39 years ago this week

The Golden Valley Sun Ranch -- i.e., nudist colony -- had 145 active members and plenty of day customers. According to co-owner Sally Shatz, viewing a photo of her au naturel self hanging out the wash, "You couldn't do that in Pittsburgh."

Alvin Bells, a rancher here for 23 years, announced the formation of a land company that would subdivide 620 acres as Bell Vista Acres.

Construction would be handled by Larry Bolling's outfit.

Bells said he would retain about 800 acres, including 360 on which he would grow cotton.

The Ron Floyd motel announced plans for expansion from eight units to 14 along with officie facilities to be leased by Preferred Equities.

30 years ago

The Nye County Commission approved a budget of $5.4 million, up a bit from the previous year's $4.8 million.

District Judge William Beko was not happy with the eight individuals who signed up for grand jury duty and ordered an additional 42 names drawn.

Clearly disappointed with the turnout, he expressed his concern with the "indifference to civic responsibility."

The commission got a little bit of a shock when Fremont Construction put in a bid of $176,000 for the Pahrump Complex addition -- or $50,000 more than had been budgeted.

Poker returned to the Saddle West, thanks to brothers Lloyd and Gary Jones who came west from Tennessee and planned to bring the game back to the casino.

20 years ago

Paving the link road from Pahrump to Death Valley for $815,000 was virtually in the bank, said Nye County Commission Chairman Bob Revert.

He said the county is a busy place but "we'll put every spare man on it we have."

Jack Sanders was cited as a principal in a "pattern of racketeering activity" while an officer with Activator Supply Co.

The "well-known consultant" at Saddle West saw details of a giant pyramid scheme -- and the part he allgedly played in it -- unveiled in a civil suit filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas.

Rebel Gas bought a 4.9-acre plot to the south of the Highway 160-372 intersection with plans for a service station.

Local representative Jack Cason said his son Pat would be in charge.

Nye County asked the Department of Energy for a payment-equal-to-taxes of $5.6 million. At the same time, the county told a legislative panel it wanted the right to meet in Pahrump and do business here away from the county seat two-and-a-half-hours north.

Not surprisingly, the town board was wholly in favor of Senate Bill 188. "They can get more of a feel for us down here and our needs," said Vice Chairman Irwin Fink.

10 years ago

With a little help from Gov. Kenny Guinn, school officials were hoping they would not have to make deeper cuts this year. Without a hand from the chief executive, deeper cuts would likely be necessary.

The SNU rolled the DICE and broke up what may have been the largest drug operation in Nye County, according to Sheriff Wade Lieske. SNU stood for Sheriff's Narcotics Unit while DICE was the Drug Investigation Combined Enforcement task force.

Lieske said the probe cracked a group that was allegedly selling methamphetamine in California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. Several arrests were made with more expected.

David Cleveland of Valley Mobile Homes was keeping an eye on a manufactured home on Calvada Unit 5.

He and others in the business put together a "watchdog group, more than anything else," he said.

The Nye County School District planned to, once again, impose an impact fee. They planned to go before the town board to present the Pahrump-only "residential tax."

The plan was to ask for a fee of $1,500 per new residential unit.

Pahrump Nursery and Garden Supply was selling steer manure at 90 cents per cubic foot.

A two-column ad, on a blackground, stated: "We have landed I repeat..." No further information seemed to be available.