Where I Stand -- Ruthe Deskin: Battle lines being drawn over Mount Charleston growth

NOT ON MY mountain.

Growth may not always be desirable, but it is usually a foregone conclusion in a place where populations increase and economic opportunity exists.

Mount Charleston appears to be facing the inevitable, and the battle is on between developers and longtime residents.

Is this area doomed or blessed by the promise of new enterprise on the mountain?

The answer to that question depends upon who is talking.

Among residents who have built homes and summer residences on the mountain in order to be far from the distractions that come with city living, the consensus is unanimous -- stay off of the mountain.

There are some good arguments against overdevelopment, including increased traffic, responsibility for fire and police protection and maintenance of the natural environment.

As Claudia Reed points out in a recent letter, "Our fight is with the further development on the north side of the highway where a 60,000 Western Village is being proposed."

Just what is this proposed "Western Village?"

According to the developers, "it is a western-themed recreational center containing a group picnic area, horse rides, hay wagon rides, a steak house and BBQ area and gallery, western shop, fishing pond, gardens and patios, ice cream store, art and craft shop, environmental and western exhibits" located east of the Mount Charleston Hotel, one mile below the forested area and at a minimum of 2.4 miles east of any homes.

Both sides have deluged the newspaper with letters to the editor to such an extent that it is impossible to print each and every one.

This is a volatile situation that will have to be solved by the County Commission.

No matter what the ruling is, there will be some unhappy campers on Mount Charleston.

The entire affair reminds me of several years back when local residents, yearning for small estates where they could keep horses and other animals, built homes on the very western edges of the city. Everything went well until the city began to grow. Suddenly their small estates were surrounded by family home developments.

Soon the interlopers began to complain about the animals in their midst. The original settlers fought a losing battle as they were forced to give up their dreams and move even farther out if they wished to live a kind of ranch-style life.

What happens on Mount Charleston is in the hands of the county commissioners.

I wouldn't want to be the one making the final decision.

After months of deliberation, the Nevada Ethics Commission finally ruled on whether county commissioners Yvonne Atkinson Gates and Lance Malone had violated ethics rules in the awarding of contracts for concessions at the airport.

Both were found guilty but without willful intent, which translates into nothing more than slap with a feather.

Out of all this will come some new standards for politicians. Perhaps it could mean the end of the patronage system employed by the "good old boys and girls" lo these many years.

Politicians might do well to remember the adage, "With friends like that, who needs enemies?"

You really can learn something every day.

In my case the teacher was David Hunt and his charming sidekick from the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

My complaints about a toilet that didn't flush brought them to my house with a repair kit. It contained a new flapper -- one that Hunt referred to as the "Cadillac of flappers." It helped with the problem.

David Hunt told me about consumer-oriented water-conservation programs and the assistance offered, without charge, to customers.

For information on water conservation and on-the-spot assistance for problems, call the Las Vegas Valley Water District and ask for David Hunt.

There are people in this world who dedicate their lives to helping others, seeking little reward and shunning notoriety.

Thanks to a new series on the Arts and Entertainment Channel, we are privileged to learn about these wonderful men and women through a series of biographies of "Uncommon Americans."

The program is a nice respite from crime and disaster as it allows us to become acquainted with the people who are truly the backbone of our society.

In the case of the individuals spotlighted to date, it can truly be said that the good they do will live long after they are gone.

Apparently high school students in Las Vegas as well as throughout the nation are failing to pass scholastic tests.

Which causes me to believe that everyone should have a high school education -- including those who go to high school.

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