The Las Vegas City Council passed an ordinance in July banning the feeding of homeless in city parks. In October, Municipal Judge George Assad ruled the ordinance was unconstitutional because it was vague and denied equal protection of the law. Illustration by David Stroud.

JANUARY

A CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD VOTE on the district's new superintendent drew a small protest. Unintentionally bolstering the case for the need to improve education in Southern Nevada, a placard carried by Sulema Ruiz stated trustees Mary Beth Scow, Sheila Moulton and Ruth Johnson "shold" resign.

FEBRUARY

WHAT PRICE DIGNITY? FOR MAYOR OSCAR GOODMAN it's apparently somewhere north of $5,000.

The mayor won a Super Bowl bet with two local morning radio personalities. Had he lost, Goodman would have had to dress up in drag with the help of female impersonator Frank Marino and stand on a street corner.

Despite losing the wager, the radio jocks tried to get Goodman to dress up as Britney Spears anyway by offering a $5,000 donation to a charity of his choice. After some hemming and hawing, Goodman said he'd make the donation with his own money and pass on dressing up as the pop princess.

DAVID MCGRATH SCHWARTZ

MARCH

A PROSPECTIVE JUROR IN THE POLITICAL CORRUPTION CASE of Mary Kincaid-Chauncey and Dario Herrera was asked whether she or family members ever frequent strip clubs. The woman said her husband had visited the clubs. "He only goes when my brother drags him," she said. She then paused and added: "Or so he says."

ADRIENNE PACKER

APRIL

AS SOUTHERN NEVADA'S MOST FAMOUS TORTOISE, Mojave Max draws a lot of attention and affection each spring when he emerges from hibernation and crawls out of his burrow at the Red Rock Canyon visitor center.

But one thing Max doesn't get is access to the female tortoises in the pen next to his. Space is limited in the enclosures, so such conjugal visits are strictly prohibited, said Kathy August, education coordinator for the national conservation area.

"If we did that, we'd be up to our ears in tortoises," she said.

HENRY BREAN

MAY

HER CONSTITUENTS MIGHT BE SURPRISED THAT REP. SHELLEY BERKLEY is now the voice of moderation in her own household.

Ever since her husband, Las Vegas kidney specialist Dr. Lawrence Lehrner, switched parties and became a Democrat, "he's a convert -- he's crazed," said Berkley, D-Nev.

Berkley and Lehrner married in 1999. Her Republican husband was a staple in her speeches, with "Dr. Larry" frequently mentioned as a foil or as evidence of Berkley's open-mindedness.

Berkley said he didn't tell her for more than a month afterward that he had changed his party affiliation. "He said, 'I'm sorry I ruined all your speeches,'" she said.

Berkley said she was shocked. "I said, 'I can't believe I finally convinced you,'" she recalled. "He said, 'It wasn't you. It was Bush -- he lies.'"

Asked why she married a Republican in the first place, Berkley said, "He's a Jewish doctor. How would I explain it to my mother if I didn't?"

MOLLY BALL

JUNE

IS THE CITY REALLY OPPOSED TO FEEDING THE HOMELESS at Huntridge Circle Park?

Neighbors of the Maryland Parkway greenspace have complained about people feeding the homeless at the park, and the city recently cited two volunteers who were distributing hot food there for holding a gathering of more than 25 people without a permit.

When a community meeting was held recently at the park to address the problem, the city provided some snacks, like soda, water and potato chips. As the meeting broke up many apparently homeless individuals were observed taking the free drinks and food.

DAVID MCGRATH SCHWARTZ

JULY

IT'S COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT FIREFIGHTERS WILL BE THERE in an emergency, especially if your measurements are in the vicinity of 36-24-32.

A minor fire broke out at Treasures strip club, sending more than two dozen employees into the parking lot. Many of them were women dressed in skin-tight cocktail uniforms with black fishnet stockings or just bras and panties.

At least 60 firefighters from both the Clark County and Las Vegas fire departments responded to the fire.

To some, it seemed like overkill for a small fire that caused about $15,000 in damage. Asked one cocktail server: "Do they really need this many firemen out here?"

DAVID KIHARA

AUGUST

ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE LEWIS WITTEN FILED CAMPAIGN contribution reports revealing his bid for office is a family-funded effort.

Based on the way Witten reported the several hundred dollars in donations he's received, it appears he assumed those reading the report are also a part of the family. In naming donors, Witten referred to them only as "my parents," "Uncle Les," "Cousin Andrew" and "Uncle Harvey," who, by the way, chipped in $57.77.

SEPTEMBER

THANKS TO THE NEVADA HIGHWAY PATROL'S CAPTURE of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, the Clark County Detention Center was host to one of the country's best-known prisoners. Jeffs' stay was short-lived, however, as he agreed to be extradited to Utah, where he faces charges of rape as an accomplice.

In losing their high-profile prisoner who is reported to have about 75 wives, one wag observed that detention center officials dodged a bullet. They were going to have a heck of a time scheduling all those conjugal visits.

OCTOBER

SPEAKING AT A CLARK COUNTY DEMOCRATS' DINNER, former President Jimmy Carter, whose son Jack was running for U.S. Senate in Nevada, recalled giving a speech at a Methodist college in Japan shortly after he was voted out of office.

Carter said he was grateful for the opportunity: "In those days, I don't know if you remember, it was 1981, and nobody in the United States wanted to hear me speak."

The Japanese audience, listening to Carter through a translator, was attentive, and at the end of the speech Carter told a joke that he didn't consider his best. The audience laughed uproariously. "It was the best response to a joke I'd ever gotten," Carter said, and it left him a little perplexed.

Backstage, Carter said, he pestered the translator to tell him how the joke had been delivered to get such a great reaction. Finally the translator spilled the beans, saying: "I told the audience, 'President Carter told a funny story. Everybody must laugh.'"

MOLLY BALL

NOVEMBER

WHEN GEN. WESLEY CLARK APPEARED IN LAS VEGAS AT A BACKYARD POLITICAL RALLY FOR DEMOCRATS, he probably should have given Harry Reid some advice about avoiding land mines. Before the speeches had begun, Reid wandered through the yard, shaking hands and chatting with supporters. The senator didn't see the pile of dog doo in his path until it was too late. Squish.

"It's worse than in Washington, senator," one supporter joked.

Reid didn't seem to notice at first, even as aides tried to point out his poopy shoe. He finally wiped his sole across the grass a few times and soldiered on, shaking hands and smiling for snapshots. An embarrassed homeowner soon rushed over and picked up what was left with a pooper scooper.

BRIAN HAYNES

DECEMBER

REVIEW-JOURNAL REPORTER PAUL HARASIM TRAVELED TO THE NAVAJO RESERVATION at Shiprock, N.M., to check in on Stanford Washburn, who, with other homeless men, found the strength in November to lift a Cadillac off a young girl in North Las Vegas.

After reading about Washburn's heroics, an anonymous donor paid the Navajo's way home to New Mexico for the holidays.

When Washburn decided to attend a prayer service, Harasim followed. As the reporter, who shaves his head, entered the church with his large western hat in hand, a parishioner called out: "Oh, my, we have a cowboy with us tonight. Let us pray."

During the service, Harasim was asked by an assistant pastor to explain more in detail what Washburn had done. As he arrived at the pulpit, Harasim began by announcing: "By the way, I'm not a cowboy."

To which a Navajo, pointing to the reporter's hairless head, replied: "If you are, you've already been scalped."

PAUL HARASIM