June 7, 2023, R-C Letters to the Editor

Don’t feed the wild horses

Editor:

The heat of summer is just around the corner and the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates would like to remind everyone not to feed or water the wild horses in the Pine Nut Mountains.  We realize that you may feel they are thirsty but we promise you that there is plenty of water in the hills for them, always, but especially this year.  

Even during the drought there were always many springs, creeks and ponds available only a little way up in the hills.  It is important to their survival for them to feel uncomfortable around homes and streets.  In just the last few years the BLM has removed over 50 members of our historic bands.  

We remind you that it only takes one complaint for BLM to set a trap and remove them. They look for reasons to take them.   

There is nothing more effective to keeping wild horses out of neighborhoods than fencing your property in.  A closed gate may only be needed seasonally.  

If your property is adjacent to BLM in Fish Springs or the Wildflower Subdivision we may be willing to fence that property line to help keep the wild horses off of yours and your neighbors’ property.

Our goal is to protect the wild horses of the Pine Nut Mountain and the range they roam on.  

We truly do need the cooperation of local residents and yes, we know you LOVE to see them, but please go to their home to see them in the hills.  Don’t invite them to your home.

Mary Cioffi, 

President

Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates

Gardnerville

Form your own league

Editor:

A recent letter to The Record-Courier asks readers to “try putting yourself in others’ shoes” regarding the subject of Transgender students. I’m not going to try and argue the points concerning the Transgender students. What I will address is the attitude demonstrated by the author. The author suggests “it’s time for an empathetic and rich person or company to step up and initiate sports competition solely for Transgender.”  How about you and the others who support the Transgender community (families, friends, the Transgenders) go out and do it yourselves if it means that much to you? Things that are given are never appreciated like things earned. Go out and earn it. 

On the very same opinion page is a letter from AYSO thanking the volunteers who are out there serving as Ref’s, Coaches, working the concession shack, and so on. It’s hard work to put on a good youth sports program so roll up those sleeves and get busy. There are plenty of great examples in youth sports of every variety for you to learn from if you want to put the effort in.  AYSO stands for American Youth Soccer Org but the families who participate there also know it as All Your Saturdays Occupied. It’s something we gladly did because we were committed to supporting our boys and girls in sports they love. 

The author suggests that locker room issues are “non-existent” with Transgender students.  I would ask the author to follow their own advice and recall back to their high school years. Remember gym class and the apprehension many had when it came time to dress and shower in front of your classmates? Imagine a freshman girl who is 13, or 14 and how she might feel if she were to have to do that in front of a senior boy who is 17, or 18 in the locker room? Why should she be forced to endure that kind of pressure?

 Jeff Miladin

Genoa

Maybe review Robert’s Rules

Editor:

I was one of the 200-plus observers of the May 16 Douglas County School Board meeting from home via Zoom. My original intent involved speaking out on agenda item 20 regarding school materials policy. Unfortunately, the transgender comments took up a great deal of time and caused the agenda to bog down, causing very little productive business to result. It was also my first opportunity to observe the three recently elected members in action. Having spent time as a 4-H kid in my past, I was shocked at how little they understood basic meeting protocol … Robert’s Rules of Order, procedure, etiquette, “order of business” AKA how to conduct a meeting in a productive manner. It looks to me that Mrs. Jansen, Mr. Burns, and Mrs. Dickerson all need to spend time figuring out how to make these meetings efficient. The amount of time wasted trying get the basic procedures (making a motion, order of business, etc.) was very frustrating to watch. As leaders and champions of public education they must set aside politics and get to the business of student achievement and work at creating a collaborative relationship with the DCSD staff and community, period. Spending hours on the transgender issue that involves maybe 15 local students seems counter-productive as emphasized recently in an excellent letter to the editor in the May 31 R-C edition by Cheryl Blomstrom of Jacks Valley. 

Again, using divisive issues to waste excessive time and render the board completely ineffective is only hurting our kids. This counter-productive behavior needs to stop. If Jansen, Burns, and Dickerson truly want to serve, they should consider if they are truly in office to help our community or some sort of political agenda that is based on fear and ignorance. 

Martha Betcher

Minden

Rotary seeks members

Editor:

The Minden Rotary Club is facing the challenge many nonprofits face today – retaining and finding new members.  As the current co-president (along with Skip Pardee), I have been a Rotarian for over 20 years.  Rotary is an organization that I am proud to support through their devotion to the community as well as world-wide.  If it were not for Rotary, polio would still be a world-wide challenge.  If it were not for Rotary, we would not have the Minden gazebo; the new fence around the FISH Family Services in the Ranchos erected in 2022;  the many teacher grants that have been given over the years, or the monies given to the many organizations in our valley that support children at risk, the Minden Rotary’s primary  objective.

As you know, the power of any organization lies within its membership.  Our club needs to continue to have new energy and new ideas.  I have to believe with the many new faces in our community, many were former Rotarians.  I hope that you will join us as well as other non-Rotarians to see what a vibrant group we are.  If you contact me before you come to a meeting – lunch is on us.

Additionally, we have been gifted with many fine speakers each week that have taught us many things.  If you are interested in speaking, please let us know.

So perhaps this year, you will think about Rotary.  If you would like to have some fun, join us and a world-wide group of people who truly make a difference.

The Minden Rotary Club meets each Thursday at noon at the C.O.D. Casino and we bring our own lunch (or Schat’s is right next door).  Please check out our website by going to google and typing rotaryminden.nv. or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rotaryofminden/

Marsha Leeg

Co-President

Minden Rotary Club

Put historic district under  Town Board

Editor:

Genoa is one of the most eclectic evolving communities in Douglas County. Despite the almost unanimous opposition of the impacted property owners, the Genoa Historic District Commission has attempted to find a nonexistent problem to validate its unnecessary proposed solution, by putting forward a recommendation that the Douglas County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners amend Title 20 of the Douglas County Code Chapter 20.680, the Genoa Historic Overlay District, to excessively enhance its authority, by prohibiting “altering, removing, replacing,

relocating, installing, or otherwise changing,” a structure’s colors, lighting, fences and retaining walls and signage without first obtaining a “Certificate of Appropriateness” from the GHDC.

Perhaps, while reviewing this proposal the County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners should first consider restoring the historical preservation function and administration to the Genoa Town Advisory Board, whichpreviously carried out that function from its inception, in 1974 until 1995, and presently still reviews related local Master Plan, Land Use and Zoning issues. This would further streamline the review process through local residents, rather than the present nonresident membership of the historic commission, which primarily base their decisions on foreign subjective esthetic criteria.

Secondly, they might also address the present spot zoning of single-family/one-acre zoned properties, excluded from GHDC jurisdiction, but interspersed among the commercially zoned properties along Main Street and East Nixon Street (Genoa Lane).

As a result, one of the oldest structures in Genoa was recently demolished and replaced without GHDC review. Presently, one of the oldest remaining historical structures at 196 East Nixon St., zoned single-family residential, could also be demolished.

Lastly, the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners might also look into why two-thirds of the historical structures in and around Genoa, noted in the National Register of Historic Places and the “Architectural Heritage of Carson Valley -1981” prepared by the Douglas County Planning Department are

excluded from GHDC jurisdiction and scrutiny.

H. William Brooks

Genoa

Flags at Eastside were awesome

Editor:

On Memorial Day, my daughter and I were at the Eastside Memorial Park cemetery in Minden to respect and honor my veteran husband. 

What an absolutely awesome sight to see so many flags fluttering in the breeze! It made our hearts skip a beat. I would like to thank Irene Shahin and Bob Torres for the tremendous job of organizing the placing of all those flags. Thank you.

Lois J. Hieb 

Gardnerville

DAWG a great help

Editor:

I want to share the story of the huge impact Douglas Animal Welfare Group and their volunteers have had on my neighborhood and my life.

Several years ago, I found 4 kittens, without a mother cat in sight, under my back patio. I assumed momma would return, and she did, but it was several months later with another litter. I had been feeding the first kittens for some time, and I knew they were all males, so I wasn’t too alarmed, but the instant I saw the momma back, I knew we had a problem. 

 I was referred to DAWG, and they went into action immediately. 

Eloise and Tracee started by educating me about feral cats. Then, they provided traps, taught me how to use them, picked up and returned the trapped cats and helped arrange future trapping.

The next few months as we trapped the cats here, I discovered my neighbor had a similar situation. Within a short time, neighbors I had lived by for years started coming over and telling me about their feral cat participation! 

We quickly built a small network with the help of  DAWG and we slowed the feral cat population explosion in our neighborhood. We met and communed with folks I’d only nodded to in the past. 

Less sick and hurt cats appeared, and healthy, fed cats took their places. We all still coordinate our efforts together with  DAWG’s support.

I found out that every person I spoke to was willing to feed the cats and treat them kindly, but none were willing to trap, so I’ve continued to work with Eloise and Tracee, keeping our ferals safe and their numbers low enough for our group to sustain. My neighbors call me the Cat Lady (not crazy yet) and come to me to discuss their experiences and for advice.

Aside from the TNR,  DAWG has stepped up to help remove deceased cats, brought cat food in snowstorms, taken in tiny kittens that needed to be bottle-fed and allowed a few heavily pregnant momma cats a place to give birth and wean their kittens. I absolutely love this group and I will help them in any way possible. 

They don’t just keep the feral population healthy, they help build a stronger community.

Bonnie Haesaerts

Gardnerville Ranchos