Letters to the editor

Whitney Mesa is a landmark --
why build too close to it?

It used to brighten my day a little to be driving down US Highway 95 near Russell Road and see the (Whitney) Mesa. I admired it. It's getting so that expressways and highways are the best places to see the Las Vegas terrain. The mesa is a landmark. Most visitors think Las Vegas is flat desert. They don't believe there are mesas, or hills or much of anything besides the Strip.

Well, I used to enjoy the view of the mesa from Highway 95 until one day I saw apartment buildings going up. Who in their right mind would build apartments in front of a pile of sand? How did this get past the building department? Isn't it dangerous?

Eight years later, there is giant metal netting being installed and steel walls going up to contain the falling rubble. There is danger to the innocent people who rent there who can be injured or worse if their apartment were to be swept away in a landslide.

I know where this is heading. When a renter or a renter's child is seriously hurt, there will be a huge outcry to find who is to blame. And who will that be? Blame will be pinned on the government agency that permitted these buildings to be built in such a dangerous location, putting citizens at risk. And the government will have to pay to get the buildings condemned and torn down -- something that we taxpayers will probably foot the bill for.

The current owner is quoted ("Apartment residents may rest easier once mesa chipping is completed," March 15 Whitney View), saying that, "Someday, someone is going to build an incredible house or restaurant or something up there." Doesn't anybody ever learn anything? I would hope that someday, instead of building more structures on unstable ground, some young journalist or journalism student takes the time to look into this story in depth. I'm sure it would be very interesting and hopefully safer!

-- Fred Kuch

Las Vegas

Have sympathy for seniors who feel safer riding bikes on sidewalks

Regarding the letter criticizing people who ride their bicycles on the sidewalk ("Police should crack down on bicyclists who ride on sidewalk," March 15 View): Please be advised that there are some senior citizens who need to bicycle on the sidewalks. It is too dangerous to ride my bicycle on the city streets, most of which do not have bicycle lanes. I am 70 years old and do not have a driver's license or a car. I like to ride my bicycle to do errands, shop for groceries and go to doctor appointments. It is good exercise for me and gives me the independence to do things for myself instead of asking others for help. I do not ride fast on my bicycle, and I am courteous to any pedestrians on the sidewalks. I walk my bicycle through intersections and walk my bicycle if there are several pedestrians on the sidewalks. Most of the time I have the sidewalks to myself, as many people choose to drive, ride the bus or take a taxi. According to local news reports, there are many accidents between cars and bicyclists who ride on the streets, resulting in the deaths of the bicyclists. It is definitely not safe to ride a bicycle on Las Vegas streets. Please have compassion for those of us who ride our bicycles on the sidewalk.

-- Janet Snyder

Las Vegas