Be nice in Gerlach and watch for children when driving

[some seeing eye]

Gerlach School requests to stay closed burn week

http://www.rgj.com/story/news/education ... 420762001/

"Burners knocking on the locked school door asking to use a computer or fax machine and having to escort people off school grounds are all a part of event week, according to Judy Lynn Conley, the school's administrative assistant. She sometimes has to spend her mornings clearing empty beer and wine bottles off school grounds.

She described an incident where a student reported a burner who had found his way into the school's locker room and was taking a shower. "

[lucky420]

that is so fucking rude and gross!
What gives some shitheads the ok that they can just come and go as they please. Fuck you assholes!

[AntiM]

Wow. That is just so wrong and stupid.

Also, if you must clean up at a local truckstop, buy a damn shower. Do not use the sinks in the restrooms for more than hands and maybe your face, that's just gross for everyone and makes people hate burners. Stop that.

[ygmir]

Wow. That is just so wrong and stupid.

Also, if you must clean up at a local truckstop, buy a damn shower. Do not use the sinks in the restrooms for more than hands and maybe your face, that's just gross for everyone and makes people hate burners. Stop that.

yeah, really this!! I stop often at Donner summit, a beautiful rest stop, and it's trashed, bathrooms and even crap and dirty hippies all over the place outside. Crap along the roadways....jeebus people!!

[lucky420]

Don't even get me started on how areas of Reno get trashed. It's the only time I'm embarrassed to have BM stickers on my car...

[some seeing eye]

Letter to the editor by Gerlach resident:

I live here in Gerlach. On countless occasions I have had to force traffic to stop for children crossing trying to get home. Hundreds of cars ignoring that we have cross walks. Once it took over 30 min for them to get a car to stop. The traffic for the school bus for the children on ranches is just intolerable!

[Sham]

It says that there are a total of 21 students who attend the school in Gerlach---grades K-12. Since the gypsum plant in Empire closed, the number of students has plummeted. I can clearly understand how the residents of Gerlach feel trampled for a three week period (before/during/after) around Burning Man.

Gerlach is a sleepy little old west town that prior to Burning Man, time had forgotten. It's a great way of life for the residents, many of them retired. The town itself has turned into a bit of a concession of vendors selling trinkets for Burning Man, and has become a destination stop before heading into the Black Rock City. The town sells water. There is a restaurant, gas station, a small casino and a few bars. I have seen a taxidermist set up by the side of the road for years--selling his mounted animals. For many that live within the town, there is money to be made from this event. There are kids washing cars, trash can be dumped for a fee, shirts sold etc.

The downside is that these 70,000 potential customers are a royal pain in the ass to residents who want peace and quiet. Just the traffic alone is devastating to the town that may normally see 20 cars a day on the streets.

The message to be polite and courteous may get out to nearly all of the 70K participants, but just a tiny handful of ignoramuses will taint the perception of the whole event. The idea of closing the school until after Labor Day seems to make a lot of sense. In many parts of the country, school doesn't start until after Labor Day anyway.

Each year brings new challenges and stories. Word really needs to get out that the residents of Gerlach need to be respected and that WE as a group are invading their quiet little town.

[some seeing eye]

Thanks. My interest is to find improvements for the event.

Is the Empire mine open again? Would burners commit to buy their sourced drywall?

It makes no sense to alienate people with local on the ground knowledge.

What happens when there are Burning Man families on Fly Ranch other local? Is there a Burning Man family school curriculum in Gerlach? That's an idea for the Burning Man culture corps.

[Molotov]

Perhaps the Gerlach school could be closed until after Labor Day, and make a little money renting out the grounds and some buildings as a giant (a relative term) staging area/encampment for the Feds and other agencies, who never seem to have enough space for their people in Gerlach. I mean, the infrastructure is already there, and they would get some free security to boot. For to keep the grubby hippies out and whatnot, eh?

Empire Gypsum coming back? National Gypsum has been mining gypsum near Medicine Lodge, KS for years, and the operation there is one of the largest of their 28 plants. It currently employs about 130. Approximately 1.3 million square feet of wallboard and 130 tons of plaster products are produced daily, per their web site. I used to live in the area, and it's a real mainstay of the local economy.

[lucky420]

Yes the Empire mine is back open. Took a drive through the the town on June 19th and talked to some people living in Empire then. I was inGerlach for a health fair

[lucky420]

Yes the Empire mine is back open. Took a drive through the the town on June 19th and talked to some people living in Empire then. I was inGerlach for a health fair

Pretty sure Washoe County School District might have something to say about using school property for staging...

[lucky420]

Thanks. My interest is to find improvements for the event.

Is the Empire mine open again? Would burners commit to buy their sourced drywall?

It makes no sense to alienate people with local on the ground knowledge.

What happens when there are Burning Man families on Fly Ranch other local? Is there a Burning Man family school curriculum in Gerlach? That's an idea for the Burning Man culture corps.

Just the raw material is mined at Empire, they don't make drywall there. Last I heard the material is shipped to China, drywall made there and then shipped back to the US...doh!