The Bug Man cometh

The Bug Man visited Hillside Elementary School in Lockwood on Wednesday, thrilling the children who brought him their bugs.

The Bug Man is Henry Kilmer, retired Storey County school superintendent who still helps the district out with special projects.

He talks to the first graders at Hillside and when he came in, they got excited.

"The butterflies hatched," exclaimed about a dozen little voices as the Bug Man entered the room.

About six butterflies struggled inside a netted bag with an orange. The Bug Man told the kids to feed the butterflies sugar water.

Butterflies weren't the only thing the kids collected for the Bug Man to see. There was also a carpenter ant, a centipede and a black widow spider.

Kilmer has been teaching the class about a variety of insects, and teacher Marsha Wilton said the kids love the bugs.

"They have been waiting all day to show Mr. Kilmer the bugs," she said.

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At the Silver Springs General Improvement District, Lyon Utilities Director Mike Workman said the contract with former operator Bob Loding has been terminated, as Utilities wastewater superintendent Skeet Sellers had taken over his role.

Workman reported that things were going well with the GID and that both plant employees passed their certifications.

He said Sellers has made a few operating adjustments and has seen improvement in operations as a result.

"We are looking at a variety of options on how to operate that plant," he said.

Sellers has rewired and installed equipment and made some adjustments, Workman said.

"We're trying to get control of expenses," he added.

Workman said he has also met with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Resource Concepts and Hale and Kay Bennett on the issue of nitrates in a monitoring well near the area where effluent is spread on the grounds of the Silver Springs Airport. Workman said he didn't believe the effluent, which he called high-quality, was responsible for an increase in nitrates in the well.

"We'll drill a new well at a fairly low cost," he said. "There's something wrong with that well."

He said the nitrate increase could be the result of a natural occurrence or the result of sabotage.

In other water news, Workman said the Utilities Department was beginning Phase I of the monitoring well program began this month.

He said 52 monitoring wells will be drilled; with 14 near the river in the first phase.

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Up on the hill, Storey County Commissioner Greg "Bum" Hess wants to take another look at the limit on water hookups in the county.

He said some people get on the list for water just to add value to their lots when they sell.

There is currently an 11-year wait for water hookups. The county restricts the number of hookups to 13 a year, covering Virginia City, Gold Hill and Silver City, which is in Lyon County, but uses Storey County water. Hess said there have not been 13 building permits issued in Virginia City and Gold Hill this year.

Building director Dean Haymore said having a water hookup will add $50,000-$55,000 to the price of a lot in Virginia City or Gold Hill.

"Some people hopped in there just to make money off the water," Hess said. "And that's still happening today. There are legitimate folks that want to build but they're four or five years out. There's probably 15 or 20 people who just bought the water to make their land more valuable. We need to look at it to see what we can handle right now. Just a review of it."

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Also up on the hill, Virginia City will have a new bed and breakfast soon.

Paul Yandre and Jason Teague won approval from the Storey County Planning Commission to turn the Cobb Mansion on A Street, behind Piper's Opera House into a bed and breakfast.

The two purchased the home about three years ago and have been working furiously ever since, turning it into an upscale bed and breakfast.

Teague said when it is open it will have six bedrooms, each with its own baths. It has off-street parking.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.