38 years ago this week

Congressman Walter Baring said he was not happy with the idea that fees to enter national parks ought to increase. In "Border Circle Roundup," he was quoted as saying $4 "is too much."

Today it costs $20 for a passenger car to enter Death Valley National Park.

At the time, the national park advised visitors that all major roads would remain open through the summer, although some sand and dirt thoroughfares were closed June 1 for the hot summer months.

Tomken Enterprises, Tom Duke's tack and feed store in Pahrump, had added Keystone saddles to its wares.

The Mecca Club in Amargosa Valley advised prospective customers, "There's no place like this place anywhere near this place. So ... this must be the place."

It promised, among other things, "low Las Vegas gas price."

Over the hill in Indian Springs, Joe's Liquor Store offered free ice, coffee and cups and said it was "here to make friends, not money -- they last longer."

30 years ago

A new post office was approved for Pahrump, but the site was not yet determined. All that was being said was it would be 3,739 square feet on a half-acre site, and it had to be within a mile and half of the East Street post office.

Also going in was a new shopping area, the Valley View Plaza, between Saddle West and the Nevada West mobile home park, and a new Valley Bank. According to Harley Harmon, Valley Bank's marketing director, the bank would be ready to go "just as soon as we get a set of plans."

The bank was to be around 5,000 square feet.

Sheriff Joni Wines filed a 23-page motion calling for the court system to reject a call by Lathrop Wells Sgt. Bill Fox that she be turned out of office.

At the same time, fired Beatty Sgt. Hubert C. "Bert" Gray had his dismissal reviewed in private.

Stanton's 76 and Milam's Texaco stations were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. this week, but they still ran out of unleaded or other fuels.

20 years ago

Sheriff Harold "Stick" Davis delegates so much of his authority that "he appears to have abdicated his office." That was the conclusion in the second interim report issued by the Nye County grand jury.

He was said by some to be "the invisible sheriff."

Jim Thorne announced his resignation as president of the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce. He was replaced by Jackie Hafen.

Peggy Shaner was named the new Rotary president.

Fifth District Judge William P. Beko suggested in court that he might well retire by October. He told attorneys that court dates in October and November would have to be handled "by his successor" but then dummied up when asked further questions about his plans.

Besides considering a $350,000 outlay to improve TV reception here, and approving an acre of land by George Wulfenstein for a repeater tower, the town board also expressed its objections to suggested Air Force nighttime flights that could take place "as low as 100 feet above Pahrump."

10 years ago

The school board divided up along geographical lines in discussing the 1999-2000 budget, with Pahrump's members coming out on the short end of the stick in a 4-3 split.

Bobbi Hommel said, "We were told we were going to prioritize, and we haven't."

Money was already being spent on projects outside the town, said Ron Trummell. "I just think we should hold off on other projects until we know what we're dealing with," he said.

A 2,000-foot radio antenna suggested for a site near Highway 372 did not receive any hurrahs at the town board.

Town Manager Mike Cosgrove said when Pahrump's elevation was taken into consideration, such a tower "would be scratching the bellies of aircraft."

A surface-to-surface missile was to be launched Saturday on a 70-mile, 3-1/2 second flight from the Nevada Test Site up to the Tonopah Test Range.

It was part of what was called the "Joint Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses" study.