Remembering those MIAs
mc-opinion
In the late 60s, Cheryl, my future mother-in-law, received a surprise telephone call that changed her life forever.
In just three weeks, millions of families will gather around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving, a time for reflection and for recognizing what is special to you and your family. The past year has been full of challenges and changes for me, and I am sure you have encountered the same. This year, I’ve been thinking about all of the reasons that I am thankful.
“That’s all the good news I have for today. Take good care of yourselves. Take good care of each other. Have a great Andrew J. Mitchell Day!”
According to National Geographic, the first agricultural revolution occurred twelve thousand years ago. During that time, humans moved into long-term settlements thanks to their ability to collect, clean, and store seeds. Fast-forward to today, and the process is no less critical.
With a headline like this, you may be thinking I’m writing about a lost love. If so, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
The last time I filled this space, I talked a little bit about my professional path —if you can even call it a path —that led me to my gig as a reporter here in Boulder City. Without going back into those weeds, the germane part for this story is that, after spending my entire adult life working in newspapers and magazines there was — starting in 2013 — a too-long detour when I was working for Apple.
Employment numbers make up a large part of the economy. Are there many jobs available? Are there many unemployed individuals seeking work? Are they qualified? Veterans are often at the forefront of those seeking work.
Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors in Boulder City. Milder weather is an invitation to gather outside with family and friends and encourages us to venture out and make new acquaintances as well.
Garrett Junior High School’s Flight and Space teacher, Ryan Pusko, invited his brother, Dr. Matthew Pusko, to speak with our sixth-grade students on Friday, Sept. 29. Dr. Pusko teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Engineering and came to inspire and educate our STEM students. Dr. Pusko’s visit was part of an effort from UNLV to expose students to the careers of the future and to ignite their passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
With a focus on maintaining Boulder City’s close-knit community and offering preferred improvements, we are always eager to hear from engaged Boulder City residents. Because of this, I encourage staff to find ways to keep residents involved and active in providing feedback. In the past two years, we’ve made greater use of surveys and suggestion forms to hear what the Boulder City residents would like to experience. Surveys have assisted in many ways, such as confirming the allocation of funds received, gaining a grassy dog park after several years of consideration, and deciding if short-term rentals are appropriate for the city.
This week, I’d like to take some time to appreciate Boulder City’s Utilities Department, which provides power to residential and business customers.
Just about everybody remembers their first car. It was that first real sense of independence while feeling like something between still wanting to watch the occasional Saturday morning cartoon and being an adult.
I moved to Boulder City with my family in 1981, 20 years after the city became incorporated. Boulder City had about 8,000 people at the time while Clark County had less than half a million people. Do 8,000 citizens constitute a small city? I don’t know.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, volunteers donate more than 4.1 billion hours annually, contributing $122.9 billion each year to the U.S. economy.