Print edition for October 23, 2006

Editorial: Our recommendations for State Board of Education: We were impressed with both candidates in the District 2 race.

Service fit for a king and queen: Rob Miech, Las Vegas Sun; Atop a jagged heap of granite and basalt rising a few thousand feet above the Gulf of Aqaba, King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan played host to a lavish dinner.

Letter: Question 7 would regulate marijuana use: Mr. Gliddon is apparently not familiar with the specifics of Question 7. Public consumption of marijuana is explicitly prohibited under the initiative, therefore the scenario he paints of unsuspecting passers-by getting a "contact high" from public marijuana use would be illegal if Question 7 passes.

THE FOUR CANDIDATES:: Campaigning for the university Board of Regents often involves blank stares.

Letter: Candidate short on common sense: How could any citizen, let alone a candidate for governor of the state of Nevada, assist a falling-down drunk to a vehicle and enable the person to become a public menace and endangerment to all who are on the road? I expect more from our public officials.

Candidate has designs on job and a badge to prove it: By Mike Trask; Ronald Hilford is making one fine impression as Henderson Township constable. He has begun shopping for new uniforms, and he is hunting for a few good deputies.

Editorial: Crear, Alden have the experience to enhance Board of Regents: Cedric Crear, who owns an advertising company, is well qualified to represent District 1. He fully sees the need for Nevada's universities to proceed with their quest to become major research centers. He correctly points out that research institutions attract private funding in this era of shrinking state support, and that they also attract better professors and create economic opportunities. Crear expresses a concern for the physical structure of colleges and universities, particularly the Cheyenne Campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada.

They're not MDs but they'd DO: By Marshall Allen; Last week thousands of doctors and medical students were visiting Las Vegas.

Jeff Haney breaks down the over/under wagers for the NBA season: The three highest victory totals in the league, by a fairly wide margin, are attached to teams from the West - the Dallas Mavericks (over/under 56 1/2 wins), the Phoenix Suns (56) and the San Antonio Spurs (56).

Veteran Nevada tribal chairman ousted in election: AP; Tribal Chairman Brian Wallace, who helped secure a climbing ban at Cave Rock and 24 acres of ancestral homeland on Lake Tahoe's east shore, has failed in a bid for re-election to a fifth four-year term.

FLASHPOINT for Oct 23, 2006: I am now reduced to making this plea in this limited space and after many of you have already done it: Don't do it. It is early voting, the infernal creation of do-gooders who have done wrong. They have made voting even less important, reducing it to a triviality like picking up bread at the market or a new pair of shoes at the mall. And considering the scandals or potential scandals that have broken lately, wouldn't it be better to wait? And how many of you could pass a quiz on the initiatives or the down-ballot races? Are you ...

Editorial: Spotlight on candidates who seek education seats: It is important that those who sit on the School Board be open to new ideas while remaining committed to a stable and ever-improving learning environment. They should be independent enough to speak out for needed changes. At the same time they should understand the necessity of working effectively with fellow board members and the superintendent. Additionally, candidates should be good communicators, representing parents' concerns at the district level, and the district's concerns at the state level.

Letter: Show your common sense by voting this year: With the short session that they "worked," they simply didn't have the time; incredible when you ponder the multitude of threats we're facing. What have they done productively to fulfill their sworn allegiance to our country? They're back home now stomping for your vote on records that would humiliate the average, ethical individual.

LOOKING IN ON: GAMING: By Liz Benston; Las Vegas developers have been there and done that with shortages of steel and concrete. But glass?

LOOKING IN ON: CITY HALL: Las Vegas City Council members unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday clarifying the city's position regarding the use of eminent domain. But they didn't vote on a resolution to oppose a broader statewide ballot initiative on the issue.

John Katsilometes on how the Maloofs' new Carl's Jr. commercial is faring in a nationwide taste test: "The ad's been spectacular for us. I can't think of an ad where I've had this much fun," Andrew F. Puzder, president and chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carl's Jr., told the Sacramento Bee in Saturday's editions. Carl's Jr. has had a spotty history of ad campaigns (the use of Paris Hilton, who multitasked while simultaneously washing a car and gobbling a burger, was not particularly well received), but Puzder said he has received positive feedback.