Columnist Susan Snyder: Atoning for assorted ‘03 miscues

Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 | 5:42 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4082.

WEEKEND EDITION

January 3 - 4, 2004

The last three days of the old year started downhill and tumbled into a hole.

On Monday it was brought to my attention that my Dec. 28 column about leaving children unattended in cars should have clarified that 5-year-old Michael Esposito died at UMC Hospital four days after his mother found him trapped in a car trunk. He crawled in there while playing hide-and-seek.

The column made it sound as if he died in the trunk, rather than as a result of being enclosed there. I truly apologize to his mother, who bravely relives her tragedy in public to prevent it from happening to others.

Michael's mom took no issue with the column's sentiment, however. And that stands. It never is a good idea to leave a child alone in a motor vehicle -- even if she's sleeping, or sick or doesn't want to get out. Even if you'll be late to work because you must unstrap and re-strap the child safety restraints.

Now, on to Tuesday.

All I can do here is apologize for not being psychic.

As I was tippy-tapping away on the computer Monday morning about how Las Vegas doesn't get snow, I had no idea that I would awake Tuesday to find 6 inches of it in my yard.

The birds congregated under the snow-caked feeders and squawked about missing breakfast. I wondered which "1 to 2 inches" of this snow the national wire services were counting in its report about the Southern Nevada storm.

And I wondered how people could meet the law enforcement requirement to have tire chains on certain valley roads when none to fit a conventional Ford Focus were available from any of the valley's outlets for either of two national chains of automotive parts stores.

What the heck? Let's apologize for all of 2003's gaffes -- at least the ones I missed.

I apologize to the caller who in March berated me for not knowing the difference between sagebrush and rabbitbrush as I cruised past it at 75 mph on the highway to Laughlin. Ever make that drive? I simply was glad I stayed awake for most of it.

I apologize to the Montana Elko Shovel Brigade supporters who somehow were offended by a Dec. 20 column that said rural Nevada's battles with the government are more interesting than another ethics violation by a Las Vegas-area politician.

On second thought, I take back the apology. The Shovel Brigade is infinitely more fun to watch. At least they fight when they feel wronged by their government.

And I feel sorry for the caller who phoned in November after a Valley Views column that criticized the Bush administration's environmental policies for being anti-environmental.

He prattled on about how it's fiscally irresponsible to save old-growth forests because he drove through Oregon once and all trees look the same at 75 mph.

No argument there (See rabbitbrush-sagebrush conflict above). The problem is, we don't -- or at least we shouldn't -- live at 75 mph.

People who move too fast miss the details. They don't realize that everything from trees to civil liberties disappears when we live too fast to see others chipping them away.

However, I do apologize for cutting him off by saying I was on deadline.

I wasn't.