Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Returning to poetic license

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002 | 8:24 a.m.

Ruthe Deskin is assistant to the publisher. Reach her at deskin@lasvegassun.com.

Old traditions should not be forgotten.

Sun publisher and founder Hank Greenspun believed in helping others. In this case it was to remind husbands to remember their dear spouses on Valentine's Day.

The front-page column he wrote on this day usually began with a perky poem such as, "Roses are red, violets are blue. Happy Valentine's Day to you." He then suggested that the column should be pinned to the pillow of the good wife to prove he hadn't forgotten the significance of the day.

For old time's sake, and a Hank Greenspun custom, Happy Valentine's Day.

Could they be searching for terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in the Black Rock Desert area of Northern Nevada?

Ranchers in the vicinity wouldn't be surprised at anything the federal government does, but finding expensive surveillance cameras on their land has been a shock.

The cameras, apparently planted in remote areas by the Bureau of Land Management, are causing concern to ranchers. Add the lack of information being supplied by government agencies and the tale of the hidden cameras takes on all the mystery of a Stephen King novel.

The hostility between ranchers, miners and rural citizens and the federal government, especially the BLM, has been going on for years. Persons not closely associated with the problems usually shrug their shoulders and claim the ranchers are paranoid.

John DeLong, a lifelong rancher in the Winnemucca area, doesn't think so. In checking his range recently, DeLong noticed an area that appeared to be disturbed. He stopped his truck and made a startling discovery. Camouflaged in the sagebrush was a camera lens with wires leading to a buried video camera.

He reported the find to an official of the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail National Conservation Area, and was told it was part of an ongoing criminal investigation. The official told DeLong there had been 150 wilderness signs stolen.

According to a story in the Nevada Rancher, range management consultant Bob Schweigert was monitoring some range land when he, too, noticed something unusual. He uncovered another buried video camera with a Department of Interior sticker.

Roger Farschon, acting manager of the area, told both men the cameras were part of an ongoing investigation and he was not allowed to comment.

According to the report in Nevada Rancher, Maxine Shane, public affairs specialist for the BLM Nevada state office concurred.

Bob Abbey, Nevada's BLM director, allegedly is ordering an internal review of the situation.

Meanwhile ranchers are wondering just how many cameras have been hidden in the area and for what purpose.

Schweigert has filed a Freedom of Information Act request concerning the "past and present locations of all cameras, buried and unburied, on, inside, or immediately outside of the 10 newly created wilderness areas. I find it absolutely reprehensible that the Department of Interior should assume Nevadans are criminals and therefore implement clandestine surveillance of our activities on what once were public lands, but which the Department of Interior now clearly considers to be Federal lands."

Such secret surveillance by the government should concern all of us, whether it be citizens of rural counties or city dwellers.

Special to retiring District Judge Jack Lehman:

Step back and smell the roses. You deserve a joyful retirement after all your years of dedicated public service.

The Adult Criminal Drug Court, which Judge Lehman founded, will remain as his legacy.

From the wisdom of columnist Franklin P. Jones:

"Everybody should have a high school education. Including those who go."