July 31, 2024, Letters to the Editor

Alpine Historical Society not giving up

Editor:

For over 50 years, Alpine County and the Historical Society have operated the Alpine Museum together. And for over 50 years, the museum has been a point of pride, and a win-win. The county got a destination spot. The society got a safe repository for its artifacts. Alpine’s history was preserved and shared. Now, the county has issued a termination notice, demanding the society get out. 

Sadly, Alpine County CAO Nichole Williamson recently explained the reason behind the county’s severing of ties. She said, “[T]he Society informed us of their unwillingness to operate independently, which left us no choice but to proceed with the termination.” (R-C July 24, 2024). Translation: The society didn’t agree to end its 50-year partnership with the county and take over museum operations itself. So the county decided to end it all.

Legally and ethically, we believe that is wrong. The society has invested too much in this very long partnership with the county to be forced out of the buildings we built and refurbished. 

The society literally built the museum building that you see today in Markleeville, and then added even more improvements: an office-basement addition. A working stamp mill. A Basque bread oven. A carriage shed with full blacksmith shop and buggies inside. We restored the 1883 Schoolhouse. The old log Jail was moved from Main Street to the museum property. All through the society’s volunteer time, labor, and money. 

The county’s proposed “independence” plan simply isn’t practical, especially for a small society in the tiniest county in California by population. It doesn’t work in larger counties. Take Mono County’s historical society, for example. They’re reduced to raffling quilts to keep their museum open. And Alpine County has less than one-tenth the population of Mono. 

We have attempted to negotiate with the county seven separate times over the past year. We urge the board of supervisors to recommit to our long-term partnership, sit down, and discuss real issues and real solutions with us. After 50 years, termination is not the answer.

Tom Sweeney

Historical Society of Alpine County President

Markleeville

Help save our history

Editor:

After reading the two articles about the future of the Alpine County Historical Complex, that was built, and operated by the Alpine County Historical Society, and financially supported by Alpine County taxpayers. I was surprised and left with many questions as to what seemed to have been a good working relationship for over 34-years, has ended up in such a mess.

The society has always worked closely with the staff, they were a team, or so I thought. The society not only took care of the artifacts they managed the site, making repairs, improvements, and notifying the County of any larger problems. 

The lack of communication between the county and the society is shocking, after all these years. The fact that the Historical Society directors and volunteers are only allowed in the museum at authorized times subject to the permission of some unelected county employee has got to be a joke or misunderstanding, I hope.

Alpine County supervisors’ our way or the highway attitude leaves the Historical Society with little or no options, but to agree or remove the artifacts from the buildings they built. Being locked out of the buildings and their computer makes it impossible for them to manage the collections. As for the exhibits or artifacts being covered with sheets, that is a common museum practice. When the museum closed in the fall the Society and the staff would have covered the display cases, upholstered furniture, and clothing with sheets to protect the artifacts from dust and light while the Museum was closed until opening the next spring. 

I am not a resident of Alpine County but many of the artifacts in that museum were donated by my family and their cousins. They were the ones that raised the funds and built the original museum. They are buried in every cemetery in Alpine County. Heck, my grandfather even has a fountain on Main Street in his honor. I know there are others like me who reside outside the county but have a deep family connection to its history. We need to support the Historical Society. 

Please Help Save Our History. Support the Alpine County Historical Society with your voice and financially with a donation to their legal fund. Any amount would be greatly appreciated, I am sure. 

Send to: Alpine County Historical Society, P.O. Box 517, Markleeville, CA 96120

Laurie Hickey

Foothill

Veterans of Foreign Wars seek members

Editor:

On behalf of Carson Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 8583 we would like to invite all qualified veterans of foreign wars to join us at our next meeting on Aug.12, Social gathering at 5:30 p.m. meeting at 7 p.m. at the Tahoe Douglas Elks Lodge No. 2670 located at 1227 Kimmerling Road, Gardnerville in the Gardnerville Ranchos.  Due to the generous support of the Gardnerville Elks Lodge No.2670 we are able hold meeting monthly on the second Monday each month.  We are an association of overseas campaign veterans dedicated to preserving and strengthening comradeship among its members, to assist with worthy comrades, to perpetuate the memory and history or our dead and maintain true allegiance to the government of the United States, foster patriotism and preserve and defend the U.S. from all of her enemies. We would love to see you on Aug. 12 and welcome you into our post.

Ricky Miller

Minden

Alvarado worth four-year contract

Editor:

 I was disappointed with David Brady’s letter to the editor (July 24 RC) critical of the current Douglas County school board trustees’ budget decisions. Regarding retaining Joey Gilbert as the board’s attorney, they are now receiving the legal services they did not find with the then-incumbent firm. 

 Regarding the new superintendent’s hiring and pay scale, Jan and I had attended an intensive question and answer session several days prior to the board meeting for the recently hired superintendent Frankie Alvarado. We came away convinced that he would be the best candidate to serve the Douglas County school system and that his pay package was not excessive.

All during last Douglas County’s trustee campaign period the then-candidate trustees were being harassed. Despite this and other harassment, the current board was elected by a majority of Douglas County voters. Now a group of people known as the “red shirts” shows up at each meeting with monotonous regularity to complain about the boards’ governance.  

Campaigns for public office brings consequences. Mr. Brady and the red shirts, try as they might, can’t nullify the majority votes that put the current trustee majority in office. 

Lynn Muzzy

Minden

Industrial Way grant not ARPA funds

Editor:

At the June 4, 2024, Gardnerville Town Board Meeting letters of gratitude were sent to Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto as well as Congressman Amodei. These three members of Nevada’s congressional delegation were instrumental in providing the Town of Gardnerville with a $1.26 million grant for the reconstruction of Industrial Way. I was in contact with staff members from the offices of all three of these elected officials during the grant submittal process. The town was supported by all three elected officials without regard to party affiliation.

In the July 10 letters to the editor Alice Meyer stated the money was coming to the town through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 which was not supported by Congressman Amodei. Ms. Meyer stated that the Congressman “Had nothing to do with the grant our town is receiving. He doesn’t deserve any credit for this.” It was also pointed out that no Republican supported this rescue act.

The town wishes to set the record straight on the funding source of the grant. The town received the $1.26 million through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (HR 4366). This was voted for in the affirmative by Congressman Amodei. It was voted for in the affirmative of 219-2 by House Republicans and 0-209 by House Democrats. The bill then passed the senate 75-22 with both Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto voting in the affirmative (21 of the 22 nay votes were Republican).

This grant represents a significant investment in the Town of Gardnerville. The town’s entire general fund budget is under $2 million per year. It is doubtful the town would have had the means to reconstruct the failing pavement on Industrial Way for some time without the support of Congressman Amodei and Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto. This reconstruction will benefit numerous small businesses within the town and will allow the town to advance additional roadwork in an expeditious manner.

Erik Nilssen

Gardnerville Town Manager

Opposes tarp fee

Editor:

I recently read where the county wants to charge 25 bucks for dumping without a tarp. 

I’m very much against this charge. For 30 years we have farmed walnuts a 1/4 mile down the street from San Joaquin County transfer station north of Manteca ca. The first 20 years it was no problem. Occasionally people would have an empty box, or something fly out and we would just pick it up and dispose of it. 

About 10 years ago they instituted no tarp fees. Since then we have had couches, dead deer, dogs, cats, old boats, refrigerators, TVs and kitchen sinks dumped in our orchard. 

Anytime someone refuses to pay the tarp fee they end up dumping their garbage in us farmers fields. 

When we call the county they will gladly come remove if it’s on the street. 

If it’s one row back into the orchard it’s my time and money to clean up. 

I personally use the dump here about once a week and for the amount of traffic I see very little trash along the way.  I predict if they are going to charge a tarp fee we are going to see a lot of large piles dumped around the sand pits as well as in the pine nuts. 

I would much rather increase the dump fee a small amount to cover the cost of cleaning up the road into the dump than to see all the garbage that’s going to end up dumped illegally 

Terry Davis 

Gardnerville