FOOD BANK A SUCCESS

On behalf of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church food bank, I wish to thank the people of Pahrump for your generous response to the KNYE 95.1 food drives conducted Dec. 6 and 21, 2008.

I want to extend many thanks to Karen Jackson for her unselfish time and energy in sponsoring these food drives.

Thank you to Kevin Pape, manager of the Pahrump Walmart Super Center for allowing these to take place on the store's premises.

A special thank you to Karen's Christmas elves, Jeanne Wright for her behind-the-scenes efforts, Anne Foley and Carla Kononchik for their on-the-scene assistance.

Bonnie Bullock and family, of Bullock Pest Control, sponsored a family for the Christmas season. Thank you very much for your generosity.

A special thank you to Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church parishioners for your year-round support of the food bank and your generous response to the Angel Tree this Christmas season.

Everyone's efforts and donations provided many families in Pahrump with a Merry Christmas.

May God bless each and every one of you -- a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

ROBERT F. GAVIN AND JAMES RICE

Our Lady of the Valley Food Bank coordinators

Property owners, be alert

You only have a few more days to lower your property tax bill. You must have all of your paperwork in by Jan. 15 at the county office. An important form you will need is a "comparative market analysis," which you can get from a Realtor.

Nye County Tax Assessor Sandy Musselman said, "People just believe their property is worthless. You have to look at it and decide if it is, just give it away."

Musselman said this sarcastically, reflecting some of frustration dealing with the issue. "The market is falling, I'm not going to deny that."

She goes into the standard gobbledygook of the normal tax-supported employee who depends on taxes for their high salaries and huge retirement pensions.

But to insult hard-working, struggling taxpayers in the middle of a near depression by stating "just give your property away," meaning you wouldn't be forced to pay high property taxes, which is not only an insult but the most asinine statement to come out of a public official's mouth.

I am sure Assessor Musselman, if the working people and retired folks on fixed incomes were paid your salary, we could be more financially able to pay our over-assessed taxes.

Taxpayers take with a grain of salt any interpretation of the NRS that comes out of the Nye County tax office. So far most statements about the state laws have been loosely interpreted to best suit the taxer and not the taxee.

Assessor Musselman is leaving the impression that our taxable value is based on the replacement value, which couldn't be farther from the truth.

Here is what the tax law really says:

"Property owners who believe that the market value of their property is less than the taxable value stated should contact the assessor's office."

Property has dropped as much as 50 percent worldwide, and that includes Nye County.

Don't miss the deadline and turn your paperwork in by Jan. 15.

I would like to wish all property owners good luck and Godspeed in reducing this tax burden.

FOYE CROOKS

Oops, my mistake

I'm sorry, but when I wrote my letter to the editor against the CCA's planned detention center, I didn't realize that you, Mark Smith, might be one of the people wearing a "yes" button at the last Nye County Commission meeting. My mistake.

How fortunate for you to be with the politically correct Good Ol' Boys Club, that agrees with the governing of Pahrump as a subdivision of Tonopah. I don't understand how community "leaders" such as yourself and the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce can be in favor of a detention center so close to the center of your town.

I observed an opinion from your column, you feel if your valley already has "dark skies" light pollution from Las Vegas, what's a little more from a privately owned and operated federal detention center? I believe that the rights of the collective citizens (individuals) of Pahrump are of a greater interest to protect than that of private business (capital and assets).

Perhaps the lawyer representing Concerned Citizens for a Safe Community doesn't speak as eloquently as you do, but at least her heart and soul are in the right place. Lesson learned, thank you.

JEFF PARRISH

(Mr. Smith was not wearing a "yes" button.-Ed.)

Thanks to VEA employees

This is an open letter to all VEA employees:

I would like to personally thank every employee at Valley Electric that sacrificed for all of us electric customers. I know this is a really rough time for us all, and I want all of you to know that it is much appreciated.

I know you will be repaid 100-fold for your extreme generosity.

GEORGE MYERS

Good Samaritans

I and my wife Sheryl would like to give out a great big thanks to Town Board Manager Bill Kohbarger and PAVED Director Al Balloqui for helping my wife Sheryl on a cold Monday morning.

She was on her way to work and unfortunately got a flat tire on her vehicle. We live on the north side of town and she works on the south side of town, and she was on Highway 160 nearing Calvada when the flat occurred. She had called me for help as I was still at home getting our youngest ready for school.

Of course, I had to drop our little one off at school first and then rush to help her out. After dropping our son off, I called her to let her know I was on my way.

She told me a couple of people had stopped to help her change her tire, one being Al Balloqui and his wife Mary and also Bill Kohbarger.

We don't see this very often in Pahrump and when it does happen, we still don't hear about it sometimes. Thanks to all of you who assisted my wife on a very cold Monday morning (I'm sure the temperature was in the 20s). Not only were Al and Bill residents of Pahrump, but also town officials in one way or another.

Again, my wife Sheryl and I thank you, and I'm sure we will be returning the favor one day.

RODNEY CAMACHO

Possible H.O.A. remedies

I'm a man who is very proud to consider myself a "Pahrumpian." I also live in Comstock Park, which has a bad name. What community doesn't? I've lived in my home for eight years. In mid-2003 it all changed.

We got a "non-resident" president of our H.O.A. board of directors.

In October 2007, he and his "chosen board" were asked questions about our money, where it went, about ridiculous legal fees, and we got no explanation.

Since then, a uniformed deputy is in attendance at every meeting of our Home Owners' Association. Why?

This is not-so-subtle intimidation. Many people have asked, "Why are there deputies there? There's going to be violence." And then I hear, "We're not coming back." This is another victory for the board.

I've heard it said a deputy is present for "back-up." There is not now, nor has there ever been, any reason for the presence of an on-duty peace officer to attend monthly meetings of the H.O.A.

The members in attendance are neighbors who are a cross section of the larger community. We are senior citizens, retired and/or disabled and folks who work for a living.

We, the members of the Comstock Park Home Owners' Association want our questions answered. When you pay to belong to an association a response of, "That is privileged information," is insufficient and unacceptable.

The board members have been entrusted with (in some cases) the most valuable possession that many of us own -- our homes. We can ill afford senseless and wasteful expenditures and it seems that is what the board has done. Examples of this are:

A. The board hired a management company from Texas and agreed to pay them in excess of $62,000 per year. This is an expense that is totally unnecessary. We can have an on-site manager who is also a resident of Comstock Park for a fraction of that amount.

The manager initially provided by that management company was not properly licensed in Nevada and has to be replaced.

B. Previously the board retained a lawyer who charged for the privilege. Neither the park not he H.O.A. have been sued and there has not been any reason to pay an attorney for anything.

As a result of this and other frivolous spending of "somebody else's money," our association dues have increased. To be exact, they have doubled.

When there was an election last year for two of the seats on the board, there seemed to be some irregularities in the method used to count votes.

I would like to suggest some possible remedies for the problems I have pointed out:

1. Dissolve the board of directors -- immediately.

2. Change from a board of directors to a steerage committee.

3. Eliminate the three-minute rule for addressing the board.

4. Within five working days of the end of the month, post the financial statement for the park in the glass-enclosed bulletin board at the club house and leave the previous month's statement posted for comparison.

If any resident would like a copy of the statement to take home, that resident may request a copy at the office during regular office hours and receive it immediately.

5. No closed ballot counts. Ballots are to be counted in the presence of all candidates for office.

Eliminate the policy of "ratting out" your neighbor. It should be the job of the manager and or maintenance to visit individual home sites and cite the home owners for violations.

8. Hiring practices should be reviewed and all rules and laws of the state of Nevada should be adhered to strictly. Employees of the park, management and maintenance, should be bondable.

This is one man's opinion. Actually I think there are many more who agree with me. We live here in Comstock Park and we all care about how it operates and how it is run. No one should think their opinion in not important.

DAVID R. CONNORS

Thank you, before it's over

I started writing this letter with two things in mind: sadness and overwhelming grief.

I've lived here in Pahrump for seven years and it seems no matter how hard you try, it just keeps getting worse.

I'm not rambling or making excuses. Everyone has felt the impact on our economy and this little town. But truth be known, Pahrump will never go anywhere.

All or most of the construction has halted, small businesses are bankrupt, Smith's and Albertson's still have high prices even though fuel is down. Casinos have cut people's tips so much and wages are still minimum wage.

Valley Electric will never give us our co-op refund (I have never seen it). Utilities are skyrocketing out of control. My H.O.A. in the Cottonwoods south of town was raised.

I work for a small steel company which allowed me to learn skills as secretary instead of hauling earth with the semi-end dump so that I could continue to work instead of the alternative. But today I am very sad that I am not going to be here any longer.

The big "L" word has came into the equation. Yes, I'm laid-off.

I guess the good ol' boys club won again. I think they will be the only ones left in this town. Can anyone tell me why? We don't have a Denny's or an IHop or a Jack-in-the-Box or a real theater, a fairgrounds or a 7-11 or a Kohl's.The list can keep going like the Energizer Bunny. Please tell me what to do?

It's the people in this town that have made it home, not the big corporations or the casinos or the county.

Thank you, editor, for this opportunity to write you before the end of my day. Please let everyone know. I love my partner, our home and our neighbors and our community members. We have been blessed but I am afraid this will never end.

Thank you again.

SONDRA WISHON