Letters to the editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

County commissioner responds to letter

I read with interest the letter to the editor on Wednesday.

Mr. Grudinski made a few allegations that I would like to address.

First, I do not equivocate, or side-step answers to questions. I have been told I am too honest and sometimes it is seen as rude, so with that:

I appreciate that Mr. Grudinski pointed out that many things are happening like the raceway, Front Site, and Great Basin College, but he missed a few.

Last week I attended a meeting at Spring Mountain Motor Sports which included the BLM, Spring Mountain Motor Sports, Great Basin College, the ARES Project and the expansion of the power lines. Many of these projects started years ago and most are now about to either be completed or moved forward.

The charge that I have done nothing over the past seven years does bother me as I have led on the fairgrounds, which now has power and funds to build out, Spring Mountain Motor Sports, with their expansion and commercial property going up, Kellogg Park starting this year includes a dog park, and changed the national dialogue on Yucca Mountain from “Nevada doesn’t want it” to “Nye and eight other counties support the licensing hearings.”

As chairman of the RTC, we have improved more roads and now have more funds to work with. As liaison to the PUC, I fought against excessive rate increases from Great Basin Water.

These are some of the projects I have championed or worked and I hope the public will allow me to see this last term though to continue to ensure a bright future for your family and mine.

If you have any other question please email me at dschinhofen@hotmail.com

I will always give you an answer, even if it is not the answer you want.

Dan Schinhofen

Reader responds to letter on gun-related deaths

In reference to the letter from Henry A. Hurlbut in the April 13 edition of the Pahrump Valley Times, I would like to state some facts about the gun-related deaths in the countries Mr. Hurlbut cites (England, Australia and France). Mr. Hurlbut states that “no one owns any ‘protection’ there except the government.” And “there are bad guys doing bad things.”

I presume he means citizens are being shot because they can’t have guns since he criticizes the gun laws in such countries.

Well, let’s look at the numbers of people killed by guns in those countries and compare with this country.

You can find the data in Wikipedia, under “gun-related deaths in countries Wikipedia.” If you enter that exact phrase in your search engine, it should pull up the relevant data near the top of the list of websites.

From the table in Wikipedia you learn that the deaths per million of population from guns in the United Kingdom (includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is 2.3, Australia is 10, and France is a whopping 28! The United States gun-related deaths are 120 per million population.

There may be bad guys doing bad things in the countries cited but compared to the U.S., the chance inhabitants will be shot is less than a tenth (10 percent) in England and Australia and about a quarter (25 percent) in France.

From the same table, you may notice that the U.S. has the highest gun ownership of all the countries listed, and France is the highest of the three countries mentioned.

F. George Tucker

Framer turns the ordinary into the spectacular

I would like to bring it to the attention of everyone in Pahrump, Nevada that we are blessed to have a truly spectacular artist among us. I stumbled on them quite by chance when looking for someone to frame a picture for me. I have become friends with this man and he is for sure a very talented person. He took a quite ordinary picture and frame that I had made and turned it into a work of art. The man is a true genius with his hands. He is struggling to make a go of it where he is at.

My hope by sending this letter to the editor is that people in Pahrump will realize how lucky we are to have this man among us. So one day while you are out and about, please visit him at 401 South Frontage Road, #4.His name is Floyd and he will be more than happy to sit and visit with you and show you what he does.

Don’t go into the shop and expect it to be cheap, custom framing is not cheap but he is cheaper by 30 to 40 percent than Las Vegas.

Thank you for your time and please visit Floyd, you will be amazed.

Stacy Riney

Pahrump rider thankful for RSVP volunteers

Thank you for the article about RSVP on March 18, 2018. They are the “unsung heroes” of our community. I cannot find adequate, or enough praise for this most valuable organization.

For the better part of seven years, they have transported me safely and lovingly to whatever errand needed: grocery shopping, medical appointments, veterinarian, hair salon, even to Las Vegas for eye surgery.

Without RSVP, I’d have been up the proverbial “creek without a paddle.” Ten –plus years ago my husband ascended, and since I was no longer driving due to the vision, the car went to the daughter. Now that really produced a challenge as we didn’t have the new bus service (but that doesn’t solve all the needs).

So please, riders/clients of RSVP, please donate some amount (they don’t suggest any amount) to help keep RSVP thriving and driving here in Pahrump. They are good drivers too.

Many thanks and hugs to volunteers, especially J.M. and S.C.

A grateful rider,

Gera Milner

Trash along highway on way to dump is a mess

I live in the north end of Pahrump, just off Highway 160, so I travel most of Highway 160 when I drive to Las Vegas. As I drive, I pass the road to the dump frequently. Along the way I see trash, trash in trash bags, trash containers, construction trash, and real objects that are traffic hazards. Most of this is NOT the fault of C&S Waste Solutions transporting their loads of garbage to the dump. It’s from private citizens and contractors going to the dump. I believe that some intentionally throw their trash out of their cars or trucks so they won’t have to pay for trash pick-up or too lazy to go to the FREE dump. Many are too lazy to cover their loads. That is required by transportation laws. This includes high-railed (walled) truck beds and trailers. Thus the wind blows or sucks the trash out of the car, truck, or trailer out and onto the road. It’s not only dangerous, but it creates an environmental MESS!! Plastic and trash do not break down in the desert, people!!!!

Now, I see the MANY law enforcement units giving out the tons of violations for speeding and other driving mistakes by the day and even by the minute. Why are they not stopping and giving tickets for unsecured and dangerous loads? I have never seen law enforcement do that since the five years that I’ve lived here in Pahrump. Is it too much work for them to write tickets for this violation? I think it’s about time for law enforcement to do their COMPLETE job of protecting all of us citizens who travel the roads of our town. Are they too good to stop and check trash for the address of the violators? They need to get off their butts and do their complete job of protecting the citizens who travel our roads, not just write tickets for SPEEDING! It would help to keep Pahrump clean AND safe.

Donald Schieber

Prostitution is better when regulated and taxed

I am a Pahrump, Nevada, Nye County resident, and a senior citizen. I am very glad that prostitution is legal, taxed, and health checked in this and other counties in Nevada.

When we visit Las Vegas, we witness “working girls” everywhere. Clark County suffers from pimps, human trafficking, drug addiction, and in cases, beaten or killed girls. Every day and night these girls are subjected to dangers or death. This is in a county where prostituting is Illegal!! If it WAS legal, maybe monies collected could pay for the sports arena instead of hotel room taxes.

Women should have the choice in selecting this occupation. I thought we were all for women’s right to choose! In counties where it is legal they are licensed, taxed and business conducted in a safe, protected environment. Drug use is a reason for dismissal.

Prostitution has been around for eons and even in the Bible there are references to “temple prostitutes.” Please do not drive prostitution underground, unregulated and dangerous in Nye and other counties in Nevada.

Kathryn Erbe