There was a time when political signs urging folks to vote for certain candidates not only dotted the vacant landscapes, they overwhelmed almost every foot of empty space.
Herb Jaffe
Herb Jaffe was an op-ed columnist and investigative reporter for most of his 39 years at the Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey. His most recent novel, “Double Play,” is available.
hjaffe@cox.net
“Killing coyotes will not remove the threat. If you get rid of a large number of them now, there will only be an explosion of the predators next year, with just as many coyotes as there are at present, if not more.”
The most comprehensive study of individual and property crimes ever undertaken for Sun City and some of its Summerlin surroundings has revealed that the area is safer and more secure than the rest of Clark County, the state of Nevada and the nation as a whole.
The latest character to cross my threshold is Houston Hartwell Reed II, visitor to five continents — including “at least 15 countries” — all due to a proficiency that makes him legendary in the world of professional darts. But he’s better known as Howie Reed to the “Lunch Bunch,” those of us who gather one day each week at a popular pub in downtown Las Vegas.
If you’re committed to traveling Summerlin Parkway on any kind of regular basis, then get used to ongoing traffic snafus, humongous construction equipment, endless lines of orange cones, single-lane traffic and, of course, stop-and-go delays. And it’s going to be that way for another 15 months or so.
It’s one thing for residents of Summerlin to recognize an increase in criminal activity that may warrant closer attention by the Metropolitan Police Department. But it’s another thing for the same residents to recognize that there are effective initiatives they can take on their own to help deter such crimes.
Ask yourself these questions: “Would I give a few hours a week to save the life of a child? … A few hours a week that could provide the child with a voice that would help guarantee fulfillment of hopes and dreams and a life with a promising future?”
One could easily assume that growth in Summerlin’s population has exploded after learning that three new schools, which will eventually accommodate more than 4,000 students, will be opened in the community within the next couple of years.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo is a man of his word. No question about it. And almost 300 residents of Sun City Summerlin can attest to that, especially after hearing Lt. Nick Farese explain how an increased police presence — just as Lombardo promised — has helped ward off the wave of burglaries and robberies that hit the retirement community earlier this year.
The first thing Muhammad Ali did as the limousine slowly crept away from the Passaic County Courthouse in Paterson, N.J., was reach into his pocket and take out a fistful of hundred-dollar bills. He placed the wad into one hand of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter while Carter nervously fingered the gold chain around his neck, which was clasped to a glittering gold medallion. How do I know all this? I was the fly on the wall in that limousine.
If you live in Summerlin or surrounding areas, it should be of comfort to know that the water you drink is clear of even the remotest threat of lead and any other contaminants. And that’s irrespective of whatever some final determination might be about whether there was lead in the water of the old school house in the little town of Goodsprings, located west of Las Vegas.
Sun City Summerlin residents take notice: You can rest assured that the Metropolitan Police Department is doing all it can to ease jittery nerves following a recent crime spree in the community. And that comes as a promise, right from the top cop in Las Vegas.
If this year’s presidential election prospects have you down, turn your attention instead to the bright future ahead of Summerlin: A thriving shopping mecca; plans for a National Hockey League practice facility; and a possible new baseball stadium.
“Go solar”… “Save money and energy”… “Help preserve the environment.” Sound familiar? It should, especially if you’re one of the more than 17,000 Nevadans who got suckered into believing those and other positive catchphrases when you either bought or leased the solar energy panels sitting on your roof.
You might think that any of the glitzy Strip casinos, McCarran International Airport, Hoover Dam, or major overpasses such as the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which spreads across the Colorado River and bypasses the dam, would stand out as being among the most vulnerable sites for a terrorist attack. But there’s another sector that may be even more susceptible: houses of worship.