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

After a week of fending off flak about his acceptance of free seats at Las Vegas boxing matches, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., came to the friendly confines of the Review-Journal for a lunch with R-J staffers. Reid was asked if he had ever been to an Ultimate Fighting Championship match. He said he hadn't but he wanted to.

"I would like to do it once, just to see what it's like," the senator, a former middleweight boxer, said. "I'll have to make sure I get the right kind of ticket, though."

MOLLY BALL

STATE REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN PAUL ADAMS NEVER MISSES a chance to take a swipe at Reid. Adams said Reid is grateful to have around the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, who accompanied Reid at an appearance in the valley last week. "Howard Dean is Harry Reid's favorite politician, because if it weren't for Howard Dean, then Harry Reid would say the weirdest things in Washington."

MOLLY BALL

DEFENSE ATTORNEY DOMINIC GENTILE INJECTED A LITTLE LEVITY into a federal court proceeding last week. At a plea hearing Wednesday for his client, Michael Lomonaco, Gentile said he needed to make an "important" correction in a Pretrial Services report regarding his client. "Mr. Lomonaco was raised in Brooklyn, not the Bronx," Gentile told U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson. "You could appreciate the significance of that if you were a Yankees fan."

As the proceeding continued for co-defendant Robert Ubriaco, attorney Mace Yampolsky pointed out an error in his client's Pretrial Services report, which referred to Ubriaco with the pronoun "she." Yampolsky asked Dawson to "take judicial notice" that Ubriaco is a man.

"Certainly by all appearances," Dawson said.

"Or an ugly woman," the defendant added.

CARRI GEER THEVENOT

IF YOU ASK REP. SHELLEY BERKLEY, D-NEV., GROWN-UPS are what's wrong with America.

Berkley was speaking about alternative energy to a group of seventh-graders at Hyde Park Middle School in Las Vegas when one student said she was trying to convince her mother to help the environment by purchasing a hybrid vehicle, but her mother didn't understand.

"The older generation in this country is a bit of a problem right now," Berkley said, drawing laughter from her underage audience.

MOLLY BALL

YOU WON'T FIND THE ELY STATE PRISON IN ZAGAT. But one inmate there gives the food -- or at least portion sizes -- a poor rating. Last week, the inmate sent to the Review-Journal an envelope containing a packet of instant coffee and a coaster-sized blueberry pancake wrapped in plastic. Describing it as an "inadequate pancake," the inmate explained that the prison serves only three of them for breakfast. "I would give a 5-10 year-old kid 5-6 of these lil cakes," the inmate wrote.

Howard Skolnik, deputy director of the Department of Corrections, said a dietician ensures inmates receive an adequate number of calories. "I eat the same food the inmates eat when I go the institutions. I would not say I am obese and I would not say I'm skinny," Skolnik said.

That probably won't quiet the critic. "There is no prison -- jail camp not even any NV Restaurant, no Las Vegas casino nor any Pancake House you will find selling such a pancake in this poorly fashion," the inmate wrote.

DAVID KIHARA