TAKE ME HOME PET BRIEFS FAVORITE SONS & DAUGHTERS YOUR BEST FRIEND VEGAS MEMORIES

"Here?s a photo of my cat Sasquatch," wrote Belinda Boyles of Las Vegas. "He?s a Hemingway polydactyl tabby with 26 toes! Symmetrical and rare! He loves to play fetch like a dog, hides his toys all over our house, especially in our shoes, and he?s the light of our lives. As you can see, he?s proud of his ?thumbs? and shows them off all the time." las vegas news bureauA nuclear blast at the Nevada Test Site is seen from downtown Las Vegas in this photo from the early 1950s. "Here?s a photo of my cat Sasquatch," wrote Belinda Boyles of Las Vegas. "He?s a Hemingway polydactyl tabby with 26 toes! Symmetrical and rare! He loves to play fetch like a dog, hides his toys all over our house, especially in our shoes, and he?s the light of our lives. As you can see, he?s proud of his ?thumbs? and shows them off all the time." Advertisement

NEVADA SPCA

ONLINE SHOPPING BENEFITS SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAMS

Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary has joined forces with Nooters Club, a national provider of pet-lover apparel and gifts, to help raise money for its Las Vegas Valley pet spay/neuter program.

Through the affiliation, Heaven Can Wait will receive 15 percent of sales of Nooters Club merchandise that originates from the group's Web site, www.hcws.org. Visitors to the Heaven Can Wait site simply need to click on a specially designed link that will take them to Nooters Club's online store, where purchases will be logged.

"Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary is delighted to be affiliated with Nooters Club," said Nicole Dutt-Roberts, president of the organization. "We share the goal of promoting spay and neuter and working toward no more homeless pets in our community. We hope a lot of people will buy Nooters Club items and support our efforts here in Las Vegas."

To submit an item to be considered for Pet Briefs, contact Jeannette Carrillo at jcarrillo@viewnews.com. Be sure to include all pertinent information.

Mathew Michalka, 18, has earned Eagle Scout status in the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of Troop 133.

Michalka, a freshman at Texas A&M University, is the son of Paul and Marilyn Michalka of Las Vegas.

Phillip "Jr." Roché, 20, graduated from Universal Technical Institute in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in February.

Roché, who attended high school in California, graduated with honors from the Ford Credential Program. He has begun a career in diesel motors at a local Ford dealership.

Roché enjoys riding ATVs, motor sports, camping, spending time with his family, and playing basketball, in which he earned a high school letter.

He is the son of Phillip and Barbara Roché of Las Vegas.

Erin Elizabeth Hirmke, 21, recently graduated from basic military training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Private Hirmke, the daughter of Suzanne Hirmke of Las Vegas and Calvin Hirmke of Broomfield, Colo., is stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., for AIT training to be a signal and radio communication specialist.

She is student leader and has been placed in advanced classes.

Hirmke attended high school in North Carolina and now resides in Las Vegas.

Beau Haugen, 7, is on the honor role at Thompson Elementary, where he is currently in the second grade.

Beau was also on the honor role last year and has had perfect attendance this year and last.

He is in the accelerated reader program and tested at almost a third-grade reading level by the end of last year.

His teacher says he is an inspiration to his class and that he loves to help other students with their work after he has completed his own.

While he excels at all subjects, Beau's favorite is math.

Beau has played the piano since age 5 and has performed in many recitals.

He has been playing soccer with the National Youth Sports League and enjoys flag and tackle football with the Nevada Youth Football League.

Beau is the son of Todd Haugen and the stepson of Karri Johns, both of Las Vegas.

VEGAS, CIRCA 1952, PART 1

My recollections of Las Vegas go back to late 1951 through June 1952. While in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord, Calif., I was sent out to Camp Desert Rock Nevada in late 1951 on a 40-day, temporary duty assignment as a clerk typist.

Camp Desert Rock provided logistical support for the Nuclear Test Site. Desert Rock was 65 miles north of Las Vegas and built not far from Highway 95.

The earliest occupants bulldozed the ground cover, and the effect of that was that the camp was frequently shrouded in dust. Out at the test sites in Yucca Flats, the military had constructed several trenches to provide cover for those military personnel who would be in the trenches at the time of the nuclear explosion.

As part of the quartermaster team, I, along with others, stood some seven miles away from the blast, wearing dark green glasses with our backs to the test site. When the initial flash was over, we turned toward the test site to observe the ball of fire emanating from the explosion and then the characteristic mushroom cloud. I saw five predawn blasts and can only describe the scene shortly after the blast as a mix of frightening surrealism. I tried not to think of the implications of the sight I was seeing.

The tests, as I recall, took place about once a month. When we weren't preparing for the occasional test, after our daytime work, there was little to do, and our surroundings became depressingly boring.

To provide some sort of relief, the Army provided a shuttle to Las Vegas.

Aside from a bar and small café at Indian Springs, Las Vegas offered at least some entertainment for those of us stuck in the desert. It had a movie theater, a couple of halfway decent restaurants and, of course, my favorite pastime -- gambling.

Most of us had very little money. Our monthly pay was $99, which really didn't make it possible to enjoy a high-quality lifestyle.

My 40-day assignment kept being renewed, and thus I remained a desert rat for about six months.

-- Donald Smallwood Las Vegas

NEVADA SPCA

MABEL

My name is Mabel, and I am a real sweetheart. I love to be brushed and have my tummy rubbed. I can sit in your lap and be your best friend. I am 2 years old, spayed and have all my shots.

Please stop by by Petsmart at 9775 W. Charleston Blvd. and adopt me today.

P.A.W.S (Providing Animals With Support) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to decreasing euthanasia rates at local shelters through spay/neuter programs, public education and the placement of homeless animals in quality homes.

WOODSTOCK

I am a little miracle. Fleeing from an attack by coyotes, I ran into traffic and was struck by a car. I have been in rehabilitation for two months and most of my wounds have healed, though my back leg, which was broken in seven places, cannot be saved. But I am living in the moment, cheerful with those I trust and looking forward to a new, loving home. My name is Woodstock and I am a pomeranian, neutered male, approximately 3 years of age. Please make me your little miracle today.

The Nevada SPCA is a no-kill animal sanctuary located at 4800 W. Dewey Drive in Las Vegas. For more information on animals featured here, visit www.nevadaspca.org, or call 873-7722.