We are a group of Rachel, NV residents concerned about the way Alienstock 2019 happened and about its impact on our community. Together we own over 30% of the land in Rachel. Most of us chose Rachel as a place to retire in peace. We all love and appreciate the pristine high desert of central Nevada that we call home. We like Rachel the way it is. If we wanted party central we would have chosen to retire in Las Vegas.
The Alienstock organizers did not involve the affected residents in planning the event, nor did they keep us informed about the plans. Instead threats were made online to "take over Rachel". We tried to fight the event at several county commissioners' meetings, but in the end we had to watch our town being taken over by drugged and drunken millennials with no regard for our property or for our desire for peace and quiet.
The 2019 Alienstock event was very disorganized. There was no event security and we had event visitors race through town and tearing up the dirt roads all weekend. Our valley was a dust bowl! In addition we were blasted with absolutely horrible music from amateur bands until the early morning hours. This was particularly annoying for those of us living close to the event site and along Groom Avenue.
Instead of paying the high camp site fees many visitors chose to camp on the surrounding public land, causing significant damage to the desert vegetation and environment. When the visitors left we were left with trash blowing all over the desert and all along the highway. Not to mention the trash thrown onto our own properties.
Because of a lack of security at the event site there were numerous illegal camp fires and fireworks. Most visitors do not understand how fast a fire can spread out of control in the dry desert vegetation, especially in high winds. Quite a few desert towns have been completely destroyed by out of control camp fires.
Alienstock has deeply divided our small community. The 2019 event has brought some shady characters to our town and we fear that if it becomes an annual event it will bring more crime to our peaceful town. We know that 99% of the visitors are good honest people. It is the 1% we are worried about. Rachel residents are used to leaving their homes and cars unlocked. Many properties are not even fenced. Because of the Alienstock event most of us had to spend considerable time and money securing our properties. There are new "No Trespassing" signs all over town. That is not the Rachel we chose as our home!
Alienstock does not benefit our community or the county. Lincoln County lost between $250,000 and $300,000 in the 2019 event. As a result, when the highway to Rachel was re-paved in 2020, it was not paved all the way to Rachel. There was no money left to pave the last 20 miles! As expected, in 2021 our property taxes went up to recoup the losses. At the same time our property values, which have been stable in Rachel for decades, have gone down dramatically. After all, who wants to live next to a circus?
We certainly don't! That is why we decided to put together this web site. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
The concerned residents of Rachel