Interim Fire Chief Peterson accepts a new position, Higley to take over duties on Aug. 18.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Interim Mesquite Fire Chief Dave Petersen has given notice that he has accepted another position out of the state and will serve until Aug. 18. Peterson, who joined the Department June 2003 and served as Deputy Fire Chief, assumed the Interim role last week when Fire Chief Derek Hughes announced his resignation.

“When we started the budget process in the Fire Department this year, I became concerned about the ongoing revenue shortfall and the uncertainty about the future and decided I would look around for other opportunities,” said Peterson. “I have been presented with a couple of very good job opportunities, one of which was just too good to pass up. It is an exciting position with extraordinary benefits for me and my family.”

Peterson said, “I really appreciate the opportunity that I have had to work here in Mesquite for the past seven years and will miss the many friends I have made, both at work and in the community.”

Captain John Higley will assume the role of Interim Fire Chief until a new Fire Chief is appointed.

“We have full confidence in Captain Higley to oversee the Fire Department during this period of transition. He has previous experience as a Chief Officer with the Provo City Fire Department and is well respected within the department,” said City Manager Tim Hacker. “Operations of the department will continue uninterrupted as we have well-qualified shift Captains who supervise the day-to-day operations, and an outstanding staff of firefighters and paramedics.”

The City has already begun the recruitment process, with job description and applications posted on www.MesquiteNV.gov, and applications will be accepted until Aug. 31.

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.