I love yelp.com because of the photos people take of the businesses they review. On Thursday night, while writing about that Las Vegas souvenir DVD that is an historical document to me, I looked up the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas there, and saw photos of exactly what I remember and I used that to describe the statues that are still there. The Wikipedia entry on the Fashion Outlets says that the car in which Bonnie and Clyde were killed is on display there. I think I saw a car there, but didn't get close enough to see if that was the one. I wouldn't doubt it, though. History of all kinds tends to appear in the strangest places in Southern Nevada.
It being three months since we've been in Henderson, I still remember streets whose names I've somewhat forgotten, but which I will memorize again while here, so I'm fully prepared when we move. I've lost perspective of how truly enormous Henderson actually is, and the review page on yelp.com of the Galleria at Sunset mall reminds me of that with the photos there, the mall I walked through that time and thought to myself that I might have actually had dreams about this mall. Not this mall specifically in those dreams before I truly knew Galleria at Sunset, but that design, that ease, that comfort. I look at those photos of the Galleria and I'm reminded that even though Henderson is huge, it's always comfortable no matter where you go. I look at the photo of the sign of Brooklyn Bagel Deli in the same shopping center as the Smith's where I got my toy flour truck in 2007, and my toy food truck on this most recent trip, and it heartens me to find that the photo of that sign was uploaded on December 29, 2008. Things last in Henderson and Las Vegas. They stay and they grow roots and they become part of their community. That's what I've always wanted.
As I begin to read the eighth issue of The Henderson Press, Vol. 2, No. 3, dated February 10-23, 2011, I remember that before this most recent trip to Henderson and Las Vegas, reading earlier issues, it had been nearly two years since we were there and I thought Henderson was a quaint small town, and that the news covered only that small area. It's not small, but it does have that feeling of being a quaint small town, even as it continues to gradually grow. It'll never be a sprawling metropolis, and I'm grateful for that.
So let's see what my future quaint small town has going on in this issue:
- Recently, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave his State of the City speech for Los Angeles at Paramount Studios. The headline on the front page of The Henderson Press is "An Optimistic Address," about Mayor Andy Hafen giving said address at the M Resort, which is in Henderson. That's appropriate. That's supporting a local business. Holding a State of the City address at Paramount Studios throws even more into confusion what's truly real in Los Angeles. You can't live in Henderson and not know the M Resort. You will pass it many times as a resident, even if you never go into it. That's real.
- The article next to Hafen's address is about six people filing to run for the Ward IV seat being vacated by 12-year Councilman Steve Kirk because of term limits, and people filing to run for other Ward seats. Once again, Jeremy Twitchell makes politics interesting, and I hope there's someone currently at The Henderson Press who does it the same way.
- Southern Henderson's traffic congestion spurred on the widening of lanes on Executive Airport Road and Volunteer Boulevard to four, and "two new lanes each way on Via Inspirada and Bicentennial Parkway south of Volunteer Boulevard." Lucky that the names of these streets interest me, which will make memorizing them much easier.
- Fred Couzens's "City to Receive $6.6 Million for Flood Control" article is his first that's actually readable. He's given requisite information in previous articles, but they're frustrating to read because he wanders too much. In this one, because of all the technical information of the four flood control projects, he focuses only on conveying the information. I hope he sticks to this style in future articles. This is a vast improvement.
- In the Police/Fire section is an article about the $29 million expansion of the Henderson Detention Center, which brings the total number of beds from 293 to 543. This is the second half of Mayor Hafen's statement: "The expansion of this facility enables us to accomodate the needs of our current environment, while at the same time helping us plan for the demands of the future." That could be construed as a belief that crime will rise, but then the paragraph after Hafen's quote says that inmates from Boulder City, Clark County, and federal agencies will fill the space. "Henderson has agreements in place with each of those entities to house prisoners for a daily fee; the money generated by housing the prisoners of other jurisdictions will go into Henderson's thinly stretched General Fund." The article has no author, but I still believe it's Don Logay, because these police and fire articles are directly about the situations. Nothing more.
- There's an article about GospelFest at the Black Mountain Recreation Center, which made me wonder about the recreation center. According to the City of Henderson website, it has a fitness center, game room, gymnasium, indoor cycling area, pools, and tennis court, among other features. I want to try this out.
- The article below GospelFest, about a singing and dancing group from Brigham Young University performing at the Henderson Pavilion, made me curious about it. And I've found out that it is the largest outdoor amphitheater in Nevada. The events schedule on hendersonlive.com touts the 1st Annual BBQ & Music Festival on May 25 and 26 with funk, soul, jazz and barbecue. I hope there'll be a 2nd Annual BBQ & Music Festival, because I will definitely be there for it.
- The Cinema Collectors Movie Memorabilia and Gift Shop is at 11 Water Street in Downtown Henderson. A Google search reveals that it's still there, so that's where I'm going.
- The first article Don Logay wrote for The Henderson Press was in the fith issue, about torrential rains raising the water level of Lake Las Vegas. He's back in this issue with an article about Lake Las Vegas celebrating the reopening of the Ravella at Lake Las Vegas hotel. His beat must be Lake Las Vegas then, and probably why I haven't seen him between the fifth issue and this issue. Three weeks ago, I downloaded the most current issue to look at briefly and Logay is still there, maybe still covering Lake Las Vegas (I didn't look for which article was his), so I've still got more of his articles to look forward to. Just like that torrential rains article, this one is equally well-written. Surprisingly, the photo of the resort was taken by Fred Couzens. Questionable writer, but this photo is just as elegant as the hotel sounds.
- On Saturday February 19 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Silver Springs Recreation Center is a Giant Garage Sale, with "more than 50 garage and yard sales rolled into one big event offer [sic] something for everyone." Makes it worth getting up earlier than I do now. Plus, because of the summers, you do have to get up earlier for whatever you need to do if you're not working, and if you miss out, you have to wait until the evening.
- The full-page ad on the back page is for Skyline Casino, the same ad as in the seventh issue, but always nice to see.
One Logay, a few Twitchells, and it's been a good issue. There's a new writer in Tara Thackeray, who has a good article about $25,000 being donated to the Henderson Libraries for a teen lounge at its Green Valley branch. Nothing notable in the writing. She hasn't yet found the article that will show who she is, a proper introduction. Jill Lufrano, who wrote the front-page article about Mayor Hafen's State of the City address, is also still a mystery. My dream issue of The Henderson Press is nothing but Twitchell and Logay articles, but I know they're only human, so maybe one of these two will soon make the same sizable impression. And I'd like to be able to look forward to Couzens's articles.
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