Sentinel takes care of his family

Willis Lamm of Stagecoach did something recently he doesn't recommend to others. He went out and communed with wild horses, letting them come up to him and sniff him.

He said that though the horses are fairly used to people, they don't like being approached, and a stallion can get very protective of his mares and foals so people should not get too close.

But he said getting close gave him the answer when asked why he bothers being an advocate for the horses. Lamm is president of Least Resistance Training Concepts, which is fighting the removal of the horses from the Virginia Range.

He went out earlier this month to check on the condition of a foal and weanling filly in a band on which his group was keeping tabs. The filly had gotten caught in a fence and separated from the band the week before.

The band had just finished drinking at a water hole, and "Sentinel," the stallion, was driving his band up into the hills and away from another stallion's territory, Lamm said.

He said the horses found a nice grazing spot, and being familiar with the animals, he was able to walk among them as long as he stayed quiet. The filly and foal were OK, and pretty soon Lamm was encircled by horses, who were content to have him among them, if he minded his manners.

Sentinel always grazed about 6 feet away, close enough to intervene should Lamm do anything threatening. A few bolder horses gave him a few pokes with their noses.

Lamm said when he left, Sentinel sniffed at his tracks, then inspected each one of the horses that had poked him.

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Bob Milz managed to talk his way out of an uncomfortable situation at the Silver City Town Board meeting last week.

It seems at the review for Lyon County Manager Dennis Stark, in praising Stark, Milz made the comment, "Even the people in Silver City like him."

Firefighter Larry Steinberg took exception to that comment.

"Would you please clarify that and say that people get a warm welcome here?" he asked the commissioner.

Milz didn't hesitate to answer, and showed how quick he could be on his feet.

"I said that because he has that ability," he said. "This group here is a little different from most. I thought that was a compliment."

Milz got applause and laughter, and then credit from the Silver City residents for helping to get the Schoolhouse community center built.

"You got them (other commissioners) to do the right thing," said Erich Obermayr.

•••

Storey County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Dias' nomination to be a Law Enforcement All Star by the TV show "America's Most Wanted" brought a response from Kathleen Cherry, who works at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

She does forensic draws for all the area sheriff's offices, drawing blood to test for drugs and alcohol, and called Dias "a very special human being."

She said he's tough, but manages to treat those arrested like human beings as long as they are cooperative.

"He is incredible," she said. "He's this really powerful person who is a very good officer. A very strong but compassionate man when it comes to people, like when he sees a family having problem with alcohol or drugs."

Cherry said that many officers she sees are very professional, but Dias goes deeper into suspects' family lives in a compassionate way.

"He reaches farther in, he wants to help on a personal level," she said. "He is the only person in this capacity that says, 'I want to help you, I want to see what I can do.' A lot of times you see meth addicts who say they'll do anything to get over this. I was just blown away by (Dias), who is taking a chance and the time to be with people."

Cherry said she has been in court with Dias and in other ways seen him with suspects, and he doesn't act like it's just his job; it's more his calling.

"I truly feel this man is someone who is reaching out to the community," she said. "He is a very compassionate person. He is a wonderful human being, not like anyone I've met. I love a lot of the troopers and deputies I deal with, but this man definitely goes beyond the call."

• Contact Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.