Wonderful articles

Just wanted to write and thank you for the wonderful articles that were printed on Preston Dockter.

I was Preston's defensive coordinator on the football team at Mayville State University in North Dakota. Preston always brightened my day every time I saw him. What a wonderful human being.

I have had a tough time with his passing along with you and everyone else. In all my years of knowing Preston, I can't think of one negative memory.

I hate for your community that he is gone. My prayers are with his family. Thank you again for the nice article.

JODY FORD

Defensive coordinator

Central Methodist University

In response to Tenney

Thank you so much for writing a truthful article regarding the state of our financial mess and the total failure of the socialistic programs we have suffered from for so long.

After witnessing the decline of our nation due to this foolishness and of the values our society requires to succeed, I have been heartsick over the problems our children and many generations that come after them will be forced to deal with and pay for.

Mr. Tenney, I have been actively fighting these issues for over 52 years, my entire adult life, hoping against all odds that the situation would be reversed instead of sinking into that black hole of failure that all socialistic societies must eventually fall into.

I had so hoped to leave a better world for my children to live in, with the ability to succeed with whatever they were willing to work for -- without undue government interference and unions dictating how they should conduct a business they had sacrificed to acquire -- and without the fruits of their labor strewn in all directions like fairy dust instead of making a better life for their families.

Constantly seeing young people demonstrating in the streets, howling ridiculous and untrue statements about capitalism and praising the virtues of Marxist economics makes me sad for the future of this country. Their ignorance is appalling and their willingness to accept faulty economic theories without question is frightening. They obviously have no factual knowledge of history, especially that of the 20th century.

The hundreds of millions of people who have been slaughtered in my lifetime for the cause of Marxist economics and world domination makes no impression on them. They do not seem to realize that this could happen here, just as it has happened in many parts of the world -- and is still happening today.

Free enterprise, property rights, liberty, values, even life itself can all disappear very quickly under the heels of dictators who yearn to control everything and everybody. The lessons are there to see -- micromanaging by government does not work. Under socialism, incentive dies and the work force is only productive if there is a gun at their head or a bayonet at their back.

Well, I managed to get wound up on my soapbox. I really wanted to thank you for the little glimmer of hope your article gave me -- that some teachers, professors and students are still rational beings who understand what is best for the financial business of our country and for the people.

JOYCE HASKELL

About volunteers

This letter is in response to "Responsible volunteers." While it is unfortunate that a volunteer made a mistake and sold alcohol to an underage individual (albeit a decoy working in conjunction with the Nye County Sheriff's Office) and thus has the possibility of a $680 fine, there are consequences when the law is broken no matter the good intentions of the individual.

Alcohol consumption by underage individuals costs all of us. In 2005, underage drinking costs in Nevada totaled more than $511 million -- approximately $532 per Nevada household. This amount accounts for the taxes to help pay for public sponsored services, and increased health care and automobile premiums to help cover insurance costs in response to underage drinking.

Additionally there are personal and social costs of underage drinking including date rape, unwanted/unprotected sex, motor vehicle deaths and injuries, alcohol poisoning, fetal alcohol syndrome, homicide, suicide, vandalism and a whole host of other community disorganization issues.

A state conducted survey revealed that over 75 percent of Pahrump Valley High School students have consumed alcohol, with 83 percent having their first drink by age 14. Almost 50 percent of the kids had consumed in the 30 days prior to the survey and 23 percent stated that they got access to alcohol by buying it or having someone buy for them, just like what happened at the Fall Festival.

To support the vendors/volunteers and the Sheriff's Office in preventing underage access to alcohol, NyE Communities Coalition provided free training on the legalities, identification checking process, and consequences for sales to anyone under age 21.

Additionally, signage for awareness was posted at the booths and in the park, along with specific steps for checking ID's and "born after" information for the booths.

Unfortunately, there were violations with vendors selling to an underage individual as well as other adults purchasing alcohol for underage individuals. Mr. Kerrigan did a great job by noting that the young man was underage. However, based on the events at the festival, the data mentioned above and the very real consequences some of our youth and their families have experienced is not the case for everyone.

Volunteerism requires responsibility -- whether you are a little league coach, a board member for a nonprofit or a vendor at a festival. And all adults are accountable for ensuring that any alcohol that we are responsible for does not become accessible to anyone under age 21.

TOM METSCHER

Board President

STACY SMITH

Director Nye Communities Coalition

Prison no Boy Scout camp

In spite of all the hoopla associated with the numerous presentations by our visitors for the proposed prison, make no mistake that thick, high walls and sophisticated high tech security devises are not being structured as a Boy Scout camp.

Although the slick public relations promoters assured us that absolutely no death row killers will be housed here -- they're very mum on murder suspects in our midst, who may be awaiting their trial.

But an equal concern for our community is that of attracting unsavory individuals, who wish to visit their incarcerated boys, meanwhile they ponder thoughts of homesteading here, which places an additional burden on our local sheriff's department, which is already shorthanded.

If we sympathize with the elderly ladies, who live alone and fear being accosted by home invaders now -- guess what their fear factor will be when this monstrosity will begin welcoming their undesirable guests?

I, for one, cannot begin to visualize how serious of a dilemma this will become.

Between now and the time of prison completion, we, too, could have a similar, more perfect, safe community. How about it town board and county commissioners, will you be common sense heroes for us sitting ducks?

For better understanding,

VINCE BOGDAN