Reno Gazette-Journal du lieu suivant : Reno, Nevada • Page 21

Reno Evening Gazette Wednesday, November 21, 197921 Local Storey County going to court over Gold Hill mining dispute Rollan MHtan by the mining company that he said resulted in breaks in Virginia City's water supply, closing off secondary roads and too-steep pit mine walls which have caused cave-ins. Resolutions opposing the takeover of private homes and the rerouting of Highway 17 from the Virginia City Volunteer Fire Department and the Comstock Historical District were read into the record. And Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington, who represents Storey County, pleged he will work for a revision of the 1866 mining law in the 1981 legislative session. Bob Hope in Reno An American legend strutted his stuff in Reno last night, to the absolute delight of 1,000 Nevadans. There he was, Bob Hope, the man who has produced more laughs than any person in history; he of the scooped snoot, the snowplow chin, whose 50 years of comedy is nothing less than an index to history.

Hope dazzled 'em for 1 hour, 10 minutes at the annual University of Nevada Wolf Pack Boosters fund-raiser. He did it all for free, waiving his customary fee, which never is less than $5,000. Samples: Of UNR football -coach Chris Ault: "Hey, he looks like De Lipkau said the mining company wants to buy seven houses at the Grinder's Bend area, leaving other historical buildings intact. The attorney promised that the owners would receive the professionally-appraised value of their homes "plus" or the company would pay to have the houses relocated elsewhere. If residents refused to sell out, de Lipkau said Houston would execise its sta-tuatory right of eminent domain to take control of the property and would still give the former owner just compensation.

The company has the right to condemn private property, the attorney said, under Nevada's 1866 mining law. That law separates the surface estate from the mineral estate and gives mining companies the right to purchase the mineral rights and extract the ore. The attorney said the company proposes to relocate Highway 17 a few thousand feet to the east, away from the path of the open pit mine. He said Houston experts aren't sure the portion of the cracked highway which is edged by the 33-acre pit could be stabilized and made absolutely safe now. Tearful Gold Hill resident Diane Gordon attacked Houston's credibility.

"I've appeared many times in the past year and a half to protest Houston's actions," she told the crowd. Mrs. Gordon claimed the mining company reneged on promises to fence off operations until they were forced to because of accidents. She argued that some of the houses the company wants to move are 120 years old. "They are an integral part of the Comstock and they can't be moved or they will be said.

Mrs. Gordon read from the transcript of a 1978 hearing in which de Lipkau said the mining company had no intention of dismantling or destroying any homes. The attorney stuck to his statement, saying the company's present proposal would not spell destruction for historic homes, simply relocation. Virginia City resident William Her-ron claimed the company's contribution to the community is "short-term and minimal at best." He said the Comstock was originally built on mining operations, but he charged that any resemblance between the historic shaft mines of yesteryear and Houston's open pit operation "is merely accidental." And he reeled off a number of what he indicated were "so-called accidents" By SUE VOLEK VIRGINIA CITY The Storey County Commission drew cheers and applause Tuesday when the three commissioners unanimously voted to go to court to stop mining activity which Comstock citizens say endangers the historic town of Gold Hill. The action came after a hostile crowd jammed the Storey District Courtroom to protest a plan by Houston Oil and Mineral Co.

to condemn seven private homes in Gold Hill and move State Route 17 because the residences and highway block expansion of the company's gold and silver open pit mine. A portion of Highway 17 north of Gold Hill has cracked because of mining operations in the pit, immediately below the Grinder's Bend section. A flagman has been posted by the state Department of Transportation to direct traffic around the fractured pavement. A Transportation representative told the County Commission meeting that a "small emergency" exists and is being monitored. He said the weight of vehicles on Highway 17 might be limited, but public safety is not yet threatened.

The commissioners' action also put them on record as refusing to approve any highway relocation a move that would require the consent of local and state authorities. After the stormy hearing, District Attorney Jack Christensen said he will file the request for a temporary injunction in district court today and request that it be expedited. Christensen speculated that a judge might act as soon as next week. The district attorney predicted the county may not be able to force cessation of all mining operations in the Houston pit until the safety of Highway 17 is determined, but "I think there's an excellent chance of restricting operations to a substantial degree." Houston attorney Ross de Lipkau said he'd have to wait to read Christensen's motion before commenting. De Lipkau faced an angry throng of more than 200 as he presented the company's case to the Storey County Commission.

The session was billed as an informational meeting, but the public joined in with emotional testimony and pointed questions directed at the mining company representatives. In addition, numerous state agency and elected officials were present at the two-hour hearing. BOB HOPE (to ft s. iimum in nor "iff HIT iliicii mrfilflft'rir iiiiiBnrrn miw if 1 Gazette photo by Jim Beazley Susan Toll, a Gold Hill resident, addresses the Storey County Commission Tuesday during a meeting over the mining activity 6 resign from Sierra Nevada Museum of Art Mickey Rooney. I wonder if it would be possible to adopt him?" Of the world's over-abundance of bad news: "God must be mad about something." "On Friday I appeared at a $500-a-plate hospital fund-raiser in Los Angeles.

It was the most expensive affair since Lee Marvin's." He said of his wife of 47 years, Dolores: "She used to think Norman Vincent Peale was a stripper and that Oral Roberts was a dentist." There was the traditional Bob Hope thrust at politicians: "They say if Gerald Ford gets back in the White House that he'll grant a pardon to Jimmy Carter." "One thing's for certain Ronnie Reagan's hair can't stay that color forever." "Just imagine we might have Jerry Brown playing on the White House lawn, wearing his beanie with the propeller on it." Hope said he's been asked if he's ever had a face-lift, and the answer is "no," but "each year I do have my entire body sand-blasted." There were gentle jabs and plenty of laughs for everyone: On religion: "Wasn't it wonderful, the Pope's visit to America? The most exciting thing in Catholicism since actor Warren Beatty went to public confession." On Las Vegas: "They've been trying to get me to play there for years, but I wouldn't take their silicone shots for anything." On airlines: "I've flown into almost as many airports as my luggage has." On Shirley Temple: "I couldn't believe it when she turned 50. Why we were child stars together. Then my stage name was Jackie Cooper." On the Carter administration: "Imagine Jimmy bringing in Bert Lance to watch the money. Why, that's as bad as asking Colonel Sanders to guard the chicken." 1 Of Billy Carter. "I understand he's left his mark on the outside of most of the buildings in Hope sang a couple of tunes, did a lazy old soft shoe while reclining on a couch and showed off the magic of perfect timing that is his hallmark.

His appearance with UNR Boosters was due exclusively to the Harrah's organization, whose entertainment director Holmes Hendrickson urged Hope to make this visit until he finally said yes. And it was Harrah's that flew the 76-year-old Hope to Reno last night from Palm Springs, then home again. The event grossed around $100,000 in revenues and should return the Boosters a net profit in excess of $50,000. As for Hope, the only thing he was recruiting last night was laughs. And for anyone not to have laughed well it would have been treason.

By MARK OLIVA ago that she intended to leave the museum's top staff spot and begin working for the museum as a fund-raising development specialist. Fox, who, as associate director, was second in command, said a decision was reached with the board that he would be given a trial period to test whether he could fill Mrs. Loomis' post. However, Fox said, he was unable to show the board how he would operate as a director during the trial period because Mrs. Loomis would not let go of authority and permit him to make, decisions.

He said Mrs. Growden refused to carry out his instructions. He said time also continued to pass, and Mrs. Loomis made no moves toward fulfilling her promise to step out of the directorship. Mrs.

Loomis said today Fox did not want the directorship, and the museum concluded that rather than going through a four-month trial period and then conducting a search for her replacement, it would be better to begin the search immediately. Fox said with his resignation and those of some directors, local artists no longer are included in key administrative posts or on the museum board. He said he believes Mrs. Loomis will build a new board that excludes any representation of local artists, shifting instead to businessmen. Mrs.

Loomis said today that businessmen are being sought to fill the board vacancies. Fox said during his tenure, he was assigned as the liaison with Sierra Arts. He said he is strongly supportive of the foundation and its arts center project, but Mrs. Loomis is not. He said on one occasion, when draft plans for what is intended as the museum's portion of the new center were forwarded through him to the museum for review, Mrs.

Loomis and Mrs. Growden made such drastic Changes in the plan that it would have been impossible to execute. Fox said evidence of Mrs. Loomis' alleged plans to expand on the museum site rather than to move into the arts center also can be seen in her attempts to acquire nearby land and her designs for landscaping. Mrs.

Loomis denied that she has plans to keep the museum out of the art center. She said she supports the project and the move of the museum into the new center. She also said her attempts to acquire additional property have been solely to provide addi- tional parking space. But McCormick, a 20-year veteran of the board and former chairman of the University of Nevada-Reno, Art Department, said he does not accept that. McCormick said he resigned from the board be- cause there no longer was a basis for "a cordial, constructive relationship" with Mrs.

Loomis and be- cause she allegedly has placed the museum "on a course that is at odds with my own." He said he believes the museum should serve a broad public constituency and that the museum should be highly active in supporting Sierra Arts and the arts center. He said neither Mrs. Loomis and the museum staff are doing neither. Peitz said he agrees with McCormick. He said he resigned because he was particularly disturbed by Mrs.

Loomis' alleged refusal to support Sierra Arts and the new arts center. "She didn't really need a board of directors," Peitz said. "It's Susanne's museum. She runs it the way she wants to." Mrs. Osborne said neither Fox" nor the Sierra Arts issue were factors in her resignation.

In a protest of purported policies, the associate director and five members of the board of directors including the top three officers have resigned from the Sierra Nevada Museum of Art. Those who have resigned are associate director William L. Fox, President Dr. John T. Douglas, Vice President James McCormick, Secretary John Do-herty and board members Richard Peitz and Sandy Osborne.

Peitz said the museum staff has not yet received his written resignation, but he is off the board. Museum director Suzanne Loomis who said she is about to leave her post at the museum was the target of much of the objection. Mrs. Loomis and the museum's new vice president, John C. Deane, today denied the main contentions raised by several of those who resigned.

In interviews this week, complaints made by several of those who resigned included: That Mrs. Loomis, while publicly supporting Sierra Arts Foundation's Sierra Center project, allegedly has been leading the museum in a direction where it would not become a part of the new arts center, but rather, where it would develop and expand on its own on its Court Street site. That Mrs. Loomis and museum curator Dr. Mar-cia Growden have been developing an "elitist" program at the museum which patronizes Reno's arts community, rather than supporting it, and which ignores local art, for the most part.

That the museum allegedly is disorganized and ill-run under Mrs. Loomis. Mrs. Loomis had made it known publicly some time Free Thanksgiving dinners, freezing temperatures for holiday St. Vincent's Dining Room, at 505 West Third will serve Thanksgiving dinner beginning at noon Thursday.

John Ascuaga's Nugget will provide all the food and service personnel required for the special meal, according to Nugget officials. For those who can't afford their own holiday feast, the Carson Nugget once again is treating this year, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Families with children are welcome, and those who live alone have a special invitation.

To take the Nugget up on the offer, simply order dinner in the coffee shop, take the check from the waitress and bring it to the cashier. Instead of paying the tab, tell the cashier, "I'm a guest of the Nugget today." Most city and school employees will have Friday off as part of the holiday. There are no classes scheduled Friday at the University of Nevada-Reno, local community colleges or public schools. However, business offices will be open Friday at the university. Sparks employees will have Friday off, and city offices will be closed, but Reno and Washoe County employees will be on the job, and municipal offices will be open, according to the county manager's And, because of a pay raise agreement, state work- ers will have to be on the job Friday, according to state Personnel Director Jim Wittenberg.

Large crowds of holiday travelers are expected to go in and out of Reno for Thanksgiving. Ken Joule, director of operations at Cannon Inter- national Airport, cautioned holiday travelers to plan ahead and allow plenty of time to locate a parking spot at the airport. "We expect a record number of holiday travelers this year," Joule said, "and advise Reno residents who are traveling to use public transportation such as airport limousines, buses and taxicabs whenever possible." Local ski resorts are facing a bleak holiday week- i end. Most of the ski resorts have not yet received enough snow to open, a spokesman for Heavenly Valley ski resort said. Several ski lodges in the area are scheduled to open for Thanksgiving, but ski enthusiasts will have to wait for at least one more heavy storm before hitting the slopes, the spokesman said.

Kierulff said. "We had a -2 at Battle Mountain, it got down to 3 at Winnemucca. and it's been zero at other places." Kierulff added there were indications the high pressure system may weaken by Thursday. "But it's still strong enough to persist," he said. "It will probably protect us from precipitation through Saturday and possibly beyond." However, he cautioned, "There is some sign it (the high) is weakening.

So I don't want to go too far." Overnight temperatures in the Sierra included 13 at Echo Summit; 5 at South Lake Tahoe; and zero at Truckee, the weather service reported. The South Kiwanis Club got a head start, serving its annual senior citizens turkey feast to a group of 45 Tuesday night. The Salvation Army and the Gospel Mission are following suit, serving their traditional turkey dinners today. The Salvation Army was scheduled to serve dinner from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

at its building at 835 E. Second St. The Gospel Mission was to begin serving dinner at 5:30 p.m. at its mission at 145 West Third St. The mission also plans to serve a Thanksgiving Day breakfast.

Thanksgiving is coming early this year with the Salvation Army, Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission and South Kiwanis Club programs. And, the turkey day holiday will stretch an extra day longer for most city and school district employees but not state or county workers. Yet in some ways, Thanksgiving won't come at all for local ski resort operators, since no snow is forecast for the hpliday. A record low temperature of 7 degrees, caused by cold polar air, struck Reno this morning and chilly temperatures are expected to linger through the weekend, the jNational Weather Service reported. Today's low broke a previous four-year record for Nov.

21, said meteorologist Larry Kierulff. He expected the high to reach 48 today with a low tonight of 12. The predicted high for Thanksgiving Day is 55. Kierulff said the cold weather was being created by a "very strong high pressure system" from the northern latitudes that is supported by a low pressure system off the Pacific Coast. It has allowed cold air from the polar regions to sweep into Nevada, he said.

"It's been colder in other places in the state," No suspects in killing Reno police Capt. Ken Pulver said today there are no suspects in the slaying Monday of bartender Nina Nicholson, who was found dead at the Out of Sight club with her neck slashed. Pulver said a man reportedly was seen in the area of the club at 4755 N. Virginia St. some time before the victim's body was found at 3 p.m., but he said the man is not a suspect.

Police initially reported that an autopsy showed the victim died of suffocation, but Washoe Coroner Vern McCarty later said that death was from the woman choking on her own blood. Pulver again today asked that anyone who saw a person or vehicle at the club before or after the slaying to call police. 2 men die in fiery freeway collision Housing bonds requested CARSON CITY(AP)-The Nevada Housing Division is asking for the go-ahead from tne state Board of Finance to issue up to $172 million in bonds to help finance low-interest home loans. Bob Cameron, Board of Finance secretary, said Tuesday the panel will meet Monday to consider the plan. pickup truck driven by Lanning.

The impact caused the pickup to explode into flames. By the time the Washoe Sheriff's Department's Hasty team was summoned and arrived to extricate Lanning, he and his truck were destroyed by fire, a deputy sheriff said. Struemph said troopers believe Livingston was under the influence of alcohol. Livingston's blood is being checked to determine it, he said. reported just after 11 p.m.

that a car was heading east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80. Struemph said that before troopers could reach the scene, and three minutes after the frantic warning, the accident happened 21 miles east of Fern-ley. Troopers estimated the speed of Livingston's car as 80 miles per hour. They said it first sideswiped an approaching truck driven by Fred A. Rose, 49, of Lovelock.

Then the car collided head-on with a Three minutes after a CBer reported a wrong-way driver east of Fernley Tuesday night, two persons were killed in an explosive head-on collision, the Nevada Highway Patrol said. The dead were identified as Lynn Livingston, 30, of Wadsworth and George Lanning III, age unknown, of Hailey, Idaho. Capt. Jim Struemph of the highway patrol said someone with a CB radio had.