Jan. 18, 2023, R-C Letters to the Editor

Thanks for help digging out

Editor:

We just wanted to give a shout out to the dedicated men and women, of NDOT, various general improvement districts, and NVEnergy, who have worked tirelessly to keep our roads clear and to restore electrical service during our unprecedented storms. We are deeply grateful for their efforts to make our lives easier in Douglas County in spite of the difficult circumstances.

John Bingham and Reine Huntsman

Topaz Ranch Estates

Stop the loss of deputies

Editor:

Regarding the salary controversy for Douglas County deputies, we can dispense with all the details and all the finger pointing.  The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is understaffed, does not attract enough new recruits, and is losing deputies (both new and senior) to higher-paying jurisdictions nearby.  The evidence speaks clearly.  It cannot be word-smithed.  We have to face those facts and not ask others (lawyers at more than $50,000) to resolve what is so plainly obvious.  If we want to stop this hemorrhaging of deputies and if it is, in fact, a priority, then it’s simple: Pay more.  County Commissioners and Managers, the facts speak for themselves and those should guide our actions.

Steve Ristorcelli

Sheridan

Road diets not a cure all

Editor:

When I first learned about this term it sounded woke and misplaced. Since then, I have ventured out from under my rock. They are planning a car-free America.  Programs such as these are diminishing everyone’s mobility in the name of safety, healthier transportation, and environmental benefits.  What it involves is reducing a four or more-lane road to a two-lane road.  The gained space then gets repurposed for other uses like bike lanes, parking, turn lanes, or islands. They are pushed as the cure-all by the Federal Highway Administration and are mandated in several states for city planning, e.g. California.  Like all prescriptions, they have side effects, some serious. Loss of highway capacity, slower transit time, public transportation inefficiencies due to congestion, more pedestrian signaling required, problems for emergency vehicles, fire, police, etc., to get through, evacuation times, remember the Caldor Fire.  But the road diets’ worst flaw is when it gets applied to the wrong project.  By design, they are for inner city streets in need of reduction of speed and accidents.  They do not fix dangerous curves or snow-clogged highways like Spooner Summit. And they should never be mandated to arbitrarily restrict mobility, by increasing travel times. Nor should they force us to ride a bike alongside a busy road in a snowstorm in Zephyr Cove.  Or wait for the bus in a warming shelter at Cave Rock in winter.  Farfetched? This is the vision TRPA has for Highway 50.  And NDOT is all on board to build it in 2024.

Elisabeth Lernhardt

Zephyr Cove

Epic support for Backpack Buddies 

Editor:

The Douglas County Backpack Buddies Program, now in our 14th year, continues to provide weekend food to in-need students. During the school year the program delivers a weekend food bag (between 12 -14 pounds) to schools for each participating student. Additionally, during summer and schools breaks our food bags are available at the Carson Valley Community Food Closet for pick up. This supplemental weekend food helps to cover the seven meals over the weekend and prepares the student to attend school on Monday—ready to learn. Surveys have showed that better attendance, improved academic performance, and better behavior are the results of this weekend food. 

We want to acknowledge the generous grant in 2022-23 from Epic Promise Vail Resorts - Heavenly Valley. This grant will allow for over 500 weekend food bags or 3,500 meals to these needy children. Thank you Epic Promise.

Lin Larson

Backpack Buddies

Four tons of Christmas trees recycled

Editor:

Over four tons of holiday Christmas trees were recycled to be returned to the Earth as compost right here in the Carson Valley.  Douglas Disposal Route Drivers did their part, picking up 275 trees from curbs throughout the Carson Valley and parts of Eastern Alpine County.  We would like to thank all our Douglas Disposal customers who participated in this annual program.  And, of course, a big thanks to Bently Ranch and Matt McKinney.  This could not have been accomplished without their help.  They accepted the trees at no charge and chipped them as part of their large composting operations at their ranch properties.  It is good to start the New Year with a program that helps us all improve our soil and water quality and reduce landfilling of our natural resources.

Douglas Disposal

Minden