Letters to the editor Oct. 18

Keep supporting the V&T Railway

After nearly 20 years of efforts by various groups, the long-awaited reconstructed V&T Railway is now in our midst, and operating at that.

Yet, in spite of the Herculean and gallant efforts to contribute this legacy attraction to the regional portfolio, apparently, a few people used to the easy money of the pre-recession economy have become impatient with it. With the benefit of the experience of long-term direct involvement in this project, I offer the following thoughts:

Most successful projects of this type have had a hand up in that they didn't have to start from scratch and have had decades to develop their business. The most successful railroads have been running for more than 30 years. It must be well understood that the time involved in development is directly proportional to the benefits reaped.

This operation has to be managed in a manner unlike any other railroad because of the agendas of the different entities involved. To Carson City's great credit, Candace Duncan, executive director of the Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau, has been entrusted to sew a silk purse from a sow's ear to make this work, and in the process, protect Carson City's sizable investment in the project. She treads where others have found it impossible, and diligently does what she can with what she's been given.

Whatever your opinion, it's here now, it must work, and Candace needs all the support she can get to make it happen.

Kim Fegert

Gold Hill

Please return 40 years of tools

I am in need of assistance from the Carson City community. I have been a glazier for more than 40 years. I was working for Capital Glass at approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday in front of Med Pharmacy (near Grocery Outlet and Butler Meats) with two other glaziers. The work truck was parked in front of the pharmacy while we replaced a broken window.

During a 15- to 20-minute period, while our backs were turned, someone stole the tool box from the back of the truck. This tool box contained 40 years worth of glazier tools, which I need to make a living. I was unemployed for over 14 months and went back to work in June.

Glaziers must have their own personal tools in order to work for a glass company. The person who stole this tool box would not have been able to just walk off with it; they would have needed a vehicle. The tool box is black and red, canvas Husky, approximately 40 inches long, 16 inches wide and 18 inches tall, weighing about 40-50 pounds.

It is possible the person who stole the tool box will try to pawn the tools for some easy cash. If you have any information, please contact the Carson City Sheriff's Office or myself, Frank Bordeaux, 775-720-2373. If the tools are returned to me there will be no questions asked and no charges filed.

Frank Bordeaux

Carson City

Round up all the wild horses and burros

I've lived in Northern Nevada for almost 50 years. Here in Nevada, we have more feral horses and burros than in any other state.

I just spent five days in the Sheldon National Antelope Refuge. Know what I didn't see in the refuge area? Antelope. Not one was spotted in the five days by any of the eight people in our chukar hunting group. What we all did see was horses and burros.

Why is it that anyone of any intelligence doesn't understand that these animals are not indigenous to North America? They are feral animals. Our ecosystem is a very delicate balance of mammals, birds, fish and insects, etc. Any time any other species is introduced, the balance is shifted. Even the smallest insect or organism can shift the balance and change the ecosystem. Why can't the activists see this?

Until the 16th century, there hadn't been burros or horses of any subspecies in North America since they went extinct about 8,000 years ago. The horse that once roamed North America was a much smaller species that was probably eaten to extinction by tribal members of North American Indians. There is no evidence of early horses being domesticated, nor is there evidence to establish why they are extinct.

Today's horses and burros are eating and drinking the indigenous animals that exist on public lands to extintion. I say round them all up and free our Wild West from their domination on the open range.

Richard Doke

Carson City