Letters to the Editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Reader suggests reducing public education funding

If anything is defunded it should be the black hole known as public education. SAT scores keep dropping and the “experts” keep throwing more money at it hoping things will improve. We may as well burn the money to keep our houses warm in winter.

The money should be spent on the military and police. The U.S. is currently at its weakest ever. We are faced with threats by anarchists from within and hostile foreign governments from the outside as is evidenced by riots and foreign powers flexing their muscles while the U.S. is down and on the sidelines.

Let’s keep American strong by resisting evil. The problems of today will result in the destruction of the US. Evil must be stopped before it is too late.

Jean Frenette

We will remember 2020, but will we learn any lessons?

Despite a killer virus, widespread civil unrest, a painful economic downturn, we Pahrumpians and most other Americans by and large, will not accept defeat. Giveupitis isn’t in our vocabulary and definitely not how America became a nation.

The people of Nye County have choices to make and with choice comes the opportunity to influence our local, state and national destiny. It’s the choosing that is at times not so easy. Political, financial, health, people-to-people relations; plus all those other things that we must decide on day to day,can be a burden. But we do what we must, hoping that our choices will improve the situation.

The Nye County Planning Commission is seeking input from area residents on how to improve our community. No doubt many of us who have lived here for a time have thoughts on what is needed to make our town and all of Nye County a better place to live. In part, I think we could do with more traffic safety upgrades. Maybe a couple more traffic lights. For some of us older drivers who suffer with reduced night vision, so many dark intersections are hazardous. Corner lights, or at least reflectors on those curbs that are invisible in the dark, would be a great help.

Wearing masks when shopping or dining out, etc., washing our hands frequently and social distancing. Given the circumstances those practices shouldn’t be thought of as bothersome. That’s just common sense. More concerning to me is how safe youngsters will be when they return to school. As I watch the news and hear about various approaches being taken by school administrations around the country, I’m not seeing a clear consensus on how things will be managed.

No doubt, the year 2020 will be long remembered as a time of challenge and change. Will America adapt and do better? Back to choices. Of course our political leaders will make those decisions that impact the larger population. But that still leaves us with individual options. When all is said and done what else is new? ‘To do or not to do’ has always been the question.

A final thought. However bitter some periods in our history were, they are fixed and beyond change. What we do have is the here and now. And the future, which may be shaped in ways that generations to come can build upon.

I recall some words in a song Tony Bennett recorded years ago: “The best is yet to come and babe won’t it be fine.” Seems to me that’s the only attitude worth having.

Ralph Bazan

Swimmer disappointed community pool closed

First there was Aquaman, and now there’s Swimmer Girl!

That’s how my friends refer to me, because I love the water. Any water — lakes, rivers, swimming pools and my favorite, the beautiful ocean.

Aquaman was a fictional superhero in comic books and movies. He was at home in the ocean, as was Mera, warrior princess of Xebel. I must also become a warrior for my swimming competition in October of this year.

Winning three gold medals in senior swimming competitions has given me great confidence, but in training for upcoming events, swimming and biking have been fun but also hard work. I look forward to bringing home another gold medal to Pahrump.

For some of us, swimming is more than just a way to beat the heat or get a little exercise. I love swimming in the morning, because early mornings is when I have the most energy.

I was saddened to hear our pool will not open this year, and hopefully we will do what it takes to ensure this will not happen again.

Cathy Behrens