Long before I was mayor of Boulder City, before I was a state legislator, I started a long, rewarding career as a physician. Two of the hardest things about being a doctor is, 1) telling someone that their loved one has died, and 2) sharing news about critical, potentially-fatal conditions.
Opinion
The other day I saw something on how few movie drive-ins there are these days and it got me thinking about my memories of drive-ins.
If you are a homeless veteran, would you care to sleep in an abandoned automobile, in an old vehicle with no heat or A/C?
So the other day, Ron and I were talking about death.
Over the last 200 years, life expectancy worldwide has nearly doubled. Today, many live well into their 80s or 90s and beyond.
There’s just something about December that tends to bring out the good in people. They seem to smile more and think about others more.
The Department of Interior has shied away from imposing a comprehensive conservation plan on Colorado River users, preferring instead that the seven states involved hash out their own agreement to address shortages tied to drought and overallocation.
A few years ago, many readers commented how much they enjoyed my column about holiday baking and requested that I make this an annual tradition. Though my holiday baking has since expanded into the entire month of December so that more family and friends can enjoy the fruits of my labor, the true spirit of the message remains. I promise to stay knee-deep in flour, sugar and spices, and wish all a sweet holiday season and new year.
The Water Police driving around the Las Vegas area looking for residential water waste should have spent more time in Boulder City.
December may be my favorite month. There is something about the holiday season that melts away the responsibilities and pain points of everyday life. Even now that I’m an adult and I’ve peeked behind the curtain of what makes the “magic” of Christmas, I can still appreciate the familiar trappings and wonderment of the holiday season. And I truly believe that nowhere does Christmas quite like Boulder City.
Since I am a writer, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I like words and word games. A favorite at my home is crossword puzzles and today we are celebrating because it has been proclaimed National Crossword Solvers Day.
Last week Boulder City got an unusual Christmas present. With the addition of our new council members, we now have a City Council comprised of individuals entirely different than those in office just a year and a half ago. We’re known for historic preservation. But that’s historic turnover. It’s never happened here before.
As Andy Williams once sang, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
Before launching into the topic of today’s column, I hope you and your family enjoyed a bountiful Thanksgiving celebration featuring togetherness, good food and, perhaps above all else, good health. I am particularly thankful for my wife and family, the many blessings received over the last year and to be counted as a citizen of the United States of America.
Because the Boulder City Review publishes on Thursdays, I get the honor of wishing all of our readers a “Happy Thanksgiving” each year — and this year is no exception.
It was brought up during Saturday’s unveiling of the Shane Patton Memorial Monument as to why Shane’s statue stands 11 feet tall.
Even with the mayor absent the dais was full.
Photos by Ron Eland/Boulder City Review
Long before I was mayor of Boulder City, before I was a state legislator, I started a long, rewarding career as a physician. Two of the hardest things about being a doctor is, 1) telling someone that their loved one has died, and 2) sharing news about critical, potentially-fatal conditions.