Print edition for December 7, 2005

Ensign not giving up on water-saving bill: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- One year ago Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., unveiled a splashy new proposal to pay schools and government agencies to rip out their grass to save water.

The Elevator: Who's headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene -- and who's getting the shaft:

Governor: Nevada senior citizens can keep extra rebate check: AP; Now, more than 1,100 Nevada senior citizens have called to complain they received a second $75 rebate they did not deserve.

Flashpoint for Dec. 7, 2005: The weapons of Gibbons destruction may not have been found, but may be discovered. So says national pundit Stu Rothenberg, who this month in his newsletter officially moved the governor's race into the "narrow advantage incumbent party" listing. Rothenberg leads with frontrunner Jim Gibbons facing a primary challenge, but makes no judgment on whether it is competitive. Then, on the battle between Democrats Dina Titus and Jim Gibson, he says some Democrats "believe Gibson, a moderate who should appeal to some GOP voters, would make the better general election candidate, and Titus is running to his left in the primary." ...

Longtime business, civic leader headed family enterprises: By Ed Koch; Jim Cashman was one of the few Las Vegas High School students who could really frustrate Principal Maude Frazier, a venerable and feared taskmistress.

Letter: Don't count on our leaders to respond: The Homeland Security Department squanders funds and refuses to implement actual methods that could save lives and thwart future attacks, yet last year the department found the time and money to throw its employees lavish taxpayer-paid awards banquets.

Columnist Jon Ralston: On how audit simply confirmed what was already known about airport land fiasco: The drama playing Tuesday at the Clark County Commission was movie-length but had all of the sad predictability and dull humor of a sitcom.

Planet putting mark on Aladdin: Sun Staff; When a partnership led by Planet Hollywood co-founder Robert Earl bought the Aladdin out of bankruptcy in 2003, executives were optimistic that they'd be licensed in 2004 and that the "Planetization" of the property would be completed by 2005.

Council delays sunroof decision: Sunroofed cars for the top administrators in the Henderson Police Department will have to wait.

Editorial: Reasonable limits on taverns: The large presence of taverns, Eliason reasons, deters some sit-down restaurants from opening in North Las Vegas because taverns with their bar food are too much competition. "In the studies we have done, the citizens have asked for more sit-down restaurants," Eliason told the Sun's Brian Wargo in a Sunday story. "They want a restaurant with good food."

Editorial: Come clean on secret prisons: She also said that captured terrorists "do not fit easily into traditional systems of criminal or military justice. We have to adapt."

Suit against Golden nugget settled: By Liz Benston; Wynn Resorts Ltd. settled a lawsuit Tuesday that was filed against the Golden Nugget and Frank Toddre, a former casino manager at Wynn Las Vegas.

Charter schools law tougher: By Emily Richmond; A little change in state law could make a big difference for the future of charter schools by making it tougher to open a new school.

Rancher faces two probes: A Moapa Valley rancher at the heart of a state and federal probe into his diversion of a river in Lincoln County last week took similar action in Clark County last year, residents and a county official said Tuesday.

Editorial: War (reporting) is hell: The date of the article? Sept. 14, 2003.

Letter: Americans getting steady diet of lies: As for this stupid logic of "better to fight in Iraq or they will kill us on our own turf," I'd like to ask Larsen and others of his ilk this question: With our forces in Germany, Japan, Korea, Bosnia and Saudi Arabia, to say nothing of Afghanistan and Iraq, why don't we bring them all here so we could fight when and if the time comes? As it is, we are spread so thin don't you think the terrorists are on to it and consider us sitting ducks? Wake up to the lies being perpetrated on us at home.

Letter: The real frustration: War dragging on and on: We assumed we would go in, grab Saddam -- to the applause of the Iraqis -- set up a democratic-style government, rebuild the damaged infrastructure, wave goodbye and leave. In and out. After all, there were "just a few dead-enders" left to deal with (according to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld), and the insurgents who remained were "in their last throes" (according to Vice President Dick Cheney). What could go wrong?

Columnist Tom Gorman: On the joys of model trains and the difference they could make for children in today's computer world: It dawns on me, as we approach Christmas, that one of the things wrong with the world today is that children no longer play with model trains.

Columnist Jeff Haney: On a new documentary that exposes poker's dark side, giving new meaning to the term 'down and dirty': Every one of them should be required to watch "Poker Bustouts," an acerbic, darkly humorous new documentary about the ugly underside of poker.

Wynning in Macau: By Jeff Simpson; Steve Wynn didn't have to look far when it came time to figure out how to best capitalize on his valuable Macau casino concession.

Showroom: Bootlegger kicks it up a notch with Tenors: Bootlegger Bistro manager Ruth Catalano has a good ear for talent.

Used voting machines might solve election problem: J. Craig Anderson; For sale: 3,000 high-tech voting machines. Slightly used. $4.6 million OBO.

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