36 years ago this month

Norman Kaye, long time Southern Nevada realtor who recently opened an office in the Pahrump Valley, has called for Nye County to take steps toward instituting zoning laws.

"With the growth in Nye County, especially in Pahrump Valley, orderly progress will best be served by a master plan, building codes and zoning that will get the backing of a wide segment of financial institutions and the FHA," said Kaye.

The eighth annual Amargosa Days celebration will offer a beef barbecue, miners' drilling contest, a "flea-market," tug-of-war, parade, queen contest, street dance, women's nail-driving contest, children's games and activities for rock hounds.

A large turnout in the Death Valley community is expected. Motel as well as camping facilities are in good supply for overnight visitors. The Tecopa Hot Springs are also open on a year-round basis and attract many visitors during the annual celebration.

30 years ago this week

Final voter registration figures for the November general election for Nye County show 3,822 eligible voters compared with 3,532 who registered for the primary. The largest influx of new voters occurred in Pahrump where 174 persons registered.

The total for Pahrump is 1,277, up from 1,103 for the primary. Pahrump now has the largest voter total of any area in the county. Tonopah is next with 1,140, up from 1,104 in the primary.

A tour is planned at the Amargosa Opera House.

How many people realize that just a short distance away in Death Valley Junction is the Amargosa Opera House? It is a place the whole family can visit and enjoy fabulous performances put on by Marta Becket.

In September 1968, Marta began to paint a mural on the interior of the Opera House and decided that a 16th Century Spanish motif would fit the purpose. There are well over 260 people in the entire mural. Marta's many characters -- comical, tragic, sad and humorous -- are blended into a program that young and old alike can really enjoy.

20 years ago this week

The issue of incorporation for Pahrump would have to be decided by voters living within the unincorporated town limits, Deputy District Attorney Jeff Morrison told the Nye County Commission.

The question was placed on the agenda in case there was a demand for the issue to be included in the Nov. 18 special election, an advisory vote regarding splitting the county.

Morrison told the commission, as well as Pahrump Town Board members, that he had "screwed up" regarding the length of time before the election that a ballot question should be submitted.

Pahrump will continue to grow at such a rapid rate that it will probably need most of the water that flows beneath the Pahrump Valley, Sen. Harry Reid said in a phone interview from Washington D.C.

Reid said, "With the growth patterns we have in the Southern Nevada area, I think that the Pahrump area is going to need a lot of that water."

Reid said he met with Clark County water officials to discuss their rapid water concerns.

"They have other ideas in mind ... They are not concerned about the water for another 20 years, and I think in the next 20 years you're going to see significant growth in Pahrump," according to Reid. He also advised Pahrump residents must be concerned about "not pumping it down themselves."

10 years ago this week

A series of potentially serious irregularities within the public works department was revealed in an abridged audit report made available during the county commission meeting.

The commissioners made no comment on the report issued by Dan McArthur, instead voting to accept it and have staff look into this and file a response. The report's focus is on work performed on the Duckwater road in extreme northeastern Nye County and on a runway project at the Tonopah airport. Both projects received federal funds.

Nye County received a pat on the back after the Community Advisory Board for Nevada Test Site programs heard presentations from a panel of NTS and Yucca Mountain scientists and engineers.

The group offered an update on the modeling and data-gathering efforts each has made regarding possible radioactive groundwater contamination at the two sites, and how is might affect local communities.

The most rational approach is the one taken by Nye County as it plans to design and build a series of early warning test and monitoring wells between Yucca Mountain and the various water supply systems of Nye communities.