Who would do such a senseless act?

To most of us, as residents of Topaz Ranch Estates, water is a precious commodity that we value but, apparently, I don't speak for all of us. Sometime in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 16, someone opened a fire hydrant on Slate Road in the Topaz Ranch Estates General Improvement District.

My first logical question is ... why? Besides the estimated $5,400 in damage done to the road and private property, this action caused the 220,000 gallon water storage tank to come within moments of running dry. The cost of actual water loss is estimated to be about $600. Had this situation not been detected in a timely fashion by TRE operator, Ole Chavez, about 4:30 a.m., the cost to the TREGID and the health risks to the public would have been much greater. Chavez, responding to a system alarm, reached tank No. 5 to find only a minimum of water remaining in the tank.

Water from the opened hydrant rushed out with such force that it undermined the edge of the roadbed at the corner of Slate and Stone, washing mud and rocks over a private driveway and washing out a drainage ditch.

The public needs to realize that since Sept. 11, 2001, tampering with a public water system falls under the Federal Bio-terrorism Act, (see US Code Title 4L, Section 300:-1), and is punishable under local, state, as well as federal law.

Let's hope whoever instigated this senseless prank is caught and then shown that it just doesn't pay to be stupid. If anyone has any information about the vandalism, please call Ole Chavez or the TREGID at 266-3000.

-- Thursday at approximately 1:38 p.m. we said good-bye to the spring of 2007 and hello to summer. Gee, I was thinking it was already summer. July 4 is just over a week away and the crummy part is that it happens on a Wednesday. So much for a three-day weekend.

-- For those who like to shoot sporting clays, hang around a fun group of people or just have a great time in general, the annual French Open will be this Saturday. Sign-in time is 9 a.m. at Carson Valley Clays, located south of Gardnerville, Highway 395 and 1 mile up China Spring Road to the club.

Shooting begins at 10 a.m. and costs $50. The fee includes 100 rounds of sporting clays with a Lewis class scoring system, followed by lunch and a raffle at the French Bar in Gardnerville. Also included in the fee are drink and raffle tickets. Prizes will be awarded for five classes: A through E, High Lady and High Overall. You must be present at the French to win. Information: on CVC Web site www.carsonvalleyclays.com or by calling Tom Clark, 265-3587 or the French, 782-2042.

-- With hopefully no more set backs, General Manager Rick Ross foresees an opening date of the Fourth of July weekend, for at least the main casino floor of Topaz Lodge. Not since the major floods of '97, when Highway 395 was closed from Highway 208 to Bridgeport and Topaz Lake filled with silt from the flood waters of the Walker River, has the popular casino experienced a near closure of this magnitude. Management has been able to keep some of the staff employed since the April 3 fire that closed the casino, but it will be a relief for many local residents to be able to get back to their normal work routine. Cross your fingers as we will all be happy to see the new interior when it is finished.

So, until next week, keep on keepin' on.

-- Jonni Hill can be reached through The Record-Courier at jhill@recordcourier.com or by calling 782-5121, ext. 213, or after hours at JHILL47@aol.com