Mysterious letter to Silver Oak residents causes stir

An anonymous letter ripe with political accusations against a mayoral candidate was sent to residents in the Silver Oak neighborhood this week, troubling residents and both candidates.

The letter accuses one candidate of insulting the neighborhood and brings up old, contentious issues.

Mayor Ray Masayko said he was surprised and offended when he started getting calls about the letter, which attacks his opponent, former mayor Marv Teixeira.

"I'm almost offended that because my name is used in an anonymous letter, that people would ask me if I had anything to do about it," Masayko said. "I absolutely do not respond in any way, shape or form to anonymous notes on people's front porch, whether my name is used or not."

The letter raises a number of concerns about the Silver Oak neighborhood association process, maintenance of a common area, the timing of constructing a park and the city's eventual takeover of it, and questions about a related Kings Canyon Estate association.

But what was most troubling to some residents and the mayor and his challenger, was a note at the bottom which accused Teixeira of insulting the neighborhood in his role as chairman of the board for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada.

The club was trying to get a zone change on a piece of land in the neighborhood to allow business development, making the land more valuable to sell.

The club needed to sell the land after receiving heavy opposition from the upscale neighborhood whose residents didn't want a new children's club built at the site.

Teixeira said he was advocating as a member of the club's board, a position he has held since his time as mayor.

"It's one of my passions," he said.

Masayko said he has asked city staff to answer questions posed in the letter in response to the calls he received this week.

Resident John Etchamendy said the letter brought up several questions for him.

"I read this flyer and I started to laugh, actually because I thought it was funny," he said. "Then, I sat down and said, some of these things might hit me in the pocketbook."

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.