36 years ago this month

Lloyd Miller, weekend prospector and Tecopa Hot Spring superintendent, has been kicking around in some lost gold mines that may date back to the 1870s. Located on the east side of Death Valley, about 14 miles west of the Tecopa Hot Springs, the four mines at one time apparently were home to 100 people. All water and supplies had to be hauled in.

Artifacts recovered by Miller over the past year include a sandstone fragment with the handcarved letters "NNING 1879" and an early American jar with a pewter pot top and an applied design. Possibly from the 1750s.

Hafen Ranches advertises choice five-acre parcels, just off Mesquite Road for $900 per acre, easy terms, 10 percent down and $50 per month. 7.5 percent simple interest. Prime five-acre parcels adjoining Hafen Ranch at $900 per acre with 10 percent down and $60 a month. Ad states, "Know Your Realtor, Tim Hafen is a 19-year resident rancher of Pahrump Valley."

30 years ago this week

Initial steps taken toward valley zoning -- town planner Don Brown unveiled the Pahrump master plan map he's developed over the past several months at the town board meeting.

After some discussion, the board accepted the map as phase 1 of a master plan and to proceed toward a total zoning plan. For many in the small audience, it was their first look at Brown's map, which had previously been shown and discussed at town advisory planning board meetings.

Three new classrooms for math, history and social studies will be ready for use at PVHS Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day when school starts in Pahrump Valley. Construction of the new classrooms was started last year. PVHS principal Rod Pekarek said this week that students who have been previously enrolled in Pahrump schools in grades 1-8 do not have to register before school starts.

20 years ago this week

A design to attract non-polluting industrial development to Pahrump Valley was presented to local officials Saturday by industrial development consultant Ross Spalding.

"Try Nevada's Smallest City First," was one promotional slogan advanced by Spalding. "Pahrump, the Best Kept Secret in Nevada," was another. Spalding's fee was paid by the Chamber of Commerce and Calvada. Spalding has served as a special consultant to California in matters of industrial development.

The biggest barbecue ever may be recorded at this year's Pahrump Valley Harvest Festival and County Fair Sept. 10-11.

Preparations for about 3000 customers are being made, as details for all the events are being completed. Jim Daffer was awarded a contract to build the new deep pit barbecue facility for about $2,400, with the pit being dug by volunteer labor and the grill being donated by Pete Brown's Valley Sand and Gravel.

The 1977 Trojan varsity football team has been working out for almost two weeks now, and the players are getting in shape for their opening game Sept. 9 at Virgin Valley -- a non-league contest.

Head Coach Al Giannotti reports that the two-a-day workouts are going well and that team spirit has been good.

Assistant Coach Joel Saunders reports that the defense is ready to hit and that overall conditioning of the squad is progressing.

10 years ago this week

Investigators with the Nye County Sheriff's Office believe a local man committed an armed robbery at the Terrible Herbst convenience store at Highway 160 and Calvada early Saturday morning. The suspect got away with a small amount of money from the store and three patrons.

Sheriff Wade Lieseke said the man was brandishing what appeared to be a sawed-off rifle, and one of the patrons in the store said he pointed it at one of the victims.

The year's Pahrump Valley High School football team will feature some new players on offense, a new scheme on defense and, perhaps most importantly, a new attitude -- something the Trojans desperately need as they try to rebound from an 0-9 season in which they were outscored by an average margin of 42-8. "We don't dwell on last year. We're looking at our future," PVHS coach Gary Findley said.

Nye crimes and misdemeanors have a better chance of being solved than in any other county in the state, according to the "Crimes and Justice in Nevada" study that was recently released.

According to the report, 47 percent of the crimes (420 of 894) reported in Nye in 1996 were cleared. Lyon County ranked second in the state, with a 40.4 percent rate out of 755 crimes. A crime is cleared when the criminal is identified, enough evidence is obtained to file a charge, and an arrest is made.

The Pahrump Town Board wants to cash in on the building boom in Pahrump and let those who pass through town help finance the volunteer fire department.

The board voted 4-0 Tuesday night to begin the process of raising Pahrump's room tax rate from 6 to 10 percent, with the additional 4 percent to go to the fire department. Board member Charlie Gronda presented the motion and explained that he believes the tax increase would be the best way to raise badly needed funds for the department.