EDITORIAL

The announcement last week that the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) Moapa Valley center will remain open is a triumph for the ongoing local efforts to improve education. The CSN center had become a vital part of the Moapa Valley High School (MVHS) empowerment plan to provide students with early college opportunities and, thus, encourage them to continue their education after high school. But the announcement, last year, that the center would be closed due to budget cuts, threatened to derail these plans before they had even been allowed to build up a head of steam. Recognizing how much was riding on the local CSN center, a group of local residents immediately went into action to save it from the budget-cutting axe. Their long hours of advocacy have achieved a pay-off that will be felt by the whole community.

The members of the Moapa Valley CSN Advisory Board have led the charge in fighting for the local center. Since last year’s grim announcement, local CSN Site Coordinator, April Krell has been found at the very vanguard of the struggle. She has worked well past her pay grade to get the attention of anyone who would listen. She has boldly and tirelessly sought every opportunity to enlighten the CSN brass, County officials and State Legislators on just how vitally important the local center is to this rural community.

MVHS administrators have stood right beside Krell throughout the long battle. Principal Grant Hanevold and College Prep Counselor Stephanie Howard have come along, prepared with detailed statistics and reports that demonstrate current growth trends and project the tremendous potential of the CSN/MVHS partnership. They have shared a grand vision and have demonstrated how, even now, the vision is in the process of becoming a reality. They have done so in such compelling terms that the vision could not be ignored by key decision makers.

Local Advisory Board member Shari Lyman deserves credit as well. Lyman serves on the CSN faculty and is the President of the Nevada Faculty Alliance. Lyman downplays her involvement by saying “…all I did was put a bug in people’s ears.” But anyone acquainted with Dr. Lyman, knows her ability to be a real lion in fighting for the causes about which she is passionate. Higher education is certainly one of these causes. Lyman has used her position, and her direct access to key decision-makers, to turn the attention and the focus onto this small rural community. She has been a tireless advocate in providing access to higher education for the Moapa Valley.

Other members of the Board should also be recognized. Each one played a vital role in this community victory. They include Board Chairman John Pulver, Brenda Cook, Victoria Coston, Debbie Oglesby and Cleta Gifford.

A debt of gratitude is also owed to the elected officials and administrators who were willing to lend a listening ear to the local plight in this matter.

Senator Warren Hardy and Assemblyman Joe Hardy listened to appeals from local advocates and exerted considerable influence in the halls of power to bringing a positive solution.

County Commissioners Tom Collins and Steve Sisolak have also played a key role in saving the local CSN center and should be hailed for their determined efforts. Both Collins and Sisolak spoke to Legislators, Regents and CSN officials on behalf of the Moapa Valley community. The Commissioners strongly represented the tremendous importance that this community attaches to the local CSN center and to the equal access to higher education that it provides. Both Collins and Sisolak should be credited for the influence exerted on behalf of the community in this matter. Much of the success is due to their efforts.

Finally CSN President Michael Richards, his administration and members of the Board of Regents should be credited for their willingness to listen carefully to a handful of people from a small rural community, catch their vision and do what it took to allow that vision to move forward.

Saving the local CSN center has been a long and difficult struggle carried on by a few determined people. Fortunately the struggle has reached a happy ending for Moapa Valley. It would be easy now for the community to smile and go about the business of enjoying the benefits of this hard work. But we would suggest that members of the community; especially those who will directly benefit from these efforts; should take a moment and write a brief ‘thank you’ to the key decision makers and elected officials that have contributed to this happy ending.