Where I Stand -- Ruthe Deskin: Loss of a friend means lost opportunity to say thanks

IT'S A COMMON occurrence.

You run into an old friend, exchange pleasantries and take leave with the suggestion, "We must have lunch one of these days."

Days, weeks and months go by.

One day you pick up the newspaper and there in the obituary column is the name of that long-ago friend. You never made the lunch date.

That was how it happened with Wilton Tate, and now I'll never be able to tell him the impact he had on my life.

I first met this gentle and kind man at the bowling lanes at Arizona Charlie's. A team I was scheduled to bowl with had lost a member and the league secretary told us that a fellow by the name of Wilt Tate, who was new in town, would like to bowl.

That was our lucky day. From that time on, I had the privilege of friendship with Wilt and his lovely wife, Lois.

Wilt Tate was one of those people who made his way through life with dignity. Well educated, soft-spoken and idealistic, he taught me about life even as he was improving my bowling.

Miss a spare -- forget it and concentrate on your next goal.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Face bowling -- and life -- with determination and don't back down.

And always remember that you, and only you, are responsible for your game.

The Wilt Tates of this world come along all too seldom, and I will miss him as will his family and host of friends.

And next time an old friend says, "Let's have lunch," I'll make sure that we do. That's what Wilt would want.

No more obfuscation.

President Clinton and Vice President Gore have tossed out a challenge.

They are asking government bureaucrats to use plain English.

A good place to start would be IRS directives.

Speaking or writing in short, concise sentences will place a heavy burden on those public officials and analysts who rely on convoluted language to confuse and bewilder. Some become artists in the use of "buzz words" or oratorical phrases. They are so adept in convincing listeners of their intellectual brilliance that no one dares question them.

My pet peeve in this department are the hundreds of facilitators, consultants, specialists and seminar leaders who depend on baffling words and phrases to impress listeners who have paid several hundred bucks to participate in some kind of self-improvement.

A good example is an invitation I received to sign up for a management course to learn that "total quality management is the creation and maintenance of a team-based culture founded upon the philosophy of employee empowerment to solve problems which hinder the conformance to customer-focused standards."

Which, translated, means what?

One pundit, responding to the president's declaration for simplicity said, "It's harder to commit fraud in plain English."

Few political prognosticators are betting that the Nevada Supreme Court decision in the Steve Miller slander suit against Mayor Jan Jones will have any effect on politics in general.

Jones won a summary judgment in the case from Judge Carl Christensen, and Miller is seeking a reversal so that the case might be remanded back to District Court for trial. The date for hearing is set for June 17

Think about it:

Of some 30 golf courses in Clark County, 23 use potable drinking water, and only seven are irrigated with effluent.

One of the fastest growing sports in Las Vegas is hockey -- both ice and roller. Hundreds of adults and kids are involved.

Who released the tapes in the Shelley Berkley brouhaha?

Concerts by the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society under the direction of Dr. Douglas Peterson are always a delight. The over-the-weekend Cole Porter salute was no exception. It was gratifying to see the concert at Community College so well attended.

Wonder what the people who scurried away from Wells Fargo to Norwest Bank are thinking now? It's all in the family.

To all the intellects and education experts who are searching for methods to improve the education of our children --just teach them to read. A child who can't read has no chance to learn any other subject or pass a test.

Ed Scott provides this week's philosophy:

"Americans are making more money, but spending it even faster. Who says Congress never provides leadership?"

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