Why Pittman Wash Matters

At first glance, the end of the Pittman Wash Trail in Henderson may not look all that special... But look closer.





And listen to the sounds below.





These are some of the unique sights and sounds to be found with the stunning flora and fauna of Pittman Wash. But if plans to concretize the wash are finally passed, get used to seeing something like this instead:



I have a confession to make. I live right along the Pittman Wash Trail. I love being able to see this every day.



And frankly, I don't want to lose this as my "extended backyard". And I know I'm not the only one here in the neighborhood who feels this way.

Remember, the proposed project from the Arroyo Grande trailhead (between Santiago and American Pacific) to the railroad trestles is just the first phase of what some city engineers envision as the concretization of the entire wash. It may be this stretch today, then my stretch of the wash tomorrow!

Also remember that Pittman Wash is one of the last six remaining natural riparian habitats left in all of Clark County. What Las Vegas previously ripped out and paved over, it can never reclaim. Why would Henderson want to repeat the past mistakes of Las Vegas and Clark County in destroying natural springs and oases?

So please contact Henderson's City Council members and ask them (politely) to reconsider plans to concretize Pittman Wash, starting with the creek near Arroyo Grande. So far, they have been willing to stop and study this some more. We need to encourage them to continue to do so, and to schedule public hearings so local residents can speak about what we want to see at the wash.

This is such a stunning natural treasure right in the heart of Green Valley. It would be a horrific tragedy to lose it forever.

Want Jobs? Go Green!

(Also at DKos)

Before I hear any more about "job killing enviro-nazis" and "myths of manmade global warming hurting our economy", view this.



Need I say more? Need I go on? OK, I will.

How many of us are thinking twice about our summer travel plans? How many of us are worrying about how much more expensive it is today to drive to work and/or school? And our addiction to fossil fuels isn't what's hurting our economy?

But before I go further, get a load of this.

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has been talking about this concept for a while, arguing that a gasoline tax “would trigger a shift in buying and investment” in clean energy here in the U.S. — a move that would provide a foundation for a reinvigorated economy and reduce Americans’ dependence on oil, particularly from foreign sources.

But despite the fact that little is being done about it legislatively, the general consensus is that America’s dependence on oil also harms U.S. national security. “Bringing down consumption of imported oil is very much in the interest of national security,” noted retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton last month. And indeed, even the U.S. military is acknowledging this reality and taking action [...]

“There are a lot of profound reasons for doing this, but for us at the core it’s practical,” said Ray Mabus, the Navy secretary and a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Yet the Saudis have an obvious interest in keeping America — and the West — addicted to its oil supply. And luckily for them, their mouthpiece in the U.S. gets generous air time to make that case. And seeing that bin Talal is also one of Fox News’s largest shareholders, perhaps he’s rubbing off on some of the network’s most high profile employees. “I love that smell of emissions,” Sarah Palin said this weekend.

We're seeing continued high gas prices as The Middle East is in turmoil. At the same time, the national unemployment rate is still painfully high at 9.1%. What we're doing now really isn't working. Yet even though our addiction to fossil fuels is now coming back to bite us, the Congressional Republicans' proposed federal budget would only worsen this if enacted.

Even business leaders are horrified by this!



Why? Simple. They're not stupid. They know that there is potential for 4.2 million new green collar jobs in the next 30 years, and that the global demand for bold solutions to the climate crisis may actually provide lucrative opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency.





If green jobs are the future, then my home state is at the center of it all. Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country, yet we also have immense opportunities to take the climate bull by the horns and actually revive our economy with new jobs.







Of course, it helps that we have the Senate Majority Leader here working nonstop to bring more green projects here to Nevada and foster more green jobs efforts across the nation. However, our other Senator doesn't seem to be as interested in putting his own people back to work.

[Senator Dean] Heller [R-Fossil Fuel Industry] voted to end Department of Energy loan guarantees for clean energy projects and voted in favor of tax breaks for big oil companies. [Rep. Shelley] Berkley [D-Las Vegas] supported the loan guarantees and opposed the incentives.

Without loan guarantees, renewable energy projects such as a solar-thermal plant being built in Tonopah would be shuttered, Berkley said. The Tonopah project will create 600 jobs.

Berkley said Heller instead sided with oil companies to approve lucrative tax breaks and incentives for the industry.

"Do big oil companies need more tax subsidies?" Berkley asked. "I don't think so. What we need to be doing is putting our resources into creating a whole economy based on green jobs." [...]

"Dean Heller chose who he stands with. He doesn't stand with middle-class Nevadans," electrician Mark Williams said.

"Clean energy is not so much about the environment but (about) property owners saving money and creating jobs," energy efficiency contractor Chris Cadwell added.

In so many ways, the political battles here in Nevada over green jobs reflect the larger national debate over what to do on climate change and job creation. We can no longer continue living in denial. Climate change is real, is happening at an alarming pace, and is emerging as probably the greatest national security challenge of our time. At the same time, our economic problems are also real, and we can not avoid taking real action to invest in our economy and create more jobs.

So if we really want to avoid "double dip recession" and chronically high unemployment, and if we want to finally get off the sidelines and take the lead on pushing real climate solutions, we know what we need to do. So when will we do it?

Betting on Michelin Stars: Bradley Ogden, Simply the Best

(You can find this and more of my reviews at my Urbanspoon page.)

OK, I must admit I was a little afraid of trying this place. I backed out of a reservation for my dad's birthday over a bad review. I was second-guessing myself when I was thinking of the reservation for my birthday (well, the day after, but I celebrated) tonight.

However, all my doubts were thrown out the window once a friend and I went into Bradley Ogden and began to take in the casually elegant ambience. This place is so luxurious, yet so comfortable! And yes, the same goes for the food.

The breads were fresh and interesting. The sourdough tasted like the best I could find in San Francisco. The blue corn muffin was perfectly soft and sweet and delectable. The butter complemented both breads quite well.
We were then served an amuse bouche of shrimp ceviche. Since I'm a vegetarian I couldn't really dig into it, what I could taste seemed refreshing. My friend really seemed to enjoy the small bite of it.

And now for the appetizer. The Maytag Blue Cheese (Mini) Souffles were simply divine! The cranberries, raisins, and candied pecans complemented the souffles quite well. The savory, the tart, and the sweet were brought together beautifully and made for fantastic flavors in this dish.

So what about the entree? I ordered the gnocchi, since it looked interesting. It was a potato gnocchi dish with shaved parmesan, shiitake mushrooms, broccolini, and parmesan foam. And yes, all these ingredients came together exquisitely! Not only did the dish look beautiful, but all the ingredients meshed perfectly. The gnocchi were tender, the veggies were cooked well, and the parmesan added some good tang.

After that great dish, I was ready for something sweet again. And when perusing the dessert menu, the bananas foster cake really stood out. So I ordered it. And I really enjoyed it! The cake was moist and tasty, while the vanilla ice cream was a refreshing complement and the bananas added a lovely fruity touch.

And finally, we were served a complimentary post-dessert sweet bite of butterscotch pudding. This really hit the high note for me, as it was sweet but still satisfying and a fabulous way to end a perfectly fabulous dinner.

The food was fabulous. The service was superb. The wine list was wonderful. And the atmosphere was so charming and cozy and comfortable and still elegant that it was easy for me to forget that I was in the middle of one of The Strip's biggest and baddest (as in badass good!) casinos! What's not to love about Bradley Ogden?

Oh, and by the way, there's no need to feel guilty about eating here. Nearly everything on the menu is "farm-to-table" and organic. And better yet, Caesars Palace and other Harrah's casinos participate in Harrah's Code Green program to shrink their (admittedly large in the not-so-distant past) carbon footprint and do better for Mother Earth.

Bradley Ogden
at Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 731-7731
http://www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/restaurants-dining/bradley-ogden-detail.html