Supporters of park’s name change promise to continue their fight

Wednesday, June 4, 1997 | 10:33 a.m.

"I will stop the day I die," LaRae Bringhurst of Las Vegas said. "My children agree with what I am doing. They will continue after me."

"It is the good old boy and good old girl system," added Richard Franta of Las Vegas. "They figured they are going to hurt Mr. Lamb's feelings."

The Assembly Natural Resources on Monday unanimously voted to kill Assemblywoman Kathy Von Tobel's AB302.

The bill would have changed the name of the park in northwest Las Vegas to Tule Springs, the name by which it was known until 1977 when changed to honor former Sen. Floyd Lamb.

Lamb was forced to resign from office in 1983 after being convicted of attempted extortion. He was found guilty of taking $23,000 in bribes from an undercover FBI agent.

The park is the only one in the state system named after a person. The rest are named after their geographic locations or natural features.

Natural Resources Chairwoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon, said Von Tobel irritated some of the members by proposing an amendment that would delay the name change until after Lamb's death. Lamb is 83 and lives in Alamo.

But Von Tobel said numerous legislators all along had told her they would support the name change once Lamb dies. She questioned how she could be considered insensitive when her view is widely held by others.

"I will not give up," said Von Tobel, R-Las Vegas. "I may go to the governor and ask what more can I do."

The administration has the legal authority to change the name without action by the Legislature.