Community News
Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, July 17, 1997 23
While on the way to the Post Office
Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Turkey, Armenia, the Caucus
Mountains and the Soviet Republics, Muslims and Christians, a
Karate tournament, and a blown out automobile engine, these are
the few things that come up when a fellow sets out to check the
mail in Baker. Life in a small desert town, on the edge of the
Mojave Desert, is supposed to be quiet and laid back, easy, lazy,
simple, perhaps even bucolic.
Friday, close to noon. Time to check the mail before our Post
Mistress goes to lunch. Temperature just a bit over 100 and the
wind is calm. Maybe I'll find a
Armenia as a Soviet Socialist Republic and things did not
significantly improve. I've met Armenians in the past and find
them pleasant enough, but only the assertive and agressive have
survived the various ethnic cleansings.
In my usually tranquil home I now have three adult males and
two children. One child and one adult speak English. Art and his
companions are on their way to Las Vegas to view his 11 year old
son - already in Las Vegas - in a Karate tournament. (Did I
mention agressive and assertive?) To add to the adventurer Art's
wife has removed all credit and
i i
few new catalogues with free ship- t ATM cards from Art's wallet for
ping and no payments until Mon- In The Thermometer's Shadow [ the journey. Art seems a little
day.Checkingthemailisaboutas by Mike Douzhertv [ embarrased, but I can under-
dull a chore as there is. I'm half __ " v _ : stand how this might be
leep as I drive up the back road ' neccessary.
he Baker P, O. , !i I pass out styro cups of diet 7-
There'sabluevansittingbehindthepostoffice.Itsnotalocal 'ii:::::: up (non staining, non sticky)
rig. I see a child near the van so I figure to stop and see ifany help ii ii:: : and offer food. The visitors de-
is needed and tell them there's a public park that offers shaded cline but Art asks to use the
parking right nearby. Just being neighborly, you know.
The child is about 10 years old and speaks good English. An
old man with him seems to speak some other language. They
assure me they need no help and are OK. I see they have food and
water with them, so I make my manners and head on into the P
O.
Inside the RO, a man is speaking to our Post Mistress and his
problem is that the private pay phone outside does not receive
incoming calls. He's stranded and can't call for help. I poke my
nose into his business and find he's part of the busted van outside
and needs a bit of help. Seeing as how there's a child involved,
I offer temporary use of my home. (They say, "Chalrity begins
at home.") The man introduces himself as Art, and accepts.
It starts to get fight away interesting. Besides Art, and the old
man and boy I met outside, there's a very Mediterranean looking
adult cousin and another boy of three years. This is definitely a
car full for the Trooper. There are kids, they have a real blown
engine car problem, and they do need a bit of help. I'm in for it.
My "Good Guy" gland has led me astray again.
Turns out these folks are Armenians. This is a very small
country, or ex-country just east of Turkey and south of the
Caucus Mountains. The 20th century history is brief and bloody.
The Turks and Muslims and the Armenians are Christians.
Turkey nearly exterminated the Armenians. Later, Russia took
phone...I had forgotten that some folks view phone use
different than I do. Calls were placed all over southern Nevada
and California.
A tow truck was to come out from LA and retrieve the car. A
car could not be rented in Vegas and delivered to Baker. A car
could not be rented without a credit card. Hotel reservations were
still intact but transport was a problem. No Greyhound until
evening and that would cost $80 plus cab fare to the hotel. Art and
his crew thank me for my help and ask for a fide back to the Post
Office. I gladly oblige and look forward to the return of my home.
I am not use to a three-year-old child sitting in my chair.
Peace, quiet, tranquility. I sit in front of the TV with a diet
Coke and atuna sandwich. I reach for the remote channel changer
and the phone explodes offthe wall. Art asks would I drive him
and his tribe to/_,as Vegas. Damn! I tell him it will be $100 up
front and I only make one stop in Vegas. Art knows a good deal
when he hears it and quickly agrees. I put the tuna sandwich back
in the ice box.
I load three adult males, two children, and a zillion pounds of
luggage, including two water melons, into the old Isuzu Trooper
and we're off to meet the joys of Friday afternoon Las Vegas
traffic.
Clark County, as usual, has the freeway closed down to two
miserable traffic-choked lanes.
Complete Site Improvements
Packages Available
Around Amargosa with Andrea
by Andrea Lynn
Walkin' Willie stayed at the Desert
Village Motel on July 5. This is the man
who walked across Death Valley in 1975.
He completed his journey once again this
year. His trek started in Shoshone on July
4 and ended at Scotty's Castle on July 7.
The Summer Reading program got off
to a great start last week and 20 kids
attended for the first day. The library was
so full that the progrim was moved to the
community center. Everyone wore racoon
hats for their first day with the Wild, Wild
West theme. It's not too late to join in the
fun! The program is on Sunday and Thurs-
days from 3-5 p.m. Depending on the sched-
ule of the community center, it will some-
times be held in the library. Call the library
372-5340 for more information.
JULY:
Monday 21 : Planning board meeting., 7
p.m. Community Center
Tuesday 22: Chamber of Commerce
meeting., 7 p.m. C/C
Thursday 24: Summer Reading Program,
3-5 p.m,, C/C
00731ue 00,giarnon00
Cactus =. Cactus
Largest Selection in Nevada
Desert Plants ~ Succulents
Lots of native Nevada plants including:
Red Barrels, Cholla, Yucca, Mound Cactus, Clariet
Teddy Bear, Beaver Trail, Prickly Pear, Saguaro
Golden Barrels, Organ pipe, Desert Willow
Blue Pale Verde, Ocotillo, Mexican Fence
Post and Extremely Nice
Nevada Joshua Trees
Free Cactu= Say you saw it in the Gazette, limit of one.
Open: 9 am ~ 5 pm Daily, Sun 10 am ~ 5 pm 12740 Blue Diamond Road
1/2 Mile off 160 W. on Blue Diamond Rd. (Hwy 159)
(702) 875-1968
Fax (702) 875-1913
Traffic is beyond belief. The offramps all have names like: Merge
Left, Lane Closed, exit only, merge right, and my very favorite,
ramp closed. The main street of Las Vegas is named, Detour. The
only break from the desert summer traffic jam is when we're stalled
in the shade of an overpass. Welcome to Las Vegas.
Eventually we're parked under the portico at Circus Circus
and my Armenian friends are unloading their baggage onto two
overloaded carts. Art asks why I don't stay and play with the $100
they've paid for their trip. I tell him that's a great idea, but I have
to be home fordinner. Circus Circus has kindly placed rest rooms
inside their front door. I make a visit and wave farewell as I turn
out onto Industrial Road and head back south to my California
Desert.
J00ssA=P0000
WELI00ILLING
LLC
Well Drilling
Complete submersible
Pump & Water Tank
System Installed
Power Pedestal (200amp)
Trenching for Power and
[nstag Water Lines from
Well to Home
=00.00ptic Systems
Includes:
Pete. Test
Construction Permit
Occupancy Permit
Pads
m
Mobile Home
'Garage
Driveways
Lot Cleared
l'
SALE JULY 17TH & 26TH [
HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT STOREI
TURN SOUTH
AT THE PAHRUMP
STORE SIGN 372
BETWEEN 160 & P.V, BLVD
9.4 MON,-SAT.
727-8609
