Have a safe Halloween

Have a safe Halloween

Halloween is coming up in a few days and one of my favorite holidays.  Okay, it’s not a holiday, but it should be. Lucky for us it falls on Nevada Day so it kinda is.

Again I digress to my working days.  I was always shocked to see unescorted children walking around, trick or treating.  Sometimes, I would see small groups of young children walking together without adult supervision.

When I called the parents, their excuse was;

            “It’s our neighborhood, we know everyone here.”

“We thought it was okay because there was a group of kids walking together.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“Is it against the law to go trick or treating?”

Etc., etc.

Halloween has always been a problem for law enforcement and not always because of small, unescorted children.

It’s a pedophile’s dream.  Children walking near the street, or by their house.

If you’re a business owner and someone walks in wearing a mask, what’s your first thought?  So police would get the panic alarm or a call.

Older kids thought it funny to snatch a younger child’s treat bag and run off. 

It terrifies the child and when the treat snatcher get caught, he goes to jail for a felony (larceny from a person).  The first question the officer asks is “where are your parents?”

As a traffic officer, I would respond to scenes involving an auto/pedestrian accident.  Children would indiscriminately walk into traffic and sometimes the driver wouldn’t see them because of the costume, lighting or they were looking at the other costumed revelers.  Again, “where are your parents?”.

These incidents were thankfully few during Halloween but they did happen.

Parents, get you and your children prepared for outing.  Give them the rules;

            Always stay within eyesight and close proximity of each other.

Make sure they have proper name labels, address and phone numbers on their clothing.

Your children should know their address and phone numbers by heart. (You may scoff but you would be amazed how many children don’t know this simple info)

Set a time that you will call it “quits” and have a designated meeting place.

Give each child a whistle to notify you of ANYTHING!!!!

Have reflective clothing or items on.  There are many types of flashing lights available that the kids will love to wear.

Be prepared to call the police if anything suspicious occurs. (Someone in the bushes, same car keeps driving by, etc.)

Inspect the treats your children get before they eat them.  Never let them keep unwrapped treats.  Usually if someone offers “homemade treats”, they will put a label with their address and phone number on them.

Parents, especially check out the listed websites regarding sexual offenders in the area.  Many are not allowed any close contact with children and some CANNOT entice children by decorating their yard for the holidays.

Familywatchdog  nsopw.gov  fbi.gov  nvsexoffenders

Children;

    Always tell your parents where you are going.

            Never enter any home without getting your parent's permission first.

            Never get into any vehicle, unless your parents know and have said it's OK.

            Always wear reflective clothing at night.

            Never approach any house that is not well lit.

Remember anything weird that an adult says or does to you and tell your parents or nearby adults immediately.

Run away from people who offer you candy or other treats or want you to help look for their puppy or kitten.

Scream, run, blow your whistle and fight if anyone tries to grab you or make you to go with them.

             Don't play in areas that you are unfamiliar with.

 Stay on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, always walk facing traffic.

Sounds like a lot but one incident can ruin the night and could cause long term issues to you and your family.  A little prep can prevent any worries and will add to a safe and fun night.

John Vellardita as a lead negotiator for CC Teachers - Really?!

School Union taking another leap…backwards

Clark County Education Association recently hired John Vellardita as a lead negotiator to head in their negotiations with the Clark County School District.

A logical choice?  Maybe, considering he is adept at misguiding and misappropriating.

Last year, Vellardita and 15 other defendants were ordered to pay out over $1.5 million in damages as a result of an investigation and a jury’s decision emanating from a scheme that sabotaged the Service Employees International-United Healthcare Workers West and claims that they were attempting to start a rival organization. (court case)

The trial revealed evidence of:

            A scheme to undermine the well-being of union members.

            The theft and destruction of union documents and property.

A conspiracy to use SEIU-UHW’s money and other resources to start a rival Union, even if it meant harming the very members whose interests they        claimed to represent.   

The jury’s verdict was unanimous, finding Vellardita and 15 others liable.  Vellardita was ordered to pay the largest chunk of the award.

Recently, a local article shows a quote from CCEA President Ruben Murillo that the union is “100% behind” Vellardita because he has no criminal record and “has vast experience in negotiations”. (RJ Story) Nowhere did I see any cites of his “vast experience”.

I’m pretty sure the suit was civil and would never show as a criminal offense, Mr. Murillo.

Vellardito was picked from a pool of 14 candidates and deemed the “best qualified”.  Best qualified as what?

Talk about the “bottom of the barrel”.  What were the qualifications of the other 13 candidates?  What kind of lawsuits were they involved in and how much did they have to pay?  Were they accused of destroying evidence and burglary?  Threatening other employees?

The teacher’s union has historically been deemed inadequate, without “teeth” by the membership, with no respect, support or faith from the teachers. 

What do they have to lose?

The last meeting had 30 teachers in attendance out of 17,000 represented employees.

Clark County School District is ranked the lowest in the nation, and now the union hires someone with less than reputable and documented background to represent the teachers they are meant to protect?

I’m wondering how the arbitrators are going to look at it when they make a decision.

Everything about Vellardita has been laid out, his credibility, integrity, morality for everyone to see and yet he still gets the job?

I spoke with a fellow police academy classmate about some of our fellow recruits.  We knew of their background and witnessed their inadequacies while in the academy as did our Training personnel.  We knew that they were not going to be the type of Police Officers the department was hoping for, yet they graduated, even after causing major problems in the academy and field training.  Years later, those officers were plastered across the paper for committing robberies, attempting suicide, and other embarrassing incidents that cost the department money, time and integrity.

Hopefully, they will look at the hardworking teachers that he will be attempting to represent and not his sullied past as he sits in front of them.

Upcoming Nellis Air Show. Is it safe?

During the last Air Races in Reno, a modified P-51 Mustang crashed into the occupied area of the public viewing area, with a total death toll of 11 so far with several others injured and still in area hospitals.

I know the knee-jerk reactions of officials and politicians and anticipate some new rules and regulations to “protect” the attendees.

I’ve heard rumors about cancelling the event, moving the people back, changing the race course, etc.

All those viewing the race are diehard aviation buffs.  Some current pilots, some old pilots, some with military service time, some not.  They loved the race and wanted to be there.

In comparison, how about auto racing?  Same concept.  Heavily modified vehicles made for speed and handling.  A race course.  Diehard fans.  Close proximity to the action.  Car crashes.  Fans getting hurt or killed. (sp times) (.jcs-group).

Looking at the “Aviation Nation” coming to our own Nellis Air Force Base (NAFB) on November 12^th-13^th, I’m sure there are those wondering about their safety as the aircraft go through the paces. (insert planes pix here)

Just to let you know, I am a huge airplane buff and have been to almost every Aviation Nation event at NAFB. The only safety issues I saw were drivers not paying attention while they looked for parking, pedestrians jaywalking on the roads and walking in front of moving equipment on the tarmac and the “chefs” getting the occasional singed hair while they grilled on the open flames.

“The Reno air races and the Aviation Nation are two of Nevada’s largest aerial events; however they are two completely different types of events.  The Reno mishap occurred during an air race, which is very different from aerial demonstrations which take place at military open houses and civilian air shows” wrote Nellis spokesman Chuck Ramey (RJ Story Nellis Air Show).

Ramey stated further the differences between the air races and the air shows are that the race is “unscripted, dynamic competition while an air show consists of choreographed, highly rehearsed aerial demonstrations”.

The aircraft are required to fly within an “aerial box”, away from the spectators and aircraft cannot fly towards the audience.

No spectator deaths have occurred in 60 years at any military air show.

So, I will see you there on November 12^th-13^th.

Come support our military, past and present.  Great sights, memories, food and photo ops.  And, our own Air Force Thunderbirds!!!  (insert Thunderbirds pix here) (Check out their link to learn about their history and types of planes they’ve used. Thunderbirds)

Oh yeah.  Did I mention, it’s free to get in?

How “EXTREME” do you ride?

How “EXTREME” do you ride?

Last Thursday, September 15^th, a motorcyclist conducting a “wheelie” on I-15 at 100 mph was killed after hitting the guardrail.

In June, a group of motorcyclists in Texas wanted to “honor” their fallen military comrades by conducting acts of extreme riding on a public highway while police watched (Again, policies dictated they could only watch and not chase).

I remember a horrific accident on Sahara, west of Decatur, approximately 2 years ago, involving a motorcyclist traveling at high speeds, while conducting a “wheelie” and colliding with a car, killing the rider instantly with gruesome results.

I observed, on several occasions, a motorcycle traveling northbound on highway 95, with the rider on the bike, backwards, traveling about 85 mph.  On other occasions, it appeared the same bike and rider were NB on the rear wheel at 85 mph.

I’ve been involved in several pursuits with motorcycles (at least when the police were allowed to chase bad guys), that ended up in the riders crashing  or just giving up.  All the pursuits were high speed, and thankfully for the intense training provided by LVMPD, I was able to keep my bike upright, while sometimes the other riders couldn’t.

One pursuit involved a “bulletbike” that I definitely couldn’t keep up with.  The rider ditched me in a neighborhood and by the time I approached the neighborhood, he had turned around and was headed the opposite way, but without a helmet this time.  Later, when he was caught trying to ditch his bike in a casino’s employee’s parking lot, I asked him what had happened to his helmet.  He said at one point he was traveling about 175 mph and looked back to see how far behind I was, and the force of the wind at that speed ripped the helmet from his head. 

While seeing firsthand some of the “extreme” riders here in Vegas, I noticed most of their stunts were low speed and if they did have a accident, it usually involved some sort of road rash, MAYBE a broken bone. 

Other motorcycle riders feel that the stunt riders showing off on the public roadways gives the rest of the recreational riders a bad name, and even state they deserve the punishment administered by the asphalt.

The comment section on the local papers article of the most recent death on I-15 revealed a harsh discontentment for stunt riders, even wishing further harm to the riders.

While a lot of riders do so for recreation, I don’t believe it fair to judge the rest of us based on the mistakes of a few. 

The local rider’s safety courses at the community college and the dealerships have been busy and productive in producing safe and sane riders.

Many laud the bike’s ability to get great gas mileage, provide fun, transportation and a stress relieving experience.

Those who chose to show off on the streets and run from the police always pay their dues, one way or the other.

Oh yeah.  They can’t outrun the radio (maybe this radio, you can.  Check the archives of www.VegasNewsReview.com on the “Speak and Spell” article) or the chopper…

As far the people wishing ill will on certain riders, I think it’s a jealousy issue.

Do bus stops have a “bullseye” on them?

Many of us use the bus transit system for convenience, economy, or just don’t have a choice.  For the most part, the system works and is on schedule.

What’s not on schedule is what could happen while waiting at a bus stop.

There are myriads of stories across the nation about impaired or just errant drivers slamming into bus stops while people are waiting, sometimes with fatal results.

Just here, the average of accidents involving bus stops are approximately 50 a year with fatalities a rare occurrence.

But here are a few examples;

July 2008, Steven N. Murray left the roadway and hit the bus stop at Flamingo and Boulder Highway, killing one female and severely injuring the other (She lost both legs as a result). (read more)

March 2005, Veronica Schmidt slammed into a bus stop at Rock Springs Rd and Smoke Ranch, killing three juveniles and an adult. She was under the influence of Xanax.  www.8newsnow.com 

May 2004, Nicolas Serrano-Villagrana killed a four year old and injured two others when he hit them as they waited at a shelter at Eastern and 95. (lvsun.com)  Nicolas had a history of driving while drunk.

December 2003, Christmas Day, Bruce L. Kirton was killed at a bus stop as a vehicle ran a red light.

October 2002, John Wan died while standing at a bus stop at Charleston and Fremont after being struck by a drunk driver.

Many of the drivers have been drinking while a few have been dosed with prescription medications, or both.  Some of the drivers left the scene of the collision.

The pedestrians that were injured or killed were not intoxicated, and just happened to be victims of the wrong place at the wrong time.

Legislation has suggested moving the bus stops farther from the roadway, possibly in a separate bus lane, in addition to the travel lanes.

How about placing some sort of barrier around the stop to protect the occupants, such as the yellow poles (word of the day, “bollards”) that frequent many a parking lot?  

The public transportation system does benefit from grants given by the government to assist the companies to run more efficiently, why not more safely?

I’m actually surprised, due to the litigious nature of our society, that someone has not sued the transportation company for such a reason.

Many of the busses, if not all, now have a video recording device that records the action from the driver’s point of view.  That recording can be reviewed by the company’s risk management staff and has come in handy in many of my accident investigations.

I’ve heard citizens complain about intersections that need more traffic control devices and have been told that more deaths need to occur at that location before it would be considered.

Haven’t we had enough at our bus stops?

Las Vegas Metro protects Sr. Posts and Demands 8 Million in Cuts - Really?!

Who’s supposed to tighten whose belt?

Sheriff Gillespie recently addressed his constituents at a LVMPD “ACTION” meeting and again, told them that everyone needed to “tighten their belts” due to another eight million dollar that needs to be trimmed off of current Metro spending.

Right after that meeting, LVMPD announced that Greg McCurdy would be promoted to Assistant Sheriff, a position that was soon to be vacant, but many critics have deemed unnecessary as there are two assistant sheriffs already in place.

Rumor mill has generated stories about other administrative officials planning on retiring but deciding on other positions in Metro, running into roadblocks during the plan to retire, etc.  So why was McCurdy promoted if Metro is trying to trim their budget?

Some say of his whining about not getting the job.  He had anticipated getting the job and, I’m sure, let down after initially not getting the notice.

He has had his share of internal investigations and not the most reputable person in Metro’s arsenal to be promoted.

How about the “Chief of Staff” position exclusively formed to position Kathleen O’Connor in the family tree, next to the sheriff?  Never had a Chief of Staff before.

Metro has been criticized numerous times due to the excessive, top heavy administration of the department, and now they are actually forming new positions for the “good ole boy” group.

What is the purpose of the new positions and promotions?

Clark County population is steadily decreasing.

Metro is looking at reducing the pay and benefits of personnel.

LVMPD has been losing senior officers  to retirement at a record pace and not replacing them.

Nevada has THE highest employment rate in the country.

The city and county are hounding LVMPD to cut costs, due in part to lacking property tax incomes.

Yet, Metro has a new “headquarters” that will cost approximately 367 million dollars in rent, 300 percent more than what they were paying before they moved into the building.

Oh yeah, they have to staff security for the new buildings at a cost of 42 officers off the streets (not in initial cost of building or Metro’s budget).

Some of the “residents” in the new building have aversions to the colors in their new offices and had them repainted, at an additional cost.

Other additional modifications were done to placate the staff after the building was completed.

Brand new furniture was purchased for all the offices.

The old, but still functional, furniture and equipment was either thrown or given away.

The civilians and officers of LVMPD have cinched their belts as tight as they can, but the level of arrogance shown by the administration in face of that is atrocious.

What’s next? 

We don’t have any “Generals”…

NFL - Sunday Family Fights?!

I went to a football game and a hockey fight broke out, in the stands.

This year seems to be the year for the fans to be fighting, not the players.

Five months ago, a San Francisco Giants fan was beaten severely outside the Dodger’s Stadium after a game, leaving him severely brain damaged (espn.).

Last Sunday, during several pre-season games, fights erupted in the stands and in the parking lots.  One was captured on video by another fan at Giants Stadium.

Another fight occurred in San Francisco and viewed on the major networks. Several sustained major injuries and also gunshot wounds (abcnews).

One of the fans that was shot (multiple times) was wearing a t-shirt that was emblazoned with “F*%k the niners”.

At the Giants/Ravens game, one fan took on three of the opposing teams fans, all on video (nbcsports).

While watching the videos, it was apparent that many were cheering on the fighters, and some were attempting to remove themselves from the melee, along with their children.

So much for family entertainment.

So what’s next?

Ban sales and possession of alcohol at the stadiums?

No wearing of the team’s “colors”?

Determining which team you will be rooting for before you are sold a ticket?

Extra security?

Higher ticket prices because they had to hire extra security and can’t sell alcohol?

No team tattoos exposed?

During one of the videoed fights, I watched as one fan was trying desperately to save his beer.

I guess a food fight is completely out.  Crap.  If I had to pay $25.00 for a hotdog and a beer, I wouldn’t be flinging it around either.  So, I guess the food concessions are safe as long as they serve something other than beer.

It’s a shame that the some of the fans that have made it a tradition to bring their family to the games, year after year, sharing family time will now have to consider if it is safe to dress your children in a neutral color, whether or not to take them to a game and maybe not going at all.

Think that will affect ticket sales?

81 year old scalds her crotch and gets $2.9 mil - Good ol Stella

Not only does she make history by spilling hot coffee (after she took the top off) in her lap after picking it up from a McDonalds and successfully suing and winning $2.9 million. She also has changed the industry standards by companies putting a warning that the cup that holds the morning libation has “Hot liquid that can burn or scald”. Now we all know that a cup of coffee is hot and we shouldn’t place it in our lap. Really?
She also has the distinction of having outlandish lawsuits named after her, hence the “Stella Awards”.

After reading the following, true, lawsuits, you will definitely be scratching your head.
Here are a few winners from 2010;

A female was awarded $80,000.00 after breaking her ankle tripping over a child who was running amok in a furniture store. The store owner must have been surprised with the decision since the child was her child.
A 19 year old male claimed a $74,000.00 decision plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with his vehicle, breaking it. The male failed to notice that there was a driver in the vehicle while he attempted to steal the hubcaps off the car.

A burglar was leaving a residence he had just burglarized, but was unable to exit the house due to the garage door malfunctioning. He couldn’t re-enter the house as the door to the house locked when it closed. He was forced to sit for eight days in the garage, surviving by eating a bag of dog food and drinking soda. He sued and won $500,000.00 for mental anguish.

An Arkansas man sued his neighbor and won $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bit on the gluteus maximus by the neighbor’s Beagle. Problem was he sued for more but the jury believed that the man antagonized the dog by jumping into the neighbor’s yard and had shot the Beagle repeatedly with a pellet gun.

A Philadelphia restaurant had to pay $113,500.00 to a gal due to her slipping on a soda that was spilled on the floor, breaking her tailbone. Sorry. The soda wasn’t spilled on the floor. It had been thrown by the gal who threw it at her boyfriend, 30 seconds earlier before she slipped.

The owner of a nightclub in Delaware was sued and had to pay $12,000.00, plus medical after a female broke out her two front teeth in his club. How’d she do that? She tried to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge by climbing through a bathroom window.

I think we have all heard this story. An Oklahoma woman was awarded $1,750,000.00 plus a new Winnebago motor home. Why? She was driving her mew 32 foot motorhome at 70 mph and set the cruise control. She left the driver’s seat to go into the back to fix herself a sandwich. You know what happened. Winnebago actually changed their owner’s manuals just in case this woman’s relatives decide to buy a motorhome.

Really? REALLY?

First Responders UN-INVITED to 911 Ceremony's - Really?!

First responders excluded from 9/11 ceremony?

With the 10^th anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks on the United States soil approaching, New York has been planning a commemoration ceremony to pay respects to the victims of cowardly attacks.

Of those victims, approximately 3,000 emergency personnel were the first responders to the chaotic scenes, dragging out survivors and the dead, treating the injured, exposed to toxic dust and debris that to this day has caused medical problems and death for several of the responders.

The number of first responders that have died, and those that have died because of the 9/11 attack are continuing to increase steadily (climbing to near 1,000 total); you would think that the politicians planning this event would have emergency personnel well represented, placed on a podium and prepared to receive the accolades they so richly deserve.

They were not even invited. (read here)

Several of the emergency personnel exposed to the toxic dust from the collapsed buildings have developed different types of medical maladies, most of them types of cancer.  (read more)

Some have been shunned by their own medical insurance and denied treatment for their ailments.  One victim, who has since passed away, was even accused that his problems were due to drug abuse.  That accusation apparently was retracted.

When confronted with this omission, a spokesman stated that the ceremony was for “victim’s families”. He also cited time and space constraints were an issue and that first responders would get recognized “at different places and times”.

Sounds like the only issue is politicians with interest in their own agenda.

Oh yeah.  First responders weren’t been invited to ANY of the first 9 ceremonies either.

I guess when you suffer as a result of being on the job and helping an entire city during a time of crisis, and pay the ultimate price or suffer long term effects because of it, you aren’t a “victim” and your family shouldn’t be invited.

I guess someone “did forget”.

Traffic perceptions and misconceptions

I’ve received several requests for traffic related articles due to, ahem, colorfully descriptive drivers in Las Vegas.  While the list is long and distinguished, traffic laws are sometimes definitive and a lot of times vague.  Even the people who enforce the law have a difficult time deciphering the meanings.

Here’s a few of the public’s perceptions and misconceptions of some traffic related issues;

Stop.  Webster’s dictionary states: to cease activity or operation, to cease to move on.

Stop means STOP!  Red lights, stop signs all mean stop.  No “California” stops, rolling through the intersection without coming to a complete stop.  Slowing down does not constitute a stop. 

Right turn on RED.  See above.   While acceptable to turn right on a red light (unless the posted sign says “No right turn on red”), you must come to a COMPLETE stop. 

U-turns.  The only time you cannot make a U-turn is if there is a posted sign indicating no U-turn.  Pay attention to the striping in the roadway as some do not allow any types of turns across them, such as double yellow. 

The cameras mounted on the traffic signals are not red light cameras.  And they don’t record the intersection.  They are used to monitor the traffic flow so the signals can be adjusted for maximum traffic efficiency, when needed.  So if you are involved in an accident, don’t ask the investigating officer to “pull the tape” or “check the camera”.

Asking to see the radar gun if stopped for speeding.  Officers do not have to show you the radar gun, if they used one, if you are being cited for speeding.  Radar is used to verify a visual estimation of your speed.  So, the officer doesn’t even need a radar gun to cite you.  The officer also may have paced you with his vehicle.  The officer has to deal with other traffic on the roadway while dealing with you and doesn’t need to be waltzing back and forth between his vehicle and yours unnecessarily or having you walking to his vehicle.

If I was asked for my radar gun, and it was safe to do so, I would unplug it and bring it to the driver’s window.  Of course, the display was off by then.

If you rear-end someone, you’re going to be at fault 99% of the time.  When investigating vehicle collisions involving rear enders, the occasional excuse would be “he stopped for no reason” or “he braked abruptly and I couldn’t stop in time”.  There really is no excuse for rear ending someone.  You’re either following too close or not paying attention. 

Here’s a typical argument from an at fault driver who caused a rear end collision;

Driver; “I was not following him too close, officer”

Officer; “Then why did you rear end him?”

Driver; “Because he stopped too quickly”

Officer; “So, you couldn’t stop in time?”

Driver; “Exactly”

Officer; “So you didn’t have enough time to react and stop your vehicle in time, right?”

Driver; “Yes”

Officer; “So you were following too closely”

Driver; “No, I wasn’t”

Officer; “Sigh”

If you are stopped for a violation or you find out you are at fault for an accident, a meltdown at the scene is definitely not going to help your case.   Getting out and throwing a tantrum will get you the attention of others and you may become responsible for other accidents, possibly getting you another citation or worse.  The officer will give you a copy of your citation and explain by you signing, you are not admitting guilt.  Which means you can go to court to dispute the violation.  

If you refuse to sign, you are saying you want to see the judge now.  That requires a trip to jail.  Your vehicle impounded.  A mark on your record. If it is the weekend, you may stay for the weekend before seeing the judge.

Really?

And yes, LVMPD motorcycle officers ride Harley-Davidsons.  Metro has one of the largest all Harley motor divisions in the country. 

One of the most common questions we fielded, usually by someone totally adorned with “Harley” t-shirts, “Harley” boots, “Harley” baseball cap, sometime wearing “Harley” leathers was, “Is that a Harley?”

The question of the year is “So, they’re putting Harley motors in those things now?”

Oh.  During the summer months where it reaches an indicated 115 degrees and you pull up next to a motorcycle officer, who is dripping wet, at the intersection, find something else to ask him other than “Aren’t you hot on that thing?”

I’d usually respond with “Yeah, the county’s broke, so they won’t fix the air conditioner on these things”, which always got this response: “Well, that’s BS”.

Sigh.

Support your local school teacher.

With the new school year fast approaching, getting your kids ready for school is a priority.
New clothes and school supplies are at the top of the list to buy.

After talking with parents and teachers, it’s apparent that school supplies are in demand at the school itself. Many of the necessary supplies are paid for, out-of pocket, by the teachers themselves, because they want the children they teach to have a great, fun and productive school year.

Teachers spend much of their free time setting up their classroom to make the children more comfortable and increase their desire to come to school.

If you have any skills that would be useful, I’m sure the teachers would appreciate the help. They need to hang bulletin boards, decorations, etc..

A friend with carpentry skills once built a reading corner consisting of a decorative picket fence and faux front of a house; the kids could sit in the “front” yard of the house and read while in the classroom. Little things like this break up the monotony of the typical day at school and sometimes add that extra touch of inspiration.

With the economy in the toilet and Las Vegas unemployment at the highest in the country, many parents are having a difficult time furnishing the necessities for the school year.
Teachers are very appreciative of any donations that parents can make to the school or even to a specific classroom.

Believe it or not, many teachers love getting gifts of back packs, copy paper, crayons, pencils, paper towels, tissues, colored paper (construction paper), glue, tape, sanitary wipes, spray disinfectant, multi-surface cleaners, scissors (safety, of course), hobby-type supplies (glitter, decorative cutters, etc.) and other items, age appropriate, of course.


Even if your children are not of school age or don’t go to the school in your area, please be generous and support your local school teacher. They are overworked, underpaid (they recently took a massive pay cut), and would love to see that they are supported by the community. They are helping our children with their futures.

So, next visit to the warehouse store or the dollar store, grab a bundle, bushel, pack, gross, peck, pallet, or basketful of school supplies and donate generously to your favorite school or teacher.

Remember, if you can read this, thank a teacher...


You can contact the school in your area for instructions on how to donate or call the Clark County School District at 702-799-5000 or visit Clark County School District site for more info.

School starts August 29th. Bus service registration starts August 8th.

Join the Vegas News Review Team for
 “back to school night”

at Shari’s Diner

August 27th, ~ 5pm to 10pm
Check out with the Mustang & Classic Ford Club of LV
Have dinner and bring a School item to benefit “Lily and Wing Fong” Elementary School

Back to school fairs are as follows:

Meadows Mall: Saturday, August 13th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Boulevard Mall: Saturday, August 20th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Galleria Mall: Saturday, August 27th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Enough is enough

A San Diego police officer was shot, as he sat in his cruiser, at a stoplight, unaware that the car pulled up next to him had been involved in a shooting earlier.  (read article) 

After the suspect vehicle signaled to the officer to get his attention, the passenger in the suspect vehicle fired a shotgun through an open window at close range.

Hours earlier, police had been pursuing the vehicle and had terminated the pursuit due to “high speeds”.

A dangerous felony had been committed, and an inherent danger to the public was very apparent.

Most of the suspects I’ve encountered that flee from the police usually incorporate some sort of speed, usually high, to get away from the police, whether on foot or with a vehicle.

Many police departments, including LVMPD, have instituted policies restricting officers from pursuing vehicles, usually based on the type of crimes known to have been committed.  Now, they’ve even gone as far to limit foot chases, to prevent injuries.

Most citizens, good and bad know of these policies and restrictions and some now flaunt their ability to avoid being stopped for minor violations, knowing the officer will be disciplined for not following policy if they are stopped.

I’ve heard rumors that some motor vehicle related businesses (motorcycles, street racers), usually clubs of some sort, will post department policy on their walls so the members can see that the local PD has restrictions on pursuits.

Some would say that a person signs up to be an officer, knowing full and well, the dangers of becoming an officer. 

When most people sign up to be a member of the law enforcement community, they do so as part of the “Sheepdog” mentality, to protect the flock and to confront the wolf, head on.

Departments are now not allowing the sheepdog mentality to prevail, more likely the sheepish mentality.

Those dangers don’t include sitting at the stop light, minding your own business and getting murdered.

Some say that police pursuits are not necessary.

Really?

Suspects, knowing those policies, routinely drive from police while they are attempting a traffic stop. 

We’ve all seen the craziest police pursuits on TV, with the drivers waving the infamous one-finger wave at the following officers.

In this case, the suspects got away and were able to murder (RIP) a police officer. 

The officer, 36 year old Jeremy Henwood, a 4 year veteran of the San Diego Police Department and United States Marine Corp veteran of 3 overseas tours, might be a husband, father, brother or uncle, just like any other male in your family.  Unfortunately, he was wearing a police uniform.

What is the public going to say when suspects pull up to an unaware family in their vehicle and blast them after a police pursuit was called off because they were driving “too fast”.

Unfortunately, police departments are “damned if they do, and damned if they don’t” and appear to be taking the “damned if we won’t” path.

How long will it take before police apathy will result in rampant crimes due to criminals use and knowledge of the police department’s own policies?

Guess you will be looking at the car next to you at the red light…