Las Vegas City Commission Minutes, November 20, 1957 to December 2, 1959, lvc000011-523

some are very bad. There is no law that says I cannot do it with the parents permission. I have been in business six years and if there were any complaints there would have been some a long time ago. This town is growing, growing fast. We have nurseries and room for more nurseries, and we must have help of people with experience. There are conflicting opinions and I am in the middle. All nurseries are in fear of what is happening to me. We never had this problem before. What is happening now? Every nursery operator in town needs your help. We can only get it by the Child Welfare Board helping us. This town is a 24-hour town and there is not another like it anywhere else. MRS. RAWLEY: My son has been kept by Connie. About love, what mother doesn't reprimand her children? I do not think there is anything wrong with that punishment. He gets worse than that at home. Mrs. Mormon teaches my son good manners. Keeping children in sight at all times is almost an impossibility. I think Connie is a pretty good kid. If my child got the mumps and Connie called me and then moved him before I could get him, I would be plenty mad. If Grady stayed there 24 hours I wouldn't want him to be sent to the Juvenile Home. I could sue her, as stated before, if she put my son in a home. MSGR. CARMODY: In summation and in answer to Mrs. Mormon's statement that the Board was unwilling to cooperate and give suggestions and so on, I offered suggestions on occasion and was promptly put into my place. She told me it was none of my business, so I cannot cooperate. In case that anyone feels that Mrs. Mormon is an isolated instance, she is not. It became necessary for us to recommend revocation or suspension of another license. The operator was cited and cooperated with us. It is now all okay. The same regulations are given to all nurseries. I have gone to nurseries at odd hours, unannounced, and have never been challenged or denied any questions I asked. If a person is hired to take care of a child, that person has a greater responsibility than the parent has. More care and diligence should be shown. Another point: I do not feel that any member of the Board wishes to put any nursery out of business; just ask these operators to come up to the standard of the City. If they fail to do this after recommendations from us, recommendation is made to the City Commission. We feel that Mrs. Mormon has failed on numerous occasions, after requests by us, to come up to standards set up for the City. MR. GALANE: I would like to call Lillian Kaercher as a witness. LILLIAN KAERCHER: During the time I was Child Welfare Nurse, Connie operated only one nursery. I have no official knowledge of her present nursery. Happy House was licensed when I came to work for the City and we had no serious trouble. At that time the license was for nine children. There were never more than eight at one time. We had some differences and usually discussed them. Connie called me if something came up a little out of the ordinary. MR. GALANE: Did you voluntarily resign from the position of Child Welfare Officer? LILLIAN KAERCHER: Yes, on September 15, 1958. MR. GALANE: Who was your replacement? LILLIAN KAERCHER: Mrs. Diane Schnaer. MR. GALANE: Did Connie Mormon ever have citations previous to this? LILLIAN KAERCHER: Not to my knowledge. MR. CORY: Do you have any present knowledge of the new nursery? LILLIAN KAERCHER: No official knowledge. I have been there. MR. GALANE: .Do you know of a case recently thrown out of North Las Vegas who was recently licensed in Las Vegas: LILLIAN KAERCHER: I know of one; Mrs. Flo Hansen. JEAN BOMAN: This license has not been delivered. MR. GALANE: She is advertising. MR. CORY: Anyone can advertise without anybody's permission. MAYOR GRAGSON: Frankly, I can't see the bearing that that has on this case. MR. GALANE: I think the case takes on more than Connie Mormon's license. Mrs. Mormon has the finest plant in the community. The City licenses questionable people. Mrs. Kaercher had no trouble with Connie Mormon. COMM. SHARP: I wish to correct your statement. The license is in process. COMM. WHIPPLE: What is the connection with the Flo Hansen application? MR. GALANE: Another nursery never met Health Department requirements. Mrs. Mormon reported this. CONNIE MORMON: Two members of the nursery association went to see Jack Pursel in regard to the nursery at 310 North 9th Street, and asked if they knew this operator opened without running water and did not meet the requirements. Jack Pursel said he would check into it. I called him in a few days and asked him if he had gone down to Mrs. Magleby's. He suggested that I attend to my own plant or it might be difficult for me. Mrs. Atchley called Otto MacFarland and asked if Mrs. Magleby passed fire inspection with fence and oil barrels. He stated that Mrs. Magleby was going to be all right, and to tell Connie Mormon for him that her building was much newer that Connie Mormon's, and he would not stop until he found something wrong with my place. This statement was made to Florine Atchley. We put this association together when Mrs. Kaercher left. We had a party for Mrs. Kaercher, 7-22-59