36 years ago this month

Here come the burros.

The 11th annual World Championship Wild Burro Races sponsored by the Beatty Lions Club are scheduled for Labor Day weekend in Beatty. The largest crowds and the largest field of competitors ever to compete are expected for the event, which has been attracting increasing international publicity.

All students who expect to enroll in either Pahrump grade school or Death Valley High School for the first time this fall are requested to fill out and mail in an enrollment form provided at the Pahrump Post Office. The form is needed to provide information for bus routes; a 14 percent growth rate is indicated over the last 12 months.

30 years ago this week

The Nye County commissioners will discuss the Pahrump Town Board's request for the resignation of Fire Chief Ron Perry Aug. 3. The board is scheduled to present its list of complaints against Perry, and Perry plans to be on hand to answer the complaints. A petition calling for popular support of Perry has been circulated on his behalf.

The V.R. Johnson Construction Co. has exercised its option to purchase 12 to 16 lanes of bowling equipment and is now in the process of developing a complete package of land, building and bowling alley in Pahrump Valley to be offered to a lessee.

"I hear the whole town is talking about the project. The area needs to be served by this kind of recreation. It takes a bit of daring for someone to be the first to try something like this, but for some time there will not be room to be second," Bruce Edenfield, manager of the Pahrump office for Johnson Construction Co. said.

20 years ago this week

Pahrump Auto Body and Glass owners Ray and Greg Jentz, a father and son team, say their business located on Margaret Street off Highway 372, is a complete auto body shop which offers other auto services as well. Pahrump Auto Body and Glass is a relatively new business in the valley but the two owners have a total of 34 years' experience in the auto body repair business.

Modified division racer Sam Stringer had a big night Saturday at the Pahrump Valley Racing Association's ninth points show of the season. Stringer won the modified division heat race, the trophy dash and the modified main to lead all racers.

Gary Montgomery won the claimer heat race, but Lance Harrolle came back to take wins in the claimer division trophy dash and main event. Jim Wulfenstein won the sportsman division trophy dash with Jim Pike winning the sportsman division main event.

More than 100 people were arrested Thursday during a protest over nuclear arms testing at the Nevada Test Site, and Nye County is gearing up for an even larger demonstration Sunday. According to a spokesman at the sheriff's office in Beatty, 103 were arrested, then released following the demonstration. Witnesses said there were about 500 protesters at the site.

10 years ago this week

Pahrump's growth rate has slowed -- marginally. The community's population grew at a 14.6 percent clip in 1996, based on estimates compiled by the Pahrump Valley Times, while adding 3282 residents. Based on the first six months of 1997 that gaudy increase won't be matched this year, but the difference is negligible. At the current pace, Pahrump is on track for 13.8 percent growth this year and an additional 3192 residents, only 90 less than a year ago.

Plans by driving instructor Rupert Bragg-Smith to build an advanced driving school in Pahrump have hit what could turn out to be a two-year roadblock, something which he said would either force him to build the school elsewhere or put him out of business all together.

A letter of appeal was filed by the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, stating they were opposed to the deal on the basis that the proposed sale does not fairly meet the criteria to establish fair market value of the property, and the competitive bidding process has not been utilized to determine the highest fair market value available for the benefit of the BLM and the tax-paying public.

Although Sheriff Wade Lieseke has had the green light for over a month to fill vacancies in his office, finding qualified candidates who are willing to risk not having a job less than a year from now has proven to be difficult.

Lieseke lays the blame directly at the feet of Commissioners Dick Carver and Bobby Revert, saying their comments at public meetings about a budget crisis next spring that will force a number of layoffs have scared away some candidates.