Notes and letters

We began 2019 with a look back — 30 years back, to 1989. That seismic year in Las Vegas history was the subject of our January cover story.

“I dare you to start reading this and put it down (spoiler alert: you won’t).”

Thanks to the time-bending effect of magazine lead time, we’re writing this stadium-story update precisely as the hastily assembled Legislature in Carson City pretends to debate the merits of public financing for the Sheldome.

As Jonathan Swift would surely agree, satire is tricky business; some folks don’t get it, don’t like it — and don’t want to see it in their monthly magazine from Nevada Public Radio.

In our April issue, writer Hugh Jackson examined the funding of corporate charter schools in Nevada. That essay earned him an appearance on the April 28 segment of the Vegas PBS show Ralston Live

We begin with an update: In our August 2014 issue, local newsman George Knapp wrote about the 1981 murder of 18-year-old Jamey Walker, officially unsolved all these years.

“Long article, but worth the read!” That’s Heather Nickens O’Hara reacting on Facebook to Heidi Kyser’s March feature about Las Vegas production-show dancers.

Hey, everyone, it’s a guy from Brumby! Reading Desert Companion! He’s in a picture on Facebook, reading our February edition — “Best of the City,” though surely you haven’t forgotten because how could you?

The new year’s fresh bouquet of Chris Brown headlines (sample: “Chris Brown allegedly punched woman in the eye at Palms hotel in Las Vegas”) nicely underlined Tovin Lapan’s tough piece about alleged celebrity abusers in our January issue.

Heidi Kyser’s Open Topic piece from November, about the bureaucratic horrors of trying to recover her maiden name after getting married, continues to resonate. Particularly with a reader named Michael Farrell Ellsworth, formerly just Michael Farrell — he took his wife’s surname when they were recently married. Why?