So Pittman Wash Really Does Matter to the Locals

What do you call this?



According to City of Henderson Public Works, it's apparently a big nuisance.

"Some of it is just ground water. The channel has eroded down to the ground water level," says Robert Herr, the Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of Henderson.

He says that erosion is coming dangerously close to sewer lines and has the potential to cause serious damage to the channel in the event of a hundred year flood.

"We have done analysis of different alternatives and they just don't pan out," says Herr.

Take another look at that video. Does that look like "just ground water" to you? Or does it look like a stream that some city engineers want to simply pave over?









I guess that's why so many locals turned out at last night's hearing.

"I think they're probably very surprised that we're all here," says neighbor September Ventura, speaking to the turnout.

Residents are concerned that the current stream that runs through the wash will be paved over and much of the vegetation removed.

"I'm very concerned about the habitat. I love the quail and the bunnies and all the other birds," says neighbor Pat Roberts. "I don't want to see another ugly concrete channel."

I was one of them. I paid attention to what city engineers were saying. I listened as they were building their case for concretization.

I then asked them one important question, a question they would continue to be asked all evening. "Have you considered the alternatives?" Interestingly enough, the only options they ever considered were a trapezoidal concrete channel and a rectangular concrete channel. So all along, the only options they've cared to look at are concrete and even more concrete.

Never mind that articulated concrete blocks may be cheaper and allow for the reintroduction of more native flora. Never mind that gabion upgrades may also be much cheaper and more efficient. And never mind that in Arizona, both Maricopa and Pima Counties have long managed to balance needed flood control with environmental responsibility and sensitivity to neighborhood needs for open space.

That's really all that local residents were asking the City of Henderson last night. We live in Green Valley, we regularly use Pittman Wash, and we don't want to see this great community resource vanish in a sea of concrete.

Last night, hundreds turned out on a warm Wednesday night to speak out. It's clearly not to late to make one's voice heard on this issue.

Mayor Andy Hafen: andy.hafen@cityofhenderson.com

Council Member Gerri Schroder (Ward 1): gerri.schroder@cityofhenderson.com

Council Member Debra March (Ward 2): debra.march@cityofhenderson.com

Council Member Kathleen Boutin (Ward 3): kathleen.boutin@cityofhenderson.com

Council Member Sam Bateman (Ward 4): sam.bateman@cityofhenderson.com

And "like" Project GREEN on Facebook for continued updates on Pittman Wash and what we can do to save one of the last natural riparian habitats in all of Clark County.

Henderson Ward 4: How the Race Was Won

A whole lot of people were surprised last night when the Henderson Ward 4 election was called early for Sam Bateman. I wasn't. In all the times I walked with him, I saw the broad and continually growing support he was gathering throughout town.











It's really one of those success stories one wants to cheer. Sometimes, "Mr. Smith" really can make it to City Hall.

On the First Day of Early Voting...

You've been following along with me as Henderson's remaining city council race has turned ugly. However, those mailers aren't the whole story of what's happening here. In fact, here's a glimpse of what happened on Saturday.





Sam Bateman was walking again. This time, the crew hit Old Henderson... And found some very interesting results.

I only found one house going for "the other guy". On the other hand, one person already voted for Sam by mail and three were planning to vote early that weekend! I even spoke to someone familiar with "the other guy", and he was quite eager... To vote for Sam Bateman.

As I said Friday, I think the "State of Nevada" segment really illuminated the differences of the Ward 4 candidates and the seriousness of the choice we have to make. And to my delight, it was looking like the people I spoke to in Old Henderson on Saturday had been doing their own homework and reaching the same conclusion.

When everyone headed back to the Vons parking lot, the other walkers were sharing similar stories. It was quite fascinating to hear others who got similar results. Perhaps I should have been surprised that voters in the part of town likely most familiar with "the other guy" are voting for Sam... Except that I already started to see this coming.

Final Thoughts Before Early Voting

So early voting begins tomorrow in the final round Clark County municipal elections. As I said earlier this week, it's extremely important for us to participate, as local government is the government that most affects our daily lives. So now, on the eve of early voting, I'd like to make some final comments... And personal endorsements.

Henderson Ward 4 is definitely getting rough & tumble in the home stretch.



We've been seeing the accusations, the lies, the twists & turns, and so much more. I know it's easy to just dismiss it all and succumb to apathy. However, here's why we shouldn't.

Henderson faces difficult budget decisions. We need to think of new ways to bring jobs and businesses to town. We have older neighborhoods that need more TLC, as well as newer areas that can't be forgotten.

Henderson has plenty of challenges, and I think what was said on KNPR's "State of Nevada" yesterday really boils it down well for us. Go ahead and listen to that segment, then tell me which of the candidates actually has good ideas for Henderson, and wants to put some real thought into the work going forward on city council. This is why I will be voting (again) for Sam Bateman in Ward 4. He really seems to get it.

And what I've said about Las Vegas before also continues to stand.





Where does Carolyn Goodman stand on... Well, on ANY issues?! Ralston seemed to be back in touch with his cynical side in suggesting she "knows little, except how to win", but I'm hoping the people of Las Vegas expect more and better out of their mayor.

Now contrast that with this...



And with this segment on KNPR's "State of Nevada" this morning! Again, you tell me who has the ability to turn Las Vegas around and make the city work again. Whether or not you're good at pronouncing her last name, Chris Giunchigliani is very much someone who's interested in actually working for all the people of Las Vegas.

I'll have a couple more endorsements and suggestions up tomorrow morning. And whether or not you agree with my personal endorsements, I hope you vote in this election and make your own voice heard.

The Gloves Come Off...

The municipal campaigns are reaching home stretch, and the gloves are now coming off!



Well, what can I say? It may be "negative", but there is definitely truth to this. Come on... Try to make sense of this!



Why is Carolyn Goodman running? Seriously. I gave her a chance and waited to see what she would offer policy wise. So far, she just seems to be throwing out a whole lot of confusing hot air. I guess this is why she's been avoiding debates with Chris G.

In the mean time here in Henderson, this is getting more attention.





Yep, I finally received it in the mail. And while Mike Mayberry may be throwing a hissy fit over it, he still refuses to talk about whether or not he actually needs $40,000 per year in disability benefits... Or for that matter, whether his "fiscal conservative" platform actually means anything.

(And by the way, I still haven't heard any response from Mayberry's campaign on his explicit endorsement of homophobic and transphobic legislative bigotry.)





Look, I'm usually not one to enjoy negative campaign ads. They can be grating, annoying, and downright demeaning to the ("small d") democratic process. But when candidates refuse to meet with local voters and debate actual issues of substance, this is what ends up happening. Seriously, Carolyn Goodman and Mike Mayberry only have themselves to blame for not offering anything to allow for serious discussion of local policy.

Wait, There's an Election Here?!

Yep, there really is. In fact, early voting starts this weekend. And sadly, I'm wondering if most Henderson and North Las Vegas residents even realize this.

Here in Henderson, I've been talking with neighbors. And while many do seem ready to vote, others forgot that Henderson has municipal elections every odd year (though that may change in the not-too-distant future). For all we know, it may be a small pool of a few thousand Henderson voters that ultimately determine our next City Council Member in Ward 4.









So of course, we're seeing the mail. So far, as you can see above, I've only been receiving positive pro-candidate mailers. I even got a letter from a neighbor in support of Sam Bateman! I thought that was a nice touch.

However, there is a clear choice in this election... And both candidates aren't hesitating to air out those differences.

The last two men standing in the race for Henderson's Ward IV City Council seat have no shortage of experience.

The type and amount of experience that each one considers relevant to the seat that will be decided in the General Election on June 7, however, has emerged as the dividing issue in the campaign.

In many ways, that was to be expected, what with the race pitting former police chief Mike Mayberry - a 29-year veteran of the Henderson Police Department - against the younger Sam Bateman, a Clark County prosecutor and chairman of the Henderson Planning Commission. [...]

"I think I'll bring a new perspective," Bateman said. "Being somebody who's not been in city government for a long time, I can bring a fresh perspective, look at things in a different way and ask questions that other people wouldn't ask." [...]

"I think I'm in a better position, day one going forward, based on the type of issues we deal with on the Planning Commission that are going on in the city right now, to hit the ground running on day one and move forward," Bateman said. "... I think we just need to turn the page, and that's what I represent."

[Mike] Mayberry said he feels a deep connection to the city that has come from the decades in which he has lived and worked in it.

"I truly believe in that old axiom that 'People don't really care how much you know until they know how much you care,'" he said. "I truly want us to be the premiere city in Southern Nevada and I think that with my experience, my background and my being a fiscal conservative, I can help get us there."

Already, we're hearing certain buzzwords and catchy phrases get tossed around, such as "long time", "fiscal conservative", "fresh perspective", and "turn the page". Mayberry has been in Henderson government longer than I've been alive, while Bateman is the "new kid on the block". Bateman isn't afraid to critique past city budget decisions and development plans, while Mayberry boasts of his "institutional knowledge" and support from key local power players.

Mayberry has been endorsed by Mayor Andy Hafen, former County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, "kingmaker" Sig Rogich, and a few others. However, Bateman isn't without his own key supporters. Current County Commissioners Mary Beth Scow and Steve Sisolak, along with outgoing City Council Member Steve Kirk (this vacated seat is the one we're talking about), and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, have endorsed Bateman. For what was supposed to be a sleepy local election, there's a whole lot of star power popping in now!

So what is this election about? And why should we care? Remember, local government is the government we see, feel, talk to, pay, and experience most of the time. Municipal elections may not seem as "sexy" as a big ticket Presidential race, but they are the elections that determine the kind of government we actually deal with every day.

So hopefully, turn out will be better than many are expecting as people realize there is an election starting this weekend (as early voting starts Saturday!) and they need to make up their minds. Before I get into further details on my own thoughts on Henderson Ward 4, I just wanted to make sure anyone else here doesn't forget that we need to vote soon. ;-)