As ‘dreams’ pop up in Lincoln County, so do hopes for jobs

Savvy Nevadans know to slow down outside Alamo because of the notorious speed trap awaiting the unsavvy.

As I slowed, I almost ran off the road, catching sight to my left of a looming building that certainly hadn't been there the last time I headed north up U.S. 93.

The sign said: "A Cowboy's Dream Bed and Breakfast." But this was no gingerbread Victorian house; it was a large manly building with a Western flair perched atop a hill with a spectacular view of the Pahranagat Valley.

Cheap, it's not. Rooms, including breakfast and dinner, run $500 a night.

Seemed a little pricey for Alamo. (The last time I slept in Alamo, it was at the Meadow Lane Motel for $47, and the bed had history: The late Janet Leigh of "Psycho" fame slept and showered there.)

But this B&B sleeps 18 and is not for random travelers. It's being marketed as a destination spot for those looking for privacy for small-business meetings, corporate retreats or a small wedding. The Web site at www.cowboysdream.com/ shows what $500 gets you.

Most of all, A Cowboy's Dream is Phyllis Frias' loving tribute honoring her late husband, Charlie Frias. "It's a project of the heart," said Mark James, chief executive officer of the Frias taxicab and limo companies.

This B&B opened in July and marked an investment of millions of dollars and created new jobs. Jobs are the missing link in Lincoln County, one of Nevada's poorest counties, but also one of the prettiest.

Having business executives in Alamo may sound odd, but they've been trekking to Alamo since 1999 when Rapport Leadership International began leadership-training conferences there at a site that employs 18 people full time.

Alamo is the first town you reach coming from Las Vegas. But first you blow by Coyote Springs, not a town, but a master-planned community for 159,000 homes, which could be called "The Lobbyist's Dream" in honor of its mastermind, famed lobbyist and Reno attorney Harvey Whittemore. The model homes still aren't up yet, but you do see an impressive entrance and a glimpse of the golf course.

So far Lincoln County hasn't benefited much from Coyote Springs, which straddles Lincoln and Clark counties. However, on Tuesday, BrightSource Energy announced it is expanding by more than one-third a solar power project to be located on the Lincoln County side of Coyote Springs. Best of all, it will create jobs when construction begins next year.

Realtor Janet Leedham explained why there seems to be growth in Lincoln County, yet the population remains flat. There's growth because retirees are moving to Lincoln County. But the population doesn't increase because the younger people leave, especially if they get college degrees, because of the lack of jobs.

"Lincoln County is repopulating itself with a new generation of retirees," said Leedham, who has handled property sales in Lincoln County for 30 years. Well over half of the new residents are from Las Vegas.

Alamo, population 464, just 100 miles from Las Vegas, is popular with people commuting either to Las Vegas or perhaps the Nevada Test Site and is turning into a bedroom community.

Caliente, the railroad town with 1,132 people, has more diversity, is more of a melting pot with better shopping, more places to eat, four distinct seasons and more job opportunities.

Pioche, the mining town with 785 people, offers new subdivisions and 21/2-acre lots, which appeal to those wanting more space.

Panaca, the Mormon pioneer town of 645 people, appeals to those who really want to get out of the rat race or are coming home.

Rachel, population 98, known as a good place to search for aliens, hasn't benefited from the real estate boom.

But all five towns are short on one thing -- job opportunities.

"The best thing for Lincoln County would be the development of small businesses there," Leedham said. "People are looking for jobs that would allow their children to stay in the area. They usually go away to college, but there are not a lot of college-level jobs in Lincoln County. The kids are more likely to come back when they are retired."

Without jobs to keep younger people there, Lincoln County will become more like a free-wheeling retirement community as retirees from Las Vegas migrate north in search of less crime and more peace.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.