Las Vegas City Commission Minutes, November 20, 1957 to December 2, 1959, lvc000011-519

there was a case of chicken pox but that Dr. George had just been there and had said it was no longer contagious. Further, in response to Mr. Kennedy's letter, on April 3, I made a personal visit to the nursery and verified that Connie Mormon had the facilities of a room for isolation with a private bath. I saw the youngster with the chicken pox who was no longer contagious. I learned, to my sorrow, that Dr. George was not there as a private physician, but as a member of the Child Welfare Board. I had formerly assumed that Dr. George was the doctor. But so far as chicken pox is concerned, when you take State regulations and study them, whether it is chicken pox or mumps, the State Health Department says to isolate the patient. I gather that the Child Welfare Board regulations vary from this. We do not close schools because a child has chicken pox or mumps. We just send him home because it is a well known situation that mumps and chicken pox are not controlled by any radical quarantine. Epidemic measures have been worthless; therefore, according to State regulations, the rule is to isolate the patient and let other children go on to school or to the nursery because you are not going to bring control by closing the school or nursery. I realize the Child Welfare Board has the authority to draw up stricter regulations than the State, and if you think it best for child nurseries, I go along with you to do it. I think I have talked long enough. We gave the permit for this nursery and as far as we are concerned she has the isolation room -- the chicken pox and mumps was reported from the nursery. I might mention that I wrote to the Assistant State Health Officer; he said to let them go ahead and have them before they get into adolescence, as long as they are not too young. JACK PURSEL: Dr. George could not be here tonight, so I will state what he reported to the Board. "I did not tell Mrs. Mormon the child was not contagious but told her the child should be removed immediately". In regard to the Child Welfare Board regulations — they are not our regulations — they have been prepared and adopted by the City as have all the other ordinances. We have a group of people serving on the Child Welfare Board who serve in this capacity without pay and are trying to follow the ordinances as intended. -0O0- At the hour of 8:30 p.m. the meeting was recessed and reconvened at the hour of 8:45 p.m. with all members present as of the opening session. -0O0- MR. GALANE: I want to call Mr. Sid Sheppard as a witness. MR. SHEPPARD: I would like to make a statement and the reason I am making it is that I was asked by the nursery association to help them out a few months ago. I got interested in the Child Welfare Board and offered my services. I work with the Variety Nursery and I have seen quite a bit going on by observation. I became so interested I asked two City Employees out to lunch. One was Jean Dutton and the other was the Child Welfare Nurse, Diane Schnaer. I would like to know myself why they made such statements and said to me they would deny them if they were ever brought up. No cooperation from Mrs. Schnaer whatsoever; she seemed to have personal grievances against Mrs. Mormon. Mrs. Mormon has a fine nursery and she is willing to cooperate. Why can't we have slips issued so if there is a complaint this slip would be made out and given to the operator, and then if not complied with, take action. COMM. SHARP: Do you have any interest in this nursery? MR. SHEPPARD: I did furnish the nursery with furniture. Sister Charles said no one in town could get equipment for the nursery, and this I did. We were paid for our services. I also attended a meeting of the Child Nurseries Association. Every one of them asked me to help them get along with the Child Welfare Nurse. I brought out at another Commission meeting that the nursery operators had made the statement to me that they were in fear of this Child Welfare Nurse. MAYOR GRAGSON: Would you want to state what the comment was that would be denied? MR. SHEPPARD: I would like to ask if this question could be asked to Mr. Dutton and Mrs. Schnaer if they made the statement that they would deny anything they had said at this luncheon. One statement impressed me and that was that it was personality that Mrs. Schnaer did not care for in regard to Mrs. Mormon. Of course, this would have to be substantiated by Mrs. Schnaer. COMM. FOUNTAIN: What was said by Mr. Dutton? MR. SHEPPARD: I was trying to get cooperation from the License Bureau, Child Welfare Nurse, and members of the Board to get together to see if something could not be worked out with Connie Mormon. Mr. Dutton, in any statements he made, went along with the thinking of the Board. Why he would deny anything he said is a matter of just strictly conversation; he hadn't said anything detrimental himself. COMM. WHIPPLE: I do not see that this is of any consequence. MR. SHEPPARD: When you are sitting around and making conversation and find the person personally does not like Connie Mormon, it is bringing out why so many complaints have been brought forth by Mrs. Schnaer. From the complaints put in to this Board, I feel there is a persecution from her attitude. It is the same as saying that justice is done and she doesn't like her and is going to see that it is getting done. COMM. SHARP: Are you saying we bullied these people to make these statements because she does not like Connie Mormon? MR. SHEPPARD: I said that she doesn't like Connie Mormon as a nursery operator. COMM. WHIPPLE: What about the other members of the Child Welfare Board? 7-22-59