Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 24

4C Reno Gazette-Journal Wednesday, August 27, 1997 Personal watercraft proving dangerous Tahoe death cited: Legislative actions could change boating rules. WHY PAY MORE FOR SSS? WIRELESS! Cm-H777 (WHEN ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS TALK) BEST BEST PRICES SERVICE BEST FREE ACTIVATION PRODUCTS PHONES VIS 7 ts In June. 13-vear-old Justin Raugh of Elk Grove died on Lake Tahoe as he was operating a rented personal watercraft that collided with a boat. Police said the youth did not observe standard right-of-way procedures and rode directlv into the path of the boat. Various legislative efforts could change boating life in coming vears.

One measure before state legislators, SB 545 by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal. D-Van Nuys, would prohibit 12- to 15-year-olds from operating alone a personal water-craft or any vessel with an engine of 15 horsepower or more. A provision was deleted Monday by the Assembly Transportation Committee that would have required mandatory safety training for all 12-to 21 -year-olds. Another measure, SB 347 by Sen.

Mike Thompson. D-St. Helena, would ban certain potentially dangerous activities, such as jumping a wake created by another boat within 1 00 feet of the boat, "spraying" another person or vessel or causing another boat to swerve at the last minute. Nighttime operations would also be banned. Branche.

who is director of the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention at the CDC, conducted her study by analyzing a national database of computer records. In 1 990 there were an estimated 241.376 personal watercraft in operation in the United States and 2,860 injuries that required hospital care, according to the study. By 1995 there were 760.000 personal watercraft and 12,288 injuries. MiKe Eastwood Owner 1A MCCLATCHY NEWSSERVICE SACRAMENTO. Calif.

They're fast. Cheap. Fun. Yet potentially dangerous. Personal watercraft.

with trade names like Jet Skis, have tripled in numbers in the 1990s. Injuries, however, have quadrupled, according to new research published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. "People could stand to have more instruction on safe use of personal watercraft," said Christine Branche, a researcher at the federal Centers for Disease Control, who was the author of Wednesday's study. The findings come as California legislators are mulling additional safety laws, such as raising the minimum age of solo operators from 12to 16 and banning certain riding techniques. "We're getting a lot of accidents," said David Johnson, a spokesman for the California Department of Boating and Waterways.

Personal watercraft are disproportionately involved in accidents. One out of every six boats in California is a personal water-craft, said Johnson. But one out of every two fatal boating accidents involves a personal watercraft. SERVING NORTHERN NEVADA SINCE 1991 OfGf 1200 s-Rock Blvd-14 Ksww rCorner of Rock Grecrt Cellular Cellular 031-2355 Authorized Dealer Reno panel to look into ethics rules By Susan Voyles GAZETTE-JOURNAL Reno City Council members wants to look at their ethics rules to see if they're doing enough to avoid potential conflicts for themselves and their political appointees. The rules were called into question when the council voted to change the ethics ordinance to comply with a new state law.

The city pushed for the legislation allowing the mayor and council members to add an extra line, at their own cost, to cellular phones or pagers purchased for city business. But in a wide-open discussion, Councilwoman Candice Pearce wants rules forbidding planning commissioners and downtown redevelopment advisory board members from holding contracts with the city. Councilwoman Judy Pruett Herman said the public perception is that's wrong. Citizen activist Sam Dehne said he's still upset Mayor Jeff Griffin voted to appoint two board members to the airport authority in July while negotiating with airport officials for a $20,750 contract to handle a foriegn trade zone application in Washington, D.C. That was done without disclosing his interest to other officials.

"My opinion is he should resign," Dehne said. "The mayor is feathering his own nest." Dehne cited a portion of Nevada law that says a public officer "must commit himself to avoid conflicts between his private interests and those of the general public whom he serves." The mayor has defended the contract, saying he has been working on it for five years and has no conflict. And he'said his company is the only one in town working in the very specialized area of foreign trade zones. Last week the City Council asked for a legal opinion from city attorneys. But legal researcher Chan Griswald said the opinion could take months if it is sent on to the Nevada State Ethics Commission.

The council agreed to hold a workshop to review the ethics rules. Also Tuesday, the City Council voted: To repeal its 12-year-old policy requiring developers to dedicate water rights to the city for their projects to get water service from Sierra Pacific Power Co. Those rights would be turned over to Sierra Pacific. But a new rule by the Nevada Public Service Commission prohibits putting any marketable value on these dedicated water rights. To approve initial zoning changes for public facilities at the Brothers of the Holy Rosary Monastery, at East McCarran Boulevard and the Truckee River.

The Catholic Diocese of Reno no longer has use for the 14.3-acre property. Sagewinds plans to offer residential and outpatient counseling services for adolescents there. To proceed with a lien of $1 1,985 against the long-closed Kings Inn to hire a contractor to paint the building and other improvements to keep transients away. INSTALLATION SERVICE SALES mm MlblNyiinllinillipW NOW THOMAS KIK 1K SIGNATURE GALLERY al WfiMILL CREEK 8 224 S. Carson Suite 6 Carson City, NV Enter on 3rd St.

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POWER 1 S23! --mXmmm amn ST'7 incvv iummuniiy ouiuoi i Grades K-6th Openinq Fall 1997 Road dip in north Reno to last another year, NDOT says Reno area motorists will have to bear with a rollercoaster ride on 1-580 at North McCarran Boulevard until next summer or even longer. The dip in the southbound lanes under the McCarran bridge could be part of a construction project involving a new offramp to Clear Acre Lane next summer, said Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Magruder. Or the repair work might be bid separately in a couple of years. He said the dip is definitely getting worse. In response to demands from motorists, he said two warning signs were put up earlier this year.

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