Las Vegas City Commission Minutes, November 20, 1957 to December 2, 1959, lvc000011-409

Jim Watkins spoke from the audience stating that his two boys attend Mrs. Mormon's nursery and he thought the point of this whole hearing was being missed and that the question was what should she have done with this child when she did break out with chicken pox. Commissioner Whipple asked him if he thought she did the right thing and if he would want his children exposed. Mr. Watkins replied that he would not want his children exposed but that she did isolate the child and that personally he thought there was a little bit of prejudice being shown. Ramona Quam, mother of the child Debbie, spoke stating that she knew her child was not being transported while she was sick with the chicken pox and that Mrs. Mormon had taken care of Debbie for two years and there would have been no other way for her to do other than to have put the child in the hospital. Mrs. Quam further stated that Debbie goes to Connie like she would to her own mother so she knew what kind of care she was getting. Commissioner Whipple asked her who was her doctor and she replied that he was Dr. Ryan. In reply to another question from Commissioner Whipple she stated that Debbie was at the nursery in the isolation room when she had chicken pox. Sid Sheppard spoke stating that the reason he was interested was because he was in Variety and Variety Day School Nursery and that he felt there was a little prejudice in this case. He stated that he knows Mrs. Mormon has a sharp tongue. He further stated that in view of the rules and regulations set up by ordinance, every nursery should be called upon the carpet. He stated he had checked the nurseries and the feeling of the Child Welfare Board and Mrs. Mormon has the feeling she is being picked on. He said he knew she had made a mistake and that every nursery in town had made a mistake. He stated that he had offered his services to the Child Welfare Board and he thought there was room for improvement and that he would like to help and he believed that personalities are being entered into. His Honor Mayor Baker stated that he has every confidence in the Child Welfare Board that has been appointed and that he did not believe they have any bad feeling toward Connie Mormon. He said maybe the ordinance should be changed but as for the flaunting of what this board is trying to do, he thought it incumbent on the people to try and change the thing rather than fight it. Mr. Sheppard again asserted that he thought personalities entered into it and His Honor stated that he would like to know what it was. Mr. Sheppard stated that he was for the Child Welfare Board and that he believed that with the personality that had entered into it, there had been a petition put out by one of the Board. He further stated that he thought Mrs. Mormon should be given all the consideration. With regard to the rules and regulations he thought a copy of all of the standards should be sent to every nursery so they could know how to operate. He stated Mrs. Mormon is standing alone and feels she is being picked on and if this could be cleared up everything would be fine. Mrs. Jean Ayoub spoke stating that she would like to address her remarks to Commissioner Fountain. She stated that her boy has a malformation of the brain and that she had been told he would never walk or talk and that she wouldn't dream of taking him out of Mrs. Mormon's nursery. She stated that Mrs. Mormon doesn't give him any particular attention and that she entered him in the nursery for discipline because she had spoiled him during his illness. At first she was skeptical because her little boy was so badly spoiled. She further stated that her son had made wonderful progress under Mrs. Mormon's care, and that Mrs. Mormon refused extra compensation and that child care was her code and child care was what she gave. She said that there is no such thing as two women not being able to rub each other the wrong way, and that she hoped the Child Welfare Board would work something out for these children who are happy in these nurseries. Commissioner Fountain referred to Sid Sheppard's remarks and stated that he felt that Mrs. Mormon had a complex and felt that she was being persecuted and it was a question of working the thing out. Mr. Sheppard asked why it was that five nurseries have fear of the Child Welfare Board and that their operators would speak if they were called upon. He again stated that he would like to get on the Child Welfare Board himself to do some good. Jack Pursel spoke again stating that he has no prejudice against Mrs. Mormon and that he had been in her nurseries on several occasions and that the physical set-ups are the finest. He said that the objective of this Board is to foster nurseries, not to close their doors and that cooperation of the operators is necessary. He stated that no one on this Board received any personal enrichment, they simply devoted this time as a community service and everyone faithfully attempted to do a good job. He stated that mistakes may be made but that any office might make mistakes based on no faults or prejudice which if they existed he had not seen them. He stated that it was somewhat painful to have members of this Board called liars and that is about what some of these statements have amounted to. He felt that they had gotten off the track on the subject of transporting this child back and forth and that there was another child in and out of the room who was in contact with other children. His interest was the same as the parents who were present and that was to protect children from being subjected to disease and new children being admitted. He further stated that he did not know of any prejudice whatsoever and did not know why any nurseries have fear of the Child Welfare Board and they are always willing to have anyone come to their meetings and discuss their problems with them and see that nursery facilities are provided and children protected. Mr. Christensen stated he believed that Mrs. Mormon had been cited for certain infractions of the operation of her nurseries and that she had refused to cooperate and was antagonistic with the Child Welfare people. He further stated that she had broken a few rules here; however, he believed this did not truthfully portray an undercurrent that existed and that it was no secret from the Child Welfare Board and that on occasions Connie Mormon had been critical of the Child Welfare Officer appointed by the Commission. Further that her attitude was a personal one trying to correct something in a case where she thought she was wronged. Other nurseries had been opened that were not required to come up to the standards as set forth. He stated that she probably had made some mistakes as her personality is not the easiest to get along with. He was of the belief that this fine child nursery facility should not be closed. He stated he was sure that Mrs. Mormon had learned in the past two weeks since she was cited to appear that she had talked too much, too hard, saying the wrong things to the wrong people. He stated that the action should probably be to reprimand Mrs. Mormon and inform her that she will have to cooperate with the Child Welfare Board and not 4-15-49