Community News
Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, December 11,
1997 21
Zzyzx kind of night
Wife Shirley is out of town on school board business
and if I quit thinking about how much I miss her, I'm free
to live a life of wild bachelorhood. In fact you might say
that last night I went out to the Desert Studies Center, at
Zzyzx, and partied with a bunch of single people. That's
one way of looking at it. I did go out to Zzyzx, I did have
dinner with a large group of singles, and we did go out
under the beautiful desert sky and look at the stars. I even
ended the evening by taking a couple of young women to
a motel. With a night like that, a fellow could be entered in
the Playboy Hall of Fame. Maybe. There are always two
ways of looking at things.
It's been a great week. Been filming a commercial in the
desert and for once, it's short cool days and no wind. It had
been a grand day, with me actually doing a bit of on camera
driving, not as easy as it looks. Was cooking dinner at
home by five and fell asleep reading a catalog shortly
thereafter. The house was warm and the chores were done.
Telephones. I'm going to shoot mine off of the wall and go
back to smoke signals. Telephone calls are always from
someone that wants me to stop doing what I want to do and
go do what they want to do. This time, I'm going to say no.
I have twenty dollars in my pocket and I don't have to work
anymore today. No, sir.
John, down at the motel, is on the wire and he tells me
there's this woman and she needs to get to Zzyzx, and she
got lost and scared and her daughter is at Zzyzx and could
I help.
I heard, "Mother, child and Zzyzx." It's almost Christ-
mas and I'm hearing something about a mother and child
lost in the desert. What else can I do? I tell John I'll be there
in 15 minutes. I crawl to the bathroom, hit the eyes with a
splash of cold water, poke a brush at the tangled pony tail,
slip in to a warm wooly shirt and go out and fire up the old
Trooper.
At the motel is a small charming Asian woman. She's a
wee confused, but her story seems to be: Her 10 year old
daughter (Chelsea) is on an overnight field trip with a
bunch of super bright 5th graders from a Los Angeles Gate
school. I'm given to understand by the mother (Christina)
that Gate schools are for brighter students. The mother,
Christina, was afraid that because daughter Chelsea has
asthma, that Zzyzx might be too tough on her. Therefore,
although Chelsea travelled on the bus with her classmates,
Christina came to Baker to rent a motel room and then
drive out to Zzyzx to meet her child and bring her back to
town after the evening astronomy lecture and observatory
In The Thermometer's Shadow
by Mike Dougherty
viewing. Whew...
Except, Christina says, she tried
to get to Zzyzx and became fright- .Lr'
ened and confused and would I help
her. Chelsea is out there in the big frightening desert and
her mother can't get to her. Well, what's a fellow to do. It's
almost Christmas. Life has been exceedingly good. It's
payback time. Time to help a stranger.
I agree to take Christina to Zzyzx. I agree to wait until
the astronomy class is over and then to bring both Chelsea
and Christina back to Baker. I know there are easier ways,
but Christina is frightened and nothing a big dumb country
boy says is going to ease her fears. I have Christina park her
car, we lock it up, and I help her into the Trooper and it's
off for a fun filled trip to Zzyzx.
The single people I mentioned? There are at lease 50 ten
year old boys and girls in the dining room eating a spa-
ghetti dinner. The roar of giggling children is painful to
these old ears. Smart they may be, but it's still a mob of 5th
graders. They invite me to join them in a surprisingly good
dinner topped off by a great lime pie. I try to remember
what it might have been like to be 10 years old. I can't
recall. The teachers are young, friendly and female, so the
evening is not without some interest, however each teacher
seems to have a dozen children with them at all times.
The children follow an astronomy professor up to the
,00Lround Amargosa with Andre, a'
by Andrea Lynn ,
The Nevada Silvers Tappers ben-
efit was not only a success, but a great
show was seen by all who attended.
The following people and organiza-
tions participated in the show: The
Nevada Silver Tappers, of course, the
Methodist Church Choir, Johnny V.,
K.T. Dance Company, Richard and
Ellice Dutasterville, Silver Star Strut-
ters, La Mocker Du Ballet, Nelson
Rosario and Haydn and Pat Walton
who were helping Mr. and Mrs. Clause.
Marie Reagle decorated the gym beau-
tifully as usual. The proceeds went to a
very needy family, who has a very ill
mother and wife.
If you missed the benefit Christmas
program make sure you come to the school
Christmas program. It will be held Tues-
day, December 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the
community center. The classes will all
have a performance and Santa will wrap it
up!
The high school will also be putting on
"A Christmas Carol," December 15, 16
and 17 at 7 p.m. at the high school.
r
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observatory on Lime Stone Hill, and I head up to the
resident manager's home to kick back and watch a little
dish TV, After an hour of civilized comfort, I walk up and
join the children on the hill. The professor asks questions
that would be tough for me and the children shout out the
answers. Bright they may be, but they're still only 10 years
old.
Eventually, Christina and Chelsea find me and ask if I'll
take them back to the motel. We find Chelsea's dorm room.
Gather up 1400 pounds of luggage, books and girl stuff and
it's back to load up the Trooper and return to Baker. A few
bumpy miles to the interstate, a short flight down the
freeway, and we're back at the motel.
I wish the women a good evening, decline a gratuity,
and get a very sweet hug from Chelsea. Back home again
and I can't believe what I've just done. There is no way I
would have driven anyone out to Zzyzx. Never would I
hang around on a cold night waiting for a bunch of kids to
get done peering through a telescope. Never would I
surround myself with a gang of noisy 5th graders. Never!
Maybe it's because I miss Shirley. Maybe it's the Christ-
mas season. Maybe I just got weak from too much sun.
Maybe it was just a Zzyzx kind of night.
i
Bishop Veterinary Hospital
Tonopah Clinic
Dr. Lind will be in Tonopah
December
II Front downstairs o,ice - 42 Belmont St. II
[ App0intments/Inf0, Call 482-6458 after 5 p.m. II
[ Dr. Lind will be in every other Wednesday [I
I 8 a.m.. 1 p.m.: Dogs, cats and other small animals, II
[ including spays, neutering, dentistry, minor surgery, etc. [I
NIGaT CLINIC mlll
I ll'i Tonopah 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. ]1
[ Round Mountain: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 t5-. --'ql
New Location - Smoky Valley FireHouse, Carver [I
I Same dates as Tonopah Clinic l[
KHWK Radio
From Pahrump to Bishop
has you
covered!
For the latest news, information and the finest
music programming be sure to tune to KHWK,
broadcasting from Tonopah. If you're traveling the
vast distances of Central Nevada's desert terrain
you still can't miss us!
IVlernber:. Associated Press
Great Basin Radio Network
• 92.7 - Tonopah
• 93.5 - Beatty
• 94.3 - Lida and Scotty's Junction
• 94.3 - Gold Point
• 95.9 - Pahrump
• 103.9 - Bishop, Mammoth and Big Pine
• 104.9 - Round Mountain
• 105.5 - Hawthorne
