Harris no longer a pimp — he is now a molester

Transcription

Prison phone call industry
will fight new FCC rules
lowering rates for inmates
Obama: Deficits falling at
fastest rate since WWII.
Is that really true?
What was behind
Venezuela’s deadly oil
refinery explosion?
PAGE 2
PAGE 4
PAGE 10
Volume 15, Issue 28
September 18-24, 2013
Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce Member
Dean: From accusations to
freedom to more problems
By Las Vegas Tribune Staff
Tim Dean — a Las Vegas bail
bondsman who spent several
months in jail when he was accused
of conspiring to kill his business
partner and then later wanted to
become Sheriff of Clark County —
may, once again, be up to no good.
While he was at the Clark
County Detention Center on
charges that he wanted to kill his
business partner, and had not been
able to post bail, Dean called the
Las Vegas Tribune several times
and wanted to give his side of the
story.
As always, the newspaper gave
Dean the same opportunity as anyone else to tell his side of the story
and published it on the front page.
Now the Las Vegas Tribune has
learned that something is not going
quite right at that bail bond office
located on an obscure street in
downtown Las Vegas.
But when we tried to contact
Dean to give him the same opportunity this time that we gave him
seven years ago, when he was in the
county jail, he hid behind a bigmouthed female employee and
never returned the newspaper’s
Tim Dean
telephone call.
The female employee — who
claimed to be a “big-mouthed Cuban” — treated the reporter calling
to some of her guff by saying that
she is Cuban and knows “how to
break heads in a flash” — but was
too afraid to give her real name.
The reporter learned that while
all this telephone drama was taking place, Dean was sitting in the
office trying to learn “step by step”
what was going on and suggested
to the “big-mouthed Cuban” to end
the conversation by signaling with
his hand to cut off the call.
Harris no longer a pimp
— he is now a molester
By Las Vegas Tribune Staff
If memory serves people right
regarding the so-called “trial of the
year” of Sandra Murphy and Richard Tabish for the overdose-murder
of casino mogul Ted Binion, the
prosecutor in the case, David Roger,
went all out to make Sandy Murphy
into a stripper, at all costs.
It was convenient and important
for Roger to make Murphy appear
to be a gold-digging stripper in order to win the case against her, for
Ammar Harris
what was really a simple drug overdose, as ruled by police investigators when Binion’s body was found
in the living room of the home he
shared with his long time live-in
girlfriend, Sandra Murphy.
At that time, the Las Vegas Tribune was the only newspaper in Las
Vegas that believed in the innocence of the pair accused and found
guilty of Binion’s murder. That
guilty verdict opened the path for
the prosecutor to become the next
Doug Gillespie’s “cop tax”
encounters another delay
By Alexandra Cohen
De Oro Media Group
and Natasha Minsky
Las Vegas Tribune
It was business as usual Tuesday at the county commissioners
meeting where Sheriff Doug
Gillespie and the county commissioners were ready to take a vote
on the “more cops” tax item until
county commissioner Susan Brager
spoke.
In what appeared to be a combined effort to find another “legit”
excuse to delay the vote one more
time, Commissioner Brager
dropped the ball with what appeared to be a compromise, giving
the sheriff more money, but with
taxpayers coming out with less.
But whatever money the sheriff
gets is way more than what he deserves because the sheriff has not
shown any intention to cut down on
the present budget. It’s a proposal,
however, that would have the sheriff and taxpayers meeting halfway,
suggesting Las Vegas police trim
their budget, but still leaving taxpayers with more to pay.
Sheriff Gillespie said the police
department has already had to make
too many cuts. “When you start
cutting more, you’re going to impact services more. But I don’t think
these cuts were.
Commissioner Chairman Steve
(See Cop Tax, Page 6)
Commissioner Steve Sisolak
we have to. I think there is an option on the table that would prevent
us from doing that.”
Commissioner Brager said she
would never support the sheriff’s
.15-cent sales tax increase.
And Commissioner Steve
Sisolak said he won’t support any
tax hike to pay for more cops.
The sheriff is asking for a .15cent increase. Commissioner Susan
Brager proposed a .075-cent tax
hike Tuesday. She says that is
enough to get Metro money.
The sheriff told the commissioners that his department “has already
made a substantial number of cuts
throughout the organization,” but
did not tell the board what or where
Clark County District Attorney.
Both Tabish and Murphy were subsequently found not guilty after
appealing the jury verdict.
There was no record ever found
on Metro’s adult entertainment licenses or in Metro’s work card section that Sandra Murphy was ever
employed as a stripper in any of the
local adult clubs, but it was important for Roger’s political career and
ambitions to make it appear she
was.
Now the story is reversed in the
trial of Ammar Harris, the alleged
pimp that caused a tragic accident
on the Las Vegas Strip when he shot
at another alleged pimp on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and
Flamingo Road and a taxi driver
and passenger were killed as the
(See Harris, Page 5)
Back in 2005, Dean abandoned
his business partner in El Salvador
when he went to arrest a predator
that had jumped bail with them and
escaped to his native El Salvador.
His then-partner told the newspapers at his arrival back in the United
States that Dean did not move a finger to free him and bring him back
to the country.
Las Vegas Tribune has learned
from an unreliable source that
“something is going on at Dean’s
place that does not sound right,” but
it was not at all clear what that
might be.
Dean’s bail bond company
seems to have several “new clients,” but it is not clear where they
are coming from and how they
picked his bail bond company out
of all the companies listed on the
Clark County Detention Center
wall.
The source also mentioned that
Dean and his staff may be pushing
some of those “new clients” to retain an attorney that is close to him;
and if that is true, he may be putting the attorney in serious trouble
with the State Bar because that is
not acceptable by the Bar under its
rules and regulations.
The Cuban “big-mouth” that
answered the telephone when the
newspaper tried to talk to Tim Dean
may be jeopardizing his bail business by not letting Dean know that
the Las Vegas Tribune wanted to
speak with him.
This newspaper has always been
on Dean’s side, but that was when
he was accessible to tell his side of
the history behind the story, and to
have his story treated fairly by offering up the truth. Now, we don’t
know what to think. But we’re still
open to his side of the story.
In what some were calling Mayweather’s toughest test in many years, he authored a clinic against Saul
“Canelo” Alvarez as he rolled to a majority decision to unify junior middleweight world titles Saturday
night — on Mexican Independence Day weekend — at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena, where
the all-time gate record of $20,003,150 was set by the 16,746 in attendance. (Story and photos on Page 15)
ANALYSIS
The Dark and Ugly Side of Metro’s Two Faces
Sheriff Doug Gillespie
By Natasha Minsky
Las Vegas Tribune
The range of Metro’s despicable
and illegal activity and incidents is
staggering. Fortunately, the Las
Vegas Tribune has a memory to rival a high-tech flash drive and is
more than willing to share that
stored-up information with all.
From the police shootings of
unarmed citizens, the numerous
cover-up murders, the planting and
destroying of evidence, the DNA
mistakes, the prosecutorial misconduct, bribery, drug use and sales,
drunk driving police vehicle damage, the numerous battery domestic violence cases, malfeasance,
hostile work environment incidents,
unlawful employee termination,
discrimination in the workplace
complaints, sexual tryst misconduct
activity — on duty in the workplace
(8th floor, old city hall), false police reports, the forgotten and misplaced police reports and complaints, the unreported self-inflicted
gunshot wounds of officers, unreported and reported video-taped
citizen beatings and groin stomps,
head-kickings, the patrol car thrill
ride to the Grand Canyon, the condoned and tolerated mental patient
dumping, the condoned and
complicit $42 million Police Radio
Fraud Scam coupled with the $26
million Radio Replacement Scam,
the $200,000 electric police car
purchase failure, the gratuitous ce(See Analysis, Page 4)
Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / September 18-24, 2013
Prison phone call industry will fight new
FCC rules lowering rates for inmates
By Matt Sledge
Huffington Post
NEW YORK — The private equity-backed prison phone call industry is making plans to fight an
FCC vote last month that will slash
long-distance rates for inmates.
After a decade of delay, the FCC
voted 2-1 in August to set maximum rates for collect and prison
debit card calls. The new maximum
rate for a collect call will be 25 cents
a minute — still far above the average for a traditional landline, but a
serious reduction.
TRIBUNE
VOL. 15, NO. 28
FOUNDER
Rolando Larraz
PUBLISHER
AND
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Rolando Larraz
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:
“A loving heart
is the truest
wisdom.”
—Charles Dickens
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.
In an interview with The
Huffington Post, the CEO of the
second-largest company in the $1.2
billion a year industry said he will
go to court to stop the stillunreleased rules if they are issued
as described in an FCC press release. He also lashed out at the
industry’s critics.
“What we’ve built for the corrections industry is very secure and
it helps solve tens of thousands of
crimes a year, and it helps save
thousands of lives a year,” claimed
Richard Smith of Securus Technologies, pointing to technology his
company uses to detect prisoners
ordering hits over the phone. “All
of that good work gets undone
when you paint us as bad guys who
are making lots and lots of money,
and we’re just raping the friends
and families of inmates.”
“It’s almost like throwing firemen and policemen under the bus;
it just isn’t fair,” Smith added.
The value of Securus debt
dropped about two percent in the
weeks after the FCC’s decision,
suggesting the market foresees a
modest but noticeable impact on the
company’s bottom line. The FCC’s
ruling will not impact local calls,
which make up the bulk of the market.
After a decade-long period of
consolidation and mergers in the
industry, Securus and another company, Global-Tel-Link, control 80
percent of the prison phone call
market. Their success has rewarded
private equity firms handsomely,
including Veritas Capital and an
investment arm of Goldman Sachs,
which jointly saw a reported threeyear, 325 percent gain when they
sold Global-Tel-Link in 2011.
Securus itself was recently sold
to private equity firm Abry Partners
in a reported $640 million deal.
Neither Abry nor Global-Tel-Link’s
owner, American Securities, responded to requests for comment.
The industry’s profits have been
made, critics charge, on the backs
of poor, mostly black and Latino
inmates. Prison reform advocates
have quoted rates as high as $17 for
a single 15-minute phone call.
“It’s been times when she did
have to choose over paying for her
medication to talk to me, that really does happen,” Ulandis Forte, a
man convicted of murder whose
grandmother was the lead plaintiff
in a lawsuit over the sky-high phone
fees, said earlier this year. “I don’t
blame anybody for putting me in the
position I was in, wholeheartedly I
accept my responsibility, but in doing so it was so unjust at the pain
my grandmother had to go
through.”
Studies have found a link between prisoners’ contact with families back home and lower recidivism rates.
The FCC said prison phone
companies’ rates were “exorbitant,”
an assertion supported by an analysis conducted for reform advocates.
The rates are kept high by commis-
sions — critics charge they are essentially kickbacks — that the
phone service providers pay to prisons as part of their contracts. Prisons then use those commissions to
avoid asking their states for more
tax revenues.
But Smith claimed that prison
advocates and Democrats at the
FCC were “embellish(ing)” the
profitability of his business, and
dismissed personal stories like
Forte’s. He also suggested prisoners’ families should easily be able
to pay what he charges, which according to his company’s calculations averages out to $34 per inmate
per month.
“We see lots and lots of people
(visiting) jail who have one cellular, two cellulars, drive very nice
cars,” Smith said. “I’ve been in the
booking areas, I’ve seen lots and
lots of visitors in the waiting areas,
and every single person has at least
one cellular.”
In the wake of the FCC’s decision, Securus raised the fee it
charges families to deposit money
onto prisoners’ phone debit cards
over the phone from $7.95 to $9.95,
according to the Prison Policy Initiative, which pushed for the FCC
rule change.
“I can’t think of a business that
I use regularly that charges me a fee
to take my money,” wrote Peter
Wagner, the executive director of
the non-profit group. “Generally,
companies absorb those costs because they want my business. Because this industry has its customers locked in (pun intended), they
don’t have to worry as much about
competition.”
Smith said that the costly commissions keeping prison phone call
prices high are already written into
his contracts with prisons, meaning
the FCC’s caps will cut into the revenues he expected to earn.
A FCC spokesman said the commission still has yet to publish the
new regulations in the Federal Register. Once they are published, the
rules will kick in after 90 days.
“Clearly we will file a lawsuit,”
if the new top rates don’t take into
account commissions, Smith said.
If the new rates remain, he predicted
higher local call fees and lower
commissions for prisons.
“It isn’t an altruistic business.
It’s a business for profit, and commission is, for the last 20 years it’s
been the vehicle that prisons and
jails have asked for so we can pay
them part of revenue for every call
back to them,” Smith said. “That’s
just the business model.”
Currently serving the community
with the following programs:
Child Care
Education Dept.
SSVF for Veterans
Family development
RExO for Ex-offenders
The MLK Senior Center
Two WIC Nutrition Centers
Pearson Community Center
www.lvul.org — (702) 636-3949
Las Vegas Urban League...
Empowering Communities...
Changing lives!
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
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.
September 18-24, 2013 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 3
CITY BEAT
RTC seeks elementary and middle school
students for 7th annual anti-graffiti art contest
Contest promoting anti-graffiti will display student artwork on transit vehicles valley-wide; Artwork due Oct. 17
The Regional Transportation
Commission of Southern Nevada
(RTC) invites local elementary and
middle school students to submit
artwork to participate in its 7th annual 2013 RTC Anti-Graffiti Art
Contest. This year’s theme is:
“Keep Southern Nevada Graffiti
Free.”
The RTC is challenging students
valley-wide to create artwork that
encourages Southern Nevadans to
respect each other’s property and
not devalue and deface it with graffiti.
The grand prize winners’ artwork will be unveiled this December during a special event hosted
by the winning school. The top entries will also be featured on an
RTC vehicle and other transit
amenities for up to one year. Crime
Stoppers has also donated 10 shelter ads through Outdoor Promotions to display the Top 10 pieces
of art.
Artwork submitted for the contest must be an original concept, in
color; no black and white, photography or glitter will be accepted. Art
tools may include markers, crayons, colored pencils or paints. Students must submit artwork on an
11-by-17-inch landscape piece of
paper to be considered in the contest.
The deadline for artwork is
Thursday, Oct. 17 by 5 p.m. It can
be mailed or hand-delivered to the
RTC Administrative Office, 600 S.
Grand Central Parkway, Suite 350,
Las Vegas, NV, 89106; Attention:
Aileen Pastor. Full entry details can
be found at rtcsnv.com. More information is also available through
Aileen Pastor via email at
[email protected] or by phone at
702-676-1735.
In its 7th year, the annual RTC
Anti-Graffiti Art Contest, the RTC
is partnering with the Southern
Nevada Graffiti Coalition, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Graffiti Investigation Section,
Crime Stoppers, Outdoor Promotions, Vector Media Las Vegas, and
the Clark County School District.
The RTC is the transit authority, transportation planning agency
and regional traffic management
agency for Southern Nevada. The
RTC’s vision is to provide a safe,
convenient and effective regional
transportation system that enhances
mobility and air quality for citizens
and visitors. The RTC encourages
residents and visitors to use alternate commute modes to help reduce
traffic congestion, clean the air and
improve the quality of life in Southern Nevada. RTC transit service
carried nearly 60 million passengers last year and is one of the most
efficient transit systems in the nation. For more information on the
RTC, visit rtcsnv.com or use your
mobile device to access the RTC’s
Ride Tracker, a GPS-based, mobile
website that enables transit riders
to easily see when buses are due to
arrive.
*****
Do you know the two simple
steps of Hands-Only CPR? Then
you’re ready to help save a life. The
American Heart Association and
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Foundation have teamed up
to continue the national awareness
campaign and ongoing mobile tour
teaching Americans how to perform
Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the
Bee Gees’ hit “Stayin’ Alive.”
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with nearly
360,000 out-of-hospital cases occurring every year in the United
States. When a teen or adult has a
sudden cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving
CPR from someone nearby, especially since survival rates drop as
much as 10 percent for every
minute that goes by without intervention. The Bees Gees’ hit song
“Stayin’ Alive” has more than 100
beats per minute, which is the rate
you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.
“The iconic song’s beat is an
easy and fun way for people to remember the correct rhythm for CPR
chest compressions, and make them
feel more confident doing it,” said
Derek Cox, EMS Educator for Las
Vegas Fire and Rescue. “If you begin Hands-Only CPR to the beat of
the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ immediately on a teen or adult who
collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, you can double or triple their
chances of survival.”
In fact, Hands-Only CPR has
been shown to be equally as effective as conventional mouth-tomouth CPR, and people are more
likely to feel comfortable performing it. A December 2012 study published in the journal, Circulation
found that chest compression-only
CPR keeps more people alive with
good brain function after having a
sudden cardiac arrest.
The AHA’s Hands-Only CPR
tour will make a stop in Las Vegas
for an interactive training event
September 18-21, 2013 to teach
residents this easy-to-learn CPR
method. The event locations and
details are as follows:
—Wednesday, Sept. 18, 11:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Freemont Street
Experience, 4th Street and
Freemont Street in front of Slotzilla
—Thursday, Sept. 19, 10:00 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m., City of Henderson,
240 S. Water Street, in front of City
Hall
—Friday, Sept. 20, 11:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m., Findlay Volkswagen,
983 Auto Show Drive, Henderson
—Saturday, Sept. 21, 10:00 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m., Andre Agassi College
Preparatory Academy, 1201 W.
Lake Mead Blvd. Multi-purpose
Room
All events are open to the public.
“Far too many people die each
year from sudden cardiac arrest, and
we are determined to help overcome this public health crisis by
teaching Las Vegas residents the
two simple steps of saving a life,”
said Mike Murphy, President and
General Manager, Anthem Blue
Cross and Blue Shield in Nevada.
“We’re proud to support the American Heart Association’s HandsOnly CPR campaign because we
know this program will help improve survival rates among out-ofhospital cardiac arrest victims and
give bystanders the confidence they
need to save a life.”
*****
The Hagerty Driving Experience
Powered by Ford is partnering with
local classic car owners to provide
today’s youth, ages 15-25, a rare opportunity to receive hands-on in-
struction on how to drive some of
the most unique and iconic classic
cars on the road. Students will learn
the lost art of operating a manual
transmission, on a closed-course.
Created to give young drivers
the opportunity to experience different genres of classic and antique
cars, as well as foster interest in
classics for future generations, the
Hagerty Driving Experience aims
to address several areas of concern
regarding today’s youth:
—Lack of interest among teens
to obtain their licenses (according
to a recent University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute
study, only 46 percent of 17-yearolds in America have their driver’s
licenses, a 33 percent decrease since
1983).
—Today’s teens rarely have access to manual transmissions —
more than 90 percent of new cars
sold in the U.S. are equipped with
automatic transmissions. This trend
greatly affects the skill set required
to drive classic cars, which are commonly equipped with manual transmissions.
Closed course driving with classic cars such as Fords, Porsches,
Chevrolets, and Dodges from the
1920s through the 1970s. Three
2013 Ford performance vehicles
will also be available for young
adults to drive.
WHEN: Saturday, September
21; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Classroom and
drive sessions; Classic vehicles and
Hagerty representatives available
before/after event.
WHERE: Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, 7000 Las Vegas Blvd.
N., Las Vegas, NV 89115. Location
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1df3H
Sign-Up: www.hagerty.com/
drivingexperience
*****
7th Annual Safe Night (Halloween Program) Tuesday, October 1,
6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Suncoast Hotel &
Casino. 9090 Alta Drive. Open to
the public.
Expo features: 50 business exhibits, Face painting, Balloon artist, Story time, live entertainment
and a costume contest for children
12 years and under. Don’t forget our
Chef’s Corner - serving tasty hot
samples for everyone! Plus the first
200 kids arriving will receive a
FREE Trick or Trick bag to collect
their treats from all the businesses
exhibiting at the event! It’s Safe
Night... for our children of Clark
County...
Free admission tickets are being
distributed at various locations
throughout Clark County (children
12 years and under are admitted
Free).
For more info call - (702) 6396964 or visit our website w w w. p j p r o d u c t i o n l i v e . c o m /
LVBNM.html
*****
Jump for joy as Sky Zone Las
Vegas, the creator of the world’s
first indoor trampoline park, introduces three new specials. Guests
can now keep their minds and bodies active and energized during Friday Family Night, Healthy Happy
Hour and Ultimate Dodgeball
Drop-In Nights.
—Friday Family Night — Families can challenge gravity without
challenging their budget with a special Friday Family Night package
from 6-10 p.m. featuring four 60minute jumps, four large fountain
drinks and four slices of pizza for
$60 (an $81 value). Last jump hour
takes place from 9-10 p.m. Must
keep receipt and show it at the Sky
Cafe to get pizza and drinks.
—Healthy Happy Hour — Stay
happy, healthy and hydrated with
60-minute jumps available for $12
Monday-Friday from 2-5 p.m. with
the last happy hour jump taking
place from 4-5 p.m.
—Ultimate Dodgeball Drop-In
Nights — Home of Ultimate
Dodgeball Championships where
the popular school-yard activity
gets taken to the extreme, young
and old alike are invited to participate in Ultimate Dodgeball DropIn Nights Tuesdays (ages 10-14)
and Thursdays (ages 15+) from 68 p.m. Purchase two hours of
dodgeball for $15 or one hour for
$7.50. Allows access to dodgeball
courts only.
With more than 151 trampolines,
the new Sky Zone Las Vegas is a
27,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art indoor
trampoline park featuring wall-towall active fun with a number of
new features including: the ultimate
3-D play experience with a variety
gravity-defying activities including
three Ultimate Dodgeball courts; a
SkySlambasketball court; additional
Foam Zone lanes where guests can
bounce from trampolines into a pit
of foam blocks; a Parents Lounge
offering free Wi-Fi and Satellite TV;
a Mezzanine and SkyBox overlooking the courts as well as a SkyCafe.
Additional special events and
classes are also available. Some
blackout dates may apply. For complete schedule and more information on Sky Zone Las Vegas, please
visit www.skyzone.com/LasVegas.
*****
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.
Obama: Deficits falling at fastest
rate since WWII. Is that really true?
In a speech marking the fifth anniversary of the financial crisis,
President Obama claims credit for cutting the deficit in half. But
one reason it fell so fast is that it shot up so high in the first place.
By Peter Grier
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON — President
Obama on Monday boasted that
during his time in office the US
budget deficit has been cut in half.
In remarks commemorating the
fifth anniversary of the onset of the
financial crisis of 2008, Mr. Obama
cited the deficit reduction as a sign
of progress for an economy that’s
still struggling towards full recovery.
“Our deficits are now falling at
the fastest rate since the end of
World War II. I want to repeat that.
Our deficits are going down faster
than any time since before I was
born,” said Obama.
When you put it that way it
sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t
it? But is that true?
Strictly speaking, yes. The deficit is falling as rapidly as it has in
decades. Consider the figures for
this year alone: Last week the Congressional Budget Office reported
that, through the first 11 months of
fiscal 2013, the budget deficit was
down 35 percent from the comparable period of 2012.
That’s a pretty steep decline.
“The federal budget deficit has
fallen faster than we expected a few
years ago,” wrote CBO director
Doug Elmendorf on his blog.
But as Mr. Elmendorf and other
experts point out, one of the reasons
it is falling is because it shot up so
high in the first place. As the financial crisis devastated the economy,
tax revenues fell. Spending on unemployment insurance and other
government recovery programs
rose. In 2008, the deficit was about
$458 billion. In 2009, it rocketed
up to $1.4 trillion. It stayed above
the trillion dollar mark for 2010
through 2012.
As the economy has gradually
recovered, those cyclical expenses
have receded. Tax revenues have
risen modestly along with the
slowly rising GDP. The FY 2013
shortfall should end up at around
$642 billion, according to the CBO.
The sequestration automatic
budget cuts have also cut spending.
However, the January fiscal cliff
deal which locked in the Bush-era
tax cuts largely offset these savings,
according to the Concord Coalition,
a budget watchdog group.
“This year’s lower deficit can be
largely attributed to short-term eco-
President Obama speaks about the economy in the South Court
Auditorium on the White House complex, Monday.
nomic factors rather than systemic
Nor does it do anything about the
reforms in the federal budget,” debt piled up during the recession’s
writes the Concord Coalition’s worst years. The debt is the nation’s
Steve Winn.
accumulated red ink; the deficit is
Looking ahead, CBO now the amount of red ink Uncle Sam
projects that the deficit will con- runs up each year.
tinue to narrow until fiscal 2016,
When the president proclaims
when it will again begin widening, that the deficit is shrinking at the
as more and more baby boomers fastest rate in decades, that’s the
retire and become eligible for Medi- same as saying that the speed at
care and Social Security.
which the nation is rolling backThat means the nation’s fiscal wards has decreased dramatically,
problems are far from solved. The wrote Keith Hennessey, director of
core challenge involves trimming the National Economic Council
federal health-care costs enough to under President Bush, in May.
bend the curve of ever-rising Medi“That is not something you
care and Medicaid expense.
should boast about. You’re sup“The fundamental federal bud- posed to boast when things are getgetary challenge has hardly been ting better, not when they’re getting
addressed,” writes CBO chief worse more slowly,” wrote Mr.
Elmendorf.
Hennessey.
Analysis
(Continued from Page 1)
lebrity helicopter ride (not to mention the previous $50,000 helicopter engine burn-up failure on the ground, the soon-to-be-condemning
of the County Jail because of previous construction flaws and greasiness; and now, the infamous “Sidewalk Chalking Power Wash Scandal.
Yes, we remember it all and would be more than happy to share.
Those incidents and so much more are in the memory banks and
files of the Las Vegas Tribune and will be readily available on a regular basis, just in case the community forgets when Metro asks for
more money to continue their folly under this present and corrupted
police administration and its leadership.
Our $42 million sheriff now has the cojones to ask for more money
to support his criminal enterprise at the expense of this work- and
income-starved community. When is enough going to be enough?
Are we that ill-informed or are we just plain ignorant enough to
keep going along with the sheriff’s charade? What transparency? What
accountability? What common sense? What honor? Good God! When
are we going to stand up to this obvious shake-down with the threat of
less police protection if we don’t cough up some more money to finance our own eventual and imminent destruction?
The above abuses of authority are nothing new; it is just that they
were not addressed properly at the time that they occurred, and were
allowed to fade away without anyone being held accountable — including the daily newspaper. The Sidewalk Chalking incident has received more news coverage than the $42 million Police Scam, and
the price tag for that Sidewalk Chalking incident was boosted up to
$1,500 to make it a gross misdemeanor for utilizing a county power
washer, where a water hose and a stiff broom would have worked just
as well and usually does.
In reality, our esteemed DA Wolfson is probably now mentally
maxed out with trying to prosecute the “Sidewalk Chalkers,” while
the rest of the community is being daily raped by the street criminals
and the 400 plus criminal street gangs, or having the regular citizens
getting their heads kicked in on video by the local police.
We foresee a city or county ordinance being produced to prohibit
the use and possession of “sidewalk chalk” by persons 8 years old or
older without proper authorization and permits.
We are wondering if the Sidewalk Chalkers just made hopscotch
designs on the sidewalk, rather than word accolades, if they would
have been cited and arrested; sounds like a First Amendment issue
being formulated here.
We at the Las Vegas Tribune hope that the County Commission
takes everything into account when they decide on whether to up the
tax fees on the community for more money for more police, maybe
even for more “Sidewalk Chalk Police” and Celebrity Police Helicopter Pilots.
One quickie idea is to not buy any more police “tasers” (they don’t
work and are unreliable), and also make someone more accountable
for “proper” maintenance on all the patrol cars; and then maybe some
of that saved money could be used to buy practice ammunition for the
cops, since it is obvious they need the practice. If this were done,
there would not be any need to increase the tax burden if these two
expenditures were looked at a little more closely.
We hope that the community takes the time to examine the past
record of this Police Administration and to make a more informative
and intelligent selection when electing a new Sheriff of Clark County
in 2014. A person’s character is vitally important.
Navy Yard shooting: What to do about
attacks on U.S. military on home soil?
Monday’s horrific Washington Navy Yard shooting, which killed 12, is the third attack in four years on
U.S. military installations at home. Active-duty or former military men were behind all three cases.
By Anna Mulrine
WASHINGTON — Countless
questions remain unanswered about
the terrible slaughter of 12 people
Monday morning at the Washington Navy Yard in the nation’s capital by a 34-year-old former Navy
electrician, whom authorities have
identified as Aaron Alexis. But what
is clear is that U.S. military installations — and the people who work
there — are increasingly being targeted inside the nation’s own borders.
Monday’s attack, in which all
those killed worked for the military,
is the third in four years. The Pentagon, which is less than 5 miles
from the navy yard, immediately
stepped up security “not out of a
specific threat, but as a proactive,
precautionary measure,” said Pentagon press secretary George Little.
Defense officials, moreover, are
moving to evaluate protective measures that could be taken in the
longer term at other military installations in the region.
“It’s a shooting that targeted our
military and civilian personnel,”
President Obama said Monday at
the White House. “They know the
dangers of serving abroad, but today they faced the unimaginable
violence that they wouldn’t have
expected here at home.”
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
offered his sympathies for “the victims of this outrageous act of violence, their families, and all those
affected by today’s events.”
Navy Yard workers, evacuated after the shooting, are reunited with loved
ones at a makeshift Red Cross shelter at the Nationals Park baseball
stadium near the affected naval installation in Washington, Sept. 16.
What prompted the suspect to Support Squadron (VR) 46, he
open fire at the navy yard before worked on the electric systems of
8:30 Monday morning is unclear, Navy airplanes, and by December
and the alleged gunman died at the 2009 had achieved the rank of aviascene. The attack does not appear, tion electrician’s mate 3rd Class.
however, to be an act of terrorism, More recently, he was reportedly
say Department of Homeland Se- employed by a private defense concurity officials.
tractor.
Still, Eleanor Holmes Norton,
At MedStar Washington Hospithe District of Columbia’s delegate tal Center, where some of those into Congress, said, “We’ve not had jured in the shooting were being
a day like this” in Washington since treated, U.S. military physicians
the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
who rotate through the trauma cenMr. Alexis served in the U.S. ter to keep their skills sharp while
Navy from May 2007 to January not at war are attending to their fel2011, most of that time in Fort low U.S. troops, a hospital official
Worth, Texas, according to a bio told reporters.
sheet the Navy released late MonThe tragedy comes less than a
day. Attached to the Fleet Logistics month after a U.S. Army psychia-
Harris
taxi exploded when one of thecars hit the gas tank of the taxi.
The prosecutors now have to find reasons to pile up charges against
Harris to make him a convicted felon before the murder trial begins next
month.
The prosecution claims that he sexually assaulted a woman in the
shower while she was staying with him, but they couldn’t charge him
because the alleged victim disappeared; now, all of a sudden, the woman
magically reappeared.
First of all, people may wonder why a woman who was assaulted once
would stay to be assaulted again — and maybe again and again, with no
apparent intention to run from her assailant.
With the help of the mainstream media that apparently follows orders
of what to report and what to publish, the woman who just a couple of
weeks ago was a stripper is now what Channel 13 News referred to as “a
young lady.”
But what the public has not been told and the jury will never be allowed to know is that the “young lady” that Channel 13 refers to is Harris’ main lady, a known prostitute that earned five figures a month for
Harris.
As Judge Valerie Vega did with evidence in the Kirstin Lobato trial —
evidence that Lobato was not in Las Vegas when the murder she is now
paying for occurred — the prosecutors are working very hard now to hide
from the jury that “the young lady” sitting in court helping to build a case
against Harry is not an altar girl, and either the police or the prosecutor or
both may be holding some dirty laundry that belongs to her.
She is a well known prostitute who is very familiar with the vice unit,
and they with her, and she may even very well have trick-rolled some of
her clients into bringing the money to Harris, perhaps with the blessings
of law authority; but now is it’s time to pay the price.
The community must be made aware that criminals are allowed to be
criminals as long as they are willing to “cooperate” with investigators
and repeat (testify to) whatever is good for the investigators.
Phone: (702) 699-8111
trist — who had been promoted to
major before his conviction stripped
him of his rank — was sentenced
to death for the 2009 massacre of
13 people at the military base in
Fort Hood, Texas. Nidal Hasan, a
Muslim American, has said his
shooting was meant to prevent U.S.
troops, who were about to deploy
to Afghanistan, from killing Taliban
leaders and fighters upon their arrival.
In 2010, the FBI investigated a
series of shootings at Marine Corps
facilities and the Pentagon in the
Washington, D.C., metropolitan
area. Shots were fired overnight
into windows of the Pentagon, recruiting centers, and the National
Museum of the Marine Corps. No
one was injured in these shootings.
In June 2011, the FBI arrested a
22-year-old Marine reservist,
Yonathan Melaku, after he was discovered in Arlington National Cemetery with spray paint and a plan to
deface the tombstones of U.S.
troops who had served in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Bombmaking and explosives documents were later
found on his computer. Mr. Melaku,
a native of Ethiopia, enlisted in the
U.S. military in 2007 and became a
naturalized US citizen in 2009.
His family said his behavior
changed after he joined the Marines. Melaku himself told investigators he was radicalized in 2003,
after the start of the Iraq war. In
January, a federal court sentenced
Melaku to 25 years in prison.
Monday’s attack on U.S. military personnel took place at the
Naval Sea System Command’s
headquarters, a workplace for more
than 3,000 people responsible for
buying and maintaining the Navy’s
ships and submarines.
The headquarters, known as
NAVSEA, has a $30 billion-a-year
budget, about one-quarter of the
Navy’s annual spending, according
to a U.S. Navy spokesperson.
NAVSEA employs some 60,000
military service members, civilians,
and contractors around the country.
Search and rescue intensifies amid
Colorado flood; death toll rises to 7
A break in the weather allowed search and rescue operations to resume Monday in flood-stricken parts of
Colorado. Seven people have died; 1,253 are unaccounted for. For many, air-lifts are the only way out.
By Amanda Paulson
BOULDER, COLO. — Boulder, Colo., residents got a welcome
sight Monday morning: A little before 10 a.m., the sun poked through
the clouds, clearing the way for a
major rescue operation, with more
than 1,000 people being deployed
by air and on foot, to help evacuate
the stranded and to search for the
1,253 still unaccounted for.
Seven deaths are confirmed so
far, but that number may rise, officials warn, as efforts intensify to
find missing people.
Through Monday morning local
time, hundreds of Colorado National Guardsmen and active-duty
Army soldiers from the Fourth Infantry Division had rescued nearly
2,200 people and about 500 pets.
Although operations were largely at
a halt Sunday, because of heavy
rain, rescuers saved 80 people
through ground operations, says Lt.
James Goff of the Colorado National Guard.
“Right now, we’re trying to get
our priorities together for flights,”
says Goff, noting that the Guard has
19 helicopters ready to resume operations in the foothills west of
Boulder. By late Monday morning,
Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters were crisscrossing the skies
above Boulder, transporting
stranded residents out of the mountains.
Among those air-lifted out over
the weekend were 85 fifth-graders
Cop Tax
Sisolak spoke to the media on Tuesday morning, before the meeting,
explaining what the Las Vegas Tribune has been saying for a long
time, that the sheriff’s public information office has more officers than
it needs and a civilian boss that does
not belong in there, giving the impression that there could be a lot of
political support payback.
“As the Sheriff of Clark County,
I’ve got a huge amount of responsibility, as well as my organization,
to provide a level of safety to, not
only the people who live and work
here, but the people who visit here;
and I believe this sales tax increase
would assist us in doing that,”
Gillespie said.
However, County Commission
Chairman Steve Sisolak did not appear at all pleased with yet another
sales tax increase on the people.
Whatever the commissioners
decide, spending at Metro will be
under the microscope.
Nevada Task Force 1 team members preparing to leave Las Vegas to aid Colorado flood victims last week.
and 14 adults who had been cloth; placing a large, light-colored comparing the data with informastranded at an outdoor education cloth or sheet on their roofs; wav- tion from shelters, emergency recenter in Jamestown, one of the ing flares; using mirrors to reflect sponse evacuations, and other
mountain towns hardest hit by the sunlight; or lighting safe signal sources,” the office said in a release.
The number of people listed as
flooding and now unreachable by fires, and to have a “go bag” with
essentials prepared to take with “unaccounted for” has been flucturoad.
ating, and officials emphasize that
Evacuation by air became the them.
Meanwhile, finding the hun- those people are not necessarily
best option after washed-out roads
and bridges left thousands of people dreds of people still unaccounted considered to be “missing.”
Often, when people get disin the hills and canyons west of for remains a top priority Monday,
Boulder — many without electric- according to the Boulder Office of placed suddenly, “they’re OK, they
ity, or with flood-damaged homes Emergency Management. Five don’t think anybody is concerned
teams of detectives from the Boul- about them,” said FEMAAdminis— with no other quick way out.
Authorities are asking stranded der County sheriff’s office are “go- trator Craig Fugate during a press
residents to signal to passing heli- ing out in the field, going door-to- conference Monday, as he urged
copters by waving a light-colored door as the situation allows, and people to call in and let authorities
know they are safe. “That will help
the governor’s team focus on the
Commissioner Sisolak wants no
increase at all. Commissioner
Brager supports coming to middle
ground. Commissioner Tom Collins
wants the full increase.
“We allocate a budget to Metro.
Metro has to learn to live within
[its] budget. We cannot continue to
raise taxes and put these increases
on the backs of people when we are
giving raises,” Sisolak said.
Citing examples such as a $42
million fiasco involving radios that
were a danger to the rank and file
when they did not do the job they
were supposed to do, and a helicopter ride given to a Guns ‘N’ Roses
guitarist, Sisolak ended his comment as a real public servant saying he can’t help but question
Metro’s use of funds.
Commissioners will weigh all of
these options at another meeting
October 1.
EDITOR AT YOUR SERVICE
Times are tough, yet you still want to look your best in
print. If you can’t hire a full-time editor, why not
consider hiring an editor only when you need her?
Now’s the time to line up your editor for those sure-tocrop-up projects such as proofreading your reports,
making sure you didn’t inadvertently leave out something important in your advertising, making doubly
sure that what you’ve written gets your point across.
Editor-at-your-service will be there when you need
her, and only when you need her.
Call 702-436-8830, or email her at
[email protected].
You’ll be glad you did.
Open 24/7
702-369-6736
Licensed, Bonded, Insured • NV #758973
ones we’ve got to look for,” he said.
Even as search and rescue operations resume, state and county
officials are beginning to survey the
extent of the damage and to prioritize rebuilding and cleanup — including getting some major roads
passable again.
So far, some 14,500 people have
been evacuated from flooded areas,
and the state has said at least 1,500
residences were destroyed and
some 17,500 were damaged. The
state Department of Transportation
said 20 state bridges were destroyed
and 30 more need repair. But the
broader figure — taking into account county, city, and private
bridges that were damaged — is
between 80 and 100, Colorado Gov.
John Hickenlooper said in an interview with NBC News on Monday.
“Today we continue to be focused on the search and recovery,
and that’s our highest priority..., but
even as we’re doing do that, it’s not
too early to be planning what the
recovery is going to look like,”
Governor Hickenlooper said Monday in a press conference with
FEMA’s Mr. Fugate.
The light drizzle that fell over
Boulder through Monday morning
pushed the precipitation total to a
yearly record. More than 30 inches
of moisture have fallen in Boulder
to date, breaking the previous annual record of 29.93 inches, set in
1995 — with more than three
months left in the year.
Nearly 15 inches of that total fell
last week.
EDITORIALS
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. — Thomas Jefferson
Our Point of View
Sheriff Gillespie’s
House of Glass
Sheriff Douglas Gillespie keeps insisting the crime in
Clark County is way down, and every time he opens his
mouth he reminds us of the fact that he is “doing a good
job as Sheriff” and of course “the crime is down” in what
new Las Vegans call “the Valley,” something they seem to
insist on calling our city.
It really does not matter anymore because he already
has given the constituents in Clark County the good news
that he no longer wants the job of crime boss.
Maybe after the end of his official reign, the population
in the Clark County Detention Center will also go down
when the crime rate really goes down.
Maybe, before he goes, Sheriff Gillespie will be able to
explain to the community why the county jail is so overcrowded if crime is down.
Perhaps Sheriff Gillespie can explain to this community why — in only one short week — “his” newspaper
has published more than a dozen reports of crime, making
him look like a liar despite his arrogant statements to the
contrary.
—Man shot in robbery near Boulder Highway.
—Gunshot victim identified, suspect charged because
he did not try to run.
—Wife’s death a homicide, husband ruled suicide.
—Shotgun blast proves fatal in roommates’ argument.
—Two indicted in beatings at Canyon Springs High.
—Police looking for victims in alleged real estate
scheme.
—Three indicted on charges related to mobile home fire.
—Suspect in child pornography case escapes house arrest.
—LV police officer responds to call, gets wounded by
gun.
—Bomb threats phoned in to Kmart, Dollar General
Stores.
These are just a few briefs that Sheriff Gillespie’s newspaper prints to give the impression that they also are doing
a good job in the community.
Some of these crimes have been solved thanks to good
police work, but the fact remains that crimes have existed
and still exist, while the Sheriff misleads the community
by saying that crime is down.
There are also other crimes with larger headlines, such
as “FBI target committed suicide,” and others that are not
publicized by the Sheriff’s newspaper, apparently the only
newspaper we may now have.
While the Sheriff and his newspaper play games with
the members of this community, insulting their intelligence
and diverting their attention from more important issues,
those issues continue to affect everyone.
Why doesn’t Sheriff Douglas Gillespie release the ban
on “his” newspaper and allow it to report on the federal
lawsuit filed by Detective Gordon Martines that includes
him and fourteen of his high-ranking staff for many reasons and violations of the law?
Can Sheriff Gillespie explain to the voters in Clark
County why “his” newspaper has not reported one word
on such an important issue as the one that is taking place
in the Federal Courthouse?
Can Sheriff Gillespie explain to the Clark County community why he so abruptly decided to announce that he is
not going to seek a third term as sheriff and just give up all
that power and control he so much enjoys?
Amongst all of the past and present criminal cover-ups
that have yet to be resolved, we can list: the lies,
disinformation, complete falsehoods, malicious prosecutions, civil rights violations, wrongful terminations, criminal coercions, nepotisms, conspiracy to commit murder,
conspiracy to commit continual criminal offenses, covered
up police employee domestic violence offenses, covered
up police employee narcotics offenses, participation in and
conspiracy associated with the HOA Scandal, manipulation and coercion of city and county business licenses, mishandling and attorney collusion of worker compensation
cases etc., etc.
The Sheriff cannot deny that he has been running this
community with an iron fist, making this community afraid
of the police — creating a police state similar to that in a
country where even the dictator’s own force of men and
women are afraid of the retaliation if they speak their mind.
It is very important to this newspaper to reassure the
community that contrary to the label that Sheriff Douglas
Gillespie tries to place on us of being an anti-police newspaper, nothing is further from the truth.
This newspaper is anti-police CORRUPTION, and we
are very well aware that our police department is among
the best in the country and that the only thing damaging
the integrity and reputation of the rank and file is the administration.
We have to remember what a New York Police Department detective once said: “Police corruption cannot exist
unless it is at least tolerated by higher levels in the department.”
Justice may be “blind,” but judges
must keep their eyes wide open
By Perly Viasmensky
Many times we wonder what might be worse: a
prosecuting attorney who wants to win a case at any
price, even at the expense of an innocent person, or a
defense attorney who wants to win a case for the price
paid by a defendant who is out to fool the court to a
very great extent.
On August 19, 2007, a shooting took place in front
of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurant at 3555
Las Vegas Blvd. South, inside the Flamingo Hotel and
Casino, which started with a fight between feuding
gangs.
Four innocent bystanders — three of them tourists
— were injured by the gunfire. One of them was a
young woman, Brittany O’Dale, who was in Las Vegas celebrating her bachelorette party when she was
shot in her leg by a bullet shot by Robert Jackson.
Jackson was identified as the shooter by Eric Pratt,
who testified before a grand jury that he witnessed
Jackson, who was wearing a green, collared shirt, fire
into the crowd.
According to investigators the green shirt was recovered from a trash can and Jackson’s DNA was
found on the shirt.
Jackson was arrested in Chicago, Illinois and extradited to Las Vegas almost three months ago. District Judge Linda Bell set his bail at $1 million. Judges
have lowered his bail several times as the case has
lingered in the courts since his arrest in 2011.
Finally he was put under house arrest, which includes a monitoring bracelet and a 6 p.m. curfew.
During his time on the lam, Jackson lived in New
York, Florida and Washington, and changed his name.
At the time of his arrest, he claimed that his name was
Sa-El and that he had diplomatic immunity because
he was a member of the Moorish Nation, a religious
group based in Chicago.
Jackson’s defense attorney, Tom Pitaro, who we
have to admit is a very good attorney, said in court
documents that Jackson was unaware there was a warrant for his arrest and he was moving around “trying
to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.” The
attorney also said that Jackson needed to be released
from house arrest because he needs to take care of his
elderly grandparents and that his wife is expecting their
second child and he needs to move freely to be with
her.
Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez recently released Jackson from the confines of house arrest and he is now
free on $250,000 bail.
These are the times when I wish I could be a
mindreader to find out what these judges have in place
of brains.
And with all due respect to Mr. Pitaro, I wonder if
he could tell us who was taking care of Jackson’s supposed elderly grandparents while he was running from
state to state, enjoying his life, making love to his girlfriend (now his wife) and procreating children; and how
his release seems justified while Brittany O’Dale, who
continues to suffer pain as a result of her injury from
Jackson’s irresponsible shooting into the crowd, and
who now has a titanium rod from her knee to her ankle,
has had to pay thousands of dollars in ongoing medical bills, and has even seen her marriage fail.
How can these judges allow anybody to fool them
with the statement that Robert Jackson was not aware
there was a warrant for his arrest when his case had
been featured on “America’s Most Wanted” five times
and he was named in the U.S. Marshals’ 15 most wanted
fugitives? Oh yes, Jackson was too busy traveling and
making children.
Jackson’s trial has been delayed three times and is
now set for June 2014. I can feel the frustration of the
Clark County prosecutors and hope they don’t have to
see this case fall through the cracks with the blessing
of some judges.
The names of those judges should be remembered
next year during their reelection campaigns.
Perly Viasmensky is the General Manager of the
Las Vegas Tribune. She writes a weekly column in this
newspaper. To contact Perly Viasmensky, email her at
pviasmensky@lasvegas tribune.com.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Mutually Beneficial Arrangements:
From Fairy Tales to Real Life
By Maramis
form by her kindness.
Once upon a time, there was a
What is generally not noticed, or
beautiful princess who was so lovely
perhaps is deliberately downplayed,
to look at that the sun itself took speis that it is her father who wants her
cial pleasure in shining upon her face.
to take this prince to be her husband
She lived in her father’s palace near
and companion, even though she
a deep, dark forest that sheltered an
might already be finding herself very
old stone well, which was so deep
attracted to his charming good looks.
one could never see the bottom.
And therein we have several exThe princess loved to sit by the
amples of the concept of a mutually
well in the cool shade and play with
beneficial arrangement:between the
her favorite toy, a golden ball. One
princess and the frog, in order for her
day when she was playing, the ball
to get her ball back; between the prinMARAMIS CHOUFANI
fell from her hand and tumbled into
cess and her father, for her to stay in
his good graces; between the frog and the princess, for
the well. The princess cried bitterly at its loss.
“What’s the matter?” came a croaky voice from him to feel justly compensated for completing his end
of the bargain; and between the frog-prince and the
nearby.
“Oh, it’s you!” said the princess to the talking frog. princess, to take advantage of the circumstances in
When the princess explained what was wrong, the which they found themselves, even if initiated by, and
frog told her he knew just what to do to get her ball with the nudging and blessing of, the king.
And so they found themselves to be a couple and
back, but first she had to promise something in return.
“Anything,” she replied. “You can have my jewels presumably lived happily after, even though we never
did get to read any stories about what happened after
or even the crown upon my head.”
“All I want,” the frog said, “is for you to be fond of the princess married the prince.
Then along comes real life. There are very few
me and let me be your playmate. Let me sit by your
side, share your dinner, and sleep in your bed... then I princes and princesses out there in real life, and even
fewer princes who have been turned into a frog by a
will go down the well and fetch your ball.”
The princess agreed, thinking the frog would never wicked fairy — especially one who additionally tacks
on to that spell the proviso that there’s only person who
really be the companion of a human being.
As the story goes along, we find that her father, the can ever break that spell — and even then, it must be
king, insists that she keep her promise to the frog, no done in a very particular way.
But while there are plenty of “ordinary” and/or
matter what. With great distaste for being a slimy
creature’s friend, she lives up to her word. But in the beautiful women and “ordinary” and/or wealthy men
end — as if we, the readers, didn’t know what was who are hoping to find each other in this far-from-fairycoming — we discover that the frog is really a prince tale-fantasy kind of real world (that might be the good
who was put under a spell by a wicked fairy and only news), meeting just the right person and feeling the
(See Maramis, Page 9)
the princess herself could return him to his princely
VIEW POINTS
Editors note: The views expressed are entirely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune.
Year of the
(GOP) Woman
By Chuck Muth
Dr. Robin Titus is alRepublicans only have
most a shoe-in to replace
one woman in the state
moderate Assemblyman
Senate, Barbara Cegavske,
Tom Grady in the District
and she’s termed out after
38 seat in Lyon County.
this year. In the Assembly,
Lisa Krasner has an
the GOP only has two
excellent shot at knockwomen — conservative
ing off moderate AssemMichele Fiore and moderblyman Randy Kirner in
ate Melissa Woodbury.
the GOP primary next
But that situation could
year for his strongly Rechange dramatically next
publican District 26 seat
year.
in Reno.
While Cegavske will
Jill Dickman is a longCHUCK MUTH
leave, it is well-known that Senate Minor- time GOP activist in Reno who has a great
ity Leader Moderate Mike Roberson is sin- shot at knocking off incumbent Assemblygularly intent on anointing a woman can- man Skip “Union Label” Daly, the only
didate to replace her, any woman, no mat- Democrat currently representing a GOPter how under-qualified said woman might majority district.
be when compared to the impressive poRumors continue that moderate Assemlitical resume of Assemblyman John blywoman Melissa Woodbury of
Hambrick, who is very interested in the seat Henderson might make a run for state Conand highly deserving of a shot at it.
troller, or even just retire outright. If so,
Similarly, in the Senate District 9 race conservative Amy Groves, who unsuccessagainst incumbent Democrat Justin Jones, fully ran in 2010 in a huge D-majority disRoberson is also trolling for a woman can- trict, has property in District 23 and is serididate and may have settled on Becky Har- ously considering running there.
ris — a failed Assembly candidate in 2012
And Victoria Seaman, also an unsucwho doesn’t even live in the district but is cessful candidate in 2010, told me Friday
able to move there. And there’s also Mari night she intends to run to replace DemoSt. Martin, who ran for that seat last year crat incumbent Assemblyman William
and might want to give it another go.
Horne, who is termed out of his District 34
Meanwhile, a number of promising con- seat in Las Vegas.
servative women are stepping up to the plate
And I’m sure there are others yet to
in state Assembly races and could signifi- come.
cantly boost the roster of members of the
So not only could the GOP caucuses
fairer sex.
become more conservative for the 2015
Assemblywoman Michele Fiore is likely session, it’s likely to look a lot better, too!
to hold onto her seat despite rumored efChuck Muth is president of Citizen Outforts by some moderates in her caucus to reach, a non-profit public policy grassroots
field a primary challenger against her in the advocacy organization. He may be reached
District 4 race in Las Vegas.
at [email protected].
BEHIND THE MIKE
Medical Advice
By Michael A. Aun
Sir William has never
My lovely daughter in
had a chance to meet my
law, Jessica, is in her fourth
daughter-in-law but I’m
year of medical school and
sure he’d come away
will shortly begin her resifinding that Jessica is an
dency. She’s currently
intelligent and thoughtworking in various hospiful person, a trait that
tals in the Philadelphia
many physicians don’t
area.
possess. I feel she would
People who pursue
treat the patient, not the
medicine can be guarandisease.
teed several things beside
I’m not quite sure
huge student loan repaywith Sir William meant
ments. First, the process is
but he also said “A phydifficult and demanding.
sician who treats himself
MICHAEL A. AUN
My wife Christine is a nurse. My son Chris- has a fool for a patient.”
topher is also a Registered Nurse, staffing
In the end, there are very few medicaan emergency room in Orlando.
tions that exist that are better than hope.
As difficult as the process is for doctors One of the greatest gifts physicians can afand nurses, it’s not lost on them that they ford patients is hope. Woody Allen once
should always look for the humor of their quipped “I’m not afraid of death. I just don’t
profession.
want to be there when it happens.”
Christopher often tells me about the wild
Hospitals tend to be scary places for a
and crazy stuff he faces in his ER. So many lot of us, either because of the stuff that
uninsured people use the ER as their per- goes on inside or the bill that follows a stay.
sonal doctor, and they can’t be turned away. Groucho Marx once joked that “A hospital
They expect you to put your stroke victim bed is a parked taxi with the meter runon hold while you care for the scratch on ning.”
their pinky finger.
Of all the talents I would hope my docChristopher, who we nicknamed “Gutt,” tors would have, the greatest would be their
tells me that he has come to the realization ability to listen and empathize with my
that he’ll touch anything as long as he has problems. I’m not there for a social visit.
gloves on. Jessica actually did a tour of duty
Most patients will diagnose themselves
at Christopher’s ER in east Orlando, the if the doctor asks the right questions. I
city’s busiest.
would also hope that they will exercise
After watching House, Grey’s Anatomy some restraint. Sometimes I think I’m perand a handful of other medically related sonally keeping the pharmaceutical firms
programs on television, you note that there in business. As a patient, I don’t see mediis more humor in it than you might imag- cine strictly as science; it is also art.
ine.
The secret of great doctoring (known
Knock-knock jokes are common. only to their spouses and still hidden from
Knock-Knock. Who’s there? HIPPA. the general public) is that most things get
HIPPA who? Sorry, I can’t tell you that.
better by themselves. In the end, laughing
Humor is the fuel that drives the engine is the cheapest medicine of all and that’s
of getting through a medical education. By why it’s so critical to find humor in the
the time medical students finish one semes- workplace.
ter of study, much of what they learned last
Three pieces of advice for not just docsemester is now obsolete. That’s why it’s tors but also patients: 1- Never be afraid to
critical to keep the ax sharpened.
say what’s in your mind. 2- Never be afraid
Christine used to regale me with stories to do what’s in your mind. 3- Never take
about how she and the other first year nurses life advice from a facebook status.
always got the short end of the stick,
In the end, perhaps Edward Everett Hale
whether it was working all holidays to hav- said it best. “In the name of Hypocrites,
ing to do the graveyard shift because they doctors have invented the most exquisite
were at the bottom of the medical food form of torture ever known to man: surchain.
vival!”
Sir William Osler was quoted in Women
Michael Aun is a syndicated columnist
in Medicine (1968) that there are three and writes a weekly column for this newsclasses of human beings; men, women and paper. To contact Michael Aun, email him
women physicians.
at [email protected].
Weird laws
By Mace Yampolsky
state and individuals may
I know I have written
not capture and use water
about goofy laws in the
to which he/she does not
past, but it has been a
have a right. (I wonder if
while so here are some
you can open your mouth?)
new ones.
New Laws passed in June
Alabama — State code
2009 eradicate this law.
allows only five (5) minConnecticut — No
utes for one to vote.
hanky-panky allowed in
Source: Section 17-9-13 of
Connecticut. A person who
Alabama Code
commits any unnatural and
Arkansas — Arkansas
lascivious act with another
drive-ins aren’t very conperson commits a misdeMACE YAMPOLSKY
venient, thanks to this
meanor of the second delaw... No person shall drive a motor vehicle gree, punishable as provided in s. ??? It is
onto the premises of a drive-in restaurant illegal for unmarried couples to commit
and leave the premises without parking lewd acts and live together (who would
such motor vehicle, unless there is no un- complain?) Source: 775.082 or s. 775.083
occupied parking space available on the
Illinois — A state law requires that a
premises. Source: Code 1961, ?? 25- man’s female companion shall call him
156?25-158 Sec. 18-54. Sounding of horns “master” while out on a date. (This will go
at sandwich shops. No person shall sound over like a pregnant pole vaulter.) The law
the horn on a vehicle at any place where does not apply to married couples. In Zion,
cold drinks or sandwiches are served after It is illegal for anyone to give cats, dogs,
9:00 p.m. Source: Code 1961, ? 25-74
or other domesticated animals a lighted ciCalifornia — In Los Angeles, it is not gar.
legal to bathe two babies at the same time
Indiana — In Indianapolis, no horse
in the same tub. In Riverside, kissing on shall be driven or ridden on any street in
the lips, unless both parties wipe their lips the city at a speed in excess of ten (10) miles
with carbonized rose water (I guess Evian per hour. Source: Code 1975, ? 29-5
won’t cut it!) is against the local health orIowa — In Ottumwa, it is illegal for any
dinance. In Walnut, no person shall wear a man, within the corporate city limits, to
mask or disguise on a public street without wink at any female with whom he is “una permit from the sheriff. Source: 17-32 acquainted.”
Mask or disguise-wearing. In Walnut, it
Kansas — In Topeka, servers are forshall be unlawful for any person to fly bidden to serve wine in teacups. (The
above an altitude of ten feet above the French salute you!)
ground, or near any electrical conductive
Kentucky — A female shall not appear
public utility wires or facilities, any kite or in a bathing suit on any highway within this
balloon which has a body or any parts, tail, state. Section 1376m-1, 1376m-2 Restring or ribbon. Source: 17-1 Kite flying pealed: January 1, 1975
restricted
Louisiana — In Mansfield, anyone
China — According to a law in China, caught wearing sagging pants that expose
you must be intelligent to go to college. underwear will be subject to a fine of up to
Guess the guy who wrote this did NOT go $150 plus court costs, or face up to 15 days
to college.
in jail. A court later overturned the law, deColorado — Colorado Water Laws pro- claring it unconstitutional. In New Orleans,
hibit the use of rain barrels or any methods Fire Code outlaws the cursing of
to catch rain for use. They claim the rain firefighters while they are in the perfor(See Mace, Page 9)
has already been legally allocated to the
5 Rules of the Blame Game
By Doug Dickerson
complex. The point being;
A good leader takes a
don’t dwell too long on
little more than his share of
who messed up but rather
the blame, a little less than
channel your energies on
his share of the credit. —
what to do next.
Arnold H. Glasow
Attack bad attitudes.
John Killinger tells a
In order to coalesce
story about the manager of
team members around a
a minor league baseball
new culture of excellence
team who was so disgusted
and move past a blame
with his center fielder’s
game mentality you must
performance that he oraddress bad attitudes.
dered him to the dugout
“Your attitude, not your
and assumed the position
aptitude, will determine
DOUG DICKERSON
himself.
your altitude,” stated Zig
The first ball that came into center field Ziglar. Bad attitudes will ground your ortook a bad hop and hit the manager in the ganization and will be the single greatest
mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, challenge to your leadership. The work of
which he lost in the glare of the sun and it your team will be a reflection of their attibounced off his forehead. The third was a tudes. Attack bad attitudes, keep yours posihard line drive that he charged with out- tive, and change your culture.
stretched arms; unfortunately, it flew beManage mistakes wisely.
tween his hands and smacked his eye. FuThe way you mange mistakes can pay
rious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed great dividends but it all depends on how
the center fielder by the uniform, and you handle it. Rather than demoralizing the
shouted, “You idiot! You’ve got center field offender with a wrong response why not
so messed up that even I can’t do a thing use the opportunity to do something conwith it!”
structive? As a leader, how you handle the
The coach in the story reminds us of the mistakes of others speaks volumes about
type of culture we live in. The blame game what’s most important to you. Those who
is easy to play and in the end really serves blame belittle. Be a leader who encourages
no meaningful purpose. But as a leader if and turns the mistakes into something posiyou want to grow, move your organization tive.
forward, and create a culture of excellence
Examine motives.
it’s going to require a different mindset in
Understanding the blame game begins
order to pull it off. Here are my five rules with identifying the motives for blaming
of the blame game that can help you navi- others. Possibilities might include profesgate your way forward.
sional jealousy, subtle expressions of bulBegin with yourself.
lying, deflection off of one’s own insecuriIn a “blame others first” culture this is ties, etc. By examining the motives of those
where you are set apart as a leader. The ten- caught in playing the blame game card you
dency is to find someone to be the “fall guy” can learn a lot about the inner workings of
when things go south, but the leader steps your organizational dynamics and patterns.
up and takes responsibility. When you As a leader you need to have a handle on
shoulder the responsibility as the leader you what is taking place in order to correct it.
demonstrate that you are with and for your
Playing the blame game is too easy.
team not just in the good times but also Leading up is hard. Your leadership will
when the chips are down. A good leader rise when you rise up and do the right thing.
takes personal responsibility for his orga- If you want a better way forward then stop
nization.
with the blame game.
Look for solutions.
What do you say?
Once responsibility has been taken it’s
Doug Dickerson is a syndicated columthen time to move beyond “who to blame” nist. He writes a weekly column for this
and work on solutions. This can be as newspaper. To contact Doug Dickerson,
simple as diagnosing a poor communica- email
him
at
ddickerson@
tion problem or perhaps something more lasvegastribune.com.
VIEW POINTS
Editors note: The views expressed are entirely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune.
Power: To The Protégé or Progeny
By Norman Jahn
Former Sheriff Bill Young was
on the Jon Ralston show on a recent Friday. He explained how he
was not planning to run for the office again (there was some speculation from a prior interview that he
might want to retrieve the power he
had when he ran Metro). He said
he had confidence that current assistant sheriff Joe Lombardo would
soon be making the decision to declare his candidacy. Young said he
had total confidence in Lombardo...
isn’t that what we were told when
Young handed the job to Doug
Gillespie during the 2006 election?
I didn’t hear the phrase, “he gets
it” during the Ralston interview.
Maybe I missed it. This is the description that Young and the ‘good
old boys’ use when they are not articulate enough to describe the
qualifications and merits of the person they are praising. Or maybe
there aren’t very many actual qualifications and merits for the person,
so they don’t have that much to articulate. One way or another, if
Lombardo decides to run for sheriff, we should learn just what it is
that makes him qualified to be the
Clark County Sheriff. If someone
describes to you that this or that
person should be the next sheriff by
saying “He gets it,” that is merely
code for “He is one of us.”
Young also criticized Assistant
Sheriff Ted Moody for the circumstances of his departure. I guess his
abrupt resignation complicated the
entire plan that those in power had
put in place. Moody had been in the
good old boys group for many
years, but now they’re going to
vilify him? That is sad! Young used
the word ‘orchestrated’ (or something to that effect) when he described how Moody used the
Roston/Use of Force incident to
separate himself from the current
administration and how he led a
group of Use of Force Board members to resign all at once. If I took
NORMAN JAHN
careful notes of every statement
Young made, and they were put to
a credibility check, we would see
why it is a good thing that Young is
not running. He called me a liar and
a fraud when he commented on my
column several weeks ago; but
when I made everyone aware that I
still have the actual emails that were
generated back then, he may have
realized that his memory has faded.
What did I ever do to Bill Young to
have him call me these things?
There was also a recent story
about whether we should even have
an elected sheriff in Las Vegas. It
would require a change in the law
in Nevada to find another way to
find a leader for the LVMPD, so that
is probably not going to happen for
years. There probably is a better
way to find a leader... but we live
in a democracy and the head of
county law enforcement has been a
sheriff all the way back to early
times. Voters are not always fully
informed. Money can buy political
office. The influence of consultants,
advertising firms, and the power of
the hotel/casino industry are much
more likely to select — not elect —
the next sheriff. Voters by the thousands will turn out and the votes
will be tallied... but how will they
make their decisions?
When the term ‘good old boys’
or ‘good old boys system’ is used
in conversation, do people realize
that it does not apply to just males
or all ‘guys’ in general? I was a
member of the LVMPD for over 21
years. I don’t think you will find
anyone who will describe me as one
of the ‘good old boys’... Many of
the current and former members of
the LVMPD will have their own
opinion of who belongs to the ‘good
old boys system’ and this is probably not unusual in any organization. It might be just part of human
nature to realize that people in
POWER want to maintain their
positions in the existing organizational structure. If we perceive that
we don’t fit into that group, then we
don’t think we are a ‘good old boy’
even though we are male. The
group with the power is more like
the most powerful ‘tribe’ on a SURVIVOR television show. If we are
in power we want to take care of
our own and maintain that power.
Dictionary.com defines a good
old boy as: a male who embodies
the unsophisticated good fellowship
and sometimes boisterous sociability regarded as typical of white
males of small towns and rural areas of the South. A second definition is: a person who belongs to a
network of friends and associates
with close ties of loyalty and mutual support. Other definitions include: preservation of social elites
in general... and... when used as a
pejorative... someone who engages
in cronyism among men who have
known each other for a long period
of time (Good Ol’ Boy Network).
It is this negative interpretation
(cronyism) that is what we need to
avoid in the selection of the next
sheriff. This is important because
the sheriff can ‘appoint’ any of the
current captains to higher positions
(Deputy Chief, Assistant Sheriff,
and Undersheriff). He (or she) will
have the power to promote and create a significant new power structure — or keep the current good old
boys in place.
There has been recent discussion
in Dallas, Texas about the creation
gal to eat in the street in residential
neighborhoods, and the only beverage you can drink on the beach is
water in a clear plastic bottle. In
Ocean City, It is illegal for men to
go topless in the center of town. In
Staten Island, You may only water
your lawn if the hose is held in your
hand. In Staten Island, it is illegal
for a father to call his son a “faggot” or “queer” in an effort to curb
“girlie behavior.” (Hated it!)
New York City — You may not
smoke within 100 feet of the entrance to a public building. Women
may go topless in public, providing it is not being used as a business. It is illegal to have permit
dancing in an establishment that
sells food without a cabaret license.
It is illegal for a woman to be on
the street wearing “body hugging
clothing.” Citizens may not greet
each other by “putting one’s thumb
to the nose and wiggling the fingers.”
North Carolina — It is illegal
to hold more than two sessions of
bingo per week, and those sessions
may not exceed 5 hours each session. Source: ? 14-309.8.
Ohio — In Oxford, It is unlawful for a woman to appear in public
while unshaven. This includes legs
and face. In Youngstown, you may
not run out of gas. Source: Youngstown City Ordinances, Section
331.44 I hope no foreign women
visit!
Oklahoma — It is iIlegal to
have a sleeping (if he’s awake, it is
OK!) donkey In your bathtub after
7 p.m.
South Carolina — There’s no
place for fun... It is unlawful for a
minor under the age of eighteen to
play a pinball machine. Source: 207-8915
Tennessee — It is unlawful for
any person to import, possess, or
cause to be imported into this state
any type of live skunk, or to sell,
barter, exchange or otherwise transfer any live skunk, except that the
prohibitions of this section shall not
apply to bona fide zoological parks
and research institutions. Source:
70-4-208. Unlawful importation of
skunks — Penalty. You must believe in God to be elected into office. You also are not permitted into
office if you were in contendant in
a duel. Source: Tennessee Constitution — Article IX
Vermont — In Montpelier, no
law was violated when 42 cyclists
rode through Vermont’s capital naked on May 14, 2009. The BarreMontpelier Times Argus reported
that Vermont has no ban on public
nudity. Disrobing in public is a
crime, but the cyclists disrobed before venturing out and would not
be charged. Source: http://
www.wptz.com/news/19749434/
detail.html
West Virginia — If any person
who has arrived at the age of discretion (What age is that? Some
people never get there!) profanely
curses or swears or gets drunk in
public, he shall be fined by a justice one dollar for each offense.
Source: ?61-8-15. Profane swearing
and drunkenness; penalty. It is illegal to taunt someone for not accepting a challenge for a duel. Actual:
If any person posts another, or in
writing or in print uses any reproachful or contemptuous language to or concerning another, for
not fighting a duel, or for not sending or accepting a challenge, he
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor,
and, upon conviction, shall be confined in jail not more than six
months, or fined not exceeding one
hundred dollars. Source: ?61-2-24.
Taunting for nonparticipation in
duel; penalty. State code deems it
unlawful for any person to have in
his possession or to display any red
or black flag. Source: West Virginia
Code 61-1-6
Wacky, but still the law of the
land. — Mace
*****
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
mance of their duties. Source: Sec.
74-2
Maryland — In Baltimore, it is
illegal to take a lion to the movies.
(What about to a play?)
Minnesota — Many municipalities in Minnesota (including
Anoka County) still have a Vagrancy Law on the books that
makes it a misdemeanor for a person, with ability to work, who is
without lawful means of support,
and does not seek employment, and
is not under 18 years of age. (Beware, college students!)
Mississippi — A state law prohibits the seduction of a female over
the age of eighteen by promised or
pretended marriage. Source: ? 9729-55. Codes, 1892, ? 1298;
Nebraska — It is not legal for a
tavern owner to serve beer unless a
nice kettle of soup is also brewing.
Nevada — In Reno, It is unlawful for any person to carry on, conduct or maintain any marathon
dancing or marathon walking.
Source: Code 1966, ? 11.12.130
New Jersey — In Bergen
County, Blue Laws are still in effect. The only retail outlets permitted to be open on Sundays are grocery stores and liquor stores.
New York — It is against the
law to throw a ball at someone’s
head for fun. (How about if you are
just angry?) A license must be purchased before hanging clothes on a
clothesline. A fine of $25 can be
levied for flirting. This old law specifically prohibits men from turning around on any city street and
looking “at a woman in that way.”
A second conviction for a crime of
this magnitude calls for the violating male to be forced to wear a “pair
of horse-blinders” wherever and
whenever he goes outside for a
stroll. (WILBURRRRRRRRRR.)
In Carmel, a man cannot be seen in
public while wearing a jacket and
pants that do not match (beware of
the fashion police!). In Greene, during a concert, it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backwards on the
sidewalks. In Ocean City, It is ille-
of a new rank between lieutenant
and deputy chief. The union is calling for the end of the “good ole
boy” system and says instead to
choose proven strong leaders for
appointed ranks: “During the past,
some people have been promoted
through what some call the ‘good
ole boy’ system (i.e. friends of the
Chief), resulting in some being promoted without regard to their experience or length of time in a leadership position.” People tend to
want to avoid being classified as
part of the good old boys system
these days. I think they want to have
their actual qualifications and merits considered; it should not be who
you know — it should be what you
know!
One day, an officer who I
worked with told me that he heard
that I was once a ‘rising star’ and a
‘golden child.’This was a reference
to my first career at Metro. I never
felt that I was in the Moran clique,
the Keller clique, the Young clique,
(See Jahn, Page 10)
Maramis
connection may be far more difficult than it ever was for a princess to
make nice to a frog (that would be the not-so-good news).
Then
along
comes
SeekingMillionaire.com
and
SeekingArrangement.com. Just a couple of the several relatively new
websites for those who wish to meet up with the person of their choice.
Dating websites have been around for quite some time now, and those
seeking an opportunity to meet someone have many options at their
fingertips. The key word though is “opportunity,” since there are no
guarantees that anyone a seeker would be interested in would necessarily be interested in them. Of course it would feel like “rejection” all
over again, but at least it would be a more or less private rejection, and
possibly even allow you, the one being rejected, to reevaluate what
might make you less than desirable. It could be worth a try.
But “dating,” some might think, is not the right word to use for
some of these websites. Some might feel they should come right out
and call them SeekingPartner websites. Maybe, from the woman’s point
of view, some men might just want to go straight for that kind of relationship and bypass the whole dating thing. No romance; no courtship; no falling in love; no niceties. They meet, they see that the other
is passable and likable enough, and they arrange to get married. That’s
that. They both get what they want: a spouse. A partner for life. Maybe
a stepmother or stepfather for their children. Maybe someone to keep
them from feeling so lonely. In any regard, they get married or coupled.
End of story.
But what about all those others who feel they have a whole lot
more to offer than most of the so-called “ordinary” people on most of
those websites? What about men who feel they have so much they can
offer a woman, but they’d expect the woman to offer them back a
whole lot too? What about women who feel they are more beautiful
and sexy than average women and want a man who can appreciate
that — one who will not expect them to get married, to give up all
their glamour to have children and become “ordinary housewives”?
Why shouldn’t those kinds of people be able to cut to the chase to find
each other?
Well, whether or not they could before, they can now. Enter Brandon Wade and his visionary websites geared for those who are predominantly young, beautiful and sexy, or very wealthy and eager to
share it with “the right person.”
It all came to my attention last week when Brandon’s public relations manager, Leroy, emailed me a press release:
I thought you’d be interested to know that Las Vegas ranks 9th for
the most eligible millionaires in the country.
Of the over 316 million people that live in the US, only 9 million
are actual millionaires. Of these 9 million wealthy, only a fraction are
single and looking for long-term relationships.
SeekingMillionaire.com decided to separate the “Clooneys” from
the “Prince Charmings” by polling over 100,000 of its own millionaires and asking for their intentions in dating.
The site discovered that 89,503 millionaires are marriage-minded
and looking for a long-term commitment, with 664 eligible millionaires residing in Vegas. This would be an interesting statistic to share,
especially to the local women who are still looking for their “happilyever-after.”
It sounded like something I might investigate — for the good of the
local women still seeking their “happily-ever-after” — so I made an
appointment through Leroy to talk to Brandon and find out what his
particular websites were all about. And so he educated me.
SeekingMillionaire.com and SeekingArrangement.com are only two
of his controversial sites. But let’s be fair here: Brandon Wade is not
responsible for the desires in the hearts or the thoughts in the minds of
those who use his websites. He recognized something in people that
was there long before he showed up on the scene; he just decided to
capitalize on it. (Brandon himself is married, even though he writes an
advice column for seekers on his websites.)
There are many out there in “SeekingSomeoneLand” who always
felt attracted to wealth in particular (both men and women) and those
who seem to prefer avoiding the commitment of marriage, Brandon
Wade websites or not. So while traditionalists may find his websites
more than controversial, remember that this is still a free country (for
the most part) and no one who finds money and youth and beauty and
sexiness too superficial for use in finding their choice of a partner, for
whatever purpose, can simply not check his websites out.
Brandon’s mother once suggested to him, when he was much
younger and still feeling nerdy and very alone, that if he made money
and was kind and generous, the women would come. Well, apparently
his mother was right. Having money and being generous with it is a
big attraction for many people.
So whether any woman reading this is looking for a wealthy man
to whom she can offer all her youth and beauty and sexiness (in a
mutually beneficial arrangement of some kind), or some beautiful man
feels he can offer all he has to some very wealthy woman, maybe
they’ll both find just what they’re looking for on one of Brandon’s
sites. On the other hand, as Brandon well knows, there may always be
people who will continue to believe in the fairy tale-like fantasy of
finding true love — perhaps even right under their nose — if they can
only recognize it. Maybe those people will get married, or maybe they’ll
choose an informal, ongoing loving relationship for the rest of their
days.
So whether one is looking for love (in all the wrong places?), or
looking for something else (on one of Brandon’s websites?), maybe
the end of their particular story will one day read:
“And they lived happily ever after.”
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].
What was behind Venezuela’s
deadly oil refinery explosion?
One year after Venezuela’s Amuay Refinery explosion the government
points to foul play, while critics say state-run oil company is deteriorating.
By Andrew Rosati
CARACAS, VENEZUELA —
Authorities say foul play was involved in the deadly gas explosion
that tore through Venezuela’s largest oil refinery last year. The blast
claimed at least 40 lives, displaced
hundreds of families and caused an
estimated $1.7 billion in damages.
“I have the conviction that it was
an act of sabotage by factors external to our refinery, our industry,”
said Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.
(PDVSA) president and petroleum
energy minister, Rafael RamÌrez,
upon releasing a 117-page report of
a state-sponsored investigation last
week. The report indicates that intentionally-loosened bolts in a gas
pump caused a leak that led to the
ensuing blast.
Prior to the probe’s release, opposition lawmakers decried the
tragedy at the Amuay Refinery as
“completely avoidable,” citing a
recent report by Profesionales del
Petróleo, an oil industry group.
While the disaster is being
dragged further into Venezuela’s
bitter political strife, industry observers say the Aug. 25, 2012 explosion is more likely a symptom
of the overall deterioration at
PDVSA. Despite increased investment and a burgeoning staff, the
frequency of accidents and reliance
on refined oil products is stoking
fear of mismanagement in this oil
rich South American nation.
“Safety is ... part of running a
business in this inherently high risk
industry “ says Jorge Piñon, energy
analyst and Latin American specialist at the University of Texas at
Austin. “PDVSA has lost sight of
that.”
Most dangerous
According to company data, the
state owned oil company PDVSA
registered 519 accidents, causing
3,400 employee injuries and 24
deaths last year. In a recent report
comparing PDVSA to its regional
state-owned counterparts —
Mexico’s Pemex, Colombia’s
Ecopetrol, and Brazil’s Petrobras —
The International Association of Oil
Large plumes of smoke rise from the Amuay refinery as national guards soldiers watch near Punto Fijo,
explosion rocked Venezuela’s biggest oil refinery, killing and injuring dozens.
and Gas Producers, a global forum, tage also the cause of falling pro- According to official OPEC data,
the flow of Venezuelan crude has
found PDVSA the most dangerous. duction?”
Lifeblood of the economy
slowed to 2.8 million barrels a day
Pointing to the continued occurOil remains the lifeblood of the in 2012 from a high of from 3.1
rence of fires, spills, and equipment
failures, José Bodas, general secre- Venezuelan economy, accounting million barrels a day in 1998.
“The only thing they’ve mantary of Venezuela’s Federation of for 95 percent of its exports and
Oil Workers Union, says “each ac- about 20 percent of its gross domes- aged to achieve is verifying that we
cident has its own origin. The over- tic product. PDVSA has been striv- do indeed have the world’s largest
all commonality we’re seeing is the ing to boost its output to 6 million proven oil reserves,” says Ronald
lack of maintenance [and] invest- barrels a day since 2005, and as of Balza, an economics professor at
ment, and the incompletion of se- 2007 it had allocated $78 billion to both the Central University of Venreached the target by 2012.
ezuela and Andrés Bello Catholic
curity regulations.”
Staff levels have also swelled. University. As of last year, company
Despite calls for increased safety
and new funding initiatives, “things Mr. Ramírez of Gente de Petróleo data indicates that PDVSA has
remain the same,” says Mr. Bodas. highlights company data showing spent more than $74 billion toward
“We still haven’t seen the political staff growth from about 69,000 its state goal, and has only certified
workers in 2001, to nearly double that the country possesses oil rewill,” to change, he says.
Given the rash of accidents at the staff today, with over 145,000 serves of 297 billion barrels.
“We still lack the technology to
PDVSA facilities, critics remain employees.
But even with the injection of get it out of the ground,” says Mr.
skeptical of claims of subversion.
“We’ve heard sabotage before,” billions of dollars and the addition Balza.
The company has since ansays Eddie Ramírez national coor- of thousands of employees, the state
dinator of Gente de Petróleo, a civic energy monopoly’s production has nounced an additional $266 billion
association. “One has to ask is sabo- continued to sputter in recent years. to reach previous set production
Venezuela, Aug. 25, 2012. A huge
goals by 2019.
“One wonders where the money
is going,” says Balza.
Besides its energy endeavors,
PDVSA also sponsors various government social programs and participates in food production and
cultural initiatives. Ramírez stresses
the need for social responsibility in
the oil industry, but he fears such
programs, “distort the primary objective of the company, which is the
production of energy.”
Critics are quick to highlight that
Venezuela is now importing from
the U.S., with whom it maintains
strained relations. According to the
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Venezuela imported some
3.3 million barrels of oil products
from the U.S., including gasoline
in June.
“The clock is ticking for
PDVSA,” says Piñon.
Jahn
or the Gillespie clique. Employees
are entitled to have their own perceptions about what they experience and when you hear the comment ‘He can do no wrong,’ or (at
Metro) ‘He was in SWAT,’ this
means that the individual is perceived to be part of the IN-group.
When these perceptions are not
monitored (or even discussed because of fear and intimidation), it
can lead to decreased morale and
be an extremely negative factor in
the organization. Just ask the next
cop you see if he feels his (or her)
future is bright because they are on
the right ‘team.’ I may exaggerate
when I use the term ‘cosa nostra,’
but I think things have gone way
too far in the LVMPD. I can just
about hear them say, “It is ‘our
thing’ and don’t you dare mess with
us!”
So... should Joseph Lombardo or
Ted Moody (the two highest-ranking members of Metro) compete for
the sheriff’s office? If one of these
two is elected, will they represent
‘change’ and improvement for the
future, or keep the status quo and
just switch office chairs?
This is all about POWER. Power
is the ability to do or act, the capability of doing or accomplishing
something, political or national
strength, might, the possession of
control or command over others,
authority; ascendancy: power over
men’s minds. I’m most worried
about the last sentence. Do we really need ‘authority and ascendancy’ and is this election going to
be about ascendancy — merely
moving pieces on the game board?
Do we need a ‘protégé’ of a prior
sheriff, or will we get stuck with one
of his ‘progeny’? A PROTÉGÉ is
defined as a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career
or welfare. I don’t like a few words
in that definition either (patronage
or protection). The definition of
PROGENY means a descendant or
offspring, as a child, plant, or animal... something that originates or
results from something else. I don’t
think I want to see a protégé or a
progeny as the next sheriff of Clark
County Nevada.
I saw the development of the
current leadership at the Sahara
Saloon years ago. During my rookie
days in field training, we would
visit that business after work because it was so close to the police
station. We would sit around and
talk, drink, and we would actually
share stories about what we were
facing in our quest to become permanent LVMPD officers. The rookies were required to be at a separate table from the Field Training
Officers or Supervisors. We might
have been better off going to our
own place for ‘choir practice’ because maintaining our independence should have been a priority.
We should have ‘made it’ or
‘dropped out’ based on our perfor-
“A COMMITMENT TO
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES”
DOES YOUR COMPANY WANT OPPORTUNITIES TO BID ON
NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (NDOT),
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OR SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO
PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES?
Well, here’s your opportunity!
Contact the Valley Center Opportunity Zone (VCOZ)
Peter Guzman, Executive Director
300 N. 13th Street
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
702/384-8269 –phone
702/384-1182
VCOZ has entered into a consultant agreement with NDOT to provide estimating,
bidding, and submittal assistance to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises
mance — not friendships.
I look back at the names and
faces from the Sahara Saloon and
realize that many of them would
later become Sheriff, Assistant
Sheriff, and Deputy Chief. They
held the highest positions in the
LVMPD before they retired and
some of them are not yet retired.
Do we need to find a way to get
a true professional with new ideas
and the credibility of a proven career in law enforcement leadership,
or will we settle for a protégé (or
worse yet, the progeny) of the current system?
I want to hear about educational
achievement, recency of training,
education, and experience — ex-
amples of successful leadership that
can be validated.
Does Nevada have a qualified
(POST Certified and resident of
Clark County) person in the Las
Vegas Valley or even in the entire
state that can step up and try to save
Metro from the failing public trust?
*****
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.
Adding the bloom to the flower
The beautification of the F.I.O.R.E.
Las Vegas Tribune staff writer
A local non-club club is reaping
the benefits of its new membership... non-membership membership, that is.
Confused? Well, it all began nine
years ago when entertainer Nelson
Sardelli and a few friends decided
it was time for a non-club club. A
club with no agenda, no purpose,
no affiliations of any kind; just a
group of Fun Italians Organizing
Ridiculous Events. From this,
F.I.O.R.E. was born.
Like any organization, this nonorganization has strict rules. All
members must be Italian or NonItalian. The non-club club takes this
From This....
To This....
rule very seriously and will not
waiver. It is suggested that all nonmember members have low expectations and a great attitude and
sense of humor. Also, every man
who joins is immediately a presi-
dent and, until very recently, that
would have been a quick encapsulation of their non-member membership.
While The Non-Club Club
F.I.O.R.E. presidents have been
meeting once a week for the past
nine years, women were not included, except on special occasions,
such as various holiday parties —
including, but not limited to, St. IRS
Day.
Enter the Bloom
Recently, First Ladies have become welcome and active nonmember members of this unique
non-club club.
So from its humble beginnings,
with non-meeting meetings, in various private event spaces around
town, the Non-Club Club F.I.O.R.E.
has grown to an impressive group
of locals who now meet monthly at
The Italian American Club (which
is an actual club, not to be confused
with the non-club club).
To be a part of this non-club club
you need to be invited by a current
non-member member... and you
might want to find one you know
as F.I.O.R.E is gearing up for their
next big event — their Annual Halloween Party, Saturday, October 25.
For more information about this
ridiculously fun non-group group,
please
visit,
http://
nonclubclubfiore.com and be sure
to check the “About us” page.
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 is the
new documentary film A Fierce
Green Fire about and what does
the title refer to? — Gloria
Howard, Washington, DC
A Fierce Green Fire is a new film
documenting the rise of the modern environmental movement from
the 1960s through the present day.
It premiered at last year’s Sundance
Film Festival and will be playing
at select theaters across the country beginning in September 2013.
Educators, environmental groups
and grassroots activists also will be
showing the film at small and large
events from coast to coast over the
course of the fall. Written and directed by Mark Kitchell, Academy
Award-nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, A Fierce Green
Fire (the film) is based on the 1993
book of the same name by environmental journalist Philip Shabecoff.
The phrase “a fierce green fire”
refers to a longer passage in one of
the seminal environmental books of
the 20th century, 1949’s A Sand
County Almanac. In the famous
“Think Like a Mountain” section of
that book, author Aldo Leopold relates his experience as part of a
predator extirpation team that
shoots a wolf in the New Mexico
desert: “We reached the old wolf in
time to watch a fierce green fire
dying in her eyes.
I realized then and have known
ever since that there was something
new to me in those eyes, something
known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then and full of
trigger-itch; I thought that because
fewer wolves meant more deer, that
no wolves would mean hunters’
paradise. But after seeing the green
fire die, I sensed that neither the
wolf nor the mountain agreed with
such a view.”
Kitchell’s film shows how this
passage and other writings were instrumental in raising awareness
about the importance of wise stewardship of the natural environment
and as such played a crucial role in
the re-birth of the environmental
movement in the 1960s.
Featuring five “acts,” each with
its own central story and character,
the film depicts a central environmental conflict of each decade since
the 1960s. The first act, narrated by
Robert Redford, focuses on David
Brower and the Sierra Club’s battle
to halt dams in the Grand Canyon
in the 1960s. Act two, narrated by
Ashley Judd, tells the story of Lois
Gibbs and other Niagara Falls, New
American girls and boys are going through puberty earlier than ever, though the reasons are unclear. Many
believe our widespread exposure to synthetic chemicals is at least partly to blame.
York residents’ struggle against tion on the film and features his- the earliest, at around age nine,
pollution buried beneath their Love torical photos of some of the scenes while Caucasian and Hispanics
Canal neighborhood in the 1970s. and events depicted in it. Anyone start on average at age 10.
Act three is all about Greenpeace who wants to find out more about
One culprit could be rising obeand efforts by Captain Paul Watson the makings of the modern environ- sity rates. Researchers believe that
to save whales and baby harp seals, mental movement should be sure to puberty (at least for girls) may be
as told by Van Jones. Chico Mendes see A Fierce Green Fire.
triggered in part by the body buildand Brazilian rubber tappers take
*****
ing up sufficient reserves of fat tiscenter stage in Act four, as narrated
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that sue, signaling fitness for reproducby Isabel Allende, in their fight to American kids are going through tive capabilities. Clinical pediatrisave their Amazon rainforest. puberty earlier today than in pre- cian Robert Lustig of Benioff
Lastly, Act five focuses on Bill vious generations, and are there Children’s Hospital in San FranMcKibben, as told by Meryl Streep, any environmental causes for this? cisco reports that obese girls have
and the 25-year effort to address the — Paul Chase, Troy, NY
higher levels of the hormone leptin
foremost issue of our time: climate
Research indicates that indeed which in and of itself can lead to
change.
Americans girls and boys are go- early puberty while setting off a
Intertwined within these main ing through puberty earlier than domino effect of more weight gain
stories are strands including the ever, though the reasons are unclear. and faster overall physical maturastruggle for environmental justice, Many believe our widespread ex- tion.
getting “back to the land,” and posure to synthetic chemicals is at
Some evidence suggests that
sustainability efforts in the devel- least partly to blame, but it’s hard “hormone disrupting” chemicals
oping world. The film ends on an to pinpoint exactly why our bodies may also trigger changes premaoptimistic note, driving home the react in certain ways to various en- turely. Public health advocates have
point that environmentalism is re- vironmental stimuli.
been concerned, for example, about
ally about civilizational change and
Researchers first noticed the ear- the omnipresence of Bisphenol A
bringing industrial society into bal- lier onset of puberty in the late (BPA), a synthetic chemical in
ance with nature and that each of 1990s, and recent studies confirm some plastics, because it is thought
us can make a difference with a the mysterious public health trend. to “mimic” estrogen in the body and
little effort.
A 2012 analysis by the U.S. Cen- in some cases contribute to or cause
Those interested in seeing the ters for Disease Control and Pre- health problems. BPA is being
film should check out the schedule vention (CDC) found that Ameri- phased out of many consumer
of theatrical releases at the film’s can girls exposed to high levels of items, but hundreds of other potenwebsite, afiercegreenfire.com. The common household chemicals had tially hormone disrupting chemiwebsite also features more informa- their first periods seven months ear- cals are still in widespread use.
lier than those with lower expoDichlorobenzene, used in some
sures. “This study adds to the grow- mothballs and in solid blocks of
ing body of scientific research that toilet bowl and air deodorizers, is
exposure to environmental chemi- also a key suspect in triggering
cals may be associated with early early puberty. It is already classipuberty,” says Danielle Buttke, a fied as a possible human carcinoresearcher at CDC and lead author gen, and studies have linked preon the study. Buttke found that the natal exposure to it with low birth
age when a girl has her first period weight in boys. The U.S. Environ(menarche) has fallen over the past mental Protection Agency (EPA)
century from an average of age 16- has recently made screening
17 to age 12-13.
Dichlorobenzene for hormonal efEarlier puberty isn’t just for fects a priority.
girls. In 2012 researchers from the
Parents can take steps to reduce
American Academy of Pediatrics our kids’ so-called “toxic burden”:
(AAP) surveyed data on 4,100 boys Buy organic produce, hormonefrom 144 pediatric practices in 41 and antibiotic-free meat and dairy
states and found a similar trend: and all-natural household cleaners.
American boys are reaching pu- And keep the dialogue going about
berty six months to two years ear- healthy food and lifestyle habits so
lier than just a few decades ago. kids learn how to make responsible,
African-American boys are starting healthy choices for themselves.
A new film by Academy Award-nominated Mark Kitchell, based on a 1993 book by Phil Shabecoff, documents
the rise of the modern environmental movement from the 1960s through the present day. Pictured: Lois
Marie Gibbs and other Niagara Falls, New York residents’ struggle against pollution buried beneath their
Love Canal neighborhood in the 1970s.
ENTERTAINMENT
Home Shopping Network Produced
Earth, Wind and Fire’s Concert
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Sandy Zimmerman
unless otherwise indicated
The legendary Earth, Wind and
Fire appeared in the Venetian Theater at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas. This concert was different from
their others because it was produced
by the leading multichannel retailer
Home Shopping Network Live
events.
The HSN took a new direction
as partners with the Venetian as an
active participant in the event.
Verdine White, Philip Bailey and
Ralph Johnson, founding members
of Earth, Wind and Fire were celebrating their new release titled
Now, Then & Forever, marking the
first album in almost a decade. This
CD as well as Venetian resort packages were sold during the television
show’s commercial breaks.
The first hour was broadcast live
on HSN TV for both the television
audience as well as the show’s audience. Following the show, the audience was rewarded with an additional half-hour which also
streamed live across HSN’s digital
platforms. The Songza Music
streaming service offered a special
Earth, Wind & Fire/ HSN playlist
for subscribers during the week
preceeding the show.
These events are an exciting way
to promote an artist’s latest CD’s
while providing the artist’s fans
with a live television broadcast and
a concert.
Special Guest David Foster (Songwriter, Singer & Producer) and his
wife Yolanda Hadid (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on BRAVO)
EARTH, WIND & FIRE: Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson
These live concert tapings began
with the debut of Michael Bolton’s
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough:
A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A.
The series of HSN Live concerts
has provided some of the most spectacular shows with Lionel Richie,
Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, Josh
Groban and others.
Before the show, the red carpet
featured many of Home Shopping
Network’s celebrities and : Special
guest David Foster (singer,
songwriter and producer), Yolanda
Hadid Foster (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills-BRAVO),
special guest Andy Sheldon (Chief
Creative Officer, HSNi & General
Manager of HSN Productions),
HSN Hosts Brett Chukerman and
Callie Northagen, Barry Summers
(President-Rock Fuel Media), Heidi
Daus (Jewelry Designer), and
Damien Smith (Manager of Earth,
Wind & Fire), Marc Bujnicki
(HSN, Director Live Events).
Charles Bennett (CEO of
Zymol) made a special presentation
of the Lifetime Achievement Award
to Wind, Earth and Fire’s Verdine
White. Jay Dran Lewis (Founder
and CEO of Warrior Instruments.)
built a custom-made instrument as
a gift for Verdine.
The Venetian Resort presents a
line-up of entertainment. Resident
production shows Rock of Ages and
Smokey Robinson’s Human Nature, Soul to Soul and more.
Jay Dran Lewis (Left), Founder & CEO of Warrior Instruments, and Charles Bennett (Right), CEO of
Zymot, presented the Lifetime Achievement Award and a custom made guitar to Verdine White (Center)
Sandy Zimmerman interviewed
celebrities along the red carpet.
(Photo by Holly Sewall)
The Venetian Resort & Casino
is located at 3355 South Las Vegas
Boulevard. For information, call
(702)-414-1000 or visit http://
www.venetian.com/
The HOME SHOPPING NETWORK is a leading interactive multichannel retailer, offering a curated
assortment of exclusive products
and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates entertain-
ment, inspiration, personalities and
industry experts to provide an entirely unique shopping experience.
At HSN, customers find selections
in Health & Beauty, Jewelry, Home/
Lifestyle, Fashion/Accessories, and
Electronics. HSN broadcasts live to
95 million households in the US in
HD 24/7 and its website —
HSN.com - is a top 10 most trafficked e-commerce site, featuring
more than 23,000 product videos.
HSN, founded 35 years ago as the
first shopping network, is an operating segment of HSN, Inc.
For information about the Home
Shopping Network, call (800) 2845757 or visit http://www.hsn.com.
*****
SUGGESTIONS: Do you have a
favorite comedian, singer, production show, magician, group, or entertainer appearing in Las Vegas?
Just let us know about your favorite and you may win free show tickets or other prizes. Send the name
of your favorite, reasons for your
choice, name, e-mail address, and
telephone number to: P. O. Box
#750211, Las Vegas, NV. 89136.
For information or any questions,
please call Sandy Zimmerman at
731-6491 or email her at
[email protected].
Home Shopping Network Hosts: Brett Chukerman & Callie Northagen
Judith Hill opening for Josh Groban at MGM Grand
This Week
in Las Vegas
By Mike Kermani
Tickets are $20 per person and
available for purchase online at
www.showtix4u.com. The event is
at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center, 1771 Inner
Circle Drive.
*****
HALL OF FAME GROUP AT
EASTSIDE CANNERY
Celebrating their 50th anniversary as a group, acclaimed R&B act
The Whispers appear at the Eastside
Events Center at Eastside Cannery
Casino & Hotel, 5255 Boulder
Highway, at 8:30 p.m. September
28, 2013.
The Whispers are members of
both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
(inducted in 2003) and the
SoulMusic Hall of Fame at
Soulmusic.com (2012).
Classic songs “And The Beat
Goes On” and “Rock Steady”
reached the top of the R&B charts,
and The Whispers’ extensive catalog includes 13 hits that soared to
the top 10 on the R&B list.
By Mike Kermani
Las Vegas Tribune
Judith Hill is opening for Josh
Groban at MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday,
October 13.
Judith’s musical journey has
brought her to a part in the critically
acclaimed film 20 Feet From Stardom (“You gasp at the ecstatic convergence of lung power and spirit.”
— New York Magazine), which
came out on June 14 and tells the
true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musicians
of the 21st century. She is now recording her debut solo release due
out later this year...
You might know the former
Michael Jackson backup singer
from her powerhouse performances
on NBC’s The Voice, which had
everyone from The Wall Street
Journal and Rolling Stone to the
Los Angeles Times and thousands
of fans rooting for her:
“[Judith Hill] has pipes, experience, style...” — The Wall Street
Journal
“Seasoned, soulful sound.” —
Rolling Stone
You can hear Judith belt it on
Christina Aguilera’s “What a Girl
Wants”
here:
https://
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=VMOCtUP9_Vc
*****
Louie Anderson
CASINO ENTERTAINMENT
AWARDS AT G2E
IN PLAZA HOTEL
The Casino Entertainment
Awards at G2E will be presented
Wednesday, Sep. 25, 2013, at 7:00
p.m. in the historic showroom at the
Plaza Hotel & Casino, 1 Main
Street, Downtown Las Vegas. A
celebrity red carpet reception at
6:00 p.m. in Zbar will precede the
awards show.
Hosted by Emmy award-winning comedian Louie Anderson, the
Casino Entertainment Awards at
G2E is the only awards program
that honors outstanding entertainers, executives and venues in the
casino entertainment industry.
The Casino Entertainment
Awards at G2E are an official event
of the Global Gaming Expo, the
world’s largest annual gathering of
casino entertainment professionals,
which is expected to attract 25,000
attendees to the Sands Expo and
Convention Center on Sep. 23-26,
2013.
Award nominees include:
Showroom/Theater of the Year:
The Show at Agua Caliente Casino;
Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas; and The Wolf Den at
Mohegan Sun.
Arena/Amphitheater of the Year:
Mohegan Sun Arena; MGM Grand
Garden Arena; and Thunder Valley
Casino Resort Amphitheater.
Entertainment Executive of the
Year: Tom Cantone, Mohegan Sun;
Robyn Smith, Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Biloxi; and David Swift,
Pala Resort & Casino.
Independent Talent Buyer of the
Year: Brian Knaff, Talent Buyers
Network; Candace Mandracia, Live
Nation; and Michael Scafuto, The
M&M Group.
Booking Agent of the Year: Jeff
Howard, APA Talent & Literary
Agency; Steve Levine, ICM Partners; and Craig Newman, APA Talent & Literary Agency.
Comedian of the Year: Rita
Rudner, George Wallace and Ron
White.
Musical Artist of the Year: Foreigner, The Oak Ridge Boys and
Rick Springfield.
Entertainer of the Year: Ronnie
Dun; Lynyrd Skynyrd and Motley
Crue.
Currently appearing at The Plaza
Hotel & Casino at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesdays through Saturdays,
awards host Louie Anderson made
his national television debut on The
Tonight Show Starring Johnny
Carson and the rest is history.
The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno, The Late Show with David
Letterman, The Late Late Show
with Craig Ferguson, Comic Relief,
as well as Showtime and HBO specials have all elevated Anderson to
a household name.
Anderson has guest-starred in
numerous sitcoms, television dramas and feature film roles in Coming to America opposite Eddie
Murphy, the classic Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off and most recently costarred on the ABC prime time reality show Splash.
Tickets for the public are available for purchase at the Plaza Box
Office adjacent to the front desk or
call 702-386-2507. More information on G2E, the Global Gaming
Expo is available at http://
www.globalgamingexpo.com/.
*****
LAS VEGAS PERFORMERS
COME TOGETHER
Rudy Foundation is proud to
announce its new fundraising program for the arts, MUSICAL FUSION FUNDRAISERS (MFF).
MFF presents its first story-telling showcase, “Life Is a Cabaret: A
Story about Relationships,” featuring local directors, educators and
performers from Las Vegas’ most
celebrated productions.
MFF adds a twist to the traditional cabaret by bringing different
styles of music together into one
production to tell a story.
Each MFF cabaret will tell a
unique story and inspire audiences
with a new message. “Life Is a
Cabaret” will focus primarily on
Broadway show tunes from Jekyll
& Hyde, Aida, Once, Next To Normal, Wicked, The Secret Garden,
while also incorporating pop music to help tell a story about the joys
and woes of relationships.
Michael Vojvodich — Director
and Instructor of Broadway Bound,
the musical theater program at Studio One’s Summerlin Dance Academy that focuses on teaching children music, choreography, and performance technique from Broadway shows.
Michael’s extensive resume of
leading roles includes Jesus Christ
Superstar, Jekyll and Hyde, Little
Shop of Horrors, A Little Night
Music, West Side Story, and Grease.
Alex Cheney — Entertainment
Manager for Caesars Entertainment
and Vocal Director for Broadway
Bound, Alex is a former dancer in
Bally’s Jubilee! And has performed
for Busch Gardens in Williamsburg,
Opryland Productions, and Louise
Mandrell.
He also spent almost six years
at sea as a singer/dancer and production manager for Stiletto Entertainment and Holland America
Line. On stage, he’s portrayed leading roles in She Loves Me, The
Magic Flute, and Sound of Music.
Amanda Hope Terrill — Talent Coordinator for Caesars Entertainment and singer for St. Thomas
Moore Catholic Community,
Amanda’s involvement in local theatre throughout the past decade includes working for PS Productions,
Huntsman Entertainment, Broadway Bound, and Las Vegas Little
Theatre, and performing for Signature Productions’ All Shook Up,
Little Shop of Horrors, and Sound
of Music.
Melissa Riezler — Locally
known for her role as former ‘Anna’
of Signature Productions’ 2009 production of The King and I,
Melissa’s extensive resume includes over six years of performing for Walt Disney World with
Disney Productions and leading
roles in Las Vegas shows including
Annie,Sound of Music, and Oliver!
Julian Lam — Winner of the J.
Huntzinger Concerto Competition
in 2004 and 2005, Julian Lam has
developed an impressive musical
skill set over his 15 years of working as an accompanist and piano
teacher.
After being instructed by Dr.
Mykola Suk, professor of University Nevada, Las Vegas and Dr.
James Giles, professor of Northwestern University, he earned both
a Bachelor and Master of Music
degree in piano performance from
UNLV.
Karen Langford — Technical
Director of Broadway Bound,
Karen’s experience ranges from
lead vocalist for a Top 40s cover
band to a committed involvement
in technical stage work for Signature Productions and P.S. Productions.
Saturday, September 21 at 7:30
p.m and Sunday, September 22 at 2
p.m.
The Whispers gained national
attention with their 70s albums,
“One For The Money,” “Open Up
Your Love,” and “Headlights,” and
scored their first platinum album in
1980 with the self-titled album
“The Whispers.”
The group consists of brothers
Walter and Wallace “Scotty” Scott,
as well as Nicholas Caldwell and
Leaveil Degree. All but Degree are
founding members of The Whispers
with a history spanning five decades of success.
Tickets start at $14.95 and can
be
purchased
online
at
www.eastsidecannery.com. For
more information, call the Eastside
Cannery box office at (702) 8565470.
*****
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
The Whispers
Joyful Parties
Guaranteed!
Corporate, private, cruises,
schools, hospitals, libraries,
festivals, birthdays,
holidays... many different
characters. Affordable.
Call “Vegas Best Party”
at 702-956-7333
Mayweather defeats Alvarez by majority decision
By Pete Allman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Tom Donoghue
Floyd “Money” Mayweather
lived up to his expectations on Saturdays WBC/WBA Champion fight
against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at
The MGM Grand Garden. Alvarez,
of Guadelupe, Mexico (43-2, 30
KO’s) said Mayweather took him
out of his game plan and that he
couldn’t catch him with the right
shots. For Mayweather (45-0, 26
KO’s), it was another payday.
Mayweather showed he could trade
punches with Alvarez by using his
jab and countering with rights to his
jaw and body.
Alvarez, on the other side of the
coin, felt by eating well and putting
on the extra weight before the fight,
he would have the advantage. It
didn’t help him though, especially
when he had to catch Mayweather
in the early rounds with strong body
shots. He was no match for
Mayweather’s experience and
speed.
Mayweather showed his dominance throughout the rounds, especially in the 5th and 7th where he
connected strong rights and
straight-forward punches, not to
PETE ALLMAN
mention having Alvarez on the
ropes in the 7th.
Judge Craig Metcalfe of Canada
scored it 117-111 in favor of
Mayweather, while Dave Moretti of
Las Vegas had it 116-112 for
Mayweather. CJ Ross had it a draw
at 114-114. Showtime punch stats
showed that Mayweather landed 46
percent of his 232 punches out of
505, while Alvarez landed 117 of
his 526 punches. That’s 22 percent
compared to Mayweather’s 46 percent. Of the power punches,
Alvarez
landed
232
to
Mayweather’s 175.
This was without question the
biggest pay-per-view fight in the
history of boxing. The paid gate
alone was 20 million and the payper-view is reported to have been
100 million. Among the many celebrities who attended this fight
were Denzil Washington, Jack
Nicholson, Magic Johnson, Lizzy
Caplan, Rosie Perez, LL Cool Jay,
Don Chendle, Lil Wayne and Justin Beiber.
Semi Main Event Danny Garcia
vs Lucas Matthysee
Danny Garcia (27-0, 16KO’s) of
Phildelphia surprised Lucas
Matthysee (35-3-ind, 32KO’s) of
Argentina, with his excellent speed
and far better boxing skills than his
opponent. Garcia winning the
WBA/WBC Super Lightweight
title won by unanimous decision.
Matthysee, a power hitter, didn’t
have the accuracy to make his hits
count. His game plan had changed
after his right eye was closed from
the lightning speed of Garcia in the
early 5th round.
Calos Molina vs Ishe Smith
Carlos Molina (22-5-2,6 KO’s)
won a 12-round IBF Jr. Middleweight title from Ishe Smith (25-6,
11KO’s). The scores were 117-111
for Monlina, 116-112 for Smith,
116-112 Molina. Carlos Molina
won by split decision.
“Pia’s Place” opens September 19
By Jerry Fink
Las Vegas Tribune
Consummate performer and Las
Vegas resident Pia Zadora joins
forces with another notable mainstay, Piero’s Italian Cuisine, with
the opening of “Pia’s Place,” a
space long known as the Monkey
Bar. Opening September 19, Zadora
will perform in the intimate room
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings indefinitely beginning at 9
p.m.
At “Pia’s Place,” the chanteuse
reunites with legendary Sinatra pianist and musical director Vincent
Falcone rounding out a quartet.
Zadora will showcase her versions
of standards such as “The Lady is a
Tramp,” “Old Black Magic,” and
“All of Me,” as well as a variety of
timeless classics.
“I have always loved Piero’s and
I’m excited to become a part of their
family and share my music with
their guests,” said Zadora. “Piero’s
is the quintessential establishment
that exudes old Vegas charm.”
Pia Zadora performs in “Pia’s
Place” at Piero’s Italian Cuisine,
355 Convention Center Drive, on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 9 p.m. beginning
September 19. A cover of $30 includes two drinks. Must be 21 and
over with a valid ID.
*****
ART VARGAS’ VINTAGE
VEGAS LIVE!
Vargas takes you back to the
Golden era of Las Vegas, in this
fabulous 90 minute show beginin
ning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28
at the CasaBlanca Resort Mesquite.
Tickets:
http://
mesquitegaming.com/ad-vargas/
Swingin the Music that defined
the Golden era. Las Vegas showman Art Vargas brings to life Vintage Las Vegas through exciting
song & dance performances reminiscent of the legendary stars of
Vintage Vegas. With the Swingin’
Swank Set band, featuring the
Fabulous Vargas girl and Special
Guest Laura Shaffer. Acclaimed as
one of Vegas’ best performers, Art
Vargas represents Vegas Golden Era
like no other, experience authentic
vintage Vegas performance in this
swingin’ show, featuring the music
of: Bobby Darin, Louis Prima &
Keely Smith, Frank Sinatra, Peggy
Lee, Cab Calloway, and Elvis.
*****
SMITH CENTER OCTOBER
SHOW LISTINGS
Reynolds Hall
World Blues featuring Taj
Mahal, Vusi Mahlasela and Deva
Mahal with Fredericks Brown
“World Blues” is a celebration
of American blues music’s global
influence, as seen from three very
diverse points of view and three international points of origin. Anchored by iconic folk-blues legend
Taj Mahal, the evening will also
feature the soulful South African
blues of guitarist/vocalist Vusi
Mahlasela and the more modern
rock and roll perspective of
Fredericks Brown, a band featuring
Taj’s daughter, Deva Mahal, who
hails from New Zealand.
Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 at 7:30
p.m.
Ticket prices start at $26
Reynolds Hall
Las Vegas Philharmonic —
POPS I — Dancing & Romancing
Inspired by Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers, “Dancing & Romancing” is a toe-tapping, heart-pounding celebration of 1930s Broadway
and Hollywood with energetic performances by Joan Hess and Kirby
Ward conducted by Stuart Chafetz.
The orchestra will perform lush renditions of songs by Irving Berlin,
Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and
George Gershwin.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013 at 7:30
p.m.; Pre-concert conversation 6:45
p.m.
Reynolds Hall
Sister Act
Produced by Whoopi Goldberg,
Stage Entertainment and Troika Entertainment, “Sister Act” tells the
story of disco diva Deloris Van
Cartier’s journey in protective custody after witnessing a murder.
Stuck in a convent and disguised
as a nun, she finds herself at odds
with both the rigid lifestyle and an
uptight Mother Superior. The hilarious comedic musical was nominated for five Tony Awards and the
Associated Press says, “In a word,
divine. This is a musical that hits
all the right spots, achieving something close to Broadway grace.”
Tuesday-Friday, Oct. 15-20,
2013 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 19-20, 2013 at 2 and 7:30
p.m.
Reynolds Hall
A spirit of fearless exploration
separates the Kronos Quarter from
all others. They do not simply play
music. They create atmospheres of
rich emotion. They conjure up powerful experiences that never quite
fade from memory. And now, the
illustrious and Grammy-winning
quartet will appear at The Smith
Center to premiere a special new
work from Philip Glass, alongside
moving works from Laurie Anderson, Bryce Dessner of The National, and composer Clint Mansell.
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013 at 7:30
p.m.
Reynolds Hall
Broadway legend Audra
McDonald returns to the concert
stage after four seasons on the hit
ABC television series “Private
Practice,” and after winning a
record-tying fifth Tony Award for
her unforgettable performance in
“The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.”
Joined by a jazz ensemble, the twotime Grammy Award winner will
perform an intimate evening of favorite show tunes, classic songs
from the movies, and original
pieces written especially for this
extraordinary artist who is at the
height of her expressive powers.
“Ravishing of voice and Olympian
of stature, she’s an overwhelming
presence,” said The New York
Times.
Jazz Roots “Ladies of Jazz” featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and
The Mosaic Project consisting of
Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza
Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, Gerri
Allen and Tia Fuller
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 at
7:30 p.m.
Cabaret Jazz
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party with
Billy Stritch
Called “the gold standard of
open mic nights” by the Wall Street
Journal, Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is
a cool cabaret night-out. Led by
musical director Billy Stritch,
showbiz superstars hit the stage
alongside up-and-comers, serving
up jaw-dropping music and general
razzle-dazzle.
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 at 9:30
p.m.
Cabaret Jazz
The Kinsey Sicks in “America’s
Next Top Bachelor Housewife Celebrity Hoarder Makeover Star
Gone Wild”
“The Kinsey Sicks,” America’s
Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop
Quartet, is celebrating its 20th an-
niversary year with a new musical
comedy, taking up the cultural bludgeon of reality TV, and they bring
it to Provincetown after a five-year
Cape Cod hiatus. In this brilliant
reality TV mash-up, we find
Rachel, Winnie, Trixie and
Trampolina in the jungle, trying
their best to score at challenges that
involve singing, dancing, dating,
dieting and, of course, large insects.
Friday, Oct. 11, 2013 at 7 p.m.;
Saturday, Oct. 12-13, 2013 at 8
p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 at 3
p.m.
Cabaret Jazz
SOUL MEN Starring SPECTRUM
SPECTRUM, Las Vegas’ own,
award winning, Soul/R&B vocal
group returns home from national
and international touring schedules
for one of their rare Vegas appearances. The group boasts four incredible singers, each with the voice
of a solo artist, who combine their
voices and dexterity to create the
angelic harmonies and deft choreography that have become trademarks of Spectrum. They were
voted Best of Las Vegas in 2005 and
2006, received the Las Vegas Living Legends Award in 2009 and
were awarded a star on Las Vegas’
Walk of Stars in 2012.
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 18-19,
2013 at 7 p.m.
Cabaret Jazz
Danny Wright “Reflections”
Danny Wright debuts “Reflections”, an intimate cabaret-style
concert at The Smith Center’s elegant Cabaret Jazz showroom, in
which he shares the touching stories behind the melodic works on
his brilliant new double album,
“Reflections.” Celebrated around
the world as the Healer of Hearts,
Danny’s accomplished piano performances and sophisticated compositions are rooted in the classics,
yet inspired by real people and
events in his life.
Sunday, October 20, 2013 at 2
and 6 p.m.
Cabaret Jazz
Betty Buckley starring in “The
Vixens of Broadway”
Betty Buckley brings “The Vixens of Broadway” to the Smith Center which highlights some of
Broadway’s most popular shows
celebrating the second female leads.
Song selections will include hits
from “Chicago,” “Evita,” “Company,” “Oklahoma” and “Into the
Woods.” Buckley will also perform
songs from Jerry Herman’s “Dear
World” in which she just starred in
the London Premiere earlier this
year.
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26,
2013 at 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday,
Oct. 26-27, 2013 at 3 p.m.
Symphony Park
Zoppe — An Italian Family Circus
In 1842, Napoleone and
Ermengilda Zoppe founded Circo
Zoppe near Venice, Italy and their
vision lives on as Zoppe, a traditional one-ring European circus.
Join the Zoppe family on their journey to an enchanted, thrilling world
far from our digital age — to a
world of acrobatics, equestrian
showmanship, canine capers,
clowns and lots of audience participation. Always charming, often
thrilling, Zoppe is an intimate, involving experience. In their 600seat tent, no one is more than 25
feet from the ring!
Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 31Nov. 2, 2013 at 7 p.m.; SaturdaySunday, Nov. 2-3, 2013 at 2 p.m.;
Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013 at 5 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $25 for
Adults and $12.50 for Youth
*****
STRAIGHT NO CHASER TO
SHARE THEIR “INFLUENCE”
A cappella superstars Straight
No Chaser hit the road on a North
American Fall Tour with the only
west coast dates landing the group
at The Pearl Concert Theater inside
Palms Casino Resort Show dates
and times are Sept. 26 through Sept.
28 at 8 p.m., with an additional
matinee on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $43.50, plus any additional service fees.
The weekend residency will offer fans the chance to come together
for three days of concerts and special events as a part of “The Chaser
Summit.” Packages including tickets to all four concert events and
three nights of hotels at the Palms
Casino Resort will be available
through Ticketmaster. “The Chaser
Summit” concert events will offer
fans the first opportunity to preview
the music that will be featured in
the “Under The Influence North
American Tour” which officially
begins Oct. 16.
Atlantic Records recording
group Straight No Chaser has announced details of their upcoming
“Under The Influence North American Tour.” The dates celebrate the
upcoming release of the acclaimed
a cappella group’s eagerly awaited
new album, Under the Influence, set
to arrive in stores and at all DSPs
on May 7.
Under the Influence sees the acclaimed a cappella group
reimagining a selection of their all
time favorite songs alongside many
of the superstar artists and undisputed music icons that made them
famous. Produced by Mark Kibble
— a founding member of the legendary a cappella group Take 6 and
one of Straight No Chaser’s primary influences — the album includes unprecedented collaborations with some of popular music’s
best and brightest — including Phil
Collins, Stevie Wonder, Elton John,
Dolly Parton, Rob Thomas, Seal
and Jason Mraz — as Straight No
Chaser put their distinctive and inimitable spin on songs known and
loved the world over.
Under the Influence is heralded
by the new single, “I Want You
Back” featuring Sara Bareilles. A
companion video for the inventive
take on the Jackson 5 classic — as
well audio clips for an array of additional album tracks — are streaming now at the official Straight No
Chaser YouTube channel, located at
www.youtube.com/sncmusic.
The tour marks a milestone for
Straight No Chaser as they feature
the return of founding member
Steve Morgan, who rejoins the
group after the departure late last
year of Ryan Ahlwardt. Fans can
meet the newest/oldest member of
SNC at Straight No Chaser’s official
YouTube
channel,
www.youtube.com/sncmusic.
For more information, please
visit
www.sncmusic.com,
www.facebook.com/
StraightNoChaser, twitter.com/
SNCmusic, and the website
www.myspace.com/sncmusic.
Doors at the Pearl will open at 7
p.m. and show time is 8 p.m. For
the matinee, doors will open at 1
p.m. and show time is 2 p.m. The
Pearl Box Office is open daily from
noon until 7 p.m. with extended
hours on select event days. The
Pearl is now on Twitter.
Follow @PearlatPalms for concert announcements and event information.
*****
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
Massage Therapy can help Your Health
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
A massage is a way of taking
care of yourself even if you don’t
have any medical conditions.
Just relax on the massage table,
let the massage therapist pamper
you.
David Otto, Massage Therapist,
owner of Hands in Motion and certified member of the American
Massage Therapy Association
(AMTA), explained, “My clients
want massages for various reasons.
Most pain management or repetitive motion concerns are conditions
people may want to resolve with
massage. If the client is prone to
tension headaches, I gave them exercises they can do at work. I suggest they take a few moments out
of every hour, to do some of these
stretches, to re-center themselves.
“They should become aware of
how they are sitting. A chronic posture issue is usually what brings
them to my massage table for pain
issues. For posture issues, I can help
lengthen the muscles. That is my
intent for every massage. Lengthening the muscles improves a
person’s posture and the quality of
their life outside the massage session. People see a value in that.
“One of my clients works in an
office six days a week, 12 hours a
day and is on her feet all the time. I
will access my client’s lifestyles.
Sometimes it is important to know
their type of work.
“Another assessment tool I use
is to ask them what activities they
do every day. If the client manages
an office, I ask about the type of
clothes they wear. Everything is
important.
“Most of the time, I use Swedish massage with trigger point techniques for repetitive motion injuries. It is becoming more popular
for companies to support regular
massages for their employee’s.
These are similar to gym memberships and regular checkups at the
doctor. Massage is becoming part
of a lifestyle. Even in the workplace, chair massage is very popular.”
According to the AMTA, “Spinal manipulation can provide shortand long-term relief for pain, especially if the pain hasn’t improved
with self-care. Manipulation may
also boost psychological well-being
and everyday functioning. Some
evidence shows that the therapy
may improve headache symptoms
and neck pain.”
David Otto takes his massage
table to his client’s homes and offices.
He does not base his practice on
medical problems.
AMTA’s 17th Annual National
Massage Therapy Awareness Week
is being held October20-28. Part of
the AMTA’s Consumer Awareness
Program, is an opportunity to learn
the health benefits of massage.
http://www.amtamassage.org/cap/
nmtaw.html
The American Massage Therapy
Association has a website that answers questions about the types of
massage, research and the benefits
of
massage
therapy.
www.amtamassage.org
Find a Massage Therapist: http:/
/www.findamassagetherapist.org
(Please Note: Ask your physician before starting any health regime.)
Award
winning
Sandy
Zimmerman has been involved in
producing television, TV commercials, and travel specials for 28
years. Sandy is a syndicated Show
and Dining Reviewer, travel writer,
professional photographer and talk
show host of the Las Vegas Today
Show and Discover the Ultimate
Vacation travel specials.
For information or questions
contact Sandy Zimmerman at
(702)-731-6491 or email her at
[email protected].
PLACES TO GO
QUICK GETAWAYS
Baked Crab Dip
Short Rib Pot Roast in Oven Dish
The Plan Check Kitchen & Bar Creates Unique Cuisine
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
The Plan Check Kitchen & Bar
serves classic American cuisine
with a Japanese influence. You can
expect generous portions and
unique dishes.
When ordering their oysters on
the half shell, the server asks, “How
many do you want?”
These oysters are much larger
than the ones served at other restaurants. Each oyster measures
around 3-to-5 inches long, it is similar to eating two or three oysters in
one.
Their interesting Japanese
Yuzukosho cocktail sauce was prepared with Chile peppers to add a
zing to the oysters. The Yuzu is a
Japanese citrus fruit.
Another appetizer that sounds
intriguing with a Japanese touch is
the baked crab dip topped with dynamite sauce, masago, charred tomato and nori with toast.
Masago are small crunchy orange eggs (roe) from the capelin
fish (salmon family).
Nori is the Japanese name for
paper-thin sheets of edible dried
seaweed used to wrap sushi and rice
balls.
The short rib pot roast entrée is
cooked with wine for about six to
eight hours until it is tender then
served in a hot iron skillet.
There is also bone marrow, a
turnover pie and sweet and sour
mirepoix.
Mirepoix is used to season
sauces and stews as well as for a
bed on which to braise meats or
fish.
With several flavors in one dish,
you can mix your taste choices.
The Plan Check Bar offers an
impressive collection of spirits including American Bourbon (9),
American Rye Whiskey (15), Rum
(5), Vodka (3), Gin (6), Agave (8),
Japanese Whiskey (22), Japanese
Flights (6), Canadian Whiskey (2),
Ire whiskey (6), Bourbon & Whiskey (24) and Scotch Whiskey (16).
They also serve Cocktails (9),
Draft beer (8), Bottled Beer (18)
and Wine (10).
Even their house-made soda
Oysters on the Half Shell
recipe is different with its mixture
For information, call (310) 288of Yuzu, mango, vanilla cream and 6500 or visit the website
lemon.
www.plancheckbar.com.
Open: Sunday-Wednesday:
Award
winning
Sandy
11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thursday: Zimmerman has been involved in
11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday & producing television programs, TV
Sunday: 11:30 a.m.–Midnight.
commercials, and travel specials
The Plan Check Kitchen and Bar for 28 years. Sandy is a syndicated
is located at 1800 Sawtelle Boule- Show and Dining Reviewer, travel
vard in west Los Angeles. This writer, professional photographer
neighborhood is named the Little and talk show host of the Las VeOsaka area because of all the Japa- gas Today Show and Discover the
nese restaurants there.
Ultimate Vacation travel specials.
Plan Check Bar & Restaurant serves American Cuisine with a Japan influence.
For information or questions about
any of Sandy’s columns, contact
Sandy Zimmerman at (702)-7356974. SUGGESTIONS: What is
your favorite hotel, inn, bed-andbreakfast Inn or resort in Las Vegas or anywhere in the world? Let
us know the reason for your choice,
your name, telephone number,
email and you may win free show
tickets or other prizes. Please send
your information to: P.O. Box
#750211, Las Vegas, NV. 89136.
The Appetizers include Stuffed Mushrooms, Cheese, Meats and Dips.

Harris no longer a pimp — he is now a molester

Transcription

Similar documents

Poster LVA WACAC 2016

Terry Fator Fox Theatre_PP1

SKYBOT HAND

FiestaPoster2012

welcome entertainment and amenities

BOY SCOUTS NIGHT OUT AT BLUE MAN GROUP!

How Did They Do That? - Sacramento Civil War Round Table

Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association of Nevada - Nevada 41-1

flyer here

free roofing contractor show pass