Reporters’ Notebook

WHEN A SWEETS SHOP AT THE PALAZZO HOTEL let the media in to watch the creation of a $750 cupcake, it might have been a good idea to cover up the label on some of the ingredients.

While many of them were very expensive, quite delicious foodstuffs, such as Venezuelan chocolate and Tahitian vanilla caviar, some were otherwise.

A gold dust, for example, that was used to airbrush a couple of fleurs de lis onto some icing as decoration. The label on the bottle of dust warned that it was for decoration only. "Do not eat," it read.

RICHARD LAKE

WHEN THE REVIEW-JOURNAL ASKED FOR STATE RANKINGS of Nevada's worst performing public schools, Kathy St. Clair of the Nevada Department of Education declined to give out the information, saying that only vacationing State Superintendent Keith Rheault could release such information.

"That's above my pay grade," St. Clair said.

JAMES HAUG

OVERHEARD ON THE SCANNER: "That guy needs another cocktail."

THE CHRISTMAS CARD SENT THIS YEAR by Assemblyman Tick Segerblom and his wife wished its recipients "Peace, Joy, a New Governor, and most important, Senator Reid's re-election."

The priorities aside, we think peace and Reid's re-election are mutually exclusive.

LAWRENCE MOWER