Column: Nevada students don't get stories in the paper

We'd always wondered why we weren't getting dean's lists from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Well, Teri Vance, our education reporter, found out this week.

It turns out that each college at the university is responsible for its own list. And we rarely hear from any of them.

This means that while Carson City sons and daughters like Sierra Scott, who is on the dean's list at Webster University in St. Louis, gets an item in the newspaper, those who go to Nevada schools do not, unless a parent gives us a call. This is very frustrating for us because it makes it look like either we're hiding the information, or that Carson City students aren't very smart.

Neither could be further from the truth.

In fact, we've heard from three Carson City parents in the last week whose students made the dean's list at UNR. They will be appearing on the education page in coming weeks.

Saw an old friend last weekend at the opening of the new fire station in Sutro.

Central Lyon Fire District Chief Bill Driscoll used to run the East Fork Fire District back when I was covering Douglas County.

The new fire station is a beautiful stucco building off Corral Drive. It contains sleeping quarters for paramedics, a meeting room for the fire district board and a big bay for the fire engines.

My wife, Jenn, thought the beds that fold up into the wall were really cool.

"We could use one of those in the spare bedroom," she said.

Barbara and Marlin Hancock were in the mayor's office on Monday as he signed a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The Hancocks belong to the International Order of Foresters, Barbara said.

"The governor signed a proclamation and so has Ray Masayko declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month in Nevada and Carson City."

The Foresters are a sponsor of the Children's Miracle Network.

"It was nice they signed the proclamation," Barbara said.

I'm in possession of some old plans and posters found by a Carson man, who didn't want his name in the paper.

He said he tried to hand them over to the state but that he was told they didn't want them.

"How are we going to preserve our history if no one wants it?" he said.

I don't know, and I don't know what I'm going to do with the documents.

Suzy Stockdale, Tony Anderson and I had a long talk about addicts and drug abuse in Carson City.

Stockdale is a partner in Stockdale & Krum down in Carson Valley and is involved in several important issues. She was in Carson to deliver the news that the Carson Treatment Center had received a whopping $27,500 grant. However, she didn't bring the check, because of the tornado in Texas last week. Apparently the Smallwood Foundation, which provided the grant, is based in Texas and was on the wrong end of a tornado.

Back on topic, Anderson said the drug treatment program is presently running an 85 percent success rate, almost double the national rate.

"We're a really specialized program," he said. "We're not limited, but we reach out to people with substance abuse problems."

Anderson, a social worker at the center, said you can't tell an addict or alcoholic by looking at one.

"There is a lot of misconceptions about the typical alcoholic or addict," he said. "Most come from all different walks of life."

Mark Jacoby called to say the Playboy Bunnies raised $1,600 last Friday for the JayCees annual Easter Egg Hunt.

"That's the most money we've every raised in one night," he said.

The big egg hunt is April 23.

I took a walk down to the Carson River on Friday morning to take a picture. It was quiet except for the sound of rushing water. The river is pretty full down in Dayton and it was nice to walk a little while in the solitude and get away from it all.

It's a place I can return to when things get a little hectic in the office.

Kurt Hildebrand is the assistant managing editor of the Nevada Appeal and is heading back down to the river. You can reach him at 881-1215 or e-mail at Appeal@Tahoe.com