Las Vegas Farmer's Market

Not to be confused with recent imitators, the one and only Las Vegas Farmer's Market can be found at The Gardens Park in Summerlin on Tuesdays, at Bruce Trent Park on Wednesdays, and at other locations in Centennial Hills and North Las Vegas (check their web site). Winder Farms, a relatively recent addition, offers home delivery of fresh organic groceries. After talking with Erne Jacobsen, one of the enthusiastic partners in this new venture, I think these folks are on to something big. Check out their website for details on how to sign up (they're currently offering $30 in free groceries).

The Dumont Dunes

If you like your sand dunes with lots of tire tracks, a moving chow hall, and shopping opportunities, then the Dumont Dunes are for you! My husband and son love the thrill of screaming across the sand on an ATV, the smell of high octane gasoline, and the gritty camaraderie of sand camp. I didn’t go out with them for the big President’s Day weekend, but I did get pictures and a full report. My hubby estimated that our son spent a good 8.5 hours out of 10 on the ATV. Don’t you know he slept soundly that night.

The Dumont Dunes are just outside Tecopa. During the summer, the high temperatures keep the sand junkies away. Sand season runs from Nevada Day (October 31) through President’s Day (February). Check their web site for more details.

Bodies: The Exhibit

No, this dynamic plastic model of a heart wasn’t at Bodies: The Exhibit, but since they don’t allow photos it’s the best I can offer.

Before I tell you about this amazing exhibit at the Tropicana, let me just address the Yuck Factor. “Real bodies? They use real bodies? Isn’t that kind of yucky?” These are the first things people say when I start to describe this unusual and fascinating display. It’s not yucky at all – in fact, quite the opposite. The exhibit includes information about how the bodies and body parts were preserved, a process that renders them completely yuck-free.

Each room is dedicated to a different body system: the skeleton, the muscles, the heart and lungs, etc. We took over an hour to walk through the multi-room exhibit. The display of healthy lungs next to smoker’s lungs was the most popular single exhibit, not to mention the creepiest for former smokers. This look inside the human body will change the way you think about your insides – for starters, now you know what they look like.

To find other activities in and around Las Vegas, try these resources:

Neon Arts Page
http://www.reviewjournal.com/neon/showsevents/arts.html

Las Vegas Weekly
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/

CityLife
http://www.lvcitylife.com/

_____________

Photo courtesy of Tony Byrne, http://www.sxc.hu/profile/Avolore

Bitter Springs Trail

I have an excellent reason why I have not a single picture of anything along Bitter Springs Trail. This 4x4 trail outside of the Valley of Fire is rated as easy and trail guides said it took approximately 2.5 hours to travel its length – almost 30 miles. First, if that is an easy trail, I don’t want to know about difficult trails. We had a flat not even ten miles into our adventure. (Here's a picture of the truck from its very first, flat tire-free outing to the Grand Canyon.)

“This is an easy trail?” I asked my hubby.

“Definitely. There’s nothing technical.”

“Technical? What would technical entail?”

“Winches, rock climbing, stuff like that.”

Well, thank God for small favors.

The bumping, jostling ride wouldn’t allow photos. And even though we stopped several times, every time we stopped I had something else on my mind that crowded out thoughts of photographs. First, of course, there was the flat tire. All my traveling companions with Y chromosomes were on that one like white on rice, leaving me and my friend Merina to begin hiking to a distant cave. Later, when we stopped to admire barrel cacti, I was too busy pouring over maps to think about pictures. We were in the middle of the desert without any indication of a road ahead. Just to our right were wilderness boundary markers. When we got back in the truck and started back down the trail, my hubby began questioning me.

“Are you sure this is the right trail?” (Let me just interject that it wasn’t as if we had many options out there.)

“Has to be,” I said, although at that moment I wasn’t 100% sure.

“But we’re supposed to be going southeast.”

“Maybe the road switches direction after that hill.”

“I would think the person with the map would know this.”

“My map isn’t that detailed.”

“Surely a person such as yourself would have a map with better details.”

At this point, I wanted to stuff the map up his nose, but when the road turned southeasterly, we were both relieved.

Five hours later – yes, twice as long as the guides indicated – we were pulling onto the Northshore Road. By the time we stopped for a picnic dinner at the Seven Sisters in the Valley of Fire, not enough light remained for me to take pictures. Besides, I was enjoying watching my son climb over the same rocks I scaled as a child. In Las Vegas, we don’t often get the opportunity to show our children the things we saw as kids. As we ate chicken and watched the stars start to come out, I really wasn’t too concerned about the lack of photos.

Ash Meadows

This amazing desert oasis was almost demolished in the 1970's when water-hungry developers and ranchers wanted to pump its springs dry. Now managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (who worked with the Nature Conservancy to purchase and restore the area), Ash Meadows continues to recover from past abuse. The small preserve is only half an hour from Pahrump. Visitors cannot see its most famous resident, the Devil's Hole Pupfish, both because of the fragility of the species (an April 2006 survey counted only 38) and because the cave in which the pupfish live was fenced off after two divers died in it. Visitors can, however, easily see other types of pupfish -- many endangered -- at any of the other springs. Ash Meadows is home to 24 endangered plants and animals, giving it the distinction of possessing one of the highest densities of endemic species in North America.

Where Route 66 Meets the Wild West

Burros in the street, a haunted hotel, and regularly scheduled gun fights are just a few of Oatman’s many attractions. Tour a gold mine, have a drink in the oldest building in Mojave County, get a tattoo, drive one of old Route 66’s most treacherous portions – but whatever you choose to do, be sure to buy a bag of carrots for the burros. These fat and happy descendants of miners’ burros are now pretty much in charge of things around here.

Oatman is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas. For more about Oatman, watch for my article in an upcoming issue of Southern Nevada Life: Fun and Fit. You can also visit Oatman on the web at: http://www.oatmangoldroad.com

Las Vegas Holiday Events

This weekend
Henderson WinterFest
Ice skating, Santa, train rides, ice sculpting, and children’s crafts
200 Green Valley Pkwy.
December 8 and 9, 5-9 p.m.
Admission: Free
267-2171

The Great Santa Run
Benefit for Opportunity Village
5K Fun Run and 1 Mile Walk
December 9, 8 AM
Fremont Street Experience
$45 Early registration
$75 on 12-09-06

The Lakes Festival of Lights
Festival concludes in the evening with a parade of lighted boats
December 9, Noon – 6 PM
Intersection of Lake Sahara Drive and Lake East Drive

Philharmonic Holiday Celebration Concert
Saturday, 8 PM; Sunday 2PM
Tickets: $27, $45, $69
895-2787

Throughout the holiday season
Opportunity Village Magical Forest
6300 W. Oakey Blvd.
5:30 to 10:00 PM daily
$9 General Admission
225-9627 for details

The Gift of Lights
Sunset Park
2601 E. Sunset Road
5-9 p.m., 5-10 weekends
$12 per vehicle/discount with bag of gently used clothing
451-1641 for details

Ethel M. Chocolates
Two Cactus Garden Drive, Henderson
5-10
Santa Visits on the weekend @ 5:00/choir follows

The Grand Canyon Like You’ve Never Seen It

The majestic canyon in my pictures undoubtedly looks familiar to you, even if you’ve never been to northern Arizona. Take a closer look, because there are a few things missing: the crowds, the traffic, and the guard rails. Visit the Hualapai Nation’s West Rim, and you’ll experience the Grand Canyon in a whole new way.

This rugged, untamed portion of the canyon is a sacred place to the Indians who’ve lived there for a thousand years. My family and I were fascinated by the spectacular, unsullied serenity of the West Rim. I kept asking my husband and son, “Can you step back a little?” Acrophobics, be forewarned. We watched eagles drifting on thermals below us. At Guano Point, ravens staked out the restaurant, as common a pigeons but much larger. Four thousand feet below, at the bottom of the canyon, the Colorado River snaked past. I could have spent all day just soaking up the view.

Visit the West Rim’s official site:
http://www.destinationgrandcanyon.com/indexe.html
for more information. You’ve probably heard about the Skywalk Project, certain to be a heart-stopper when its completed, but that’s not all the West Rim has to offer. If you’re dying to put your SUV through its paces, this is the place. Take US93 over Hoover Dam and look for the billboard at Dolan Springs. Follow the signs to find the dirt road that traverses a massive Joshua Tree forest. Bluffs that look like props from a Western supply the background. Before you know it, you’ll be facing the panoramic red cliffs of the Grand Canyon.

Tour packages begin at $29.00; private vehicles are not allowed. Check their web site for more information about accommodations and tour packages.

Leaving Central Las Vegas

Last week a new family moved into my late aunt’s old house. Until October, my mom had been living there. My mom’s been in that downtown neighborhood for over forty years – the house I grew up in is only two blocks away. It took us a month to get her completely moved. She’s still got stuff in boxes.

The last remnants of the Las Vegas I remember from my childhood are disappearing fast. The synagogue moved away and the Methodist church just fixed its broken stained glass window. My old elementary school, Crestwood, is one of the Clark County schools turned over to Edison because of its at-risk status. The streets look like they belong in some other city, some other downtown turned bad. Front yards are used for extra parking. Buildings are boarded up. The signs are all in Spanish. The bank is now a pawn shop, and the shoe repair is a pay day loan place. Still, it’s where I grew up. Some houses, like my aunt’s, remain as solitary testaments to the beautiful neighborhood it once was, full of well-maintained homes and friendly neighbors.

When I grew up there, it was a working class neighborhood. My dad was a bartender, my mother a bookkeeper; my uncle was a machinist and my aunt a secretary. Our street was considered a great location because it was just a few miles from Fremont Street and the Strip, where many people worked. On my street, an Italian upholsterer lived next door. Sometimes his wife made jelly for us from the figs we gave her from our enormous fig tree. The piano player for the Mills Brothers lived across the street. We used to have pool parties at his house. I cleaned house for the lady directly across the street from us. Her daughter had died from brain cancer. We were a small town in those days, and the neighborhood reflected that. I knew that bad behavior on my part would result in direct notification to my parents. When I decided to steal my dad’s tip money and buy a round of goodies for the neighborhood kids from the ice cream truck, the upholsterer’s granddaughter made a beeline to my front door. She was eating her ice cream as she tattled on me. I got double restriction for using the f-word.

Nowadays I know most of my neighbors, some quite well, but the flavor of my street is far more…. Uppity. I live just outside Summerlin, the land of Lexus and Williams Sonoma. My husband and I bought here because we liked the greenery of the area. We were surprised to find our neighbors included an Iranian dentist, an engineer for Boeing, a French wine salesman, a Palestinian professional poker player, and a host of other well-heeled people. We’re governed by a home owner’s association, which is a formalized group of nosy, nit-picking busy bodies who need to get a life. I can’t believe we actually pay to have people nag us about the state of our lawn and the oil spots in our driveway. At any rate, no one is having any pool parties around here, and I’m pretty sure ice cream trucks are prohibited.

The last ice cream truck I saw was at my aunt’s house. I offered to flag it down for my son, who is eight, about the same age I was when the infamous tip theft occurred. He declined – he’s never visited the ice cream truck. He’d rather go to Starbucks. He’s glad that Nana will be living closer to us, but says he will miss the old house. I remember lazy afternoons when he was baby, sitting in the living room with my mom and my aunt as he crawled in the floor. Now he’s helping me pack boxes.

Time marches on, taking all vestiges of Old Las Vegas with it.

Living History

October 31, 1864, wasn’t a day for trick-or-treaters. On that day in history, our country was coming to the end of the bitterly fought war between the states – a war that claimed more American lives than any other war in our history. Nevada was admitted to union on that date; the Union needed her silver. Thus, our state motto: Battle Born.

Over Nevada Day 2006 weekend, Civil War re-enactors invaded Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. The South still lost, and at the end of the day all the soldiers got to go home (which is how we wish all conflicts ended). This was the first Civil War reenactment in Las Vegas, and Spring Mountain was the perfect place for this living history lesson. It’s one of the few places where our history is preserved and valued.

I noticed students everywhere, taking notes, asking questions, and even interviewing Abe Lincoln. My own son, who had described history as “mostly boring,” was enraptured by the battle and field hospital demonstration.

History buffs who missed the re-enactment will want to head out to the park November 10 through 12, when the park hosts the Mountain Man Rendezvous. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to fire a black powder gun or what on earth you do with an atlatl, now is your chance. Call 875-4141 for more details.

Rare Foresight

In 1991, the Clark County Library District convinced Las Vegas voters to approve a bond issue for new libraries. At that time, Clark County’s population was about 742,000. When construction commenced on the buildings approved by the bond issue, Las Vegans immediately decried the “Taj Mahals” and questioned the wisdom of giving the Library District money. Las Vegas voters haven’t passed any library funding issue presented since – and today our population is 1.7 million. With Las Vegas growing faster than a depressed woman with an unlimited supply of ice cream, those 1991 voters who are still around should congratulate themselves. Today the Las Vegas Art Museum – connected to the Sahara West Library pictured here – hosts internationally recognized work. Our community depends on the amphitheaters, museums, galleries, and story-time rooms funded with those 1991 dollars. Residents looking for off-Strip events can find family movie nights, plays, author readings, and other non-neon activities. Without the foresight of LVCCLD, Las Vegas would be even more culturally challenged – what a scary thought.

Events

Pioneer Days
Spring Mountain Ranch
See demonstrations of blacksmithing, black powder shooting, spinning, weaving, and square dancing.
Saturday 10-14, 10:00 – 4:00
$5 Park Admission

Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival
Sunset Park
October 13 - 15
Come all ye lords and ladies!
$10 Admission

K9 Trials
Orleans Arena
October 15, event beings at 8:00
If you’d like to see what police dogs do, head to the Orleans for this event. It’s the closest you’ll get to a police dog unless you’re being arrested.
Admission is free

Lake Las Vegas Fine Arts Festival
October 14 and 15, 10:00 to 5:00

Vegas Sunsets

Sidewalk Art

Can you believe these incredible images were created with chalk? I took these pictures on Sunday at Summerlin's La Strada del 'Arte.

Vegas Girl News

Cathy Scott Appearing On Oxygen Network
Vegas author Cathy Scott will appear on the Oxygen Network (Las Vegas Cox Channel 55) on Monday, October 2, in the show Snapped: Sandy Murphy. In her book Death in the Desert, Cathy wrote about the sensational Binion murder, for which Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish were initially convicted. Cathy spoke to my writing group just as Sandy Murphy’s retrial began. Based on her research, she told us, she predicted Murphy would be acquitted. In November 2004, Murphy and Tabish were acquitted of the Binion murder. Was Murphy a gold digger capable of murder, or a convenient patsy? Read Cathy’ book and see what you think.

Visit Cathy Scott’s website at http://www.cathyscott.com

Red Rock Vandals
On September 16, 2006, the RJ reported that vandals had defaced 100-year-old rock art in a remote cave in Red Rock's Sandstone Quarry. About three weeks prior, my family had discovered this vandalism. I assumed Red Rock already knew that some idiot(s) went to the trouble to scramble into the cave set high in the sandstone. Years before, my husband and I climbed into that same cave and marveled at the art, and we wanted to share it with our son. Sadly, we wound up sharing a lesson about ignorance.

Yesterday, the RJ reported that fire destroyed a 120-foot portion of the boardwalk at Red Springs in Calico Basin. This area sits just outside the Red Rock most of you are familiar with. When I was growing up, it was where we picnicked. Now that Summerlin is reaching out toward Little Red Rock, how long will it be before morons destroy that, too? Even petroglyphs in the Valley of Fire have been defaced. Don’t we have enough freeways to write on?

Frances Deane – Cub Reporter
The Las Vegas Tribune, a publication I’d never heard of, has hired former County Recorder Frances Deane. Let me see if I understand this…. I can’t get a local publication to call me back, but Frances Deane got a job? I guess I should have mishandled confidential paperwork while I was still with Metro. If only I had known that the media wants more ethically challenged journalists.

Recycle Your Electronics
If you’re like every other technology-addicted person I know, you’ve accumulated a closet full of old computers, cell phones, and other outdated toys. Last week the Sun reported on our growing piles of discarded electronics – most of which contain all kinds of chemicals that don’t belong in a landfill. Before you toss your old brick cell phone, check www.ndep.nv.gov/recycl/recycle.htm for recycling locations.

Events
Summerlin La Strada del’Arte
September 30 and October 1
Summerlin Centre Community Park
Admission and parking are free

Boulder City Art in the Park
October 7 and 8
Drive to Boulder City and follow the signs
Admission is free, but there is a small free for the shuttle

Zion Canyon Art and Flute Festival
October 13 – October 15
http://www.zioncanyonartandflutefestival.com/

National Public Lands Day
September 30
Entrance fees waived for all National Parks/Recreation Areas:
Lake Mead, Death Valley, Zion, etc.

Southern Nevada Railway
Boulder City
Ride antique Pullman coaches
$8
For more information, call 486-5933

Shakespeare in the Park
September 28-October 8 - Free
www.artscouncilhenderson.org

First Friday
October 6
http://www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org/

Third Thursday
October 19
Water Street Art District
5 – 9 p.m.
Free

Sax Sundays
Mount Charleston Hotel
1 p.m. Sundays
Call 872-5500

Jazz at the Lake
Free
Every Friday from 7-10 p.m. at Lake Las Vegas
www.MonteLagoVillage.com

The Fight Against Union Busting

If you’ve seen these protesters on Sahara just west of Durango, or at Charleston and Rampart, you’ve probably wondered who they are and why they’re unhappy with Target and Valley Health Systems. A couple of weeks ago I stopped to ask them just those questions

Carpenters Local 1977 is standing out in the heat every day to tell people that non-union labor used in construction and nursing drives down wages, among other things. They are simply practicing the time-honored tradition of standing with their union brothers – a tradition practiced less and less as unions loose influence. Membership in unions across the country is decreasing, and our once union-strong city (the Culinary and Teamsters built this town – literally, in some cases) now turns a blind eye to protests and strikes. Anyone remember the Frontier?

Judging from local news reports about the quality of both nursing and construction in Las Vegas, Carpenters Local 1977 has a point. On September 13 and 14, the RJ reported that the nursing union gave several local hospital failing grades for poor patient-nurse ratios. Anyone who’s been in a Las Vegas hospital can attest to the poor quality of care offered. In my experience, you’re lucky to find an RN or anyone who speaks English. On the construction side, the proliferation of construction defect lawsuits speaks for itself. And as for wages, anyone trying to make a living as a roofer or framer knows that most wages have dropped to an unlivable level.

Tona Hughes, a volunteer for the Carpenters Local, told me they’d been protesting for eight months. Valley Health Systems has yet to sit down and hear their concerns. Besides getting the cold shoulder from VHS, Tona says motorists can be hostile, throwing things and shouting profanities at them. Their sign has been vandalized and stolen, and all of the volunteers worry about vandalism to their vehicles.

Local media have ignored the protesters. Las Vegas Weekly is the only publication I found that ran anything on these people who have braved summer heat, ignorant motorists, and unresponsive corporations to exercise their freedom of speech.

The next time you’re driving on Sahara or Charleston, show Tona and the other volunteers that some people still respect workers’ rights and freedom of speech. An encouraging honk would be a good start, but if you can't bring yourself to do that, then at least don't act like a jerk.

More Fires

Fire in the Desert

Another lightening strike at Red Rock, another fire in the desert. From my house, you could smell and see the smoke. Here’s a shot from the Boca Park parking lot of the black smoke rising in the distance. If you’re not worried about fires in the desert, you should be. Check out my August 25th post for more information about the invasive species making fuel for our fires.

Sin City Stereotypes

Today Erin Neff’s column deals with a subject that irks most long-time Las Vegans – the perpetuation of myths and misconceptions about Las Vegas. We don’t all work in the casinos. We’re not all drinking, gambling degenerates living in trailer parks in the desert. Sadly, the national media finds the stereotype more interesting than the truth. For the record, I’m a native who doesn’t gamble. Except for video poker, I don’t even know how. No strippers or show girls live on my street, although we do have one professional gambler and no one knows what the busty blonde across the street does. I’ve never worked in a casino, nor has my husband. Sadly, I have the feeling that Las Vegans will be listening to these same tired stereotypes for many more years to come.

Condos Killed?

Or at least delayed. Today’s RJ reports that Station Casinos has had a falling out with the developers slated to build high rises next to Red Rock Casino. Dare we hope that the whole thing will fall through? Success rates on local condo projects are roughly the same as what you get at roulette (I may not know how to play it, but I do know it’s a bad bet.) Red Rock is supposed to be the trendiest, hippest new joint in town. I have yet to check it out since I get angry every time I’m out for a walk and have to see that huge chunk of concrete with windows instead of the actual Red Rock Canyon. Here’s hoping that the condo craze will die and what’s left of my view will remain.

Money Talks

Although I maintain that Las Vegas is not a cesspool of vice and desperation, there’s no escaping the fact that we’re unique. What other school system in America accepts donations from strip clubs? This week Eye on Vegas reported on the “Detention” event that raised $2,500 for Clark County Schools. The “entertainers” were dressed as school girls, teachers, and librarians. I bet the attendees found it way more fun than a bake sale.

Events

Nevada Opera Theater’s Opera Festival
September 23 and 24
MonteLago Village
Free!

Utah Shakespearean Festival
Ongoing
Fall is the perfect time to visit the festival – Utah has the best fall color displays in this area. Yes, I know all those people from the Midwest and East coast are rolling their eyes because our fall colors are so much wimpier than they’re used to. Get over it. Fall colors are to the East what Vegas is to neon. Just appreciate what we’ve got and see some terrific plays while you’re at it.

Super Summer Theater
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
Check out the last play of the season!
Call 594-7529 for more details

Check out the RJ’s Living section today for a recap of upcoming theater events all over town:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-07-Thu-2006/living/9373304.html

Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka will be reading from his new memoir on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV. The reading is sponsored by The Black Mountain Institute, Las Vegas’s homegrown think tank. Call 895-5542 for more information.

News and Events

Tule Springs

You can call it Floyd Lamb State park all they want, but it will still be Tule Springs to me. When I was growing up here, we used to have half-day school picnic trips to the park, which at that time was the only thing off the highway. You could find it by looking for the green spot in the desert. The State has been taking care of Tule Springs, but now that the City of Las Vegas is poised to take over, there’s no telling what might happen to the historic site. Rumors that the City will turn the rural-flavored park into a ball field have run rampant for years. At least the City is asking our opinion before the bull dozers arrive. Visit http://www.lasvegasopenspace.com/floydlamb_test.htm to give your opinion on what we should do with this piece of Las Vegas history.

State of Nevada’s web site on Tule Springs:
http://parks.nv.gov/fl.htm
Channel 8’s report:
http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5280081


Gilcrease Orchard

Not far from Tule Springs sits Gilcrease Orchard, a secret so well-kept that this native didn’t know about it until just a few years ago. (I did, however, meet my husband when I was volunteering at the Gilcrease Bird Preserve, also in the same area.) Encroaching development endangers the orchard (along with every other tract of land in Southern Nevada). I know progress is inevitable, but do we have to pave over everything?

Great article (with pics) about the Orchard:
http://www.meganedwards.com/Vegasland/Gilcrease-Orchard.htm

The recent Las Vegas Business Press Article on the orchard:
http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2006/08/21/news/news02.txt

Little Red Rocks

To the west of Summerlin, a tiny clutch of red rocks and petroglyphs are partially hidden at the base of the mountains. For years, it was visited only by ATVers and vandals. Now the city is growing towards the area.

While I hope they can prevent the vandals from destroying the rock art (petroglyphs), I can’t say that I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen at the Valley of Fire and Red Rock itself. A couple of weeks ago my hubby and I took our son hiking at Red Rock. We remembered a cave we’d discovered years before, one full of petroglphys. We found the cave, along with all its defaced art. As my hubby’s aunt was fond of saying, “Fools and fools’ faces always appear in public places.”

To read more about the efforts to preserve Little Red Rocks: http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-04-Mon-2006/news/9397611.html

Events and Programs

Yes, Las Vegas offers many things to do that don’t involve gambling! For instance:

UNLV Programs for 62+
http://seniorprograms.unlv.edu/

Desert Breeze Dog Daze of Summer
10 a.m. to noon, Saturday 09-09-06, at Desert Breeze Play Pool, 8275 W. Spring Mountain. No admission fee. Must be vaccinated and on a leash (the dogs, that is. I won’t speak for the owners).

Las Vegas Wash Green Up
Saturday Sept. 30, Noon – 4 p.m.
Call 822-8400 for more info

Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City
Train rides on weekends - thru Dec. 10. Call 486-5933

San Gennaro, Sept. 12, $6/$7
http://www.sangennarofeast.com/

Ballet Under the Stars
Sept. 9 at 8 p.m., The Hills Park amphitheater
Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets $15 – adults, $4 kids.
Call 243-2623 for more info.

Housing Bubbles, Water Woes, and Warren Jeffs

Bubbling or Bursting?

The downward trend of the housing market here in Las Vegas is spawning ever more panicky articles in the local press. With a six-month supply of available housing, has our bubble burst? One day the stats show a slide, the next day we’re inching back up. Tourism may be our main claim to fame, but real estate is a serious player in our economy, employing scads of real estate agents, mortgage lenders, and construction workers. As long as Californians can still sell their houses for $700,000.00, however, our $300,000.00 homes will still attract buyers.

There’s Water in Them Thar Hills

The Las Vegas Valley Water District continues to try convincing our northern brothers that we just want a little of their water. Really. And those pesky comparisons to the Owens Valley, well, with all our modern laws, that could never happen in Nevada. Just like Yucca Mountain, right?

All Road Lead To Vegas

It’s not just degenerate drinkers, gamblers, and other low-lifes who head for Vegas when the law is hot on their tails. Saudi Arabian terrorists stop here, and most recently, Warren Jeffs, the fugitive fundamentalist Mormon. I especially enjoy hearing all the LDS leaders denouncing the FLDS and polygamy because, goodness gracious, doesn’t everyone know that in 1890 the Mormons received a revelation from God that polygamy was bad. It was just coincidental that the revelation came at the same time Utah wanted statehood. News reports stated that an iPod, cash, and other items were found in the car with Jeffs. What I want to know what he had on the iPod. While still the head honcho in Colorado City, he recorded himself singing hymns and then required his followers to listen to his vocal stylings. What, the multiple wives, hair shirts, and no cable weren’t bad enough?

Who Needs I15 Anyway?

If you’re trying to get from Southern California to Las Vegas in September or October, better break out the maps. Road work around the Devore exit will close I15 periodically during this time, so your drive from LA to LV may include Kingman. I’m sure the LVVCA is thrilled with California’s advice to drivers, which is to simply cancel their trips. Funny thing how we in Nevada manage to work on our roads and keep them open.

Events Around Town

First Friday is TODAY. Head downtown the Arts District to check out art, food, and entertainment.

The Red Rock Harvest Festival is tomorrow. Go to the visitor’s center to see displays of wildlife, dances by American Indians, and all types of informational booths.

Fires in the Desert

Red Rock Fires

I completely missed the last Red Rock hiking season (September through April or May), so I was shocked when I drove through the Loop last Friday. Last year’s fires burned over 800 acres, and much of the damage is visible from the road. The land is scorched barren, littered with blackened Yucca stumps. You can see from this picture a clear dividing line between the damaged and intact area.

Wildfires are a growing problem in the desert, and one of the major reasons is the invasion of non-native weeds and grasses. When our triple-digit heat dries out these intruders, they turn into plentiful, highly combustible tinder. One lightening strike or stray cigarette butt can spark a devastating fire that destroys the native plants and animals. Unlike forests, deserts are not designed to rebound from fire – they’ve not been historically prone to fire because in their natural state, they aren’t full of dried grass and weeds. Chris Clarke wrote an excellent article on this danger to all Southwestern states that can be found at his Creek Running North web site.

If you haven’t been keeping up on invasive species, you might want to bone up. It’s now being linked to global warming – although I think everything but JonBonet Ramsey’s murder has been linked to global warming these days – but I predict it will emerge as an ecological threat in its own right.

What Happens in Vegas Must Happen Before Midnight

The County has decided to close the Marriage License Bureau from midnight to 8 a.m., a move sure to cut the number of Vegas-related annulments in half. I have to say that this move is long overdue, as anyone who has been downtown between the hours of midnight to 8 a.m. can attest. I worked the graveyard shift for Metro for over two years in the early 80’s and can assure you that the majority of people out looking to get married at 3 a.m. should be arrested, not encouraged to wed. Years ago Metro’s Records Bureau decided to close to the public on the graveyard shift, although staff still works inside. When I was working there, we had to keep the Marriage License Bureau’s address handy for the lost love birds who wandered into our offices.

Price of a Vegas marriage license:
$55.00

Estimated amount saved by closing the Las Vegas Marriage License Bureau between midnight and 8 a.m.:
$200,000.00

Preventing drunken couples from saying “I do” before Elvis in the middle of the night: Priceless

Sheriff’s Race

Jerry Airola and Doug Gillespie squared off in a debate at the Clark County library (check date). Airola continues to present himself as the “change” candidate, insisting that Metro’s budget and personnel are mismanaged. Local news described Gillespie as the “traditional” candidate. I thought “qualified” was the word they were looking for.

One Big Trash Dump

Why aren’t Las Vegans more concerned about recycling? Republic continually cites opposition from citizens as its main reason to stick to its twice monthly recycles pickup. We’ve heard proposals about pilot programs for once-a-week pickup of both regular trash and recyclables, but supposedly people are concerned about the smell of the trash during the summer heat. What are people disposing of in the trash? Road kill carcasses? I think the real reason is that the average Las Vegan looks out across the miles of desert surrounding us and sees nothing but miles of potential trash dumps. (Obviously our government shares this view, since they’re trying to saddle us with Yucca Mountain.) I’ve always been surprised at the number of people who refuse to recycle because they think it generates money for Republic. Hogwash. I think Republic generates a profit by doing as little as possible for its customers. Have you encountered their Soviet-style customer service? Go ahead and try to find out what your recycling pickup days are. Or what the hours are at the transfer stations. Haven’t these people heard of the Internet?

The Season for Politicians and Art

Calling All Registered Voters

Yesterday 27% of us showed up at the polls. Where were the rest of you folks? The democratic process misses you! Click here to read the primary results.

Fall Calls

Clark County students will be returning to class on August 30, 2006, a Wednesday. What’s up with starting school on a Wednesday? Haven’t they confused us enough by starting school before Labor Day?

Now that the summer is almost over we can look forward to cooler temperatures and festivals! Start watching billboards and reading events calendars because before you know it, we’ll be kicking off the season in late September with San Gennaro and the Greek Food Festival. This year the Henderson Car Show is in September also, as is Red Rock's Harvest Festival (September 2, right around the corner). Boulder City’s Art in the Park is the first weekend in October (they don’t advertise, so put a note on the fridge). Also in October, the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival invades Sunset Park and Spring Mountain State Park generally holds Pioneer Days, where you can see how the pioneers lived. Note that they also have a Civil War re-enactment scheduled for the end of October.

For more ideas on fun stuff to do when we reach sub-Hades temps, check:

Clark County’s Event List:

http://www.co.clark.nv.us/Parks/Events_Calendar.htm

Boulder’s City Calendar:

http://www.bcnv.org/calendars/events/bc092006.htm

Henderson’s Calendar:

http://ecalendar.cityofhenderson.com/.

Naturally, this is also a great time of year to check out First Friday or any other outdoor events. If events aren't your style, October's a great time to get in a hike at Mt. Charleston before the first snow fall.