Reporters’ Notebook

When Las Vegas officials unveiled special parking meters to collect donations for the homeless last week, Mayor Oscar Goodman and council members Lois Tarkanian and Ricki Barlow all deposited coins in the meter. Just a few each, 75 cents or a dollar or so.

Councilman Steve Wolfson, though, showed up with a bag filled with what looked like two heaping fistfuls of change.

"Somebody told me to bring all the change in my desk drawer, so I did," he said.

There are unconfirmed reports that after the ceremony, several people offered to vacuum his car and rearrange his sofa cushions.

ALAN CHOATE

Candidates for office usually try to distinguish themselves from one another. The two candidates for Clark County clerk need to work on that.

Diana Alba, who was appointed to the office after her predecessor passed away, has this on her campaign website: "Diana has proven herself to be a dedicated public servant who consistently acts with integrity and for the best interest (sic) of the citizens of Clark County."

Gloria Bonaventura, who is challenging Alba, has something very similar on her site: "I have proven that I am a dedicated public servant who consistently acts with integrity and for the best interest (sic) of the citizens of Nevada."

Folks, you pay money for these websites. Make 'em special!

ALAN CHOATE

It's so cute when Los Angeles tries to conserve water!

Southern Nevada residents have been running their sprinklers on assigned days for years now, but when L.A. tried it last June, water officials assigned everyone to the same two days each week instead of staggering the schedule like we do here.

The Los Angeles Times reported the results on Tuesday: The dramatic changes in water pressure between the days when watering was allowed and the days when it wasn't is now being blamed for several spectacular water-main breaks. In one case, the geyser created a sinkhole that swallowed a fire truck.

HENRY BREAN