Letters to the editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Legal prostitution preferable to sex trafficking

On the front page of your June 9 edition of your paper you had an article on brothel fees going up in Nye County. But it was in the “Voices” section of the newspaper that Dennis Hof really got taken to task. Was the June 9 issue of the paper meant to serve as a rebuke?

Tim Burke wrote “the brothel industry is best served by maintaining a low profile.” But then he admonished Dennis Hof for being “very vocal about promoting the industry.” Mr. Burke further states “…most local residents don’t care if the brothels are here.” I agree with that.

Mr. Burke declares later on that when we local residents start seeing brothels in the newspapers, the national press, and now mockumentaries such as “The Bunny Hole”, we start to question if they are worth having in our community because of the negative publicity.

Ms. Aragon goes even further in her letter. “What once seemed like a glittery and edgy enterprise can become distasteful, even repugnant to the majority of voters as our rural communities mature and cohere.” What is she talking about? Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession.

Clearly, both Mr. Burke and Ms. Aragon see legal prostitution as base, reprehensible and abhorrent. Mr. Burke and Ms. Aragon are not alone in having those opinions, but I do not share them.

Many years ago I was reared with two parents who just knew that all forms of marijuana use were abusive. Even medical marijuana use was terrible for them.

This last November I voted to legalize recreational marijuana. Do I plan to indulge in recreational marijuana? No, but it is called freedom! There are people out there who should have the right to have marijuana.

Many Pahrumpians may find Dennis Hof’s businesses revolting, but would you rather have sex trafficking of underage girls?

Janice Gilmour

Pickleball players looking for a place to play

We wonder if there is anyone out there who can help us. We are a small but fast-growing group of pickleball players who are residents of Pahrump. There are two pickleball courts at Wine Ridge RV Park but, technically, they are not open to the public. In addition, the temperatures are far too hot to play outdoors in the summertime.

We know that there is a gym at PVHS that is no longer in use. We have portable equipment that can be set up with no damage to the playing surface. We are asking if there is a possibility that we can use the old gym at the high school to play indoor pickleball during the hot weather, rain or high winds.

We have been to town council meetings, the Discovery Park developers and park management people and have been pleading our case for two years or more and have gotten no positive feedback on the possibility of pickleball facilities. If we could have access to the old gym that would be a step in the right direction.

If there is anyone out there who can direct us to a contact, we would be most grateful. Please contact us at krause848@hotmail.com or robalfa3@yahoo.com

Thank you very much.

Linda and Rob DeLaMare

More reference facts about roundabouts

■ Cost should be a major concern – I doubt anyone would want to pay 13-plus times the “experts’” analysis of the cost of ANYTHING.

■ I believe the wording was not “no one wanted them” but from what was heard more than once when discussed, people weren’t for roundabouts, though once or twice it was thought to be OK in my discussions.

■ So the bunkers are to stop someone from running straight through. Yes, they will do so. But when it happens, better count how many will die with the sudden stop and how long it will take to clear the roundabout for traffic use again. Would not heavy planting of shrubs and bushes been effective yet not quite as deadly?

■ Regardless of costs, wow! Less fatal accidents than signals. Where did this come from? In Long Beach, California, Highway 1 has a five-street entry to a roundabout approximately 300 yards in diameter and yet the first day it was opened the son of the designer was killed on it. Makes one wonder. It didn’t have bunkers to stop straight-through drivers.

■ Size limitations here were a concern, that’s why signals would have been better; as well as $3.35 million less costly and accomplished quicker.

■ No one would have to slow to 20 mph on a state highway as one does now.

■ The businesses would not have had modifications to their properties and entrances as they do now with signals.

I suspect those who think these roundabouts are the way to go are from areas that have proper-sized roundabouts or want to Europeanize Pahrump. Just my thoughts…

Henry A. Hurlbut