Dear Editor,
After reading the letters to the Editor over the past few weeks I see an attitude of apathy in this county. To me it’s plain that we had 176 votes which were not counted due to their not being given to the election board and 176 in this county can determine an election. There’s right and there’s wrong. There’s the Law and there’s Lawlessness. There are situations that are black and white and situations which are “oh well sh– happens.” This is not a “sh– happens” situation.
As a legally registered voter, under the law I am entitled to know that my vote counts. I’m sure that the elected officials would like to know if they indeed were duly elected. The people of this county would like to know if their officials were duly elected. Until such time we are in limbo.
No one knows what truly happened with the election, but elected officials carry a certain responsibility and also a liability which insures the public trust. That trust has been broken. We have got to stop this apathy and stand for what’s right. You can’t be apathetic about paying your taxes and our officials can’t be apathetic about voter’s rights. It is going to take a while but the public trust must be rebuilt.
Kathy Castagnola
Hawthorne
Dear Editor,
Sure, let’s drug test the children and cast them in prisons. Call them felons. Destroy the lives, take away their right to vote and place them on forever probation.
Confiscate their pencils and papers and backpacks and build more prisons and juvenile detention. Hire more cops and judges and charge forth bravely into mass incarceration nation.
Mob mentality that’d be job creation after all. Which is more important? Liberty and justice or the corrupt economy. We know we’re wrong. We should change it.
We all know one kid who smoked pot and didn’t get caught and still grew up to be President Barack Obama.
So you fear propaganda. People quit saying you might be “losing” the children. You might get away with plundering the Kirby’s, but stay away from our children.
Will Jones
Hawthorne
Dear Editor,
Despite trying to ignore all of the “gossip and rumors” surrounding our business – Maxine’s Place at the Walker Lake Golf Course Country Club (WLGC) we have decided to write this letter to clear up those rumors and the misconceptions regarding our business and place of business.
Any business entering into a contract or subcontract with SOC NV LLC, the United States Army and/or any other entity or agency located at the Hawthorne Army Depot and/or doing business with or on their behalf must have an active and current business license. Maxine’s Place (a partnership owned jointly by Carol “Maxine” Mitchell, Suzanne “Suzy” Mitchell-Berry and Corinne Mitchell-Sterns) has a current/up-to-date business license and have had one since at least 2012. This record can be verified by looking up our license #15792.
The rules/regulations that local business owners complained to the Mineral County officials, Mr. Mike Fontaine and Mr. T.C. Knight that Maxine’s Places supposedly didn’t have to follow is a complete and total misconception and/or fabrication by such local business owners. Maxine’s Place as with any other business doing business on or with HWAD and/or SOC NV LLC/DAY and Zimmermann truth in fact is that in most cases we have more stringent requirements than those local business owners have to follow. Our minimum requirements to do business in this location are as follows:
1. As a food service establishment we have to have a current state health inspection and permit/license (Official Permit #MI-02-12926) Maxine’s Place has one. In fact we have two health inspections this year largely due to these same local business owners complaints to the same local officials and directly to the state on numerous, frequent occasions. Also required when the establishment at the WLGC changed hands from Webster’s to Maxine’s Place.
2. We have a monthly inspection by the SOC Fire and Emergency Services Department.
3. We have random inspections and walk-through by the SOC Safety Office.
4. We have been inspected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
These inspections had to be submitted to the state offices for review.
Where do any of these local business owners have to have, or should we say have the good fortune to ensure the safety of their clientele and or establishments by being subject to the same inspections or inspection frequencies as we have had to? Technically you could say the rules/regulations are different for us – they are more frequent and more restrictive in most cases.
We would respectfully request these «local business owners» check your current source of information. We would also address the term used by Mr. Fontaine, as «local business owners» as we are all locally established residents. We are trying to make a living and build our dream as a successful business, the same as anyone else. We have supported other establishments many times in the past year. There is an open invitation to come by, try our food, see our kitchen and licenses/certificates.
Sincerely,
Maxine Carol Mitchell
Corinne Mitchell-Sterns
Suzanne Mitchell-Berry
Dear Editor,
Let me set the record straight. I never said, or even implied, for anyone to change the outcome of the election. I merely stated that given the certification of the secretary of State’s office that nothing could be done about the ballots that were not counted. That was the District Attorney’s understanding as stated in your newspaper right after the ballots were found.
As for Jim Essenpriess’ amazement to my letter:
1. The letter was submitted to inform not to amaze.
2. His amazement was probably due to reading something into the letter that is not there.
Despite the fact that I was one of the early voters, whose vote may well not have been counted, I state, unequivocally, that the election should stand. I believe that, even though my vote may not have been counted, and I am angry if it wasn’t.
Also, in this letter, Mr. Essenpreis refers to 176 votes that were “hidden away in a desk drawer.” Hidden away? “Hiding” is a deliberate and malicious act. How can he say that without proof? Why would he think that this particular official was planning to hide votes, without proof? Why would he think there was “malfeasance” taking place, once more, without proof? It is true they were in a desk drawer, but how they got there was explained by Ms. George in her statement, printed in your newspaper. Or are you, Mr. Essenpreis calling her a liar?
We are not dealing here with Boss Tweed of NYC or Mayor Daly of Chicago. Those guys were ballot box cheats. They were, perhaps, worse than that. There is no doubt, no doubt at all, in my mind that we are all entitled to an honest, legitimate outcome to our elections. The fact that something happened to prevent that is not the first time such a thing has occurred. it is regrettable that such an incident should mar our election however, such things have happened in the past and will surely recur in the future. But I honestly believe it was nothing more than a truthful mistake on the part of Ms. George.
Incidentally, filing a lawsuit would create more problems than it would solve. It is true that 176 citizens may have had their civil rights violated, but if the win/loss outcomes doesn’t change, why make a mountain out of a molehill? The cost that would be borne by the County in legal fees and another full election, that probably would not change the outcome in any event, seems to me to be reckless. It would undoubtedly push the County into bankruptcy. Do we really need that?
Dan McCahill
Hawthorne
