Figuring out what to put in his normal column spot wasn't hard - we filled it with advertising. Figuring out something better than what Dennis would provide, is a bit more difficult.

Although I am certainly old enough to be historic, I wouldn't rate myself competent to replace Dennis in the area of history, particularly about Boulder City. After all, he is Boulder City's foremost historian.

Dennis has been my main supplier of information when writing about Boulder City and its history. The help Dennis has provided can be traced back at least a dozen years or more.

Several years ago, when I was working with Bob Crow, owner and publisher of the Boulder City Bulletin, I often called on Dennis to help me fill space. My responsibility was to make sure there was always something on the front page with something left over to fill the blank areas inside.

I have always been impressed with Dennis, not only for his writing ability, but because he is a writer - and there is a difference.

My brother once said to me "Everett, you're a hack." I didn't take that too kindly, but he certainly has more experience in the newspaper business than I do, so I swallowed that piece of news with my pride.

He followed with an explanation that a hack is a working writer who turns out the work time after time over long periods of time. "He does his job," my brother says.

Dennis - you are a Talented Hack and I thank you for your help all these years.