Reporter’s Notebook

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A STORY LAST WEEK about funding for English-as-a-second-language programs at Nevada schools drew a sizeable response from readers. But one e-mail in particular raised questions about a related topic: the apparent decline of English as a first language.

Under the subject line “English,” the reader wrote, “Deport the illegal’s ., problem solved.”

LYNNETTE CURTIS

OVERHEARD ON THE SCANNER: “If the duck’s mobile, it’s probably going to go into the lake and I won’t be able to catch it.”

LAS VEGAS MAYOR OSCAR GOODMAN filmed a cameo recently for the upcoming movie “Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel,” a follow-up to the campy “Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes.” The plot follows an openly gay superhero who (spoiler alert!) saves Las Vegas.

They didn’t give him much to say: “Thanks, sir, for saving the city. I am the happiest mayor in the universe, and tell all your friends Vegas is great.”

“It took me five days to remember that,” Goodman said.

As for superheroes saving the city — how about pumping in some water?

ALAN CHOATE

AT A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY on Monday for the new Express Lanes project on Interstate 15, Goodman expounded on having Capriati Construction Corp. do the work.

“You can always get a sandwich at the end of the day,” he quipped, referring to the unrelated Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, home to the Capastrami.

FRANCIS McCABE

OVERHEARD ON THE SCANNER: “He’s taken a baseball bat to the window of his house. We do have him restrained at this time.”

AS NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE SPOKESMAN, Doug Nielsen gets his share of strange questions. So, when he was asked last week whether the public has anything to fear from bighorn sheep using the drinking fountain at a park in Boulder City, he was ready with some helpful advice.

“They always had that saying in the old days: Never drink downstream from your horse.”

HENRY BREAN

DURING A CONFERENCE CALL with reporters Thursday to discuss Nevada’s continued resolve to defeat the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project, Sen. Harry Reid avoided the use of a certain four-letter word: “Loux.”

Reid only referenced “the negatives” without specifically mentioning recent revelations that Nevada’s anti-Yucca agency chief, Bob Loux, had given himself unauthorized raises that lifted his annual pay to more than what the governor makes.

Finally, after some prodding, the senator acknowledged the elephant in the room but still never used its last name.

“I like Bob personally,” Reid said. “It’s not up to me as to what happens to him or his office.”

KEITH ROGERS