Vol. 2, No. 7
.jpg)
Feb. 1, 2005
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . | |||||||
 |
CRIMINAL DEFENSE |
COPYWRITING
|
|
The Buzz Around The Silver State
As compiled by our correspondents
______________________________________________
The Capital (The Silver One)
Nine Million Dollars In Grants To Various Water Districts
(Carson City) --- Governor Kenny Guinn has presented some $9 million in grants to water districts in four counties around the Silver State. A grant totaling $2.4 million will go to the Lovelock Meadows Water District in Pershing County; a grant of $2 million will go to Virgin Valley Water District in Clark County to construct an arsenic removal plant; Slightly less than $1 million will go to the Golconda General Improvement District in Humboldt County (Drinking water from the system has been out of compliance with state regulations); and $4 million will go to the Washoe County Department of Water Resources for a septic-to-sewer project in Spanish Springs.
The presentations took place in the Governor's Offices on January 28.
•••
Chief Deputy Attorney General Hutchins Retires
(Carson City) --- Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Hutchins, head of the Transportation and Public Safety Division in the Attorney General's Office has retired after 24-years service. Attorney General Brian Sandoval has named Senior Deputy Attorney General Joe Ward to replace Hutchins.
Hutchins was the longest serving deputy and chief deputy in the Nevada Department of Justice.
•••
White Pine County
Dangerous Avalanche Conditions In The Schell Creek Range
(In the Schell Creek Range) --- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) District Rangers are calling on the public to be aware of severe avalanche conditions following December and January storms that dropped many feet of snow on the high country.
Fatal avalanches have taken place around the west this year, including Nevada, and rangers want to remind you that even what might appear to be a small snow slide can carry tons of snow many times faster than you can run or ski.
They suggest everyone going into the backcountry be aware of their surroundings. Skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling, all carry dangers in the high country, and those who go should carry a probe, shovel, and beacon, just in case.
Rangers say the slopes most likely to give way are in the 30-50 degree range. Layering of snow from each snow contributes to the danger level, and layering isn't something that can be seen.
"One other note," a ranger told the Nevada Observer, "you can go further in an hour on a snowmobile than you can walk in a day. Carry extra fuel, blankets, matches, a tool kit that includes spare spark plug, and some trail food."
One final danger, the rangers point out is this. If nobody knows where you're going or when to expect you back, rescue operations may be late on the one hand, difficult on another.
•••
Garnet Mercantile Well Ahead Of Expectations
(Ely) --- Initial returns indicate that those who invested in the community owned Garnet Mercantile in Ely were on the right track. So far, after only two months of operation, the general store has exceeded projections by about 15 percent. The Garnet Mercantile replaced the J.C. Penney story that had served White Pine County for 90 years.
After stock sales of almost half a million dollars, the board of directors has said that stock in the operation will be available through March 13. The grand opening of the store took place on December 4 of last year, just in time to take advantage of Christmas shopping.
The store general manager Dan Leoni said, "Our success is due to our ability to provide quality and competitively priced merchandise."
•••
Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor ... And We're Talking Railroad
(Ely) --- Mark Bassett, Executive Director of the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation tells us that the recent heavy snows will not be a problem for excursions in the coming weeks. He also says the 2005 brochure for the Nevada Northern should be available soon. "It's at the printers now," he says.
Inclement weather can disrupt rail service, has in the past, will probably in the future. In fact, an Amtrak Train across the Sierra Nevada was stuck just a week or so ago, and a freight train caught fire in the same general area last week.
Bassett assures us this won't happen on the Nevada Northern. "In the past," he says, " heavy snow could block the track, rains could cause washouts, make the track slick. They used a variety of resources to keep the tracks open." Bassett goes on to say, "At the Northern, they used pilot snowplows, we have one, Jordan Spreaders, we have one of those too, steam shovels, rotary snowplows," and with a crinkle in his eye and smile on his broad face, "and when all else failed, there was the humble shovel."
Go for a ride, visit the museum and check out the winter arsenal, and enjoy railroad history. The museum is at 1100 Avenue A. The Steam Spectacular Photo Shoot is scheduled for February 4, 5, and 6. Reservations are required.
•••
Washoe County
A New Coal Fired Power Plant Near Black Rock Desert Planned
(Gerlach) --- The Granite Fox Power Company has filed applications to build a coal-fired power plant near this small desert community in northern Washoe County. The filing for five right of way permits with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Winnemucca will bring on environmental impact studies in the area.
Granite Fox is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy out of San Diego, California. The power plant would be built on private land, they say, but the rights of way are necessary in order to get power transmission lines built, railroad tracks laid to bring in the coal, and water lines.
Dates for public hearings for the project have not been released as yet, but the BLM anticipates the environmental study will probably being this spring.
It's known that many residents in Gerlach, once a railroad owned town, now privately owned, are against the proposal. Gerlach is slightly more than 100 miles north of Reno.