LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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POWER OF THE PRESS REVEALED

About six weeks ago, March 24 "Cozy speed trap exists right round the corner," you published a letter I wrote about an apparent speed trap on the one-mile stretch of road on Hualapai Avenue between Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue.

The results to date:

1. I received a number of positive comments from readers.

2. The tree that obscured the speed sign has been cut back.

3. Vehicles are moving more slowly and within the speed limit.

4. Since you published my letter, I've not seen a single arrest on that road.

-- Dr. Loren Ekroth

Las Vegas

EARTH HOUR SENTIMENTS LINGER PAST 60 MINUTES

I am not and have never been a bully in the school playground sense of the word, as that (reader) accused some of us skeptics "Participating in Earth Hour a matter of choice," April 21.

Rather, I empathize with the underdog.

However, I have never followed the Pavlovian or lemming theories to react to some nut's suggestions, or the head-smashed-in buffalo jump area near Calgary, Canada, where the whole herd jumps off a cliff to their suicide just because the lead buffalo did it.

But, more importantly, in my view is how is one hour going to make much difference? We always have tried to practice conservation year round, 24 hours a day (that would be 365x24=8760 hours).

How many cars were driven that night to observe the spectacle? And, if the Strip moguls really want to help the earth, why don't they dismantle those heat-emitting, distracting neon signs forever?

Just think how many tons of coal that would save. And to be politically correct, they could start relying on all those windmills to power the slot machines. That sure would make Don Quixote happy!

-- Esmael E. Candelaria

Henderson

TEENAGERS, TEXTING A HAZARDOUS COMBINATION

I lived next door to Jordan Kaghazi and he was everything that your article stated, Centennial View, "Teens to live on in tribute," April 21.

The most unfortunate part of his story is the one that isn't being told. I agree with his sister that he didn't really mean to hang himself since he had tried unsuccessfully a few days before, and therein lies the problem.

He e-mailed a girl that he was trying to impress "I tried to hang myself last night and the belt broke."

Her response, "Sorry."

If this girl had recognized that even casual remarks of that kind sent in a text message can be potentially fatal, maybe she would have told her parents or Jordan's parents and he would be alive today.

The schools and parents don't want to face the fact that text messaging among teens is not a good thing. I raised two boys and thank God every day that texting wasn't an issue that I had to deal with. There are lots of these kinds of stories out there and I hope that you, or someone, will do an in-depth piece that might get the attention of the parents who don't pay any attention to what their "children" are reading and writing.

-- Terry Strong

Las Vegas