Horsford donates books to students at Floyd Elementary

It was a busy day in Pahrump for Nevada Representative Steven Horsford, who last week arrived here bearing gifts.

Horsford, joined by District 36 Assemblyman James Oscarson and Nye County School District Superintendent Dale Norton dropped by Floyd Elementary School on Thursday to present reading materials from the Library of Congress for use in the school’s library.

He noted the importance of properly preparing the next generation of America’s workforce and leaders.

“I always try to get out and visit schools and meet with constituents, including our young people, about what’s happening in our local schools and how we can support their efforts at the federal level by working with the state legislature and Assemblyman Oscarson, who is a great partner and representative for this area. We want to make sure that we are providing the support and resources for education and training the next generation of leaders for the workforce,” he said.

As a member of the U.S. Congress, Horsford said he was able to acquire the materials for the school to distribute to the students.

“We’re glad to present several boxes of books to Floyd Elementary and we know the library here will put them to great use,” he said.

Norton, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude for Horsford’s visit.

“It’s always an honor to have guests like that come in. He was here in June regarding our Summer Lunch Program at J.G. Johnson Elementary. I really appreciate that he took the time to visit Pahrump again,” he said.

Norton also mentioned a connection between a former local student and the congressional library in the nation’s capital.

“Leah Apodaca graduated in 2000 from Pahrump Valley High School. She was a student of mine and she now works in the Library of Congress, and I’m very proud of that fact. It did make an impression on Congressman Horsford,” he said.

Horsford said he was thankful to spend several hours in town last week after he was forced to cancel a previous visit due to what he termed was “good news.”

“The Secretary of the Veterans Administration, Bob McDonald, made an unexpected visit to Las Vegas earlier this month at the same time we were planning some events here in Pahrump. The good news is, after just one week on the job, the new Secretary of the VA approved the contract to proceed with the construction of the new Pahrump VA Clinic. It’s something the veterans in this community have been waiting for, for more than two years,” he said.

McDonald recently allocated to the VA southern Nevada Healthcare System, nearly $12 million of the $15 billion President Barack Obama signed over to the VA for the next three years.

Part of the funds according to Horsford, will beef up the VA clinic in Pahrump.

Both Horsford and representatives from Senator Harry Reid’s office were in town earlier this month to provide information and resources for homeowners, renters and prospective buyers.

Horsford was recently appointed to the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees issues related to housing, banking and insurance and said rural areas in Nevada appear to be suffering the most.

“Nevada still has one of the most unstable housing markets in the country. About 30 percent of the homes throughout our state are upside down and underwater. Places like Pahrump, have seen a higher percentage of foreclosures, short sales and people who are underwater in their homes. Currently, in some of the targeted zip codes, there are vacancy rates as high as one in six homes,” he said.

Horsford’s office can assist local residents on issues in the areas of Medicare, Social Security, veterans affairs, and other federal agencies by calling 702-802-4500.