Opinion

On Oct. 1, with one gruesome and cowardly act, Stephen Paddock made himself a household name and ensured that his legacy would not be short-lived. While this villain acted alone, the heroes surrounding this incident did not. Hundreds of ordinary men and women have shown that deep down they are heroes, including some right here in Boulder City. One of those is Bryan Reid. At one point, Bryan was progressing toward an accounting degree at one of the top accounting universities in the nation. He was on the path to a successful career, but there was one problem: He was bored. His father-in-law came to visit him and, hearing his situation, told him, “You don’t belong at a desk job. You should be in the medical field.” The advice hit home.

The aftermath of the Las Vegas carnage left many of us hurting — spiritually, mentally, emotionally or in combination(s) thereof.

One of my first jobs in the event planning and marketing field was as a special promotions coordinator. The goal was to use the company’s celebrity clientele as brand equity. In other words, my department would exchange services for a photo of the star visiting the business in order to generate a newsworthy mention and ultimately a surge in sales.

Last week my column focused on the fact that our utility rates are still significantly lower than those in nearby communities, notwithstanding rumors to the contrary. Another common theme I’ve heard vocalized lately is that our utility rates have doubled (some even say tripled) since the 2016 rate increases. The important thing to remember here is that there’s a critical difference between the amount rates have increased, on the one hand, and the amount individual utility bills (including yours) may have increased, on the other hand. The two don’t necessarily mirror each other. Let me explain.

Two weeks from today, Boulder City will be holding the first in what we hope is a long series of regularly scheduled town hall meetings designed to encourage informal discussions among citizens, council members and city staff on a variety of subjects. The inaugural meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Elaine K. Smith Center, 700 Wyoming St. At the request of Councilman Warren Harhay, the topic will be utilities.

A mother escorting her ninth-grader approached me and asked, “Can you guarantee my child’s safety here at Airport High School?” I paused as a passenger jet passed overhead en route to nearby Columbia International Airport. My answer was not what she expected from a Lexington County (South Carolina) deputy sheriff: “Ma’am, I cannot guarantee my own safety. That airliner could have malfunctioned and crashed on top of us.”