36 years ago this month

Lathrop Wells Station has been sold by Mrs. Jane Bongberg to Max and Maxine Graham, formerly of Antelope Valley, Calif. The operation includes a bar, restaurant, general store, service station, trailer park, post office building, as well as additional property.

The Grahams have refurbished the café, and plan to do improvements on the bar next. Current plans also call for the construction of a motel within a year.

A large crowd of Pahrump Grade School students entertained Gov. Mike O'Callaghan when he toured the school grounds in September. The governor and students enjoyed their time together and gathered for a photo to remember the visit.

30 years ago this week

Charles Cline, local construction supervisor on the Pahrump middle school, said, "With any luck we'll be done this week," and be able to turn the school over for use on Monday. A major project needing completion is the installation of a battery-run emergency power system. The problem is the unit has not yet arrived.

The fire alarm system, required by law in schools, runs off the emergency system. Temporarily, the fire alarm system will be switched to regular power to allow the building to be occupied immediately.

John Campellone and Bill Zell are leasing Jim's Bar and will seek a license for live gambling. It will be the second spot to have live gambling in Pahrump Valley if a license is granted. Saddle West was the first live gambling hall in Pahrump starting in May of 1976.

Campellone and Zell, both experienced Las Vegas gambling executives, are leasing the bar with an option to buy. The building sits on 1-1/4 acres of land at the corner of Highway 52 and East Street. Jim's Bar for many years was known as the popular Cotton Pickin' Saloon.

20 years ago this week

Nye County Sheriff's Office officers Monday raided "the refrigerator farm" in south Pahrump and arrested James Sessions in probably the biggest marijuana bust in Nevada history. A total of 1,460 pounds of prime high grade marijuana plants were cut down and confiscated by sheriff's deputies who estimated the street value to be around $2.3 million.

The plants will be stored and used as evidence.

A request for binding arbitration to settle strikes at the Nevada Test Site and Tonopah Test Range was issued this week by union leaders. The strike is in its 24th day.

The primary contractor, REECO, is not obligated to accept the request; however, Gov. Richard Bryan endorses the idea of both sides submitting their arguments to a federal mediator and abiding by whatever decision is rendered.

This October marks the 15th homecoming week for Pahrump Valley High School. Tonight will round off the week with a football game between the Trojans and Moapa Valley at Trojan Field. The junior varsity teams will meet early this afternoon for their scheduled game. All week the high school has been rocking with activities. Spirit dress days ended with today's "Maroon and Gold" day.

10 years ago this week

A rocket designed to show the safety of launches from the Nevada Test Site veered off course early Saturday morning and slammed into the desert floor between the Esmeralda County towns of Goldfield and Silver Peak, about 40 miles from its intended destination.

Scientists for the Sandia National Laboratory knew something had gone wrong two seconds into Saturday's launch, but there was little they could do to stop it, according to DOE spokesman Darwin Morgan.

Pahrump's new town manager Michael Cosgrove showed up for his first day of work Monday to find two egg cartons full of golf balls on his desk. He figured that was a good sign.

"Some very nice lady read in the paper that I liked golf and that I was an avid hunter so she brought them down for me," Cosgrove said. "I think that speaks well for the people in Pahrump. They don't know me, but they've really welcomed me."

Cameron McRae emerged as the winner Tuesday in the second round of debate over a proposed impact fee on new residential construction. The school board supports and backs the fee. In a request to the commissioners in June, the fee was to be imposed only in Pahrump, which has seen virtually all the growth in enrollment in the district in recent years.

The impact fee, if approved, would be used for capital improvements. The commissioners decided the proposed ordinance would be for the entire county, and that it will either pass or fail on that basis.

It's time to start talking playoffs at Pahrump Valley High School. The next two weeks will determine the Trojans' playoff fate. Pahrump (2-3, 0-1) plays Southern Nevada Class 3-A conference foe Boulder City tonight and will play Moapa Valley while on the road Oct. 17. Two Trojan wins will almost ensure Pahrump a spot in the postseason party.