Gravel pit, Boy Scouts and the occasional fire

Hello Johnson Laners,

It has been very quiet in the neighborhood since my last Journal in January. I have gotten to the point of ignoring the discussions on coyotes since it seems no one reads them anyway. Every time it comes up on Facebook the discussion goes down a rabbit hole. Coyotes have been here longer than we have and will be here long after we are gone.

There hasn’t been much occurring with the Painted Rock project. A.J. keeps us in the know in his discussions with the BIA, BLM and the county. If you are not on his mailing list please contact A.J. at 114rockwell@gmail.com. He will keep you updated and let everyone know when we need to swing into action. 

Basically, we all submitted our public comments, Knox Construction has engaged a professional to write the mitigating measures to our comments. Once those are final then there will be another opportunity for public comment to address those measures. A.J. has created the Protect Johnson Lane webpage. You can find it here: http://www.protect-johnson-lane--stop-gravel-pit.com/. He has also created a Go-Fund-Me page to help offset cost for printing flyers and signs. You can contribute at this link: https://gofund.me/d1d81d89

We recently marked the one-year mark of entering the COVID-19 era. The impact has significantly changed how we live our lives. We have lost many loved ones to the pandemic. There is hope though. We are starting to see the kids returning to the classroom full time. Sports are returning and vaccines are becoming more readily available. 

One of the largest changes in my family’s life is the return to in person meetings for the Boy Scout troop. During this period, we have gone back and forth and went deep into the virtual meeting twilight zone. The troop has recently returned to regular meetings every Thursday. While we can no longer meet at the Fire Station, we have found a generous host in the Carson Valley Methodist Church. We practice additional sanitation, wear masks and practice social distancing as part of our safety protocols. The boys have continued to be active completing several Eagle Projects in the Valley. While our new Eagle Scouts have not been able to hold their Eagle Court of Honors, we are hoping to be able to celebrate their accomplishments in the near future.

The Cub Scouts have also remained active holding their Blue and Gold Dinner in February. Scouting continues to grow in the valley as we welcome Troop 20, our first all-girls Scout troop. If anyone would like information contact the following individuals. Pack 33 – Joe Sherych at 702-335-5959, Troop 33 – John Hefner at 775 720-6995 and Troop 20 – Malia O’Brien at 775-790-0385. I do not have a contact for the Girl Scouts but I would like for a local leader to contact me so I can give your program some equal time. To me all Scouting is important. I have seen first hand how it shapes young lives and I encourage parents to consider the benefits of Scouting. 

We also recently experienced a small brush fire along East Valley near Jones. The quick thinking of Cody Lamb who stopped and put it out with his expired fire extinguisher. Cody has been in Johnson Lane his entire life. He is our local hero and quite possibly saved someone’s home. Speculation is it was started by a flicked cigarette. Remember Smokey Bear says “Only you can prevent Forest Fires” that includes brush fires. A huge thank you to Cody, Alicia Finken, Brett Clampitt and the others that helped him put that fire out. Cody gets the headliner cause he had the video. My apologies if I missed anyone the assisted, Thank you all.

One last pitch. On May 22 and the 23 over 70 crafters will participate in the Johnson Lane Spring Craft Festival. This is a bit of a twist in that a map will be provided and buyers can drive to the sellers’ locations to view the crafts. With over 70 participants the variety of items will be quite large. So, break out your piggy banks and get ready to spread some of that stimulus money around.

Please send comments to johnsonlanejournal@outlook.com