Resident takes dead snake into county, city offices

Quay County Chief Deputy Clerk Ellen White took this photo of Anthony Anaya Thursday when he brought a snake into the county courthouse.

QCS Senior Writer

Quay County and city employees are used to handling concerns, complaints and suggestions from residents, but found them selves a bit panicked Thursday when Anthony Anaya walked into their offices with a dead rattlesnake.

“I looked up and there he (Anaya) stood holding a dead snake,” said Ellen White, chief deputy county clerk.

White said Anaya wanted to complain about the property behind his house on the 1300 block of South Fourth Street, where the snake and more like it were coming from.

“I told him that he needed to speak with the city and directed him to City Hall,” White said.

White said she asked Anaya to hold up the snake as she took a picture. She said without the picture, nobody was going to believe her about what had just happened.

“I hate snakes and wanted it out of the office immediately,” White said.

When Anaya walked into the lobby holding the snake, he scared me for two reasons. One, it's a snake,;two, he lives just a few blocks away from me," said Crystal Salazar Shiplet, city water clerk.

Shiplet said she was frightened that the snake was killed so close to her home where she has dogs. She said Anaya was directed to the code enforcement department.

Anaya was complaining about the house behind his property, the owner of the house has died and the weeds on the lot are overgrown, said Michael Ray, code enforcement officer.

Ray said the property had been cleared off once before by the city. He said he visited the property and did not see any additional snakes.

Ray said he has spoken with City Manager Jared Langenegger about the possibility of placing the property on the list of properties to be cleaned.