Valley and have a wonderful house cat named Webster. He does not get out of the house there because of the many coyotes we have.

On the weekends, Webster and I stay with my dear friend who lives a few blocks from the Pahrump Valley High School. We let him outside there and he delights playing in the back yard. And as I usually do -- I let him out to play before daylight.

This morning, I let him out and just a few seconds later, went outside myself only to see two very large coyotes running in the backyard.

I didn't know if they got our cat or not. Thank God they didn't. He had run up a big pine tree and came down safely a couple of hours later.

Please be so careful with your animals. Coyotes are very cunning and apparently are so hungry, they are now stalking for prey in the residential areas of Pahrump.

SHARON SHEPPARD

Yucca Mountain

I really enjoyed your articles on the Yucca topic. (June 13 and 20). I wish DOE would have the balls and the openness to educate the public. I'm so tired of everyone having a negative opinion just because they read or hear someone say it's bad without knowing the true facts.

There's one aspect to the argument that has not been talked about.

I work at the Nevada Test Site and have since 1979. Everyone is up in arms about the contamination aspect that spent fuel being stored at Yucca would produce.

No one remembers the 900-plus weapons detonated here, or the fact the land is no longer usable except for government use. It can never be given back to the public for general use.

Putting spent fuel in Yucca is the only logical place to store it, the NTS could be the home for a reprocessing plant, an energy research facility, or any number of R&D facilities that would continue to bring billions of dollars into Southern Nevada.

Right now, the NTS is hurting for work. In the close to 30 years I've worked here, it has never been this bad. I am proud of the work that has gone on here.

The NTS has served this great country with pride and a work force of dedicated, loyal and true Americans.

As I write this, what work force is left feels abandoned and in fear of our jobs. Mr. Reid should be impeached for the lies and false information he has been splatting (for lack of a better word) out of his mouth.

I would like to thank you and your paper for having the integrity to speak the truth.

JOHNNY H. DENNY JR.

Seniors beware

Seniors beware, yes seniors, beware.

We have been taken twice.

The first time, a knock came at our front door. We have piles of rock in our front yard. Health has kept me from putting it out.

He saw all this, which caused him to knock on our door. He presented a good story and a good deal. We should have known better, they say if it's a good deal, chances are, it's not.

He took $330 in cash and stole approximately $300 to $400 in materials. He did not perform as hired and what he did do, messed up our front yard. I took pictures and cleaned up the mess. Some of it I'll have to pay to re-do or do it myself.

I called the sheriff's department and they sent a deputy out. I went down to city hall.

I've made phone calls, etc., and no help anywhere, so we lost the money and the materials.

We're sure he has done this to others and the sad part is he's still most likely still doing it.

Seniors beware. We got a flyer in the mail. We had small things in the house I could no longer do. We made a list and called this guy. He came out, took our list and gave us a price. He had two men come out.

What they didn't know or could do right -- I could write a book. They messed up most of what they tried to do and did not finish the job.

When the boss came back to pick them up I tried to talk to him about the job.

There were eight bags of concrete patch material left in our front yard for the men to fix the sidewalk. When the boss arrived, he had the men load up six or more bags into the truck. Then he picked up one empty bag and another that was about half full.

At that point he tells me that his men had used four bags and I said, no, they used one and a half.

He said, "You weren't supposed to see that." Meaning how many bags were full and how many were empty.

I'm sure he set a date to come back and finish the job three times. Each time, he never showed. He didn't call to say why he wasn't coming.

I've called his house several times and talked with his wife. He has not come back, nor called. He doubled the cost and did not finish the job. I told him several times that he overcharged us.

Seniors beware. My advice to you is to screen, check, ask for references and check them and ask around. Do not pay for work until the job is done and done to your satisfaction.

I know this makes it hard for the honest worker but we have to weed the bad ones out.

An honest worker can prove it by his work and his charges and his willingness to give references.

This person has probably done others and the bad part is, he is still most likely doing it.

DALE J. LYNN

It's important to know the truth

Why is it when public officials get caught, they won't tell us the truth? Not doing so only creates more curiosity and the determination to find out what the actual truth is.

Bob Beckett wrecks two vehicles in one day and wants us to believe he only had one Bud Light with his dinner.

After his first wreck and being driven back to town in a tow truck, he then has another wreck near Baker. That one Bud Light sure packed a powerful punch.

I also question what Mr. Beckett was doing on a Sunday in a county car. He told the police he was going to a meeting in California on Wednesday.

I don't think we can believe anything that was said. A trip that takes only a few hours, now takes up to three days. If the meeting was on Wednesday, what county business was he doing for the other three days? Neither story makes any sense.

Mr. Beckett wants our vote to become a judge. The public should know as much as possible about anyone running for public office, but especially someone that wields the kind of power a judge has.

We deserve, have a right and should demand to know the truth -- all of it.

DAWN HARDINA

No charges filed

District Attorney Bob Beckett wants to be a district judge, but apparently he can't run the office he heads now.

I know a man in the Nye County Sheriff's Office arrested for drug trafficking approximately one year ago. The D.A.'s office has never charged him. Why?

I know of a man who was arrested by the Nye County Sheriff's Office for assault with a deadly weapon close to two years ago. He was never charged by the D.A.'s office until he was again arrested on other charges. Why wait for two years and a whim that he might commit more crimes and get arrested again so that you can then charge him?

I know of another man who was arrested by the Nye County Sheriff's Office for growing marijuana with intent to sell. He has never been charged by the D.A.'s office to this day. Why?

If you have three years to charge a person with a crime, why not take care of it now? That's three more years of crime for that individual. Something is wrong with that picture.

The people of Nye County deserve better than this. If Mr. Beckett can't handle the job, maybe he should step down. Does he need to be a district judge? Why should he be rewarded with another top job?

How does a district attorney wreck his county vehicle and then his personal vehicle while being intoxicated, then (with his position) fairly charge others for the same offense he is charged of?

TOM WRIGHT

Sex offenders being registered

This is in response to Mr. Pietrorazio's letter about the sex offender registration laws.

Mr. Pietrorazio sounds a lot like a jailhouse lawyer.

While he is so busy complaining about the hassle he and other sex offenders have to go through because of their crime, he seems to have forgotten his victim.

His victim will pay for the rest of his or her life, although it most likely will not be monetarily. What was taken from his victim cannot be replaced or paid for with a few months in prison.

Sex offenders need to be registered. Anyone not registered is returned to prison under the charge of sex offender failure to register. Local law enforcement agencies do look for anyone in violation of the law.

It is unfortunate that Mr. Pietrorazio feels so put upon. Keeping our schools, neighborhoods and public gatherings safe from predators is the goal of the registration law.

Perhaps he should have considered the consequences of his actions before he committed his crime.

KATHLEEN L. BIENENSTEIN

Calling animal control

To the person(s) that continually calls animal control about my dog running loose, let me set the record straight.

I have an elderly black lab with arthritis that sleeps almost 23 hours a day. The times he is awake and outside (very seldom), he is in a fenced yard.

If you want to continue calling animal control and waste taxpayer dollars, that is your option.

The officers are becoming good friends of mine, thanks to you, and are more than welcome to come to my house any time you call.

The next time you feel like placing your daily anonymous phone call to animal control, why not act like an adult and come ring my doorbell instead?

STEPHEN J. GROPPE

Three times is enough

The same old cabal seeks once again to create an opportunity to suck the public tit by once again, raising the already thrice-rejected issue of "incorporation."

The Pahrump resident majority has thus far, wisely avoided an expensive and unnecessary encrustation of government at the local level.

Let those who seek public workfare, under the guise of public service, invent private sector prospects for their gainful employment and cease cluttering the public agenda with their obvious and distasteful machinations.

JUDITH E. HOLMGREN