Guzman carrying load in Waterfall fire restoration

As I write this, the snow is accumulating in my yard. One weekend I am pruning my roses and the next I am skiing. The weather around here keeps things interesting and so do the good people of Carson City.

There are lots of good people doing lots of good things in Carson City right now. One of the best is the effort to restore our area after the Waterfall fire last summer. Since the fire, Juan Guzman, Carson City open spaces manager, has been hard at work negotiating with the National Forest Services, the Bureau of Land Management, the Nevada Division of Forestry and private contractors to manage, protect and restore our hillsides.

It hasn't been easy. These federal and state agencies have their own agenda and priorities, which are sometimes inconsistent with those of Carson City, but in spite of the challenges, Juan has energetically and successfully represented Carson City in this bureaucratic mix.

The logging is under way to remove the burned timber from Lakeview and Timberline, and it has gone so smoothly that we have only noticed the sound of a chainsaw on occasion. Twelve loads have been hauled out by truck and evidently the helicopters will be arriving later this week, weather permitting, to haul out the remaining lumber.

Someone said to me recently, "I like Juan. You can depend upon him to do the right thing for Carson City." That is a compliment of the highest order.

Speaking of doing the right thing, Carson City's own Bob Crowell is representing the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, the American Cancer Association, and the Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition. These organizations have combined to propose and support the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, a. petition to limit second-hand smoke in areas that are frequented by children.

Last summer this coalition gathered the requisite number of signatures required by Nevada law to have it placed on the ballot. Last fall when they were ready to submit the petitions, they were asked by Nevada officials to wait until after the election because their staffs were buried with the upcoming election and the officials didn't have the resources to process the petitions.

The petition organizers waited. After the election, when they submitted the petitions, they were told by the same Nevada officials that they did not have enough signatures because Nevada law requires that 10 per cent of the registered voters in three-fourths of Nevada's 17 counties in the previous election sign the petition and that number of signatures required had increased after the 2004 election due to increased voter registration.

Even though it will not make him popular with the powers that be in Nevada, Crowell, a prominent Carson City barrister, took the case and won. The Nevada Legislature had 40 days to consider the petition and failed to act, so the resolution is scheduled to appear on the ballot. However, the gaming and tobacco interests continue to challenge it in court and Bob continues to fight the good fight.

Another one of Carson City resident's star is rising. Tammy Westergard, senior editor of the new Carson Magazine, has just published her second issue, and it is a thing of beauty.

A long-time resident of our fair city quipped that the magazine was so well done that after reading it she thought, "I want to live there." If you haven't seen a copy yet, look for it in local stores and newsstands. Congratulations to Tammy.

More good things - Marv (Mayor-For-Life) Teixeira is leading the way in the formation of a coalition to address the methamphetamine problem in Carson City. This insidious drug is nightmare for families, employers and law enforcement, and we have our fair share of it.

At Marv's urging, the board of supervisors has made this issue a priority. A meeting for representatives from law enforcement, the health department, drug treatment, education and the judiciary will be held on April 13th to discuss the nature and scope of the problem and to begin the development of a strategy to deal with it. This is good news indeed.

Speaking of Mayor Marv, he is on fire. By all appearances, he is determined to get four years worth of work done in one year. Term limits dictate that the mayor can only serve three terms so he knows that this is his last chance, and at 70 years of age, he feels an urgency to get it all done at once. Be looking for more good things in Carson City's future.

Linda Johnson is a wife, mother, retired attorney and a 30-year resident of Carson City.