I love to read. I think I always have. My memory doesn’t stretch back far enough to recall a time when good books weren’t a part of my life. Our home was filled with them. My parents were readers, so maybe I learned the art of reading by osmosis? If not, then certainly by example. As a toddler, I became a precocious reader. By the time I was four, I was reading a fair amount on my own.
Opinion
Boulder City has a great vision statement. It’s located on the front page of our website: “The City of Boulder City is committed to preserving its status as a small town, with a small-town charm, historical heritage and unique identity, while proactively addressing our needs and enhancing our quality of life.”
OK. So I had originally intended to write about a totally different subject this month. But a glance at the calendar and the death of one of my teen heroes means I am gonna write about Halloween. Kinda. Sorta.
When I sat down to use the word processing program Word, I was accosted by my computer which wanted me to use “Copilot.” I don’t need copilot to compose what many humans have, until recently, been capable of creating, a column in the newspaper. I enjoy crafting my words from my soul, which is consciousness. I’m sure you have a soul too! Hopefully, that doesn’t spook you!
Nov. 7 will mark a year since the ribbon cutting of the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Healing Center and shortly after, the opening of the since renamed school, Amy Ayoub Academy of Hope.
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.
The most important part of what happens in a city council meeting is not always the vote. Sometimes it is something that seems minor at the time. This week, as the council finally voted unanimously to tighten up Boulder City’s notoriously lax leash law, the important part came long before any discussion about the actual law.
There are a couple of things that unite most Nevadans: how people often mispronounce that state’s name and for those who have been around a while, their dislike of the Duke men’s basketball team.
Parents of student athletes playing on Boulder City High School’s football team received a note last Thursday morning from BCHS Principal Amy Wagner informing them that the team’s head coach would be “unavailable” for that night’s playoff game.
It’s a case of making something positive come out of a tragedy.