September 20, 2007
Governor Gibbons Visits Caliente Youth Center

By Dave Maxwell

Photo by Dave Maxwell
Gov. Jim Gibbons with some students at the Caliente Youth Center.

A shining star in the Nevada State Youth Correctional System is the Caliente Youth Center. Governor Jim Gibbons and his party visited the facility last Thursday before attending the Homeland Security meeting at the City Hall Council Chambers.

Superintendent Jamie Killian took the Governor on a 45 minute guided tour of the grounds and facilities accompanied by five select students of the Center. They toured Administration, the dining hall, men’s and women’s dormitories; observed construction on campus improvement projects; and visited C.O. Bastian High School, stopping to talk with several teachers, principal Steve Culverwell, and Lincoln County School District Superintendent Rick Hardy.

Governor Gibbons told the students at the center, “We are very impressed with what we saw, with what you’ve got and the opportunities you’ve got. This is an opportunity and chance to set your goals for the future” and he went on to encourage the students to take hold of the opportunities and “make the most of it.”

Following a discussion with Youth Center staff about various items of concern, the Governor was taken to the Clover Creek Wash bridge which was badly damaged in January, 2005 by flash floods. At the time of the flood, water was five feet deep over the roadway, trapping students and staff on campus. Evacuation was made possible by USAF Blackhawk helicopters from Nellis Air Force Base.

Gibbons, who holds a degree in geology and with extensive training and experience in hydrology, said “What we have here is a natural dam and it needs to be replaced with a bridge so there is a freer flow of water underneath it. What is here now is too small to handle flood waters. We need to change the dynamics of this structure.”

A significant amount of trench work has already been completed in the Clover Creek Wash and in July 2007, Senate Bill 579 appropriated $300,000 to the City of Caliente to make repairs to the access road. Other funding sources for construction on the estimated $2,264,000 single-span bridge over the wash are being sought.