LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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INVESTMENT IN NEON SIGNS AN UNILLUMINATED VISION

"City placing historic signs along Las Vegas Boulevard," Downtown View, June 2.

For three blocks! $1,000,000 to 1,100,000. Stop and take a look at all those zeros and how much money that really means.

Why not turn Sin City into a worthwhile place? Why not pay city teachers with this money? Let us provide intramural sports programs, which have been cut from the budget. What happened to the Inner City Games for children?

Electric neon signs are not necessary for the survival of the city. That's the problem now -- reckless spending on unwarranted "development."

Our children are an investment in the community. How long do we, as a city, have to be No. 1 as losers?

You want to go down in history? Why not turn around the city's reputation?

Implement (free) home economics classes on cooking and sewing; basic fundamentals, basic survival. Most schools do not teach these subjects any more. Just open up a box and place in microwave. Keeping kids off the streets and active keeps them out of gangs and drugs.

Sponsor something worthwhile, not just gambling, alcohol and prostitution. This is not promoting our history. Acts like $1.1 million for energy-consuming "signs" for their "looks" only ensure our demise. Las Vegas, where are you going?

-- Debra Winn

Las Vegas

RESPECT FOR ROAD SHOULD BE NO. 1 FOR CYCLISTS, MOTORISTS

Herb Jaffe, in his column "Cyclists need to respect rules of road," May 5, Summerlin and Summerlin South Views, provided an anecdote of some illegal and disrespectful behavior by some cyclists who train on Summerlin's streets.

As a citizen, a motorist and a cyclist, I agree completely that all individuals should respect the rules of the road, and do so respectfully. However, I would like to relate another anecdote of disturbing and dangerous motorist behavior that I and a group of cyclists experienced while riding in Sun City Summerlin.

The week following Mr. Jaffe's article, while riding below the speed limit and completely legally in a group, a car slowly and deliberately passed us to our left so closely that it hit one of the riders. The motorist did not stop to see if the rider was injured. This practice is so common that cyclists refer to it as "buzzing." The car continued up the road, "buzzing" other riders ahead of the main group, despite there being ample and sufficient road space to pass safely. Had the rider fallen, such an act could have resulted in substantial injury to the individual and caused a chain-reaction crash among the other riders.

Not only was this "buzzing" dangerous and illegal, but it was also clearly meant to intimidate us. A hit-and-run is a serious offense. Intimidation of cyclists is not a solution.

-- Dr. Matthew S. Lachniet

Las Vegas