Elko Daily Free Press from Elko, Nevada • 20

2 FREE PRESS EXTRA, Elko, Nevada Tuesday, May 20, 1997 City and carried passengers to Los Angeles; the Pioneer diverted at Denver and traveled to Seattle. Last year 461,793 passengers traveled on all three routes combined, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. There were 1,791 passengers either stepping off the train in Elko or boarding the train in 1996. The federal government paid out $222.5 million in subsidies nationwide to keep Amtrak operating this fiscal year, Magliari said. A diesel engine sits as a souvenir of the trains that used to run between Railroad and Commercial Streets where a train depot once existed in downtown Elko.

Today, a tiny booth is the only sign of passenger train service, one on the castbound track, an-. other on the westbound side. noted railroad employment had dropped more than 50 percent in the community since 1940 and no new businesses dependent on rail traffic moved to Elko since the 19(i0s, leaving the once essential railroad tracks downtown a nuisance. L.E. Hoyt, vice-president of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1980, told the National Conference of Mayors that passenger trains were "dodo birds" kept alive by nostalgia buffs.

California Zephyr Effective May 11, the California Zephyr passenger train began running daily through Elko, but at the expense of the Desert Wind and the Pioneer, which have been discontinued. The Desert Wind formerly branched off the Zephyr from Salt Land acquisition costs of the new Union Pacific switching yard east of town, the downtown rail corridor and the new rail right-of-way, amounted to $5.7 million. The project, originally estimated to cost $6 million, ended up costing $43 million, $31.3 million of that the actual cost of building new track and buildings. Some local donations helped augment the federal grant. Elimination of dangerous highway crossings was a goal of the Federal Highway Safety Act of 1973.

Project Lifesaver was part of a pilot railroad relocation project that removed 17 train crossings in Elko. A "Last Train Through Town," celebration was held in November 1983. The engineering report that backed up the reasons for the project Drive It Forever: Lifetime guarantee By Bob Sikorsky Dear Bob: I recently purchased a timing belt from Parts America, which is, I believe, owned by Sears. I was told that this timing belt had a lifetime guarantee. I told them my car manual advises that my belt be changed every 60,000 miles, and asked if their guarantee means that if the belt breaks and damages my engine, it would cover the cost of the repairs.

They declared there was no responsibility on their part for any engine damage. 1 Isn't this irresponsibility on their part to advertise in this manner? J.C., Latham, N.Y. The guarantee covers the belt, not any damage it causes. In other words, they would give you a new belt, but wouldn't pay for any damage caused by the old one breaking. I'U admit that such a "lifetime guarantee" may seem a bit misleading, but if they told you up front that the guarantee doesn't cover any damage caused by belt breakage, then I believe they were being forthright in telling you exactly what the guarantee did and did not cover.

Railroads (continued from Page 1) shipped through Wells to the Central Pacific line by Wells Fargo Co. in 1882, according to the book Nevada's Nurtlteastern Frontier. Development of the Northern Nevada Railway resulted in the loss of some train business from the mines. But Wells continued to prosper shipping freight and boarding passengers, the book states. During the 1950s, however, Wells was stripped of its status as a locomotive helper station, steam engines were removed and replaced by diesel electric locomotives, Harriett Air Field was built along with both highway 40 and highway 93.

"The bad news is that most of the buildings are really beyond salvageable. That's my opinion," said City Councilman Willy Deiss. "We had an ad hoc committee that worked on this for a number of years. We had a small grant. We had an architectural company look at the potential and give us a cost.

It's probably too late for most of the buildings over there." "Until you get into Eureka or Virginia City there's not an intact group of buildings like that in Nevada," Wells resident Robin Boies countered. "I think it's a unique opportunity for tourism." Project Lifesaver Elko officials coordinated Project Lifesaver to redirect the old rail lines from the center of town, along a strip housing the historic Pioneer Hotel, Stockmen's casino, small stores and bars, to new rail lines along the Humboldt River a few blocks away, where bridges over the river could also span the tracks. The project was so named because it would avoid fatalities, when motorists and pedestrians wandered into the path of trains. A $587,000 sound wall was erected to block the noise on the new tracks. This Was Nevada: Dear Bob: Please settle an argument.

I have a 1989 Lincoln and my wife has a 1987 Mercury. When starting both of these cars in cold weather, I always race the engines slightly before backing out of the driveway. This drives the wife up the wall. She claims this procedure will ruin the engine. True? Always look forward to your articles.

W.L., Collinsville, 111. While it may not ruin the engine, it won't do it any good Racing a cold engine before the oil has had time to circulate to all parts of the engine is a prescription for premature and unnecessary wear. Gentle is the byword when the engine is cold (Nevnd Historical Society photo) Children in Virginia City, 1872, costumed for an Independence Day Parade. Dear Bob: The ignition wires were replaced on my car, and it solved a problem I was having. When I paid the bill, I was told that there is no warranty on wires.

Have you ever heard of this? And do I have any recourse if the problem reappears in the near future? Thanks. C.H., Palm Harbor, Fla. If by ignition wires you mean sparkplug wires, then they should have some type of warranty. If by wires you mean ordinary wires, then it is doubtful that tliey are warranted I doubt that you have any recourse if a problem in the wires appears in the near future, but not to worry. If the original problem was due to old, cracked or frayed wires, then you should be set for many years of trouble-free driving.

Remember, too, that most auto-parts stores have a policy that says electrical or electronic parts can't be returned once they are purchased Again, as with the previous question, if they tell you up front that there is no guarantee, then there is no guarantee period Conference on Nevada history By Phillip I. Earl Nevada Historical Society On Tuesday, May 20, the Nevada Historical Society will host the Fifth Biennial Conference on Nevada History at the Reno museum, 1650 N. Virginia Reno. The public is invited without charge. For further information, call (702) 688-1191.

Papers presented at the four previous confer-, ences in Reno and Las Vegas have covered a diversity of traditional and non-traditional topics and guidelines have been established for new approaches to our state's past. Norman Klein, California Academy of the Arts, will deliver the keynote address at 9 a.m., "The Politics of Scripted Spaces: Reno and Las Vegas." Professor Klein has written extensively on such "created environ- mehts" as City Walk in Los' Angeles and Caesars Forum in Las Vegas and is noted in both Europe and America for his highly original insights. A paper by Claytee D. White, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, "The Roles of African-American Women in the Gaming Industry" focuses upon an ethnic and gender element that played a key role in the history of Las Vegas' black community from 1940 through the civil rights struggle of the 1960s and 1970s. Joyce Marshall of UNLV follows with "Opportunity or Opportunism: The Use of Dancers and Showgirls to Promote the Las Vegas Image," which chronicles the history of a phase of Las Vegas's history never before touched by academic historians.

Both papers are based upon oral histories of those involved. In a second session on Tuesday afternoon, "Race and Ethnicity in Nevada, Earnest N. Bracey, Community College of Southern Nevada, Las Dear Bob: Thanks for your very informative column! I wonder if you could help us locate a windshield for a 1962 Mercedes 190SL. We haven't been able to locate a company that can make or get one for us. Any help will be appreciated.

Sincerely, B.L., Massapequa, N.Y. Pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News at your library, bookstore or magazine store. It lists all kinds of parts that are available for older Mercedes vehicles and just about any other car built. My guess is that you will have no problem locating a replacement windshield. Virginia City will be the focus of Ron James, State Historic Preservation Office.

Carson City. Nevada government and politics will be the subject of four papers on Wednesday. Frank Adams will cover the creation of the Nevada State Police in 1908 and Phillip I. Earl, Nevada Historical Society, will speak on county creation and county seat fights. In "Land, Water arid Money in Nevada.

1881 and 1981," Susan I. Filer will offer some observations on Nevada's search for a stable economic base. Michael S. Green, Community College of Southern Nevada, will end this portion of the program with "Games People Play; Politics, the Press and Gaming in the 1978 The final session on Wednesday afternoon, "Perspectives on Nevada's Boom Towns, will feature Peter B. Mires, Kautz Environmental Consultants, on the urban geography of Eureka's Chinese community and Scott Baxter.

UNR, on the anthropology of Gold Hill. Jane Eva Baxter will conclude the conference with some thoughts on children and childhood in Nevada's early mining towns. Plans are afoot to publish these papers in the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly over: the next few years. Watch for them and join us for the conference! Vegas, will speak on the history of Las Vegas' Second Baptist Church, the first African-American congregation in Nevada. Diane E.

Nassir, University of Nevada, Reno, will examine the cultural orientation of Nevada's Latino community in "United States and Nevada in the Twenty-First Century: The Mestizaje Revisited," and the third presentation in this session, "Future Research on Ethnicity in Nevada," by Elmer L. Rusco, UNR, examines current efforts to document minority contributions to the history of the state and sets forth a methodology for future studies. A session on Reno and the Truckee Meadows concludes the first day. It includes a paper by Monique E. Kimball, Kautz Environmental Consultants, on farm and ranch archaeology; a program by Don Wiggins on new emigrant trail research; and a presentation by Seth Polley, UNR, on Bishop Whittaker's School for Girls, 1877-1894, a unique Reno institution.

Peter Bandurrage, director of the Nevada Historical Society, will begin the Wednesday gathering with "The State of the Nevada Historical Society" at 9 a.m. In a session on the Conv stock Lode, Brien Scott Hagen will discuss the evolution of Mark Twain as a writer in the context of social and political life in Virginia City. 1862-64. The history of African-Americans in Questions or comments of general interest should be addressed to Bob Sikorsky, care of this newspaper. jLI K0a "ST97 sephia RS 4 Door Recipe: yv Yr 4O00 EE v-r l'w1 Feiinel-pepper ribs r- 7ij mi jam ne -r 1 1 IKfr '97 Sephia LS 4 Door 77 Th '-f? fP'-fP $1000 NOW Computing: Cure for boredom By Larry Blasko Associated Press Writer School will soon be out, which means the little ones will come dashing home, giddy with freedom and full of energy.

That, as any parent knows, will last for two hours, max, before boredom sets in. If you have a multimedia PC, Microsoft and Scholastic Inc. have a series of diversions, The Magic School Bus, for your kids. They are both entertaining and educational. Scholastic is a large publisher of children's books, and the software takes its theme from a series of books and a PBS television program of the same name.

The two companies have what is described as a "relationship," which must mean that after Microsoft snatches Scholastic's creativity, Bill Gates sends roses, but the resulting software is very, very good. The latest is The Magic School Bus in the Rain Forest. The Magic School Bus flies a class, balanced by race and sex, to the Costa Rican rain forest under the slightly off-balance tutelage of Ms. Frizzle. Almost everything on the screen is a clickable object that will set off an amusing animation or deliver a science fact.

Children explore the rain forest's three main layers the floor, the gaps where trees have fallen, and the canopy. They pick up information on insects, animals, vegetation and the weather, and get a sense of the interdependence of life forms. They also learn of the food, medicines and other products that come from rain forest plants. All of this is done with a fine spirit of fun and with an interface that lets the user determine what happens next without getting lost in the product. A special salute is given to Microsoft and Scholastic because the software has a closed-caption option for the hearing impaired, who are often locked out of software that depends on audio to instruct or advance the story line.

Other software companies, please note. The overall theme of the program is that the kids have to gather samples for the classroom. Fourteen games or activities pop up during the process, and classmates offer multimedia reports. Ralphie, for example, reports on insects while Phoebe handles rain forest products. A typical game is Heli Fly, in which you help a helicopter Damselfly lay eggs, eat spiders, and avoid becoming lunch for a rufous motmot, another creature.

While navigating a scene, children are encouraged to explore. Moving the Field Guide over the forest until the guide flashes will yield the name of the object Or a microphone will flash to offer rain forest sounds. The humor level is well aimed at the intended audience. A lizard named Iggy Wanna offers a flash news report on a fallen tree, Ms. Frizzle is sometimes a pint short of a full gallon, and the animations often have just the right level of goofiness.

Other titles in the series explore dinosaurs, inside the earth, the ocean, the human body and the solar system. All are available in special school editions that include an Educator's Guide. System requirements for the rain forest software: 486SX or better processor, Windows 95, eight megabytes of RAM, double-speed or faster CD-ROM, color monitor and 16-bit sound card. The expected retail price is $34.95. By Associated Press Ribs are welcome whether it's Memorial Day or any day of the grilling season.

And you can add flavor to this slow-roasted favorite by using commercial rubs such as garlic pepper or Cajun seasonings or creating your own special blend. "Any combination of dry ingredients will impart a bold flavor to ribs," says Robin Kline, a registered dietitian and director of the Pork Information Bureau. Homemade rubs can be be blended and kept in the pantry or put together at the last minute. Kline says Scandinavian inspired Fennel Pepper Rub, a combination of black peppercorns, fennel seed, dried sage and salt, will add succulent flavor to grilled ribs. Serve the ribs with billed Cucumber Salad and Red and Yellow Potato Salad with Bacon.

Fennel-Pepper Back Ribs 2 tablespoons black peppercorns 1 tablespoon fennel seed 1 tablespoon dried sage 1 teaspoon salt 1 slab pork back ribs, about 1-12 to 2 pounds In a blender container or spice grinder, blend together well the pepper, fennel, sage and salt. Rub about 2 tablespoons rub, or to taste, over all surfaces of ribs. Store any remaining rub in tightly covered jar. Prepare banked fire in covered kettle-style grill. Grill ribs over indirect heat, turning a couple of times, for about 2 hours, until meat is very tender.

Makes 2 servings. Dilled Cucumber Salad Thinly slice 1 large cucumber, place in shallow bowl with 12 thinly sliced red onion. In small bowl, stir together 13 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 12 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, stirring until all sugar dissolves. Pour over cucumbers and onions; stir in 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dillweed; toss gently. Let sit at room temperature for an hour.

Makes 2 to 3 servings. Red and Yellow Potato Salad with Bacon Peel 1 large red potato and 1 sweet potato; cut each into 12-inch cubes; boil potatoes (or cook in a microwave oven) until just tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, season with salt and pepper, and place in a medium bowl. Whiitk together 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar, 4 teaspoons Dijon-style honey mustard, 12 teaspoon hot pepper sauce and 4 tablespoons olive oil. Fry 3 slices bacon; drain and crumble; toss with potatoes, dressing and 14 cup finely chopped celery.

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