Mason Valley News from Yerington, Nevada • 1

Lyon County Recorder 91 P. 0. Box 927 Yerington NV 89447 9-8-96 With Best Wishes On Thanksgiving 'Flje Oijly 'Newspaper Ii World Tl? at Gives SZV: aipi? Sib out Yeriijgtoij Friday, November 24, 19S5 volume 79, Number 46 liiil Lyon began fiscal year, will end it, with a zero balance Commissioners look to improve Lyon's financial picture imWJJJJJJI) IjllUH jlUIIIIIIMjllJIJIIIIWWIIIWWMMWpWMgP Quote of the Week "The way I see it, we ate like a kid without a penny in his pocket and looking into a candy store. Lyon Commissioner Frank Elwell commenting on need for additional county office space. News Briefs No Scolari's or R-C inserts this week; look for special ads in MVN instead Mason Valley News readers looking for the usual Scolari's Market and R-C Food Center inserts in this week's newspaper will hot find one for either local store.

1 But, customers will find special holiday advertisements in the pages of the Mason Valley News instead this week. Look for a special two-page ad from Scolari's on Pages 2 and 3 of Section 1A and for the full-page ad from R-C Food Center on Page 4 of Section 2. YOne board member suggests voter survey on tax increase; other discussion centers on stick-built versus mobile homes Faced with a cash flow shortage over the past few monthsand with a projected ending cash balance of zero for the current fiscal yearthe Lyon County Commission Friday morning began looking for ways to improve its financial picture. One Commissioner proposed a survey of the County's voters about a possible tax increase, while another focused on the difference in taxes paid between stick-built houses and mobile homes. County Manager Steve Snyder told the Commissioners the County started the fiscal year with a $0 beginning balance, and has projected a $0 ending fund balance.

In between, Snyder said, the County has dropped into the negatives. Snyder said possible solutions are to cut expenditures or increase revenues. One possibility, he said, would be to transfer monies from the county's PILT funds, or capital improvements, into the general fund. However, he recommended waiting until the financial picture is more clear in the spring or into June before making such a move. Commissioner Nancy Dallas advocated a survey of the County's voters and said a pie chart should be set up to show where the County's monies are being spent.

The survey could be circulated through newspapers, at the Senior JPehters, arid at grocery stores Throughout the county t6 get public input on a tax increase and expenditures of the increased revenues, Dallas said. Dallas offered an estimate of a 15c" rate increase, and said she would like to see a portion of that increase designated for law enforcement, roads and parks. She said a one-cent increase would raise $42,000 per year. (See Finances oh Page 6) GETTIN' DOWN NATIVE AMERICAN STYLE- These Native American youngsters are part of the Wind Spirit Dancers that performed an intertribal dance at the Multicultural Assembly at Yerington High School Friday. Pictured are: Gina Dini, Elvira Emm, Jeremy Picotte, Kathie Keats and Tasheena Savage.

Whitlock back in local picture (See Whitlock on Page 7) expected it to have amendments made by Whitlock. He said it would now be circulated to the County Commissioners Commissioners say Cdunty Can't fund new full-time position in Dayton Justice Court sonally involved with it now," Dini said. "They're going forward with it; I think it looks good." Tuesday, Snyder said he'd received the proposed contract agreement back from Whitlock Packing, that day regarding the county's providing water and sewer service for the Whitlock operation; to be paid back through fees by the company. Whitlock has proposed to locate a beverage bottling plant on land near Sierra Pacific Power Company's Ft. Churchill Station power plant nearWabuska.

Snyder noted he hadn't had a chance to review the document but Commissioners work on additional County off ice YCounty receives contract proposal back; officials optimistic about bottling firm's move to Mason Valley After months cf being on the back burner, the proposal for a Whitlock bottling plant here has moved back to the forefront. County Manager Steve Snyder told the Board of Lyon County Commissioners during its meeting last week that "Whklock was interested in moving forward." Joe Dini, Nevada Co-Speaker of the Assembly, has been involved in the project and feels it -will move forward now. "I know Mr. Whitlock is per Commissioners' meeting room, which would become 30x30 feet. Casazza recommended not going any smaller than that as it will have to support audiences and will be used as a second courtroom for the county." "If we're cutting square footage, we're really defeating our purpose," Commissioner Rico Sacchini said.

Casazza then said could be cut by using lower grade finishes on the build- ing. Casazza said the original plans r.T;1";:':;:;:.:;:.-.,,,,- 7 Yerington Judge indicates he may use court's 'inherent seek independent counsel Saying they would look into providing a temporary hire for one week a month but that there wasn't enough money for a full-time employee, the Lyon County Board of Commissioners last week denied a request by Dayton Township Justice of the Peace Edward R. Johnson to hire an additional full-time court clerk. As a result, Judge Johnson indicated he felt his request had been "reasonable and necessary" and he would take the next step available to a Justice of the Peace using the judicial system's "inherent powers." Commissioner Nancy Dallas said the county's options with Johnson's request would be to lay off another employee; use PILT funding, which generally is used for capitalbuilding projects; or to deny the request. In discussing her motion to deny while looking at temporary help, Dallas said, "In good conscience, I Community Thanksgiving Service Thursday The Yerington Ministerial Association has issued an open Invitation to the public to attend a Community Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) from 1 1 a.m.' to ttoon.

The service will be held at the Community United Methodist Church at 221 N. Main Street in Yerington and will feature traditional hymns, special music and an appropriate message. School Symphonic Jazz Bands set Holiday Concert Yerington HighIntermediate School Symphonic Band and the YHS Jazz Band will present a Holiday Concert Thursday, November 30, at 7 p.m., in the YHS Gym. The 85rmember Symphonic Band, which includes students from grades 7-12, will be performing music by James Swear-ingen, Claude T. Smith, Alfred Reed and other notable composers.

This is the first of three planned concerts this year for the Symphonic Band. The Jazz Ensemble will also perform several popular Christmas selections that evening. YHS YIS Christmas Concert set Dec. 6 The Yerington High and Intermediate School Choirs present their Christmas Concert Wednesday, December 6, at 7 p.m. in the YHS Gym.

The. concert will feature 100 students from the two schools singing holiday favorites. There will be an audience participation section of the conceit during the intermediate can't hire personnel that, to my knowledge, we don't have money in the general fund to pay for." County Manager Steve Snyder said, "My dilemma is money. I'm convinced we need the increase (in staffing) all over." He added, "At this point, I have no place identified to fund that position." Chairman Kathy Jensen asked if it would help if the county hired a temporary worker one week a month in his court. He responded that anything would help, but he felt a full-time staffer was needed.

Jensen also noted the county planned to discuss its cash flow (financial) situation the next day at a workshop and this would be dis-cussed further. Johnson's next step will be to retain private legal counsel-since the District Attorney's Office would likely have to represent the county-and then to file a Writ of Manda- (See Can't fund on Page 7) (See McGowan on Page 3) issue of space were set up with high quality, low maintenance finishes so as to save money in the long run. he said, if the building were built as a wood structure, which will require more maintenance in the long run, those costs could be cut as much as $50,000. "With the County's money problems, you don't have the money for maintenance," Casazza said, "so it should be built with quality, low- (See Office space on Page 7) loses two community leaders Former Mayor City Manager Frank M. McGowan passes away Nov.

17 Walter Cox, "Sage of Pizen passes away November 19 YHear suggestions from architects on trimming building proposal; also receive other offers The Lyon County Board of Commissioners held a workshop last week to hear suggestions from architects on how to cut costs of another county building to supply more office space. The Board asked the firm of Casazza, Peetz Hancock to revisit the building plans to try to cut costs from original $919,000 estimates. The Commissioners have budgeted only $700,000 for the project. Ralph Casazza said in the new plans, the firm cut the square footage of the building, cut back on the quality of building materials, cut out all landscaping work and all remodeling done inside the Court-. house.

Casazza said in order to make the project work within the County's budget, the building would have to be built at around $630,000. The other $70,000 would be eaten up in architectural, engineering and construction overhead costs, he said. Casazza said most of the costs in a building come from square footage; so to cut the majority of the costs, nearly 2,000 square feet was taken off the original building plans. But, Casazza said to cut this much square footage cuts the size of the offices in the building down to nearly the same size as the existing offices the County occupies. The hardest hit by the cuts would be the Community Development Department, as it would be cut to half the size the County was originally asking for.

Also hit by the cuts would be the The gone. "Sage of Pizen Switch" is A memorial funeral service was held Tuesday, November 21 for Yerington native Frank M. McGowan, who served as Mayor for several years and then as Yerington's first City Manager. McGowan, who was 75, died Friday, November 17 at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno. He was born March 22, 1920 to Christopher and Grace Anfang McGowan and attended elementary school at the Plummer School in Mason Valley.

He was graduated from Yerington High School in 1938. McGowan joined the Army Air Force and served from 1939 to 1946. He was taken prisoner and survived the Bataan Death March during World War II and was then held prisoner in both the Walter Cox, former newspaperman, columnist and state lawmaker (among other things), died Sunday, November 19 in his Yerington home. He was 95. Cox earned the affectionate nickname the "Sage of Pizen Switch" many years ago somewhere along the colorful trail that was his 'life.

He was born on Sept. 24, 1900 in Virginia City, NV to Franklin F. and Elizabeth McEvoy Cox. His father was a printer who moved from VC to San Francisco and then to Yerington in 1906 as he went to work for the Yerington Times. Frank purchased the Mason Valley News in 1919 and the Coxes also bought the Yerington Times in (See Cox on Page 3) Prec High Low 36 31 35 35 30 31 30 Date Nov.

16 Nov. 17 Nov. 18 Nov. 19 Nov. 20 Nov.

21 Nov. 22 69 61 62 62 Frank McGowan Walter Cox.