I Did It!

My goal of reading what became 85 issues of The Henderson Press online (as the months went on) before we move is complete....the day before the latest issue comes out.

I'll read all 5,432 issues of Henderson Home News (published from 1951 to 2009) from the Henderson Libraries website at my leisure. No rush on those.

Now back to our scheduled preparations for moving. See you after I get to Las Vegas!

Finally, The Henderson Press Gets It

Now that we're moving in September, I'm working to finish reading all the issues of The Henderson Press up to the latest one. I'm on Volume 3, No. 11, and I've got 23 more in order to get to Volume 3, No. 34. I'm sure it's a combination of editor Carla J. Zvosec and reporter Guy Dawson that shows that The Henderson Press finally gets it: In profiles of businesses, you can't just skim the surface and report on what a business offers. You have to dig deep into a story, get the origins of the business, what inspired it, what the businesspeople set out to do, and how it's grown and changed. That's what reporters did in Zvosec's early days.

In this issue, dated March 15-March 21, 2012, there's an article on page 7 about the local Skyline Casino. At the beginning, reporter Dawson writes that the Skyline is undergoing renovations, takes in a quote by Mike Young, the general manager, goes into the remodeling details, and then delves into its history, who owned it first and who owns it now. The current owner, Jim Marsh, owns antique slot machines and has them on display throughout the casino. I've read a few of Dawson's articles in previous issues and I've found that he has an instinct for interesting details, no matter if he's writing about the Skyline Casino or a family taxidermy business that he reported on in the previous issue. Editor Zvosec is smart in letting Dawson pick out those pieces of Henderson not often thought about by the public at large. The Henderson Press was a zig-zag publication in its early days, unsure of what it wanted to be, and going through many different reporters and editorial oversight at the time, but now, with reporters like Dawson, and Buford Davis, who makes City Council issues even more interesting than they were before in this newspaper, it has matured into a strong community force that looks to make sure its citizens are well-informed about what's going on around them, no matter that it comes out once a week. But where the Las Vegas Review-Journal is published every day and has to cover the news very quickly, The Henderson Press gets time to digest the news that affects the city and report on it in a calm, even-handed manner. I have to get settled in Las Vegas first, but once my life's back in a straight line, I would have no problem going into Henderson every week to get a copy of The Henderson Press somewhere. I like what it has become, and plan to support it for as long as Zvosec and her reporters keep it going as it is.

A Random Assortment of My Life

There's been nothing going on to merit a full entry on its own, at least not until later Friday or Saturday, because on Friday morning, my co-author on my book about the making of the Airport movies has invited me along to the media opening of Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom, a 400-foot freefall ride clamped to both sides of the Superman: Escape from Krypton tower at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Ever since leaving San Diego and his job at a magazine there, and moving back to Venice, he's reconnected with publications he's worked for, and that includes an amusement park magazine that assigned him to write a profile of this new ride. He has a comp media pass for this that can get him and one other person in, and that's me. He has the ulterior motive of us finally meeting face to face and being able to talk more about the book than we have in past weeks since he's been busy with other writing assignments and working with a '70s actress on her memoirs. Plus, he may still have the Lang family scrapbooks that he's keeping safe for actress/singer Monica Lewis while she moves to a new house. She was married to Universal film executive Jennings Lang who was the executive-in-charge on Airport (he watched the dailies and made sure everything was going ok, but with a producer like Ross Hunter, he had nothing to be concerned about), and then produced the sequels. Lang died in 1996, and according to my co-author, the scrapbooks potentially contain a lot of information that only I might be looking for. He's already pulled out what he wants for the book, but wants me to have a look as well. He goes for an overall view. I want to go in deep. We're a perfect match in that way, also because of his connection to the Lang family, having worked with Lewis on her memoir, which was published in May of last year.

So I get free admission into Magic Mountain, and it's going to be my Third Farewell Tour. I want to go to all the spots I've liked, including Pistachio Park, and maybe, just maybe, up the Sky Tower to the now unfortunately empty floor, freed of all its historical artifacts, which were the one thing that distinguished Magic Mountain from the rest of the Santa Clarita Valley, that acknowledgement of its history. However, it has the benefit of being set apart from the rest of the valley by its location to the extent that you don't feel like you're in Santa Clarita. But that history was still important.

Nevertheless, this is the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to Magic Mountain, to silently give my thanks for the many times it sustained me, helped me keep my sanity in this valley. Plus, I've never been to any media event like this, so why not have a totally different experience at Magic Mountain than what I usually had?

- Next item on my list in Notepad of things to write about is my latest DVD reviews, or at least my DVD reviews since May 31. I can't believe it's been that long since I've posted anything about them. I liked my reviews of seasons 3 and 4 of That '70s Show, and I finally sorted out my feelings about Tyler Perry in my review of his Good Deeds. He would be better if he doesn't push so hard, and there's one scene in Good Deeds that shows a potentially great future for him as a filmmaker. So here's the many I've done since my review of Episodes:

Zero Bridge

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Seventh Year

Love is On the Air

Trial & Retribution: Set 5

That '70s Show: Season Three

That '70s Show: Season Four

Miss Minoes

Margaret

Designing Women: The Final Season

PTown Diaries

Tyler Perry's Good Deeds

The Fairy

Father Dowling Mysteries: The Second Season

- In my reading of all the issues of The Henderson Press, I'm on Vol. 3, No. 3, January 19-25, 2012, I'm happy to say that I can amend my opinion of the weekly newspaper. Editor Carla J. Zvonec has finally stepped back from writing every single article in order to actually manage the paper, and not only are her editorials well-written, but finally the Henderson Press has focus and passion for the area again. There are outstanding reporters in Buford Davis, Guy Dawson, and Brian Sodoma, and the level of silly writing that used to plague these pages has dropped dramatically. Unlike Don Logay at his worst, these reporters realize that the paper is about the city, not about them. I liked Logay for his passion for Lake Las Vegas, but I hated how he was so obviously marketing it instead of just reporting it. The writing is much sharper and the profiles of various people in business and businesses themselves do more than just point out that they're there. These reporters are finally finding out that there's a lot of interesting stories in these businesses.

After Mom and Dad came back from Las Vegas and gave me all the publications I wanted to read (including that week's issue of Las Vegas Weekly, a few issues of Las Vegas Seven, and Friday's edition of the Review-Journal), I found the latest edition of the Henderson Press and was very happy. Henderson won't be my home, but I know I'll visit often and I'm confident of always being well-informed because of the Henderson Press. They've finally reached a zenith from which I hope they never come down.

- Today, in honor of Independence Day, Turner Classic Movies showed 1776, one of my favorite musicals. As I watched yet again the business and arguments of the Second Continental Congress, I came up with an idea that could either be a biography if I can find enough information, or certainly a novel. So much has been written about John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and others in that Congress, but there's been very little written about one of those figures. A novel set around that debate on independence from this man's perspective could be interesting. I know that the debate probably wasn't what it looked like in 1776 (For example, Richard Henry Lee said to John Hancock that he had to decline a spot on the committee to draft a Declaration of Independence because he was asked to serve as governor of Virginia. In reality, his wife was ill), but it would still be something to see it all from this one perspective I want to pursue. I've gotta start writing some of these novels so I can keep my list manageable.

- Around where we're going to live in Las Vegas, there's nine Wienerschnitzels, five Sonics, a Walmart, a Vons supermarket, a 7-11, a Smith's supermarket, the Whitney library branch, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other things. Everything's accessible, and it's far back enough from the Strip to feel separate from it yet make you want to go as often as you can.

1776 is the only movie I've watched in full in a while. I'm favoring books more and more now and sticking to it. In the past three days alone, I've read five books, including The Age of Miracles by Karen Walker Thompson and Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt. When will Patton Oswalt write another book? He's got another career in this if he wants it and I want more from him. Also, read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Don't even ask "What? Why?!". Just do it. It may very well be the best book of this year and many previous years, even though it was published this year.

Disappointment That Fortunately Does Not Represent Henderson

My writerly crush on The Henderson Press has come to a sad end. At the beginning, it was justified. Jeremy Twitchell made Henderson's City Council come alive in ways that could make other city councils across the country wish they could be covered like this. He had such passion for policy and exchanges between each member of the council that made you feel like you were there. It was important because these were issues that affected the city at large, and he made sure readers knew. He was part of the first wave of earnest reporters that made The Henderson Press good from the start, if a bit shoddy in its construction as those behind it tried to figure out what it should look like. But if the design looked a little wonky, the writing never was. Oh sure, Fred Couzens got a little too cute in his articles, but give him an issue with a lot of technical details, like the Pittman Wash, or what the Regional Transportation Commission was up to with the bus system in Henderson and he could help you understand it as if you had come up with the policy yourself. Give him any bloated jargon by the representatives of any business that had things to attend to in Henderson and articles by him would appear that probably helped those representatives understand their own business better too. Between him and Twitchell, I felt like I was part of Henderson, deeply invested in it, even though I'm not there yet. Whether as a frequent visitor or resident, I'm still not sure yet, but I felt such a strong connection to the city because of those two.

And Don Logay. Don "Lake Las Vegas Booster" Logay. But whereas a booster will promote the heck out of something with overly flowery language, Logay had such a passion for Lake Las Vegas that he never showed outright. He preferred to let readers suss it out for themselves, as it should be since he was reporting on activities in Lake Las Vegas and impartiality should be the number one consideration. Because of him, I learned more about Lake Las Vegas than I had when I was near there, but not completely there, when I visited the Las Vegas Valley the past few times. Because of him, I want to walk those cobblestone streets and feel what he felt through those articles.

I don't know what the factors were that led to Twitchell's departure. I do know that he was interim editor for a time while a new editor was sought, and did The Henderson Press even have a regular editor when it started? I can't be sure because it was never listed in the masthead. Maybe Twitchell had overseen it all this time and this was the first time he was credited. When I was interim editor of the weekend Escape section of The Signal for five weeks, I didn't want the full-time job. I couldn't have the full-time job. I don't drive in the Santa Clarita Valley, which is important for gathering stories, and they wanted someone who did. I didn't mind because I hated the stress of the job. I could meet the deadlines, but with the exception of Tom, who worked with me, putting the section together for me and suggesting where each article should go, I got very tepid support. I heard not a peep from the editor nor the publisher, only when something had to be changed, and then I wasn't informed about that change until after the issue had been published. With a better support system, it would have been easier.

Perhaps Twitchell wanted to be the editor, and he was passed over, and didn't like that this was the respect he got after how much time and effort he devoted to the newspaper, and decided to leave. However, his wife had had a child in the meantime while also writing for the paper, so perhaps he wanted to spend more time with his family than with the paper. Understandable. But the transition from the Twitchell Era to what exists now was rough, and still is from the standpoint of Vol. 2, No. 37, dated November 10-16, 2011.

But I have to go back further, to a little after editor Carla J. Zvosec took over. Under Zvosec, the City Council is pushed nearly to the back of the newspaper under "Council Briefs," and, so far, they're only allowed at the front if there's something potentially scandalous, such as the resignation of City Attorney Elizabeth Quillin over three DUI misdemeanor charges. On hard news, she's a fine writer, but the newspaper is missing a lot.

For example, articles end awkwardly, such as with Don Logay's "Bettie Page Suits Henderson," in the August 11-17, 2011 issue about a couple bringing Bettie Page stores to the Las Vegas Strip and around the country. Logay ends the article "The Golden Age of Fashion is back . . . thanks to Khomyakova and Bettie Page." This is not Logay. And it is not up to Logay in an article like this to declare that, since it's a profile that should not smack of boosterism like that. Just write the profile on the couple and leave it to readers to decide what they think. I suspect it's more Zvosec's influence than Logay's decision on that one, and I wish Zvosec would stop trying to push readers like this. The story is enough without editorialization. If the story is lacking, then gather more information, or find an angle that allows a fuller story to be told.

Jenny Twitchell used to write great columns about her life as a parent. Zvosec's influence, in the same issue as Logay's article, pushed her to include where Moms with sudden time on their hands from kids going to school can find activities, such as book clubs, and knitting groups. She couldn't trust Twitchell to filter it through her own experience, to figure out what interests her and mention what she researched in the attempt? This is not the Jenny Twitchell whose columns I grew to like. This is Jenny Twitchell via Carla Zvosec. By this, I sense a distinct lack of trust in the writers and reporters.

That's not even the worst of it for me. An article by Lori Wilk in the September 8-14, 2011 issue (Vol. 2, No. 28) about PRISM, an on-the-job fatigue software system, to determine if employees are fatigued, has no local angle. Do any Henderson businesses use this sytem? We don't know. Is the Henderson Chamber of Commerce aware of this system and are any of its member businesses planning to use it? Wilk doesn't say. Has PRISM been presented to businesses in Henderson? We don't know that either. There is nothing in this article to tie it to Henderson. It's interesting on its own, but being that this is a community newspaper, everything in it should have a connection to Henderson.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal can't cover Henderson all the time. The Henderson Press is the greatest link its residents have to learning about what's going on, a closer look at all of that, no matter that it's a weekly paper. But besides the annoying boosterism, which makes articles seem more like press releases as written by The Henderson Press (See the article about Sweet Tomatoes Express opening in Henderson in the same issue as the Wilk article, as one of many examples), there are painful missed opportunities as well.

In the "Community Events" section in the September 22-28, 2011 issue (Vol. 2, No. 30), the "Hot Spot of the Week" event is "Rick's Cafe Americain featuring jazz vocalist Laura Shaffer," at the E-String Grill on West Sunset Road, billed as "a re-creation of the famed music and ambience of the movie Casablanca." Why wasn't there a story about this?! Casablanca is one of the greatest, most famous movies ever made, and there are so many local angles to pursue! Who is Laura Shaffer? How did she get involved in this? Did she create the program? How many times did she and her bandmates (if they are her bandmates) watch the movie in order to pin down the sound and how long did they rehearse until they got it right? What interested the E-String Grill in hosting this? Who brought this in? This is a story! And all it got was a spot in the community events calendar.

I've peeked at later issues, including the latest, May 24-30 (Vol. 3, No. 21), and I'm seeing more of the same. More boosterism at the expense of actual reporting. Boosterism only works if you show. I can't entirely fault Jamie Barnard, an editorial intern, over the article about The Lakeshore Learning Store, but this sentence bothers me: "Lakeshore Learning Store, located in the Warm Springs Promenade at 1243 W. Warm Springs Road in Henderson, offers fun and unique products that really get kids excited about learning." Foul! Editorializing, yet again. Don't tell it; show it. And this is probably nitpicking, but I'll chance it: I don't think "Henderson" needs to be listed in that sentence. The newspaper is called The Henderson Press. I think those who read this will know that the store is in Henderson by dint of it being in this paper.

As for Josh Morris's movie reviews, which look like they've been around for a bit, I can confidently say that I'm relieved that Josh Bell is still the film critic at Las Vegas Weekly. He's my tonic after reading Morris, who writes too much about the plot and not enough of his opinion, or even to thread his opinion throughout his description of the plot and characters, which should always be a mix of both. I can't fault him though. I used to be as bad as this. I hope he gets better.

Also, Henderson has an Historical Society that I'm sure The Henderson Press hasn't tapped yet. There's a steady stream of stories to explore, moreso than just the gray "Historical Henderson" box under the Sudoku puzzle.

I'm disappointed in what The Henderson Press has become. It used to not be able to get enough of Henderson. Through Twitchell, Couzens' easygoing nature with technical details, and Logay's deep interest in Lake Las Vegas, it always wanted more and more and more and wanted to give just that much to readers. It used to be inside Henderson. Now it feels like it's above Henderson, looking out at all the land, bored with it. Fortunately, The Henderson Press is not representative of the entire city because I know it's more interesting than it makes it out to be. It holds its own next to Las Vegas. To me, it's just as interesting. I wish The Henderson Press felt that way and returned to being as hungry as it used to be for stories. They're out there, and they should be filling space instead of press releases in the guise of articles.

Even with all my grievances, I am glad that The Henderson Press is around. The events calendar is at least interesting, and the paper should pay more attention to that too in order to find more stories. There are so many people to talk to, to interview, to find out what's going on and to bring more vibrancy to this city through these pages. Those opportunities should not go to waste. It's become complacent, too comfortable with itself. It should do more in the city than just existing. It doesn't feel like Zvosec is pushing this latest crop of reporters to get better at this, to find more interesting stories, to dig deeper, to try harder, to perhaps even get more excited about Henderson. However, I'll never stop hoping that it gets better.

But I just can't do it anymore. I can't read every issue from front to back, every article from beginning to end. I skim now, because it's about all I can stand to do. The only real use I've been getting out of it under the Zvosec Administration is the crime map in order to learn street names, because I want to find out why these are the names (See, Henderson Press? That could be an article or a few). Otherwise, I see what the Henderson Libraries are up to when there's an article about them, though I can be stopped dead in my tracks by a well-written article, which does happen at least once each issue. So there is that. But it used to be more than just once an issue.

The skimming gets me closer to starting on the 5,432 issues of Henderson Home News on the Henderson Libraries website. Henderson Home News is what there was from 1951 to 2009 and I will read all those issues. I wonder if Zvosec has looked into that history, explored what that paper was like all those decades ago, what people cared about back then. Some of those issues are present today. I looked at that first page of that first issue of Henderson Home News and there's a lot going on on that first page alone. The Henderson Press, even with 24 pages, should look to emulate that. I always say that if you can't write in Las Vegas, you should quit. There are just as many stories in Henderson. If local businesses continue to be profiled, then there should be more about what drives those business owners, what makes them passionate about what they do, what brought them to Henderson if they're relatively new. There was an article about a frozen popcorn business that dips briefly into how it's made, but nothing about what interested that owner in creating this business, how much time it took to perfect that process, or how they attained the materials necessary to start that exploration. Just those two words, "frozen popcorn," are enough to trigger such curiosity about how it all happened, and those details weren't even covered. Businesses are important in Henderson, but there should be more about the nuts-and-bolts of them. The right angle, one that goes deep, can produce a great story.

The Henderson Press should bring people together as much as the city does on its own. I hope it gets better somehow. There are so many chances for that. They need to take them. What's the worst that could happen? Increased circulation?

Another Reason to Learn the History of Street Names

I've found the inverse of my displeasure over Spiced Wine Avenue in Henderson, and another reason to learn the history of the city's street names. In the slightly revamped issue of The Henderson Press (smaller type, no e-mail addresses under bylines, addresses on the crime map pressed together rather than space in between), Vol. 2, No. 23, dated August 4-10, 2011, "Tobble Creek Ct." is listed under "Vehicle Theft" on the crime map.

I love that name! It's wonderfully unique, and a Google search of it reveals only numbered addresses in that area. No history in other parts of the United States, no reason for the name. It sounds like a sci-fi name, but I want to know perhaps who came up with it, but mostly how. It sounds like science fiction, and a Google search of the name alone shows a platform sandal by Jessica Simpson of that name, a slanted-sphere toy, and a slang term for a hot water bottle. Also a character in World of Warcraft, though that doesn't seem like a possible reason because surely this street name existed long before World of Warcraft. I'll see. I will find out. Once a resident, I want to explore every inch of the Las Vegas Valley and in this case, that includes street names, with this and Spiced Wine Avenue being my first missions.

My Favorite Henderson Press Article

I've read 25 issues of The Henderson Press thus far, and have liked many articles, but none have struck me as a favorite until now. Vol. 2, No. 20, dated Thursday, July 14, 2011, has an article on page 14 about 25-year Master Floral Designer Jill Ann Ferrero, who makes all the floral entrance displays at the Casino MonteLago in Lake Las Vegas. She also makes new arrangements in front of an audience every Thursday morning at the casino in the "Cerimonia dei Fiore" (Flower Ceremony). Ferrero is the kind of creative person I love to read about, and I'm relieved that writer Don Logay isn't as breathless in this article as he usually is about everything else in Lake Las Vegas. This was a terrific article with beautiful photos of two types of arrangements. It's going to be hard for any future article to top this.

Spiced Wine Avenue? Come On.

Ever since The Henderson Press became a weekly newspaper in Volume 2, No. 8, they've added a few things to fill more pages besides longer articles, including a City of Henderson Crime Map, pointing out where in Henderson burglaries, robberies, assaults, sex assaults, vehicle thefts, family disturbances, and narcotics happened. I read it just to learn street names. Crime will happen anywhere, and I'll just be careful and alert enough, keeping myself safe.

But now I've got research to do. I want to know who came up with these street names and why, if it was one person per area or many people. I like some of these names, such as Blueberry Lane, Warm Springs Road, Tullio Way, Coralino Drive, West Horizon Ridge Parkway, Zinnia Circle, and Bugle Bluff Drive. On the crime map in the Thursday, June 9, 2011 issue, Volume 2, No. 15, a vehicle theft happened on the 1500 block of Spiced Wine Avenue.

Spiced Wine Avenue? I thought some effort was made to give streets names that correlate to that particular area, either historically, or in observation of what a particular area faces, or something totally random but which makes sense in the context of the city. Some don't make sense, like Windmill Parkway, but it gives off a bit of imagination. Where the hell did Spiced Wine Avenue come from? Some wine-drinking contingent from Southern California that was assigned to name these streets? I want to know its origin, not necessarily to mock, but just to be able to shake my head knowledgeably. I can't accept that one.

A Car Listing Translation

I've been reading Vol. 2, No. 8 of The Henderson Press, dated April 21-27, 2011, the first weekly issue. I think it will be a stronger newspaper by being weekly, more attention to city issues, driven to find more stories in order to fill the pages, stories that matter. I think those will be in future issues, just like they were in this issue. And much more of a community connection. The people make it so.

There's a listing in the car section for a 1997 Honda Accord, selling for $1,400. No picture. Meanwhile, there's a picture of a 2005 Winnebago for $49,800. For that size, there'd better be a view of it.

I want to translate this ad into likely reality because I laughed at a few of the words listed:

"Must sell, moving" - I have another, more reliable car, and I'm not taking this piece of shit with me.

"2d Honda Accord" - When I was young and poor, I bought this car just to have a car. Now I have four doors, which makes two doors look like a swing set does to a rollercoaster.

"se a/c" - I have no idea what "se" means. I Googled it and came up with "Service Experts," and also found out that car people don't make the terms easy to know on the Internet. If you're not part of the club, we'll snicker at you until you notice and then we'll quickly start talking about oil changes, looking askance at you until you leave. Considering the mileage, which I'll list in a minute, I think it's at-your-own-risk air conditioning.

"Clean" - Just washed it. I couldn't reach the chip crumbs under the seats, though.

"200k miles" - Just put your wallet and credit cards on that tree stump over there and I'll set them on fire.

"needs tlc" - Hope you don't plan to eat, or go to the doctor, or see a movie, or do anything fun ever again.

"call for info" - You can call, but I'm going to be cagey about what I tell you and the only straight answer I'll give you is how I want you to pay me. Pay no attention to the loosening hose under the hood.

I'm thinking about getting a used Toyota Corolla after we move, and I'm going to make damn sure I don't get the same vibe as this.

Tidbits from the 12th Issue of The Henderson Press

There's still a whole lot to do before we can loudly cheer the Santa Clarita Valley goodbye, but we're getting closer to moving. Mom's homing in on possible apartments, and even a mobile home park at the foot of the Strip, near what used to be the Sahara, which is a retirement community of sorts, with lots of activities, and bus service to various places. Mom's deciding if that's really where she wants to be since she's not at that age yet, but it could be convenient, and maybe to be surrounded by elderly people who are probably nicer than my paternal grandparents were, more receptive, more attentive. There's a lot to think about, whether Henderson or Las Vegas, but no matter where we end up, I will explore every single inch of Southern Nevada first and then the rest of Nevada. Nothing will be too far from me.

This issue of The Henderson Press, Vol. 2, No. 7, dated April 7-April 20, 2011, has as its big headline, "Night of the Incumbent." All incumbents running for re-election to the Henderson City Council won in the Primary Election, with only the Ward IV seat not being an outright win, sending it to the June 7 general election. Jeremy Twitchell's article is wonderfully detailed about the wins and comments from the winners, as well as noting that for the first time since Vote Centers were established in the city, ending precincts, turnout did not increase. I get the impression from this article that with how the economy was going at this time, people knew that the City Council was doing everything they can to help them, and didn't want to elect anyone new, because who knows what they would do? What guarantee would there be that their actions would be for the good of the city? If sincere efforts are being made, let them continue uninterrupted.

Twitchell says that only "12.24 percent of Henderson's registered voters cast a ballot, down from 14.65 percent in the 2009 General Municipal Election." Those who voted didn't want such a jolting change. He also says that "this year's turnout is the lowest in a municipal election since the 2007 Primary Election, which featured only one race." That's not an accurate measurement. People aren't going to come out in great numbers for just one race.

Let's see what else is going on:

- Don Logay has an article here about a BMW rolling into Lake Las Vegas. He starts it with, "Apparently, homes in Las Vegas aren't the only thing "underwater" these days." Cue the loud groans. That's a Leno line. What happened? With Logay, it's an anomaly, but he couldn't think of a better way to start this? He says that a 100-foot crane was used to lift the car out of the water? He should have asked the operator of the crane if this has been done before, and start with that. If it's unusual, start it with, "For a crane operator, Lake Las Vegas usually isn't a premier destination. But the siren song of a sunken BMW could not be ignored." Something like that. The rest of the article retains all the good I've come to expect from Logay, continual interest in Lake Las Vegas. And just like Fred Couzens, he's a whiz at photos.

- Couzens writes about a proactive community incensed by the proposed 660-kilovolt transmission line that a single block of homeowners between Foothills Drive and Thoroughbred Drive. Every time I proclaim Couzens' latest article to be his best one, as I did in reading the 11th issue, he writes another one that supersedes it. He's found a comfortable niche in The Henderson Press and I can easily say now that I look forward to his articles as much as Jeremy Twitchell's and Don Logay, quite a change from when I used to dread them in the early issues.

- Karen Y. Lu wrote about the Police Commendation Ceremony Awards, detailing every award given, in thick, small-type paragraphs that take up one and a half pages on pages 8 and 9. It's a surprise to see this kind of community outreach from eight years here in the disconnected Santa Clarita Valley, but very reassuring, hopeful that a genuine community exists there. I've felt it in various pockets of Henderson and in the people I've met, and in the actually healthy-looking people I've seen walking throughout the Galleria at Sunset mall, and can't wait to see the rest of Henderson for that.

- There's a photo of Officer Forest Shields presented with the award for Henderson Police Officer of the Year by Chief Jutta Chambers. Shields looks like an older Andy Samberg.

- Couzens has another article about a 5-year-old girl with a "mysterious neuromuscular disorder" who was not expected to live past age 4, and the expenses involved in her life, heavy expenses, evenly detailed by him. He's getting much better at interviewing people about their lives.

- Karen Y. Lu's article about the then-upcoming 61st annual Henderson Heritage Parade perks me up more while waiting to move, because it's a strong reminder that Henderson has great use for its history. It never forgets when it started, and what it was. Lu writes that the parade began in 1950, three years before Henderson became a city. And this parade is led by Ethel M under the theme, "Chocolatiers for 30 Years," with 100 chocolate-themed entries.

- There's a fact box next to Lu's article, which includes this: "The state of Nevada purchased the entire townsite from the federal War Assets Administration in 1948 for $24 million." And: "When Henderson incorporated in 1953, it had a population of 7,410 and consisted of about 13 square miles. In January 2011, the city had an estimated population of 277,502 and an area of 103 square miles." The newspaper before The Henderson Press was the Henderson Home News, which ran from 1951 to 2009. The Henderson Libraries website has a vast archive of past issues, which I don't think I'll write about like I do for The Henderson Press because The Henderson Press was my first exposure to how news in Henderson is covered, and therefore means a great deal to me, though I'm sure to study more of Henderson's history, these Henderson Home News issues will be equally meaningful. It'll be incredible to read about Henderson from 1951, since I now found out that all the issues are available on the library website.

- There's a coupon from Johnnie Mac's for a $5.95 pasta lunch, "11am - 3pm Daily.", Sunday through Thursday only, expiring on the 15th. I wonder what kind of pasta they favor for it.

- The list of businesses that have The Henderson Press available (free, of course) is staggering. It's another example of how tight-knit Henderson is.

- Still nothing practical in the car ads. Nothing I would want, besides.

- On the right side of the car ads is a small ad for Lucky Star Super Buffet, mentioning a "valuable offer in the coupon section." It's at 617 Mall Ring Circle, south of Macy's. That's right in the Galleria at Sunset area. I haven't seen it yet, but I think it's still there.

That's the end of this issue. I'm debating whether to keep going with this because there's 44 issues total in Volume 2, and Volume 3 has 18 issues so far. Plus there's 5,432 issues of Henderson Home News for me to read. And I will read them all. Probably not all of them before we move, but some. Only when I write these entries do I read the Henderson Press issue featured and I don't read another issue until I feel like writing another entry. I can't do it that way anymore. I'm not really sure how to go about it yet; either an entry for every five issues, or something else, or maybe just keep a file of interesting things I learned and how Jeremy Twitchell, Don Logay, and Fred Couzens are faring, and then post some tidbits once in a while. My goal for The Henderson Press is to read up to the latest issue before we move. I'm sure of that. So maybe it's best to do this another way, because I still want to write about The Henderson Press. It's just becoming less feasible as a possible moving date gets closer. I'll figure it out. Plus I want to see Logay and Couzens evolve faster, because they are growing stronger. I used to think of Twitchell as the star of the paper, but Logay and Couzens have their own terrific skills to offer now, which makes it an evenly-shared paper, though I'm curious about if there are any proper replacements for Twitchell after he and his wife left. Plus, Couzens may not even be around in the current issues, and it'd be interesting to see what new reporters show up, because certainly there must be.

So that's what I think I'll do: I'll keep a file and post once in a while about the paper. I really want to see what happens next, especially since I just downloaded Vol. 2, No. 8, and there's the announcement on the front page that The Henderson Press is now a weekly newspaper. The pressure begins for the reporters, but hopefully it makes Twitchell, Logay, and Couzens even better, another reason for me to not write about it like this anymore. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Tidbits from the 11th Issue of The Henderson Press

The evolution of The Henderson Press continues, with smaller, thinner bylines. Previous issues had bylines in bold with "Henderson Press" beneath the name of the writer. Now one font style fits all. For example, "By Jeremy Twitchell" is first, but below that isn't bold. "THP Reporter" is the same size and type as his name. Below that is his (now former) e-mail address: jtwitchell@hendersonpress.com. I like this. There's more room for potentially longer articles if need be, and especially helpful since this issue, Vol. 2, No. 6, dated March 24-April 6, 2011, has a Voter Guide for the 2011 municipal election, which may have necessitated the change in font, so there's more room for candidate statements and information about their professional and education backgrounds. This is when a local newspaper is needed the most and even before reading about these candidates, the layout looks organized and gives ample room to everyone running for various offices. I'm curious about why they want to run.

Let's see what there is in this issue:

- An article about general satisfaction with the city on various issues from a survey commissioned by the City Council and run by Kansas City-based research firm ETC Institute says that St. Rose Parkway is one of the city's fastest and busiest streets. Something to keep in mind when I begin driving these roads.

- In 2009, there were 132,395 registered voters in Henderson. For this election, there's 124,700 registered voters. There's no clear reason why.

- A record low voter turnout of 6.9% in 2005 triggered the city to establish "vote centers" throughout, in lieu of precincts, where any registered voter can vote at any of them. Voter turnout increased to 11.1% in 2007, and 14.7% in 2009. Interesting to find a city that actually wants to engage its voters.

- Statements by the candidates are at least cogent, all genuine, but one doesn't seem feasible (Does this guy realize what it would take to disconnect from the Clark County School District and establish Henderson's own school district? It likely takes more time than he could even imagine, it wouldn't be an easy task, and it wouldn't be worth getting away from the Clark County School District because everyone in Southern Nevada is connected. Doesn't matter if you live in Las Vegas, or Henderson, or Summerlin; all actions affect the entire region. A lot of people who work in Las Vegas live in Henderson (including comedy magician The Amazing Johnathan, of whom I'm a huge fan). Summerlin may not want to know Las Vegas, but they're just as connected. We're all together.

- These candidate statements also make me want to attend a Henderson City Council meeting one day. I'm curious about it, and have never been to one anywhere else. I'm sure I can find something to be interested in there much like I do with everything else in my life.

- I'm curious about who got elected. First time I think I've ever been interested in that outside of a presidential election.

- Fred Couzens has an article about improvements to be made on Water Street in downtown Henderson for a Rapid Transit bus system. Hard facts in here and Couzens handles them admirably. There's also a photo by Couzens of a bus on the Boulder Highway Express route. I hope in future issues, there are more and more photos by Couzens. They're remarkable every time.

- Couzens also has an article about Ameresco, an energy efficiency company, finishing out its contract with the City of Henderson with great success. This is his best article so far. His details about energy efficiency improvements are well-written and easy to understand for those like me who don't think about this all the time, and a black-and-white photo by him of the pool and slides at the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center should be hanging somewhere, perhaps on a wall at the City of Henderson Recreation Department, reminding employees of the good they do.

- Twitchell's best article so far is in here too, about the City Council unanimously approving construction of the Wigwam Surgical Center on the "south side of Wigwam Parkway, east of Eastern Avenue." He writes about the objections by the Scottsdale Valley Homeowners Association, which is south of the Center's property line, support by a resident of another neighborhood across from Wigwam Parkway, comments by the lawyer representing the developer, details about what the Center will contain, and how the City Council feels about it. The best articles in The Henderson Press provide a deeper connection to the community. This is one of them.

- Mayor Andy Hafen and his family had their own parade car in the 45th annual St. Patrick's Day parade. I love that as vast as Henderson is, the mayor is never too busy for such events as this one.

- Couzens is improving in community articles. He wrote about a modest philanthropist named Bob Ellis, and while he stumbled greatly with the wrong usage of "humble pie" at the beginning (believing it to mean that someone is humble, when its meaning is far from that), the rest of the article is touching. Ellis is an example of one reason I love Henderson and the rest of Southern Nevada: There's many people like this living there, good people, philanthropy or not.

- On March 27, the Henderson Symphony Orchestra hosts their 14th annual Young Artists Concert in which those young artists perform with the Henderson Symphony. No matter whose music they're playing, I would go to that, to support that.

- The Clark County Museum has a Pueblo art exhibit from March 9 to June 3. I would see that.

- In the transportation ads, someone's selling a 1995 Corvette Convertible for $13,400, with 85,000 miles on it. Supercharged. You've got to really have the money for it to want it, also the money way beyond that $13,400.

These issues are getting better and better. Interest and care are the two most important things for a community newspaper to have, and The Henderson Press has both. The Las Vegas Review-Journal can't cover Henderson all the time, and so The Henderson Press has stepped up enormously to fill the gap that would be there otherwise. Just like everything else in Southern Nevada, I'm sure it wasn't known that The Henderson Press was even needed before it started, but now that it's there, it's obvious that the city needed it. It has become an important part of the fabric of Henderson. It's believed that connections are tenuous in Las Vegas and therefore its surrounding areas. But The Henderson Press shows otherwise. There are fiercely loyal connections all around, people always willing to help, who are always friendly. To live in Southern Nevada, you can't have a fight-the-world attitude. Relax. Feel the world around you. Appreciate what's in front of you. Las Vegas survives because there is always understanding, the reputation of casinos notwithstanding. It is always there. It's the only way to survive in the desert.

Tidbits from the 10th Issue of The Henderson Press

Here we have Vol. 2, No. 5, dated March 10 - March 23, 2011. I can't wait until I get to the weekly issues. More immediate news, and I'm interested to see if pressure like that improves a few of the writers. Jeremy Twitchell slam-dunks it no matter what, but since he's no longer there, I want to see who steps up and perhaps does it just as well.

Now to the issue itself:

- I'm sure Don Logay's in here again somewhere, but first, the leading article in this issue is about the forthcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival. It's by Karen Y. Lu and begins: "The lively sounds, sights and scents of the Irish culture will fill the air from Thursday, March 17th through Sunday the 20th at the Henderson Events Plaza in celebration of St. Patrick's Day." I'm a sucker for alliteration, so Lu's pulled me in right away. And she may be right about it all being lively. I don't consider it editorializing because those festivals generally are lively. I hate the "fill the air" part. I read too many articles like that in The Signal which began with just that phrase: "Celebratory noises and shouts filled the air as..." "The pleasant, blooming scent of various flowers filled the air..." It's not Lu's fault. But one writer at The Signal, when I was there, continually used it, never stretching to think of something else. Mad Libs for journalists.

- It seems like the economy is gradually getting better, and here's a Twitchell article about the City of Henderson's Development Services Center (described as "a one-stop shop meant to streamline the planning and permitting process") being dismantled after being projected to bring in its lowest income total ever, with construction having come to a standstill in Henderson. I'm interested to see how the articles read in future issues, especially those starting from the beginning of this year.

- This is the Fred Couzens I like: An article about public comments being accepted until April 4 about "a proposed 600-kilovolt extra-high voltage electrical transmission line running through the utility corridor between Lake Las Vegas and Calico Ridge" is well-written because he deals best in facts over people. He's the one reporter besides Twitchell who can make sense out of bureaucratic gobbledygook, which is most of this article, and of the issues that come out of it.

- Another Couzens article is about the bid for a proposed expansion of Warm Springs Road in eastern Henderson coming in lower than expected. No quotes from anyone. Just facts and figures. This is Couzens' playground. He does it best.

- Twitchell's big article in the Local News section, headlined, "Transportation Options Studied," about "three planning studies examining the future of transportation in Henderson" being "among seven studies expected to be funded by the Regional Transportation Commission" has two photos by Couzens, one of the site of a potential future roadway and another of Boulder Highway, highlighting its right-of-way issues with a truck turning out of the roadway and a car turning into the roadway. Couzens doesn't write very well all the time, but his photos are great all the time. He's a true photographer. I know I've mentioned this before, but it's part of what makes The Henderson Press a rare professional community newspaper.

- Page 6 has a coupon in the middle of the left side for Mocha Joe Coffee. "Free Drink with Purchase" at 117 Water Street in downtown Henderson. Sounds like a new business.

- Couzens has another article, about more computers at the new James I. Gibson Library than at the old downtown library, which I think closed. This one shows that if Couzens interviews only one person, branch manager Candace Kingsley in this article, he gets good quotes. More than one, and there's mix-ups and other troubles. But I hope that he becomes more skilled at interviewing more than one person for an article as these issues go on.

- On page 12 in the middle of the right side is a coupon from Emery's La Barrista Restaurant for "All you can eat Spagetti [sic] and Meatballs (Lunch & Dinner) - $9.95 + tax." It sounds a lot nicer than Olive Garden.

- Here is Don Logay with an article about the upcoming "semi-annual" Brew's Best Beer Festival at Lake Las Vegas. In this article at least, he understands to just let those putting on the event speak, not himself, to just observe various details without getting overexcited about them. Readers will figure out what interests him based on what he writes about, that is if they're reading for more than just the information like I do. The last paragraph is weak, though: "A festival to celebrate beer. Imagine that! Better yet, don't imagine it, be there." It feels tacked on, not a natural part of this article. My guess is that he was trying to figure out some way to end the article, but couldn't come up with anything else. That's happened to me many times and when it does, I make sure that it feels like a natural ending, that all that I've written leads to that. Sometimes I don't succeed, but lately, when I haven't, it's never as public as this. Otherwise, it's a good article, and Lake Las Vegas has quite the booster in Logay.

- There's a coupon in the first page of coupons for a $4.95 16 oz. ham steak with eggs, potatoes and toast at Skyline Casino. I'm still taken aback by all the food choices in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Summerlin. If you feel like going out, you could be paralyzed by indecision.

- The Service Directory/Jobs page looks a lot more organized. Different categories instead of listings for the businesses just splashed all over and each business in its own box.

- On the Transportation page is a listing for a 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser for $11,988. We have it now, it's good for what we need, but only locally. It can't handle long trips anymore, which is why the next time we go to Nevada, we're renting a car. That's not a reflection on the PT Cruiser in general, but I want to be continually comfortable in a car and this isn't the one for me. Speaking of that, still no listings for a Toyota Corolla.

And that's it. A milder issue this time. More about the business of the community, which is necessary, but I hope the next issue delves into more of the actual community, activities, and other things bringing people together. A consistent balance of the business of the community and the community itself is ideal.

Tidbits from the Ninth Issue of The Henderson Press

This could not wait to fall in line as the first tidbit: Don Logay has the top story on the front page of the ninth issue of The Henderson Press, Vol. 2, No. 4, dated February 24-March 9, 2011. It's about what went on at the opening of Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, the new hotel in that resort region. His article is so obviously a booster piece, but his quiet enthusiasm for the area always comes through so wonderfully. He cheers, but he doesn't slobber. He overdoes the adjectives this time, such as "wonderfully warm" weather, and "warm and gloriously sunny" day, but considering the area had nearly become a shell after Ritz-Carlton closed the year before in the same location, it's understandable, but only just, since it almost reads like a press release from the resort itself rather than a newspaper article. But when he sticks to the facts, he writes as well as he always has. I still appreciate the article for those facts, for learning what Ravella has, and storing it in my memory. I may not think about it all the time as I do with Nevada overall, but it's there.

And now to the rest of this issue:

- There's a quarter-page ad for Skyline Restaurant & Casino, touting "Loosest Machines," "Most Liberal Comps," and "Friendliest Staff." I want to see what kind of slot machines they have, because even though I won't gamble regularly--and even then it'll be very small--I want to finally pick out a favorite machine. I've got my favorite pinball machines at the Pinball Hall of Fame on East Tropicana Avenue, but I also like the meditative quality of slot machines. Not only do I consider whatever's going on in my life, but I wonder about the machine itself, who came up with the idea, if it was expanded at any meetings, how many iterations it went through before final approval, and the work of making the machine itself.

- Here's another "Only in Las Vegas" thing: Blood donations in Henderson done through United Blood Services throughout February earn donors a voucher for two free tickets to Defending the Caveman, a one-man play performed by Kevin Burke at Harrah's. Makes me even more proud to soon be part of Southern Nevada.

- Jennifer Twitchell's latest "Family Matters" column is really good once again, talking about being three days past her due date, and how she should be more attuned to what's wonderful about parenting. It is for her, but what she thought she was stating as fact, such as "heartburn" and "no sleep," sounded negative to her grandmother. This is her best column thus far, enough to make me ignore her use of "whilst" instead of "while." If she was British, I'd understand the usage.

- Twitchell also has a profile about the "It's a Gas" science exhibit at Galleria at Sunset, which has the twofold purpose of informing and promoting the Henderson Space and Science Center, which its board hopes to open "in about five years." There's exhibits and demonstrations on nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases, on the first floor next to Dillard's. That kind of wonderful incongruity is what makes Galleria at Sunset my kind of mall. This is what Twitchell's best at: Great care for the community and what it offers.

- And Twitchell cares yet again, about the 10th Annual Moms and Muffins benefit at John Dooley Elementary, which puts the money earned back into the school. Those who think Las Vegas, and by extension Henderson and Summerlin, are only about casinos and fast, easy entertainment are very wrong. There are communities here. There are people that care here.

- On page 13, color ad for Baskin-Robbins offers a free single-scoop cone with the purchase of one. Valid only at the location at 510 South Boulder Highway "(and Basic Road)".

- On page 14, the ad for Johnny Mac's offers half-price pizza on Wednesdays and a 1-topping pizza for $10 on Sundays. Above both is "Daily Specials," so I would assume that they offer more than that during the week.

- The Henderson Press, at least in these early issues, are very selective about their "Letters to the Editor" section. One of the criteria seems to be that letters be thoughtful and well-written enough to get their point across clearly, without resorting to ranting and raving. In this issue is a letter to the editor from Ligeia Will of Henderson, headlined "Support Services Often Overlook Single Moms," vividly about her experiences from looking for work to becoming homeless, living in a shelter, and then finally getting housing, apparently below homeless men and Section 8 people in Clark County's priorities. She makes a lot of sobering points, important points that should be considered.

- Under "Corrections" is a long list of one from Gail Rattigan, director of the Dr. Joel and Carol Bower School-Based Health Center. He wrote about vaccines given by the center, and got facts and names very wrong (including spelling wrong the name wrong of one senior nursing student who gives the vaccines, as well as her mother's name). I don't know if that's why his byline is nowhere in this issue, but it is a relief to have a break from him, and the newspaper reads a lot stronger, free from being bogged down by Couzens's wandering articles. I'm sure he'll be back in the next issue, and so I hope his articles are like the article he wrote for the eighth issue about the City of Henderson receiving $6.6 million for flood control. When he concentrates fully on the facts, when he doesn't worry so much about how to write an article, as I suspect he does based on past evidence, he's an informative writer. He gets it.

- All of page 20 is given over to where The Henderson Press can be found, based on zip code. And there's a lot of places, including Barnes & Noble, Lucky Star Chinese Buffet, Hot Rod Grill, Henderson Hobbies, 155 Water Cafe, and so many others. This is as a community newspaper should be. It spreads; it reaches.

- Still no Corollas on offer in the transportation ads.

This was a comfortable issue, well-connected to the community itself. From here, The Henderson Press is starting to find the necessary balance of hard news and an attentive focus on the people who live in Henderson. This works.

Tidbits from the Eighth Issue of The Henderson Press

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.

Tidbits from the Seventh Issue of The Henderson Press

Having written a review a day for the past three days for Movie Gazette Online, I can relate to what Jeremy Twitchell does in the seemingly dozens of articles he writes for just one issue of The Henderson Press. And yet, I don't even come close to what he does because I just sit in front of my TV, watch whatever DVD I'm reviewing, take notes, and then write the review. Twitchell goes out, interviews people, gets enough information to write the story that needs to be written, and then writes it. And he does this over and over for one issue. And he makes each article fresh and well-written. The only fatigue he probably ever shows is when he falls into bed exhausted from the day's work.

I also admire Twitchell because he's into alliteration like I am. The front-page article of Vol. 2, No. 2, January 27-February 10, 2011, headlined "Signs of the Times" begins with this: "A proliferation of political placards has ushered the 2011 municipal election cycle..." "Ushered in" is what it should have been, but I'm not going to quibble, what with how much Twitchell alone contributes to The Henderson Press. There are worse writers. I've worked with many.

Twitchell realizes that in order to keep going as a writer, you have to find bits to have fun with, such as alliteration. You have to see if there are other angles to a story that are just as informative as what you're thinking about, which keep you interested. It's why I'm not burned out from three DVD reviews in three days because I found different angles for all of them, things that I've long thought about that I believed should be included in those reviews. Next up is Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour, and my angle for that one is that I've never seen Patton Oswalt do stand-up. I know of his other ventures, but here, Meridith and I only know him as the voice of Remy in Ratatouille, considering how many times we've seen it. And for a future review of I, Claudius, I've already written an idea I intend to expand when I watch what I hope will be most of that miniseries. As Ferran Adria says in the terrific documentary El Bulli: Cooking in Progress, "You never know where an idea will come from." I don't, and I don't try to force them. They will always come in time.

Now to this seventh issue, to see what my future community was up to then:

- Skyline Casino's full-page ad on page 2 trumpets free tacos for players on Sunday evenings, and free Italian sausage sandwiches to players on Wednesday evenings.

- Copper wire thefts in Henderson became prevalent enough to merit an article about it by Twitchell. Copper prices rising while the economy remains flat is why copper wire was being stolen from streetlights. According to this article, it "costs the city about $7.50 in materials and labor to replace," as stated by city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards. "In the last six months, about 2,500 feet have been stolen, she said, costing Henderson almost $19,000."

- Scrolling quickly through the issue, I see no stories by Don Logay, but I hope he's the one who wrote the fire and police reports in this issue and later issues. It reads like his work, straightforward and without unnecessarily wordy delay.

- The North Community Police Station has a "60-kilowatt solar array on top of its parking structure" to generate photovoltaic electricity.

- Improvements to be made to Arroyo Grande Park include the addition of a disc golf facility. Upon reading that disc golf involves throwing a flying disc at a target, I want to try it. It sounds a lot more fun than regular golf.

- Jennifer Twitchell benefited from taking a week off from her column. Her latest, about creating a family budget, is much better than her columns before, and I especially liked this line: "I was stunned. How does one spend $28 on Redbox in one month?! Oh yeah, tricky Redbox. You and your $1 promise a night that quickly turns into $7 because I forgot about returning the lame movie until a week later."

- The Henderson Symphony Orchestra had its Master Series III concert on February 11, which, according to its website, included Gymnopedie No. 1 and 2 by Erik Satie and West Side Story Symphonic Dances by Leonard Bernstein. I want to see concerts by the Henderson Symphony Orchestra and the Las Vegas Philharmonic, but only if they include Satie, Schubert, or Gershwin. Maybe I'll see these concerts differently since I'll be living where I want and will be inclined to attend them even if Satie, Schubert or Gershwin isn't part of them. The atmosphere also helps.

- There's a coupon from Hammer's Grill and Bar for $7.99 All You Can Eat Fish Fry Fridays. That sounds good.

- On the last page of coupons, middle of the bottom column, The Henderson Press uses the space to state, "Place your coupon here for $50 an issue!", with a minimum 8-issue commitment. They sound more business-savvy than The Signal here in Santa Clarita.

- In the job classifieds, the Basic Barber Shop is looking for a barber, requiring experience (naturally) and a Nevada license. Nice to know that businesses in Henderson have actual people behind them.

- No listing for a Toyota Corolla in the car ads. Findlay Toyota is pushing a 2010 Toyota Camry Sedan for $20,159. Not my kind of car, and definitely not my kind of price.

And that's it for this issue. I'm disappointed not to find Don Logay's byline on any article in this issue, but I hope he's in the next issue. When an issue has Twitchell and Logay, it's guaranteed great reading. Fred Couzens' articles are bloated, basically throwing in all the necessary information without a plan of how to present it. Maybe his articles will improve in coming issues. Or maybe it's how he will always write. I hope for the former, though, because I don't look forward to his byline. I only read his articles because I want to know everything about Henderson, and what he reports on is part of it.

Tidbits from the Sixth Issue of The Henderson Press

I want to write about my first movie in Nevada, Beauty and the Beast 3D at Regal Fiesta Henderson 12, and about hours spent at the Galleria at Sunset mall with Mom and Meridith while Dad went for a test and a job interview at the Clark County School District offices. As I read more and more books from my Las Vegas stack, that desire returns to describe the starship-hallway feel of the one corridor at the movie theater that contains the entrances to all 12 auditoriums. Yes, just one side of the building.

But not yet. Soon, though. I'm sure of that. For now, I've opened the .pdf file of the sixth issue of The Henderson Press, which is Vol. 2, No. 1, and dated January 13, 2011, which is strange because the previous issue, Vol. 1, No. 5, was dated December 30 - January 14, 2011. But considering that this is the sixth issue and can pretty much be considered still the beginning of The Henderson Press's run, that's understandable. Takes time for any new venture to establish a rhythm of sorts. I'm not a stickler since the writing's good and therefore there's more to occupy my mind than errors like that.

So let's see what this issue has on tap:

- I peeked at the latest issue and found that Jeremy Twitchell is no longer there. A search on Facebook finds him in College Station, Texas now. I only hope that there are writers now at The Henderson Press who can fill what would seem to be a gaping black hole after Twitchell's departure. Fortunately, Don Logay, my other favorite reporter, is still there, and I get to enjoy what there is of Twitchell from this issue to whenever he left.

- The U.S. Veterans Administration is planning to build "a new clinic on the east side of Boulder Highway." 38,000 square feet and "more than 100 parking spaces." I like seeing efforts like this in progress in my future community.

- I don't like Jennifer Twitchell's column because she doesn't have a firm line on what she wants her columns to be about. There is a purpose there, but it's mired in what feels like sentences that haven't been properly edited. However, when she has to focus entirely on one topic, and it's not part of her column, she's really good. Her article about unused airline miles being donated to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth to help homeless teens is focused (finally), solemn, and caring. When her writing isn't about her, her husband Jeremy, and their son, she's a decent writer.

- For municipal elections, Henderson uses "vote centers," as it had in 2007 and 2009, which don't require precincts and permit residents to vote at any of 13 vote centers during early voting, and 12 on election day.

- Two months and "almost $88,000" to renovate the indoor pool at the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center. Aging tile, plaster, ladders and other fittings to be replaced. It's said here that the new materials will last 10-15 years. It seems small in the scheme of a city, but I like these kinds of stories. They show that nothing's too small in this city.

- Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa has a show called Nashville Unplugged, hosted by country songwriters Aaron Benward and Brian McComas, with two invited songwriters, discussing their backgrounds and inspiration behind various hit country songs. If it's still there after we move, I want to see it.

- Julio Iglesias at the Grand Events Center at Green Valley Ranch Resort on January 15. Maybe. He's not one of the top names on my list, but still impressive.

- Henderson Farmers Market on Thursday, January 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seems to me that a farmers market would be better on the weekend, considering how many people work, but maybe there's something more leisurely about doing it on a Thursday.

- There's a coupon for $9.99 winter jackets at Lakes Discount Center. I've got to see this place.

- In the transportation section, there's a listing for a 1997 Honda Accord. $1,400, the owner's moving and it has 200,000 miles on it. Oh, and the keywords "needs tlc." It means you're going to paying out your ass to fix it up.

- The back page of this issue has a full-page ad for Lakes Discount Outlet (where the coupon's from), showing off many discounts, including 2 for $10 on graphic t-shirts. I want to see what they've got.

This issue is a turning point for The Henderson Press. They've settled into a comfortable, informative rhythm, with much of the writing less self-conscious than it first was, and it helps that Jennifer Twitchell's column isn't here. That makes this issue much easier to read.

I'm hoping for more articles by Don Logay. In The Henderson Press at least, he writes strictly with the need to inform in mind. A true journalist.

This is starting to feel like a true community newspaper, since all involved clearly care about their community.

Tidbits from the Fifth Issue of The Henderson Press

New year, continuing evolution of The Henderson Press. To start, there's some new writers in this fifth issue, which is Vol. 1, No. 5., December 30, 2010 to January 14, 2011. In the staff list as contributing reporters are Jack Bulavsky, Don Logay, Royal Hopper (I love that name!), and Frances Vanderploeg (as if there isn't enough to attract me to Henderson, people there have unique last names). On the front page, Vanderploeg's article is about Santa visiting Robert Taylor Elementary School on Saturday, December 18. I had to get used to Vanderploeg's writing style, reminding myself that The Henderson Press is split into sections across its pages, but at times, hard news can mingle with what could be considered feature articles, such as this one. So reading this sentence on the front page, "You can't say Santa doesn't have style -- since his reindeer were resting in preparation of Christmas," was jarring at first, but it's a community newspaper, meant to feel like a community, and it does with a story like this, though the writing could obviously be better. Yet an article by Jeremy Twitchell, headlined "Henderson Employees Get Week Off," makes me feel better, knowing that hard news still has a place on the front page, where it belongs.

Here's what else is going on in this issue:

- There's a guitarist and vocalist named Jimmy Limo, who performed at Skyline Restaurant & Casino. The number of musicians in Southern Nevada is staggering, but they're a sliver of what keeps the area interesting.

- Don Logay's article about torrential rains raising the water level at Lake Las Vegas is one of the best articles I've read in The Henderson Press thus far. He has a curt writing style, more ramrod straight than Twitchell, which would be off-putting, except that he seeks out details as well as Twitchell does. He knows where the story is, and how to keep it interesting. I hope he lasts.

- Ok, that's just freaky. In my previous entry about The Henderson Press, I said, "I hope there's a full-on profile about Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe in a future issue." There is, in this issue. It's a full profile, about the origins of the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe, as well as the 60 "individually scented soap bars" sold there, including Mango Gelato and Ginger Crumb Cake. This is my favorite part of the article by Fred Couzens:

"For the food-like soaps, called soap souffles, there's the added step of making the colorful cookies, berries, whipped cream and graham crackers that turns ordinary soap into a [sic] artful centerpiece that imitates the real thing."

Unfortunately, Couzens doesn't elaborate on this, such as if the soap can be used, and how that "added step" is done.

- On page 14 is a photo of the Floating Ice Rink at Montelago Village Resort, taken by a photographer associated with the property. I wish they included the name of that photographer because they know how to take atmospheric early evening photos. I'd want this framed.

- Royal Hopper is either the actual person in charge of the opinion page, or is either a pseudonym for someone who is. I lean toward the former, because considering how hard the reporters work at their articles, I doubt any of them would have time to oversee this page. But the name does seem like a pseudonym at first.

- On a page of the coupon section, there's two coupons from Villa Pizza, one for two large cheese pizzas for $26.95, and a large cheese pizza and wings for $28.95. For those prices, that had better be damn good cheesy pizza, with a lot of cheese, and wings.

- The back page is an ad for Lakes Discount Outlet at 1110 E. Lake Mead Parkway, "Up to 90% Off Brand-Name Clothing." My almost year-round wardrobe is jeans and pop culture t-shirts. Maybe they have decent sweatshirts and jeans there. I'd go there at least once.

I'm not making any hopeful predictions for the next issue like that apparently accurate one for a profile of the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe. But I am hoping for another article by Don Logay. If he can make rainfall sound interesting, I wonder what he can do with desert heat. Maybe that happens in a future issue.

Tidbits from the Fourth Issue of The Henderson Press

Volume 1, No. 4. December 10 - December 30, 2010. It doesn't look like much can be made of the holidays beyond advertisements, because of when this Henderson Press issue was produced, but let's see what there is here:

- There's a story about an uptick in holiday sales in November. I forgot about that. I love the section in this article about Susan Moyer, one half of the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe on 147 Water St. with her sister, Mary Romero, "who made an oatmeal soap bar for her brother 10 years ago because he couldn't find a decent soap for his sensitive skin. From there, soap making grew into a business." I hope there's a full-on profile about Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe in a future issue. I don't know if The Henderson Press would do anything like that, because it would basically be free advertising, but they are part of the community, and there should be much written about the community. Plus, that background story is really interesting. I'm sure there's more to write about it.

And yet, there's a full article in this issue about the opening of Hobby Lobby in the Whitney Ranch Center on Sunset Road and Stephanie Street, so a story about the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe would fit.

- Skyline Restaurant and Casino on 1741 N. Boulder Highway (one block south of Sunset Road), lists in its full-page color ad a $4.95 steak, pork chops, or 16oz. ham special, including eggs, potatoes, and toast, served all day; and "12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!", December 13th to 24th.

- The materials picked up as part of Henderson's Enhanced Recycling Program (which means pickups every week instead of every two weeks) go to a North Las Vegas facility operated by Evergreen Recycling for processing. No griping here about it not being kept local because in Southern Nevada, we're nearly all close enough to be considered local. It doesn't take long to get from Henderson to North Las Vegas and then Las Vegas proper.

- According to Jenny Twitchell's "Family Matters" column, The M Resort apparently has a giant Christmas tree every year.

- At the Henderson Events Plaza, the mayor of Henderson (Andy Hafen in this case, who runs for a second term in 2013) "officiates lighting the" Christmas tree. The calendar listing says "holiday tree," but it's a Christmas tree. There's no problem with that. Too much holiday sensitivity. Diversity's not a burden.

- The theme of 2010's Henderson WinterFest was "Comic Strip Favorites," which included a production of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a Superman gingerbread house, and Garfield and Friends parade floats, among other things.

- When I read an issue of The Henderson Press last year that Mom and Dad had brought home from their trip, I was impressed by reporter Jeremy Twitchell, who went straight into the matter of an article just like any journalist should. No self-conscious word choices, nothing off-track. He did the work and that was that, and became my favorite reporter. I think in later issues (from the point of this fourth issue), he became the publisher. Deservedly so, if that's true. What's amazing is that in this one issue alone, Twitchell wrote six articles and never showed strain in any of them. All professionally written.

- The Seventh Annual Library Tree Lane Fundraiser for Henderson Libraries was their biggest, raising more than the $21,000 brought in in 2009, possibly going over the goal of $25,000.

- I don't think Dr. Robert Fielden's column, "It's Henderson - Of Course!" will last long. His blog, at www.rafi-nevada.com, listed at the bottom of his column, is now a Chinese site, and I doubt his e-mail address, which uses the same address, is still active. Plus, I don't remember seeing his column in the one issue I read last year. Or if it was there, I probably didn't notice it. I'm sure I'll recognize that particular issue when I see it.

- In the coupons section, the Great Harvest Bread Co. is offering three separate coupons: $1 off a loaf of bread, free cookie with any sandwich purchase, and free jam with $20 minimum bread purchase. I like Panera well enough, but I'd like to try something different. Similar as it seems, this looks like it. Panera sure doesn't offer a free cookie with any sandwich purchase.

- At 2132 Boulder Highway (between South Magic Way and Wagon Wheel Drive) is the simply named "A Barber Shop." I don't need anything fancy for a haircut, so it suits me.

- Wildcat Christmas Trees at the Galleria at Sunset Mall offers $5 off any Christmas tree purchase. I hope the next issue will have an article two about what went on at various holiday festivities.

This one issue is 24 pages. Without pulling out the issues of Escape for which I was the interim editor, I think mine had either 18 or 20 pages every week, maybe even 16 because why would they trust a total neophyte to fill 20 pages? Yet I think I did ok, and 24 pages of The Henderson Press is far more interesting than what the Escape section became long after I left, just a repository for the same things year after year. There's no mind creative enough at The Signal to change that.

My favorite thing about reading these back issues, besides learning more and more about my future hometown, is watching the evolution of The Henderson Press. More Jeremy Twitchell will make it even better.

A World of Ideas: Writers Review

I promise my blog won't become a repository of links to my DVD reviews. I've just been pumping them out quick lately. The latest is Bill Moyers' A World of Ideas: Writers.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to, of course, write whatever spurs me on to write, as well as more Henderson Press posts. With there now being a firm time that we'll move, I want to read the rest of the issues of Henderson Press, up to the latest, whenever that might be, and I'm also going to start shrinking my Las Vegas books stack in my room. I've started with Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas by Pete Earley, and I'm thinking of reading The Desert Rose by Larry McMurtry next. I have a combination of novels and nonfiction books, all about Las Vegas. This will serve as a transition to ransacking the Nevada history sections of my local libraries after I become a Henderson resident. I will learn what there is in these books, and then I want to know everything else, everything from the beginning of Nevada. I'm gradually doing the same for New Mexico, for my trips in the years to come, but Nevada takes priority, especially Henderson and Las Vegas.

Tidbits from the Third Issue of The Henderson Press

One of these days I'll write more about my trip to Henderson with my family back in January, hopefully by the time we go again, either in April or a little later. As it stands now, and as it likely will be, we'll probably be residents of Henderson by late August, at least before the new school year starts.

I have a guest post I wrote for Janie Junebug's blog that I want to post, but only after I've written everything I want to about Henderson (including me and Meridith's first movie in Southern Nevada, and the Galleria at Sunset mall), since most of it takes place after we got back, with quick flashbacks to certain points during the trip.

Since I don't feel like writing about any of that tonight, I present what I've learned from the third issue of The Henderson Press, dated November 19 - December 9, 2010. This feels different for me because before we went back to Henderson in January after two years away from Meridith and I, I'd forgotten the layout of Henderson and thought it to be a quaint, peaceful town near Las Vegas, small enough to really feel like a close-knit community. The articles from the previous two issues gave me that impression too, but actually being in Henderson again, I was dead wrong.

It's huge, but it's still peaceful. As busy as certain areas of Henderson can get, they're always welcoming. And I've come to realize that the way The Henderson Press is written is perfect because it does bring Henderson together more closely. The Las Vegas Review-Journal can't possibly report on every single thing going on in Henderson unless it's as big as the police chief of Henderson announcing her retirement last month. For everything else, including that huge story, I go to The Henderson Press. Even as a weekly paper, it's still very thorough.

So here's what I've gleaned from the third issue, Vol. 1, No. 3:

- There's a Veterans Memorial Wall at City Hall. I will visit it, since I want to know all the history of Henderson, including its people.

- There are apparently two Nevada State Railroad Museums: One in Carson City and the other in Boulder City. As of 2011, according to yelp.com reviews, it was still open, but there's no website for the Boulder City one.

- A quarter-page ad at the bottom of page 3 announces an online business directory on The Henderson Press website. It's still there, and I guarantee I'll read every listing. I want to know about all the businesses I might pass by on my way to and from work once I'm there.

- At the time of this issue, the Henderson police department was building a joint training facility with the Boulder City police department.

- Las Vegas Natural History Museum. As long as there's exhibits about Nevada's natural history, I'll be there.

- Nevada State Museum on South Valley View Blvd. in Las Vegas. I want this!

- Phillips Furniture in Henderson sells "clean used furniture," as they advertise. I think I know where I'm going for bookcases hopefully in good condition.

- Henderson has the Henderson Symphony Orchestra, and I will only attend a concert if works by Schubert or Gerswhin are included.

- On South Water Street is an Italian restaurant called Emery's La Barrista. The menu on its website has fettucine alfredo, and, as a resident, I want to find as many great fettucine alfredos as I can.

- A column by Dr. Robert Fielden on page 15 states that "Henderson was built under the Roosevelt administration specifically to manufacture magnesium bombs for World War II in 1942. To keep the plant from being sold off as war surplus after the war ended, the State of Nevada authorized the Colorado River Commission to purchase the facilities. In 1953 the city was incorporated and named and named after Nevada's US senator Charles B. Henderson. Its population then was approximately 7400 people, and the city covered 13 square miles. Today the city has grown to serve more than 250,000 people living within a 94 square mile area." Ok, so it's not as quaint as I thought after two years away from it, but it's still approachable. Not only will I ransack the Nevada history sections of my local libraries after I get a library card, but I also want to know more about Charles B. Henderson.

- I love this final paragraph in Fielden's column: "From time to time, in future pieces I'll report on other influential Henderson pioneers and the role they played in making Henderson the best place in Nevada today for all of us to live." I hope he delivered what he promised in later issues.

- The "Upcoming Events" calendar lists a children's program at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve featuring education about roadrunners and sandwich terns. The website mentions that the "Preserve is home to thousands of migratory waterfowl as well as numerous resident desert birds." It's generally only open until 2 p.m. throughout the year, except for June, July and August, when it's open until noon due to the heat.

- Two and a half pages of coupons. I hope that's still prevalent in current issues.

- In the "Transportation" ads, a 2009 Toyota Corolla Sedan is being offered for $14,967. Findlay Toyota. I should have known it's from a dealership. No used Corollas this time.

- There's also houses listed for rent and for sale, houses that I'll never know because an apartment rental seems much more reasonable. I'd rather someone else fix a fussy toilet for me, costing less than it would if the toilet was in a house.

- Full back page ad for Johnny Mac's. I really want to try their wings.

By the time this move begins to get really serious, I want to have read every single issue up to the latest one. Time to catch up.

Tidbits from the Second Issue of The Henderson Press

It's not enough for me to simply keep on hoping that we soon become residents of Henderson, or, rather, as quick as possible. I'm not any more connected to Las Vegas or Henderson like I want to be. So I've begun pulling books from my Las Vegas stack, reading Fool Me Once by Rick Lax, which I read in one day yesterday, and starting today on Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas by Pete Earley, published in 2000. The year never matters to me because I want to study every decade of Las Vegas, including before it was the Las Vegas we know.

That covers Las Vegas, but what about Henderson? I've drooled over our future apartment, fondly remembered buying that toy flour truck at Smith's in Henderson, and marveled at how much there is near the apartment to explore. I need to strengthen that connection I feel with Henderson. Last October, I wrote an entry about what I had learned from the first issue of The Henderson Press, dated September 23, 2010, but hadn't written about any more issues. That changes now, because while I still wait, I want to not only know more about my future hometown, but to feel even more for it, more excitement, more pleasure that will undoubtedly multiply once I'm there. It's not a matter of eight years in the Santa Clarita Valley making me want anywhere but here. I've been to Henderson before and I love what I saw. I know that I could easily be part of it, finally part of a community in many facets.

From the second issue, which spans October 22 to November 11, 2010 (They were not yet a weekly paper), I've learned:

- There was a dance troupe from the Las Vegas Indian Center called the Red Hand Dance Troupe that performed at the dedication ceremony for the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge which is perched over Hoover Dam. An Indian center seems to me to be further proof that Las Vegas is open to anyone, a great change from the shameful racism in the city in the 1950s.

- The article about the ceremony notes that it was private, with only the O'Callaghan and two Tillman family members and those who worked on the bridge attending, and "a public event was held two days later with nearly 20,000 well-wishers attending." That would have made quite an article. Report what happened, get some quotes from Nevada and Arizona residents, and tourists, and get a sense of the atmosphere of that event as well. But with this being the second issue, I suppose space was at a premium.

- There's a Clark County Museum on South Boulder Highway, which is all about the history of Southern Nevada. Googling it to find out more, I saw a listing for the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum at McCarran International Airport, at 5757 Wayne Newton Boulevard. History never fades here, it seems, and I'm finding more and more to do in Southern Nevada!

- An arson fire caused $300,000 worth of damage to a two-story, five-bedroom, 3-and-1/2 bath house, and even with how short this story is, it's apparent that the reporters care about the stories they write. There are more details in this one story than most that I find in The Signal, which may not be a fair comparison considering how much more Henderson has than the entire Santa Clarita Valley, but if you like where you live, then you care about what goes on in your city and in writing about it too.

- Skyline Restaurant & Casino on North Boulder Highway, offers, at least at the time of this issue, live entertainment every Tuesday through Sunday evening, with Vic Saladino performing in the evenings, and The Dummkopfs performing Thursday and Sunday afternoons. My friend Google tells me that Vic Saladino is a blues musician and The Dummkopfs are a comedy band. I think I'll check out the entertainment there. I want to see what every casino in Henderson offers.

- In the corrections box on page 3 is this: "The Henderson Press corrects its mistakes. Please bring any errors to the attention of Jeannette Carrillo, editor." "Mistakes," "errors," that's fine, but I hope they don't go full force on a thesaurus like that for any same-meaning words that fall close together.

- Also, this issue is "No. 1, Vol. 2."

- Shell has a lube center and car wash on South Boulder Highway at Palo Verde Dr., south of Smith's. It already feels easy to find decent food in Henderson, and it's nice to know that there are more gas stations there than there are here.

- In its efforts to be environmentally friendly, the City of Henderson, according to reporter Jeremy Twitchell (so far my favorite Henderson Press reporter), "is replacing 28,000 street lights with energy-efficient induction lights that are projected to save more than $15 million in energy and maintenance costs over their life." This is the first time I've ever been interested in street lights beyond artistic effect, but then, anything under Henderson jurisdiction has my interest.

- There's a shop called Henderson Hobbies on Water St. I e-mailed the owner, asking about diecast cars and trucks. Even though I'm not there, I want to map out what's available because I plan to buy less online and more in-store to support my town's economy. (At 11:45 p.m.: The e-mail address bounced, which likely means that Henderson Hobbies went out of business.)

- An 11-year-old named Samanatha Chang came up with the winning name for the 6-foot-tall puppy statue at Heritage Bark Park: Barkules (pronounced like "Hercules"). This paragraph was most impressive to me: "Parks Superintendent Doug Guild presented Chang with a certificate of achievement, as well as a prize package. Prizes were co-sponsored by the Galleria at Sunset, Levi Strauss, Tracey Ford Perry Photography, Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas and Rave Motion Pictures.

Galleria at Sunset is the main mall in Henderson, so there was likely a gift certificate for the mall. Levi Strauss, probably jeans were involved. Tracey Ford Perry Photography is billed as "Fine Art Portraits," so undoubtedly a free session. I highly respect how Madame Tussaud's reaches back to Henderson, never forgetting about those who live in the area. And Rave Motion Pictures is a theater chain that has one location in Las Vegas, the Town Square 18 on Las Vegas Boulevard South. Free tickets, I'm sure.

- Downtown Sewing Machine Co., offering sewing machine sales and repairs, at 155 Water Street, Suite 130. You'd never hear about sewing machines here. To me, that's a further sign that Henderson is filled with regular people, with little shallowness. I hope so anyway.

- At Prestige Assisted Living, Henderson City Councilwoman Gerri Schroeder presented a certificate of Congressional Recognition to Sophie Maselko Sojka, who turned 100. In the Santa Clarita Valley, age is to be feared. In Henderson, it's a natural part of life.

- I spotted another ad for Coo Coo's Cafe - "Home of the Funky Monkey Frappe." Instead of waiting until I'm there to find out what's in it, I found the website and the menu. It's a "blended mocha frappe with a whole banana added." I'd try it, but I'd first dive for the "3 Cheese Omelet Quesadilla," which is made with two jumbo eggs, swiss, cheddar and provolone cheeses, and served with salsa, sour cream, and a fruit cup. Sure, it's not enough that our new apartment complex will make me feel like I'm truly home, but this place just has to serve a quesadilla that I'm now craving. I love having such issues.

- The electricity bill at the Lexus of Las Vegas dealership on West Sahara Avenue is $30,000 a month. I always wonder about those bills for casinos.

- Another full-page ad for Johnny Mac's Restaurant & Bar, in business for 28 years, which boasts "the best wings and pizza in town." Meridith's set on trying the wings. I think we all are, since we'll be trying everything in the years to come.

- There's a Hawaiian food truck called Island Breeze. They do events, and they also park outside Island Sushi and Grill on South Eastern Avenue, which supports the business. I'll be there and I'll try Hawaiian tacos.

- There's an Outdoor Picture Show at The Green in The District at Green Valley Ranch (long names, but worth it), which offers free popcorn and Monsters, Inc. on October 29, and Alice in Wonderland on October 30 (It doesn't say which version). It's still going on, and this most recent October they had The Incredibles, Ghostbusters II, and Casper, among other movies. I want to go to at least once next year.

- I know this is a Henderson newspaper, so this is to be expected, but it's nice to see a quarter-page ad from Henderson Libraries with the heading "Your All-Access Pass," touting the library card. There's six locations, including a cubbyhole at the Galleria at Sunset mall, which I will happily hang out at whenever we're there, though not as much as I did at the Valencia library because this is my home mall, so I'll always walk around, enjoying all of it.

- There's two full pages of coupons. Downtown Sewing Machine Co. offers a $10 gift certificate, Skyline Casino is pushing an $8.95 all-you-can-eat large fried shrimp special, the late Henderson Hobbies is giving 10% off all model rockets, and Johnny Mac's has one for $10 for a large one-topping pizza.

- Thinking about needing a car when I get to Henderson, I looked at the nearly full-page car listings and no one at that time is selling a Toyota Corolla. I want one because it's the most comfortable car I've ever been in. The prices on these listings also severely cooled my book-buying habit. I'll have libraries again in Las Vegas and Henderson anyway, but I've got to cut it if I happen to find a reliable-enough vehicle for $4,000-$6,000. Stop laughing. I'm still naive, but I'm learning.

- It's fun looking at the real estate ads because I don't have to think about any of these. We've got that apartment in Henderson, and don't have to worry about any of the costs that would be incurred with these houses. I will pay my share of the rent there, of course, and I'm thinking that when I do move out, I'll seek an apartment, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the same complex, considering that they've got a basketball court and a gym there and the grounds seem very well-maintained from what Mom and Dad have told Meridith and I.

End of the second issue, and that felt really good. I've Tivo'd The Good Wife over the final three weeks before holiday reruns, but haven't watched them yet because my research and my books always get in the way, save for Jeopardy!, The Big Bang Theory and returning interests in The Simpsons and Family Guy, which is when they step aside. They'll also step aside for this, reading all these back issues of The Henderson Press. This I can keep up on much more easily than The Good Wife.