Print edition for October 6, 2005

Letter: Animal ordinance needed now: A strong, workable, enforceable ordinance to help alleviate the huge animal overpopulation problem is desperately needed now. Responsible animal people shouldn't find fault with that.

Letter: Las Vegans should take a cue from Clinton: Here in Las Vegas, teachers, first responders, nurses, casino workers and most other working people can no longer afford to buy their own homes due to the inflated cost of housing.

Letter: Reader's thoughts on morning Sun: And so I can keep my commentary even-handed, I would like to comment on the introduction to the Sun's columnists. What is wrong with these pictures? I am sure that these are all experienced, insightful columnists with the journalistic integrity to make the Sun proud, but they are all middle-aged white men! Some diversity would also contribute to the integrity and value of the Sun publication.

Columnist Jeff German: County police deal still not locked up: If you follow local government long enough, eventually you're going to see a political fight that packs the punch of a heavyweight championship.

Editorial: Waiting for help to arrive: But averages don't tell the whole story, as the Las Vegas Sun reported Wednesday in the tale of a Henderson homeowner who on Sept. 19 called 911 twice as two men broke into his home. After receiving no answer the first time, the homeowner called 911 a second time, watching as the men threw a rock through his bedroom window and climbed in. In a scene more reminiscent of Hollywood than of a weeknight in relatively quiet Henderson, the homeowner scared off the bandits by shooting at them with his 9mm handgun. One can easily imagine another, more terrifying outcome ...

Letter: Corporations don't hesitate to seek help: But when poor or middle-class people ask for help, there are all kinds of complaints about fraud, waste, abuse and unnecessary spending. And these are the very people who live from paycheck to paycheck, pay their taxes and watch their jobs being sent overseas so a corporation can show investors higher profits.

Letter: GOP only concerned about bottom line: Eleven years ago congressional Republicans signed the so-called "Contract With America" -- pledging to "restore accountability to Congress" and "to end its cycle of scandal and disgrace." But, instead of reforming government, these so-called Republican revolutionaries created a racket -- a lobbyist feeding frenzy that has showered billions on corporations and left the American people behind.

Editorial: Curtain call long overdue: But as Las Vegas and its arts scene grow, increasing demand for performance space has left UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall, Judy Bayley Theatre and Black Box Theatre with little wiggle room when it comes to scheduling. Larry Henley, director of artistic programming for UNLV's performing arts facilities, told the Las Vegas Sun that Ham Hall typically is booked solid with shows that have included performances by internationally acclaimed artists Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and the Vienna Boys Choir.

Editorial: Rural school left behind: Today its eight classrooms are wholly inadequate for its 250 K-8 students. The School District has arranged for temporary, portable classrooms to be set up outside the building, but crowding remains a daily struggle for the students and teachers. Because classes are taught in the library, students can only use it during their assigned periods. Small children have trouble pulling books off shelves because the books are so tightly wedged together. This type of space crisis is felt throughout the Sandy Valley School.

Columnist John Katsilometes: Eagerly awaiting the music stylings of John Corbett: Columnist John Katsilometes: Eagerly awaiting the music stylings of John Corbett

No more halfway house applications being taken: The council also ordered a facility at 1904 Chapman Drive vacated after code enforcement officials reported the facility was being used as a church, halfway house and drug rehabilitation center despite not having approval from the city or the proper zoning.

Old Time Reunion Party to be held Oct. 16: The event is for people who have lived in Southern Nevada for at least 30 years.

Reaction to candy warning mixed in Vegas: By Timothy Pratt; That has Clark County health officials ready to add a warning about the candies to their annual announcements advising parents to be careful of what they let their children accept on Halloween.

Textbook case: Students love to complain about the high cost of textbooks, but a handful of students in a line that snaked around a CCSN bookstore recently had a different reason to complain: Some of their texts were written and assigned by the professors themselves.

Merger has smooth takeoff: By Richard N. Velotta; Ten months ago US Airways' customers were outraged when service declined and baggage disappeared during the height of the Christmas holiday.

Tarkanian hospitalized: Tarkanian, 71, went to MountainView Hospital on Thursday and returned home Monday. She said she is "taking it slow," while resting at home and staying in contact with her staff. Tarkanian missed Wednesday's City Council meeting, and said she expects to return to City Hall on Monday.

School crimes on rise: By Emily Richmond; The number of arrests and criminal citations at Clark County School District campuses increased sharply during the 2004-05 academic year but Police Chief Hector Garcia said that isn't necessarily bad news.

Corrales-Castillo encore: Location: Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. First bell, 3:30 p.m.; Showtime pay-per-view, 6 p.m. Weigh-in: 2:30 p.m. Friday, outdoors at Caesars Palace Roman Plaza

LV targets front-yard car lots: Dan Kulin; "It just really irks me because anyone who wants to do business in the city needs to have a license, and it degrades the neighborhood, it takes it down," Reese said.

Rural areas protected: The City Council voted 6-0 on Wednesday to create rural preservation overlay districts, which are primarily located in the northwest part of the city with some scattered throughout the rest of Las Vegas, including some older central neighborhoods such as the Scotch 80s and Rancho Circle.

Traffic to Vegas staying strong: Tourism experts say they don't expect rising gasoline prices to keep people from visiting Las Vegas despite a recent survey that suggested $3-a-gallon gas could curtail travel from Southern California.

Players on three golf tours ready for Wendy's return: Stars from the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour will battle for a $900,000 purse while raising money and awareness for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The event has raised more than $18 million for the charity since its inception in 1992.

Busch considers fenderless feuds: In addition to owning a three-car NASCAR team, Penske has enjoyed unparalleled success in open-wheel racing with 11 national championships, 13 Indianapolis 500 victories and more than 120 race wins.

Caliente Mayor a Yucca advocate: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- In a roomful of Yucca Mountain's top supporters gathered Wednesday on Capitol Hill, a Nevadan led the chorus.

Bono's radio hiatus will not last long: Before you could say "Howdy, pardner" Bono landed at KUNV 91.5-FM, where he can be heard at 7 p.m. beginning Oct. 14.

Phone service returning to Lee Canyon: Last year the mountain's residents had to contend with 50 feet of snow in some areas. There were avalanches that killed a teen and knocked out telephone service. After the avalanches in January, the residents living in about 60 homes in the canyon struggled through the rest of the winter, spring and summer with just patchy satellite phones or no phone capability at all.