36 years ago this month

The Devil's Hole pupfish continue to challenge the hope of Spring Meadows Ranch to convert the alkali wasteland in Amargosa Valley to fertile farmland. The federal government filed a suit Aug. 18 to stop well pumping which it contends is dropping the area water level and thereby jeopardizing the existence of the pupfish which live exclusively in Devil's Hole near Ash Meadows.

Four new teachers join the 1971-72 staff at Death Valley High School including Vicki Turner, a graduate of Pahrump grade school and Death Valley High School. Turner, an honor student who graduated from UNLV in three years, is one of the youngest secondary teachers in the state. She was 20 in July.

James Butman, an English and instrumental music teacher, Kenneth Gates, who has a master's degree in counseling, and Cynthia Jean Jones who has a major in physical education and a minor in music will also join the staff.

30 years ago this week

More than 600 persons attended the second annual All Sports Banquet last week at Pahrump Valley High School. The event raised $2,608 for the athletic fund, which will provide meals, transportation, lodging and awards for all sports programs at the school. The goal for the event had been set at $1,500. A total of $1,400 was raised by the auction alone, which was held following the barbecue beef dinner. Another $1,200 was raised through profits of the dinner.

A charming French couple, Charles and Martha Labbe, has lived for 50 years on a mining claim in the foothills overlooking Pahrump Valley. The Labbes should be famous because they found several things that almost everyone would like to have.

First, Charles discovered the mine that many old-timers feel sure is the famous Lost Breyfogle. Second, the mine had enough gold in it to support them comfortably all their lives, and third, it was located close to a spring of fresh water, high enough up on the mountain to be cool in summer but low enough to be warm in winter.

20 years ago this week

A record-breaking crowd Saturday and a large turnout Sunday helped make the 1987 Harvest Festival a huge success. A record 12,000 in attendance was estimated for Saturday's festivities. A near-capacity crowd filled the rodeo arena's 2,200 seats Saturday and a large turnout Sunday assured the Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the expensive undertaking, of a financially successful weekend.

Sales from the program, arena signs and sponsorships are expected to generate most of the $18,000 required to pay for the PRCA sanctioned show.

Arson was determined to be the cause of an early morning fire Monday that destroyed Bob's Feed Barn on Kellogg Road in the south end of Pahrump Valley. Owner Bob Kroman, his wife and their children were in their nearby home sleeping when the 12:30 a.m. fire broke out. It immediately engulfed the building. Eleven firefighters responded after Kroman phoned the sheriff's office. Commander Pete Wallace, who lives about a mile away looked out his window and said that the building was "fully involved and looked like an atomic bomb went off." There was no chance of saving the structure, which burned to the ground.

Valley Electric Association's board of directors opted to go with two at-large directors from the Pahrump district during discussion of possible bylaw changes Monday. The board, in a 3-1 vote, earlier approved the idea of an added director in the southern most VEA district but was undecided about whether to choose an at-large director or create two districts with a director for each.

10 years ago this week

An alleged kidnapping that occurred in Battle Mountain earlier in the day resulted in the arrest of two men and the release of two apparent captives in the early afternoon of Sept. 17 in the Smoky Valley area, according to Nye County Sheriff Wade Lieseke.

Reserve Dep. Joe Paul spotted the suspect vehicle at the Scott Stop convenience store. Sgt. Ray East responded and they made a felony stop with guns drawn on the suspects, who surrendered without resistance. The victims were a 20-year-old woman from Battle Mountain and an infant boy.

A group interested in protecting Calvada property values pertaining to all Preferred Equities subdivision hopes to gain momentum this week when the proposed Calvada Homeowner's Protective Corp. meets Thursday at the Calvada Sports Complex located on N. Leslie west of Highway 160.

The group is attempting to raise funds to file a quartet of lawsuits against residents who are in violation of the codes, covenants and restrictions that govern Calvada residential areas.

Pahrump residents Todd and Melinda Bergeron were expecting a package containing a swing set for their two kids, but the box they received earlier this month contained a test of their morals instead. And if they hadn't passed, you probably wouldn't be reading this right now.

The box in question, was delivered to the Bergeron's Sept. 12 by a private Las Vegas shipping company. As Todd signed for the box, he was thinking it was a bit too small for a build-it-yourself swing set. When he opened the box, he found, instead of metal piping, a dozen high-end telephoto lenses worth about $148,000.

After losing 10 games in a row, PV High's football team went through a rite of passage by winning its last two. Saturday the Trojans will take on Rite of Passage as they shoot for their third straight victory. It's Pahrump's final warm-up for its Southern Nevada Class 3-A league schedule.

"There's a real spring in everyone's step, and we'll be feeling really good if we get to be 3-1 going into our league schedule," PVHS coach Gary Findley said.