Sept. 7, 2022, Letters to the Editor

Election workers checking 

Editor:

Let’s set the record straight. I have been an election worker for the past two elections. I have spent around 8 hours each time in training, including a lengthy online instruction on examining signatures & looking for deviations. When you show up at the voting location you complete a form with your name and address, and sign that form stating your adherence to voting regulations. You take that to a poll worker who looks you up in the state voters database, which includes your signature from your application for a drivers license/voter registration. If the address you reported is different, you are questioned. If your signature is different, you are asked to show your identification. Often people sign one “formally” and one “sloppy”, so your photo serves as verification. If you mail in your ballot, this same process is followed. If your signature is a no match the County Clerks office reaches out to you to come in for verification.

And, Mr. Dan Paterson, I cannot believe that the idea of “stealing an election” was on any Democrats’ mind. It was clearly the con of that moment for Mr. Trump to declare himself the winner before all votes were counted, and even as the projections had him losing. And all of his “right hand” men have testified that he knew he had lost the election. As a believer in Democracy, I am sure no one would have thought this if Trump had not started “the lie.”

Deni Caster

Gardnerville

Naïve to ignore woke agenda

Editor

Regarding John Collin’s letter “Fear of the Woke” (8/31 RC), a few facts. Collins claims that letters from Virginia Starrett and Bob Russo calling out the “woke” propaganda being taught to Douglas School students as inaccurate. Mr. Collins describes himself “confused” that teachings from Collaborative for Academic Social, and Emotional Learning and Critical Race Theory would be improper.

 Mr. Collins’ letter indicated that his own kids had graduated from Douglas County schools and back then received no improper indoctrination. But that was then, this is now 

For the past few years, the school board has assigned new teachers the task of reading, “Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain,” as a mainstay of their professional training. That book approaches teaching from the premise that all of education has been guilty of systemic racism, which is pure CRT. It’s an instruction manual on propagating the idea that “white” people are all guilty of racism. (Editor’s Note: The book is no longer being used).

The “woke” problem seems to be with the Douglas County school board embracing bit by bit a nationwide SEL trend that, for example, allows teaching very young children about choosing their preferred pronouns. If a boy requests to be addressed as she/her, some schools see no problem allowing him to use the girl’s bathroom. I don’t think we want that here. 

I’ve heard Douglas High kids with coping issues have been allowed to attend school as “furries” wearing dog and cat costumes. They are allowed to attend class this way, often making animal sounds and grooming their “fur” to the distraction of the class. At a recent ladies’ club luncheon one of the current school board members said he expected to see furries in junior high, possibly by next year. 

It’s naïve to ignore the woke agenda that has creeped into our schools. 

Lynn Muzzy

Minden

Look beyond the letter

Editor:

When you vote this fall know what that candidate stands for. Don’t simply look at the letter R or D behind the candidate’s name when you vote

Ken Gray, candidate for Assembly District 39, has continued to claim (falsely) that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election in spite of the fact that these claims have been proved false by numerous court decisions. While making these false claims, Gray provided no actual proof of even one example of voter fraud.

Gray also spearheaded a Lyon County resolution declaring Lyon County a “Constitutional County.” In a Constitutional County the Sheriff is the last word on law enforcement powers within their jurisdiction; their power is greater than the President of the United States. The Constitutional Sheriffs and Police Officer Association (CSPOA), claims on its website, “In addition to upholding the law, the sheriff is also charged with upholding the supreme law, the Constitution . . . Furthermore, it is this responsibility that grants a Sheriff the Constitutional authority to check and balance all levels of government within the jurisdiction of the County.”

Gray was also instrumental in Lyon County’s resolution to unilaterally and illegally invalidate Covid emergency orders from the Governor. He even suggested that the County transfer $56,000 to a fund to reimburse businesses fined by OSHA for noncompliance. 

When you vote in this important election, take a minute to discover and learn about the candidates Then make the decision to vote for the candidate aligned with your views.  Please vote. You and your family deserve someone who has Common Sense and cares about reality and your future.

Beth Mancl

Genoa

Celebrating the ‘Woke’

Editor:

For those who are “woke,” I celebrate you. You are the people who care and don’t turn a blind eye to injustice. You are the champions for those who need help to stand up to bullies and the entitled who thinks their specialness somehow elevates them. You are the ones who have the courage to change what needs to be changed. You are the ones who have helped to empower the marginalized to bring equality to our system of justice...to stand for basic human decency. You have seen that all lives haven’t mattered, even though they should. You are the ones who have the wisdom to understand that uplifting others does not diminish you. You have accepted accountability for the world in which you live, for the earth, and the waters and the air you breathe. You have chosen to change and grow and become “more;” more understanding, more loving, more compassionate, caring, and more empowered. 

Have you done it perfectly? Of course not. We are not here to be perfect. We’re here to make mistakes and correct them. We’re here to embrace our humanity.

There are those among you who fear the changes you’ve embraced. Dis-empowering rather than empowering, they choose domination with its lack of accountability rather than dominion. Desperate to hold on to the past where they feel safe in victimhood and blame, where specialness means superiority, they cling to stasis. They are so afraid their beliefs won’t stand up to the light of scrutiny they try to ban the learning of new ideas. They’re afraid their indoctrination of white, masculine supremacy is failing. They are threatened by the unfamiliar. They’re threatened by your unwillingness to be a victim. They’re living in the past, too afraid to embrace an unfamiliar future.

Don’t let their fears inhibit you. Don’t let their attempts to disparage taint the beauty of your choice to wake up to what needs to change. When you’re green, you grow. When you’re not, you rot. Embrace and celebrate your “wokeness.”

Joan Costa 

Gardnerville

Maybe not such a red wave

Editor

The issue of whether you believe in abortion or not has gone much further than that question given the laws being passed by Republican state legislators. These law makers are making a pregnancy a death sentence for women who have complications during their pregnancy. These poorly written laws allow for an abortion if the life of the mother is at risk but they do not define what they consider to be at risk thus doctors have to guess and if they guess wrong the mother may die or the doctor may be charged with an illegal abortion. Their requirement that an abortion cannot be performed while there is a fetus heartbeat regardless of the threat to the mother’s health is outrageous. We are seeing example after example of women who have an unviable pregnancy being forced to put their health or life at risk because of these new laws. The idea that the government can legislate whether an individual has the right to determine treatment for their health or treatment to save their life is outrageous.

The primary election results are indicating that Republicans may have overplayed their hand and this may not be a Republican wave year. Based on recent polling the threat to our democracy is the biggest concern for voters (i.e. the Big Lie, January 6th, a former president spiriting away with classified documents). It also appears that the ripping away of almost 50 years of reproduction freedom is motivating Democratic and swing voters.

Irene Rice

Gardnerville

Cortez Masto ads hypocritical

Editor:

In her TV ads Senator Catherine Cortez Masto criticizes opposing candidate Adam Laxalt for his support by the oil industry. I find that extremely hypocritical on her part. She voted in favor of a Chuck Schumer/Joe Manchin bill that provides hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to so-called green industries. These same industries now support Democrat party candidates with huge amounts of campaign contributions. We all know that a portion of the green industry subsidies provided by the Schumer/Manchin bill will be returned to the Democrats for their election campaigns. The net result is taxpayers are donating to the Democrats’ re-election campaigns whether they want to or not. This is a scam on the American taxpayer. I find it appalling that she thinks it’s terrible for Adam Laxalt to receive campaign funds from oil companies but it’s fine if she receives them from green industries.

Ms. Cortez Masto also blasts Adam Laxalt for taking campaign contributions from producers of opiate prescription drugs. She blames him for peoples’ misuse resulting in their addiction and death. I have written letters to the senator on multiple occasions asking her to go to our southern border and talk to border patrol agents about the drug problem they are seeing. In her only response to me, she blew me off and wrongly stated that the illicit drug problem is not related to the surge of illegal migrants crossing the border. In March 2019, she said there were sufficient “ways” employed at our borders to detect drugs like fentanyl. Oh, really? Fentanyl is now responsible for killing over 100,000 people in the past year alone and is the leading cause of death in adults aged 18 to 40 years. She blames Adam Laxalt for the people abusing prescription drugs but is unconcerned about the flow of illicit drugs across our border resulting in many times the number of deaths. This is as hypocritical as it gets.

In my letters to Ms. Cortez Masto, I tried to impress her with the security issue that open borders present. I pointed out the findings made by our troops in Afghanistan and Syria where terrorist computers were captured detailing plans to attack U.S. targets, some in Las Vegas. If I owned a casino in Las Vegas, I would be very concerned. If we learned anything from the attacks on the World Trade Center, it was that terrorists are patient and do not give up on their plans.

I do not believe the goody-two-shoes advertisements that Ms. Cortez Masto airs on television. If you like continued high gasoline and energy prices, massive inflation, insecure borders, increased crime, free flow of illicit drugs across the border, and our children being exposed to racial division and perverse sexual indoctrination in the classroom, then vote for Catherine Cortez Masto because this is now what Democrats stand for.

Ray Trexler

Wellington

Tribe honors employees

Editor:

On Aug.26, 2022, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California hosted the annual Employee Appreciation Picnic at Lampe Park. The annual picnic is held to acknowledge all of the hard work put in by the nearly 400 employees and departments of the Washoe Tribe. This year the Native Temporary Assistance to Native Families Tribal Employees from our California offices were able to join in the festivities. The Washoe Tribe Health Center sponsored a Health Fair to promote health and wellness to all.

CoCoMoes BBQ/Catering catered the event (at a very reasonable cost), providing smoked pulled pork and smoked beef brisket sandwiches, 4 cheese macaroni and cheese, sweet bacon baked beans and deviled egg potato salad. All of those in attendance enjoyed the food.

During the picnic, there were many raffle prizes given out, many of which were donated by our local Minden/Gardnerville business.

The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, Washoe Tribal Administration and the Employee Appreciation Planning Committee would like to recognize and thank all of the following businesses for their generous donations and for making the raffle a huge success: 

Accessorcity in Gardnerville, Full Belly Deli in Minden, La Hacienda Del Sazonin Minden, Douglas County Community Center in Gardnerville, Douglas County Swim Center in Minden, Carson Valley Inn in Minden, Ironwood Theater in Minden, Juans Sierra Select in Gardnerville, Carson Valley Golf in Gardnerville, Silver Strike Bowling in Gardnerville, Washoe Tribe Smoke Shop in Carson City, Wa She Shu Travel Center in Gardnerville, DST Coffee in Gardnerville and Meeks Bay Resort in Tahoma. An additional thank-you to the staff of Lampe Park for maintaining and keeping the park in pristine condition. 

Stacy Stahl 

On behalf of the

Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California

Tark in the Park a hit

Editor:

Over 400 people attended the inaugural “Tark in the Park” event. We were expecting 50 to 100. I apologize to those who had to wait in a long line for food and to my wife and daughter, who had to make numerous runs to the store for more food and drinks.

It was a great event across the board. I was able to meet many new constituents, several of which had concerns about different items dealing with the County, and I was able to personally explain what was going on. The most rewarding part was seeing so many young kids playing together on the two bounce houses and in the water park.

This event could not have happened without the help of so many people who volunteered their time and/or donated food and drinks. For some inexplicit reason, the County Manager, Patrick Cates, refused to designate this event as a county event, even though it was free for all county residents and was an opportunity to meet with their County Commissioner(s). Designating it a county event would not have cost the county a penny, but not doing so almost doubled the cost as private insurance and park rental fees were required. The County Manager even went so far as to take down the event’s flyer from the county board, which posts upcoming community events, without telling me. 

As with all great communities, many people stepped up to make this possible. Kurt Brown and Capital Beverage donated all of the drinks. Rick and Linda Voss donated the snow cones. The Minden Bouncers provided the bounce houses. Brandon Hill donated the initial hamburgers, hot dogs, and one of the grills. Five of my neighbors, Brandon Hill, Mike, and Terry Gump, and Ernie and Cheryl Strehlow (Ernie provided the 2nd grill), set up the event, did all of the preparation, cooking, and distributed the food. 

My family stepped up as well. Ava handed out snow cones and ice cream cups, Ashley was in charge of the music, Jerry was in charge of the bounce houses, and he delegated Tanner Hill (Brandon’s son) as the Bounce House Bouncer (making sure the correct number of kids were in at all times), and Amy did it all, as usual! I am so thankful to all, as I am sure the 400-plus Douglas County residents are also. 

I look forward to seeing you next Labor Day at the “Tark in the Park” barbeque.

Danny Tarkanian

Gardnerville Rancho