T
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Rain, dust cause power outage
Acccumulated dust ana light rain on a transformer caused
a 45-minute to two-hour power outage in Pahrump, Tuesday,
July 22, affecting 2,000 households and businesses.
Roy Bell, line foreman at Valley Electric Association Inc.
(VEA) said the outage began at 8:10 p.m. and lasted until
about 10 p.m. in the areas affected.
He said the outage was centered near Wulfenstein Con-
struction Inc., I 111 So. Highway 160.
Rumors circulating around Pahrump at the time included
everything from a car crashing into a transformer to a direct
lightning strike.
But Bell clarified the matter saying, "Accumulated dust
and light rain on a transformer causedthe outage. A heavy
rain is much better for us. It washes away the dust before it
causes a problem. A light rain is very bad for us, the dust has
accumulated on the pole and acts as a conductor when wet."
No accidents or incidents were reported by various Pahr-
ump Valley authorities.
Law enforcement officers handled traffic at Pahrump's
lone traffic light on Highway 160 and State Route 372.
Downtown business handled last night's power outage in
very different ways.
Continued on page 3
License to benefit youth
Pahrump CCSN center has night of back patting
by Mary Ann McNeiU
Gazette Staff
PAHRUMP--Dan Simmons, coordinator of the Commu-
nity College of Southern Nevada program in Pahrump, spoke
enthusiastically about plans for the college at Tuesday's town
board meeting.
While conceding that he and everyone else involved in
trying to get money for a high-tech learning center out of the
state legislature this year were very disappointed, Simmons
is, nevertheless, delighted that Pahrump is "on the map" now
and in line to get the center in the near future.
"We put four months effort into this. (The effort)
surprised the college (administration). There was no effort
prior to this."
He went on record saying, "We will get a college. We're
really not ready to apply. We need to do some engineering.
We will go back in a year for interim financing to do things
like move gas tanEs on the site, etc.
I spoke to our legislators to thank them for their efforts.
They put forth a tremendous effort. I'm assured...and maybe
I'm gullible sometimes....but they wouldn't have given us
$75,000 unless they wanted to give us a (whole) college."
In line with this sentiment, Simmons said that CCSN
administration has now made his position from part time to
full time status for the fall semester. "It's now my number
one duty to keep (this issue) at the forefront of the commu-
nity."
Charlie Gronda, town board member and liaison to the
legislative task force to get the college, said that the task force
will be dissolved at their next meeting, tentatively set for
August 8. The Friends of the College group will continue on
to raise funds for the effort and to spearhead the high-tech
center's development.
Gary Hollis, town board member, made special mention of
Diana Stiles' efforts. "We all need to thank her. She got over
6,000 signatures and I can' t even get 4,500 for political races."
by Patti Babcock
The business license controversy lives on. At the regular
Tuesday night meeting, theTown Board voted unanimously to
transfer $50,000 from the general fund to establish a special
business license fund. The bulkofthe money will be used to pay
salary and benefits for the business license clerk.
A lengthy discussion revolved around how to allocate the
remaining money, either $12,452 or as much as $18,000.
Chairman Charlotte LeVar suggested it be used strictly by the
business community for promotions and other business en-
hancement.
Board Member Gary Hollis objected saying he understood
it was to be used only for things related to the business license
function. He also objected to collecting excess funds when
business owners are scraping just to get by. objections
paled when he voiced his strongest one: "Our job is not to
create a bureaucracy in government. This is what we have done.
The only thing we have done is create a job in the Town Office.
It doesn't protect the consumer or business. It just adds to
government bureaucracy."
Board Member Bob Little said he was opposed to creating
the fund because the thing was creating a position to sit there
and collect funds. He said he had never seen a job description.
It was suggested the funds could best be utilized for tourism
and economic development, but no consensus was reached.
Board Member Steve Rainbolt said the money could be
held to he used for enforcement. With no support from the
board and saying he agreed with Hollis, Rainbolt made a
motion to set aside the excess funds to be added to the $67,000
fund for the youth/mnlti-purpose center.
