         }
     }
 
-    // replaces any Place in nearbyPlaces with the equivalent Place from eventPlaces if it exists
-    // otherwise just adds the eventPlace to the result
-    // leaving a combination of places with events and places nearby
-    private func union(ofNearbyPlaces nearbyPlaces: [Place]?, andEventPlaces eventPlaces: [Place]?) -> [Place] {
-        var unionOfPlaces = nearbyPlaces ?? []
-        for eventPlace in (eventPlaces ?? []){
-            if let placeIndex = unionOfPlaces.index(of: eventPlace) {
-                unionOfPlaces[placeIndex] = eventPlace
-            } else {
-                unionOfPlaces.append(eventPlace)
-            }
-        }
-        return unionOfPlaces
-    }
-
     func nextPlace(forPlace place: Place) -> Place? {
         return self.placesLock.withReadLock {
             // if the place isn't in the list, make the first item in the list the next item

    weak var delegate: PlacesProviderDelegate?

    private let database = FirebasePlacesDatabase()

    private lazy var sessionManager: AFHTTPSessionManager = {
        let manager = AFHTTPSessionManager(sessionConfiguration: .default)
        manager.responseSerializer = AFHTTPResponseSerializer()
        return manager
    }()

    private lazy var radius: Double = {
        return RemoteConfigKeys.searchRadiusInKm.value

    func index(forPlace place: Place) -> Int? {
        return self.placesLock.withReadLock {
            return placeKeyMap[place.id]
        }
    }

