By Christopher Drexel
Wed, Aug 27, 2008 (2:06 p.m.)

So this is what Superman feels like.

With wind rushing in their faces, the desert passing by and spectacular views, people are now able to enjoy Bootleg Canyon from a bird's-eye view.

It's a way no cyclist or hiker has done before — simply slip into a harness and connect to a series of four giant cables, or flightlines, that range in length from 1,150 to 2,546 feet. Think a zip line from "American Gladiators" only much, much longer.

The new attraction, called Bootleg Canyon Flightlines, opened last Friday.

"Everyone wants to fly," said Ian Green, a founder of GreenHeart Conservation Co., which built the flightlines. "There are few people that don't want that experience, but not everyone is comfortable with jumping out of a plane. These are engineered zip lines that are much more about flight. You learn how to travel through the air."

Riders are first taken on a test run — one that is smaller, slower and lower than those encountered in the canyon — where they learn to control their flight.

Initially, riders are encouraged to lie back and point their feet forward to build speed. Once the end approaches, they are instructed to sit up with arms and legs spread apart to slow down. The third and final position to learn is to hang on and brace before hitting the brakes.

"Before they go down, some people are shaking and don't know what to expect," said Scott Stemmer, an ex-Marine and flightline guide. "Then they go down that training line and every single reaction so far has been, 'That was awesome. Let's do it again.'"

After the test flight, the real tour begins. Guests are driven up a narrow, bumpy dirt road close to the top of Bootleg Canyon. From there, it's a 10-minute hike to the top, where they are presented with a panoramic view of Las Vegas, Boulder City and the surrounding mountains. Then it's off to the first flightline.

Before taking off, the sheer height and distance of the cable the riders are about to conquer can be intimidating. And after hopping off the launch platform, riders quickly hit speeds up to 50 mph with the mountains rising on either side.

Keep in mind, there is no windshield. The rush of wind hitting your face is like the blast one feels standing up in a convertible on the freeway.

The actual flight is fast but smooth, and no less a gut-wrenching experience than a standard roller coaster. It provides a thrill, but the true essence of the experience is the perspective that can be obtained nowhere else.

"There is tremendous beauty here. You realize that the higher up you are," said Gary Jenson, a Boulder City resident who got a chance to take a ride before the attraction officially opened. "You can see the canyon from so many different angles. And it accommodates all levels. I saw children go on this ride plus heavy people who you'd expect to have some trouble. But they did just fine."

At the end of each flight, brakes are mounted on the cables, followed by giant springs to ensure riders' safety and rule out a crash. Depending on how fast a rider is going, hitting the brakes carries an impact that ranges from soft to violent, but the guides advise the riders on how to maximize or minimize this, depending on preference. Heavy riders, however, naturally go faster.

After the initial flight, the second and third flightlines carry less of an incline and are slightly slower. The fourth and final flight is the shortest and fastest and is meant to bring the rider back to "Vegas time," Green said. It can reach speeds of up to 60 mph following a quick acceleration.

Green said he hopes the flightlines, or "aerial trails" as he also likes to call them, will attract outdoors enthusiasts as well as those looking for a rush.

"People are usually stuck in an office all week and it's so much fun to get outside and look at nature," said Danielle Stemmer, executive coordinator for the attraction. "There is a great opportunity to see all sorts of animals up here. But you get a great adrenaline rush as well."

Construction of Bootleg Canyon Flightlines began in February and took about five months at a cost of $2 million.

GreenHeart Conservation Co. signed a 30-year concession agreement with Boulder City. The attraction will generate revenue for the city as $10 from every paid rider will go to support Bootleg Canyon Park, Green said.

"There are ground trails and bike trails that are a good benefit but don't generate revenue," Green said. "That"s how we got into these aerial trails. They are very low-footprint and eco friendly. Then we realized we were in Vegas, so we decided to build something beyond. We wanted something that would get people off the Strip and say, 'Let's go to Bootleg Canyon and see what this is all about.'"

Those who don't enjoy the test flight can get a refund. Cost per rider for all four flights plus the test run is $149, and the tour lasts 2 1/2 hours.

Christopher Drexel is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8929 or christopher.drexel@hbcpub.com.

On The Web & Web Video: http://www.flightlineadventures.com

A small plane taking off from the North Las Vegas Airport crashes into a home, killing three people. News 3 has First Response Team coverage from all angles of this deadly crash. News 3's Dan Ball

 offers an explanation as to what happened at the scene.

The pilot and two people were killed as a small-kit aircraft smashed into a home near Lake Mead and Simmons. This raises many questions about the safety of other houses near the North Las Vegas Airport.

Jim Guiry lives across the street. He watched as the plane fell from the sky. "You could hear the engine cutting out," says Jim. "I heard the engine even before I saw the plane. I knew it was going to crash. You could tell by the way the engine sounded."

The experimental aircraft, identified as a rear-propelled velocity, took off from the airport shortly after 6:25 a.m. Within seconds, the pilot radioed the control tower, telling them he was experiencing some sort of trouble and that he was going to crash. Witnesses say the plane appeared to dive directly into the home and burst into flames, killing the pilot and two people living inside.

Airport officials have confirmed that the owner of the aircraft was not piloting the plane when it went down. Names of those involved have not yet been released. But they did confirm that the pilot had spent very little time behind the controls of the experimental aircraft.  

"We had an experimental aircraft with five hours of operations," says Randall Walker, Director of Aviation for Clark County. "This was the first take-off from this airport. Its previous activities had been at Boulder City and the Jean Airport."

News 3's Maria Silva went to the home - or what's left of it. Many there are saying it would have been difficult for someone to survive. While the names of the victims will not known until the information is released by the coroner's office, neighbors say an elderly couple lived there with their son.

As word of this tragic plane crash got out, family and friends rushed to the scene, some finding out the sad news once they arrived. Neighbors who knew the victims say the family's kindness is what they'll remember most. "They would sit in the garage all the time and wave at people," says neighbor Robert Bass. "Sorry that happened to them, especially because they were very nice people."

Many of the nearby neighbors were evacuated. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the probable cause, which could take months.

The FAA says it will also look at factors including the condition of the plane and the pilot's performance. "The first thing we look at is the wreckage and actual accident site, if that's possible," says an FAA spokesperson. "Both the FAA and NTSB will do a closer inspection of the wreckage once it's taken to a salvage yard."

The experimental plane in this crash is similar to the type of plane that killed a former North Las Vegas Airport manager and singer John Denver. The planes come in a kit and you can put them together in your own garage. The one involved in today's crash costs about $28,000 and can reach speeds of up to 210 miles per hour.

News 3's Katherine Whaley visited the North Las Vegas Airport and says this crash has many people asking questions about experimental planes. The crash is just a couple of hours old, but already has sparked new debate about experimental planes.

The question at hand is whether planes like these should be allowed to take off and land at the North Las Vegas Airport. Friday, during a press conference, county air officials expressed their concerns. For the first time, they publicly announced that they will be taking steps to create stricter regulations at urban airports, like in North Las Vegas.

The goal is to keep high risk aircraft and pilots from taking off and landing - including experimental or "kit planes" like the one that crashed, first time pilots, and training aircraft. The ultimate goal is safety - for the pilots, passengers, and the people who live so close to the airport.

"What we ought to do is try to minimize the risks and take the higher risk operations which create the highest probability of a problem. And then move them to an area where they have the least impact," says Randall Walker, Director of Aviation for Clark County.

Of course there are plenty of pilots who do not want any more restrictions on their aircrafts. Aviation officials in Clark County say it will literally take an act of Congress to change the regulations. The director says he plans to meet with Nevada's Congressional representatives to get the ball rolling.

Source: kvbc-tv.com

MOAB, Utah (AP) -- A twin-engine plane crashed and burned near an airport not far from Arches National Park in southeastern Utah, killing all 10 people on board, an official said Saturday.

The plane was fully engulfed in flames when emergency responders arrived late Friday at the site about 2 miles from the Canyonlands Field airport, and there were no survivors, Grand County Sheriff James Nyland said.

The victims including the director of a company with dermatology clinics in three states.

Nyland said the plane had taken off from the airport, about 18 miles northwest of Moab.

Lt. Steve White told KCYN radio in Moab that the plane "pancaked" and skidded along the ground.

The airplane was a King Air A-100, said Mike Fergus, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Seattle. He said that "to the best of our knowledge" no flight plan had been filed for the trip, but he said that isn't unusual.

Representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were expected at the scene Saturday, officials said.

Nyland said the victims were the director of Red Canyon Aesthetics & Medical Spa, a dermatology clinic headquartered in Cedar City, his clinic staff and the pilot.

He identified them as pilot David White; Dr. Lansing Ellsworth; David Goddard; Mandy Johnson; Marcie Tillery, 29; Valerie Imlay, 52; Keith Shumway, 29; Dallon Ellsworth, 24; Camie Vigil, 25; and Cecilee Goddard, 25.

Lansing Ellsworth had recently started a monthly skin clinic in Moab, Nyland said.

Red Canyon Aesthetics has seven clinics in Utah, two in Nevada and one in Page, Ariz., according to the company's Web site.

Retirees turn out in droves to protect safety of students

by Fred Couzens, View News

When the 711 crossing guards in Clark County step out into the crosswalks next week as the new school year begins, they'll be carrying on a tradition that started with the Omaha (Neb.) Police Department in 1923.

Since then, the need to protect young walkers and bikers as they go to and from school hasn't changed, but the level of support for crossing guards surely has.

Take the Metropolitan Police Department's program as an example. It currently has an annual budget of $2.1 million, having grown exponentially during the last 15 years as the Clark County School District expanded in leaps and bounds.

Helen Lawhon, a Metropolitan Police crossing guard supervisor, took over the helm of the program in 1993 and has seen significant changes since then.

"When I started 15 years ago, we had 59 crossing guards and now we have 429," she said. "The difference since then is the increase in traffic and more schools. For us, this year, we're adding three new schools. It's endless."

One thing that hasn't changed too much over the years is the average age of the crossing guard.

A large proportion of those wearing the fluorescent yellow vests and carrying the "Stop" paddle are seniors who have flexible schedules and earn a check too small to live on, but enough to give them a little supplemental income.

"We have 125 crossing guards and 20 relief guards, and most of them are elderly," said Lt. Michael Garner of the Henderson Police Department's Traffic Division. "Our average pay is $9.50 an hour, and after five and 10 years, they get a raise. We even still have a couple of 20-year vets."

The same holds true in North Las Vegas among the city's 121 crossing guards who earn $9 an hour.

"A majority of our folks are retired," said Ronnie Santos, the North Las Vegas Police Department's school crossing guard coordinator. "About 90 percent of our guards are senior citizens, but we do have a few that are housewives."

In Boulder City, though, there's a somewhat lower median age. The city's eight crossing guards, who make $9 an hour, range in age from their 30s to 60s.

Boulder City Police Sgt. Jim Reed said all the city's crossing guards do a fine job, but he singled out the seniors for special praise.

"I welcome retirees because they have the old school work ethic and are under the impression that their job matters," said Reed, head of the department's Traffic Division.

Two of the senior retirees pounding the pavement every morning and afternoon in North Las Vegas are Bill Connor and Eileen Langille, who help students at the year-round Tartan Elementary School make countless trips across the 100-foot-wide intersection of Tropical Parkway at Statz Street.

"Mr. Bill, that's what the kids call me," said Connor, 74, a three-year crossing guard veteran who retired a few years ago as coin department supervisor for the Bell of Pennsylvania telephone company near Pittsburgh.

In addition to escorting children safely across the street, Connor provides other little services when needed.

"I have little children who need a Kleenex; I tie their shoes and adjust their backpacks. We have very few problems on this corner," he said.

Langille, 60, had never had any crossing guard experience until two years ago because she was busy with kids of her own.

"This job is wonderful," said the retired bank teller from Somerville, Mass. "If you love kids, you got to love it. You worry about them as if they were your own."

Each crossing guard has his or her own reasons for seeking the job.

"I'm happy to have something to do," said Connor, who moved to Southern Nevada from Pennsylvania three years ago. "As soon as I got here, I applied for the job, so really, I haven't been out of work.

Langille said, "I miss having kids around; I love children. When I first started out here, I waved to everyone, and the people would wonder if I was telling them to stop or something. Now, if I don't get to them first, they beep or wave to me."

As an indication of how well crossing guards do their job in Clark County, none of the supervisors or coordinators could recall when the last injury or fatality occurred involving a child walking across a guard-protected intersection. Garner recalled that a Henderson crossing guard was killed in the line of duty a long time ago.

Despite the laudable safety record, crossing guards still worry about the increased traffic and unsafe drivers who speed through school zones.

"Your eyes can only be in so many places," said Connor, who noted that some kids jaywalk in both directions near his North Las Vegas intersection -- crossing to get to a convenience store or to save steps getting to the front of the school. "Then you get cars with people on cell phones who don't pay attention. Then you have those who think they're driving on a highway."

No special requirements are needed to be a crossing guard, but all applicants are put through background checks to screen for a criminal record.

All local police departments provide instruction on how to be an effective crossing guard with most departments spending a majority of their training time in the field, on the crosswalk, for a real-life experience.

The first day on the job is usually a memorable experience, guards said.

"I just walked out there like I owned the whole road," Langille recalled. "After a little while, Ronnie (Santos) said, 'You're a natural.' "

All local police departments said they are constantly looking for new crossing guard recruits since seniors and retirees come and go for a variety of reasons, mainly medical.

One change that Langille said she'd like to see made in the crossing guard program is the return of the whistle, which isn't standard issue anymore.

"That would be a good suggestion," she said. "I'm all for bringing back the whistle."

Source: www.viewnews.com/2008/VIEW-Aug-19-Tue-2008/BoulderCity/23291561.html

Somewhere, somehow the governing body of Mesquite has lost its way. Recently the mayor and city council were contemplating completing a Partners In Conservation item relating to the proposed airport land when a representative of that group, also a city employee, suggested that they should wait and receive public input. That seems reasonable and logical. However, the city manager stated that “elected officials are elected to represent.”

A little political history is in order. This country is a democratic republic. That means that the people elect other people to represent them at all four levels of our governing: federal, state, regional and local. At the federal level, the people have the right to contact, either individually or as a group, members of Congress and the President. At the state level, again the people have the right to contact their legislators and governor in the same way, but with the additional methods of initiative, referendum and recall. At the local level, the level which should allow for the highest participation of democracy, the people should have direct access to and control of their community.

However, in Mesquite the people are denied their democratic right to vote on significant issues and capital projects that affect the direction that the community will grow and that affect the citizens pocket books. The proposed new charter memorializes this disparity! People in other cities of Nevada and in other states have the right and obligation to vote on these same type of issues. Boulder City is an excellent example of democracy in action. Mesquite is on the other end of the political scale.

Recently I sent a letter to the governing body, the city attorney and the city manager with suggestions for changes to the proposed city charter which, if taken seriously, will restore the concept of “checks and balances.” Also, it was suggested that sections be added which would allow for initiative, referendum and recall; require a public vote on capital projects over a specified cost; and, establish a civil service board to ensure that politics doesn’t influence the actions of city employees.

Our mayor, city council and city manager constantly remind us that they are working in our “best” interest; that they are striving to ensure that as our population increases sufficient business, employment opportunities and infrastructure is in place to accommodate the projected growth; and, like all good parents, they expect us to follow them without argument.

I would like to see the revolutionary political concept that the founders of our great country created in place and used to the utmost in Mesquite.

Charles W. Wise
Mesquite, NV

Source: thespectrum.com