Print edition for December 10, 2005

Goodman eyes valet parking for bars: Dan Kulin; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is pushing two changes to city rules intended to give downtown's nightlife a boost.

Handicapping the World Cup: Las Vegas native Herculez Gomez took a break Friday afternoon from his new X-Box 360 video-game console, on which he's inserted himself lately alongside superstar Ronaldinho for FC Barcelona in the newest FIFA game, to digest the World Cup group draws.

Editorial: A bungling for all to see: A California agency acknowledged the tangled mess last month when it asked for a partial refund on the billion-plus dollars that utility ratepayers in the state have paid into a federal fund dedicated to paying for Yucca Mountain.

Spreading the word: When local Calvary Community Assembly children's ministry director Marian Crowley was a child, she fell in love with the "Chronicles of Narnia" books because they were "wonderful and scary and adventuresome ... and all those good things that are enjoyable."

Letter: Some pointed questions for the president: In 1939 I watched the movie "The Four Feathers," in which a young Englishman in the 1800s attempts to win back his honor and his lost love after his three best friends and his fiancee each gave him a white feather, a symbol of cowardice.

Audit spreads focus of deals: J. Craig Anderson; Clark County's top auditor reiterated to the County Commission on Tuesday that Tim Morse conducted "questionable" appraisals on airport land that the county traded to developers, who sold it quickly for millions in profits.

New law keeping siblings together adds to placement problems: David Kihara; A bill passed this year by the Legislature aiming to keep siblings together in foster care is having the unintended effect of holding children in the county's emergency foster care shelters, the county's family services director said.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: On Jonathan Tavernari, the Brazilian youth ruled ineligible to play for Bishop Gorman High: There are only three givens in life: Death, taxes and feedback, if you state an opinion about Bishop Gorman High School.

Jail sought for lesser offenders: People convicted of misdemeanor crimes may soon have a new jail to call home in Clark County.

Duly Noted: In 1986, when he was elevated to UNLV head football coach after guiding the Rebels to an upset victory over Wisconsin of the Big Ten, Wayne Nunnely became the fifth black head coach at the NCAA Division I-A level.

Imbalance seen in county foster care system: David Kihara; Although the number of children entering Clark County's foster care system continues to increase, private foster care agencies are seeing fewer county referrals of children with mental health or behavioral issues.

Letter: Start budget cuts with Congress' salary: About six months ago, I heard a voice in the wilderness suggesting it was time for an increase in the minimum wage, but it faded away quickly.

Flashpoint for Dec. 10, 2005: The Clark County Public information Office surely reverberates with four-letter words when certain media members come calling. I speak of no one in particular. But these days, my guess is the PIOs get most apoplectic when they receive an email from John David Harper. He is the counsel for the police union, which is upset with the county over its contract and is engaged in the information request equivalent of a proctological exam of the county. Harper has been asking for salaries, cell phone records and just about every piece of paper produced on Grand Central Parkway. This police proctologist ...

Editorial: Past misdeeds cloud public's trust: The proposed tower is to be built at the northeast corner of Buffalo Drive and Desert Inn Road. That also is the site of an existing CVS Pharmacy, which lies at the heart of a federal indictment against two developers accused of paying former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny $200,000 in 2001 for land-use approval to build the pharmacy.

Letter: Black mark for oil companies: How come the oil companies can raise prices when they have any kind of problem, but when I was in business and had an equipment problem, it was the cost of doing business? I couldn't raise prices on my customers. I should have had a business that was part of an oligopoly like the oil companies.

Editorial: They're complaining about this?: Now some of these individuals have set their sights on someone else who, believe it or not, they say is trashing Christmas -- George Bush.