A variety of business was conducted during the last town board meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Sept. 8.

Reid to help with airport

Town Manager Bill Kohbarger said one of the projects Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. spoke of while in town Monday, was getting BLM land conveyed to Pahrump for the airport at the appropriate time.

"That will save us a lot of money," said Kohbarger. "We are also working with the county to get several pieces of property that are not disposable right now redesignated to BLM disposable land."

Reid said while meeting with town and county officials that his staff would assist in getting the land redesignated.

Sheriff wants shooting park

Sheriff Tony DeMeo attended the dedication of the Clark County Shooting Park in Las Vegas on Monday. Also in attendance were Reid, Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons, U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Congressman Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

DeMeo told the board Tuesday, "I've got news for you. It's probably one of the best facilities in this nation. It's 2,900 acres dedicated to shooting. They have an archery section and an education center. I know at one time the town board and the town manager were looking at trying to develop a shooting park within Pahrump Valley."

DeMeo said he'd initially taken part on the advisory board but it fell apart.

"I hope that the town board will revisit that. I was talking to some congressional individuals that were there, and they said they would help us if we needed support as far as getting BLM land dedicated for that area. So, it is up to you, if you want to revisit that.

"I think it's something that we need here. They are going to be using it not only for the citizens of Clark County, but anybody can get in. The prices are really cheap."

DeMeo said it amounts to a tourist attraction.

Public comment

To the dismay of most Pahrump town board meeting attendees, five and a half months ago, at the March 10 meeting, public comment was moved to the end of the agenda, just before adjournment.

Since then, resident John Koenig has patiently waited until the end of the night's business for public comment. He then politely asks for public comment to be moved back to the beginning of the night's discussion.

Others have demanded the item be moved back to its original place in the lineup, pointing out that this is the only board in the history of town meetings to ever move public comment to the end.

However, since Koenig has been the consistent voice, it seemed fitting that when the board voted to move public comment to its historically correct place at the beginning of the agenda on Tuesday night, Koenig was the first speaker.

"I would just like to say thank you for moving public comment up to where it used to be," he said. "At least for one night. Thank you."

Harold Grimaul said he would like to see a motion made to keep public comment "on the first page" and suggested meeting agendas and backups be available at meetings.

Resident needs new meeting hall

Charlie Anzalone reminded the board that the Bob Ruud Community Center is the same building Pahrump had in 1990. "We had a population of 8,000 then. There were less than 600 phone hookups then."

Anzelone wondered where the improvements to the facilities are.

"We've got almost 40,000 people here and we've still got this same building as when we had 800 people."

Vet's dad thanks Kohbarger

Thomas Zucchero thanked Town Manager Bill Kohbarger for contacting the Veterans Administration and getting paperwork done so a bronze plaque could be made for Zucherro's son, who was a Marine in 1982-83. The plaque will be for display on the memorial wall at Chief Tecopa Cemetery.

Town e-mail made confidential

As a result of information slipping into the public about Reid's visit to the town office, Kohbarger informed his staff and the board that from now on his e-mails will end with a notification that the information contained therein may not be disseminated without permission of the sender.

Disciplinary steps could be taken against the town staff, and board members will be responsible for taking appropriate steps regarding each other.

Kohbarger said picketers showed up at the town office when Reid was due to arrive on Monday.

"It was disgraceful," he said. "It was very embarrassing to the Town of Pahrump. They used some extremely vulgar language and vulgar gestures."