hare and hound muley run hundreds compete in panaca race · 31/08/2018 · po box 485 pioche, nv...
TRANSCRIPT
lincoln county since 1870
the week of august 31, 2018
Vol. 148, No. 52
75¢
opiNioN
Judge confirms gun background check law unenforceable | Page 4sports
Lincoln downs Battle Mountain in season opener | Page 5
By Dave Maxwell
A temporary closure continues to be in effect on public lands at the Ash Springs Recreational Site, administered by the Bureau of Land Management Ely Dis-trict, Caliente Field Office.
However, a public review and com-ment period on a preliminary environ-mental assessment for managing the Lit-tle Ash site concluded on Aug. 20, with the information and comments gathered now being compiled.
The assessment plan seeks to deter-mine the type and level of recreational uses suitable for the site, while at the same time protecting the White River springfish and three other sensitive Ne-vada species the BLM has identified: the
Pahranagat naucorid bug, the grated tryonia, and the Pahranagat pebblesnail.
At the Aug. 20 meeting of the Lincoln County Regional Development Author-ity in Caliente, a motion was passed to support two of the BLM’s five alternative plans. Members sent a letter to the BLM stating their support of Alternatives 1 and 3, along with the stipulation that there needs to be on-site management. Both alternatives allow continued water recreation use.
Jeff Fontaine, LCRDA’s executive di-rector, noted the purpose of developing a new management plan for Little Ash is “to identify opportunities to protect public safety and to respond to demands of the recreational experience while pro-tecting the springs’ water quality.”
The five BLM alternatives for the Little Ash Recreational Site include:
1. A proposal by the Friends of Pahranagat group to make
improvements to the site to be more recreation oriented.
2. A land-based recreation and habitat conservation alternative that would per-mit only non-swimming recreation.
3. A number of recreation-oriented improvements to the existing infrastruc-ture at the site for both terrestrial and aquatic recreation.
4. Close the Little Ash site perma-nently to public use.
5. Take no action, but keep the site closed indefinitely.
A decision on the comments received is expected by the BLM around October.
Development authority comments on little AshliNcolN couNtyNeVada
By Jackie ValleyThe Nevada Independent
Tyler Hamilton, a senior at Advanced Technologies Academy, watched a man lose his life at the Route 91 Harvest mu-sic festival.
They were both standing in the front row — a location littered with bullets after a lone gunman opened fire on the concert venue last October. Nearly a year later, the 18-year-old addressed the state-wide School Safety Task Force and asked members to consider recommending that certain teachers carry weapons.
After sharing his experience as a mass-shooting survivor on Monday, Hamilton posed a question: “What happens when the threat is in our hallways?”
And then he offered a solution: “As controversial as it is, I think we need to figure out a way to possibly having a better armed response at our schools — possibly arming some of our teachers. Not all of them because I don’t believe that’s the answer.”
The suggestion drew rebukes from several other teens who spoke during the public meeting, illustrating that even students don’t always agree on how best to bolster school safety. For more than an hour, students testified at the third meet-ing of the task force, which Gov. Brian Sandoval created through an executive order earlier this year.
It was the second such listening ses-sion for the task force. Students also spoke during the inaugural task force meeting.
The students spoke candidly about their desires for more mental health ser-vices and their anxieties caused by ac-tive-shooter drills. In the process, they also offered practical suggestions such as:
• Requiring students to wear identifi-cation lanyards to make it easier to spot people who shouldn’t be in the building.
• Having a nurse or medical profes-sional present during active-shooter drills to help students who experience anxiety.
• Setting aside time during the school day for bonding activities that help stu-dents and teachers get to know each other.
• Installing more security cameras to eliminate blind spots within schools.
Alexiz Jenkins, a senior at Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy, threw her support behind an existing policy at her school that aims to reduce social media-related problems: When students enter a classroom, they slide their electronic devices into a “cell phone pocket.”
The benefits of that system, as de-scribed by Jenkins, provide a glimpse into the technology fears that today’s students face on a daily basis.
“You’re not worried about someone tak-ing pictures of you in class, someone tweet-ing something about you, someone testing
Students offer more suggestions to bolster school safety at task force meeting
> See SAFETY, Page 3
Hare aNd HouNd Muley ruN
hundreds compete in Panaca raceBy Collin Anderson
Flanked by police vehicles and onlook-ers, hundreds of dirt bikes rode through Panaca on Aug. 25 like a herd of steel horses.
The sound that accompanied them was like being in the middle of a wild thunderstorm, and as they passed, those that watched the procession waved and cheered.
It was the seventh annual Hare and Hound Muley Run, put on by the NHHA, MRAN, and the Silver State Trail Blazers’ Motorcycle Club.
Mark Wright announced the event on Saturday, filling in for Chris Johnson, and provided a rundown of the event, as well as some context for the races. Hail-ing from Arizona, where he’s raced “for a long, long time,” Wright explained that the races count towards national rank-ings.
“A lot of the boys who are here are chasing their American Motorcycle As-sociation national points,” he noted.
The races varied in length and re-quirements, with the earlier races spe-cifically for youth, while races later in the day were run by adults and long-time riders. The earliest race in the day was over eight miles long and was run by individuals ranging in ages from 7 to 16. The next event was run by racers ages 4 to 8 and consisted of a 1.2-mile
loop. From there, the hardcore racers took
the field, with the national race consist-ing of two loops. The first was 45 miles, and the second was 35. This was the most grueling of the events. No serious injuries were reported, but fatigue and bruises were common among partici-pants.
Despite the demands of the races, all in
attendance were in high spirits, happy to enjoy another day on the track. Points and awards were handed out, pictures were taken, and the riders were able to enjoy the company of those that under-stood the draw of high octane, high ad-venture sports.
A number of locals participated in the race. Results will be made available on-line at racemran.com.
Collin AndersonMotorcycle racers ride through Main Street in Panaca as part of the Silver State Trail Blazers’ Motorcycle Club race, held Aug. 25.
By Kim Froelich
Lincoln County High School graduate Hyrum LeBaron participated in a Mixed Martial Arts fight held on Aug. 11 in Mesquite, at the Casablanca Resort.
This was LeBaron’s debut fight in MMA. He fought Andrew Bonifaz from Las Vegas, also fighting for the first time. They were the opening fight for Mayhem in Mesquite, which promotes its fighters as being the “future stars of the MMA.”
The fight was supposed to last three two-minute rounds. As the opening bell sounded, the two young men squared
lchs grad wins MMA debut
> See FIGHT, Page 3
Courtesy photoRich Ottley congratulates Hyrum LeBaron after winning his debut MMA fight in Mesquite on Aug. 11. Ottley coached LeBaron in the Lincoln County High School football program.
your seVeN-day forecasttoday saturday suNday MoNday tuesday wedNesday tHursday
90/59Partly to mostly sunny
87/60Sunshine and some clouds
85/59A morning shower or t-storm
91/61Sun followed by clouds
87/61Plenty of sunshine
90/62Mostly sunny
92/63Plenty of sunshine
Published every Friday byBattle Born Media, LLC
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POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Lincoln County Record
PO Box 485Pioche, NV 89043-0485
CONTACT & STAFF
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page 2 Lincoln County Record || The Week of Aug. 31, 2018
Dutch oven cook-off draws closerBy Dave Maxwell
It’s an event that grows larger and more popular every year, so if you like good outdoor cooking, then you’ll prob-ably like Dutch Oven cooking.
The Annual Dutch Oven Cook-Off is happening at Cathedral Gorge State Park near Panaca, Sept. 15, 1-7 p.m.
The event is promoted by the Lincoln County Authority of Tourism, with the cooperation of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, and sponsored by Nevada State Parks. It’s a tasty affair where cooks put their culinary skills to the test and win prizes.
The four categories compete in are
main dish, bread, side/vegetable dish, and dessert.
Individuals and teams can compete in more than one category and are respon-sible for providing their own food and supplies and doing cleanup.
All cooking is to be done in a Dutch Oven with everything cooked on site.
The annual cook-off is a friendly event that attractions attendees from in and out of state.
It is free to attend, however, there is a $5 per-car fee at the park entrance. Children under the age of 16 may enter the contest with a parent or guardian’s signature.
State Parks interpreter Dawn Andone notes, “We look forward to this each
year. Come out and join the fun, good food, and raffles at Cathedral Gorge State Park.”
Directions:3 hours north of Las Vegas: I-15 N to
US-93 N to Cathedral Gorge Road.1½ hours west of Cedar City, Utah:
UT-56 W to US-93 N to Cathedral Gorge Road.
1½ hours northwest of St. George, Utah: UT-18 N to UT-56 W to US-93 N to Cathedral Gorge Road.
1½ hours south of Ely on U.S. 93 to Ca-thedral Gorge Road.
Phone: 775-728-4460Email: cathedralgorge_vc@lcturbonet.
com.
By Mary Cordle
Once again, Las Vegas singer Shiela Wright performed at the Shamrock Pub in Caliente. Wright and her friends ex-pressed how much they enjoy coming here and the friendliness of the commu-nity.
Christine Decker and Mike Wynn were kept busy serving drinks as cus-tomers came in from the car show, held in front of the Side Track Restaurant. Karaoke brought out the talent in locals and friends and family who accompa-nied Wright.
There are plans for another visit by Wright.
Vegas singer performs again in caliente
Courtesy photoLas Vegas singer Shiela Wright hav-ing fun with Miles Umina. Wright performed at the Shamrock Pub in Caliente last weekend.
catHedral gorge state park
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page 3Lincoln County Record || The Week of Aug. 31, 2018
STOP THE FUSSRIDE THE BUS
MONDAY: Pioche & Panaca shop-ping in Panaca TUESDAY: Vegas from Pioche, Departs 6 a.m.WEDNESDAY: ReservedTHURSDAY: Pioche & Panaca to Caliente - 10 a.m.FRIDAY: 1st Friday of every month to Utah
NEW OFFICE:1005 Main St. Suite 104, Panaca Driver’s Cell: 775-962-1124
Fax: 775-728-4297
piocHe towN board NewsBy Aimee Mascio
The Pioche town board met Tuesday, Aug. 21.
Board members present were Glennon Zelch, John Christian, and Tom Brown. Also present were Nathan Adams, Pi-oche Public Utilities (PPU) manager, and Kelbee Cheney, secretary of the Pioche Town Board.
In the opening public comments, Leland Lesicka, former city of Caliente sheriff and former town board member, wanted to make sure the paper has the correct day listed for town board meetings.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the Pioche Town board meet-ings. Occasionally, the meeting will be moved from the third Tuesday of the month to another day to accommodate board members’ schedules and ensure full board presence. Please read this paper’s monthly “Pioche Town Board news” to confirm the date of the next month’s meeting. September’s meeting has been moved to September 25, 2018.
Glennon Zelch voiced a concern that “we will all be in trouble if question 3 passes. The paper needs to understand how much the passing will hurt us.”
Later in the meeting, John Christian explained what question 3 is and how it will hurt Nevada residents, especially everyone in the town of Pioche.
“Pioche Public Utilities would cease to be a electricity provider and would become more of a maintainer of lines. A customer could receive multiple elec-tric bills, from multiple companies, and the bottom-line would end up costing us more and certainly complicate a house-hold’s budget.”
Many people also don’t want question 3 to pass because it could derail what progress Nevada has made in moving to-ward renewable energy.
Another item was filling the office manager vacancy. Tom Brown, chair-man of the board, said, “I always think it’s a good idea to promote from within, and if you already have a good employee, they should be promoted.”
In a unanimous vote, the board pro-moted Kelbee Cheney to office manager, pending final approval from the county commissioners.
The financial report was read by Ad-ams. Adams began by saying “the month of July looks really good in operating ex-
penses.” Water revenue was $18,000; expenses
and operating were $13,500. Sewer rev-enue received was $6,600; the amount spent was $3,400. Electricity revenue received was $50,000 and expenses and operating was $39,000.
Adams then noted that “July looks good, where last June looked bad, but it kind of balances out.”
So far, for the year, water had an operating loss of $14,000; sewer had a loss of $5,000; and electricity had a profit of $34,000. The cash balance report showed that power is at $115,000; water is at $89,000; and sewer is $50,000. Power is at $148,000; water is at $78,000; and sewer is at $79,000 for the capital improvement account.
The amount for electricity bought, ver-sus the amount sold, was a 14-percent line loss. Adams said that this was a little more than last month. As for water, the amount pumped, versus the amount me-tered, equaled a 30-percent line loss.
The board discussed establishing a capital improvement account minimum and establishing what its responsibilities and liability would be.
Also discussed at great length was PPU’s policy regarding customer utility work and repairs. Local resident Cindy Free added that, “Customers have been getting a free ride for years, includ-ing myself, when we should have been charged rental fees for some of Pioche Public Utilities’ equipment.” This is be-cause PPU doesn’t have a policy set up to charge customers for certain equipment rentals. Most commercial equipment has a calculated lifespan and will need to be replaced at some point. If customers are using equipment, they should be billed, it was suggested The funds would be placed in an account so they can replace equipment when the time comes.
“Pioche Public Utilities should be run more like a business and they should be using the QuickBooks program, which has inventory and invoicing already built into it,” Free also noted.
Board members agreed that there are things that can be done to make PPU run more smoothly but it can’t be completely run like a private business because it is not one.
There are scheduled power outages in the month of October. These are for maintenance work to help prevent prob-lems in the winter time.
off. Bonifaz took a few quick swings at LeBaron. In return, LeBaron threw a few punches and a kick of his own. At that point, Bonifaz closed in. The two fighters clinched up, with LeBaron wrapping his arms around Bonifaz to keep his hits at bay. A second later, the two separated.
Then, to the surprise of everyone in the audience, a pause was called to the fight. Spectators watched with interest while the support teams for both men stepped in to offer water and give advice. Specta-tors murmured in confusion at the sud-den pause in the action.
Finally, the announcer spoke over the microphone: “And, winning the fight in one minute and twenty seconds, due to a dislocated shoulder, Hyrum LeBaron!” The official raised LeBaron’s arm high in the air to the sound of thundering ap-plause, as a young lady approached and draped a medal around LeBaron’s neck.
LeBaron is still unsure when he dis-located Bonifaz’s shoulder. In looking at the video, there is some speculation that the injury occurred when the two were clinched up and LeBaron threw his arms around Bonifaz.
The victory was bittersweet to LeBaron. After months of training, the fight was over so quickly that he felt he never had a chance to prove himself or determine if his training had really paid off. On the other hand, the win means that LeBaron is undefeated and will go into his next fight with a 1-0 record. He is hoping the next fight will be sometime in October.
LeBaron graduated from LCHS in 2015. He is currently living in St. George, where he is studying to become an electrician.
“I started training almost a year and a half ago,” he said. “It started when I went to an MMA fight. I thought it was cool, and I told myself, ‘I’m gonna do that.’ Af-ter I made that decision, I’ve only missed about two days of training.”
LeBaron keeps a fairly strict regimen in order to fit everything into his schedule.
A typical day begins at 4:30 a.m. He eats and does some stretches to keep his mus-cles limber. His workday goes from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then he hits the gym at 6:15 and trains until 9 p.m.. His training consists of Brazilian jujitsu, boxing, kickboxing, sparring, and wrestling. LeBaron works with two coaches, Aaron Reis and Aaron Pincus, both of Fusion MMA.
MMA involves more than just trying to beat someone up. “It’s a very techni-cal sport,” LeBaron explains. “For ev-ery move, there is a counter-move. It’s a mental game. I’d say that it’s 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. You have good days and bad days, just like with any sport, but when you have a bad day in this, it really taps into your primal senses and throws everything off. You have to be focused and clear.”
For the week or so leading up to the fight, LeBaron had to focus on every aspect of his training, diet, and sleep schedule. He was fighting in the Ban-tam Weight Class, also referred to as the featherweight class or 135 pounds. His normal weight is between 155 and 160 pounds. “It’s typical for fighters to cut that much weight,” LeBaron said. “If I didn’t cut weight and I fought at 155, I’d end up fighting someone who normally weighs 170 pounds and that wouldn’t be fair. We cut weight that week, but then, after weigh-ins, we start eating and drinking normally and gain it all back.”
LeBaron was surprised and excited at the number of people from Lincoln County who heard about his fight and came to watch and offer their support. When the fight ended so quickly, he felt that, in a way, he had let them down because they didn’t get to see him really perform.
“I appreciate everyone who showed up to support me. It wasn’t the fight I wanted, but I’ll be back, sharper than ever,” he said.
LeBaron recognizes that there are risks with the sport, but he also recog-nizes that he is perhaps the strongest and healthiest he has ever been. “I’m consid-ering going professional,” he said. “I’m young. Now is the time to try new things and find out what I’m capable of.”
fightcontinued from Page 1
Movie in the Park event a hitBy Aimee Mascio
Local families gathered together un-der the full moon to watch the 1985 Steven Spielberg cult-classic film “The Goonies.”
The free event, funded by a grant provided by the NyE Communities Coalition, was held Saturday at the Pi-oche Town Park. The coalition serves Nye, Esmeralda, and Lincoln counties and is made up of individuals, organi-zations, and agencies that are focused on joining together in cooperative and collaborative efforts to increase substance abuse prevention services and opportunities. The grant money was used to purchase a large outdoor screen, projector, and the five-hun-
dred-dollar motion picture licensing fee.
Park rangers Andrew Porter, of Ker-shaw Ryan State Park, and Jordan Ad-ams, of Echo Canyon State Park, were on site to set up and facilitate the event. Porter explained “the grant is part of a prevention to help kids stay off drugs.”
He added it gives kids “something to do so they wouldn’t be tempted by drugs. We usually show G-rated Disney type films but we chose ‘The Goonies’ this time to appeal to the older kids, in hopes it would give them something fun to do on a Saturday night.”
Those in attendance seemed to really enjoy themselves and look forward to the next annual “Movie in the Park” event.
Grow your own classes offered in calienteThe University of Nevada Cooperative
Extension’s Grow Your Own, Nevada! Program is presenting four classes to help Nevadans get on the path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing and preserving more of their own food.
The program runs 6–8 p.m., Tues-days, Sept. 11 through Oct. 2. Classes will be held at the Washoe County Co-operative Extension office, 4955 Energy Way in Reno, and will also be available via interactive video at Cooperative Ex-tension offices in Carson City, Caliente, Elko, Fallon, Hawthorne, Logandale, Lovelock, Winnemucca, and Yerington. Other locations are pending.
The series features back-to-basics in-formation for backyard or small-acreage edible gardening.
“Anyone can become a better gardener by attending these classes,” said Coop-
erative Extension Horticulture Special-ist Heidi Kratsch. “From the beginner to the advanced gardener, everyone can benefit from a Grow Your Own, Nevada! class.”
Along with Kratsch, presenters in-clude Cooperative Extension Horticul-turist Wendy Hanson Mazet and Urban Integrated Pest Management Program Coordinator Melody Hefner.
Workshop topics include:– Sept. 11: Saving seeds from your gar-
den– Sept. 18: Amending your soil: com-
posting and fertilizer basics– Sept. 25: Cover crops for the home
gardener– Oct. 2: Tips on selecting fruit tree
and berry varietiesTo register to attend, contact the
Caliente Extension office at (775) 726-3109.
something about you,” she said. “You’re fo-cused on your learning. Everyone’s phone is in that pocket until the bell rings.”
Dale Erquiaga, who chairs the task force, told the students he admires their “level of authenticity” and willingness to join the discussion.
The Valentine’s Day shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead, galvanized a student-led movement that swept the nation. Stu-dents have staged walkouts and rallies to advocate for safety enhancements and, in some cases, gun reform.
Sandoval’s executive order asked task
force members to deliver 10 long-term recommendations by the end of Novem-ber. The task force already issued an ini-tial report, which included a request for an omnibus bill detailing safety and cri-sis planning, response and recovery.
The task force will meet a final time Oct. 25. The recommendations that emerge from the task force could help guide law-makers ahead of the 2019 legislative ses-sion, although they aren’t binding and the state’s new governor, who will be elected in November, may steer the safety conver-sation a different direction.
Sandoval has made school safety a pri-ority his final year in office. He’s termed out come January.
safetycontinued from Page 1
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The Week of Aug. 31, 2018Lincoln County Record
Judge confirms gun background check law unenforceable
tHoMas MitcHellcoMMeNtary
A district court judge brought the hammer down on backers of a voter-approved initiative intended to require back-
ground checks prior to gun sales by pri-vate individuals, telling them the courts and the executive branch cannot fix the problem they themselves created.
The Background Check Act, Question 1 on the November 2016 ballot, passed by a whisker with only 50.45 percent of the statewide vote, failing in every county except Clark. Nevadans for Background Checks reportedly spent $19 million on the campaign for passage with $18 million coming from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his political action committee Everytown for Gun Safety. The NRA reportedly spent $6.5 million in opposition.
As Judge Joe Hardy pointed out in his 22-page ruling this past week the Question 1 backers included in the law a requirement that background checks must be conducted by the FBI and not the Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS), which does the background checks for licensed gun dealers under an arrangement with the FBI called a Point of Contact. This verbiage allowed sup-porters to argue in the obligatory fiscal note that “no Nevada tax dollars” would be used to conduct the background checks.
Judge Hardy concluded, “This fram-ing and representation no doubt facil-itated passage by the voting public,”
which seems reasonable considering how narrow the vote margin turned out to be.
The initiative specifically spelled out that those involved in a private gun sale would have to contact a licensed gun dealer to conduct a background check and: “The licensed dealer must contact the National Instant Criminal Back-ground Check System [NICS] … and not the Central Repository, to determine whether the buyer or transferee is eli-gible to purchase and possess firearms under state and federal law …”
The Central Repository is handled by DPS and uses NICS data as well as state and local data to run background checks required by federal law and those sought voluntarily by private gun sellers.
The Background Check Act carried a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine — if it were enforceable.
But the FBI refused to conduct the background checks, saying a state law
could not compel a federal agency to engage in such a costly undertaking.
The backers’ lawsuit sought to have the court force the governor and the state attorney to get the FBI to conduct the background checks or to sever that section from the law. The judge wrote that the state constitution’s separation of powers clause prohibits him from order-ing the executive branch to do some-thing so long as their actions are not arbitrary and capricious, and the section could not be severed because that would destroy a central component of the law approved by the voters.
Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, whose office had declared the initiative unenforceable, welcomed the court decision agreeing with his office’s conclusion.
“The Court’s 22-page decision reaf-firms what my office has been saying all along — that the Act ‘is unenforce-able as written,’” Laxalt was quoted as saying in a press release. “This is not because of anything that I or other
Nevada officials have failed to do; in the words of the Court, we have ‘un-dertaken a real and substantial effort to implement the law.’ Rather, it is a result of Question 1’s flawed drafting. It is unfortunate that the very same people who imposed this defective law on all Nevadans have gone to such lengths to use its brokenness as a reason to politically attack me and other Neva-da’s elected officials through litigation. Hopefully, today’s careful decision puts an end to this practice.”
Laxalt is the Republican nominee for governor on this fall’s ballot.
The judge also noted that allegations by the plaintiffs that the attorney gen-eral and Gov. Brian Sandoval had failed to aggressively work to make the law enforceable we’re unfounded, detailing communications attempting to negotiate with the FBI, and saying the proponents made improper emotional appeals about public safety.
Gov. Sandoval’s office told The Nevada Independent, a web-based news site, “the Governor’s Office believes the order speaks for itself.”
Basically, the drafters of the initiative were too wily for their own good, opting for selling the law as tax-free and thus building in its own Catch-22.
Thomas Mitchell is a longtime Nevada newspaper columnist. You may email him at [email protected]. He also blogs at http://4thst8.word-press.com/.
editorial
Which Senate candidate is right about Social Security?
We find Democratic Senate candidate Jacky Rosen’s sanguine and naive response to the recent
83rd anniversary of Social Security Act disturbing to say the least.
Rosen put out a press release tout-ing the fact she had met with a senior citizen group in Henderson to mark the anniversary.
“Social Security successfully lifts millions out of poverty and helps ensure economic security for Ne-vada seniors when they retire after a lifetime of hard work,” Rosen was quoted as saying. “These are benefits our seniors have earned, and Neva-dans deserve another Senator who is committed to protecting and strength-ening Social Security. Unfortunately, Senator (Dean) Heller is yet another Washington politician who wants to cut programs like Social Security and Medicare to pay for tax cuts for his ultra-wealthy donors.”
She paid no heed to the fact the so-called Social Security trust fund that she apparently wants to “save” is not going broke, but already is broke.
According to an article in The Hill by Merrill Matthews, this year Social Security must pay out more money than it receives from the payroll tax of 12.4 percent on current paychecks. This is the first time that has happened since 1982.
You see that trust fund of $2.9 trillion has already been spent and replaced with what are essentially IOUs. “Thus the government must borrow the money — or raise taxes — to redeem its IOUs so Social Security can pay bene-fits,” Matthews writes.
If some reform is not instituted in a few years benefits will have to be cut to 75 cents on the dollar or less.
Some have suggested cutting bene-fits for the rich and raising the re-tirement age. Others have suggested allowing younger workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts.
Rosen specifically chastised her Sen-ate opponent, Republican incumbent Heller, for having supported partial
privatization in the past. Historically, such private accounts would likely pay retirees far more than Social Security ever can.
Rosen’s press release also screeched, “Sen. Heller is an architect of the reck-less Republican tax bill that will add nearly $2 trillion to the debt and put Medicare and Social Security at risk,” paying no heed to the fact tax revenue has actually increased since the tax bill was enacted and the increased deficit and debt are due entirely to continued excessive spending by both political parties.
According to The Wall Street Journal, in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2018 revenues were up $26 billion, but spending increased by $143 billion.
No Band-Aid will stanch the hem-orrhaging at the Social Security. It is fundamentally flawed. Eight decades ago when the Social Security Act was passed there were 40 workers for every retiree. The ratio is rapidly approaching 2 to 1.
Social Security was and is a Ponzi scheme. That’s when early investors are paid with money invested by newcom-ers. When the newcomers stop coming, the scheme goes bust.
Stephen Moore wrote an op-ed in Investor’s Business Daily a couple of years ago explaining, “From the mo-ment Franklin Roosevelt created Social Security in 1935, the system was set up as a classic Ponzi scheme.”
Moore said there are options to fix the program, such as giving younger workers the option of partial privat-ization. For example, giving them the option of putting 10 percent of their 12.4 percent payroll tax dollars into an individual account. Moore estimated, “At historic rates of re-turn, this would give workers a 7% return per year, which would let them retire as millionaires after 40 years of work. They’d receive two to three times more than Social Security promises.”
Or we can do like Rosen suggests — just wait for the whole darned thing to collapse. — TM
the background check act, Question 1 on the November 2016 ballot, passed by a whisker with only 50.45 percent of the statewide vote, failing in every county except clark.
tHe QueeN of sNeezeOh the human body. Such a wonder.
Such a miracle. Such a conglomeration of what reportedly are just minerals and other stuff worth about five bucks. Hey that grand total, according to some sites through Google, is up about sixty cents from a hundred years ago. Dang infla-tion huh?
Even though our bodies are mone-tarily worth such a small sum those same bodies do things that are priceless. Like sneezing. Oh there are several other and varied ways a body announces it-self. Loud obnoxious and yes somewhat fragrant ways. But the sneeze is unto it-self quite a trick.
There is the tiny sneeze. The one that is trying not to be noticed, but by try-ing to hide, it often will cause a squeak of some sort. The sneezer seems to be so self-conscious about sneezing that hid-ing it becomes mute as hiding it causes this squeak and thus more attention is created. So just sneeze and get on with life.
My father was a master sneezer. He reveled in the sneeze. He could bring an entire household to attention with a honker of a sneeze. I have only seen this a few times from others. It begins with a squish of a face, a stitch in the nose and then air begins to be sucked up, and up and up. Until—here she comes! The sneeze and the noisy achoo gathers up a head of steam then es-capes rattling dishes in the cupboard. I’m telling you that mothers grab small children and rush them off the streets! And the look of satisfaction on the honking sneezer’s face is a sight to be-hold.
I on the other hand am just your typi-cal sneezer. Until recently. I was caught off guard by a sneaky sneeze while mowing the lawn. I didn’t even know the sneeze storm was gathering when all of a sudden this achoo escaped and I had to look around as it sounded like one of my father’s sneezes. I was by myself thank-fully as I was embarrassed by the com-motion. But I have to admit there was some satisfaction afterwards. I do hope though that I don’t become accustom to it.
The rule of three often accompa-nies the sneeze factor. You know good things come in threes, bad things come in threes and if my other half was to be believed sneezes came in threes.
I’d sneeze once and he would say, “Again,” then I would sneeze again and he would say, “One more.” Some-times I would hold back as long as I could just to prove him wrong. But more often than not that third
one could not be ignored and ah, ah, achoo-I lose. Try as I might I couldn’t get a fourth one to deliver me from the rule of three.
In crowds someone always seems to sneeze. Especially outside with pollen and smoke and tiny things floating in the air just looking for a nose to climb into. Which if you think of it is bet-ter for you. I mean if you are outside and a sneeze is spewed you have less of a chance of getting sneezed on than you would if you were in an enclosed place-like and elevator. Man being in that stainless steel closet as it goes up or down has got to be one of the worst places to be standing next to someone when they sneeze. Even if they are po-lite and cover their face there is no es-cape. You can’t walk away, turn around or even duck successfully. A sneeze in an elevator will bounce off the four walls surround you and then, bang! All that goodness is upon you before the doors open when you can run for the nearest hand sanitizer station. So being outside doesn’t sound so bad now does it? Ya, thought so…
I am not the queen of sneeze but I’m betting she is out there. I thought I was until I took notice of a few sneez-ers at an outdoor event recently. Little sneezers, honking sneezers, repeater sneezers, and of course those who try not to sneeze. I do not recommend that. I believe the top of your head could blow straight up if you tried to hold in all that power. Not to mention that I have heard that it is impossible to sneeze and keep your eyes open! Yes, I know you are going to try it. Take heart, you will not be alone! Bless you!
Trina lives in Eureka. Share with her at [email protected]. Really!
is tHis you?
triNa MacHacekcoMMeNtary
Page 4
page 5Lincoln County Record || The Week of Aug. 31, 2018
sports
lincoln downs Battle Mountain in season opener, 30-14By KyLee Cameron
The Lincoln County High football team defeated Battle Mountain 30-14 in their opening game last Friday.
The Longhorns came out fast and scored a touchdown in the beginning of the first quarter. The next play, the Lynx fumbled the ball and Battle Mountain recovered it, leading them to score their second touchdown. The first quarter ended, leaving Battle Mountain with a 14-0 lead.
In the second quarter, the Lynx began to pick it up. Junior Dean Ottley started it off with a big tackle, giving the Long-horns a loss of yards and turning the ball over to the Lynx. Starting on the 43-yard line, junior Dylan Robinson caught a pass from Alex Vincent and scored the Lynx’s first touchdown. Robinson also caught the two-point conversion.
Battle Mountain caused a problem when they pushed the Lynx back near the end zone on the second down, al-most scoring. Luckily, senior Kamdon Lewis made an interception and ran the ball all the way to the 45-yard line, giving the Lynx a huge advantage.
Later in the play, Battle Mountain recovered the ball on a fumble but the Lynx quickly got it back. Robinson made another great catch, running it all the way to the 30-yard line.
At halftime, the score was 14-8, with the Lynx receiving the ball.
Alex Vincent ran the ball about 38 yards at the start of the third quarter. The Lynx kept moving forward and Noah Smith gained 25 yards, putting them in a good position for another touchdown.
Inside the 10-yard line, Vincent made a spin move and dove into the end zone, giving the Lynx their second touchdown and the team took the lead another two-point conversion.
Once Battle Mountain had the ball, Ottley got another big tackle and the Longhorns punted the ball, leaving the Lynx with the ball by the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter started off quickly as another touchdown pass was made from Vincent to Robinson for 81 yards.
Trevin Perkins had a huge sack at the beginning of the Longhorn’s possession and, eventually, the Lynx got the ball back. Battle Mountain forced a turnover but Noah Smith got a sack that moved them back 12 yards. The Lynx took the ball almost into the end zone but had a turnover. With less than a minute left in the game, Noah Smith intercepted a pass and ran it in for the final touchdown of the game to seal the win.
The Lynx will play at White Pine Fri-day at 7 p.m.
lcHs football
KyLee CameronLincoln County quarterback Alex Vincent hands it off to Bridger Poulsen during the season opener against Battle Mountain.
pVHs football
Panthers begin season tonight after wells game canceled By Dave Maxwell
A tragic death involving a person closely connected with the Wells foot-ball team resulted in the cancelation of the Aug. 24 traditional opening game of the season with Pahranagat Valley High School (PVHS).
Many expressions of concern and condolences were express from PVHS coaches and faculty to the Wells com-munity.
Panther coach Brett Hansen said the cancelation “will just give us another week to move forward and prepare for Independence, Aug. 31.”
Hansen did not feel having the sched-ule cut down from eight games to seven in the regular season would be a hin-drance to the team at all. “Can’t control that, so we just move on.”
As an adjudicated boys school in Elko, Independence is similar to Spring Mountain in Las Vegas, with many new players from year to year.
PVHS has only played Independence’s Colts once, last year, a game which the Panthers won in convincing fashion, 52-0. Pahranagat sophomore quarterback Preston Higbee riddled the Indepen-
dence pass defense, going 13-for-19, 204 yards and four touchdowns.
After being independent for a cou-ple of years, the Colts just entered the six-team 1A Northeast League in 2016. They opened their season last week with a 54-6 loss to Tonopah.
In practice, Coach Hansen said the kids “are working hard, looking for ways to progress and get better every day.”
PVHS has the luxury of two quarter-backs this season, junior Preston Hig-bee and freshman Gage Davis.
On the defensive line, PVHS has some very good size, especially in the freshman class. Branson Huntsman comes in at 243 lbs. Taumoelau Koka is 278. Damien Schafer is 223 and Cole Higbee is 209.
Sophomore Jerett Stewart is 256 and Tate Leavitt tips the scale at 224.
Four seniors will help anchor the line as well: Kyler Martin (288), Tony Koka (234), Ryan Jorgensen (269), and Jon Stewart (246).
PVHS has an open date Sept. 7, then two back-to-back home league games Sept 14 with Beaver Dam and Sept. 21 with Beatty.
pVHs Volleyball
PV girls come up short in first gameBy Dave Maxwell
Moapa Valley and Pahranagat Valley High School (PVHS) had been tied 5-5 in their series since 2007.
They met for the 11th time on Aug. 28 in Alamo, the opening game of the sea-son for new coach Milly Walch and her young team.
Moapa Valley, the 2017 Class 3A state runner-up, took the lead in the series with a 3-1 win over the Lady Panthers. Scores were 25-23, 25-18, 23-25, and 25-14.
Walch said her first time as being the varsity coach for PVHS “was really good. Good to get that first one under our belt because now we know what we need to work on and adjustments to make.”
She said, “We have a couple of rota-tions where we need to get better pass-ing and more setups to Morgan [Harris] to get her more hits. Hannah [Castleton] is hitting good also, and we need to get her the ball more as well.”
She said she thought the Moapa team would be better than it was. “They were consistent, but you could tell they lost some of their big hitters from that state runner-up team.”
Walch and her sister, assistant coach Amy Campbell, both played for former long-time coach Ginger Whipple at PVHS. “Amy was a setter in her day,” Walch said, “so she catches some of the things I don’t know as well.”
The other assistant coach is McKenzie Mulliner.
“We have a young team, just two re-turning senior starters,” Walch said, “So there’s just a lot of learning, adjusting, and growing to do.”
The girls played at The Meadows on Aug. 31.
After the Labor Day holiday, they play at Virgin Valley in Mesquite, Sept. 4.
Action for PVHS in the eight-team Southern League begins Sept. 14, host-ing Beaver Dam.
A new school comes into the league this year, Green Valley Christian of Hen-derson. They will play the Panthers the last game of the regular season, Oct. 25, in Alamo.
Dave MaxwellPahranagat Valley girls volleyball coach Milly Walch (left) and her sister, assistant coach Amy Campbell, talk with Panther players Morgan Harris (21) and Hannah Castleton.
lcHs Volleyball
lady lynx fall in tourney finalBy Marinda Lamb
The Lady Lynx had a bit of a rough start at the White Pine Invitational, yet they played hard and made it to the championship match.
It was pool play; everyone played ev-eryone, and the tournament was very competitive and evenly matched.
“We were the only team Wendover lost to all weekend, but we lost to teams that Wendover beat,” Coach Chantel Holt said. “In the beginning, we were still trying to figure out where we were on the court and how we were going to work together.”
Lincoln played their first match on Friday, Aug. 24, against the Battle Moun-tain Longhorns. The Longhorns beat them in two sets.
The Lady Lynx came back from their loss to play Wendover and beat them in two sets.
For the final match on Friday, Lincoln played White Pine. It was back and forth until Lincoln began to falter and lost.
The next morning, the Lady Lynx bat-tled it out with Tonopah, whom they lost to last year for third place in the tourna-ment. It was another battle and Tonopah barely pulled ahead to get the win.
Lincoln played West Wendover for the final match of pool play. They beat them in two sets.
Due to the girls beating Wendover and West Wendover, they scraped into the fourth seed of the tournament, playing the first seed, Wendover, for the semi-fi-nals. Wendover was 4-1. Lincoln was the
only team they had lost to. Due to younger girls on the team and
new rotations, getting everyone to where they needed to be on the court had pre-viously been a struggle for the the team. However, during the Wendover match, the Lady Lynx finally pulled it all together.
“We finally gelled right at the right time,” Holt said. “We stomped them. We had finally found a rhythm. We took care of the ball, but not only that, we were aggressive when we needed to be.”
The coach added, “Sadie (Soderborg) really stepped up, defensively and of-fensively. Kendra (Mathews) and KyLee (Cameron) really owned the net. Ellie Fre-hner came off the bench at a crucial mo-ment, after not playing in two days, and gave us a breather when we needed one.”
Lincoln moved on to the champion-ship match against Battle Mountain. The first set was neck and neck. The ral-lies were endless, and Battle Mountain barely scraped past with the win, 25-23.
The second match started with the Lady Lynx in the lead. Battle Mountain matched them, then kept going up. Lin-coln was at a five-point deficit, unable to break it. They would side out and cut the gap a few points, only to give those points back to Battle Mountain. Battle Mountain finally won the set, taking first in the tournament.
“To be honest, I think we ran out of steam,” Holt said. “It’s a long, grueling two-day tournament.”
Lincoln plays their first home match against Virgin Valley Thursday.
Runners compete in first raceBy Marinda Lamb
Lincoln County High School’s cross-country team, or some of it, raced in the SUU Invitational last Saturday.
Of the six runners on the team, only three were able to make it: Hayden Showell, Ashton Showell, and Jarrett Leon. However, Austin Marshall joined the team, so they now have enough to compete in the league.
Coach Lacee Pearson said, “Having Austin Marshall is fabulous. He is go-ing to do very good. I am really happy to have him. He is going to give Chance some good competition.”
At the race, Leon finished with a time of 24:02. Hayden Showell was behind him with a time of 24:45. Ashton Show-ell finished at 27:00.
“The boys did better than I thought. We did a 5k time trial in practice and
those times were not very promising. Although, in the actual race, they did a lot better than expected,” said Pearson.
This weekend, the team will run in the Pioche Labor Day 5k.
page 6 Lincoln County Record || The Week of Aug. 31, 2018
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HELP WANTED
LEGALS
FOR SALE- PANACA- 1.1 acre view lot on South Fourth Street. Power and Sewer with City Water on edge of lot. $26,000. 775-728-4265 or 775-962-3107.
DIRECTV SELECT PACKAGE! Over 150 Channels, ONLY $35/month (for 12 mos.) Order Now! Get a $100 AT&T Visa Rewards Gift Card (some restrictions apply) CALL 1- 877-258-1178. (NVCAN)
BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Grab bars, no slip flooring & seated showers. Call for a free in-home consultation: 877-278-5726 (NVCAN)
HELP WANTEDCook/Bartender at the Knotty PineCall Bud or Shauna (775) 726-3194 or (775) 726-3767.
HOUSE FOR RENT- Newer house for rent in Panaca. One large bedroom, one bathroom, walk in closet, office nook. Washer and dryer, dishwasher. Sit on the front porch and enjoy beau-tiful view. $550 Month, $400 deposit. Firm- No Smokers and No Pets. 728-4591 or 962-1743.
MEDICAL/HEALTHOXYGEN - ANYTIME. ANYWHERE. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! FREE info kit: 888-550-6503 (NVCAN)
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FDA-REGISTERED HEARING AIDS. 100% Risk-Free! 45-Day Home Trial. Comfort Fit. Crisp Clear Sound. If you decide to keep it, PAY ONLY $299 per aid. FREE Shipping. Call Hearing Help Express 1-844-201-5755. (NVCAN)
OFFICE SPACE FOR RENTOffice space in Alamo available for rent. This is perfect for tho-se running a business or working remotely. Co-locate with other business owners/professionals. If interested, call (775) 962-2461 or email [email protected].
APPLICATION TO APPROPRIATE WATER NO. 88179
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that on the 30th day of July, 2018 Steve Medlin D/4 Enterprises Inc of Alamo, Nevada made application to the State Engineer of Ne-vada for permission to appropriate 0.013 c.f.s. and 9.4 a.f.a. of the public waters of the State of Nevada. Diversion is to be made from Rock Springs at a point located within the NE1/4 NW1/4 Section 29, T6S, R56E, MDB&M or at a point from which the NE corner of Section 26, T6S, R56E, MDB&M, bears N 88 degrees 10 minutes E, a distance of 19,100 feet (approx. 29 miles W of Alamo, NV). Water will be used for quasi-municipal purposes from Janua-ry 1st to December 31st of each year. Jason King, P.E.State EngineerJK/lsPublish: August 10, 17, 24 & 31, 2018
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS RATE INCREASES
On September 18, 2018 at 6:30pm, the board of Alamo Sewer and Water will hold an open meeting to hear public input into increased rates for water and sewer ser-vice. In the mail, you will see a copy of the new rates and other important infor-mation. Please review this information when it arrives. Publish: August 17, 24, 31, & Sept. 07, 2018
FOR RENT- CALIENTE APART-MENTS now has 2 and 3 bedroom apartments available and is now ac-cepting applications for 3 bedroom apartments. Please call (775) 726-3120 for more information.
WESTERN ELITE is seeking a HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC. Must have experience servicing and repairing CAT equipment and have own tools. Located 50 miles north of Las Ve-gas near Coyote Springs. Competiti-ve pay, paid time-off, paid holidays, and benefits package. Contact Kyle at 702-206-0034.
Lincoln County School DistrictPart-time Food Service Assistant
LCHS KitchenThis is a part-time position with no benefits. This position is 3 hours per day, Monday through Thursday, du-ring the school year.QUALIFICATIONS: Previous expe-rience preferred. Must have a current driver’s license. Background check re-quired.RESPONSIBILITIES: The essential functions and responsibilities for this position are outlined in the Food Ser-vice Assistant Job Description. A copy of the job description can be downloa-ded from the district website (www.lcsdnv.com) or a copy may be obtain-ed from the district office located at 1191 Edwards St., Panaca, NV 89042.APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednes-day - September 5, 2018 - 2:00 p.m.Start Date: September 10, 2018Salary: $12.19/hour - $18.10/hour *Based on experience and according to the Lincoln County School District salary schedule.Questions regarding this position should be directed to Brian Higbee, 775-725-3351.Current school district employees wishing to apply may submit a let-ter of interest to the Lincoln County School District Office. Employment applications may be obtained from the Lincoln County School District website: www.lcsdnv.com. Letters of interest or applications must be submitted to Lincoln County School District Office, PO Box 118, Panaca, NV 89042.Qualified applicants will be notified for interviews. Any employee hired by the Lincoln County School District after January 1, 1998, must reside within the Lincoln County School District or agrees, as a condition of employment, to establish residency within the district within ni-nety days of employment. Employees who live in the district must continue to reside therein as long as they are so employed.Lincoln County School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
STORAGE SHED SALE! J & N Stora-ge Unit #18 in Pioche, NV. Saturday & Sunday, September 1 & 2 from 7 am to 1 pm.
YARD SALE! Saturday, September 1 from 9 am to 4 pm at 982 Lee Drive in Pioche, NV. A little bit of everything will be available!
GARAGE SALE IN PIOCHE! Many items such as electric woodsplitter, power tools, ATV, Snow plow, Hon-da generators, and much more! Call (775) 962-1113 to inquire about or to purchase items.
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Executive Director, Nevada Press Association. The Nevada Press Association is seeking an executive director. The job involves overseeing revenue generation and advertising activities, lobbying on behalf of journalism and the newspaper industry, and other responsibilities of leading a 501(c)6 nonprofit association. Candidates should have a strong background in advertising, journalism, and government relations. The director reports to the NPA board. The NPA is an equal opportunity employer. For more details on the association and position, go to nevadapress.com. Please submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. (NVCAN)
FOR SALE- 1967 Half-ton Ford F-100 pickup with nice built in camper shell. $7,000 or best offer. For more details, call 1 (775) 726-3503, Caliente, NV.
HELP WANTED- Pioche Public Utili-ties/Pioche Town is looking to fill the Office Clerk position. The position is classified as part time working du-ring billing week and when needed. A few of the Office Clerk duties inclu-de monthly collections, timesheets, vouchers, and deposits. Application and full job description can be picked up at the Pioche Public Utility Office Monday through Friday 8 AM to 3 PM. Applications will close at 3 PM on September 18th, 2018.Pioche Public Utilities is an Equal Op-portunity Employer.
LINCOLN COUNTY ORDINANCE #2018-03AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 1 OF THE LINCOLN COUNTY CODE AUTHO-RIZING LINCOLN COUNTY TO REGULATE, CONTROL AND LICENSE ALL PERSONS ENGAGED IN, ASSOCIATED WITH, OR IN CONTROL OF THE BUSINESS OF LIQUOR SALES WITHIN LINCOLN COUNTY, SPECIFI-CALLY TO COMPLY WITH PUBLIC LAW (PL) 92-544 CONCERNING FINGERPRINTING OF LICENSEES FOR CRIMINAL HISTORY RE-CORD INFORMATION (CHRI).NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that typewritten copies of the above numbered and entit-led ordinance were available for inspe-ction by all interested parties at the Of-fice of the Lincoln County Clerk, Lincoln County Courthouse, Pioche, Nevada; and that said ordinance was proposed by Commissioner Phillips on July 2, 2018, and following a public hearing, was passed and adopted at a regular meeting on Au-gust 20, 2018, by the following vote of the Board of County Commissioners:THOSE VOTING AYE: Commissioner Phil-lips, Commissioner Katschke, Commissio-ner Brackenbury, Commissioner Higbee and Commissioner DonohueTHOSE VOTING NAY: None
LEGALS
LEGAL NOTICEThe Lincoln County Planning Commission will consider the following request on Thursday September 13th, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.:Paul Donohue and Kyle Donohue are re-questing a partial vacation or abandon-ment of an unimproved portion of Hamil-ton Street, located between the I.O.O.F. Cemetery and the north portion of Block 16 in Pioche, Nevada; Assessor Parcels # 001-061-02, 001-061-03 and 001-064-02. If you should have any questions, please contact the Lincoln County Planning De-partment at (775) 962-8071. Submitted by Melissa J. Free Planning Administrative Assistant.Publish: August 31 & September 07, 2018
WILLING TO TRADE- Willing to tra-de a 1987 Ford Tempo car (needs some work) for an automatic washing machine in working or-der. Call (775) 726-3888 for furt-her details.
HELP WANTED- A youth and 4-H po-sition (Community Based Instructor 3) which is part-time with benefits is open at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office for Lin-coln County. This position will teach 4-H programs and will work to unite community partners to local youths with knowledge, skills, and resour-ces to teach life skills, animal science and other activities. 4-H increases the sense of belonging among students and families in their schools and com-munities. The incumbent will teach other 4-H related programs such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and will assist with va-rious evaluation methods, recruit/train 4-H Volunteers and participate in community-wide 4-H events/activities and other duties as assigned.For more information and instructions on how to apply, please visit:https://nshe.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UNR-external/ job/Universi-ty-of-Nevada-Reno---Main-Campus/Community-Based-Instructor-3_R0111097-1For more information, please contact Holly Gatzke at [email protected] or 775-726-3109.
HUGE INDOOR ESTATE SALE- Sa-turday, September 1 from 8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. Items such as quality furniture, antiques, cook and bakewa-re, collectibles, farm house, country, chicken decorations. More items ad-ded. Too many items to list. Located in Highland Knolls off of Jane St. Look for signs.
NOTICEState Route #318 will be
CLOSEDFrom Lund to Hiko
Sunday, September 165:00 AM to 4:00 PMFor information call
(775) 289-6900 or
(775) 296-0439
NOTICEState Route #490 will be CLOSED Friday, Septem-
ber 14 and Saturday September 15
10:00 AM to 3:00 PMFor information call
(775) 289-6900or
(775) 296-0439
COURSE WORKERS NEEDED
Silver State Classic Challenge
Open Road Race on SR #318
Sunday, September 16 Contact:
Monica Perea(775) 237-9938
THOSE ABSENT AND NOT VOTING: NoneTHOSE ABSTAINING FROM VOTE: NoneThis Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and the publication thereof by title only, in a new-spaper published in and having general circulation in Lincoln County, Nevada, at least once a week for a period of thirty-fi-ve (35) days.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Board of County Commissioners of Lincoln County, Nevada, has caused this ordinance to be published by title only. DATED this 23rd day of August, 2018.Denice Brown, Administrative AssistantPublish: August 31, September 07, 14, 21 & 28, 2018
Case No.: CV-0102017 Dept. No.: 2, IN THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF LINCOLN
NADINE BROWNELL, Plaintiff vs. RICHARD BROWNELL, III, Defendant.
SUMMONS-NOTICE: YOU HAVE BEEN SUED. THE COURT MAY DECIDE AGAINST YOU WITHOUT YOUR BEING HEARD UNLESS YOU RESPOND WI-THIN 20 DAYS. READ THE INFORMA-TION BELOW. TO THE DEFENDANT, RICHARD BROW-NELL, III: A civil Complaint has been filed by the Plaintiff against you for the relief
page 7Lincoln County Record || The Week of Aug. 31, 2018
Panaca MarketPanaca - We are a full-service grocery store and are pleased to serve the residents of Panaca and the surrounding areas. Go online, panacamarket.com, for our week-ly ads. Phone: 775.728.4454
Dougherty’s Fine JewelryPioche - Visit John Linerode, a jew-eler that prides himself in creat-ing custom, hand-crafted jewelry. He has created a wide variety of unique items, “You name it!”Phone: 775.962.511
COMMUNITY INFOFEATURED BUSINESSES
ADVERTISING
AUTO SALES
CONSTRUCTION
GROCERIES
MECHANICS
CONVENIENCE STORES
LODGING
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Lincoln County Record Email: [email protected] Phone: 775.725.3232Website: www.lccentral.com
Town & Country - OvertonWebsite: www.tcautos.com Call Toll Free: 888.673.3253
Jim Wilkin Trucking - PanacaWebsite: www.jwtruckingllc.comPhone: 775.728.4770Backhoe & Dump Truck For HirePhone: 775.962.5865
Jerry’s Sinclair - CalienteFuel, snacks, groceries, car washPhone: 775.726.3189
Bath Lumber/Ace Hardware - Ely Complete Home CenterPhone: 775.289.3083
Panaca Market - PanacaMon-Sat: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PMPhone: 775.728.4454
Shady Motel - CalienteThe only place to stay in Lincoln CountyPhone: 775.726.3107
Caliente Hot Springs Motel and Spa - CalienteSoak at the newly remodeled hot springs for relaxation and health ben-efits. Phone: 775.726.3777
RESTAURANTS
RETAIL
Rainbow Canyon Motel - CalienteCaliente’s Newest RoomsPhone: 775.726.3291
J&J’s Fast Food - Caliente“We make it when you order it!”Phone: 775.726.3288
Pine Tree Inn & Bakery - PanacaRoomy Bed and Breakfast. Bakery and Catering by order. P: 775.728.4675
Dolan Edwards Insurance - CalienteIndependent Agency. Customize your needsPhone: 775.726.3196
Southern Nevada Mortuary - Caliente“Dignified & Respectful Care”Phone: 775.726.3779
Boothill Bouquets - PanacaOffering fresh flowers for all occa-sions 1278 Main Street, Panaca, NVDanielle - 775.962.3629Dawn - 775.962.1983■ Funeral Services
■ Florists
■ Insurance
3R Grooming - Pioche45 years experience, Sandy RobinsonPhone: 775.962.5317 or 702.300.7530
■ Pet Grooming
Jerry’s Johns - Caliente“Use our house not yours,” septics pumpedPhone: 775.726.3189
■ Septic
Dougherty’s Fine Jewelry - Gold-smith Gold/silver sales, manufac-turing. Now offering greeting cards Phone: 775.962.5511
Lynn’s Auto Center - Caliente24 hour towing - We are here to help Phone: 775.726.3191
■ Towing
Nevada Central Media www.nvcmedia.comWeb, print, audio, video services Phone: 775.962.2461
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MEDICAL
InVision Eye Center - CalienteWed 9am–7pm, Thurs 8am–4pmPhone: 775.726.3911
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LEGALS
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UPCOMING EVENTS* PIOCHE LABOR DAY CELEBRATION- Friday, August 31- Monday, September 3- Events include softball tournament, golf tournament, volleyball tournament, fishing derby, and breakfast in the park. Visit piochenevada.com/labor-day/ for more info.* PIOCHE LABOR DAY CRAFT FAIR- Saturday, September 1, from 9 am-4 pm and Sunday, September 2, from 9 am- 2 pm. at the Pioche Town Hall. To reserve a table or for more information, please call Susie Secrest at (775) 962-5554 or Cheryl Fessati at (775) 962-5646. * STAR PARTY- September 7 & 8 from 7-11:45 pm @ Cathedral Gorge State Park. Experience the darkest night skies in Nevada and learn about the stars from astronomers while looking through some of the most powerful portable scopes available. The event is free, but daily park entrances apply.
Public Meetings
Public Meetings
servicesPanaca Senior Center- Serving lunch between 11:15-11:30 each Monday and Tuesday.Lincoln County Child Support Services: Available through the Elko Child Support Office, 1020 Ruby Vista Drive, No. 101. 800-229-4188. Applications may be picked up at the Lincoln County Clerk’s office in Pioche, Pahranagat Valley Justice Court in Alamo or Caliente City Hall.CodeRED: www.lincolncountynv.org and click on the “CODE RED” on the right side of the website. Register to receive emergency alerts in your area for free! Sent right to your phone! Once submitted, put in your address and location on the map, and start receiving your alerts. Or, visit the app store, and get connected instantly on your Droid or iPhone.Lincoln County Library, Caliente, in Depot. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Open Thursday 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday story hour, 4-5. Pioche, will be open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Alamo is open Tue., Wed., Thu. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Mon. 1 to 4 p.m.Panaca Senior Center is available for personal computer use or to check out library books by request. Please contact Torrie: 775-962-1130, Irvin: 702-420-0008 or Elona: 775-962-1864.Mobile Food Pantry: Call LC Human Services, 775-962-8084, for more info.VFW Post 7114: 391 Dixon St. is now open Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Visit, watch your favorite program on our wide-screen TV, enjoy a beverage. Try your skill with Wii sports games. Open to the public.GED Testing will be available the second week of every month. Please contact Lincoln County School District to schedule your test, 775-728-4471.Lincoln County Workforce: Ages 18-80, we can help you complete your education, gain nec-essary occupational training, build work place-ment skills or find employment. Services are offered to all individuals that enroll. Contact program manager Launa Chouquer, Christy Blood or case manager Jaime Torrealday at 775-726-3800, ext. 108. Club Radio Net on the 147.12 repeated every Monday night at 7 p.m.
Visit parks.nv.gov for more info.* FIRST RESPONDER DINNER- VFW Post 7114 will host a dinner for all first responders and their spouses on September 11 from 6-8 pm. Please RSVP to Commander Wimsatt at (702) 280-4572 by September 1 to establish a count. It will be a Chinese dinner prepared by Indiana Jones from Mr. Karpet. * DUTCH OVEN COOK-OFF- September 15 from 1-7 pm @ Cathedral Gorge State Park. Join the fun, win raffle prizes, eat delicious cast iron fare and enjoy the park while contestants put culinary skills to the test. Please email [email protected] for contest rules and details or to request an entry form, There is no charge for those who preregister, but day of entries will be charge $5 per entry. Cooking starts at 3 pm and tasting at 5 pm. Visit parks.nv.gov for more info.
LEGALS CONT.
Caliente City Council: First and third Thursday of the month, 6 p.m. at the Caliente Depot.Caliente Beautification Committee: third Tuesday, 5 p.m. at City Hall. Caliente Planning Commission: first Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Caliente Olson Senior Center Board: third Tuesday, 2:00 p.m. at Olson Senior Center.Caliente Town Hall meeting: last Tuesday of every month at the Olson Senior Center, 6 p.m.Lincoln County Board of Commissioners: first and third Monday of each month at 9 a.m. at Lincoln County Court House, Pioche. Lincoln County Power District: second Monday, 9 a.m. at District Office in Caselton.Lincoln County School District: second Thursday, 6:30 p.m. at District Office in Panaca. Lincoln County TV District: second Wednesday, 5 p.m. at Lincoln County Housing Administration Office on Hollywood Way in Pioche.Pioche Chamber of Commerce: third Tuesday, at Noon at the Silver Cafe.
Pioche Town Board Meeting: third Tuesday, 2 p.m. at Pioche Town Hall. LCAT: monthly meeting the second Tuesday of each month, 4:30 p.m. at the Cooperative Extension office in Caliente.Lincoln County Constitution Study Group: classes run the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m. at the Panaca Town Center. Everyone is welcome to every class. Call 775-962-1407 for info.Freedom 4-Wheelers: Will meet the first and third Sunday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Panaca Fire Hall to discuss upcoming events and ovarian cancer education. All are welcome to attend. Call Kirt or Hope Johnson, 775-728-4795. Masons Meetings: Caliente Lodge No. 38 meets the first Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Caliente VFW Hall. All Masons are invited. Mizpah Chapter No. 19, Order of the Eastern Star, meets at St. John Lodge on the second Saturday of the month at 2 p.m.St. John Lodge No. 18 in uptown Pioche meets the second Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. VFW Post 7114: monthly membership meeting 2nd Friday every month, 7 p.m. All members are urged to attend. 391 Dixon St. in Caliente.Great Basin Amateur Radio Club: Monthly meeting second Wednesday of the month, 6 p.m. at a local Fire Dep’t station in Pioche, Panaca or Caliente. Any questions call Lee Hone at 775-962-1528 or E mail [email protected]. Members will be notified of location by email. You do not need to be a member to participate.County Coalition Meetings- 4th Tuesday of the month at 10 am at the Panaca Town Center.
Side Track Restaurant - CalientePizza, Burgers, Salads, SmoothiesVegan Options, and Breakfast until 11 am.Phone: 775.726.3164
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set forth in the Complaint, to dissolve the bonds of matrimony between the Plaintiff and the Defendant. (1) If you intend to defend this lawsuit, wi-thin 20 days after this Summons is served on you, exclusive of the day of service, you must do the following: a) file with the Clerk of the Court, whose address is sho-wn below, a formal written response to the Complaint in accordance with the rules of the Court, with the appropriate filing fee. b) Serve a copy of your response upon the attorney whose name and address is sho-wn below. (2) Unless you respond, your default will be entered upon application of the Plaintiff, and this Court may enter a judgment against you for the relief de-manded in the Complaint, which could result in the taking of money or property or other relief requested in the Complaint. (3) If you intend to seek the advice of an attorney in this matter, you should do so promptly so that your response may be fi-led on time. Issued on behalf of: DYLAN V. FREHNER, ESQ., Attorney for Plaintiff, P.O. Box 517, Pioche, Nevada, 89043; LISA LLOYD, CLERK OF THE COURT, P.O. Box 90, 181 Main Street Pioche, Nevada, 89043Publish: August 10, 17, 24, & 31, 2018
DISTRICT COURT LINCOLN COUNTY, NEVADA.
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JACKIE LEE HAMILTON, DECEASED.Case No. PR0507018 Department: ProbateNOTICE TO CREDITORSPursuant to NRS 147.010 and 155.020, notice is hereby given that by an Order dated June 22, 2018, this Court appointed Tina Irene Bower as Personal Representa-tive for the Estate of Jackie Lee Hamilton, who died September 4, 2016. All creditors having claims against the estate are re-quired to file their claims with the Court Clerk within sixty ( 60) days after the mai-ling or first publication of this notice (as the case may be), or their claims will be forever barred. Such claims must satisfy the requirements of NRS 147.070, NRS 147.080, and the other provisions of NRS Chapter 147.Tina Irene BowerPersonal RepresentativeRespectfully submitted by:Kennedy E. LeeState Bar No. 12429RUSHFORTH LEE & KIEFER, LLP1707 Village Center Circle, Suite 150Las Vegas, NV 89134Telephone: (702) 255-4552Email: [email protected] for Personal RepresentativePublish: August 31, September 07 & 14, 2018
page 8 Lincoln County Record || The Week of Aug. 31, 2018
Friday, August 31
7:00pm-9:00pm Bingo (New Fire Station)8:00pm Softball Tournament (Ball Park)
Saturday, September 1
7:00am Golf Tournament (Lincoln County Golf Course)7:00am-10:00am Breakfast in the Park, Sponsored by Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star (Town Park Ramada)8:00am Volleyball Tournament (New Elementary School)9:00am Softball Tournament (Ball Park)9:00am-12:00 Car Show (LDS Church Parking Lot)9:00am-4:00pm Craft Fair (Town Hall)10:00am MC/SxS/ATV Barrel Races. (Sign- Up @ 9:00am, Rodeo Grounds or Friday 4-8:00pm @ Recreation Tires on Main St. for a discounted entry fee)10:00am Hay Scramble/Cake Walk (Town Park T-ball Field)10:00am Presentation on Nevada Archaeology and Ghost Towns (Thompson Opera House)10:00am-4:00pm Open House at Thompson Opera House10:00am-5:00pm Chalk Art (Sign-Up @ Old School on Main Street)1:00pm Children’s Mucking (Sign-Up @ 12:30pm, Town Park)1:00pm Nevada Old Time Fiddlers (Thompson Opera House)2:00pm Singles Horseshoe Tournament (Town Park)2:30pm Adult Mucking (Town Park)3:30pm Chicken Chucking (Town Park)5:00pm Firemen’s Grudge Match - Pioche vs Caliente (Ball Park)7:00pm Street Dance - LCHS Radio Club (Uptown Pioche)7:00pm Old West Saloon Show, 1934 John Wayne movie immediately to follow (Thompson Opera House)9:00pm Wild West Entertainment by Kristen Lloyd, aka “Krazy Ani” (Uptown Pioche)9:15pm Night Parade (Main Street)After the Parade Street Dance Resumes
Sunday, September 2
7:00am-10:00am Breakfast in the Park, Sponsored by Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star (Town Park Ramada)7:00am-2:00pm Fishing Derby, Sponsored by Eagle Valley Resort (Spring Valley Reservoir)9:00am Softball Tournament (Ball Park)9:00am-2:00pm Craft Fair (Town Hall)9:30am Cornhole Tournament (Sign-Up @ 9:00am, Town Park)10:00am-4:00pm Open House at Thompson Opera House11:00am Golf Auction (Town Park Ramada)12:00pm Doubles Horseshoe Tournament (Town Park)1:00pm Adult Mining Events (Town Park)1:00pm Pet Show (Next to Town Park T-ball Field)2:00pm Magic and Comedy Show with Tim Smallwood (Thompson Opera House)2:00pm Lawn Mower Races (Rodeo Grounds)4:00pm Firemen’s Dinner, Sponsored by Pioche Volunteer Fire Dept. (New Fire Station)7:00pm Live Music by Kristen Lloyd (Town Park)9:00pm Fireworks - Pioche Volunteer Fire Dept. (Town Park)
Monday, September 3
6:00am Sunrise Salute (Dynamite Provided by Elbe Drilling and Blasting)6:30am-9:30am Breakfast in the Park, Sponsored by Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star (Town Park Ramada)7:00am 10k Fun Run - Proceeds for 6th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip $15 (Begins @ Town Park)10:00am Labor Day Parade (Main Street)After Parade Kids’ Games (Town Park)11:00am Taco Stand - Proceeds for St. Laurence Cemetery Maintenance (Town Park Ramada)
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fiVe fuN tHiNgs to do arouNd tHe state tHis weekBy TheCompleteNevadan.com
tri-couNty fair & staMpedeWinnemucca, Aug. 30 - Sept. 2
One of Nevada’s longest running county fairs! From barrel racing to monster trucks. Labor Day weekend at the Winnemucca Events Complex. This year the event is moved to the Indoor Event Center. Phone:(800) 962-2638. Website: https://www.facebook.com/labordayfair/
cowboy color cHase 5k ruNElko County Fairgrounds, Aug. 31
8 a.m. start with waives leaving every 5 minutes. Registration fee $35/$40/$45. Race day registration from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
labor day celebratioNPioche, Aug. 31- Sept. 3
The 113th annual Labor Day Celebration. The theme is “The Wild West is Calling.” Three-day softball tournament, Saturday night street dance, parade Saturday night, craft fair, live entertainment at the historic Thompson Opera House, a fireworks display Sunday evening, Labor Day parade Monday at 10 a.m., and much more. Website: http://piochenevada.com/labor-day
burNiNg MaNBlack Rock Desert. 100 miles north of Reno, now through Sept. 3
Burning Man is a huge art festi-val dedicated to community, self-expression, and self-reliance. The annual event is held on the open plain of the Black Rock Desert. The art theme for Burning Man 2018 is “I, Robot.” The burn takes place Sept. 1. Website: https://burningman.org
las Vegas labor day weekeNdAug. 31 – Sept. 2
We could all use a break, right? As our nation observes Labor Day and waves goodbye to another summer holiday season, you could attend one of the numerous Las Vegas pool parties during the day or dancing at night at one of many nightclubs in town. Website: https://electronic.vegas/labor-day-vegas-edm-event-calendar/
snwA chief talks colorado River, pipeline, need for changes to nevada water lawBy Daniel RothbergThe Nevada Independent
The leader of Las Vegas’s powerful water authority said the time has come for the Legislature to make changes to Nevada water law, an idea that will likely get pushback from many water users, during a 50-minute interview on The Nevada Independent’s podcast, In-dyMatters.
In the wide-ranging interview, John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, ad-dressed concerns over a Colorado River shortage and the agency’s continued push for a pipeline project to pump large amounts of groundwater from Eastern Nevada to Las Vegas.
Entsminger, humorously describing himself as “a recovering water lawyer,” took over the authority in 2014 from Pat Mulroy, the agency’s outspoken founder who was an iconic figure in shaping modern Colorado River politics but was also criticized in rural counties for pur-suing the controversial 250-mile pipeline.
The pipeline project, proposed in 1989, has been mired in litigation. In that way, it is not too different from other projects, plans and proposals related to water. In Pahrump, domestic well owners are su-ing the state. In Coyote Springs outside of Las Vegas, developers are suing the state. In Diamond Valley near Eureka, a ranch with historical water rights is suing the state. In Lovelock, farmers pounded the drought, sued the state, prompting a court to issue a pivotal decision in 2015 for the Humboldt River, a critical waterway for most of Northern Nevada.
Changes to nevada water lawGiven his background in water law,
The Nevada Independent asked Ents-minger what he made of all the litigation, which has often allowed courts to issue key decisions on Nevada water law.
“I think what it means is we need some changes to Nevada water law,” he said. “Now I just sent a shiver up several million spines throughout the state. But Nevada water law is based on 1880s mining law,” a system that relies on a doctrine known in the West as “prior appropriation.”
Under prior appropriation, water us-ers with the first historical claim to wa-ter — “senior rights” — are the last to see their water cut off during a drought. That can create divisions between rural and urban users, who tend to have ju-nior rights. To avoid speculation, West-ern water law also includes a provision known as “use it or lose it.” Water users must put their entire allocation to use or risk losing it. The downside, some argue, is the rule disincentivizes conservation.
Entsminger emphasized that he was not advocating for “wholesale changes.” He suggested changes like tweaking “use it or lose it” so water users could conserve and still retain their water rights. He also suggested changes to the law that ensured all water in the state was measured.
“I’m not saying it has to happen at this legislative session or all at once,” Ents-minger said. “But incrementally over time, Nevada’s water code needs to be modernized to clarify some of the ambi-guities that have led to so much litigation around water in the state.”
In reality, he noted that the water au-thority could never be the one to pro-pose these changes. Largely because of the pipeline project and its history at the legislature, the water authority is often viewed skeptically — at least in public — by lawmakers outside of Clark County.
the 250-mile pipeline projeCtDuring the interview, Entsminger
pushed for more dialogue around water issues across the state, including around the pipeline, which has divided North and South. In 1989, the water authority, faced with a growing population and a limited Colorado River supply, started placing claims on billions of gallons of unappropriated underground water in Eastern Nevada.
The plan was to pump that water and pipe it about 250-miles to Las Vegas if is-sues arose on the over-stressed Colorado River, where Las Vegas gets about 90 per-cent of its supply. Thirty years later, those claims for water, the subject of a ruling this month, are still being litigated. Even though it has never been built, the pipe-line has engendered animosity toward Las Vegas, with ranchers, tribes and en-vironmentalists in rural counties accus-ing the city of a “water grab.”
The Nevada Independent asked Ents-minger if he was concerned about how blowback from the project has played into state politics, potentially pitting most of the state against Las Vegas.
“I am,” he said. “I wish that the water business was an ‘all the people happy all the time’ kind of business. But it’s not. And the simple fact of the matter is un-der the Nevada Constitution, all the wa-ter in the state of Nevada belongs to all of the people in the state of Nevada. Clark County as a whole uses less than five percent of all the water available within the state of Nevada. And if the day comes when 70 percent of the state’s popula-tion needs to take our water usage from five percent to six percent, I think that’s a valid public policy discussion to be had.”
Entsminger said that discussion has yet to happen in a serious way.
“I think a small group of people that are relatively antagonistic to each other have had that discussion for a long time,” he said. “I don’t think it’s been a broader public dialogue.”
When asked if there is room for com-promise between the water authority and the coalition opposing the pipeline, locked in a legal fight for decades, Ents-minger said: “I hope so.”
He said water users within the state should look to the contemporary history of the Colorado River as an example of where once-feuding water users have charted a path, albeit an uneasy one at times, to self-regulate and avoid legal fights that can take many decades to re-solve.
“Within Nevada, we have to evolve to a place where we can have that conversa-tion to be able to say this distinction be-tween agriculture and urban [water] is a false distinction,” Entsminger said. “Our residents buy the agricultural products. So we need to somehow come together as a state and recognize what is good for Las Vegas isn’t bad for everyone else.”
Critics of the proposed pipeline often compare it to the Los Angeles aqueduct, the infamous project pursued by Wil-liam Mulholland that left the Owens Valley in Eastern California dry and dust-ridden. Entsminger rejected the comparison. The aqueduct, he noted, predated modern environmental laws
and, with a mitigation plan, the water authority is focused on “ensuring noth-ing like Owens Valley could be repli-cated within the boundaries of the state of Nevada.”
But he acknowledged that the history of such projects has loomed over the au-thority’s plans.
“If you look through 19th Century and 20th Century water politics — water de-velopment projects — it was often win-ners and losers, a zero-sum game,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the way things are operating. Everywhere else except on the groundwater project — every other project I’ve worked on in my al-most 20-year career working in water — is about compromise. It’s about work-ing together and forging partnerships and finding new ways to do things. But in Nevada we do seem to still sort of be stuck in this “whiskey is for drinkin’ and water is for fightin’” [mentality].
Cuts on the Colorado riverWhen the pipeline was first proposed
in 1989, the water authority said it could be necessary by the next century. Yet the pipeline has not been necessary, largely due to conservation efforts. Even as Las Vegas’s population has grown, it has not needed to use all of the Colorado River water it is entitled to under the guide-lines that govern the use of the South-west’s main artery. Since 2002, per ca-pita water use across Southern Nevada has decreased by about 40 percent.
The water authority continues to pur-sue the pipeline, but Entsminger said it’s unlikely Las Vegas will need to supple-ment its river supply, even with growth and drought, for two decades. When asked where new resources will come from, Entsminger said the best option is conservation.
“First second and third options are addi-tional conservation,” he said, arguing that the focus should be on outdoor use. “We have so much non-functional ornamen-tal turf in this valley that can be removed without any material effect on the quality of life of the people of our community.”
He said 650,000 people could move into the Las Vegas metro area — and with turf removal — the region could be using less water. The focus on turf is a priority, Entsminger said, because Las Vegas reclaims most of its indoor water use. Where outdoor water is lost, indoor water is treated and returned to Lake Mead, the Colorado River reservoir be-hind the Hoover Dam.
Still, what happens on the Colorado River affects Southern Nevada. The re-gion is still reliant on a river system that is unsustainable. The Colorado River is functionally Las Vegas’s only supply.
Over nearly two decades of drought, Lake Mead fell to its lowest level since the reservoir was filled. The historical overuse of the Colorado River is catch-ing up to the seven states that rely on it and there is a broad recognition that cuts will have to be made. Federal water managers said this month that they will likely begin imposing some cuts for Ari-zona and Nevada in 2020.
Entsminger said Nevada, which is not using its full allotment of Colorado River water because of conservation, is pre-pared to take those cuts with no impacts to water coming out of the tap.
But he said the long-term health of the river is critical, stressing the importance of a drought plan that Arizona, Nevada and California — the state’s that tap into Lake Mead — are working on.
“I think [a shortage is] very much a con-cern for the general public,” Entsminger said of the river, which supports about 40 million people in the Southwest. “It’s often referred to as the hardest working river in America and it is. Any threat to the Colorado River really crosses sectors — urban, agriculture, recreation — and has to be dealt with as a national issue.”