Editor:
Douglas County faces a crucial primary on Aug. 12, which will go a long way toward determining our future direction. Voters need to think carefully about which candidate's background and vision will lead to the future that we want for ourselves and the generations to follow.
Do you want a county run by developers, with their narrow self-interest? Do you want commissioners that support any and all growth, regardless of the cost to existing residents, either in higher taxes or lower quality of life? Or do you want commissioners who have a balanced viewpoint that puts our citizens and vital resources first, rather than special interests? Let's look at the three Republican primaries:
1) David Nelson has a degree in business administration, and has spent a lengthy career in finance and real estate. He helped found the Douglas County Good Government Group that supports transparency and responsiveness in county government. He believes in a balanced approach to growth.
His opponent, Greg Lynn, is a developer.
2) Doug Johnson is an incumbent county commissioner. His career is in private investments, with previous background in gaming and 10 years as a volunteer with the Ruhenstroth Fire Department. As chairman of the county commissioners last year, he pushed for the adoption of the growth management ordinance, both to keep faith with the residents who had previously voted for some form of growth control, and so that the county could move on to the other pressing issues that it faces.
His opponent, Blaine Spires, is a 24-year-old student, with little real life experience. His father is - you guessed it - a developer.
3) Stuart Posselt is an architect, with 40 years experience in real estate and planning. He has helped with numerous traffic, utility and economic studies. He has worked for the California Division of the State Architect and the Building Standards Commission. He believes that developers should abide by our development code and master plan.
His opponent, Mike Olson, is the co-worker and protege of current Commissioner Kelly Kite. They both work for a company one of whose biggest clients is the Builders' Association of Western Nevada, which includes a wide variety of construction and development interests, including Syncon Homes, Douglas County's largest developer. Perhaps this is why Olson, and his mentor Kite, never seem to have met a development they didn't like.
Three of the candidates, David Nelson, Doug Johnson, and Stuart Posselt, have varied backgrounds in business, finance, and public service. They all share a belief that there should be a balance between the interests of existing residents, business and government. They all believe that taxes do not need to be raised to maintain our quality of life, and that recent growth appears not to have paid its fair share. Their opponents all are in, or have close ties to, the development industry. They represent a special interest that too often seems to disregard the will and interests of the residents as a whole.
The future of our county is in your hands. Choose wisely.
Jim Slade
Gardnerville
Editor:
What is it with Max Baer and his many woes in building his casino? All I read about is Douglas County's financial shortages and here we have a business man who wants to invest millions upon millions of dollars here and all Douglas County is doing is giving him a hard time. I mean, the county should be rolling out the red carpet for Max and his people, not discouraging him at most every turn.
I read where Douglas County only allows signs up to 30 feet high and 115 square feet. How ridiculous for a state that not only allows casinos, but actually is casinos. Take away the casinos and what would you have? Not a whole lot.
I was driving on 395 this morning and realized that if one is driving north, from down below Jacks Valley Road, they wouldn't even see much of the sign due to the topography. Granted, it would be seen over most of Carson City but isn't that the point?
We already have huge billboards on Indian land. Why should they be able to do whatever they want but here we are discouraging Max and his casino project? Makes no logical sense whatsoever.
Look at the Fandango movie theater complex. That is up so high it can be seen from all over the area. We must start using our heads and quit being so rigid in our laws pertaining to sign height and square footage. If Max wants to build his casino, encourage him to do so. It would create many jobs and, I'm reasonable sure, " hordes of tax dollars.
Again, from what I read in The Record-Courier, Douglas County can use the revenue.
Tom Cashen
Minden
Editor:
Happy trails to Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer Barbara Griffin. Barbara has demonstrated the utmost devotion, integrity, and professionalism in her many years of public service to Douglas County. Barbara, you are a class act. We will miss you.
Donna Baushke
Gardnerville
Editor:
A real estate supplement showing the glut of over 800 homes on the local market that aren't selling, together with a description of Park Cattle's proposal to add 4,900 more.
The supplement doesn't begin to state the true magnitude of past overdevelopment. We also have numerous approved but unbuilt projects, many projects partially built but in suspense and a vast inventory of vacant lots.
And we have unused zoning on the books that would allow the population of Douglas County to more than double.
The reason real estate here has essentially collapsed is that we have too much of it. We've produced residential development far beyond the ability of the local economy to absorb it.
Yet we may now be doing with retail what we did with residential development, adding large amounts of new retail space at the same time that local businesses are closing.
And it is questionable whether the market will ever return for the sort of "ex-urban" development that has gone on here in the past, what with energy prices apparently permanently on the rise.
So the last thing we need is for all the big ranchers in the Valley to seek what Park seeks, thousands of more homes and significant retail space that no one needs or wants, further eroding the value of what went before.
Park should follow our master plan and build the 600 homes it generously allows, though even that is unwarranted in the circumstances.
And Douglas County should transition to a "jobs first, then housing" policy that focuses on the difficult task of growing a sustainable economy (real estate development clearly doesn't qualify) to absorb the residential development already in place and allowed here before adding more.
Terry Burnes
Gardnerville
EDITOR:
The Douglas High School All-Sports Boosters would like to publicly thank Smith's and Costco for their generous donations to our snack bar for the school's annual Mountain Madness event.
Your generosity helped make the event a huge success. All snack bar proceeds from the evening will be used to support DHS sports programs.
We thank you for your continued support.
DHS All-Sports Boosters
Minden
Editor:
The Douglas County Public Library Foundation would like to thank to following individuals and business for their generous donations to the silent auction, raffle and ice cream social held as part of the kickoff of Summer Reading 2008. The event was a great success and drew members of the community to sign up youth for summer reading, purchase reading materials from the Scholastic Book Fair, and meet 12 local authors.
Many thanks to Jay Aldrich Photography, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Casino Fandango, Classical Glass, David Walley's Spa & Resort, Dejà vu Salon, French Hotel and Bar, Fresh Ideas, Harrah's/Harvey's, Jasmine Gouveia, John Ascuaga's Nugget, Lakeside Inn, Les Schwab Tire Center, Linda Wilson, Pedro Leon, Raley's, Red's Old 395 Grill, Starbucks Roasting Plant, Tahoe Ridge Winery, Town of Minden, Wasabi's Sushi & Asian Bistro, Edgewood Golf Course, Full Circle Compost, IGT, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa, Sorenson's Resort and The Ridge Tahoe.
Thanks to the many generous individuals and business members of our community, the library foundation has been able to assist the Douglas County Public Library with projects such as a renovation of the Minden library meeting room, furnishings for the Lake Tahoe branch library, a book drop in south county, renewal of the Children's Resource Center in Minden and most recently, an upgrade to the library Internet infrastructure, a wireless network for the Lake Tahoe branch library, and a circulation desk in Minden. Funds from this year's event will be used to expand services for workforce development of individuals seeking employment, re-training, and new skills.
We also wish to thank the attendees of the event who purchased materials from the Scholastic Book Fair, bought signed books from the authors themselves, supported the silent auction and raffle and enrolled their children in Summer Reading 2008.
The support of the community is especially welcome as the library is faced with implementing serious budgetary shortfalls. Your generosity will enable the Douglas County Public Library Foundation to assist the library in continuing to provide quality programming, services, and materials.
Bob Chambers
Chairperson 2008
Douglas County Public Library Foundation
