Are Republicans right to call Sen. Harry Reid a liar?

Transcription

Are Republicans right to call Sen. Harry Reid a liar?
Gov. Sandoval: Interstate 11
support could become a
presidential campaign issue
PAGE 2
Gaughan Gaming to
oversee operation of
Huntridge Tavern
PAGE 11
Arizona vote moves
gay rights into the
mainstream
Volume 15, Issue 52
PAGE 12
March 45-11, 2014
Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce Member
Plan for pet store puppies not political; includes
paying-pool of people to pick Prince & Princess pets
By Las Vegas Tribune Staff
During the last County Commission meeting the board agreed with
a plan to find homes for the 27 puppies that were saved from the arson
fire at the store where they were
housed when the store owner was
captured on camera and told the
Animal Foundation to go ahead
with the plan.
At Tuesday’s meeting, The Animal Foundation outlined its plan to
the commission saying that the
shelter will start selling $250 raffle
tickets — for a chance to pick one
of the puppies — online on Friday.
They will then draw names of
the would-be owners for the puppies from that pool of people the
following Friday, March 14, allowing only one pet per household.
If a raffle ticket-holder doesn’t
get one of the 27 puppies, the ticket
will allow them to pick another animal from the shelter.
The owner of the store, Gloria
Lee’s estranged husband, Donald
Thompson,was at the meeting and
wanted ownership of the dogs so he
could donate them to Home 4 Spot,
a non-profit animal rescue. The
county commission did not give
My Point
of View
By Rolando Larraz
Career Politicians Don’t
Want You To Know That...
There is no doubt in my mind
that election time is one of the worst
times in any community and is also
a time when the politicos bring the
worst of them out.
In many cases they do not use
their own words, so they don’t really show off their own mean, poisonous, manipulative dispositions;
nor does their own disturbed, insecure, and unstable mental capacity
come through.
Take for example attorney
Nicholas Perrine who is running for
judge in District Court Department
20 against Judge Jerry Tao, who is
one of the protégés of US Senator
Harry Reid on the Democrat side
and of police union puppet David
Roger on the Republican side.
Someone fed some poop to the
ace reporter of the little paper on
Bonanza Road, John L. Smith, and
he obediently “reported” the information as if it were of his own
knowledge or as if it came from
good “sources” because he has to
protect the good judge.
Judge Jerry Tao is such a good
judge that during the last election
the attorney that ran against him
almost won with less than a two
percent edge without even campaigning, making public appearances or attending political events
or holding fund-raisings.
This year that same attorney
filed again to run against Judge Tao,
but later — inexplicably — withdrew from the race.
Just for the record, and to be on
the honest and safe side, I have to
make the disclosure that after Judge
Tao lost his race for County Commissioner a few years back facing
some controversy with a few of his
campaign staff, Judge Tao told me,
in front of the courthouse, that if I
write his name once more I was
going to be sorry.
I was so scared and in such fear
for my life that, unintentionally, I
wrote Judge Tao’s name eighteen
more times — accidentally, I swear!
Attorney Nicholas Perrine is an
attorney and his duty is to give his
clients the best defense available
with his knowledge and expertise,
be his client a mob guy, a corrupted
politician or a police officer gone
bad, or any other kind of client in
trouble for any kind of crime he/
(See My Point of View, Page 5)
Gloria Lee, left, sat inside a court room on Feb. 5, 2014 with a man
identified as her estranged husband, Donald Thompson.
him ownership, which upset some
animal rights’ activists.
“We are so disappointed this has
obviously turned into a political
football. These puppies are not a
political football,” stated Nevada
Voters for Animals.
The animals were rescued from
a pet store after a fire was started at
the store. Lee has been indicted in
connection with the fire.
Another man, Kirk Bills, also
faces charges in connection with the
crime and is now at the Clark
county detention Center on a
$330,000 bail imposed by Justice
Court Judge Janiece Marshall.
All the potential owners will be
screened. The money raised in the
raffle will go back to the Animal
KIRK BILLS
Foundation and will be used to pay
for services for other animals.
“The raffle fees will leave a
legacy for pets who need extra
medical attention and much more
time to find forever homes,” Christine Robinson, the executive director for the Animal Foundation, told
the commission.
Are Republicans right to
call Sen. Harry Reid a liar?
Senate majority leader Harry Reid’s assertion that all the stories about Americans
who fared poorly under the Affordable Care Act are false, is wrong on its face.
By Peter Grier
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON —Are Republicans right to call Harry Reid a liar?
This question arises in the wake of
Senate Majority Leader Reid’s
statement on the floor of the Senate Wednesday regarding horror
stories about American’s experience with Obamacare.
“All are untrue, but they’re being told all over America,” said
Senator Reid.
“All”? Republicans have leaped
on this as a clear untruth of its own.
Some have wondered aloud if the
mainstream media will call upon
Democrats to disown Reid’s comment, as it asked if Republicans
would repudiate rocker/provocateur
Ted Nugent after he campaigned for
the GOP gubernatorial candidate in
Texas.
Reid has a history of whoppers,
according to other conservatives.
Remember in the presidential cam-
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada faces reporters on Capitol
Hill in Washington following a closed-door Democratic policy meeting.
paign, when Reid said in an interview with the Huffington Post that
Mitt Romney hadn’t paid taxes for
10 years? That was rated “Pants on
Fire” incorrect by the fact-checking organization PolitiFact.
“Once a month, Harry Reid said
something that would be a careerender for your average Republican,” said Jim Geraghty of the rightleaning National Review this week.
Well, Reid’s assertion that all the
stories about Americans who lost
coverage, or had to pay more, or had
to find new doctors under the Affordable Care Act are false, is
wrong on its face. Any big change
in social policy such as Obamacare
will roil the status quo. While it provides benefits for many who didn’t
have them, it also creates categories of losers whose situation will
be worse off. For instance, people
who live in rural areas with little
medical competition, and make just
above the threshold for government
subsidies of their premiums, are
quite likely to face steep premium
hikes.
In fact, that statement is so off
that Reid knew it and walked it back
(See Reid, Page 4)
Obama budget: Four things to know
President Obama released his budget proposal Tuesday, sending a message about
what he would like America to prioritize in the 2015 fiscal year. Here’s a summary.
By Mark Trumbull
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON — President
Obama’s proposed budget for 2015
seeks to nudge Congress to spend
more money to improve the nation’s
roads and rails, more on early childhood education, and more on job
skills for adult workers.
To pay for it while also holding
down federal deficits, Mr. Obama
proposes further tax hikes on highincome Americans — in the form
of closing “loopholes” rather than
raising tax rates.
From poverty reduction to helping manufacturers improve productivity, the president’s clear priority
is to use the government as a lever
boost the economic well-being of
(See Budget, Page 6)
Copies of President Barack Obama’s proposed fiscal 2015 budget are set out for distribution by Senate
Budget Committee Clerk Adam Kamp (center) on Capitol Hill in Washington Tuesday.
POLITICAL ANALYSIS
Sheriff Candidate Gordon Martines gives
his firm opinions on the latest hot issues
By Former Detective
Gordon Martines
After over 39 years of law enforcement experience in the
trenches, I have developed certain
beliefs, feelings, and endorsements
that will directly affect our community as a whole — and on the individual level — when I am elected
your Sheriff of Clark County in
2014.
An issue that keeps cropping up
at sheriff’s debates (at least the ones
that I am invited to), is my expressed feeling about the legalization of marijuana, especially regarding the medical marijuana issue. Some of my previous comments about these issues have lately
been distorted, convoluted and been
made to appear out and out contradictory to what I have said and
meant. Hopefully I can clear this
misunderstanding up in this article.
Hot issue No. 1 marijuana
1. If the marijuana legalization
referendum was placed in front of
me right now, I would not hesitate
to sign my name to that document,
in favor of it.
2. If the medical marijuana bill
or legislation was placed in front
of me right now, I would not hesi-
tate to sign in favor of it.
That being said, please read and
understand my reasoning for both
of the above.
Argument and reasoning for my
stand: Being the constitutionalist I
am, I believe that any law-abiding
American citizen has the natural
right and constitutional right to put
anything he/she wants into his/her
(See Political Analysis, Page 6)
Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Gov. Sandoval: Interstate 11
support could become a
presidential campaign issue
By Troy Wilde
Nevada News Service
CARSON CITY — Nevada
Gov. Brian Sandoval is linking a
proposed Interstate Highway from
Las Vegas to Phoenix to the 2016
Presidential election. Sandoval has
said that presidential candidates
may be judged by Nevadans on
their support for Interstate 11,
which would connect the two cities.
Damon Hodge with the State
Department of Transportation said
the highway would likely benefit
the regional economy.
“We don’t want congestion on
our major Interstates to be a reason
why either state cannot effectively
compete for economic opportunities,” Hodge said.
TRIBUNE
VOL. 15, NO. 52
FOUNDER
Rolando Larraz
PUBLISHER
AND
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Rolando Larraz
Hodge said his agency, the Arizona Department of Transportation,
and other government agencies are
expected to complete the “Interstate
11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study” this summer. It considers economic, trade and traffic issues, he said, as well as a long-term
possibility that I-11 will start at the
U.S.-Mexico border and link to
Reno and, eventually, Canada. The
300-mile drive between Phoenix
and Las Vegas now takes place on
two-lane state highways. Hodge
pointed out that even with funding
in place, it would be years before
Interstate 11 would open.
“We’ll have to look at the environmental impacts. We’ll have to
work with the cities and counties
along whatever route is chosen.
There will certainly be right-of-way
issues that we’ll have to deal with.
So there are a lot of questions that
will have to be answered, and we
won’t know those for quite some
time,” Hodge said.
Phoenix and Las Vegas are the
two largest U.S. cites that have no
linking Interstate highway. Hodge
said Congress has designated I-11
as a priority for federal highway
planning.
GENERAL MANAGER
Perly Viasmensky
PRODUCTION
Don Snook
MANAGING EDITOR
Maramis Choufani
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Colleen Lloyd
For advertising
rates, deadlines
call 702-699-8100
Las Vegas Tribune is published
weekly at 820 E. Charleston
Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada
89104.
Main Number:
(702) 699-8100
News desk:
(702) 699-8111
Fax: (702) 696-0096
Website:
LasVegasTribune.com
All rights reserved. Statements,
opinions and points of view expressed by the writers are their
own and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.
Information, including prices
and times, is considered correct
at the time of publishing but may
change without notice. Las Vegas Tribune assumes no responsibility for unsolicited
manuscripts, transparencies or
other submitted materials. For
return, please enclose a selfaddressed stamped envelope.
Las Vegas Tribune
published weekly by the
Tribune Media Group
David A. Rifkin, Executive Vice President
Quote of the Week:
“Let us not deceive ourselves;
we must elect world peace or
world destruction.”
—Bernard Baruch
Please Note:
Although the Las Vegas Tribune
is open to all and sundry opinions about what we publish, we
wish to inform all those who
choose to submit their opinions
in writing to refrain from threatening anyone about whom an article is written or the writer of
the article. In other words, any
opinions containing threats will
not be published. We thank you
for adhering to this policy.
MISSION
STATEMENT
We search for the truth, embrace the truth, and print the truth.
If we inadvertently print something that is not true, we will let
our readers know. We are open to
documented information to shed
light on any issue of concern to
our readers. We are of service to
our community, and it is our intention to serve our community
the best way we can.
RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE EVERY WEEK!
To receive a complimentary link to every new issue of the Las Vegas Tribune, please send
an email to [email protected] and give us the email address where you
would like your copy sent. We look forward to having you as a subscriber to our publication.
CITY BEAT
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 3
Food Enthusiasts and Chocolate Lovers are
Invited to Taste and Enjoy The World of Pastry
Tickets are now on sale for The
Las Vegas Chocolate Festival and
Pastry Show, a night of delights in
the city of lights Saturday, April 5.
Join the world’s top chocolatiers
and pastry chefs for the annual Las
Vegas Chocolate Festival and
Pastry Show, where attendees will
indulge their senses with sweets,
spirits and savory culinary treats,
while simultaneously raising funds
to benefit Nevada Ballet Theatre.
Celebrity Chef Participants Include: Todd English (Two Time
James Beard Foundation Award
Winner), Jean-Philippe Maury
(Jean-Philippe Patisserie & World
Pastry Champion), Claude
Escamilla (World Pastry Champion), Jean-Marie Auboine (World
Champion Chocolatier), Stephane
Treand (World Champion Pastry
Chef), Ed Engoron (The Chocolate
Doctor) and many more.
The Shops at Crystals Aria Las
Vegas will feature delectable dishes
and cocktails from several of Las
Vegas’ most celebrated local chefs
including: Todd English, JeanPhilippe Maury, Claude Escamilla,
Jean Marie Auboine, Stephane
Treand, Stephen Hopcraft, Michael
Gillet, Carlos Salazar, Jeffray
Gardner, Michelle Curran, Laurie
Sabol, Nilda Arias, Susan Phillipp,
Annette Starbuck, Melissa Coppel,
Natalie Collins...
Tickets for “The Chocolate Festival” are now available at
sincitychocolatefestival.com, and
are priced at $45 per person, all-inclusive. VIP tickets are also available for $99.
The Las Vegas Wine & Food is
proud to donate a portion of the
evening’s proceeds to the Nevada
Ballet Theatre.
Saturday, April 5, 8 p.m.:
“Chocolate Festival” Reception at
Crystals, 3720 Las Vegas Blvd S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109.
For more information about The
Chocolate Festival events in Las
Vegas, please contact Alan Semsar
(702) 50-WINE-6 or visit
sincitychocolatefestival.com
*****
11th Annual Bark In the Park
Join us Saturday, March 8, at
Cornerstone Park, 1600 Wigwan
Pkwy., for our 11th annual Bark In
the Park. The event features five
hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) of fun for
you and your dog. Browse more
than 40 pet-oriented vendor booths,
take part in cool contests, and meet
lots of beautiful dogs looking for
forever homes. Highlights include
a Frisbee contest, Atomic Dogs
flyball and toss and catch demonstration, and demonstrations by the
City of Henderson Police Department K-9 Unit.
All pets must be leashed and
handlers must be at least 10 years
old. Owners are responsible for
cleaning up after their pets. Admission is free.
*****
Institute of Museum and
Library Services Announces
Nevada’s Las Vegas-Clark
County Library District as
Finalist for the 2014 National
Medal for Museum and
Library Service
The Institute of Museum and
Library Services today announced
Las Vegas-Clark County Library
District as a National Medal for
Museum and Library Service finalist. The National Medal, the
nation’s highest honor conferred on
museums and libraries for service
to the community, will be celebrating its 20th year of saluting institu-
tions that make a difference for individuals, families, and communities.
Medal finalists are selected from
nationwide nominations of institutions that demonstrate innovative
approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach. This year’s finalists exemplify the nation’s great
diversity of libraries and museums
and include an aquarium, conservatory and botanical gardens, a university library, public libraries,
children’s museums, art museums,
science centers, and more, hailing
from across the country.
“Museums and libraries serve as
civic gathering places, bringing together individuals in pursuit of educational resources, community connections, skills development, and
multifaceted lifelong learning,” said
Susan Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “We are very proud to announce Las Vegas-Clark County
Library District as a finalist for the
2014 National Medal. This year’s
National Medal finalists illustrate
the many ways museums and libraries can excite lifelong learning and
civic engagement.”
Finalists are chosen because of
their significant and exceptional
contributions to their communities.
IMLS is encouraging community
members who have visited this institution to share their story on the
IMLS
Facebook
page,
www.facebook.com/USIMLS.
Visit the IMLS Facebook page to
learn more about how these institutions make an impact. National
Medal for Museum and Library
Service winners will be announced
this spring.
To Share Your Story, please visit
www.facebook.com/USIMLS.
To learn more about the 2014
National Medal finalists, visit
www.imls.gov/medals.
*****
State Farm Grants Available
to Help Local Communities
State Farm is excited to announce the opening of two grant opportunities in the first quarter of
2014: State Farm Neighborhood
Assist and Youth Advisory Board
Service-Learning Grants.
State Farm Neighborhood Assist
is a youth-led philanthropic program that empowers people to identify issues in their community and
allows communities determine
where grant funding is awarded,
exclusively through Facebook. The
application is short and simple.
Check out the Facebook application
at
www.statefarm.com/
neighborhoodassist.
Below are examples of winning
projects. Check out additional examples on the Youth Advisory
Board’s website.
—Helping an animal shelter replace its rescue van
—Assisting organizations that
support the homeless and impoverished
Improving or building a park in
your neighborhood
There are three phases:
—Submission Phase — March
3 to March 23
Facebook users submit causes
they think deserve a $25,000 grant,
maximum of 4,000 submissions.
—Vetting Phase — March 24
to April 27
The State Farm Youth Advisory
Board narrows down the submissions to 200 causes and pairs them
with nonprofit organizations that
can help make the project happen
if needed.
—Voting Phase — April 28 to
May 16
Facebook users will vote to select the Top 40 causes. Each user
has up to 10 votes per day.
The Top 40 vote-getters will
each receive a $25,000 grant.
Winners will be announced on
May 27.
The State Farm Youth Advisory
Board (YAB) will grant four million dollars to quality, youth-led
service-learning initiatives!
The grant application will be
available March 1 to May 2. Grants
range from $25,000 to $100,000,
and Request for Proposals (RFP)
must be submitted online. Complete
details and contact information are
available
at
www.statefarmyab.com.
Each grant request must focus on
one of the following issue areas. To
view examples of projects, visit the
YAB’s website.
—Community Safety
—Accessing Higher Education/
Closing the Achievement Gap
—Financial Literacy and Economic Inclusion
—Environmental Responsibility
—Health and Wellness
*****
Nevada Recognizes
Suffragist Pioneer In
“National Women’s
History Month”
A person instrumental in helping Nevada women gain the right
to vote is being honored as part of
National Women’s History Month
in March. Mona Reno, chairwoman
of the Nevada Women’s History
ANNE MARTIN
Project, said Anne Martin and her
colleague suffragists worked tirelessly to help women in the Silver
State gain the right to vote in 1914.
“The went out on horseback and
they went out in little Model T’s.
They went to every ranch they
could find in the rural counties and
spoke with people individually, because in Nevada in those days communication was face to face,” Reno
said.
Women in Nevada and several
other Western states had the right
to vote before Congress passed the
19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. That amendment
makes it illegal to deny anyone the
right to vote based on gender.
Martin had the task of convincing men to vote “yes” on a ballot
measure that would give women the
right to vote, Reno explained. She
added that men in the West may
have supported women’s suffrage
because their wives worked hard on
the frontier and were considered
equal partners.
“These women were working
side by side with their men, so men
had a more equal idea of them,” she
said. “That’s why some historians
believe it worked earlier in the West
than it did in the middle of the country and the East.”
Reno said Martin, who was well
educated, went on to work on the
Women’s Suffrage issue at the federal level. She also founded the
History Department at the University of Nevada-Reno and was the
state’s first female tennis champion.
*****
City Beat is a compilation of
news and views of our editorial and
writing team, along with reader
submissions and topics. Readers
are invited to suggest a local topic
or any other items of interest.
Page 4 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Paul Ryan to propose welfare
overhaul. A gift to Democrats?
House Budget chairman Paul Ryan (R) has put out a report that blames antipoverty programs for steering people away from work. In the past, Democrats
have been willing to talk some changes, but not now. It’s election season.
By Linda Feldmann
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON — On the eve
of President Obama’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2015, the top
House Republican on budget matters has released a harsh assessment
of federal poverty programs — and
a promise of a major overhaul plan.
In the House Budget Committee report, chairman Paul Ryan (R)
of Wisconsin agrees that some programs provide crucial aid to lowincome families. He also grants that
the decline in the labor-force participation rate, now at a 36-year low,
is not solely a result of welfare programs steering people away from
work. Changing demographics and
slow economic growth are also factors.
“But federal policies are also
discouraging work,” says the report,
called “The War on Poverty: 50
Years Later.” A large problem, it
says, is the so-called poverty trap:
“There are so many anti-poverty
programs — and there is so little
coordination between them — that
they often work at cross purposes
and penalize families for getting
ahead.”
RECOMMENDED: Eight
open U.S. Senate seats in 2014
Because the programs are
means-tested — that is, the benefits
phase out as recipients make more
money — poor families may find
they are better off staying on public assistance. “The federal government effectively discourages them
from making more money,” the report says.
The report itemizes 92 programs: dozens in education and job
training, 17 food-aid programs, and
more than 20 housing programs. In
FY 2012, these programs cost the
federal government $799 billion.
At another time, such a report
might have been a starting point for
discussion with Democrats, including the Obama White House —
which calls public assistance a
“hand up” and not a “hand out” and
has been willing to talk about
changes to entitlement programs,
such as Social Security. For its part,
the Ryan report does not call for
House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin
listens on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 5, 2014. The top House
Republican on budget matters has released a harsh assessment of federal
poverty programs — and a promise of a major overhaul plan.
eliminating public assistance, but don’t get it,” says DNC spokesman
rather suggests a need to Michael Czin in a statement. “Their
reconfigure a system of programs plan is to block a minimum wage
that are “duplicative and complex.” increase, cut access to higher eduRyan tells The Washington Post that cation, slash early childhood prothe House Republican budget, grams, voucherize Medicare, and
which will come out later this shred the social safety net — a
month, will include an overhaul of safety net that lifted 45 million
social programs, including Head Americans out of poverty in 2012
Start and Medicaid.
alone.”
But with midterm season in full
Independent pollster John
swing — the first primary is on Zogby sees the Ryan proposal as
Tuesday, in Texas — Democrats are potential fodder for both parties’
in no mood to collaborate with Re- efforts to drive turnout of their base
publicans on changes to the social supporters in November.
(See Ryan, Page 6)
safety net. The Obama administration has already telegraphed that its
2015 budget will back away from
past measures aimed at addressing
America’s unsustainable fiscal
path. In last year’s budget, Mr.
Obama conceded a lower cost-ofliving adjustment to Social Security. This year, that proposal will not
be there.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) called the Ryan report a “rehash of a failed economic
agenda” that Americans have rejected.
“Whether it’s saying that 47 percent of Americans are takers, or
claiming that the social safety net
is discouraging people from making more money, Republicans just
HELP WANTED
25 Driver
Trainees
Needed Now!
Become a new truck
driver for Werner
Enterprises!
New Drivers can earn
$750 per week!
No CDL?
NO PROBLEM!
CDL training is available
in Las Vegas!
Call today to get Pre-Hired
and Pre-Approved!
1-877-259-5480
YBSRadio
is now
RadioTribune
Tune in and listen to those who will tell you
the truth, and nothing but the truth. You’ll
discover different personalities and hear
different opinions, but when it comes to the
facts, you’ll always get the truth from us!
www.RadioTribune.com
Call-In Line (702) 699-8111
Reid
(Continued from Page 1)
that same day. He returned to the floor and said he was focusing on
anti-Obamacare ads produced by Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a
political group that has spent more than $30 million campaigning
against Obamacare in recent months.
AFP gets lots of money from wealthy brothers Charles and David
Koch. Reid referenced the Kochs by name.
“I can’t say that every one of the Koch brothers’ ads are a lie, but
I’ll say this ... the vast, vast majority of them are,” said Reid.
This statement is partly true, partly not. Reid appears to have taken
his cue here from Democratic bloggers and activists who have challenged many of the facts presented in AFP ads. In particular they
have taken issue with an AFP-financed spot running in Michigan in
which a leukemia patient said her new Obamacare coverage is
“unaffordable” due to higher out-of-pocket costs.
The women’s health premiums have actually fallen under
Obamacare, according to reporters who checked into her situation.
They’ve gone down enough so that she’ll likely pay less, or about the
same, for her health care even if her out-of-pocket expenses are higher.
“The bigger story here is that, in order to sell these Obamacare
‘horror stories,’ AFB needs to either shield the full stories from comprehensive scrutiny or actively mislead about them,” writes the leftleaning Greg Sargent on his Plum Line blog at the Washington Post.
That’s just one ad, though. Reid said the “vast majority” of AFP
ads are a lie.
That’s still a clear overstatement, according to Post fact-checker
Glenn Kessler. For this he gave Reid two Pinocchios on his four
Pinocchio rating scale.
Reid “would have been on safer ground if he dropped the harsh
rhetoric and had simply said that many of the ads have serious problems and even rely on actors, not real people,” Kessler writes.
Underlying this spat over Reid’s accuracy are pent-up tensions
regarding his role as majority leader and the upcoming midterm election. Republicans say Reid has run the Senate like an autocrat, swatting away their attempts to propose legislative amendments on the
floor while curtailing the power of the filibuster.
Sen. Bob Corker (R) of Tennessee, at a Christian Science Monitor
breakfast with reporters this week, went so far as to compare Reid to
Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.
Reid, for his part, may be worried his days in power are dwindling. Right now polls indicate that it’s a better than even chance that
Republicans will win control of the Senate this November. If so, Reid
would be supplanted by the current minority leader, Sen. Mitch
McConnell (R) of Kentucky.
Reid’s “unacceptable rhetoric” and “astonishing behavior” are signs
that Democrats are desperate, Senator McConnell said in a Fox News
interview Thursday.
My Point of View
(Continued from Page 1)
she may have committed or is just being accused of by way of entrapment or because he is being framed by a corrupted police officer or a
dirty prosecutor.
Another person criticizes a sitting judge because that sitting judge happens to have a son who has chosen the wrong path and has chosen to
commit criminal acts.
I know the opposing candidate for judge better than I know the judge,
but I do not believe that my friend agrees with the kind of campaign
tactics I refer to as “David Thomas campaign tactics”––that of finding
issues that have nothing to do with the candidate’s performance in his
personal life or on the bench.
No one has been more critical of Judge Donald Mosley than I have,
but when the same mainstream media that kisses the judge’s rear end
criticized him for appearing in court with his son, I congratulated him for
being a father and standing in court with his son, offering him the moral
support that any father offers to his child.
If the father happens to be a well known figure in the community and
is recognized by everyone, it’s not his fault; in fact it is probably an embarrassment that the good father never wanted to experience, standing in
front of co-workers, maybe friends, that work in the same field that he
does.
I would like to believe that I am a friend of the lady who ran against
Judge George Assad; I supported her and this newspaper endorsed Heidi
Almasi for judge; but, again, when the mainstream media started connecting Judge Assad to his son’s criminal life, we defended that father
regardless of our political differences because the judge’s son is an adult
and, how far into adulthood can a father be responsible for his child’s
behavior? Or vice versa — how much could a child be responsible for the
parents’ behavior?
We all live in a world made of glass houses, and as the saying goes, if
you live in a glass house, you shouldn’t throw stones.
Every time there is an election I pray for the same thing: that we are
able to run a clean campaign and that the candidates are intelligent enough
to use the money their supporters donate to them in informing the constituents of their qualities and what changes they can bring to the office
they are running for.
People are getting tired of dirty elections, name-calling, false attacks
and innuendos; they want to know what bright ideas those running for
office can bring to the table.
I have said many times that this election is going to be different and
that the voters are getting not only smarter, but also tired of the bull that
the professional politicians have been feeding them for years.
People not only start realizing things but also start speaking out and
asking why these career politicians that have never signed a check on the
front spend many times more money than what they will receive in their
low-paying job getting into office; their staff makes three to four times
more money that what their pay-check will be.
The constituents are opening their eyes wider and looking at the reality with different colored glasses; they want to know why every one of
these people they elect to office has such a hard time letting the office go
after two or three or four terms.
We want to see these offices change occupants every so many years,
regardless at how good the officials are and what a fantastic job they may
be doing.
The world is round and those who are at the bottom today deserve to
be at the top sometime; and those in office need to realize that and step
down some time so someone else can “give back to the community” that
“has been so good” to them and live the American Dream that everyone
talks about.
The voters start realizing that those who work so hard to keep the
name of their opposition hidden do so because they have nothing bad to
say about that candidate and they don’t want the public to hear what these
new, decent and dedicated Americans have to say; they don’t want you,
the voters, to realize that their opposition is coming in with new ideas,
new plans and a hope for a bright future.
The more these career politicians try to hide the opposing candidate,
the more the people need to learn about that new candidate.
When you hear career politicians referring to their opposition as “crazy,”
or “a nut case,” voters need to pay more attention to what those career
politicians are saying because chances are THEY (the career politicians)
are not playing with all the cards in the deck.
I hope people realize that unions have a created interest in all these
candidates and they are not telling the members of that union and the
community as a whole the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
My name is Rolando Larraz, and as always, I approved this column.
*****
Rolando Larraz is Editor in Chief of the Las Vegas Tribune. His column appears weekly in this newspaper. To contact Rolando Larraz, email
him at: [email protected] or at (702) 699-8111.
Re-Elect
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 5
Jose Padilla to appear on Face The
Tribune with Bob Beckett and Ed Uehling
Attorney Jose Padilla, a Nevada
Congressional candidate for District 1, will join attorney Bob
Beckett and Ed Uehling on Face
The Tribune, on Monday March 10
at noon.
Padilla will talk about his upbringing in a modest and humble
environment, his dreams, and why
he is working to be a Nevada Representative in the nation’s capital.
The Republican son of two Honduran immigrants was the first one
in his family who graduated from
high school and the first one to
graduate from the prestigious
Harvard Law School.
In 2010, he achieved his lifelong
goal of becoming an in-house counsel when he was hired as assistant
general counsel at Golden Living,
the nation’s second-largest nursing
home company.
He became the company’s head
of contracts before accepting his
current position as assistant general
counsel at Aristocrat Technologies,
Inc., a Las Vegas-based gaming
technology company.
There, he concentrates on international corporate law, although his
long-term goal is becoming a general counsel — and, ultimately, a
CEO.
JOSE PADILLA
He wants to go to Washington
and represent Nevadans to the best
of his ability and he will talk about
how he plans to achieve his second
lifelong goal.
Face
The
Tribune
(www.RadioTribune.com) is aired
daily from noon to one and is produced by Las Vegas Tribune and
directed by the newspaper’s
founder, Rolando Larraz, who created the show five years ago with
two different hosts, former Clark
County Recorder Fran Dean and
now Assemblywoman Michelle
Fiore.
Today, the show is co-hosted by
former Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett and community
activist and businessman Bob
Uehling.
The list of personalities and political figures that have been guests
on Face The Tribune includes
former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar
Goodman, Las Vegas Mayor
Carolyn Goodman, City Councilmen Stavros Anthony and Bob
Beers; Clark County Commission
Chairman Steve Sisolak and Clark
County Commissioners Chris G.
and Larry Weekly, Attorney General Catherine Cortes-Masto,
Eighth Judicial District Court Chief
Judge Jennifer Togliatti; District
Court judges Abbi Silver and
Michael Villani; and Family Court
judges Steve Jones and Bill
Henderson.
Sheriff candidates Ted Moody,
Gordon Martines, Bobby G., Angel
Barbosa and Larry Burns all have
been on Face The Tribune, making
the show a popular radio show in
the political circles of Clark County.
Local architect and school board
candidate Ken Small has appeared
several times on Face The Tribune,
as well as Chief Deputy District Attorney Bernie Zadrowski. Las Vegas Justice Court judges Deborah
Lippis, Bill Kephart, Ann
Zimmerman and Suzan Baucum are
among jurists that have been guests
on the popular radio show.
Page 6 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Ryan
(Continued from Page 4)
Ryan, the Republican nominee for vice president in 2012, “is a guy who believes in the ideology, believes in the party, and believes that they
have to have a message, and this in many ways
could be a unifying message,” Mr. Zogby says. “It
just also happens to be very, very risky.”
The Ryan plan could backfire, he says, because
it could get key elements of the Democratic base
to turn out — minorities, single women, young
voters, others who may feel Republicans want to
balance the federal budget on the backs of those
who can least afford it. An energized left, with Sen.
Elizabeth Warren (D) of Massachusetts and New
York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) leading the charge,
has also put pressure on Obama to back off any-
Budget
(Continued from Page 1)
ordinary Americans. Although the
budget also offers proposals aimed
at fiscal sustainability, it does little
to reduce a public debt load that
stands at a historically high level.
The four themes below summarize the budget proposal and
Washington’s fiscal state of play.
Taxes would rise (again) on the
rich. In an era of chronic deficits,
the Obama budget calls for raising
new tax revenue by making it
harder for high-earning Americans
to shield income from taxes. Reducing various deductions and tax
breaks, and imposing a “Buffett
rule” that ensures millionaires
couldn’t have below-average tax
rates, would raise some $651 billion between 2015 and 2024.
This continues Obama’s track
record of asking top earners to bear
the brunt of any tax hikes.
Obama also offers an outline for
reform of corporate taxes, so businesses could pay a lower tax rate
but have fewer deductions. Many
economists say this change could
create a stronger climate for privatesector job creation.
The White House says its proposals would bring in more than $1
trillion in total tax revenue.
Both sides in Congress share
some tax-reform goals but have
strong differences on details — with
Republicans opposing Obama’s efforts to raise new tax revenue, for
one thing.
New spending aims to boost
economic growth. Obama’s budget vision is that stepped-up investment in things like roads and manufacturing innovation hubs will buoy
economic growth and job creation.
So, while starting with Congress’s
recent Ryan-Murray framework for
spending restraint, he adds some
new spending measures.
Highway spending would be
paid for partly by changes in the
business tax code. Investments in
tomorrow’s work force — through
early childhood education — would
be paid for with higher tobacco
thing that looks like a cut to the safety net.
Come November, Democrats are most concerned
about maintaining control of the Senate. With just a
net gain of six Republican seats needed to shift control, handicappers say it could go either way. The
House is seen as firmly in Republican control, and
Democrats are hoping to hold their ground, and even
potentially pick up a few seats. Gubernatorial races
are also crucial, in part because state political networks will be helpful to presidential candidates in
the 2016 race.
Democrats know they can’t get the kind of turnout they achieved in the presidential races of 2008
and 2012, but they also want to avoid a repeat of
2010, when the Democrats got “shellacked,” as
Obama put it.
taxes.
Behind these plans is the notion
that, with annual federal deficits
falling closer to historic norms, a
focus on rebuilding the economy
(rather than on deficit reduction)
squares with Americans’ desire for
more robust job creation. Many
Republicans say the strategy is misguided. House Speaker John
Boehner released a statement saying the Obama plan “would hurt our
economy and cost jobs” because it
would amount to “spending too
much, borrowing too much, and
taxing too much.”
More help is targeted at lowincome families. The budget plan
calls for a major expansion of the
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC),
which provides an income boost to
low-wage households. The change
would double benefits for childless
workers.
Alongside that, Obama says
low-income workers should get a
boost in the minimum wage, to
$10.10 an hour from $7.25 today.
A hike in the minimum wage has
found public support in opinion
polls, and some prominent Republicans have embraced the EITC as
a program that helps poor Americans while also encouraging them
to work.
Deficits come down, but debt
stays high. The Obama budget predicts federal debt falling slightly
from today’s level above 72 percent
of gross domestic product, to about
69 percent of GDP in 2024. That
progress comes in part through
what some criticize as optimistic
assumptions about economic
growth, as well as tax and spending provisions.
Jason Furman of the White
House Council of Economic Advisers acknowledged that the Obama
budget uses a more optimistic forecast than that of the Congressional
Budget Office, but he said it’s not
far off the CBO or other mainstream
forecasts. (The White House calls
for growth in the 3 percent range
for several years, then slipping to a
rate of about 2.3 percent per year.)
The Obama plan envisions significant deficit reduction, too, from
proposals whose passage is uncertain: the tax hikes, some new spending controls within Medicare, and
immigration reform.
Even if the Obama budget
played out as drawn in the spreadsheets, the national debt would remain high by historic standards,
potentially crimping economic
growth.
“President Obama’s budget unfortunately continues a holding pattern on current federal fiscal
policy,” Steve Bell, who tracks fiscal policy for the Bipartisan Policy
Center, said in a written analysis of
the budget Tuesday.
Mr. Bell praised Obama, however, for seeking to break
Washington’s habit of seeking deficit reduction by cutting discretionary programs that invest in economic growth. “Continuing to
squeeze these programs, which
make up the smallest and slowest
growing part of the federal budget,
is counterproductive,” he said.
Political Analysis
(Continued from Page 1)
body; that is their choice and their choice alone, and the federal
government has absolutely no constitutional right or perceived natural right to prohibit any such act. I would consider any law that
prohibits that act to be unconstitutional and I will not obey it because it is against my sworn oath, beliefs and faith.
The provisions that I believe need to be re-emphasized in support of these two referendums, bills, or petitions, is that if there is a
negative affect on any other person, especially a minor child, pursuant to and because of these acts, then the prescribed penalties associated with these negative acts will be duly severe and certain. Example: If you smoke marijuana in or around a minor child, and subject that minor child to second-hand or contact marijuana fumes,
then you have broken the law and may/can be charged with Child
Abuse, Child Endangerment, Child Neglect, or Contributing to the
Delinquency of a Minor. Thusly, the same goes for DUI offenses,
and so forth.
I also believe that any financial burden placed on society to pay
for medical intervention and drug rehabilitation associated with
unprescribed voluntary drug ingestion be strictly reviewed and sanctioned. In other words, the illegal drug-user will be on his or her
own when it comes to medical care or disability entitlements paid
for by taxpayers through local or federal government subsidies.
The next hot issue for discussion is “Gun Registration.”
I have been and still am opposed to any form of gun registration
— before, now and forever. As your future sheriff, I will immediately suspend the gun registration section of the police department
and re-allocate the personnel assigned to that section to other more
needy police sections. I will direct a memo to any/all police personnel to suspend any/all enforcement of gun registration. I will also
direct a memo to any/all gun dealers in Clark County to suspend
any/all Clark County gun registration requirements after purchase
of any firearm. I will initiate lobbying efforts to redact, repeal, or
eliminate the State Law that requires handgun registration for any
county with a population of over 700,000 residents, or for any other
reason.
The next and final hot issue for today is that of the “NonInjury Traffic Accident Reports.”
I support and believe that each and every traffic accident report
in this county should be investigated by a law enforcement agency,
whether or not it involves injury, single or multiple vehicles, property damage, mechanical failure, road maintenance or defect, city,
county or government county vehicles, and that the law enforcement agency will ensure that any/all debris, vision obscurrances,
and any other dangers to vehicular travel are rectified and corrected
before vehicular traffic is allowed to continue. It is not reasonable
to place the legal burden of proper reporting of traffic accidents
onto the shoulders of law-abiding residents of this county, regardless of the inconvenience to, and/or any time restrictions or other
priorities of, the law enforcement agency.
As long as these provisions are understood and accepted, the community has my total full support and adherence to my sworn oath to
the Constitution of the United States of America and the Bill of
Rights.
As your future 2014 Sheriff of Clark County, the community will
also gain a strict “Protective Guardian” of OUR United States of
America’s Constitution and Bill of Rights, equally and fairly, for
each and every constituent in Clark County.
[email protected]
Phone: (702) 699-8111
EDITORIALS
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 7
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. — Thomas Jefferson
Our Point of View
If you snitch,
you’ll get stitched
Nowhere in the United States of America does the statement, “If you snitch you’ll get stitched,” ring truer than in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
Just ask Sheriff Candidate Gordon Martines, who threatened to expose the LVMPD police administration for being
allegedly involved in a major evidence-tampering incident related to a major home invasion, robbery and sexual assault
case, involving five black male suspects, in April 14, 2010.
(See RJ publication).
One of the suspects was allegedly Javon Harris, who is currently serving time in a Nevada prison. But, it doesn’t stop
there; Sheriff Candidate Martines, who was also running for
the position of sheriff of Clark County in 2010, gave a detailed statement to the Review-Journal reporter, Kristi Jordan,
regarding the 2007 criminal cover-up by police and judicial
misconduct of the O. J. Simpson trial, and the 2010 evidencetampering case, and also of the LVMPD Narcotics section’s
complicit murder of a registered Narcotics informant, committed in Alamo, Nevada in 1996.
But, better yet, it keeps getting more interesting; information gathered from witnesses from legal depositions taken in
June and July of 2013 reveal even more criminal complicity
by the LVMPD administration in that four resurfaced unsolved
murders came to light by unsolicited eyewitness testimony.
This new information was directly transmitted to Sheriff
Candidate Martines, who directly and personally heard these
sworn statements from these “under-oath testifying witnesses.”
Sheriff Candidate Martines immediately prepared documents
and letters and sent this information directly to Federal U. S.
Attorney Daniel Bogden, who, in turn, notified the FBI, who
then contacted Sheriff Candidate Martines and requested any
and all information regarding these murders. Martines not only
sent the information about the murders, but also included numerous other felonies and cover-ups in which the LVMPD
Administration was allegedly complicit.
One of the more disturbing pieces of murder case information/evidence that was sent was about the killing and beheading of Correction Officer Kevin Dalie in 2007, whereby the
LVMPD allegedly covered up the failure of Officer Dalie to
show up to work for approximately one month, with no missing person’s report made and no investigation initiated.
Correction Officer Dalie’s coworkers in the jail formed a
search team after Dalie’s burned out vehicle was found by
passersby a month later, near Lake Mead.
The volunteer search party later found Dalie’s severed head,
approximately 300 feet from his earlier found burned-out car.
Apparently, the Henderson Police Department failed to perform a proper systematic search for any further evidence and
had missed finding Dalie’s severed head. This particular grisly
murder did not make the mainstream news and remains unsolved in Henderson PD’s homicide files.
This newspaper believes that this incident is very newsworthy, especially after learning that C.O. Dalie was allegedly involved with the Russian Mafia, Red Feather CafÈ on
Decatur Blvd, LVMPD Intel Detectives, and possibly linked
to the HOA scandal, which also — again — involves the
LVMPD administration and leadership.
It is the Las Vegas Tribune’s opinion that no good deed
goes unpunished. So, there we have it: Sheriff Candidate Gordon Martines, who is a 39-year veteran of law enforcement,
most senior working police officer in the police department,
if not in the entire state, and most senior detective in the entire
police department with an impeccable service record, has now
been terminated from employment as of February 10, 2014,
by Sheriff Douglas Gillespie.
At first glance, one would have to believe that this was
merely a political termination from employment because Sheriff Candidate Martines is challenging Sheriff Gillespie’s
anointed successor, Asst. Sheriff Joe Lombardo, for the 2014
Sheriff’s position. But, as one looks deeper, it becomes clearer
that the current and past LVMPD police administrators, which
include sheriff candidates current Asst. Sheriff Joe Lombardo,
former Asst. Sheriff Ted Moody, and former Captain Larry
Burns, are all beginning to feel the heat and the tightening of
the noose around their necks because they too, are allegedly
complicit and have direct knowledge of the four resurfaced
murders, especially the beheading murder of Corrections Officer Kevin Dalie.
We, at the Las Vegas Tribune, believe the termination from
employment by Sheriff Gillespie against Sheriff Candidate
Gordon Martines is not only political and retaliatory in nature, but this termination also affirms and gives immense credibility to the information, lately revealed in the legal depositions, which was taken pursuant to Sheriff Candidate Gordon
Martines’ 2011 Federal Lawsuit against the LVMPD, Sheriff
Douglas Gillespie, et al.
Add the unlawful termination from employment together
with the continual denial of medical injury claims, LVMPD’s
failure to obey a court order, numerous death threats, unauthorized surveillance, unauthorized communication intercepts,
ransacking and theft of personal property, burglary of residence, coercion, discrimination, age and ethnic origin, denial
of medical benefits, evidence tampering, and Constitutional
First Amendment violation, it therefore appears to be ample
evidence of wrongful acts by LVMPD.
Will America forget its veterans?
Communities should work to ensure that troops coming home have a
better transition than my husband and I did. Give them the chance to use
the superb skills the military gave them. We never forgot about you while
we were deployed. Don’t forget about us when we come home.
By Kayla Williams
but last month, he began using the GI
Christian Science Monitor
Bill to attend college. Like Remsburg,
WASHINGTON — When the
we never quit.
camera first panned to Michelle
My biggest fear is that the AmeriObama sitting next to Sgt. 1st Class
can people will forget us — their vetCory Remsburg, a wounded warrior,
erans. I worry that as the visible reduring President Obama’s State of
minders of the wars in Iraq and Afthe Union message last month, my
ghanistan fade from popular conbreath caught in my throat. This
sciousness, so will the attention paid
proud noncommissioned officer was
to troops, military families, and veta guest of the first lady, and his preserans. Yet the needs of US veterans
ence alone was forcing all who saw
will not end when the war does; they
him to remember that America rewill just be beginning. Though over
mains a nation at war.
a lifetime veterans are more highly
KAYLA WILLIAMS
Later, the president told the story of meeting educated, employed, and paid than their civilian counRemsburg shortly before he was injured on his 10th terparts, the period of reintegration can be challengcombat deployment, and of the long and grueling path ing.
Coming home to a nation distracted by celebrity
to recovery he still travels. My family knows that road
all too well. My husband, Brian, sustained a penetrat- gossip and seemingly oblivious to the experiences of
ing traumatic brain injury from a roadside bomb in deployed troops was jarring and disconcerting. As a
Iraq in October 2003, long before many of today’s woman veteran, I felt particularly invisible. Many
systems and services available to support wounded people had no idea that women were serving in comtroops and military families existed. He “slipped bat alongside men, despite what the regulations said
through the cracks,” and we both spent time on unem- about keeping us out of direct ground combat jobs and
ployment while waiting for his benefits to start after units. Reentering the workforce was challenging. It was
he was medically retired from the Army. He received tough to translate military skills and experiences into
no rehabilitation for his brain injury and got only spo- civilian terms, and to adjust to a less hierarchical, more
radic mental-health care for his debilitating post-trau- collaborative environment. Attending college classes
with people fresh out of high school can feel like bematic stress disorder.
And yet, we persevered, forming a supportive net- ing in a war-tested version of the Adam Sandler movie
work of fellow veterans and gradually finding a new “Billy Madison.”
Brian and I are very fortunate: Over the years, he
place in our community, with new ways to serve. It
(See Williams, Page 10)
took six years before Brian could read a book again,
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
THE UKRAINE: If we want world
peace, where do we go from here?
By Maramis
“time for every purpose under
Many of us can be armchair poliheaven: ...A time of war, And a time
ticians of a sort as we watch the news
of peace.” And that sounds true. Yet
and see how there’s yet another flareI think the “time of peace” keeps getup in another part of the world, and
ting put on the back burner in lieu of
we — the United States of America
“We need to act now to protect our
— are in some way involved in the
interests,” or “How dare they try to
new battle for freedom and/or sovget away with that!”; or even someereignty. Regardless of the differthing as unacceptable to most nations
ences between the viewpoints of the
as “We’re bigger and stronger than
involved national leaders, we must
they are and we can easily expand
recognize a simple rule of thumb, as
our territory, our coffers, and our
it were, in order to get closer to that
power base if we move in now!”
MARAMIS CHOUFANI
ever-elusive goal of world peace: We
No one loves a tyrant or an op(any particular nation or national leader) must allow pressor, yet oppressors also want their freedom, if only
for others whatever we want others to allow for us. So to oppress others. Every person and every nation wants
if any nation (through its leader) wants to make its that same freedom to choose to not be oppressed. Someown decisions without other nations meddling in its thing has to be put into place to ensure that true freeaffairs, then that nation must allow the same for all dom — not the freedom to simply do what one wants,
other nations.
such as oppress, kill, slaughter, enslave, etc. — is availThere may be some ways to achieve that kind of able to all equally. I suggest that true freedom is the
national camaraderie, yet it will take a lot of insight- gift of civilization made possible by the enforcement
ful thinking, musing, and the like, and it cannot be of LAW.
done in one day, by one nation, or one person, and
Sure, it would be wonderful if man could speed up
then forced upon the whole world... whether or not it the process of his individual and group enlightenment
is the best plan ever to be offered up for consider- and come to the realization of mankind being one famation.
ily in the sense of world brotherhood, but that’s not
So when, we might ask ourselves, are all the na- likely to happen any time soon. Therefore, national leadtions of the world going to figure out the secret to ers must figure out some way to avoid all that oppresliving in peace with one another without feeling that sion, slaughter, and war-in-the-making in the meantime.
one nation is trying to “put one over” on the other,
There shall be wars and rumors of wars — nation
making that nation feel that it better get in there and will rise against nation — (sound familiar?) just as long
stop it in whatever way it takes?
as the world’s political sovereignty is divided up and
One could see much of what some nations do as, unjustly held by a group of nation-states. (Consider how
“You hit me, so I’ll hit you back,” which then becomes, England, Scotland, and Wales were always fighting
“But you hit me harder than I hit you, so now I have each other until they joined together in the United Kingto hit you again to make up for that discrepancy,” and dom.) Imagine if every state in our union was vying
so on. We should be able to see that that sort of think- for its own leadership and power base over the whole
ing gets us nowhere but deeper into such disagree- country! I wouldn’t be surprised if among those in this
ments, skirmishes, ill will and — finally and sadly — nation we have Americans from virtually every nationwar.
ality and religion and religious sect around the world.
Yet what to do? Even the Bible tells us there is a
(See Maramis, Page 9)
VIEW POINTS
Page 8 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Editors note: The views expressed are entirely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune.
Puddle trout with a side
of peanut butter, please
Ralph’s Supermarket on
By Chuck Muth
the line; then watch asActor
Glenn
tonished motorists drive
Morshower is not a houseby as he reeled it in!
hold name. But as one of
Glenn also told us
the hardest working men in
about a little good luck
Hollywood, literally,
charm he invented when
you’ve likely seen his face
auditioning for a part in
at one time or another on
the Transformers movie;
either the big screen or the
a role he really wanted
little one.
but feared he might not
He is perhaps best
get. So he spread a little
known as Agent Aaron
peanut butter on the top
Pierce on the television
CHUCK MUTH
of his feet before he put
series “24,” in which I believe he was the only character other than his socks on and headed to the audition.
Kiefer Sutherland’s “Jack Bauer” who apAnd got the part!
peared in every season.
OK, I tell you this story because the kids’
As Wikipedia notes, he’s appeared in soccer team I coach has been on a pretty
three different Star Trek series, The Dukes long losing streak. And our team sponsor
of Hazzard, Matlock, The West Wing, — a wonderful man named Bobby Ellis of
Quantum Leap, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, SNAP Towing — deserves better. So desBuffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG, Deadwood, perate times called for a desperate measure.
ER, NCIS, The Closer, Bones, Full House,
And yes, for our game last week I broke
Criminal Minds, Friday Night Lights and out the Skippy and spread a little “good
more. He’s also been in dozens of movies, luck” peanut butter on my feet before putincluding Transformers, The Men Who ting my socks on. I then told the kids beStare at Goats, Blood Work, Black Hawk fore the game about my “secret weapon”
Down, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Under Siege and assured them there was no way we were
and Tango and Cash.
going to lose that night.
So yes, you’ve almost surely seen Mr.
And darned if we didn’t shut out the
Morshower even if you didn’t know who other team 7-0!
he was.
So what does any of this have to do with
In any event, I had the pleasure of hear- politics or public policy? Absolutely nothing Glenn speak at a conference in L.A. last ing. Unless a candidate shows up at your
year... and what a fun-loving guy.
door smelling like a peanut butter and jelly
For example, he and his young son used sandwich this election season. If so, thank
to grab their fishing poles and head down Glenn Morshower!
to a certain busy intersection in Los AngeChuck Muth is president of Citizen Outles after heavy rainfalls and pretend to fish reach, a non-profit public policy grassroots
out of the large puddle that always formed advocacy organization. He may be reached
there. He would hook a large trout from at [email protected].
BEHIND THE MIKE
I’m not ready to be
a grandmother
By Michael A. Aun
specting our dirty room
My mother lost her first
(occupied by four broththree children in childbirth
ers), “It looks like a torand proceeded to produce
nado came through
11 healthy babies in a row,
here.”
all singles. My dad was
Her threats sounded
fond of saying, “When we
real enough. “I brought
figured out what was causyou into this world and I
ing it, we put a stop to it.”
can take you out just as
My wife comes from a
quickly.” I’m thinking,
family of eight children,
“Seriously mama... murtwo of whom that have
der?” And then there
passed away. All my sibwere the anticipatory
lings are still alive and
threats, “Wait till we get
MICHAEL A. AUN
kicking. I used to joke that
home, buster,” or “Your
neither of us slept alone until we were mar- father is going to hear about this!”
ried.
I love the way she always involved my
Don’t you love the way mothers com- father. On the one hand, mama would
municate? My own mother had a number threaten us by telling us, “You wait till your
of gems that have stood the test of time. I father learns about this.” Later she had the
remember them like it was yesterday. I had audacity to say “Stop acting like your fafive brothers and five sisters. The boys ther.”
fought like cats and dogs.
“Keep crossing your eyes that way and
I remember mama saying, “If you’re one day they’ll remain crossed.” I’ll bet.
going to kill each other, do it outside. I’ve “If you cut your toes off under that lawn
just cleaned my house!” And if you did mess mower, don’t come running to me.” I doubt
up the carpet, mama would issue the prayer that I could run at all without toes.
threat: “You better pray that comes out of
I learned early on that I wasn’t born in a
the carpet!”
barn. “Shut that door behind you. Do you
Don’t you just love a mother’s logic? think you were raised in a barn?”
Mama’s favorite answer was “Because I said
When things seemed to have no explaso, that’s why!” Or “You don’t want me tell- nation, mama had her “go to” sayings like
ing your father about this!”
“Because I said so, that’s why!” A perenSome of mama’s logic actually forbade nial favorite “When you get to be my age
logic. “If you fall out of that swing, I’m you’ll understand.”
going to kill you!” Almost makes the swing
Parents always like to wish us the best.
sound less dangerous.
“One day I hope you have children that are
And then there was the proverbial ad- just like you!” Moms love these:
monishment that every mother has issued
—“If everyone else jumped off a cliff,
their daughters: “Make sure you have clean would you do it too?”
underwear in case you’re in an accident.”
—“It’s all fun and games until someone
“Keep crying and I’ll give you something pokes an eye out.”
to cry about!” There’s an interesting piece
—“You’d forget your head if it wasn’t
of logic.
screwed on.”
I remember my mom was big on mak—“Elbows off the table and don’t talk
ing us eat greens. I’m not sure which I hated with your mouth full.”
the most, butterbeans or spinach. Ironically,
—“Do you think I was born yesterday?”
today I love butterbeans, but my hatred for
One night I threatened to run away from
spinach has only grown. “If you don’t eat home. Mama’s response: “Be sure and send
those greens, you won’t grow up!”
me your new address. I’ll forward your
When mama would turn her back, I things to you!”
would slip the spinach in my shirt pocket,
As a teenager, mama’s favorite admonmake my way to the bathroom and flush it ishment when I was about to go on a date:
down the commode. Of course, the other “I’m not ready to be a grandmother just yet.
shoe dropped when she did the laundry and Be careful!”
noticed the green stains on my shirt, which
*****
would lead to a delayed beating.
Michael Aun is a syndicated columnist
Mama’s penchant for exaggeration al- and writes a weekly column for this newsways amazed me. “You can grow potatoes paper. To contact Michael Aun, email him
in those ears with all that dirt.” When in- at [email protected].
The confrontation clause is alive and
well in Nevada in DUI cases, AGAIN
By Mace Yampolsky
before enjoying the benefit
In the recent (February
of rights guaranteed by the
27, 2014) case of the City
U.S. Constitution. Also the
of Reno Vs Howard, The
court is not mandated to
Nevada Supreme Court
order the witness’ atten(NSC) restored the right of
dance; they may or may not
confrontation regarding
according to this statute.
declarations.
NSC concluded that, in
NRS 50.315 governs
light of the United States
the admissibility of affidaSupreme Court’s decision
vit or declaration offered to
in Melendez-Diaz v. Masprove certain facts consachusetts, 557 U.S. 305
cerning use of certain de(2009), the statute’s subMACE YAMPOLSKY
vices or withdrawal or
stantial-and-bona fide-disholding of evidence related to determining pute requirement impermissibly burdens
presence of alcohol, controlled substance, the right to confront the declarant. Accordchemical, poison, organic solvent or another ingly, they overrule their prior decision in
prohibited substance.
City of Las Vegas and reinstate the rights
Under NRS 50.315(4), a defendant in a of Defendants to confront the declarant.
misdemeanor “driving under the influence”
The Confrontation Clause provides that
trial waives the right to confront the maker “the accused shall enjoy the right... to be
of such a declaration unless the defendant confronted with the witnesses against him”
can show a substantial and bona fide dis- (U.S. Const. amend. VI). The U.S. Supreme
pute regarding the facts in the declaration. Court has held that the Confrontation
NRS 50.315(6) states if, at or before the Clause prohibits the admission of testimotime of trial, the defendant establishes that: nial hearsay against a criminal defendant
(a) There is a substantial and bona fide unless the declarant is unavailable and the
dispute regarding the facts in the affidavit defendant had a prior opportunity to crossor declaration; and
examine the declarant. Pursuant to the
(b) It is in the best interests of justice Crawford v. Washington case, documents
that the witness who signed the affidavit or “created solely for an ‘evidentiary purdeclaration be cross-examined, the court pose’” and “in aid of a police investigamay (emphasis added) order the prosecu- tion” are testimonial hearsay. In other
tion to produce the witness and may con- words, statements are NOT admissible by
tinue the trial for any time the court deems themselves; the person who made the decreasonably necessary to receive such testi- laration must come into court and testify.
mony. The time within which a trial is reIn the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in
quired is extended by the time of the con- Melendez-Diaz, the Court struck down a
tinuance. So in other words, a Defendant Massachusetts statute that allowed reports
must jump through these additional hoops
(See Mace, Page 9)
Three Boundary-Busters
Every Leader Must Face
By Doug Dickerson
leader to share it.
You’re the same today
Limitless
as you will be in five years
possibilities
except for two things: the
constrained by
people you meet and the
limited
books you read. — Charlie
accomplishment
“Tremendous” Jones
The first few years
About 350 years ago, as
these new travelers did
the story is told, a shipload
what was necessary. They
of travelers landed on the
established a town site
northeast coast of America.
and government. By all
The first year they estabaccounts they were maklished a town site. The next
ing progress. But a shift
year they elected a town
happened. Their thinking
DOUG DICKERSON
government. The third year
changed. What do you
the town government planned to build a suppose happened? My guess is that the
road five miles westward into the wilder- urgency of the vision that brought them
ness.
there has now settled and they have become
In the fourth year the people tried to comfortable.
impeach their town government because
Complacency is a threat to any organithey thought it was a waste of public funds zation and leader. When you allow yourto build a road five miles into a wilderness. self and those you lead to “auto-pilot” their
Who needed to go there anyway?
work, goals, or expectations then you have
Here we had people who had the vision become settled. You may not be losing
to see three thousand miles across an ocean ground but you are certainly not gaining
and overcome great hardships to get there any. The townspeople could not see the big
but in a few short years were not able to picture because they were comfortable.
see even five miles out of town. They had Never mind that they could have expanded
lost their pioneering vision. They were un- their borders and improved their way of
able to move beyond their current bound- life. So long as you are comfortable where
aries.
you are you will never expand your borIf not careful, we too can get stagnant ders.
where we are and not move forward with
Small thinking in the face of great
fresh thinking and ideas. Expanding your
possibility
borders as a leader and as an organization
Surely there was more to the 3,000 mile
is about growth. Will your current way of journey than a cozy little township. Was
thinking cause you to move forward in a not surviving the hardships of sea now
positive way? Are you placing limits on the worth greater exploration? Expanding your
possibilities that could be yours? Here are borders is not about settling. Do you not
three boundary busters that I think held the have new trails to blaze? Do you not have
people back 350 plus years ago that could new discoveries to make? Sadly, in the face
be holding you back today.
of such great opportunity were those who
Having a big vision without the big were ready to obstruct progress.
picture
The lesson learned here is this: Not evInitially the people knew what they were eryone who starts with you will finish with
signing up for and went along. But the vi- you. Not everyone will pay the price to go
sion that took them 3,000 miles at the start to the next level. The greater the sacrifice
would not take them five additional miles the fewer your numbers will be. Many will
at the end. Buy-in at the beginning of your want to bask in your accomplishments but
vision is imperative but if there is no big not all will help you get there. But leaders
picture to motivate your people to its understand this and will not hold it against
completion it’s tragic.
them. It is the point of separation. If you
An unfulfilled vision will frustrate you want to expand your boundaries as a leader
as a leader and disillusion your people. If you must be willing to pay the price. Someyou want to expand your boundaries be- times you will travel alone. But your posyond where you are today then your people sibilities are there for the taking if you are
must see the big picture. Open it up to them. willing to lead the way.
Let them see the steps in the process and
What do you say?
why they are needed. Do your people know
*****
your ten year plan? How about a five year
Doug Dickerson is a syndicated columplan? Do you know it? When your vision nist. He writes a weekly column for this
is clear then the big picture will make sense newspaper. To contact Doug Dickerson,
but not until then. If you want your follow- email
him
at
ddickerson@
ers to know it then it’s up to you as the lasvegastribune.com.
COMMENTARIES
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 9
Editors note: The views expressed are entirely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune.
Truthfulness terminations by Sheriff Gillespie
By Norman Jahn
On 12/2/02, I wrote an email to
Bill Young. He was a candidate for
sheriff at the time and took office
in January of 2003 after he won the
November
election.
I
complimented him about the
‘Truthfulness Policy’ that went into
effect at the end of the KellerWinget era when I wrote, “I really
admire the strong position that you
took about officers who are not
truthful and how you handled that
issue during the campaign.” Little
did I know that this policy, as corruptible as it turned out to be, would
be used to end my career a decade
later. I also would have never
thought that dozens and dozens of
other officers would face the same
outcomes after Metro’s biased internal investigations.
For the benefit of readers, the
actual Truthfulness policy at the
LVMPD includes the following...
4/107.19 Truthfulness Required At All Times
Integrity is the first and foremost
of the department’s values. It is imperative that the behaviors associated with integrity, particularly
truthfulness, be demonstrated by all
department members. It is truthfulness, the cornerstone of the
department’s partnership with the
community that serves as the measure of the sincerity of the
department’s character and actions.
It is also the basis for the bond of
trust that is necessary between
members of the department.
Members therefore, have the responsibility to be truthful in all
matters related to the scope of their
employment and the operations of
the department. Failure to be truthful in any matter that impacts the
integrity of the department or its
members is unacceptable behavior
and will not be tolerated. Additionally, members formally noticed of
official investigations conducted by
the department who are found to be
untruthful during the investigations,
or who are found to be untruthful
in completing official department
documents, will be subject to termination.
Definitions of two categories of
truthfulness have evolved. These
are known as ‘external’ and ‘internal’ truthfulness. If an officer is
untruthful with his sergeant about
calling in sick or has denied using
a profanity when dealing with a citizen, this would be considered external truthfulness. The officer
could be disciplined for a first offense - but not terminated. If, how-
NORMAN JAHN
ever, the same case went to Internal Affairs and the officer again
denied using a profanity after being ‘noticed’ of a formal investigation, he/she would be considered to
have been ‘internally’ untruthful
and subject to termination. There
must be ‘clear and convincing’ evidence to prove an allegation because this is that standard of proof
required in the police contracts.
Guess who gets to decide whether
a ‘truthfulness’ allegation is going
to be listed on a statement of complaint — or NOT? Guess who gets
to decide if an officer was untruthful and should face termination?
Sheriff Gillespie and his supervisors are ultimately responsible.
I am aware of many terminations
where Metro has added ‘truthfulness’ to have the option of terminating an employee. It is my opinion Sheriff Doug Gillespie may not
have actual ‘blood’ on his hands,
but he certainly is responsible for
many tears, much heartbreak from
destroyed careers, devastation of
the self-esteem of police officers. I
hope the next sheriff wakes up and
acknowledges that incredible damage done to certain employees under the ‘guise’ of maintaining the
integrity of the LVMPD. After all,
isn’t the BOND OF TRUST listed
above of ultimate importance? I
think the bond of trust between
members of the department (and
members of the community) has
suffered severe damage because of
some highly publicized incidents
like fatal shootings. But the general
public has no clue as to what has
really been done to employees by
the Gillespie administration.
I was prompted to write ‘another’ column about truthfulness
after I received communication
from a former officer recently. Officer Jung Champ Yi attended high
school in Las Vegas. He was an athlete. He played on UNLV’s football
team. He was hired on to the
LVMPD and I had the opportunity
(Continued from Page 8)
of forensic analysis to be admitted
into evidence without requiring the
prosecution to call the analysts as
witnesses but allowing defendants
to subpoena the analysts. (557 U.S.
at 308-09, 329) The Court rejected
the argument that this statute adequately protected the right to confrontation, explaining that the statute “shifts the consequences of adverse-witness no-shows from the
State to the accused.” Id. at 324
The court further explained that
“the Confrontation Clause imposes
a burden on the prosecution to
present its witnesses, not on the
defendant to bring those adverse
witnesses into court.” Id. However,
the Court approved of notice-anddemand statutes “in their simplest
form” that require a defendant’s
timely objection to the admission
of testimonial hearsay without live
testimony by the declarant. Id. at
326. The Court explained that such
provisions are “procedural rules
governing objections” that the
States are free to adopt.
The NSC further concluded that
Melendez-Diaz prohibits burdening
confrontation rights beyond requiring a defendant’s timely objection
to proffered evidence. Accordingly,
we now hold that NRS 50.315(6)
impermissibly burdens confrontation rights because, unlike a
“simple” notice-and-demand statute that merely requires a
defendant’s timely objection, NRS
50.315(6) requires a defendant to
establish a substantial and bona fide
dispute regarding the facts in the
declaration in order to exercise his
confrontation rights. A defendant
who cannot make this showing will
suffer a forced waiver of his confrontation rights despite a timely
attempt to invoke them. Because
such an additional burden is impermissible according to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in
Melendez-Diaz, we conclude that
NRS 50.315(6) violates the Confrontation Clause.
The Confrontation Clause “commands, not that evidence be reliable, but that reliability be assessed
in a particular manner: by testing
in the crucible of cross-examination.” What this means is That State
will need to bring in the person that
took the blood, so that the Defendant may cross-examine. “Did you
use a non-alcohol swab? Did the
Defendant agree to have his or her
blood taken? Were there any problems drawing the blood? Etc.
It may not seem like a big deal
to you, but for DUI defendants it is
huge. If the State cannot produce
the chemist, the State cannot prove
their case beyond a reasonable
doubt at trial. As a practical matter,
if the chemist is NOT available, the
case will usually be resolved as a
non-DUI disposition. This is the
goal in most cases.
*****
Mace J. Yampolsky is a Board
Certified Criminal Law Specialist,
625 South Sixth St., Las Vegas, NV
89101; He can be reached at:
Phone 702-385-9777 or fax 702385-300. His website is located at:
www.macelaw.com.
Mace
to work with him for a few months.
One night, his squad worked Safe
Strip. We had all worked for Sergeant Ray Reyes and Safe Strip
meant the entire squad was assigned
to stay on the Strip and be a visible
deterrent and do our best to maintain order in the middle of the weekend zoo.
I didn’t know all of the details
of Yi’s investigation and ultimate
termination because I transferred to
the Downtown Area Command
when I was promoted in May of
2007. I would learn that ‘Champ’
and another officer (JR) had been
terminated for being untruthful due
to an incident during Safe Strip.
Sheriff Gillespie probably does not
even know these two names. He
claims that he does not want new
officers to worry about being laid
off due to budget cuts but he doesn’t
even seem to blink an eye when he
wants to allow his people to terminate them.
Here is the story. Jung and JR
were on foot patrol. An intoxicated
young man who was quite large got
up in their faces. He aggressively
challenged them and called them
names. Now, in my career I have
seen this kind of situation handled
with an inordinate amount of force
because NOBODY DISREPECTS
MIGHTY, MIGHTY METRO. You
can watch COPS or Vegas Strip and
see how the ‘entertainment’ police
(i.e., Sgt. TJ Jenkins) handle these
situations. These incidents are
documented for a national TV audience. You can see how often
people are handcuffed and later released. Yi and JR decided to restrain
(handcuff) the subject because he
was acting aggressive. This was not
a violation of policy. As I recall, this
young man was not even 21 years
of age and he had been drinking
with his friends out on the Strip
enjoying the weekend revelry (and
insanity) with thousands of others.
Either before (or after) he was
handcuffed and told to settle down/
sit down, he was shoved by Officer
Yi. I understand that two other officers were in the area on bikes. Instead of helping Yi and JR, they reported the ‘shove’ to their sergeant.
The sergeant was described as being ‘fat’ and I was told he was later
involved in the shooting of an unarmed person in a car near the Convention Center Area Command.
The supervisor for Yi and JR was
not on the scene and was not involved until later. The bottom line
is that a statement of complaint was
filed against the officers by those
who ‘observed’ the incident (not by
the young man) and an investigation ensued. Hey, John Q. Public,
don’t try to tell me that all LVMPD
officers ‘cover’ for each other.
Don’t tell me that there is always a
Blue Wall of Silence. The reality is
that some Metro officers are just
looking for opportunities to be
‘snitches.’ That is a strong word and
when there is actual misconduct, an
officer reporting it is NOT a snitch,
but should be considered a hero.
Police corruption can be nearly
eliminated when a culture is created
where the ‘bad’ cops fear the ‘good’
cops. When there is minor misconduct, however, or no misconduct at
all, an officer reporting on others is
simply a ‘snitch’... or a weasel with
a motive.
Yi and JR remembered the shove
and ‘owned’ it. They did not remember which one of them took the
handcuffs off of the subject or the
chronological order of the events.
Yi admitted shoving the subject and
telling him to sit down. He was apparently something like 6’4” tall
and later fought a whole group of
cops — including the ones that reported him to their sergeant. The
shove (a use of force) would be
wrong (if it could not be justified)
whether it occurred before or after
the handcuffs. A shove to make a
man sit down is not an improper use
of force. Slapping a subject across
the face or bounding his head off
the hood of a car IS an improper
use of force. Geez — watch the
highlights of Sgt. Jenkins and see
how many violations you can see
in just one episode of COPS or Vegas Strip. There are throat blasts,
chokeholds, leg sweeps and various
takedowns, and they are frequently
done without getting the attention
of the suspect by announcing
METRO POLICE — STOP RESISTING!
The officers were required to do
reports. Officer Yi initially said he
had handcuffed (and shoved) the
subject. Officer JR corrected him
and said that he put his cuffs on the
subject. Ultimately, does it matter?
There should be discipline if the use
of force was unjustified but I guarantee that officers don’t always remember these details when they are
handcuffing multiple people in
many different circumstances every
shift. Yep! Watch Sgt. Jenkins and
his squad dealing with drunks and
open containers and disorder on the
Strip. Should any of them be fired
for not remembering all of the details of every event?
I seem to recall that a lawsuit has
even been filed over last year’s New
Year’s Eve incident involving
Jenkins’ squad. That situation was
recorded on cell phones and uploaded on YouTube. I also seem to
remember that the attorneys handling the lawsuit said that the video
does not match the report turned in
by one of the officers. There is a
little ‘trick’ used in some circumstances to have one officer dictate/
complete the reports based on second hand/third hand information
and they think this protects the person using the force. Did that matter
ever get investigated and was the
use of force and ‘truthfulness’ of
officers ever evaluated?
I’ve seen the video many times
and I never heard anyone identifying themselves or giving any verbal commands. I did not read
whether the use of force (chokehold
or take down) was documented on
a Blue Team report. I read that ar-
Maramis
rests were made which means that
there must be additional reports.
Once this incident made the news,
there certainly should have been an
internal investigation and a review
of all reports to see if they were
completed and if they were accurate. If not, this would certainly
amount to a truthfulness violation,
wouldn’t it? The fact is that we
don’t know if this matter has been
investigated because Metro hides
behind keeping things confidential
because there is litigation pending.
Back to ‘Champ’ and Joel...
They notified their supervisor that
JR had removed the handcuffs and
changed the report to reflect this.
Yi acknowledged he had used shoving. I do not have an issue with a
fair review of the use of force. If Yi
used excessive force inappropriately then a minor suspension (8
hours) or even a major suspension
(40 hours) could have been imposed. As things turned out, they
were both fired for being untruthful because of the minor discrepancy described above.
I was told that a voluntary statement that was completed by a witness was ‘lost’ and that a video that
supposedly existed was not available. I was told that the only independent witness was never interviewed by Internal Affairs. The subject who has handcuffed and shoved
even testified. If lapel cameras were
worn by Yi and JR that night they
might still have their jobs. Isn’t that
ironic? With all of the opposition
and paranoia about cops wearing
cameras, sometimes the only way
they can keep their jobs and establish the facts when the administration wants to target them is to have
that all-important video!
Both officers had their policing
careers destroyed. I’ve experienced
that searing pain experienced by
officers who are fired... something
that Gillespie can’t even imagine.
Champ Yi later had at least two opportunities to get hired back into
policing after this incident. One job
was for a campus police department
in Nevada. The other was for a city
in California. He was blackballed
for both jobs and was not hired.
“Believe you me... Make no mistake people”... Metro has tremendous power and can be incredibly
effective at ruining lives and future
job opportunities — depending on
who you are and which way the
wind is blowing. I wish they had
been equally effective at fighting
crime and putting people like pimps
in prison!
By the way... the officers actually uncuffed the suspect after he
settled down and he was allowed
to walk away. You see this happen(See Jahn, Page 10)
(Continued from Page 7)
They may not all LIKE each other, but they more or less agree to live in
peace under the United States Constitution and this land’s chosen leader
— again, whether one likes that leader or not.
It seems obvious that in order to solve world problems and disagreements and avoid war, we — and I do mean all nations — must first figure
out our goals and find our points of agreement with other nations. If all
national leaders want is “to be right” or to get their own way, then we all
better be prepared for more of the same — which in the words of that
great politician, Yogi Berra, sum up the whole of our world situation:
“It’s like deja vu all over again.”
Maramis Choufani is the Managing Editor of the Las Vegas Tribune.
She writes a weekly column in this newspaper. To contact Maramis, email
her at [email protected].
Page 10 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Pentagon plan to downsize Army: a
sign of U.S. reluctance to nation-build
Bringing U.S. ground forces to their lowest level since before World War II makes sense given that troop-intensive, nation-building
operations are unlikely for the foreseeable future, the Defense secretary said in discussing his Pentagon budget plan.
By Anna Mulrine
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON — With Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announcing a historic downsizing of
U.S. ground forces, along with
other cost-cutting measures, what
does the move say about military
priorities at the end of two long
wars?
The new budget, if it were to be
approved by Congress, will take the
Army down to pre-World War II
levels — a good idea given that the
U.S. military is not likely to be
waging troop-intensive nationbuilding operations for some time
to come, Secretary Hagel said during a briefing with reporters.
What’s more, “given the Army’s
reliance on contractors to do things
once performed by active-duty personnel,” these cuts do not “necessarily mean the Army will be less
capable,” said Benjamin Freeman,
policy adviser for the National Security Project at Third Way, a think
tank in Washington, D.C. “Personnel numbers only tell one part of
the story.”
Although reaction to the budget
plan within the Beltway can tend
to run toward the dire, particularly
among defense contractors, “one
doubts that the American public are
terribly worried about a military
that might be slightly less likely to
get involved in unnecessary and
counterproductive nation-building
missions in distant lands,” argues
Christopher Preble, a defense analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel briefs reporters at the Pentagon, where
he recommended shrinking the Army to its smallest size since the buildup
to U.S. involvement in World War II in an effort to balance postwar
defense needs with budget realities.
think tank.
still would be just above the force
Under the budget plan for fiscal levels it had prior to 9/11. The proyear 2015, the Army would decline posed cuts, moreover, are not nearly
from a post-Iraq high of 566,000 in as deep as the Army had contem2011 to some 440,000 active-duty plated during a strategic review last
troops by 2019. The post-World summer, notes Todd Harrison, seWar II low was 475,290 in 1999,
Dr. Freeman notes.
“Given rapidly rising personnel
costs, and the great political diffi- (Continued from Page 7)
culty of reining them in, the only has enjoyed tremendous cognitive
way to achieve actual savings may and psychological improvement,
be a smaller active-duty force,” Mr. we have been able to access menPreble adds. That’s in effect what tal-health care when needed, and we
Hagel is proposing. “Our recom- have both used benefits we earned
mendations favor a smaller and from the Department of Veterans
more capable force, putting a pre- Affairs. Today, we are contributing
mium on rapidly deployable, self- community members, solid emsustaining platforms that can defeat ployees, proud parents, and a strong
more technologically advanced ad- married couple.
As today’s troops come home,
versaries,” he said.
become
veterans, and reenter civilEven with the cuts, the Army
ian society, communities across the
country should come together to
ensure they have a smoother tran(Continued from Page 9)
sition than we did. The military
ing on COPS too, don’t you? Unfortunately, the subject came charging gave them superb practical and
back at the officers and multiple officers (including the sergeant) had a leadership skills they can put to
major struggle taking him into custody. Since he failed after the initial good use here at home; give them
‘attitude adjustment,’ he was arrested the second time and was booked the chance to use them. We never
for fighting a group of officers. He did not file a statement of complaint! forgot about you while we were
Officers who had observed the first incident and who had to fight during deployed. Don’t forget about us
the second incident reported misconduct on Yi and JR. In retrospect, it when we come home.
sounds like the initial contact was handled with good officer safety tactics. Maybe they should have never cut the guy a break or allowed him to
walk away. I doubt that the suspect even realized that the two officers
could suffer such horrible losses over this brief incident and their inability to have TOTAL RECALL of the events. Such is the life of a member
of the LVMPD these days...
There are so many similar situations at Metro. They can be compared
over the years and officers regularly discuss the situations and how they
are handled. Discipline needs to be consistent and must appropriately
address the misconduct, but morale is damaged when special officers get
special treatment. A few years after Yi and JR were terminated (sometime
before I was terminated), one of my officers was on video inside a casino
and he had punched a subject three times. That subject was in handcuffs
and had been placed in a chair. The two officers interrupted a drug deal in
a bathroom. They cuffed this subject, then walked him out and placed
him on a chair by a slot machine. As they collected information and evaluated their options, the subject tried running out the back door. He tripped
on his baggy shorts and fell on his face. One officer jumped on top of him
to keep him down and control him. This officer punched the subject three
times in the shoulder.
Due to my good relations with security at this property, they actually
contacted me and I was told about the situation. I went to the hotel and
viewed the video. I took a copy with me. I properly handled the use of
force investigation. I had my officers complete the required reports. I did
not ‘excuse’ or ‘explain away’ the use of force on a handcuffed subject.
This is called accountability people! I forwarded the results of my investigation with my recommendation for discipline.
My captain approved a WRITTEN REPRIMAND for the officer who
admitted that he was caught up in the moment and his emotions were
high when the subject tried escaping. The officer had explained that he
was striking the subject and giving verbal command to ‘stay down.’ Sometimes these things happen in policing. The subject was arrested but never
complained of any injury or about the strikes to his shoulder. We were
never able to contact him because he was from out of state. It might be
nice if he knew that we did our job and that minor discipline WAS imposed on the officer. I’m certain that he would never have expected that
the officer (or his partner) should have been fired. He may also not have
even thought that we would impose discipline on one of the officers... but
we did — some of us handle these matters professionally and with the
intent to correct the problem and improve service to the community —
NOT just flush tens of thousands of dollars (in hiring and training costs)
down the drain by calling the officers untruthful!
NEXT WEEK: The Truthfulness Sledgehammer Comparisons Continue
Norm Jahn is a former LVMPD lieutenant, who has also served as a
police chief in Shawano, Wisconsin, and has nearly 25 years of police
experience. Jahn now contributes his opinions and ideas to help improve
policing in general, and in Las Vegas in particular, through his weekly
column in the Las Vegas Tribune.
Williams
nior fellow in defense studies at the
Center for Strategic and Budgetary
Assessments.
That signals that the Army and
the Marine Corps are prioritizing
higher numbers of troops over acquiring modern technology, he
adds.
At the same time, the Navy will
retain its 11 aircraft carriers, while
the Air Force will continue to prioritize the F-35 fighter jet, the nextgeneration stealth fighter.
Rather than putting their money
on higher force levels, the Navy and
the Air Force are emphasizing hightech modernization, Mr. Harrison
said. “The real story here for me is
this looks like a giant balancing
act.”
Special Operations Forces
would get a boost, too — from
66,000 troops today to 69,700 in the
new budget. “Clearly, Special Operations Forces have been very effective in what we’ve been doing
in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in terrorism operations around the
globe,” Harrison said.
What is not included in the budget are the sequestration cuts already mandated by Congress, or the
overseas continuing operations
(OCO), which is where the Pentagon keeps the funding for the war
in Afghanistan.
“The OCO has really become,
frankly, a slush fund,” Freeman
said, adding that defense analysts
will be watching carefully when the
Pentagon rolls it out, probably after the presidential election in Afghanistan in April.
But defense officials are eventually going to have to make some
tough decisions on the cost of the
war, or face the wrath of some lawmakers. Adds Preble: “If the Pentagon isn’t serious about confronting” the high cost of the war, as well
as looming sequestration, “the resulting infighting could get ugly.”
Kayla Williams is a project associate at the RAND Corp. and author of the recently released “Plenty
of Time When We Get Home: Love
and Recovery in the Aftermath of
War.”
Jahn
First lady Michelle Obama speaks at a National Symposium on Veterans’
Employment in Construction, hosted by the Labor Department, Feb. 10
in Washington. Ms. Obama said that a construction industry pledge to
hire 100,000 veterans by 2019 isn’t only the right and patriotic thing to
do, but also a smart thing for business.
www.MyCasinoBazaar.com
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 11
Gaughan Gaming to oversee all operations of
historical Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall in Ely plus
the Huntridge Tavern and O’Aces Bar in Las Vegas
Special to the Las Vegas Tribune
Gaughan Gaming is pleased to
announce the approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board for the
company to oversee the operations
of the Hotel Nevada & Gambling
Hall, located in Ely at 501 Aultman
Street, Ely, Nevada. Gaughan Gaming, operated by John Gaughan, and
in partnership with Paul Kellogg
and the Kellogg family, is also approved to acquire 50 percent of the
property and the company’s other
amenities in Ely including The
Postal Palace plus the O’Aces Bar
and Huntridge Tavern in Las Vegas.
“We’re very excited to be a part
of this historic property in central
Nevada, where the region has a historic past and importance including
the mining boom that built this part
of the West,” said John Gaughan,
CEO of Gaughan Gaming. “We
look forward to becoming an integral part of the Ely and White Pine
County community and are committed to continue offering a strong
level of customer service at this
landmark property.”
The six-story Hotel Nevada and
Gambling Hall was built in 1929
and features 67 rooms. At the time
the property was built, it was the
tallest building in the state. Currently the property has 24-hour ser-
vice for casino gaming and restaurant operations including table
games and poker. The casino floor
also hosts Megabucks and Wheel
of Fortune slots among others. The
property also has truck and RV
parking and convention facilities.
Hotel Nevada is AAA accredited
and is one of the storied hallmarks
and travel destinations in Central
Nevada.
John Gaughan
John Gaughan, a third-generation gaming innovator, has quickly
made his own mark on Nevada’s
key industry. Before graduating
from the University of Nebraska
with a business degree in 1988,
Gaughan founded Las Vegas Dissemination Company, which provides vital support to the off-track
horseracing industry. LVDC soon
became Nevada’s exclusive parimutuel service provider. Gaughan
is the owner and chief executive of
LVDC, in addition to his role as
chief executive of Gaughan Gaming,
About Gaughan Gaming:
The gaming consultancy offers
expertise in all aspects of the gaming industry including planning and
development, financial structure,
regulatory compliance, legal requirements, marketing, advertising,
human resources, construction and
design. Gaughan Gaming aligns itself with companies and development projects that are in need of a
management team committed to
establishing, building and maintaining successful strategic partnerships
in order to exceed market potential.
The principals of Gaughan Gaming are licensed in multiple juris-
dictions. Gaughan Gaming is at
8924 Spanish Ridge Avenue, Las
Vegas, Nevada, 89148 and can be
contacted at (702) 739-1516 or
[email protected].
The Huntridge Tavern was gifted the bike rack pictured above, courtesy of the nonprofit Huntridge
Foundation. It was designed by Foundation president Dan Roberts, fabricated by Artistic Iron Works and
installed by a crew from DJR Construction, who hopefully hung around long enough to get some welldeserved free drinks.
Page 12 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Arizona vote moves gay
rights into the mainstream
Why did Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer veto a ‘religious rights’ bill? The gay rights movement’s
allies now include Chambers of Commerce, major businesses, and Republican lawmakers.
By Brad Knickerbocker
Christian Science Monitor
Mark this as the week when gay
rights — including the push for
same-sex marriage — became
clearly and perhaps irrevocably
mainstream.
Forty-five years after the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village protesting police raids on gay bars, then
the first “Gay Pride” marches a few
years later — events which shocked
many Americans more used to homosexuality remaining in the closet
— the movement’s newest allies are
strictly conventional: Chambers of
Commerce, major business groups,
and Republican lawmakers.
That’s clearly behind Arizona
Gov. Jan Brewer’s veto of a “religious rights” bill allowing commercial enterprises to refuse doing business with gay individuals and
couples, including those shopping
for wedding products and services.
The message from opponents of the
bill had been heard loud and clear,
and it wasn’t just gay rights groups.
As the Gannett news organization put it online:
“Apple, American Airlines,
Marriott, and American Express
strongly opposed the legislation,
saying it would be bad for business.
The Arizona Super Bowl Host
Committee also called for a Brewer
veto amid reports the NFL was
looking at other sites for its 2015
championship game.
“The state’s Republican U.S.
senators, John McCain and Jeff
Flake... and 2012 GOP presidential
nominee Mitt Romney also urged
Brewer to nix the measure.
“Five GOP lawmakers who had
supported the bill said they regretted their votes because of the backlash and its potential impact on the
economy and the state’s reputation.”
In a letter to Brewer, the heads
of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of
Commerce, the Arizona Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, Greater
Phoenix Leadership, and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council
wrote: “We are troubled by any legislation that could be interpreted to
permit discrimination against a particular group of people in the marketplace... The bill could also harm
job creation efforts and our ability
to attract and retain talent.”
The outcome in Arizona showed
“there are economic consequences
to discrimination,” Todd Sears, a
former investment banker and the
founder of initiatives focused on
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) equality in
business, told Politico.
“You’re seeing corporations
weighing in on the side of LGBT
inclusion and social justice in a way
that you would not have seen 10,
15, 20 years ago,” Mr. Sears said.
“This is about good business and
discrimination and helping our employees be better at their jobs.”
It was a message quickly heard
and acted upon by officials in other
states considering similar “religious
rights” legislation.
The president of the Kansas Senate announced this week that his
chamber would not take up a similar bill in the Kansas House, the
Demonstrators in Phoenix celebrate as they learn Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill designed to give added protection from
lawsuits to people who assert their religious beliefs in refusing service to gays.
Washington Post reported, and cent), white Catholics (58 percent)
“While many churches and people,” said PRRI chief executive
Ohio legislators withdrew their and Hispanic Catholics (56 percent) people in the pews have been mov- officer Robert P. Jones. “Nearly
measure.
currently support same-sex mar- ing away from their opposition to one-third of Millennials who left
Lawmakers in South Dakota and riage.
LGBT rights over the last decade, their childhood religion say unfaUtah tabled bills similar to
At the same time, churches this new research provides further vorable church teachings about or
Arizona’s, and a bill in Georgia is which oppose gay marriage are evidence that negative teachings on treatment of gay and lesbian people
unlikely to make it out of commit- finding a negative impact regard- this issue have hurt churches’ abil- played a significant role in their detee. The sponsor of Tennessee’s bill ing younger members.
ity to attract and retain young cision to head for the exit.”
withdrew his sponsorship in early
February.
Meanwhile, a federal judge in
Texas ruled against that state’s ban
on same-sex marriage. That makes
six states where judges have so
ruled. (The others are Virginia, New
Jersey, Oklahoma, Utah, and California.)
Today, same-sex marriages are
legal in 17 states and the District of
Columbia. Given public opinion
polls showing a majority of Americans — including a large majority
of younger voters — now approving gay marriage, it seems likely
that the number of such states will
increase.
While conservative churches
and political organizations have
fought that trend, a new study of
public attitudes over the past decade
indicates the challenges to that
cause.
“In the decade since Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, Americans’
support for allowing gay and lesbian people to legally wed has
jumped 21 percentage points, from
32 percent in 2003 to 53 percent in
2013, transforming the American
religious landscape,” the Public
Religion Research Institute (PRRI)
reported this week.
If anything, those who identify
with a particular faith group are
even more inclined to approve of
gay marriage, the report finds. In
addition to the 73 percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans who
favor allowing gay and lesbian
couples to legally marry, majorities
of Jewish Americans (83 percent),
white mainline Protestants (62 per-
DO YOU NEED AN EDITOR?
Have you been embarrassed lately when someone pointed
out to you that you misspelled a word in your report, or maybe
had a whole sentence all messed up? Have you personally
felt that you could’ve done a much better job on that manuscript,
but just didn’t have the time?
Why put off doing what you know you should have done before:
call in an editor! As a word-, sentence-, and document-doctor,
she will fix what needs fixing by adding a little of this or that,
and taking out what shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Give yourself the luxury of looking your best in print!
[email protected]. 702-706-6875.
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 13
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO:
EarthTalk, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box
5098, Westport, CT 06881; [email protected]. E is a
nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.
Dear EarthTalk: What are
“dirty fuels” and why are they so
called? — Bill Green, Seattle, WA
The term “dirty fuels” refers to
fuels derived from tar sands, oil
shale or liquid coal. Just like their
more conventional fossil fuel counterparts such as petroleum and coal,
they can be turned into gasoline,
diesel and other energy sources that
can generate extreme amounts of
particulate pollution, carbon emissions and ecosystem destruction
during their lifecycles from production to consumption.
“Because tar sands [have] more
sulfur, nitrogen, and metals in
[them] than conventional oil, upgrading and refining [them] causes
a lot more air and water pollution
and greenhouse gas emissions,” reports the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading
environmental non-profit. “On a
lifecycle basis — that is, extraction
all the way through combustion —
tar sands cause about 20 percent
more global warming pollution than
conventional oil,” adds NRDC.
“Oil shale and liquid coal are even
worse, causing nearly 50 percent
more global warming pollution and
over double the lifecycle emissions
of conventional oil...”
In North America, the majority
of such fuels come from Canada’s
vast boreal forest, to where tens of
millions of birds flock each spring
to nest. “Tar sands oil development
creates open pit mines, habitat fragmentation, toxic waste holding
ponds, air and water pollution,
upgraders and refineries, and pipelines spreading far beyond the Boreal forest,” reports NRDC. “This
development is destroying habitat
for waterfowl and songbirds that
come from all over the Americas to
nest in the Boreal.”
Beyond impacts at the extraction
sites, dirty fuels cause pollution
problems all down the line. For this
reason, environmental leaders are
opposed to the proposed Keystone
XL pipeline which, if approved and
built, would transport tar sands fuels through the Midwestern U.S. to
refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Refinery communities like Port
Arthur, Texas... are already unable
to comply with their air pollution
regulations, so dirtier fuel is the last
thing they need in their refineries,”
adds NRDC.
And while dirty fuels may reduce our reliance on foreign oil,
they won’t help reduce gas prices
as they are so expensive to produce
that gas prices would have to be
higher than they already are in order for them to be profitable. “They
also can’t help with stabilizing gas
prices in the case of a disruption to
oil shipments because each new tar
sands project requires huge infrastructure and capital investments,
so it takes years for new tar sands
projects to come on-line — it’s not
as though there is loads of spare tar
sands oil just waiting to be put
through the pipelines,” says
NRDC’s Elizabeth Shope.
“The fact is, we don’t need these
fuels,” she adds. “We can reduce oil
consumption by increasing fuel efficiency standards, and greater use
of hybrid cars, renewable energy
and environmentally sustainable
biofuels. What’s called ‘smart
growth’ — how we design our communities — is also a very important element in meeting our transportation needs.
“North America stands at an energy crossroads [and] we now face
a choice: to set a course for a more
sustainable energy future of clean,
renewable fuels, or to develop everdirtier sources of transportation fuel
derived from fossil fuels—at an
even greater cost to our health and
environment.”
Proponents of synthetic biology tout its potential for bringing about great advances in medicine, energy and
cheaper foods. But health advocates worry that the risks to health and the environment may be too great.
Pictured: a researcher using “synbio” to engineer new microbes as an alternative to yeast for turning complex
sugars into biofuels.
*****
While these and other applica- illin poses several human health,
Dear EarthTalk: Should those tions may not be widely available environmental and economic conof us who care about our health for years, synthetic biology is al- cerns for consumers, food compaand the planet be concerned about ready in use for creating food addi- nies and other stakeholders.”
the new trend in genetic engineer- tives that will start to show up in
For example, FoE worries that
ing called synthetic biology? — products on grocery shelves later synbio vanilla (and eventually other
Chrissie Wilkins, Bern, NC
this year. Switzerland-based Evolva synthetic biology additives) could
“Synthetic biology” (or is using synthetic biology tech- exacerbate rainforest destruction
“synbio”) refers to the design and niques to produce alternatives to while harming sustainable farmers
fabrication of novel biological resveratrol, stevia, saffron and va- and poor communities around the
parts, devices and systems that do nilla. The company’s “synthetic world. “Synbio vanilla... could disnot otherwise occur in nature. Many vanillin” is slated to go into many place the demand for the natural
see it as an extreme version of ge- foods as a cheaper and limitless vanilla market,” reports FoE.
netic engineering (GE). But unlike version of real vanilla flavor. But “Without the natural vanilla market
GE, whereby genetic information many health advocates are outraged adding economic value to the
with certain desirable traits is in- that such a product will be avail- rainforest in these regions, these last
serted from one organism into an- able to consumers without more standing rainforests will not be proother, synbio uses computers and research into potential dangers and tected from competing agricultural
chemicals to create entirely new without any warnings or labeling to markets such as soy, palm oil and
organisms.
let consumers know they are eat- sugar.” Critics of synbio also worry
Proponents of synbio, which in- ing organisms designed and that releasing synthetic life into the
clude familiar players such as brought to life in a lab.
environment, whether done intenCargill, BP, Chevron and Du Pont,
“This is the first major use of a tionally or accidentally, could have
tout its potential benefits. Accord- synbio ingredient in food, and doz- adverse effects on our ecosystems.
ing to the Synthetic Biology Engi- ens of other flavors and food addiDespite these risks, could the
neering
Research
Center tives are in the pipeline, so synbio rewards of embracing synthetic bi(SYNBERC), a consortium of lead- vanilla could set a dangerous pre- ology be great? Could it help us deal
ing U.S. researchers in the field, cedent for synthetic genetically en- with some of the tough issues of
some promising applications of gineered ingredients to sneak into climate change, pollution and world
synthetic biology include alterna- our food supply and be labeled as hunger? Given that the genie is altives to rubber for tires, tumor-seek- ‘natural,’” reports Friends of the ready out of the bottle, perhaps only
ing microbes for treating cancer, Earth (FoE), a leading environmen- time will tell.
and photosynthetic energy systems. tal group. “Synthetic biology van*****
Other potential applications include
using synbio to detect and remove
environmental contaminants, monitor and respond to disease and develop new drugs and vaccines.
Environmental leaders are opposed to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline which, if approved and built,
would transport tar sands fuels through the Midwestern U.S. to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Pictured: A
Rainforest Action Network anti tar sands pipeline protest in front of the Canadian Consulate in Chicago.
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 14 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Dancer, Cover Girl and Magician’s
Assistant, Chloe Does It All
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Fantasy, PR and Sandy Zimmerman
Chloe Louise Crawford appears in two shows. She portrays
the sensuous lead dancer in Fantasy (Luxor) showcasing her talents as dancer, aerial artist and pole choreographer.
Chloe transforms herself to become the beautiful girl-next-door
as America’s Got Talent Murray SawChuck’s assistant and choreographer in his Magic Show (Tropicana).
She looks different in each show. It’s almost like being two
women. Chloe’s changes her appearance, moods and personality.
In 2013, Chloe’s performance in Fantasy attracted Sport’s Illustrated Magazine’s attention. Their Swimsuit Edition wanted
dancers from Las Vegas shows and a hundred women auditioned.
Chloe feels, “I was lucky enough to appear in the magazine and
online. Even my mother could pick up Sport’s Illustrated in England which was cool.
This was a big year with appearance on the cover of two magazines Tradeshow Lifestyles and Strip LV. She appeared not only
on one magazine cover but two covers at the same time. The Strip
LV Magazine hosted a pool party to celebrate her covers. The
second cover was on Lifestyles Magazine.
She also guest starred on History Channel’s Top Gear USA,
Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, The Marie Show and Masters Of Illusion. Besides keeping track of her numbers in two
shows, Chloe won the title of Playboy’s Cyber Girl of the week
and month for February, 2014. The winner of each weekly Cyber
Girl enters an online election by Playboy Cyber Club members
for Cyber Girl of the Year.
Chloe and Murray performed together for seven years. She explained, “I have never been a magician’s assistant before and
thought it would be fun. Why not? We became friends and spent
time together.”
When Murray and Chloe moved to Las Vegas, he opened his
Celebrity Magic show as the headliner at the Tropicana Hotel in
Las Vegas, June, 2012. This is a funny magic show with two signature illusions allowing the audience to see 360 degrees around
the entire illusion. There were more happy events that year with
their marriage in July. Chloe was busy as Murray’s assistant and
choreographer while auditioned for shows, “One of my big problems, our show times conflicted. Murray’s show ran from 7-8:30
p.m. Later Murray’s time changed to 4 p.m. and I became the lead
dancer for Fantasy’s show at 10:30 p.m. We have been lucky how
everything turned out.
You can see Chloe Louise Crawford in Fantasy, at the Luxor
Hotel, at 10:30 p.m. nightly except Friday Murray SawChuck appears Saturday to Thursday, at 4 p.m., in the Laugh Factory Theater, at the Tropicana Hotel. http://www.luxor.com/entertainment,
http://chloelouisecrawford.com/, http://murraysawchuck.com/ and
http://www.troplv.com/las-vegas/shows-entertainment/murraymagic-show.
Award winning Sandy Zimmerman is a syndicated columnist
with articles featuring Show/ Film and Dining Reviews, Travel,
Health, Lifestyles and more. If you have any questions about
Sandy’s columns or wish to suggest a subject, please call (702)735-5974 or email Sandy Zimmerman at her website:
[email protected]
Chloe Louise Crawford performs in two Las Vegas shows every day, is a cover girl
and was named Playboy’s Cybergirl of the Month.
Chloe is the lead dancer in Fantasy, at the Luxor Hotel.
Chloe is dancing on the top of the pole in Fantasy, at the Luxor Hotel.
Chloe performs as assistant and choreographer in America’s Got Talent Murray SawChuck’s Celebrity Magic show at theTropicana Hotel. (Photos by Sandy Zimmerman)
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 15
‘Mike & Molly’ star Billy Gardell at Orleans Showroom
This Week
in Las Vegas
By Mike Kermani
By Mike Kermani
Las Vegas Tribune
Sitcom star, film actor and comedian Billy Gardell returns to The
Orleans Showroom March 28 and
29.
The star of romantic sitcom
“Mike & Molly,” Gardell plays
Chicago police officer Mike Biggs,
who met wife Molly Flynn at an
Overeaters Anonymous meeting.
The hit series is currently airing its
fourth season on CBS.
From 2007 to 2009, Gardell had
a recurring role on the NBC television series, “My Name is Earl.” He
has guest-starred on numerous
shows, including “Bones,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Burning Hollywood,” “Yes, Dear,” “Judging
Amy,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Monk” and “Sullivan &
Son.”
On the big screen, Gardell made
his debut alongside Anthony Quinn
and Sylvester Stallone in “Avenging Angelo” in 2002 and has since
starred in “Bad Santa,” “You, Me
and Dupree,” “The Deported,” “Ice
Age: A Mammoth Christmas,”
“Undrafted” and is set to appear in
the Clint Eastwood-directed film
adaptation of the hit musical, “Jersey Boys.”
Gardell took the long road to
Hollywood, stopping at every small
town lounge, military base and
comedy club along the way. Stories
about his rough childhood, wild
adolescence and new family life are
part of his stand-up routine. Gardell
has opened for well-known comedians such as George Carlin and
Dennis Miller.
Showtime each evening is 8 p.m.
Tickets are available starting from
$39.95, plus tax and convenience
fees, and can be purchased at any
Boyd Gaming Box Office, by calling 702.365.7075, or visiting
www.orleanscasino.com.
*****
Lionel Richie to appear
at Mandalay Bay Events
Center June 6
Multi-platinum selling artist and
five-time GRAMMY Award- winning music icon Lionel Richie announced the extension of his worldwide All the Hits All Night Long
tour which will make a stop at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center Friday, June 6 at 8 p.m. The tour has
sold out across the globe in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the
Middle East and will travel through
North America this summer with
special guest CeeLo Green.
Tickets priced at $49.50, $69.50,
$89.50 and $129.50, not including
applicable tax and service fees, are
now on sale and available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster
locations (select Smith’s Food and
Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino).
Ticket sales are limited to eight (8)
per person. To charge by phone with
a major credit card, call
Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
Tickets also are available for purchase at mandalaybay.com or
ticketmaster.com.
For fans anxious to purchase
seats to highly anticipated concerts
and events, M life — MGM Resorts
International’s loyalty program —
provides members exclusive access
to pre-sales for sporting events and
concerts. The program also features
rewards, benefits and once-in-alifetime experiences at the incomparable collection of MGM Resorts’ world-renowned destinations.
To join, or for more information,
visit mlife.com.
Richie’s solo career began in
1982 with the release of his selftitled debut album. It produced three
hits — “Truly,” “You Are” and “My
Love” and sold more than four million copies. His 1983 follow-up album Can’t Slow Down sold twice
as many copies and won two
GRAMMY Awards including “Album of the Year.” The album contained the No. 1 hit “All Night
Long,” which Richie later performed at the closing ceremony of
the XXIII Olympic Games in Los
Angeles in 1984.
Richie’s last album Tuskegee
reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 after its March 2012 release. Tuskegee was certified platinum after selling one million units
in the United States. Overall, Richie
has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.
“I’m so lucky to have the collection of songs that I can play for
my fans each night that it becomes
a giant sing-along most of the time,”
said Richie. “People always ask me
‘What are you going to sing tonight
Lionel?’ and I always laugh and
reply ‘What are YOU going to sing
tonight?’”
All the Hits All Night Long is
produced by Live Nation Global
Touring. For complete tour and
ticket
information,
visit
lionelrichie.com or livenation.com.
*****
Carnivale Electricos to
play 12 shows in the
Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
The electrifying outfit that released the acclaimed Mardi Gras inspired album Carnivale Electricos
are back this week with a new track
called “Higher and Higher” featuring JJ Grey on vocals. Galactic will
share the stage with JJ Grey &
Mofro for shows this weekend: tonight at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre and tomorrow at New York’s
Terminal 5.
The band will then make their
way across the country over the
next two months, including two
hometown Mardi Gras gigs at
Tipitina’s in early March, before
wrapping up the outing with a twonight run at The Fillmore in San
Francisco on March 21 and 22.
Then the New Orleans funk icons
are slated to play a 12 show residency in the newly announced
Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas at The
LINQ. Jazz Fest shows have also
been announced including a festival appearance on April 27, night
shows at Tipitina’s on April 25 and
May 2, and a show with Thievery
Corporation at The Sugar Mill on
May 3. March 26, 27, 28, 29; April
2,3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, at the Brooklyn Bowl, in Las Vegas.
Mike Kermani is an entertainment writer for the Las Vegas Tribune newspaper. He writes a weekly
column in this newspaper. To contact Mike Kermani, email
mkermani@ lasvegas tribune.com
Page 16 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
Tacos & Tequila/Chefs to the
Max raise funds for injured critic
MAX JACOBSON
By Jerry Fink
Las Vegas Tribune
Tacos & Tequila (T&T) at Luxor
Hotel and Casino will host Viva
Max!, a benefit dinner that will donate 100 percent of proceeds toward the recovery of Max
Jacobson, a popular local food
writer who was critically injured in
late December. The cocktail mixer
and sit-down dinner will be held in
partnership with Chefs to the Max
from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday,
March 13.
“Max Jacobson is a long-time
friend and member of the Las Vegas dining family,” said Craig Gilbert, owner of Tacos & Tequila.
“We look forward to celebrating the
progress he is making through his
recovery, as well as raising money
to assist with his mounting medical bills and other expenses.”
Priced at $100 per person, Viva
Max! will begin with a cocktail reception followed by a delectable
three-course dinner. To purchase
tickets call 702.735.8322 or email
[email protected].
*****
MODERNIZED JUBILEE
TO REOPEN AT BALLY’S
MARCH 17
Jubilee, the longest-running and
most iconic show on the famed Las
Vegas Strip, will reopen at Bally’s
Las Vegas on Monday, March 17
after undergoing a major transformation.
Donn Arden’s Jubilee first
opened on July 30, 1981 and
quickly became a staple in Las Vegas entertainment. To this day the
unparalleled grand spectacle remains to be the last show of its kind,
featuring the Strip’s only remaining authentic showgirls. While the
best of the show’s main elements
will be preserved as a nod to the
original production, the choreography, staging and music will be refreshed for today’s audience.
*****
OPPORTUNITY VILLAGE
CHAMPION, KITTY
RODMAN, PASSES AWAY
AT AGE 89
Opportunity Village’s greatest
champion, beloved heroine and
mentor, Kitty Rodman, recently
passed away after a long fight with
Parkinson’s Disease at age 89. Kitty
had been the matriarch and hero of
Opportunity Village since its inception in 1954. As one of Nevada’s
most influential women and active
philanthropist at Opportunity Village, Kitty was part of various
projects at the foundation that will
become a part of her legacy.
In April of 2000, the Kitty Rodman Center was erected built inside
the Walters Family Campus and
serves as the only Fine and Performing Arts center for people with
intellectual disabilities in the country. She also provided the funds for
the Oakey Job Discovery Food
Training Program and the build out
of the facility’s kitchen.
Opportunity Village was
founded in 1954 by seven families
who were determined to give their
disabled children the best lives possible. Now, 60 years later, Opportunity Village is one of the most
recognized and respected Community Rehabilitation Programs in the
United States.
Nevada’s largest employer of
people with disabilities, Opportunity Village serves nearly 3,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their
lives more productive and interesting.
*****
“DA VINCI THE EXHIBITION”
ARRIVES AT VENETIAN
MARCH 12
Imagine Exhibitions Gallery
will debut its newest feature exhibition, Da Vinci The Exhibition, at
The Venetian Las Vegas. Opening
March 12, 2014, the experience follows the Renaissance master,
Leonardo da Vinci, on a journey of
innovation, creativity, science and
wonder amid beautiful scenes of the
Italian countryside.
Throughout the exhibition’s
themed galleries, visitors will discover the breadth and scope of da
Vinci’s incredibly advanced understanding of science, mathematics,
nature, and the relationship between the three. The artist’s intricate designs and extraordinary early
concepts are spotlighted, including
his design for the helicopter, tank,
SCUBA, crane, clock, submarine
and his plan for a modern city. Additionally, various multimedia experiences and documentary presentations throughout the space will
provide a multitude of supplementary information on da Vinci’s discoveries and creative process.
Da Vinci The Exhibition will be
open for a limited engagement beginning Wednesday, March 12.
Tickets are available for purchase
at The Venetian box office. Prices
are as follows: adult ($27.50), senior/military/Nevada residents/students ($22.50) — must show relevant ID, and children 12 and under are free with one paying adult,
with additional children being
$20.50.
Da Vinci The Exhibition’s operating hours will be Sunday through
Thursday 9:30 a.m. — 7 p.m., last
ticket sold at 6 p.m.; and Friday and
Saturday 9:30 a.m. — 9 p.m., last
ticket sold at 8 p.m.
*****
AWARD-WINNING
ENTERTAINERS GRACE
THE STAGE NIGHTLY
AT CAESARS
ENTERTAINMENT RESORTS
As the awards season comes to
an end, with the Academy Awards
being held on Sunday, March 2,
guests of Caesars Entertainment
Las Vegas Resorts have the opportunity to enjoy their favorite awardwinning entertainer year-round.
Caesars Entertainment offers a
plethora of entertainment options
that feature the Strip’s best shows
and entertainers, who have been
honored with everything from
Academy and Emmy Awards to
Billboard Music and People’s
Choice Awards.
CAESARS PALACE:
Celine Dion
Performing inside The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, which was
built specifically for her show “A
New Day...” in 1993, Dion has received countless awards including
12 World Music Awards, 43 Félix
Awards, 10 Billboard Music
Awards, 20 Juno Awards, five
Grammy Awards, seven American
Music Awards and several others
making Dion a true entertainment
icon.
Elton John
Elton is one of the top-selling
solo artists of all time, winning a
total of five Grammys for “Best Pop
Performance by a Duo or Group
with Vocal,” “Best Instrumental
Composition,” “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” and “Best Musical Show Album,” an Academy
Award for “Best Original Song” for
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight”
and a Tony Award for “Best Original Musical Score” for “Aida.”
Rod Stewart
During more than his five decades of performing, Stewart has received a “Legend Award” and the
first ever “Diamond Award” from
the World Music Awards, a
Grammy Award for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album,” the
ASCAP Founders Award and has
been inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame both as a solo
artist and a member of the band
Faces, in addition to the UK Music
Hall of Fame.
Shania Twain
Twain has won an impressive
187 awards from 1993 to present
day.
Jerry Seinfeld
Known best for his role on
NBC’s most popular and successful sitcom, “Seinfeld,” Jerry
Seinfeld has headlined The Colosseum at Caesars Palace since Dec.
2003.
FLAMINGO LAS VEGAS:
Olivia Newton-John
Known best for her role as
Sandy in the hit 70’s film “Grease,”
Olivia Newton-John, the newest
resident headliner at Flamingo Las
Vegas, is an accomplished singer,
songwriter and actress.
HARRAH’S LAS VEGAS:
Million Dollar Quartet
Set on Dec. 4, 1956, Sam
Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’
Roll” brought together Johnny
Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins
and Elvis Presley together at Sun
Records studio in Memphis for the
first and only time for a night of
laughs, good company and great
music.
PARIS LAS VEGAS:
Jersey Boys
The story of four blue-collar kids
who became one of the greatest successes in pop music history, Jersey
Boys follows the story of Frankie
Valli and The Four Seasons.
PLANET HOLLYWOOD:
Britney Spears
One of the most iconic pop artists to ever grace the stage, Planet
Hollywood Resort & Casino headliner, Britney Spears, has received
awards not only for her chart-topping hits but also for film and fashion.
Meat Loaf
One of the best-selling artists of
all time with one of the best-selling
albums of all time, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino’s RockTellz
and CockTails headliner Meat Loaf
has sold more than 80 million
records and has appeared in more
than 50 movies and TV shows.
The Jacksons
One of the highest-selling
groups of all time, The Jacksons had
nine number-one hits and 14 top10 hits including “ABC,” “I Want
You Back” and “I’ll Be There.”
RIO ALL-SUITE
HOTEL & CASINO:
Penn & Teller
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
headliners Penn & Teller may be
known for their comedy magic
show but the eccentric duo are also
award-winning entertainers. To
learn more about Caesars Entertainment Total Vegas Resorts’ performers, or for show information, please
visit: http://www.totalrewards.com/
las-vegas/shows.html
*****
RIVIERA HOTEL & CASINO
ANNOUNCES MARCH
ENTERTAINMENT
The iconic Riviera Hotel & Casino entertains guests with a wide
variety of award-winning entertainment. All tickets can be purchased
at the Riviera Box Office or through
Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or
www.ticketmaster.com. For more
information,
please
visit
www.RivieraHotel.com.
Crazy Girls
Crazy Girls Theatre
Wednesday through Monday
(dark Tuesday); 9:30 p.m.; $44.95
through $71 plus tax and applicable
fees.
Celebrating more than 25 years,
Crazy Girls is one of the sexiest and
most sensuous topless revue shows
to ever grace a Las Vegas stage.
ILLUSIONS
Featuring Jan Rouven
Starlite Theatre
Saturday through Thursday
(dark Friday); 7:00 p.m.; $59
through $99 plus tax and applicable
fees.
ILLUSIONS Featuring Jan
Rouven features some of the most
dangerous and thrilling acts and
gives the audience a front-row seat
into the imagination of a master illusionist. No age restriction; Children 5 years of age & under free
admission and must be accompanied by adult.
Men The Experience
Crazy Girls Theatre
Monday through Sunday, beginning Monday, March 31; 7:00 p.m.;
$50 inclusive of tax and applicable
fees for general admission. VIP
seating is available for $69 inclusive of tax and applicable fees.
Men the Experience is an actionpacked, 75-minute show performed
by some of the sexiest men in Las
Vegas.
Darrell Joyce with Carla Rea
Riviera Comedy Club
Through Sunday, March 9; 8:30
p.m.; $29.99 all inclusive tax and
applicable fees; Tickets for Las Vegas residents with a valid ID are $15
all inclusive of tax and applicable
fees.
Jon Manfrellotti
with Penny Prince
Riviera Comedy Club
Monday, March 10 — Sunday,
March 16; 8:30 p.m.; $29.99 all inclusive tax and applicable fees;
Tickets for Las Vegas residents with
a valid ID are $15 all inclusive of
tax and applicable fees.
Matt Kazam
with Michael “Wheels” Parise
Riviera Comedy Club
Monday, March 17 — Sunday,
March 23; 8:30 p.m.; $29.99 all inclusive tax and applicable fees;
Tickets for Las Vegas residents with
a valid ID are $15 all inclusive of
tax and applicable fees.
Mike Marino
with Derek Richards
Riviera Comedy Club
Monday, March 24 — Sunday,
March 30; 8:30 p.m.; $29.99 all inclusive tax and applicable fees;
Tickets for Las Vegas residents with
a valid ID are $15 all inclusive of
tax and applicable fees.
Willie Farrell
with Shayma Tash
Riviera Comedy Club
Monday, March 31 — Sunday,
April 6; 8:30 p.m.; $29.99 all inclusive tax and applicable fees;
Tickets for Las Vegas residents with
a valid ID are $15 all inclusive of
tax and applicable fees.
*****
LAS VEGAS’ SEXIEST
NEW SHOW TO
PERFORM NIGHTLY
Due to overwhelming demand,
X ROCKS, Las Vegas’ hottest new
all-rock topless revue performs
nightly at 10 p.m. inside the King’s
Showroom at Rio All-Suite Hotel
& Casino in Las Vegas.
A stimulating, high-voltage performance set inside King’s Showroom, X ROCKS features performances from Las Vegas’ sexiest
showgirls, set to intense, heartpounding rock songs from artists
including Slash & the Conspirators,
MUSE, Metallica, The Beatles,
Awolnation, Alice in Chains, Alice
Cooper and Black Sabbath.
Created and produced by husband and wife team, Matt and Angela Stabile, X ROCKS is performed nightly at King’s Showroom inside Rio All-Suite Hotel &
Casino. All performances begin at
10 p.m.
Tickets are $34.95 plus tax and
applicable fees for general admission, $44.95 plus tax and applicable
fees for VIP seating and $54.95 plus
tax and applicable fees for the
Rockstar premium seating.
Tickets can be purchased at
www.riolasvegas.com, by phone at
702-777-7776 or at the Rio Box Office. Guests must be 18 years or
older. For more information on X
ROCKS, please visit the website
www.xrockstheshow.com.
*****
Jerry Fink is an entertainment
columnist for the Las Vegas Tribune
newspaper and writes a weekly column. To contact Jerry Fink, email
him at jfink@ lasvegastribune.com.
&
HEALTH LIFESTYLES
March 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 17
The way tea was meant to be experienced
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Tea Plantation
Tea has been an important part
of Chinese culture for thousands of
years. To the Chinese people it is
an experience rather than just a cup
of tea. Mei Tung, owner of Eight
Cranes Tea, feels strongly about
preserving the traditions handed
down from family to family. She is
involved in many aspects of Chinese culture especially that of Chinese tea. Twice a year Mei travels
to China to visit the tea plantations.
“My mission is to find wonderful
quality tea which has not been discovered by the world outside China.
Our tea has no additives or flavorings, just pure whole tea prepared
as in ancient times.”
Although I visited China four
times as well as many trips to other
countries around the world as a
travel writer, I have never been to a
tea plantation so I was interested in
hearing about Mei’s experiences.
Mei described her visits to Chinese
tea plantations. “This is really my
passion, it is in our blood.
Tea plantations are found all
around China growing different
types of teas.” Mei specializes in
authentic loose leaf tea, focusing on
the best quality tea. She only signs
one year contracts with the tea
farmers because certain fields and
changing climates produce different qualities of crops each year. Mei
explained, “I am very particular,
this is my product and I have to be
particular. I want to stand behind it.
That is why I travel to China to
choose the tea myself. There are
three different types of tea, the first
grows on a tall tree, the second on
medium size trees around two
person’s height, and the third is
found in ground bushes.
You need 35,000 little tea buds
to make one pound. The 30 pounds
of raw fresh leaves fill a big basket
which needs six people to carry.
There are several steps to processing loose leaf tea and it is important to the quality of the tea that they
are done right. After stirring the
small buds just 3-4 seconds, the
buds are then taken away and returned for more quick stirrings. The
process takes from four to six times
for all of the different procedures.”
I have attended many wine tasting dinners but what about tea? We
do not think about tea in the same
way. When you dine at a fine restaurant, the waiter brings the box
of different tea to the table- jasmine,
mint, and an assortment of other
flavors.
Mei feels, “When you compare
tea and wine you will agree to a certain extent, tea has much more culture and history involved. There are
major differences with tea in a bag
and loose leaf teas. I go to pick the
tea myself, taste it myself, and the
tea must pass my own taste test first
before I put it in my package.” Mei
is very serious about her tea and
proud of her culture.
Teas in bags lose their flavor and
are thrown away after one use, but
my teas can be re-steeped several
times. www.eightcranes.com
Award
winning
Sandy
Zimmerman is a syndicated columnist with articles featuring Show/
Film and Dining Reviews, Travel,
Health, Lifestyles and more. If you
have any questions about Sandy’s
columns or wish to suggest a subject, please call (702)-735-5974 or
email Sandy at her website:
[email protected]
PLACES TO GO
Page 18 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / March 5-11, 2014
QUICK GETAWAYS
Café Med serves authentic Italian cuisine
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Sandy Zimmerman
Café Med Bar & Grill appears
as though they transported the restaurant from a village in Italy and
brought to Hollywood, California.
The Café Med is part of the Bice
Restaurant Group of restaurants
around the world.
Lorenzo Caccialanza, the General Manager reminisced, “I grew
up in Milan only 400 miles from
Rome. Those restaurants only
served the food that grew in the
northern plains or in the south near
the villages. The different cuisines
evolved. There were no freezers or
transportation for food. In 30-40
years, this changed. I like people to
have choices. We serve risotto, spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli and over 22
pasta dishes. There are two types
of people, the ones who love certain dishes and the adventurous. We
have meals for both. There are 11
different pizzas on the menu with a
new one featured each day. When I
grew up in Italy as a kid, they listed
two pages of pizzas. Pizza is basically bread and the chef adds the
toppings you like.”
The Portobello spinach salad is
filled with grilled Portobello mushrooms cut in long thick slices with
crunchy walnuts, soft feta cheese
and tasty balsamic dressing. The
food filled the plate.
Lorenzo explained, “The chef
and I played around with the ingredients. The chef uses simple ingre-
dients, two or three ingredients in a
dish. What makes the meal special
is the right tomato, the right Mozzarella cheese and then we sparkle
it with olive oil and pesto sauce. Too
many ingredients become confusing to your palate.”
The Café Med becomes a per-
Four Seasons Pizza:
Artichokes, hard-boiled egg, prosciutto and mushrooms.
Wild Halibut in horseradish crust.
fect place for a party either in the
Italian-style sidewalk cafe or the
dining room. The different sections
of the dining room provide semiprivate areas.
Beatrice Ruggeri explained how
their Bice Restaurant chain started,
“BICE was born in the cold January of 1901 in Ponte Buggianese,
into a peasant family. Before 10
brothers decided to go to Milan,
where with little money and a lot of
courage opened his first tavern in
via San Pietro vegetables. They
immediately became popular for the
kitchen and because of its immense
friendliness.”
For years she was encouraged to
open her cucina to the public. In
1926 she agreed, albeit reluctantly,
and a neighborhood trattoria —
loosely translated, a friendly gathering place — was opened. With
Bice in the kitchen and her brothers and sisters serving in the dining room, il Ristorante Da Gino e
Bice, or Bice as it would later be
known, “had a family feeling.”
For information, call (310)-6520445. The Café Med Bar & Grill at
8615 W. Sunset Boulevard, in the
Sunset Plaza Shopping Center,
West Hollywood, California or visit
their website located at http://
cafemedlosangeles.bicegroup.com/
*****
Sandy Zimmerman is a Syndicated Features Columnist with feature articles: Show and Restaurant
Reviews, Travel, Health and
Lifestyles. Sandy is a Talk Show
Host of the “Las Vegas Today
Show” programs taped “on location” in Las Vegas and “Discover
the Ultimate Vacation” travel specials taped “on location” around
the world. If you have any questions
or would like additional information, please contact Sandy: (702)735-5974 or email her at
[email protected]
Grilled Portobello mushrooms with spinach, walnuts and feta cheese.
Classic Milanese Seafood Pasta and Tomato Sauce.