Where I Stand: Nevada and SUN Youth Forum will miss Peggy Phillips

Monday, Oct. 20, 1997 | 9:53 a.m.

ONE OF NEVADA'S strongest and most dedicated women lost her battle with cancer.

People don't come any better than Peggy Hyde Phillips. She paid her dues and, through hard work and public service, contributed greatly to the improvement of life in Nevada.

I first met Peggy when she was serving as the only woman on the Clark County School Board. She represented Boulder City on the board but cared for all kids in the system.

That was four decades ago, and that first good impression of her remains with me today. Few individuals have given so much to the young people of our community. She was instrumental in developing a student-oriented school district. Peggy's charming smile and dedication made this a better place to live.

The annual SUN Youth Forum will soon be upon us, and Ruthe Deskin is rallying her troops to put on another meaningful gathering. Peggy was one of the stalwarts of the Youth Forum and helped put it on for almost 40 years.

She waited 24 long years for the return of her son's body from Vietnam. Capt. Michael Hyde was killed during his second tour of combat duty in Vietnam. He was Nevada's first graduate from the Air Force Academy, where he now rests. Mike was flying an air-to-ground combat mission to protect some infantrymen when he was shot down. Peggy, who should have had a school named in her honor, let us all know she preferred Mike's name on a school.

Her daughter, Carol Wilson, was caring for Peggy during her last days at home and at Nathan Adelson Hospice.

Quality people with the class and foresight of Peggy are gems society must treasure. They are few and far between, and we were fortunate to have been able to watch the good work she has done for all of us.

Lyle Stuart lost almost $4 million in a libel suit, but the feisty publisher hasn't lost his fire. Steve Wynn successfully sued Stuart and his Barricade Books for an advertisement promoting John L. Smith's book "Running Scared." The book about Wynn is also the center of a lawsuit pending against the author.

Last week, Stuart's "Hot News" letter gave his evaluation of the trial he lost in Las Vegas. The financial loss resulted in the publisher filing for bankruptcy, but it hasn't put him at a loss for words. The letter is eight pages in length.

The appearance of two prominent Nevada politicians to testify for Wynn really got under Stuart's skin.

"Wynn's other witnesses included both Nevada's Governor Miller and Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones. The mayor said she believed she's received "five or ten thousand dollars" worth of help from Wynn in her last election campaign. Dominic Gentile confronted her with the fact that it was $40,000. The governor said he thought he'd gotten $10,000. Jonell Thomas showed him it was nearer $80,000.

"Neither had seen the catalog page at issue until the night before they testified, yet they were on Wynn's witness list for weeks. How could Wynn be so certain that they would testify the way he wanted them to? Old proverb: Whose bread I eat, his song I sing. To illustrate how obligated they were to Wynn: they both interrupted their vacations to return to Las Vegas to testify. (The judge wouldn't allow us to tell this to the jury.)"

The people of White Pine County refuse to be defeated. A few weeks ago, the Nevada Department of Taxation released its control over the White Pine County School District's regular financial transactions.

It was only three years ago that the district overspent its budget, which resulted in a grand jury report and state intervention. A new school board was elected, and Nevada native Mark Shellinger left his education post in Alaska and was named the district's superintendent.

Since then, White Pine students, teachers, administrators and residents have successfully climbed up a steep slope with the help of the Department of Taxation. A letter from WPSD Chairman David Costello best tells the story and reflects the spirit of the people:

"The board is determined to make White Pine the best school district in Nevada. Instructional programs have improved, student performance expectations are higher and parent involvement has increased dramatically. Although we were disappointed that the Legislature did not remove the district's remaining debt during the last session, we are confident that our request in the next session will be viewed positively.

"Currently White Pine receives 4 percent less in state support each year in order to pay back the remaining $2 million obligation. The grand jury report held both the district and the state responsible for the financial collapse. The board of trustees has made great progress and asks for your support.

"Whether the state assists the district in the next session or not, the board, superintendent, staff, parents, students and the communities of the county will work hard to achieve our goal of being the best in the state."

It was and is my opinion the Legislature could have helped the White Pine people a lot more than it did. The gang meeting in Carson City every other year can find millions of dollars for pork-laden personal projects, but had little time or money for worthwhile problems faced by the working people of White Pine County.