An underwhelming understatement
Editor:
I was scheduled to attend the CVI Vaccine Clinic for a vaccine shot No. 1 on Saturday, at 11:15 a.m. I was told and the accompanying paperwork said, “Do not come early. Come on time.”
The snow on the streets was not a problem and at 10:30 a.m., I left my home in the Ranchos and arrived at the CVI parking lot at 10:50 a.m., and was told to get in a specific line in front of CVI to get my shot. The line took until 12:37 p.m. to get my shot. I even got a slip of paper saying I got my shot in my car at 12:37 p.m.
After the shot, the line continued after a supposedly another 15-minute wait to make sure you’re OK, I assume. I finally got to the light at the police station corner at 395 at about 12:45 p.m. I finally arrived home in the Ranchos at about 1:05 p.m.
To say there was a scheduling problem when you drive through in your car to get your shot at 12:37 p.m. with a 11:15 a.m. appointment is an underwhelming understatement to be kind. It also did not help to have no information ahead of time as to how or where to get in line at CVI.
Good luck to all those who need a shot and especially those who are scheduled for No. 2 at CVI.
Jim Joseph
Gardnerville Ranchos
Thanks to vaccination workers
Editor:
It wasn’t Dodger Stadium or Disneyland but the CVI Douglas version on Saturday for drive through vaccinations. We were two of many following along the meandering parking lot path at CVI feeling fortunate to receive our first COVID vaccination without leaving the comfort of our car.
I brought snacks and my Kindle while my husband negotiated the twists and turns at, when moving, 2 mph! We had a lot of time to witness the kindness and sense of humor of Sheriff, Fire, and support personnel. As well as patience of vaccine patrons.
Once we were closer to the “big event” a healthcare worker handed us required paperwork for signature, threatening to use a larger needle if we didn’t return the ball point pen, then answered our questions. The vaccination was simple and quick.
When we approached the 15 minute wait zone, doctors distinguished by their red vests visited with us and after a period of time released us. These doctors, nurses, deputies, fire and support folks had a long day from 7 a.m. to who knows when, in the snow and damp conditions. That doesn’t include all the parking lot route planning, CVI providing the space, appointments by phone and details behind the scenes.
Today, I’m wondering if I dreamed the whole thing because my arm isn’t even sore. We both extend our thanks to all those who volunteered time, space, expertise, and shared the community effort to return Douglas residents to normalcy and good health!
Cliff and Cheryl Bricker
Minden
Laudable government implementation performance
Editor:
Upon hearing Nevada Gov. Sisolak announce last week on the evening news that seniors 70 and older would now have access to the COVID-19 vaccinations, my husband and I were elated.
Early the next morning we rushed over to the Douglas County Community & Senior Center where a very pleasant person at the desk handed us a vaccination information flier with a telephone number. We came home, called and within a couple of minutes had appointments for the first vaccination on Jan. 19, and the second one for Feb. 9. We had won the jackpot — only better. Confirmation was delivered promptly to our computer, extremely efficient.
Jan. 19 arrived, and we witnessed one of the most laudable government implementation performances we have ever experienced. The planning of the entire vaccination encounter had been well thought out. The execution plan was phenomenal. The sheer smoothness of it was such a rewarding involvement with a kaleidoscope of individuals who knew exactly what their assignments were.
Thank you to all of the people involved —truly dedicated individuals — who are engaged in providing a highly necessary service to our wonderful and aging Douglas County population. Now Gov. Sisolak, show your leadership. Be a great motivator and open vaccinations to all here in our beautiful, beloved Valley.
Robin L. Sarantos
Minden
A brilliant thought
Editor:
It is so embarrassing and humiliating to read and hear about increased numbers of virus cases and huge numbers of deaths daily; yet the powers that be can’t seem to understand that we should be reading that the vulnerable are being vaccinated now, and the vulnerable were vaccinated three weeks ago, and the hospitals are now half full. And our health care workers are finally getting a break. Wouldn’t that be a brilliant thought.
It is embarrassing because the powers that be have put the economy ahead of lives. It is humiliating because our powers that be don’t seem to be as smart as other communities who have gotten it right.
Per CDC national reporting 75 percent of the deaths are 65 and older. Sixty percent of the hospital occupancy is 65 and older. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the logic behind this data that the sooner the vulnerable get vaccinated, the sooner everyone can return to normal. Masks and social distancing should be part of the scenario until we reach heard immunity.
And my humble opinion does not diminish the huge respect I have for every single person affected in one way or another by this virus. I just hope the logistics coordinator is listening.
Melanie Walters
Minden
Reflecting values and principles
Editor:
Douglas County chairperson of the commission had an opinion piece in last week’s edition of the RC concerning how important to elect persons to be a reflection of the values and principles of the community and our personal standards. Those who do not live up to those standards should be removed from office.
I believe in that concept totally. Just in case some of you missed the antics of John Engels just over a year ago, they are still available for viewing on YouTube. Open YouTube and search “Douglas County Commissioner John Engels Berates and Bully's Innocent Female Resident.”
“Douglas County Commissioner John Engels goes crazy, berating and bullying innocent female resident during public comment in commission meeting. Has to be warned multiple times by the District Attorney and other commissioners to stop.”
That “innocent female” was me. It was not the first time I felt threatened by his behavior. Within minutes, the sheriff riot squad was in the hallway of the meeting building.
Please keep this mind when it comes time for re-election.
Danna Meyer
Gardnerville
Facts don’t support such concern
Editor:
A couple of weeks ago a speaker at the Good Governance Group opined that the new Douglas County Board of County Commissioners’ majority will really represent the interests of only about 3% of all county voters. As a member of the campaign teams for Douglas County Commissioners John Engels and Mark Gardner, and an active supporter of Walt Nowosad, I can state that the facts don’t support any such concern.
Gardner and Nowosad were elected with significant margins over their special interest opponents. In fact, Gardner won the 2020 primary against a better funded establishment incumbent in a landslide. An independent candidate in the general election, who was funded by special interest money, challenged Gardner and was also defeated in a landslide vote.
Campaign volunteers for commissioner candidates Engels, Gardner, Nelson, and Nowosad and other civic minded volunteers had no trouble gathering the thousands of signatures needed to qualify two referendum petitions: A lawsuit by the developer stopped us from putting the Park 2,500 homes development agreement to a vote of the people. But the petition to put RDA2, the redevelopment project at the Lake to a vote, was decisively passed, dissolving RDA2. The candidates fully supported these referendum drives and, in three cases, personally participated in gathering signatures.
Engels, Nowosad, and Gardner ran for office to serve the best interests of all Douglas County voters, not special interests. The voters knew what they were doing. I invite interested citizens to log into the county website or use Zoom to watch the commissioner meetings and form their own conclusions.
Lynn Muzzy
Minden
Let the grown-ups talk
Editor:
The well-written correspondence you published in your last issue, regarding Mr. Tarkanian’s empty and inappropriate claims against the leadership of DCSD left me feeling encouraged that vapid nonsense will not go unchallenged in our community.
The many errors in Tarkanian’s judgment, and his “argument” – as you might call it – were enumerated very well by Sanford Deyo, and Ted Martell, and those refutations need not be repeated here.
In my 30-year career (now retired) as a teacher, coach, and sports official in Douglas County, I can personally attest to the integrity of Keith Lewis and Joe Girdner, our superintendent and director of human resources, respectively. As leaders, educators, coaches, citizens and caring fathers, they have established themselves as men of principle and compassion in our community.
Professionally, in the important administrative roles they serve, Lewis and Girdner are bound by state laws, board policies, administrative regulations, and common decency. In his first official meeting with the Douglas County Commission, Tarkanian managed to violate all of these for the sake of publicizing his own petulant gripes.
The one letter of support for Tarkanian’s views, published in your Jan. 21 edition, was, (unsurprisingly), a disorganized and self-contradicting mess.
My own children, and hundreds of my former students have graduated Douglas High School over the years, and I can confirm that the next student who has something flattering to say about Mr. Polka – and his unwelcoming tenure as the librarian there – will also be the first.
I thank you editor for the space you provide in this newspaper for the exercise of free speech among the concerned citizenry of this fine county. It is surely a good and decent thing, that all are invited to share their opinions here. But let us draw this sideshow to a close.
Now that they have had their turn, it’s time for Tarkanian and Polka to sit back and let the grown-ups do the talking.
Lyndon Jacobson
Minden
Support the ranching community
Editor:
I had the opportunity to have a sit down meeting with a gentleman who grew up on a ranch here in the valley. His views on ranching and ranch values really touched me.
He said ranching is a very difficult business with little revenue benefit. Ranchers raise livestock because they love the life, the values and traditions of ranching. They don’t care much for politics, but they care deeply about what happens within their fence line.
When you see a rancher concerned about the health of a calf, you might think to yourself, “Why is he so concerned about a calf that is worth $100?” But to the rancher that calf represents his whole being.
He is a steward, a conservationist and protector of tradition. We need to do everything we can to protect our ranchers and ranches. We all appreciate the immense beauty of looking over a vast range sprinkled with cattle or seeing the happy contented faces of cattle munching God’s green grass.
We all need to do more to support the ranching community. Your ideas are welcome.
Nick Maier
Gardnerville
A campaign to destroy America
Editor:
Healing and unity. Wonderful words and wonderful ideas. But what do they mean in the current political climate?
I take from Joan Costa’s recent LTE (R-C, Jan. 21) that to her it means those voters and folks who view Trump as a positive leader need to face up to our depravity and start nodding our heads in acceptance to the left’s radical positions on just about everything (“White Privilege,” the 2nd Amendment, Critical Race Theory, Gender Selection).
I feel sorry for Joan Costa. Like countless others, she’s been duped.
The hypocrisy of the left, as represented at the highest levels by our Democrat legislators in Congress (and by our new president and his vice president), of hyping the so-called “dangers” inherent in what is basically conservative political positions while at the same time saying they want all of us to “come together” is starkly apparent. Talk about “dangers.” Suppressing and attacking half the country surely qualifies as dangerous. That repels healing and unity. It inflames, instead. So why are they doing it?
We have most of the social media controllers censoring conservatives and pushing leftist propaganda. We have most MSM outlets also name-calling and screaming for Donald Trump’s head. That repels healing and unity. It inflames, instead. So why are they doing it?
Obviously, they don’t actually want healing and unity. They want to create a political climate through fear and anger where the “uninformed” are convinced that bringing one-party rule to America is the right solution to the “problem” of curing what the left is working overtime to label “Domestic Terrorism” (which in reality--something the left deliberately doesn’t deal with often these days--is the patriotic and commonsense approach to solving America’s problems that swept Donald Trump into the Presidency in the first place). Sadly, it’s the “uninformed” and easily fooled voters who decide elections these days, and the left “owns” or controls most of the access to those voters.
This is a campaign to destroy the America imagined by our founders and replace it with the kind of dystopian governing found in Orwell’s Animal Farm on a global scale. This is gazillionaires and megalomaniacs going for world dominance. I pray every day that the Joan Costa’s in our country will see through the lies and manipulations and fight instead to preserve America as the “City on a Hill” it needs to be to keep freedom alive in the world.
Virginia Starrett
Gardnerville
See the light?
Editor:
We see many in the GOP suddenly see the light as the Trump presidency is ending. Secretaries Chao (McConnell's wife) and DeVos resigning because Trump encouraging the storming of the Capitol building was a bridge too far. We have GOP lawmakers speak out and decry that Trump has gone too far. Sorry, but I don't believe you, you are more like rats leaving a sinking ship.
It wasn't too much when we had solid evidence that the Trump campaign had accepted help from Russia during the 2016 election. It wasn't too much when Trump tried to withhold Congressional approved aid for Ukraine unless they, Ukraine, created dirt on his potential 2020 rival (Biden). It wasn't too much, when after the election, Trump continued to make baseless claims about the election being rigged (no evidence of fraud per Trump's attorney general and FBI director that would have overturned the results and the courts, whether they be state, federal or supreme court, dismissed Trump's over 60 lawsuits because Trump's lawyers did not/could not present any evidence of fraud or irregularities). It wasn't too much when Trump (recorded call) threatened the Republican Secretary of State of Georgia that he better find 11,780 votes. Trump's mismanagement of Covid-19, which is causing more deaths than needed to happen, wasn't too much for these people.
No, these individuals are as complicit as Trump, and some maybe more because they knew better. They decided it was to their political advantage to play along with Trump, get the tax cuts for the wealthy, get the judges they wanted and have Trump protect their backs from primary challenges.
This era of Trump will go down as one that has brought our democracy to its knees, showed us just how fragile our democracy is. Think were we would be today if the rioters/insurrectionists had succeeded in capturing Pence and /or Pelosi (which video has confirmed was part of their rallying cry). We have survived partly because we were lucky, the storming of the Capitol building could have been much worse, and because parts of our democracy held, i.e. Secretary of States, governors and the courts. We may not be so lucky next time, something I hope all Americans will think about.
Irene Rice
Gardnerville
Biden dividing country
Editor:
One of President Biden’s first executive orders was to re-join the Paris Accord. Let’s look at what China and the United States are doing: China has coal burning plants generating 1005 gigawatts of power and under construction 121 gigawatts. Under the Paris Accord they are to reduce the number of coal burning plants by 40 percent.
How do they do that while building new plants? Japan is also building new coal fired plants and North Korea depends 100% on coal fired plants.
The United States now only has 246 gigawatts of coal fired plants as we have moved to gas fried plants. Under the agreement we still have to reduce by 25% by 2025.
China will be using cheap coal to generate cheap power wile the U.S. will be using expensive renewable energy making our cost of manufacturing non-competitive with China. It is estimated that we will lose 1.1 million jobs by 2025 and 6.5 million by 2040. Mostly in energy and manufacturing jobs. If we follow the example of California we can also expect brown outs.
President Biden also shut down construction of the Keystone pipeline. In less then a week, thousands have lost their jobs. Is this another example of how we produce new jobs? Canada is now angry with us and is considering hitting us with ne tariffs on our goods.
In just the first day in office he has given us laws that will hurt our economy and jobs. What is next on his agenda? An immigration policy that will cost us even more jobs?
The president is calling for unity in our country yet is coming up with polices which will further divide the country. As always, he is speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
Ed Eggert
Gardnerville
