Nov. 2, 2022, R-C Letters to the Editor

Thank you, Douglas County

Editor:

Thank you to the many friends, parents, school district employees, and community members who have supported Butterfield, Lehmann, and I throughout this campaign to serve as your trustees on the Douglas County school board.

Thank you to all of those that work daily to help the students of our community. I am proud that my family is a product of the Douglas County School District. My boys are receiving a great education from dedicated and caring staff throughout the school district. Thank you to community volunteers that share their time and resources to provide opportunities and support our schools.

Our schools are moving in the right direction. Douglas County School District achieves academic scores comparable to the top states in the nation. We have career and technology pathways including culinary, engineering, and welding to prepare students for their future goals. Students have the opportunity to graduate high school with their AA degree through the Jump Start program. Nevada is currently ranked 18th in the nation for academic achievement (https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/state-grades-on-k-12-achievement-2021-map-and-rankings/2021/09#top-to-bottom-rankings) and Douglas County ranks first in the state of Nevada (https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/s/nevada/)

I am not a politician. I am a concerned parent who cares deeply about the education of our children. I support the leadership of our current Superintendent Keith Lewis. To overcome the current challenges our district is facing with funding, state control, staff shortages, learning gaps, youth mental health, and student behavior, we need a school board that can work with parents, community members, school employees, and neighboring districts. Together we can continue to support this great district in helping each and every student achieve success. Please vote Lehmann, Butterfield, and Jackson for school board to put the needs of your children and ours as top priority.

Heather Jackson

Ruhenstroth

Not real Republicans

Editor:

On Oct. 20, the Center for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Vaccines approved adding COVID-19 vaccines to the recommended immunization schedules for both children and adults. The election of the Douglas County School Board has now become about more than saving the schools from proponents of anti-American, Marxist Ideologies.  The CDC decision means the choice made for school board trustees may end up saving the life of your child. 

If Gov. Sisolak wins re-election, he will almost certainly follow the CDC guidance and require the Covid-19 vaccine in Nevada.  If additional requirements for Covid-19 immunizations are added by the Governor, it will fall to the School Board of Trustees to make determinations regarding whether your child meets the additional new immunization requirements.   Read Nevada state law (NRS 392.435-392.448) which governs the immunization of pupils in Nevada. It’s very clear what will happen if Gov. Sisolak wins.   

Butterfield, Jackson, and Lehman are clearly adherents of Democrat party values and will al-most certainly fall in line with Gov. Sisolak if he wins.  If so, Butterfield, Jackson, and Lehman will almost certainly take the same position as Governor Sisolak and exclude children who are not vaccinated for Covid-19.   Further, the NRS states that children who are excluded from schools will be considered neglected, which ultimately means the State of Nevada could legally take children who are unvaccinated for Covid-19 from their homes due to noncompliance.   

The latest statistics show that only approximately 3 percent of parents have chosen to vaccinate children under the age of 5 for Covid-19.  Only 30 percent of the 5-18 age group have been vaccinated.   American parents have clearly already weighed the benefits vs the risks of the vaccine and have largely decided not to have their children vaccinated for a disease that has an extremely low mortality rate for the 0-18 age group.   

Given their past decisions related to Covid-19 masking and lockdowns, and their clear alignment with the Democrat party agenda, do you trust Butterfield, Jackson, and Lehman to decide your child’s fate regarding mandating Covid-19 vaccinations? I certainly would not.    

Do not fall for fake Republicans endorsing Democrat candidates.  Vote for Dickerson, Jansen, and Burns; vote a straight Republican ticket in 2022; and vote NO on Questions 1, 2 and 3. 

Dan Cassentini

Minden

Running to put kids first

Editor:

Eight years ago, when Sharla Hales recruited me to sign up to run for the school board seat she was vacating, nobody cared who was on the board. It was the last day that people could register to run, and nobody had signed up. I had just finished earning an MBA through the Wharton School of Business and volunteered regularly in my children’s classrooms so serving on the board seemed like something I could do. Someone in the community needed to do it, so I did. 

I had no idea then that serving on the board would put me right on the frontlines of America’s culture wars today. I have no interest in being on those frontlines, but here I am. 

While the campaign has been stressful and frustrating, there have been moments of kindness and acts of service from others directed to me that have lifted me emotionally and left me filled with gratitude.

To those of you who have supported me, spoken in favor of me, written letters to the editor or knocked doors on my behalf, or have simply offered a kind word, thank you. 

It seems like every day over the last week someone who I don’t know has reached out to me to tell me that they have already voted for me. That means so much to me. Thank you. 

To anyone who has taken the time to research the election, visit websites, watch debates, or call me to ask questions, thank you. 

To anybody who hasn’t yet made up their mind on this election, I ask for your vote. I am running to put kids first. What’s best for kids should not be sacrificed by those engaged in partisan political warfare. Political ideology and platforms should not guide the decision of school board members. I will always make decisions in the best interest of students based on data and facts. If you’d like to talk more, please call me at 775-434-8884. 

Honesty is important to me. My opponent has made many representations that are simply not true. Please see my website (Lehmann4schools.com) for a link to a factsheet comparing her and her slate’s allegations with the truth.

As an active church member, it’s important to me that schools reinforce the family values that my wife and I are teaching at home: honesty, respect for others, morality, personal accountability, and the importance of work. It’s also important to me that in our public school those who feel and believe differently from me are welcomed and accepted with compassion. I’ve spent countless hours in our schools from kindergarten to high school and am happy that these things are taking place every day in our classrooms.

Finally, it occurs to me that this election is about more than just schools. It’s about the soul of our community. Are we a community that supports teachers, values truth, is compassionate to all, puts students first and rejects extremism? I think we are.

Please vote Lehmann, Butterfield and Jackson. 

Robbe Lehmann

Genoa

Politics have no place in schools

Editor:

This letter has three points I’d like to address. First of all, I am a Douglas County native, a proud graduate of Douglas High School class of 1979, and a lifelong conservative Republican. When I read that the Douglas County Republican Central Committee (a committee that both my parents were part of for many years, and my mother was President) endorsed three candidates for the upcoming school board election, not only was I shocked, but angered as well. Never in my lifetime has this committee done such a thing. This is a nonpartisan election. Politics have no place in our schools. We expect our teachers and all school officials to keep their personal political beliefs to themselves, shouldn’t we expect the same from the school board?  You can’t have it both ways.  If people running for a school board seat seek out or advertise the support from any political party, go run for the Legislature. 

Secondly, I have watched, read, and listened to everything I can in regard to the upcoming school board election. There are six candidates running for this board and there are three that clearly know what’s going on in our schools. These three candidates remind me of what makes Douglas County great. They are hardworking, honest people with integrity, and they play by the rules. They don’t send out flyers filled with outright lies and scare tactics. These three people know our schools, they support our schools, and they understand our schools. Most importantly, they either currently have children in our schools or have recently had kids in our schools.  As parents, they see firsthand what is happening in our schools.  You probably already know which three candidates I’m referring to by the descriptions I’ve given. Robbe Lehmann, Roberta Butterfield, and Heather Jackson don’t play politics, but are all Republicans.  They know their job, they do what’s right for our kids, and will keep this school district strong and moving in the right direction. 

Thirdly, I have been lucky with having many amazing teachers, coaches, principals and superintendents in my lifetime, and currently, we have one of the best superintendents we’ve ever had. Keith Lewis is a man of his word, he loves kids, and above all else, they are his priority. No matter where Mr. Lewis has taught or was the administrator, he worked hard to make that school the best it could be. Now as the head of our district, he continues to do the same. Mr. Lewis is a 25 year asset to this community that we are so fortunate to have. 

1979 was a long time ago and a lot has changed. What hasn’t changed is what’s needed in running our schools. We need people of integrity, people who know Douglas County, Nevada, School District, people who play by the rules, and people who ultimately know who they’re working for: the kids. Those people are Roberta Butterfield, Robbe Lehmann, and Heather Jackson. Keep Douglas County Great.

Tim Jacobsen

Minden

Don’t believe false claims

Editor:

As a parent of three children in the Douglas County School District, I continue to be deeply concerned by the misleading and divisive “Save Our Schools” scaremongering campaign being waged by Burns, Dickerson & Jansen. Although every one of their outlandish claims has been proven false, it is hard to keep up with the tsunami of misrepresentations and outright lies.

Of course, it’s alarming to hear statements that our school administrators and teachers are ‘introducing a woke agenda,’ and are ‘engaged in social engineering’ and ‘sexualizing children’. But there is literally no evidence to suggest that any of this is true. Quite the opposite, Robert Butterfield, Heather Jackson and Robbe Lehmann, have disproved every single absurd claim. Just visit Trustee Robbe Lehmann’s website for a comprehensive breakdown (Lehmann4Schools.com).

Our local social media pages are also awash with politically biased mud-slinging, and incendiary tales from a ‘friend of a friend’. Instead of reacting with outrage or fear, please just ask yourself, does this pass the sniff test? The vast majority of our Douglas County School District staff and teachers have lived in Douglas County for a very long time. They have raised their own families here - in our schools, our churches, and our local clubs. Heck, most of the teachers at DHS are former students! Does it really make sense that they would all suddenly about face and start “indoctrinating and sexualizing our children”?

The truth is that our teachers and kids don’t need saving – they just need to be allowed to get on with their jobs of teaching and learning in a safe, supportive, and successful environment. 

Please vote for Butterfield, Jackson and Lehmann in the upcoming elections, and save our students from being used in a political game they didn’t sign up to play.

Tracy Campbell

Minden

Speaking up

Editor:

It’s time for me to speak up about the negative, fear-mongering, and outright dishonest school-board campaign being run by David Burns, Catherin Dickerson, and Susan Jansen. 

Their last mailer claiming that Douglas County Schools sexualize students just went way too far. I have four daughters that have attended Douglas County schools. The oldest graduated last year and the youngest is in 4th grade. 

My girls have never been exposed to the alleged “progressive ‘woke’ agenda including sexualization of children” Burns, Dickerson and Jansen are lying about. Never have they been asked to “provide their pronouns”. Never have LGBTQ issues or lifestyle been pushed on any of them. 

This mailer is a shameful act of desperation and should be seen only as that. There is no truth to it. 

I have followed the school board campaign for the last several months, including speaking with many of my neighbors, and it is clear which group is running an honest, positive campaign and which group is relying on deception and fear to get votes. 

Please vote for the candidates who are honest and support schools: Robbe Lehmann, Heather Jakcson, and Roberta Butterfield.

Nathan Hastings

Minden

Lombardo’s tax cuts

Editor:

What taxes is he going to cut, income taxes, not here in Nevada. Sales taxes? How will Nevada pay its bills?  Casino taxes?  Maybe the casinos will loosen up their slots.  Reduce business and industry taxes, will they give their windfall back to the consumer?  If China opens up their ports to pre-COVID levels we would see progress on inflation.  I do not see where Lombardo has much of a chance in doing that.  Fact is, Lombardo as governor cannot do much to curb inflation or reduce any taxes that will come back to the citizens.

Jim Martin

Gardnerville

What Democrats believe

Editor:

It’s a sad day for Douglas County when inflammatory innuendos and conspiracy theories are allowed to be considered truths. Here are the policy ideas the Democratic Party stands for.

• We support a well funded education system. Our schools are under assault by unfounded notions and people who want to ban books. Our schools should be a place where staff members are treated as professionals and a safe place where our students can learn. They should not be used for fear mongering or political games.

• We support a woman’s right to choose. Women are capable of making their own healthcare decisions. We support women and families when they choose to have kids with prenatal care, paid family leave, pre-K education, child tax credits, and affordable childcare. 

We support Equality for all Nevadans. Everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability or culture, should have equal opportunity to make the most of their lives.

We believe in science and climate change. We support policies to protect our environment for future generations.

We support training & funding our police and 1st responders. We support policies that stop punishing people simply because they are poor. Anyone who breaks the law should face consequences as long as it is applied equally. 

We support responsible gun ownership, background checks, and red flag laws.  

We support a comprehensive immigration policy. An issue this complex will not be solved by simply chanting “build that wall”. 

We believe in the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. 

• We believe Social Security and Medicare should be protected and funded for future generations.

• We believe all Nevadans should have access to secure, equitable and safe voting.  

Our party allows and respects many different ideas and beliefs. That is what makes our Democracy and our Country great. I hope we can return to a day where we debate ideas and policies based in reality. This election, please look at the policies of the candidates and choose those who will work for you and your family. 

Marie Bledsoe

Gardnerville

Considerations before voting

Editor:

Some recent headlines to consider before you vote:

Nevada gets more than $18 million for electric buses, water infrastructure

Joey Gilbert ordered to pay $161,000 in attorneys fees to Lombardo over failed election challenge

Nevada child care programs received $222 million from federal American Rescue Plan

Las Vegas hotel mogul Robert Bigelow spends nearly $50 million to support Lombardo, other Republicans

GOP donor trying to reshape Nevada politics pushes radical conspiracy theories, repeatedly cites antisemitic propaganda

How rural Nevada became the next battleground for the ‘Big Lie’

U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced on Friday the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) completed the removal of all weapons-grade plutonium that was secretly shipped to Nevada under the Trump administration. 

Q: So which party is actually working hard to make Nevada a better place to live and which party is throwing million$ into the election to keep the rich richer?

A: The answer seems quite apparent just from these few headlines.

Vote Democratic on a straight ticket.

Harry S. Lang

Minden

Level heads on wild horses

Editor:

 “America’s wild horses are in crisis.” (ref. RC 10/19/22 ad) Yes…because they’re all going to starve without funds to continue the birth control efforts successfully achieved by The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign…“62% foal reduction on Nevada’s Virginia Range without the removal of a single horse.”

While disapproving of the “roundups” by the government (and their methods) as much as anyone, the public must understand it is to the same end:  to curb the staggering overpopulation and inevitable starvation.

How many people know that the BLM and Forest Service rangeland management areas were, some time ago…300 percent over the appropriate management level, or that 50 percent of all free-roaming horses - and burros - in the U.S. are in Nevada? (ref. SJR3 bill to Congress)

Even if reducing their population via birth control is less costly, both it and the government feeding them captive in pens, are doomed without the needed funds.

The emotional glamour of these beautiful animals cannot hide the fact that overpopulation is drastically damaging their habitat - and that of other animals - necessary for their very existence. Multiple fires have reduced their forage as well, and ongoing drought.

Without controlling their ever increasing population one way or the other, the growth rate of herds can be expected to double every 4-5 years (Interior Dept.’s last appropriation bill).

Level heads will have to use reason rather than emotion and agree to make the hard decisions.   

Where ideal solutions cannot be achieved, it’s not unrealistic to sacrifice a few for the sake of the whole.

Joy Uhart

Minden

Thanks to committee chairs 

Editor:

Douglas County is fortunate to have many talented individuals chairing our many committees and boards.  It is through their hard work that we have an effective government, working for our residents.

Let me mention just three who I have had the privilege to work with in the last year.

Our Board of County Commissioners has been well led this year by Mark Gardner.  Chair Gardner is always well prepared, asks meaningful questions, and leads his board with a firm grasp of their mission.  He treats his board, the staff, and all participants with respect and appreciation of their contributions.  

Planning Commission Chair Maureen Casey has provided effective leadership during 2022.  She studies every issue and takes a hands on approach when examining matters before the Planning Commission.  Because of her thoughtful and pragmatic direction, this group provides valuable service to Douglas County.  

The newly created Vacation Home Advisory Board has been skillfully chaired by Mickie Hempler.  Chair Hempler successfully launched this group, set the right tone to accomplish their mission, and guided the members in producing good solutions to difficult questions.   Douglas County has many other Chairs that deserve our thanks.  Each make Douglas County a better place to live, work and visit.  

While I am a member of the Planning Commission, these are my personal views.  

Kirk Walder

Zephyr Cove

Highway 50 concerns

Editor:

 There are great concerns of Douglas County residents, who reside at the lake, that once again we are being overlooked and repeatedly ignored.  The Casinos and resorts (Star Alliance) are pushing the county and TRPA to override residents concerns of safety in exchange for increased revenues. They are lobbying NDOT to reduce the I50 lanes and designate them for bike traffic! 

 The previouse attempt to do this in 2017 failed due to the objection of a commisioner. Yet here we are again with the resurrection of the Stateline to Stateline bike path. This , they hope will draw mayor events to the East shore. NDOT claimes reducing the 4 lane highway increases safety. A quick look at their own website says otherwise. Under their ‘Nevada Traffic safety Crash Facts “ I found excellent data that completely contradicts the “studies” they have done. Douglas County (2015-2019) has 8 fatal crashes per year, only 2 are in the I50 corridor in question. Compared to Clark County’s  970, Washoe county’s 193!  They analyze fatal crashes by lanes: a 2 lane road killed 17,848 versus 4 lanes 2,083 , a 9 fold difference in favor of 4 or more lanes! A similar correlation is found when looking at nonfatal crashes and property damage.

 There is the additional safety concern, that in case of fire, I50 is the only evacuation route for 30 000 people! In which case all 4 lanes are used to exit the Tahoe basin. This scenario was the reason why 87 people burned alive in their cars on the road in Paradise, CA in 2018!  Their city counsel had done exactly the same as proposed by NDOT in 2016, they reduced the only 4 lane road to 2 lanes with concrete dividers seperating the new bike paths. Last years Caldor fire was natures reminder to us. 

 The question I put before the Douglas County Commissioners, NDOT, Sherriff Dan Coverly and Fire Chief Scott Lindgren: are you setting us up for the same fate as the burn victims of Paradise? 

Elisabeth Lernhardt

Zephyr Cove