36 years ago this month

Man versus burro in the desert? Bet on the burro. He'll go farther and last longer.

As part of a continuing study comparing men and burros, Dr. D.B. Dill and his staff have taken a look at the economy of walking. Dill is a director of Desert Research Institute's Laboratory of Environmental Patho-Physiology in Boulder City.

Burros are the better walkers. The study employed man and burro walking up and down a 2 percent grade. The burro used half as much oxygen per kilo of weight as the man. The reason is the difference in physical design of man and burro. The less you raise the center of gravity in walking the less energy you use, according to Dill.

Lee Canyon is enjoying the best year in its skiing history. A good early snow fall allowed the resort to open earlier and just before Christmas the area was blasted with another snowfall, making skiing conditions excellent.

The pack is now about three feet deep and operator Ken Hyfield expects skiing to be great through Easter. Lee Canyon includes T-bar of 2,750 feet with a vertical lift; a 3,000-foot chair lift with 1,000 feet of vertical lift; and a beginner's tow line.

30 years ago this week

The Nye County Commission approved county funding for four dispatcher positions and a deputy sheriff's position for the Pahrump sheriff's substation. All five positions were previously funded under a grant which is running out.

The positions enable Pahrump to maintain 24-hour sheriff's dispatch service.

The new chapel at Pahrump's LDS church is nearing completion. Curbs have been installed, the lawn is ready, the grounds are graded and a new sprinkler system is being installed. Bishop Carl Erikkson said that the only work remaining is the installation of the glass for the chapel.

The current Teamster strike has been holding up delivery of the glass.

Plans for the 1,000-square-foot substation for the Pahrump Fire Department expected to be completed by July will be presented to the county commission next week. The building, expected to cost between $20,000 and $30,000, will be constructed on Kellogg Road about a quarter mile east of Homestead Road on county owned property. Members of the fire department met to review the plans and cost estimates for the new facility to be presented to the commissioners.

20 years ago this week

The Pahrump town board will appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court a recent ruling by Judge William Beko that declared SB 463 unconstitutional.

SB 463, a Senate bill, gave the town of Pahrump the powers of a third-class city, violating the states constitution's "system of uniformity," according to Beko. The board voted unanimously to ask that the state's highest court overturn the judgment made by Beko.

The Goldfield Hotel is about four months and $4 million closer to reopening for the first time in more than 40 years, thanks to the efforts of a San Francisco real estate investor, his wife and a friend.

Lester and Camille Oshea and their friend, Louis Aubert, plan to open at least one floor of the massive, ornate structure in June and the entire hotel by July.

The original hotel featured marble and mahogany, its lobby graced with upholstered circular seats common to the most opulent hotels of the time.

A significant gold find has been made near Beatty by GEXA Gold Corp. of Reno, in association with U.S. Precious Metals Inc.

GEXA office manager Djenane Rey told the Times that the discovery was made by the Mother Lode claim group, one of 15 claim groups involving about 525 unpatented claims GEXA and U.S. Precious Metals together are working on.

10 years ago this week

The Nevada Commission on Ethics has notified Nye County Commission Chairman Dick Carver it will hold a hearing to take testimony and receive evidence on whether Carver violated several Nevada laws when he accepted a $25,500 Suburban from a group of Railroad Valley constituents.

Carver said he had not yet received the hearing notice, but stated for the record that he has committed no violations. "How could it be a gift when you've paid them $10,000?"

The Suburban was originally purchased by Railroad Valley rancher Al Drayton in 1994.

Meeting the county's health care needs will take a cooperative effort from all of the county's governing boards -- not just those managing public-owned facilities in Pahrump, Beatty and Amargosa, according to Nye County Commissioner Cameron McRae.

McRae told the Pahrump Community Hospital Board, "Medical care in Nye County is in big trouble," the two hospital districts may no longer be in a position to do much about the medical crisis in this county.

"The whole system is in critical care, it may even be past critical care." McRae said.

The Beck family decided to settle down in Pahrump Valley after years on the road with their magic show.

Carl Beck, his wife Glenda and his son Kevin are not your typical family. After all, not everyone has performed for the king and queen of Malaysia or appeared in a Dick Clark special. Not everyone keeps the cremated remains of a tiger in their front entryway.

And not everyone owns a black panther named Friday, so named for the day he was born - Friday the 13th of course.

The Becks moved to Pahrump in January and are a family of magicians, better known around the world -- and especially in Las Vegas -- as Carlton and Company. Performances in Las Vegas have included shows at the Flamingo Hilton, MGM and Bally's.

More yes than no votes in November could give Nye County School District as much as $14.5 million to build a new middle school in Pahrump.

During a report to the school board, Martin Johnson of Las Vegas' Howarth and Associates said $14.5 million is the most the district could ask for from voters without raising their taxes. Board members previously said they want to raise construction capital without raising the tax rate, which was established by a school bond initiative in 1989.