Print edition for August 17, 2007

Jeff Haney visits the Gambler's Book Shop, where football bettors are loading up on information as the season nears: By Jeff Haney; From late July through the NFL's opening night, Howard Schwartz swears , he sees almost all those bettors when they stop into the Gambler's Book Shop to load up on preseason football reading - and gambling - material.

Letter: Majority of students forsaken for benefit of few: In addition to parents, often with their attorneys, the student, counselors, an administrator, school social and health workers and all of the individual's classroom teachers must attend the meeting. Meetings may take anywhere from one to four hours out of each individual classroom teacher's instructional time.

Jon Ralston tells of incestuous relationships between politicians and special interests, and why Nevada needs full-time lawmakers: By Jon Ralston; The announcement that Amodei, the veteran Republican state senator, has accepted the position of president of the Nevada Mining Association diminishes Carson City and the legislative process. It also heralds a new era while reinforcing old problems, and illuminates why a citizen Legislature has become an anachronism in Nevada.

FLASHPOINT for Aug 17, 2007: By Jon Ralston; Can you imagine Mayor Oscar Goodman, who already has celebrated Las Vegas' centennial, celebrating his own at City Hall? It could happen if term limits are overthrown. When asked whether he would be a plaintiff in a lawsuit to overturn the limits, Goodman said : "I will not. The people have spoken." But then he added, quite correctly, "the best test for term limits is the electorate." He also added mysteriously that lawsuits "will be filed ... probably by the end of the year." And, not surprisingly, he said, "I will not object to a lawsuit being filed." So to ...

Editorial: Tax dollars buy no services: In fact, as a story by the Las Vegas Sun on Wednesday points out, the Nevada Office of Minority Health was created in January 2006 but didn't host its first public meeting until this week. Its online calendar for 2007 is virtually blank and its advisory committee, which was more than a year in the making, has met only once.

Editorial: Equation for success: Taking a hiatus from acting, McKellar earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from UCLA and has written "Math Doesn't Suck," a math book for middle school girls.

In evictions, neighbors see hope for clean sweep: By Timothy Pratt, Mike Trask; There may be sympathy in the neighborhood for Jennifer Ellis and about 800 other tenants of the Buena Vista Springs apartments after the federal government told them they had to pack up and leave.

Letter: Law shouldn't ban legal substances: Not once has a smoker said a nonsmoker doesn't have the right to a smoke-free environment. Not once has a smoker said the right to smoke should be universal.

Recycling could cost residents one trash pickup: Clark County is to consider a sweeping new plan to boost recycling across the Las Vegas Valley, including testing a proposal to cut back regular trash pickups to once a week.

Editorial: Hailing trouble: The task force, which is made up of several law enforcement agencies and run by the FBI, is a focal point for anti-terrorism efforts in Las Vegas. Taxicab Authority investigator Ivan Williams was pulled from the task force after being promoted. His boss, Tom Czehowski, the authority's interim administrator, would not commit to replacing Williams, which concerns law enforcement officials.

Letter: Incompetence of Bush team not funny: Fox News doesn't seem too concerned. I scarcely hear the story mentioned by it. (But imagine the uproar we'd hear from it if a Democratic administration lost track of that much weaponry during a military action.)

Ron Kantowski recalls the exploits here of the former bad boy of the Wranglers hockey team, who's now in trouble with the law yet again: Oh, and it rained in Seattle, the Dodgers lost and "Pacman" Jones says he didn't do it.

LOOKING IN ON: ENTERTAINMENT: Jerry Fink, Las Vegas Sun; 'FANTASY' ANNIVERSARY

Bright start, hazy future for gallery: It's hard to miss the metal security shutter locking in GC Arts, a contemporary art gallery that moved into the downtown Arts District at the end of 2004.

Speedwagon runs strong, but Thornton sings ho-hum: REO Speedwagon is good eno ugh to continue performing indefinitely so long as the members of the aging band don't break a hip.

For would-be judges, many jobs up for grabs: Sam Skolnik; In Clark County, citizens are served by Municipal Court judges, who handle most basic misdemeanor and traffic cases; justices of the peace, who deal with preliminary matters in felony and gross misdemeanor cases; District Court judges, including Family Court judges, who preside over felony and gross misdemeanor trials and family law cases; and Nevada Supreme Court justices. All are elected to six-year terms.

A father lost, a life in limbo: By Timothy Pratt; Four years ago this summer, Roberto Zambrano Lopez spent a few weeks passing a hat among family and friends.

Former Test Site workers get local screening sites: Eight health clinics have been contracted in Southern Nevada to provided free screening tests to former Nevada Test Site workers, the Energy Department said Thursday.

Co-workers get new way to bond: A crash course: Abigail Goldman; What white-collar shark doesn't seem a little more likable after a bottle's been broken over his head? Where's the cloying cubicle mate who doesn't look darling dangling off the back of a hovering helicopter? And how better for co-workers to bond than by jumping off a building together? One by one. For fun.